ProCare Health

Get mentally fit for weight loss!

2014-04-30T13:34:00.000-07:00

There are literally thousands of diets and weight loss systems throughout the world; pills, shakes, soups, fads, carbohydrates, calories, fats, sugars, you name it. They are all available to you in the interest of helping you lose weight, change your body shape or size or changing the way your body feels. What most people don’t realise that they all pretty much have one thing in common. You need to change your mental state before you can make any of them work!

Yes, you may find it a surprise but pretty much 99% of people looking to lose weight have actually subconsciously “chosen” the state their body is in. At the end of the day, YOU alone are responsible for putting the fried chicken in your mouth, YOU are responsible for NOT going for a walk this morning and, most importantly, YOU are responsible and have control of your thoughts, emotions and motivation.

Changing your mental state will help you change your physical state, as the old saying goes “you have to change what is on the inside to change what is on the outside”. Many people don’t actually give a lot of thought to what is going on inside, about how they are stopping themselves from doing things and how they can make changes (small or large) that will create a positive difference in their lifestyle.

Find out what pain you have to break through to create more pleasure within your body and your mind. Not physical pain, but mental pain. What is it you have to deal with in order to remove the excess baggage (weight) you carry around with you?

When you find out what is holding you back from making changes in your life, body and diet, you will find that dieting no longer becomes about food and exercise, it becomes a lifestyle. With the right mental changes you will find that you CAN drink wine, go out for dinner and eat cheese, ice-cream and chocolate, however you must also use balance and thought and consume only in the right moderation.

Everyone has the ability, motivation and power to make almost any change positive and successful. Tapping into your mental state, deciding to make a few changes and acting out these changes is what will make all the difference!

As with any alternative health remedies, consult with your physician before discontinuing any prescribed medicines. Abruptly stopping taking your prescription medicine could have serious and long-term effects on your health.

For all of your healthcare needs, from supplements and vitamins to medical equipment, we encourage you to visit www.ProCareNow.com! You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest!

Don't Give Up On Weight Loss

2014-04-25T13:23:00.000-07:00

Many of you have given up on weight loss. I've been there and it feels like you are at wits end. You don't know what to do. You've tried it all. Now you believe it's impossible for them to lose weight.

I quit!

Take heart, it is not that bad. I'm happy to tell you that after decades of struggle I've taken and kept off 45 pounds. More importantly, my weight is stable, health superb and physical shape great.

I tell you this simply to illustrate the fact that you don't have to give up on weight loss. YOU can lose weight with a little guidance and faith in yourself.

First of all, relax. There is no fast, quick way to weight loss. Realizing this means any small change will take effect over time. Time is on your side.

If we look at people who have been successful at weight loss and maintaining that loss, a couple of things are very apparent. These two factors are present in the lives of most of them:

1. They do some form of aerobic exercise 5 to 7 days per week. It's as simple as talking a walk each evening. Do it minimally 5 times a week for 30 to 45 minutes at a time.

2. They have developed more healthy eating habits. Healthy eating habits are also very important. More fruit or vegetables instead of candy cake and pie on 5 days out out 7 make the difference.

I've had many clients tell me that their daily exercise puts them in a "healthy" frame of mind and helps them to make better food choices. Bottom line, when you are exercising consistently, youreating habits are better.

I firmly believe that a major factor in most peoples frustration with weight loss is that they haven't been told the truth about exercise. You see, twenty minutes, three days per week isn't going to cut it for weight loss. If you're serious about weight loss, then you have to get serious about exercise.

I've seen this work for many people who had given up on weight loss. It worked for me. It can work for you.

As with any alternative health remedies, consult with your physician before discontinuing any prescribed medicines. Abruptly stopping taking your prescription medicine could have serious and long-term effects on your health.

For all of your healthcare needs, from supplements and vitamins to medical equipment, we encourage you to visit www.ProCareNow.com! You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest!

Choosing The Right Diet For You

2014-04-22T13:21:00.000-07:00

There are so many different and varied diets floating around today that it can be quite difficult to make a decision regarding which one is right for you when you feel it’s time to lose weight. Some diets emphasize low fat while others insist low calories are the way to go. Still yet, other diet gurus are adamant that in order to meet your weight loss goals you must cut out all forms of carbohydrates. One diet seems to combine factors from at least two other well known diets with claims to produce an optimum fat burning weight loss program. Then there are the various other diets that have circulated around the world for years with numerous success stories such as the cabbage soup diet and the cider vinegar diet. Which diets really work and more importantly; which diet is right for you?

One of the most important factors you must consider when contemplating any diet plan is whether you will learn how to eat healthy and nutritionally sound through the plan. Unfortunately, a number of different diets that boast incredible results do so through nutritionally bankrupt methods. Often referred to as fad diets, these weight loss programs encourage you to indulge in eating habits that can do more harm than good.

Many weight loss programs promise almost instantaneous results and for awhile at least; it seems as though your weight loss dreams may have finally come true through the presence of this type of diet. Then the sad reality sets in. You realize there is no possible way you can stay on this diet for the rest of your life. This is an important factor to consider; because ideally you should be looking for a healthy weight loss and maintenance program not a diet. Although a very low-calorie, high or liquid diet or even a diet that only lasts for a few days may allow you to initially lose some weight, you will inevitably find that your weight loss problems recur when a vengeance at a later point. Instead of looking for a miracle cure, look for a weight loss program that can help you to achieve your goals on a permanent basis.

For those of us who would prefer to avoid exercise like the plague, any weight loss program that promises we can reach our goals without that dreaded E word is a lifesaver. Unfortunately, long term weight loss simply isn’t possible without taking part in a sensible exercise routine. Sad, but true.

When considering engaging in any weight loss program or diet, always ask yourself the following questions 1. Will I learn to take part in a healthy, nutritionally sound eating plan through this diet? 2. Is this a diet I can stick with long term? and 3. Does this diet combine sensible eating with moderate exercise?

When you find a diet or weight loss program that meets all of these conditions, you know that you have found the right diet for you. As with any diet, it’s always a good idea to check with your physician before engaging in any weight loss program.

As with any alternative health remedies, consult with your physician before discontinuing any prescribed medicines. Abruptly stopping taking your prescription medicine could have serious and long-term effects on your health.

For all of your healthcare needs, from supplements and vitamins to medical equipment, we encourage you to visit www.ProCareNow.com! You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest!

Basics of Losing Weight

2014-04-18T13:19:00.000-07:00

Failed diets and out of control obesity may lead you to believe that losing weight is difficult but it is quite easy, at least on paper. The only thing you need to do is keep the calories that you burn greater than the calories that you eat. So why is this article so long?

Your first step is to figure out how many calories you are burning each day. There are a few formulas that have come out over the years that estimate how many calories you burn per day based on your sex, age, weight, height and physical activity. When using these formulas, keep in mind that the number you get gives you an estimate not a number that never changes day to day. It will fluctuate.

Safe weight loss is considered 1-2 pounds per week. While it is possible to lose more, it is extremely unhealthy to do so. So how many calories do you actually have to cut out of your diet? One pound of body fat equals about 3500 calories. If you want to lose one pound in a week, you need to cut 3500 calories out of your diet per week. While this might sound like a lot, per day it comes out to a 500 calorie deficit.

Your next step is to ask yourself how you want to get rid of any unwanted weight. You can cut 500 calories out of your diet per day, or increase the amount of calories you burn by 500 calories per day. A combination of these two methods is the best way to go.

As with any alternative health remedies, consult with your physician before discontinuing any prescribed medicines. Abruptly stopping taking your prescription medicine could have serious and long-term effects on your health.

For all of your healthcare needs, from supplements and vitamins to medical equipment, we encourage you to visit www.ProCareNow.com! You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest!

Beat the Carb Cravings

2014-04-15T13:17:00.000-07:00

Anyone who’s been on a low carb diet will tell you that the first week is the hardest. Some report actual physical symptoms of carb withdrawal, like irritability, headaches, and lack of energy. Others say it’s the emotional struggle to stay away from rice, bread, pasta, potatoes the staples that they’ve grown used to serving with every meal.

These carb cravings can easily tempt you into giving up on your diet altogether. Don’t. You have so much to gain (or in this case, lose): think 10 pounds in the first two weeks, as some diets claim, and a visible reduction of tummy handles. (Hey, you’ll be able to fit in a smaller size of jeans!) So how do you survive the battle against bread? Here are some tips:

Indulge in the right food

One of the advantages of low carb diets is that you don’t starve yourself. You can eat very well, just stay away from certain types of food. How does help beat the carb cravings? If you’re not ravenous, you’re less likely to raid the fridge in a mad fit of hunger. You can also replace a high-carb snack (like a chocolate bar) with an equally tasty bag of peanuts, and not feel deprived.

Veteran low carb dieters actually advise keeping stashes of low-carb diets in their desk drawers, or by the television the places where most people get the desire to munch on something. Keep the portions small, just enough to make you feel that you’ve had a treat, without actually turning into a binge. You’ll need a lot of small plastic bags, or tiny plastic containers. Another tip: prepare
the individual servings beforehand, preferably after eating a meal so you’re not tempted to put more than you should.

Keep yourself busy

Most of us eat not out of hunger but habit. You’re bored, stressed, or you’re killing time before you take on the next item on your to-do list. Avoid temptation by keeping your mind on something you enjoy. Some dieters carry a book around, others start a hobby like scrapbooking which will let them pass long hours without even thinking about food. For those who work at the office, and need something to keep them away from the vendo machine, bookmark a website that you can browse until the snack attack passes.

Look for other forms of recreation

It’s become customary to make meals the center of any recreational activity: eating chips while watching a movie, going out to dinner with friends. While you’re still getting used to the low-carb regimen, pass up the invitation to have drinks after work and invite everyone to watch a play, hit the badminton courts, or attend a museum opening.

Get a diet buddy

Dieting becomes more fun when you have a diet partner to give encouragement, praise you for every lost pound, and even help you scout for the low-carb friendly restaurants in your area. Don’t know anyone? Go online and join a dieter’s forum. Exchange recipes, share thoughts, and hey, even make new friends. You’ll still feel the carb cravings, but somehow, saying no is a little easier.

As with any alternative health remedies, consult with your physician before discontinuing any prescribed medicines. Abruptly stopping taking your prescription medicine could have serious and long-term effects on your health.

For all of your healthcare needs, from supplements and vitamins to medical equipment, we encourage you to visit www.ProCareNow.com! You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest!

5 Tips for Losing Five Pounds a Week!

2014-04-11T13:11:00.000-07:00

Does any of the following sound familiar?

You desperately want to lose weight, but you’ve tried so many different diets and failed over the years that you’ve grown discouraged.

Let’s face it, most diets aren’t easy to maintain -- they’re designed to get weight off … not for your personal convenience. And once you go off the diet, the weight comes right back, along with a bit more. Thus, you end up worse off than before.

No matter what diet you try – from the cabbage soup diet to the Master Cleanser to low-fat diets such as the Atkins Diet – one of two things usually happens:

• You lose some weight – along with your sanity as life becomes an unbearable drudge of boring food and not enough of it.

• You don’t lose weight because you just cannot stick to that diet.

In either case, you feel bad … discouraged … maybe even like a failure. But, take heart, losing weight is possible. In fact, here are five simple yet sound tips that when followed could easily enable you to lose five pounds, or more, a week!

Tip #1 – Cut the Carbs! Cutting down on your carbohydrate intake, particularly white carbs (that is, carbs from white bread, potatoes, etc.) and instead eating more high quality lean proteins (such as chicken and fish) is a great way to drop a few pounds quickly. But don’t cut carbs completely! You should still eat fibrous carbs, such as berries, spinach and apples.

Tip #2 – Stop Eating Processed Foods! Instead eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Often, people who are used to eating a lot of junk food will discover they can actually a higher quantity of delicious fruits, vegetables and whole grains without gaining any weight.

Tip #3 – Cut Down on Your Sugar Intake! In particular, watch how many sodas or juice drinks you consume. The sugar in these beverages can add up quickly and these drinks aren't filling. You should also watch out for "fat-free" products. Sugar is often used to replace the flavor that is lost when the fat is removed. You will also want to be careful about how much sugar you add to coffee and tea.

Tip #4 – Drink More Water! Water naturally helps to suppress your appetite and drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day will help you lose weight and burn fat. On the other hand, if you don't drink enough water every day, your body may store water and fat that you don't need. To determine how much water you should drink: multiply your bodyweight by .66 to get the required number of ounces per day.

Tip #5 – Exercise More Often! The healthiest way to lose weight is to exercise. Someone who increases the amount they exercise, but maintains the same diet and calorie intake, will almost certainly lose weight. Plus, excessive sweating from cardio activity, such as running, walking and using aerobic gym equipment, will help you de-bloat and lose inches and pounds quickly.

But a word of caution, if you haven’t exercised in a while be sure to check with your physician first and also be sure to start any exercise program slowly.

As with any alternative health remedies, consult with your physician before discontinuing any prescribed medicines. Abruptly stopping taking your prescription medicine could have serious and long-term effects on your health.

For all of your healthcare needs, from supplements and vitamins to medical equipment, we encourage you to visit www.ProCareNow.com! You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest!

10 Secrets to a Fit Family

2014-04-08T13:08:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that many parents and their children are overweight. These 10 simple ‘secrets’ can help you change your family's lifestyle so that you can all become fit and healthy.

1) Eat Whole Grain Foods

Processed and refined grains, such as white bread, white rice, cereal, pasta, and other foods made with white flour have a high glycemic index, low amounts of fiber, and less vitamins and minerals as foods made with whole grains. Making the switch to whole grain foods, including whole wheat bread, whole grain pasta, brown rice, and cereals made with whole grains, are an easy and healthy way to make your family's diet more nutritious.

2) Limit Soda and Fruit Drinks

Soda and fruit drinks have low nutritional value and a lot of calories. At about 150 calories per 12 ounce serving, your kids will gain an extra pound about every 3 weeks if they drink just one can of soda each day.
Cutting back or eliminating soda, fruit drinks, and even fruit juice, can be a good way to get rid of a lot of extra calories and leave room for your kids to eat more nutritious foods.

3) Eat More Fruits and Vegetables

Most children don't eat enough fruits and vegetables and that usually means that they are eating other less nutritious foods. With a high fiber content and lots of vitamins and minerals, fruits and vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet. And because they have lots of water in them, eating fruits and vegetables can help you to feel full and satisfied so that you don't overeat.

4) Eat More Foods with Calcium

A common mistake people make when trying to lose weight is that they stop drinking milk, eating cheese and yogurt. Calcium is important to build healthy bones and to help you lose weight. You should encourage your kids to drink low-fat milk, eat portioned amounts of cheese and yogurt to help lose weight and maintain a healthy weight.

5) Be More Active

Everyone knows that part of the cause of the current obesity epidemic is that people are much less active then they used to be. Getting kids involved in organized activities, which can be either team or individual sports, and cutting back on the amount of time in front of the TV, computer and playing video games will burn calories and improve fitness levels.

Family activities are also a good way to be more physically active. Even simple things, like walking across a parking lot, using stairs, and going for short family walks or bike rides, can make a big difference.

6) Know Where Calories Come From

While you don't necessarily need to do daily calorie counts, keep a diary of what your family eats for a few days can help you see where extra calories are coming from. Are your kids overweight because of the calories they get from a bedtime snack or those two glasses of Kool Aid or soda he drinks? Or maybe because his portion sizes are too large?

If you know where your kids' calories are coming from, you will know where to make changes and how you can cut back, especially on foods that have a lot of empty calories.

7) Learn About Carbs

Carbs get a bad wrap, especially with all of the proponents of high protein diets, like the Atkins and South Beach Diet. Not all carbs are created equal. While it is a good idea to avoid foods that have refined such as white bread, foods made with white flour, and foods and beverages sweetened with sugar, other carbs should be part of a balanced diet.

Instead of avoiding all carbs, just learn about how to choose foods with ‘good’ carbohydrates, which includes fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grain foods.

8) Learn About Fats

Like carbs, there are ‘good’ and ‘bad’ fats. Instead of making the mistake of trying to stick to a low fat diet, and simply substituting other foods that are often just as high in calories, you should eat foods that have ‘good’ fat in them. This includes foods with polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. On the other hand, you should avoid saturated fats and trans fats.

9) Choose Healthy Meals when Eating Out

Even if your family eats healthy at home, if you eat super-sized fast food meals a few times a week, they are probably still at risk for becoming overweight. If you eat out a lot, review the nutritional facts of the restaurant's menu and watch your portion sizes. Calories and fat quickly adds up when eating out!

10) Stay Motivated!

Most people know what they need to do to be healthier however, eating healthy and exercising is not easy. Education about the specifics of a healthy diet, getting the whole family involved, and setting goals, can help your family stay healthy and fit. Hire a personal trainer or seek the counsel of a dietitian to keep you on the healthy track.

As with any alternative health remedies, consult with your physician before discontinuing any prescribed medicines. Abruptly stopping taking your prescription medicine could have serious and long-term effects on your health.

For all of your healthcare needs, from supplements and vitamins to medical equipment, we encourage you to visit www.ProCareNow.com! You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest!

A Whole Body Approach To Fat Loss

2014-04-04T13:06:00.000-07:00

What’s the Secret to losing bodyfat and keeping it off?

Ask 100 different fitness experts this question, and you’ll probably get 80 or more different answers. That’s one reason why fitness and fat loss gets so darn confusing-everybody seems to have “the answer.”

You’ve got 101 different theories about how to induce fat loss including super-slow training, heart rate training, circuit training, Pilates, yoga principles, high-rep weight training, and aerobics.

When it comes to nutrition, there are even more fad diets than exercise theories. The Atkins Diet, The South Beach Diet, Eat 4 Your Blood Type, Low Fat, Low Carb, Low Calorie, The Zone…even Dr. Phil has a diet book.

Well, I’m going to simplify things for you. Work the whole body each session! No tricky split routines, no bodypart training…just training the body the way it was intended to function, as a whole.

Human movement, stabilization, balance and strength are the results of a whole body approach to strength training. Until recently, the fitness industry had forgotten how to incorporate the entire body in exercise programming.

The human body has over 600 muscles, all intended to work as one complete and complimentary system. Traditional exercise programs have neglected the majority of these muscles by training in a one-dimensional environment. This type of training handicaps the body from performing the way it is designed to function.

Training in a fixed plane environment leads to isolated results, muscle imbalance, and injury. In contrast, the whole body approach to resistance training prepares participants of any fitness level to achieve great improvements in body composition and function better in daily life as well. The three-dimensional environment of training movements, not individual muscles, enables the body to become efficient in both static and dynamic environments. Participants achieve balanced, long lasting, effective results.

This method is fun because it is a whole body approach. The same movement patterns that we used as children (pushing, pulling, twisting, lunging, squatting, stepping and balance in multiple planes) are the core of your approach to fat loss. From beginners to the most advanced exercise fanatic, this approach to fat loss and fitness will provide fun and effective workouts and lasting results.

Full body training is an extremely effective way to loose weight as involves dynamic, whole body movement that increase caloric expenditure. Training movements instead of individual muscles can also help change body composition by increasing muscle mass, increasing growth hormone output, raising metabolism, maximizing caloric output, and ultimately decreasing body fat.

Now, regardless of how great your workout is, food intake is the key factor that will either make you or brake you as far as fat loss goes. The only way that the human body drops body fat is by being in what is called a calorie deficit. This brings us back to LAW OF THERMODYNAMICS. Remember, I’ll say it one more time...this law states that if you eat more calories in a day than you burn you will gain fat, if you burn more calories in a day than you eat you will lose fat, and if you eat the same amount of calories in a day as you burn you will remain constant. This is a law!!!! It is as true as the law of gravity and it is how the body works. Knowing this, it is simple. If you want to lose fat you need to adjust you daily calorie intake so that you are into a calorie deficit. You need to get your calorie count low enough to begin fat loss, but at the same time keeping it high enough to remain healthy. The second step to optimizing you food intake is by spreading your food out evenly throughout the day. Ideally, you want to be on a five meal per day plan. By spreading your calories evenly through five small meals your metabolism works its best for you. When you constantly give your body food with small meals your body does not feel the need to store fat. On the contrary when eating large, infrequent meals your body feels the need to store some food as fat for it is unsure as to when it will be fed again. Get on a scheduled meal plan that your body will respond to. Five meals a day, approximately three hours apart works great. A healthy start point for you protein, carbohydrate, and fat ratio’s is 25% of you food coming from protein, 60% of your food coming from carbohydrate, and 15% of your food intake coming from fats.

Now, I’m going to give you an industry secret. A lot of personal trainers out there are gonna be upset with me for it is too valuable to give away, but I’m going do it any way. If you want to lose fat and you are unsure of how many calories you are supposed to eat and are not in a position to hire professional assistance, barring any medical conditions, a simple formula to follow is this. Take your body weight and add a zero on the end. Use that as your general guideline, split the number evenly among five meals per day and your body should be in a calorie deficit. For example if you weigh 180lbs., add a zero, your now at 1800 calories. Divide that over five meals per day, your eating 360 calories per meal. Keeping each meal balanced approximately 60% carbs, 25% proteins, 15% fat, you are eating in a healthy way to lose weight. It works!! Note, if you have any medical conditions always consult with your physician first. How quickly will you see results? Although results will vary with each individual, full body training coupled with a proper nutrition program will help you achieve greater results than most other programs in less time. The results can come quicker and be longer lasting.

As with any alternative health remedies, consult with your physician before discontinuing any prescribed medicines. Abruptly stopping taking your prescription medicine could have serious and long-term effects on your health.

For all of your healthcare needs, from supplements and vitamins to medical equipment, we encourage you to visit www.ProCareNow.com! You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest!

A Journey to Begin Losing Pounds

2014-04-02T13:03:00.000-07:00

Usually we all seek to lose weight as fast and easy as possible, and in top of that we want results right away. And if we don’t get them, we just quit and move along.

Frequently we become objective (to lose 1 kilo every week) and if in one week it lowers solely half kilo or what is worse, nothing happens, I get frustrated and that can lead me to no longer continue with the plan I set and then I just quit it.

Even there are times the people unconsciously set goals that are too hard to obtain so that I can leave it quickly, nobody (and I include myself) wants to follow a diet!!!

We make it because it is healthy but when we choose what it tastes better.

Does anybody likes lettuce?

If you want to follow your plan you need to set reasonable and reachable goals. A study stated that when people lower 500g per week, those people maintain long term descent.

It is the best objective that we can intend, to lower 500g for week and knowledge that some week won't lose weight. If you want to lower quick we can also help you, of course, but I have to be conscious that in some moment losing weight rate won’t be the one as desired. And I don't want to frustrate myself for that reason, the following week I will achieve the results.

The body is not something that reacts mathematically, the weight it depends on many factors, as the retention of liquids, the intestinal evacuation, the time in which weigh myself, that ingested the previous night, if I ingested pizza or another very salted food I will surely retain liquids, the same as if I began with an intense activity the previous day.

Another cause of failure in a diet is to be very strict with what you have to eat.

If I go to a party and I don't eat anything, or same at home if I am extremely strict it is very difficult to be able to maintain the plan and in the first time that comes out, you will think “I cannot make diet" or "this is not for me", frustrating me once again, abandoning and feeling badly.

These 2 forms of thinking "if I don't lower 1 kilo per week every week I’m not doing anything good at all" or "I can’t make the diet because I ate an ice cream." are forms in that consciously or unconsciously plot us the diet to ourselves.

In fact I don't want to make diet. Let us accept it!

Nobody wants to make it, but they want to lose weight. Unfortunately these 2 factors are really hard to join them together and make it work|Regrettably the 2 things join are not able to work together}.

Perhaps it is time that you start making choices, and make decisions in order to choose which path you want to go. By just choosing to remain healthy, you will get results.

As with any alternative health remedies, consult with your physician before discontinuing any prescribed medicines. Abruptly stopping taking your prescription medicine could have serious and long-term effects on your health.

For all of your healthcare needs, from supplements and vitamins to medical equipment, we encourage you to visit www.ProCareNow.com! You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest!

Cardio May Be a Waste of Time Without This Knowledge

2014-03-27T09:56:00.000-07:00

The most important factor for improving cardiorespiratory fitness (cardio or CR) is the intensity of the workout. Changes in CR fitness are directly related to how "hard" an aerobic exercise is performed. The more energy expended per unit of time, the greater the intensity of the exercise, the greater the effect on cardiorespiratory fitness.

You have to know how hard is "hard" to determine if an aerobic exercise like running is producing a CR training effect or if it's just burning a few calories. The heart rate during work or exercise is an excellent indicator of how much effort you are exerting. Only by keeping track of your heart rate during a workout can you be sure that the intensity is enough to improve your CR fitness level. In other words, your ability to monitor your heart rate is the single most important key to success in CR training.

Training Heart Rate (THR) = Desired Intensity of the Workout

THR is the heart rate at which you need to exercise to get a training effect. The U.S. Army fitness gurus have given us two methods to determine THR. The first method, percent maximum heart rate (%MHR) is simpler to use, while the second method, percent heart rate reserve (%HRR) is more accurate.

%MHR Method

With this method the THR is figured using the estimated maximal heart rate. You can estimate your maximum heart rate (MHR) by subtracting your age from 220. Thus, a 20 year old would have an estimated maximum heart rate (MHR) of 200 beats per minute (220 - 20 = 200).

A person who is in poor shape should exercise at 70 percent of his MHR; if he is in relatively good shape, at 80 percent MHR; and, if he is in excellent shape, at 90 percent MHR.

Examples:

A 20 year old in good physical condition would have a THR of 160 beats per minute (BPM). 220 - 20 = 200 * .80 = 160 BPM.

A 30 year old in good physical condition would have a THR of 152 beats per minute (BPM). 220 - 30 = 190 * .80 = 152 BPM.

A 40 year old in poor physical condition would have a THR of 126 beats per minute (BPM). 220 - 40 = 180 * .70 = 126 BPM.

%HRR Method

A more accurate way to calculate THR is the %HRR method. The range from 60 to 90 %HRR is the THR range in which people should exercise to improve their CR fitness levels. If you know your general level of CR fitness, you can determine which percentage of HRR is a good starting point

for you. For example, a person in excellent physical condition could start at 85 percent of his HRR; if he is in reasonably good shape, at 70 percent HRR; and, if he is in poor shape, at 60 percent HRR.

Most CR workouts should be conducted with the heart rate between 70 to 75 percent HRR to attain, or maintain, an adequate level of fitness. A person who has reached a high level of fitness may derive more benefit from working at a higher percentage of HRR, particularly if he cannot find more than 20 minutes for CR exercise.

Exercising at any lower percentage of HRR than 60 does not give the heart, muscles, and lungs an adequate training stimulus. Exercising at more than 90 percent can be dangerous. Before anyone begins aerobic training, he should know his THR (the heart rate at which he needs to exercise to get a training effect).

The example below shows how to figure the THR by using the resting heart rate (RHR) and age to estimate heart rate reserve (HRR). A 20 year old in reasonably good physical shape is the example.

STEP 1: Determine the MHR by subtracting your age from 220. i.e. MHR = 220 - 20 = 200.

STEP 2: Determine the resting heart rate (RHR) in beats per minute (BPM) by counting the resting pulse for 30 seconds, and multiply the count by two. A shorter period can be used, but a 30 second count is more accurate. This count should be taken while you are completely relaxed and rested. For this example we use a RHR of 69 BPM.

STEP 3: Determine the heart rate reserve (HRR) by subtracting the RHR from the estimate MHR. i.e. HRR = 200 - 69 = 131 BPM

STEP 4: Calculate THR by (1) multiplying HRR by the relative fitness level as a percentage and (2) adding the result to the HRR. For example, our 20 year old in good physical condition will exercise at 70% HRR.

(1) .70 * 131 = 91.7
(2) 91.7 + 69 = 160.7

In summary, a reasonably fit 20-year-old with a resting heart rate (RHR) of 69 BPM has a training heart rate (THR) goal of 161 BPM.

During aerobic exercise, the body will usually have reached a "Steady State" after five minutes of exercise, and the heart rate will have leveled off. At this time and, immediately after exercising, is when you should monitor your heart rate to see if you are within your desired THR range.

If your pulse rate is below the THR, you must exercise harder to increase your pulse to the THR. If your pulse is above the THR, you should reduce the intensity to reduce the pulse rate to the THR goal.

As with any alternative health remedies, consult with your physician before discontinuing any prescribed medicines. Abruptly stopping taking your prescription medicine could have serious and long-term effects on your health.

For all of your healthcare needs, from supplements and vitamins to medical equipment, we encourage you to visit www.ProCareNow.com! You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest!

Get A Strong Heart With Balance Ball!

2014-03-24T09:53:00.000-07:00

The exercise benefit you may want from exercise may differ greatly from the exercise benefit someone else wants but some things remain the same.

Strong Heart
A strong heart does not have to work so hard so you are less likely to have a heart attack. Regular exercise also increases your HDL (good) cholesterol and helps lower your total cholesterol. Exercise also helps lower your blood pressure. Your lungs will also benefit from exercise as they become better conditioned so that activities such as climbing stairs will not make you out of breath.

Any exercise tip you use needs to be simple yet smart enough so you can use the exercise tips to quickly and easily adapt your exercise habits to continue to push ahead and reach your health, fitness, and physical appearance goals and still have the time for a great family life.

Exercise tip for an exercise benefit:
Get a baby jogger. You don't have to run or jog, walking at a fast pace will do just as good, but you should get a baby jogger they're much easier and smoother than a regular stroller for this;

Increased Self-Esteem:
Gaining control of your body size and weight through fitness is an amazing way to increase self-esteem. You look better and are more confident which empowers you in everything you do. You will find that the self-discipline required and learned through regular exercise spills over into other areas of your life and you will be better able to make other necessary and desireable changes

Start by talking with your doctor. This is especially important if you haven't been active, if you have any health problems, or if you're pregnant or elderly.

Exercise Makes Your Heart Happy
You may know that your heart is a muscle. It works hard, pumping blood every day of your life. You can help this important muscle get stronger by doing aerobic (say: air-o-bik) exercise.

Balance Ball
You've seen them lying around the gym, but you've never really known what to do with them. At first, you may have thought they looked "girly," but then you probably saw some of the most muscular guys at your gym using them. Balance ball is a great way to get great abs! We urge you to find out more about balance ball exercises!

As with any alternative health remedies, consult with your physician before discontinuing any prescribed medicines. Abruptly stopping taking your prescription medicine could have serious and long-term effects on your health.

For all of your healthcare needs, from supplements and vitamins to medical equipment, we encourage you to visit www.ProCareNow.com! You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest!

Psychological Benefits of Exercise

2014-03-20T09:51:00.000-07:00

What IS aerobic exercise??

According to the definition from the Global Healing Centers website, “Aerobic exercise is a type of movement such as running or cycling that gets your heart pumping faster and increases your oxygen intake.”
Fine examples of aerobic exercise are; running, dynamic yoga, cycling, fast walking, circuit training, skiing and rollerblading.

Ok, so we are all told we need to partake in aerobic exercise to obtain many benefits, such as, weight loss, better skin and muscle tone. But that’s not all! There are psychological benefits of aerobic exercise too!
So, what are the psychological benefits of aerobic exercise?

In short, the benefits are; improved mood, reduces anxiety, reduces depression and acts as a buffer against stress.
But lets go into a little more detail…

The Psychological Payoffs

Mood Enhancer

When we exercise aerobically, our bodies produces little chemical called endorphins, which, scientifically speaking, are polypeptides, which are able to bind to the neuron-receptors in the brain to give relief from pain. Endorphins are not just produced from exercise; they are also triggered by deep-breathing, meditation, eating spicy food and deep laughter. Just don’t do all five at once…
Endorphins are believed to produce four key effects on the body; they relieve pain, they reduce stress, they enhance the immune system and they postpone the aging process.
It may be worth your while to stock up on some fitness equipment, they might make things easier for you. I prefer to exercise outside but I do have an indoor stationary bike, that way, if it’s raining, I have no excuse not to exercise.

Reduces Anxiety and Depression

Depression and Anxiety can lead to a feeling of isolation. Partaking in aerobic sports, one can choose to join a running club, swimming club, gym or any other sports club. It’s an excellent way to gain the psychological benefits of aerobic activity, because it gets you out an about and can put you in positions where you HAVE to speak to people.
Aerobic exercise offers a distraction. For an hour or so each day, you can put yourself in a position where you are too busy worrying about the prospect of having to run another two miles before you can stop.
Burning excess fat and toning up can boost anyone’s confidence. Clothes fit better, and you receive compliments from friends. Which often is enough to begin to lift the heavy cloud of a mild depression.

Stress Reduction

Do you feel like the whole world is collapsing on top of you? I think everyone does at one stage or another. If you keep positive, it will pass. Aerobic exercise is a great way to keep positive. When you are stressed, it is important to get enough sleep. Exercisers actually go to sleep faster, are more refreshed and have sharper memories. Exercise increases the blood flow to the brain, bringing extra sugar and oxygen, which can help when concentrating. And once again, the little endorphins can make you happier, making you feel like maybe it will all be ok after all.

So, in conclusion, exercise! There are too many benefits that you will be missing out on if you don’t

As with any alternative health remedies, consult with your physician before discontinuing any prescribed medicines. Abruptly stopping taking your prescription medicine could have serious and long-term effects on your health.

For all of your healthcare needs, from supplements and vitamins to medical equipment, we encourage you to visit www.ProCareNow.com! You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest!

The Strong Link Between Stress And Blood Pressure

2014-03-17T09:48:00.000-07:00

As you know, there is a direct connection between stress and blood pressure. A stressful lifestyle is generally accepted to be a major cause of hypertension and a host of other illnesses.

In fact, people are often not very surprised when they learn that someone in a high-profile, high-stress job or business also suffers from high blood pressure. It is practically expected that he or she will have the condition.

Stress-induced hypertension can lead to cardiac problems which may compromise your health for the rest of your life.

Because of the demands of their business, many busy executives don’t eat right or exercise. This results in unhealthy weight gain. When you add excessive levels of job related stress into the mix, you have a perfect recipe for several health problems.

High blood pressure increases the load on vital organs of the body. Organs like the kidneys and the heart may become so overloaded that they no longer function properly.

While they are not definite indicators, some of the symptoms of high blood pressure include feelings of lethargy and low energy, increased frequency of urination, severe headaches, giddiness and nausea.

What can someone in a high-stress occupation do to avoid hypertension? It may not always be possible to avoid stressful situations, but you can take steps to minimize the impact.

Ask yourself, have you created a work environment where you are thought to be indispensable in your job? Do you or others feel that work will never get done without your direct presence and intervention?

That sort of environment can generate plenty of stress and send your blood pressure levels dangerously high.

Acknowledge that no one is indispensable and that life and business will go on without you. In any case, you will serve your work better if you don’t drive stress levels high for yourself or others.

Often, it is a matter of defining your priorities. Give some serious thought to what is really important to you. Not what you think others expect of you. If what you have is out of alignment with what you want, start to make changes.

If you think you are overloaded at work, ask that some of your duties be given to others in your office.

Consult your doctor about the ideal weight for you and if necessary, begin a weight reduction program under his supervision.

Find out from your doctor what exercise program will suit you best. Make a commitment to exercise regularly and do it.

If your doctor recommends dietary changes such as limiting salt intake to reduce the risk of hypertension, stick to it.

Many people claim that regular meditation can help lower blood pressure. Even five to ten minutes a day can help.

You need not do any esoteric tricks to get the benefits of meditation. Keep it simple. Sit in a comfortable position, relax your body and mind and quiet your thoughts as much as possible. If you prefer, quietly watch your breath flow in and out, without attempting to control it in any way.

Don’t get worked up about the fact that you can’t relax completely or reach perfect stillness of mind. That’s not required in any case.

A series of small changes will add up to a major difference in your state of health. Do what is necessary to limit both stress and blood pressure to manageable levels.

As with any alternative health remedies, consult with your physician before discontinuing any prescribed medicines. Abruptly stopping taking your prescription medicine could have serious and long-term effects on your health.

For all of your healthcare needs, from supplements and vitamins to medical equipment, we encourage you to visit www.ProCareNow.com! You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest!

Using Improper Size Blood Pressure Cuffs, May Prove A Big Mistake!

2014-03-13T09:47:00.000-07:00

Blood Pressure has something to do with the personality of an individual. Obese personalities have a higher rate of blood pressure. Their suffering and style of hypertension is different from that of the ordinary people. Every medical practitioner tells you about this.

Often, fat people face the problem of blood pressure monitoring. Wrong sized blood pressure cuffs are used, and they naturally give the wrong reading. Even when the blood pressure of the obese people is normal, the readings tell a different story.

Using improper size cuffs, at times may prove to be critical mistake! Many medical practitioners are aware of the seriousness of this discrepancy and yet they ignore it. Take the case of a pregnant woman-if she were to carry on with the use of wrong-sized blood pressure cuffs, it is not only harmful for her but also for the child. (When wrong medication is done by wrong reading of blood pressure level.)

Accuracy of data is important in treating blood pressure- high or low! Medication and blood pressure level are importantly interrelated! The blood pressure cuff that is being used must be according to your condition of health, all factors considered! In case of the pregnant women, the concern for the baby is more!

It is you who are having blood pressure, therefore, you must possess the accurate knowledge about the cuff that you are going use. In a situation where larger cuffs are needed, and you use the smaller ones, the damage will be difficult to repair at a later time. For, the damage might have already occurred! As a blood pressure patient, you must be in constant touch with the blood pressure related matters, through some authentic journals, and you must keep a tab on the latest research on cuffs also. It is in your interest!

There are scientific reasons why a large-sized cuff is needed. Use a regular cuff on a fat person. It will artificially inflate the level of blood pressure in fat individuals. There won’t be meaning in further treatment, if the data before the medical practitioner is itself wrong! Cuff, when accepted and used as a measuring instrument of blood pressure, it should be a correct-sized tool.

As with any alternative health remedies, consult with your physician before discontinuing any prescribed medicines. Abruptly stopping taking your prescription medicine could have serious and long-term effects on your health.

For all of your healthcare needs, from supplements and vitamins to medical equipment, we encourage you to visit www.ProCareNow.com! You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest!

Top 10 Tips for Better Heart Health

2014-03-11T09:46:00.000-07:00

Here are our top 10 tips for a healthy ticker:

1. Fill up on fiber. Not only does fiber help lower levels of LDL ("bad") cholesterol, it can aid weight management. Being overweight raises your risk of heart failure by a third, while being obese doubles it. While two-thirds of Americans are too heavy, only half get enough fiber. Top sources include oats, beans, raspberries, blackberries, oranges and green peas.

2. Go bananas. I did when I learned that 99 percent of women and 90 percent of men don't get enough potassium in their diet. Responsible for regulating the fluid balance in our cells, potassium also blunts the effects of excess sodium. Too much sodium and too little potassium is a recipe for high blood pressure. Strike a healthier balance by cutting back on salt and increasing potassium intake with bananas, potatoes, broccoli and kiwi.

3. Say "no" to that extra cup of joe. Four or more cups of daily brew could elevate blood levels of homocysteine, an amino acid associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Drinking more than two cups of coffee a day can harden the arteries and contribute to arteriosclerosis. Switch to tea; its heart-healthy benefits include lower blood pressure and reduced inflammation.

4. "Beet" heart disease. Beets contain the antioxidant betanin, which can help keep LDL cholesterol from clogging your arteries, according to a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Moreover, this root vegetable is a good source of folic acid, which helps to break down that heart-hurtin' homocysteine. Top sources of folic acid include spinach, broccoli, romaine lettuce and papaya.

5. Become a better listener. University of Baltimore researchers found that people with "dominant personalities" had a 47 percent higher risk of heart disease when compared to their more patient, passive peers. So how do you know if you're "dominant"? Another study identified several markers - including the tendency to interrupt!

6. The "L" word your heart truly longs for: lycopene. This heart-healthy phytonutrient -; found in tomatoes, watermelon and pink grapefruit - may lower cholesterol levels and reduce inflammation. Harvard researchers found that eating seven or more servings of tomatoes a week might reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by 30 percent.

7. Choose healthy fats. Monounsaturated fats (think olive oil, avocado, nuts) - when used in place of saturated fats (think butter, bacon, beef) -help lower cholesterol. Another healthy fat - omega-3 - helps reduce inflammation. Omega-3 sources include wild salmon, walnuts and flaxseed.

8. Don't turn breakfast into break-feast. While skipping breakfast actually lowers your metabolism, going overboard is no better. A new study done at the University at Buffalo found that big fatty breakfasts trigger the release of inflammatory chemicals associated with clogged arteries. So skip the stack of flapjacks and opt for a strawberry-banana smoothie.

9. Ode to soy. Twenty-five grams of soy protein per day can help lower cholesterol, according to the American Heart Association. Soy's other heart-healthy nutrients include folic acid and magnesium (which helps maintain normal blood pressure). Soymilk, edamame, tofu and soynuts are just some of the many ways to enjoy soy.

10. Go for a raise. In HDL cholesterol, that is. Higher levels of this "good" cholesterol can be almost as important as low levels of LDL cholesterol at keeping cardiovascular disease at bay. In addition to exercise, quitting smoking and limiting trans fats, a University of Scranton study found that drinking cranberry juice could help boost HDL levels.

As with any alternative health remedies, consult with your physician before discontinuing any prescribed medicines. Abruptly stopping taking your prescription medicine could have serious and long-term effects on your health.

For all of your healthcare needs, from supplements and vitamins to medical equipment, we encourage you to visit www.ProCareNow.com! You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest!

High Blood Pressure in Children

2014-03-07T09:43:00.000-08:00

Hypertension is not only a condition for adults but it can also affect children, kids and even infants. When you see high blood pressure in children, the basic cause is either heart or Kidney. But it has been seen that children do have high blood pressure even though they have no heart or kidney problem but there's a family history of high blood pressure and an unhealthy lifestyle - a bad diet, excess weight, stress, and insufficient physical activity.

Though it is estimated that 4.5% of kids have high blood pressure. High blood pressure is very common among adults but it is also increasing in children these days, a trend that researchers link to the increase in childhood obesity.

The only way to know whether your kid has hypertension is to get it checked regularly. Doctors usually start measuring blood pressure during routine check-ups when a child is about 3 years old.If it remains untreated, high blood pressure can eventually lead to damage to the heart, brain, kidneys, and eyes. But if it's caught early, monitored, and treated, a child with high blood pressure can have an active, normal life.

Long-Term Complications of High Blood Pressure
When a kid has high blood pressure, the heart and arteries have a much heavier workload. Heart has to work against great force, The heart must pump harder and the arteries are under greater strain as they carry blood. If high blood pressure continues for a long time, the heart and arteries may no longer work as well as they should. Having high blood pressure puts a child at a higher risk for stroke TIA, CVA, heart attack, kidney failure, loss of vision, and atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).

Though child may not show symptoms of high blood pressure, it still affects the body and puts the child at risk for those long-term health problems. In rare cases, severe hypertension can cause headaches, dizziness, nosebleeds, heart palpitations, visual changes and nausea. If your child has severe high blood pressure and experiences any of these symptoms, contact your doctor immediately.

When you go to a doctor with your children, It's not unusual for a first blood pressure reading to be high because the child is nervous, so the doctor will likely take three or four readings - and use an average to determine whether your child has high blood pressure or is at risk for developing hypertension.

Causes of High Blood Pressure
The causes of high blood pressure differ, depending on the age of the child. The younger the child, the more likely the high blood pressure is due to some other condition. High blood pressure among infants most commonly occurs in premature babies. Some newborns have high blood pressure because of problems with the heart, or vascular system, kidneys and lungs. Often, these problems are due to bronchopulmonary dysplasia, an immaturity of the lungs in premature babies, or problems of vessels like coarctation of the aorta, a narrowing of part of the major blood vessel that transports blood away from the heart to the body parts. Among school-age kids and teens, hypertension is usually linked to obesity. Over weight is very common among school age children these days. In some cases it's due to a problem with the kidneys, although other conditions - like abnormalities in the blood vessels and hormonal disorders - can also be responsible. Some medications (such as steroids or oral contraceptives) can lead to high blood pressure, as can over consumption of alcohol and illegal drugs.

Diagnosing Hypertension in Children
As high blood pressure usually doesn't produce any symptoms, diagnosing the condition in children can be difficult. The only reliable way to find out if your kid has high blood pressure is to have it regularly measured at routine check ups. So it's important not to miss those appointments, particularly if your child is obese or if there's a family history of hypertension. There is also a new test called ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in which a child wears a blood pressure cuff all day. Some consider it more accurate than blood pressure tests in the doctor's office because the child is less likely to be affected by any stress from visiting the doctor and blood pressure is monitored over a considerable period.

Treating High Blood Pressure
If an underlying illness is causing hypertension, treating that illness may be enough to get the blood pressure back to normal levels. For example treating coarctation of aorta can significantly improve blood pressure. If there's no underlying illness, your child's doctor will try to control Blood pressure with natural measures and he may recommend weight loss, increased intake of fruits and vegetables, decreased salt intake, increased exercise, and even relaxation techniques. Kids with hypertension should also quit or never start smoking, which can worsen the long-term associated heart problems as smoking is one of major risk factor for heart attack. Most doctors prefer not to prescribe medication for children with mild hypertension. However, in cases in which lifestyle changes do not improve the condition, then doctor may give medication .

Doing Exercise and participation in organized sports is encouraged for all children whose hypertension is not severe or is well-controlled. In fact, staying fit is the key to both weight and blood pressure control. If your kid is overweight, an ongoing weight-loss program monitored by your child's doctor and a minimum of 30 minutes of aerobic exercise every day may play very important role in controlling blood pressure. Kids who have severe hypertension should not, however, participate in weight- and power-lifting, bodybuilding, or strength training until their blood pressure is under control and a doctor OKs it.

Remember, earlier you get high blood pressure, earlier you will face its complications. So try to control your blood pressure with in normal limits to stay healthy and enjoy normal life.

As with any alternative health remedies, consult with your physician before discontinuing any prescribed medicines. Abruptly stopping taking your prescription medicine could have serious and long-term effects on your health.

For all of your healthcare needs, from supplements and vitamins to medical equipment, we encourage you to visit www.ProCareNow.com! You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest!

Creating A Cholesterol Plan

2014-03-04T09:41:00.000-08:00

A number of Americans have put their hearts into lowering their cholesterol. Yet a recent American Heart Association survey found that many adults with high cholesterol still don't realize that they have an increased risk of developing heart disease.

According to the survey, 50 percent of respondents with cholesterol levels of 200 or greater, and who had risk factors such as high blood pressure or diabetes, did not perceive themselves to be at high risk for cardiovascular disease. Fifteen percent believed they were at low risk. However, the American Heart Association and National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) data indicate that many of these respondents are in danger of having a heart attack within a decade.

Cholesterol guidelines established by both groups show that people with multiple risk factors-smoking, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, etc.-and people with coronary heart disease and other conditions are at high risk of having a heart attack within 10 years.

The findings are the focus of this year's American Heart Association's Cholesterol Low Down program, an effort meant to help teach people about their risk of heart disease. Anyone can join the program by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1 or visiting americanheart.org/cld. Participants receive a Healthy Heart Kit, which includes "The Cholesterol Low Down About Your Cholesterol" guide and a "Low-Fat Favorite Recipes" cookbook. The Cholesterol Low Down is sponsored by Pfizer.

"Patients know that cholesterol is important; however, they need to better understand that their high cholesterol and additional risk factors may lead to heart disease or a stroke," said Roger S. Blumenthal, M.D., associate professor of medicine in the Division of Cardiology at Johns Hopkins Hospital and School of Medicine in Baltimore.

Words Of Wisdom

The survey also found that 72 percent of respondents strongly agree that their health care provider is a partner in managing their cholesterol. Those who frequently discuss cholesterol with their health care provider report being well-informed about issues such as setting personal cholesterol goals and the importance of following treatment plans.

"Health care providers are an important and supportive resource for individuals at risk for heart disease and stroke because of their cholesterol and other risk factors, " said Lori Mosca, M.D., Director of Preventive Cardiology at New York-Presbyterian Hospital; Associate Professor of Medicine at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. "Patients should work with their doctor to learn if their cholesterol levels are healthy and to develop a plan that includes a healthy diet and physical activity to reduce their risk."

As with any alternative health remedies, consult with your physician before discontinuing any prescribed medicines. Abruptly stopping taking your prescription medicine could have serious and long-term effects on your health.

For all of your healthcare needs, from supplements and vitamins to medical equipment, we encourage you to visit www.ProCareNow.com! You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest!

Workouts That Travel

2014-02-27T14:08:00.000-08:00

A vacation can do wonders for reducing stress levels, but it can derail a healthy fitness regimen. Even some of the most die-hard exercisers find it difficult to stick with a workout program when away from home. Sure, many have good intentions. They may even pack their workout attire. Unfortunately, their gear never makes it out of the suitcase until they're back home.

But travel from home doesn't have to result in an interruption or complete abandonment of your healthy habits. You can still fit in exercise time when away from home, regardless of whether you find yourself in a warm or a cold climate. Even if bad weather forces you into seclusion in your hotel room, there are exercises you can complete without a single piece of equipment.

Below are some tips to help you stay fit while traveling and avoid coming home with unwanted extra baggage.

. Be realistic. You probably won't be able to fit in your normal weekly workouts and that's okay. Shoot for completing at least 50% of your normal regimen.

. Plan ahead. Before leaving town, find out what type of workout facilities your accommodations will have or if there is a nearby park or jogging track (weather permitting, of course).

. Scope out local gyms. If you are staying somewhere that doesn't provide a workout area then inquire at the nearby local fitness centers for their rates. Often they offer day passes for minimal fees.

. Pack a resistance band in your suitcase. The band takes up very little space, yet can provide you with an entire upper and lower body workout routine.

. Don't deprive yourself of all local delicacies. You can enjoy some special meals without going overboard. Ask the restaurants to prepare your favorite dishes with a few lower fat ingredients.

. Be creative. Find unique, fun ways to exercise instead of doing the same routine you do when you are at home. Try biking, hiking, a pedal boat excursion, water-skiing, beach volleyball, etc. Effective workouts aren't limited to the standard fares of walking, jogging and fitness machines.

. Try out your travel routine at least once at home. A new workout that you've never done before will require more time and preparation. This type of frustration just makes for an easy excuse to skip the workout.

. Prepare snacks. If your journey includes a lot of time in the car, be sure to pack some healthy snacks so you aren't forced to eat at all the fast food and convenience shops along the way.

. Play in the pool. If lounging poolside is part of your vacation plans, then hop in the pool every 20 minutes for 5-10 minutes of pool walking (try it in waist-deep or higher water for a really challenging workout).

. Get comfortable. Don't forget to pack comfortable workout attire that fits your destination's climate.

Here is a quick, simple circuit workout that only requires a resistance band and can be done anywhere. Complete at least one set of 8-12 reps of each exercise.

. Bicep Curl
. Tricep Dip
. Lat Pull Down
. Front Raise
. Push-Up
. Squat
. Abductor lifts
. Adductor splits
. Hamstring Kicks

As with any alternative health remedies, consult with your physician before discontinuing any prescribed medicines. Abruptly stopping taking your prescription medicine could have serious and long-term effects on your health.

For all of your healthcare needs, from supplements and vitamins to medical equipment, we encourage you to visit www.ProCareNow.com! You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest!

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The Importance of Stretching

2014-02-25T14:06:00.000-08:00

Among the methods applied in sport training, one that has been used more and more lately is stretching. The word, English in origin, is used as such in many other languages and it comes from the verb to stretch (meaning, in this sense, 'to make your arms, legs and body as straight as possible so that your muscles become long and tight'). More exactly, we talk about stretching the muscles, the joints, the tendons, the ligaments, etc.

Even before the term itself and the specific methods gained individuality, stretching was used a lot, especially in sports or activities which require a very good mobility of the joints and special muscle suppleness (gymnastics, martial arts, ballet, etc.). The positions specific to hatha yoga were a source of inspiration for the different movements practiced in stretching, but these positions underwent many transformations, adaptations and simplifications.

The most important effect of stretching is suppleness of muscles and joints, which enables increased effectiveness during the training. There are different opinions about the exact time when stretching should be introduced in the training program.

Thus, there are authors who support the idea that stretching is indicated for both warming up and relaxation, and even for the main part of the training. On the other hand, there is the opinion that stretching must be done only in the relaxation faze, because the movements that are specific to it induce a state of relaxation that you do not want at the beginning of the training. This state comes as a result of maintaining the passive faze of the positions.

Anyway, everybody agrees that stretching needs to be anticipated by general warming up, this way the practitioner will avoid tightening of the muscles.

General warming up takes about 5 minutes and it contains aerobic exercises. Stretching muscles that have not been warmed up might be dangerous for the integrity of the muscle fibers, which could rupture easily.

Both weight and resistance training should include stretching; the effectiveness will only increase once this type of movement is done during training.

Another reason for higher effectiveness is the fact that a bigger number of motive units are involved in the movement and they are mobilized faster once the volitional order is transmitted, through the motive impulse, to the muscles. Given the fact that the range of the movements is larger, the sportsman can cover bigger distances, larger scopes, saving, at the same time, energy, which is important especially in very demanding sports (athletics, canoeing, etc.).

You can have a whole training only with stretching exercises. However, this is not advisable: the muscles will quickly get used to only relax, without contracting, which can produce a certain misbalance.

Another possible negative effect of exaggerated stretching movements (over the physiological limit of a joint) is laxity of the joints or even accidents like sprains, dislocations, tightening of ligaments or tendons, etc.). The main joints (knee, shoulder, elbow, etc.) are protected not only by their own mobility, but also by the elasticity of the muscles which surround them (periarticular).

In conclusion, stretching must be accompanied by other forms of training so that the sportsman will have a complete and secure fitness program.

As with any alternative health remedies, consult with your physician before discontinuing any prescribed medicines. Abruptly stopping taking your prescription medicine could have serious and long-term effects on your health.

For all of your healthcare needs, from supplements and vitamins to medical equipment, we encourage you to visit www.ProCareNow.com! You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest!

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Keeping Yourself Fit After 40

2014-02-21T13:55:00.000-08:00

Have you ever noticed how people who do no exercise at all still have a look of fullness in their arms, legs and chests for example, when they are less than 30 years old? Have you also noticed that this look of fullness starts to slowly become a look of droopiness and sagginess when they are over 30? Our body is at its peak at between 25 and 30 years of age. After this point, our body starts to slowly go into a decline and we tend to put on weight a little faster than before.

Part of the reason for this is, after 30, we begin to lose muscle to what is known as atrophy (muscle shrinkage due to disuse). We also begin to lose bone density leading very slowly to eventual osteoporosis. Muscle is active tissue and therefore burns calories. When we start to lose muscle to atrophy, our metabolism begins to slow down as a result leading to more fat storage and weight gain, and over 50% of this is due to inactivity. Is there anything you can do to help reverse this process? The answer is yes you can.

We’ve all seen it, there are two women standing together, one is around 35 years old while the other is around 50, yet the older women looks more firm and vigorous than the younger women. You might ask yourself; how does she do it? The answer is she exercises. Period! You, at almost any age can stay in great shape as well, but you have to exercise. You have to make exercise a regular part of your day.

A good exercise program would be one that contains both aerobic and resistance exercise with some stretching added also. Many prefer to do aerobics and resistance exercises separately, but a lot of people find that the best workout for them is circuit training since it utilizes all three of these types of exercise in one, and is very effective and time saving.

A lot of people seem to think that aerobic exercise is the best way to lose and maintain weight, but, since 75% of the calories you burn are at rest, this is not the case. Aerobic exercise only burns calories during the activity, and then within two hours after you are finished, you burn no more calories than before.

Resistance exercise on the other hand builds and maintains muscle, and since muscle is active tissue, you burn more calories than before, even at rest. One pound of fat burns around 4 calories per day while one pound of muscle burns around 50 calories per day. After 30 years of age, an inactive person will lose ½ to 1 pound of muscle every year. That means that ten years of muscle loss due to inactivity equates to a metabolism slow down of around 450 calories per day!

If you want to lose fat and gain muscle tone, then you must include exercise into your day and that means including resistance training into your exercise routine. Men and women who include resistance training to their exercise routines lose around 44% more fat than those who don’t. Adding resistance training to a regular exercise routine will also slow down many of the effects of aging. People even in their 80s and 90s have seen as much as a 200% improvement in their strength levels within 3-4 weeks of starting to exercise.

You can stay fit and trim after 40, but the message is clear, exercise with resistance included is an absolute must if you want to stay in peak condition and feel young and alive, and you can do it, even well past 40.

As with any alternative health remedies, consult with your physician before discontinuing any prescribed medicines. Abruptly stopping taking your prescription medicine could have serious and long-term effects on your health.

For all of your healthcare needs, from supplements and vitamins to medical equipment, we encourage you to visit www.ProCareNow.com! You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest!

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Chocolate Milk better than Gatorade for Post-Exercise Recovery??

2014-02-18T13:54:00.000-08:00

The next time you finish a rigorous workout, you may want to consider a surprising new sports drink to help refuel tired muscles: chocolate milk. A recent study, published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (1), reports that athletes who drank chocolate milk after an intense bout of exercise were able to workout longer and with more power during a second workout compared to athletes who drank commercial sports beverages.

The researchers of the study indicate that chocolate milk is a strong alternative to other commercial sports drinks in helping athletes recover from strenuous, energy-depleting exercise. Researcher Joel M. Stager, PhD, professor of kinesiology at Indiana University states that "Chocolate milk contains an optimal carbohydrate to protein ratio, which is critical for helping refuel tired muscles after strenuous exercise and can enable athletes to exercise at a high intensity during subsequent workouts."

Stager and colleagues had nine cyclists bike until their muscles were depleted of energy, rest four hours, then bike again until exhaustion, three separate times. During the rest period, the cyclists drank one of three beverages:

1) low-fat chocolate milk

2) a traditional fluid replacement sports drink

3) a carbohydrate replacement sports drink

During the second round of exercise, the researchers found that cyclists who drank chocolate milk during the rest period were able to bike nearly twice as long before reaching exhaustion than those who consumed the carbohydrate replacement drink, and as long as those who consumed the fluid replacement drink.

Researchers theorize that the combination of carbohydrates and protein found in chocolate milk is what helped enhance the cyclists' performance and suggest that flavored milk may be an optimal beverage for refueling muscles after exercise. The researchers also note that chocolate milk is a great-tasting and cost-effective alternative to many sports drinks.

In addition to its ideal combination of carbohydrates and protein, flavored milk contains seven other essential nutrients that are important for an athlete's health - including bone-building calcium. No other sports drink contains the nutrient package found in flavored milk.

This study suggests, as well as many others before it, that a combination of carbohydrate and protein is more beneficial to athletes than just carbohydrate alone in the post-workout meal or supplement. This study takes it one step further by identifying a food product - chocolate milk - that is easy to get, inexpensive, and tastes great.

Confirming these results was a study by Dr. Janet Walberg-Rankin and co-workers at Virginia Tech (2). This study compared body composition and muscle function responses to resistance training in males who consumed a carb drink (Gatorade) or chocolate milk following each training session. Chocolate milk consumption immediately after each workout tended to increase lean body mass and bodyweight compared to supplementation with carbs. This study clearly shows that carbs-only post-exercise beverages don’t cut it.

The one thing you want to keep however is that you want to select a non-fat or skim chocolate milk. Forty-eight percent of the calories in whole milk come from fat; 33 percent of the calories in 2% milk come from fat; 20 percent of the calories in 1% milk come from fat, and 0 percent of the calories from skim milk come from fat. So, when reaching for chocolate milk as your post-workout recovery drink of choice, choose the non-fat version.
However, if you’re not a fan of chocolate milk post-workout then you can opt for a sports drink with easily absorbable proteins such as hydrolysates. In regards to your post-workout drink, the presence of easily absorbable proteins along with simple carbohydrates seems to be the most effective choice.

As with any alternative health remedies, consult with your physician before discontinuing any prescribed medicines. Abruptly stopping taking your prescription medicine could have serious and long-term effects on your health.

For all of your healthcare needs, from supplements and vitamins to medical equipment, we encourage you to visit www.ProCareNow.com! You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest!

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(1) Karp, Jason R.; Johnston, Jeanne D.; Tecklenburg, Sandy; Mickleborough, Tim; Fly, Alyce; Stager, Joel M (2004). The Efficacy of Chocolate Milk as a Recovery Aid. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 36(5) Supplement:S126.

(2) Rankin-Walberg J, Goldman LP, Puglisi MJ et al. (2004). Effect of post-exercise supplement consumption on adaptations to resistance training. J Am Coll Nutr,;23:322-330.

The Top Fourteen Foods to Avoid

2014-02-13T13:51:00.000-08:00

Obtaining optimal health is a goal for many people. No one wants to develop disease and sickness. The good news is, one of the ways to develop optimal health is by avoiding purchasing food that is loaded with chemical, has no nutritional value, or is energetically altered. Let's discover the top fourteen foods to avoid.

1. Avoid purchasing anything with words you can't pronounce. This is very easy. If you have difficulty figuring out what a word is and have a hard time pronouncing it, don't buy it. Most likely it is a harmful chemical.

2. Monosodium Glutamate. Never buy anything with this chemical in it. MSG is a toxin that is dangerous, causes weight gain, increases appetite, and causes all kinds of health problems.

3. Stay Away from Aspartame. This is a toxin that makes people gain weight, causes hunger, and leads to medical problems such as PMS and migraines.

4. Avoid High Fructose Cory Syrup. This is a chemical that causes people to become addicted and makes them fat.

5. No Hydrogenated Oil or Partially Hydrogenated Oil. Never buy foods with these ingredients since they are trans fats. Trans fats are deadly, causes heart disease, cause weight gain, and once more, other medical problems.

6. Avoid Sugar. Sugar that is processed turns out as refined white powder. All the natural sugarcane is taken out. Sugar has lots of chemicals that are used in the growing of sugarcane. It should be avoided at all costs.

7. Don't Be Fooled By "Natural" and "Artificial Flavor". These words, most of the time, mean that the food is loaded with chemicals and grown with pesticides, chemical fertilizers, and herbicides. The bottom line-eating organic food is best.

8. Be Wary of Spices. Spices do sound very healthy, but many of them really are not. Companies use hundreds of chemicals, put it in food products, but only label the product as a spice. In reality, people are getting more that salt, pepper, oregano, and the like in their foods. Most of the time, lots of man-made chemicals are made as well.

9. Avoid Artificial Color. If anything has dye in it, stay away. A dye is really a chemical poison.

10. Avoid Palm Oil: This is a very unhealthy oil that is cheap to manufacture, but causes physical problems. So, stay away from it.

11. Dextrose, Sucrose, and Fructose. There are chemically made sweeteners. There are not good for the body at all. So, it's best to avoid them.

12. Avoid Sucrulose and Splenda. This is a man-made sweetener that most people have heard of. In spite of the hype, it is unnatural, artificial, and man-made. The problems it can cause are increases in appetite, depression, allergies, etc., all depending on the person's genetic makeup. It is best to avoid these products.

13. No Enriched Bleached White Flour. This flour has no fiber. It has no nutritional value, and is highly refined. Eat organic wheat flour or other organic flours such as rye, millet, etc.

14. Avoid Soy Protein Isolate. This is usually found in protein shakes and in protein or food bars. Soy protein isolate's refining process often includes hexane, which a petroleum solvent like gasoline. The best thing to do is to avoid at all costs.

So, there you have it. The top 14 foods to avoid in order to be in the best health as possible. Pay attention to those labels and be on your way to outstanding health.

As with any alternative health remedies, consult with your physician before discontinuing any prescribed medicines. Abruptly stopping taking your prescription medicine could have serious and long-term effects on your health.

For all of your healthcare needs, from supplements and vitamins to medical equipment, we encourage you to visit www.ProCareNow.com! You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest!

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Tips to Smarter Snacking

2014-02-11T13:49:00.000-08:00

Are you a between-meal eater? Many of us are, but that doesn’t mean you have to visit the vending machine all day. There are smarter ways to snack throughout the day where you can lower your calories and still fill the hunger gap.

Roberta Larson Duyff, MS, RD, author of the American Dietetic Association's Complete Food and Nutrition Guide, goes over some common snacking times and makes a few smart suggestions on what healthier items we can replace those “filler” foods with.

When you need a wake-up or need a quick energy jolt: Eat a small breakfast of carbs and protein (cereal, egg, milk) or have an AM snack of proteins like peanuts or cottage cheese.

Before leaving the office for a meeting: A quick piece of fruit or chunk of cheese is good if you don't know when lunch is coming.

Before working out: You might want pump up with a piece of fruit and a big glass of water.

After school or work: A small sandwich and a glass of milk will work, otherwise, people eat all the way until dinner, a cookie, a cracker, a soda, and are never satisfied. If you are cutting calories have some cut-up veggies or a rice cake with peanut butter or cheese.

When out with friends: Try splitting a dessert or snack when you go for dessert or grab a bite with your buddies.

Before partying: A cracker and cheese or little carrots are a good choice to take the edge off. Drink an equal amount of water after every drink when you can.

Before bed: Milk contains tryptophan, which makes some people sleepy, and chai tea can be soothing.

Snacking not only helps ease those nasty hunger pains, but it relaxes and softens stress. Snacking should not be used to escape boredom. Find the smart snacks that fit both your individual needs and the occasion at hand.

As with any alternative health remedies, consult with your physician before discontinuing any prescribed medicines. Abruptly stopping taking your prescription medicine could have serious and long-term effects on your health.

For all of your healthcare needs, from supplements and vitamins to medical equipment, we encourage you to visit www.ProCareNow.com! You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest!

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The Truth About Bottled Water

2014-02-07T13:49:00.000-08:00

Bottled water is advertised heavily and is often seen in the tote bags of famous celebrities and athletes. As mainstream culture becomes increasingly health conscious, people continually turn to bottled water as convenient and stylish way to stay hydrated while exercising. However, at a dollar or more per gallon, the price of bottled water can really add up over time especially if you are drinking it on a regular basis. Bottled water costs roughly five hundred times per gallon the amount that tap water does, which raises the question: is bottled water really worth the price?

The answer, unfortunately, is less clear cut than the question. Bottled water is vital in some situations, such as when you are hiking in the wilderness or are traveling to an area where the ground water is not safe for consumption. In these kinds of scenarios, bottled water is literally priceless. Likewise, bottled water is an important part of an emergency preparedness kit, and experts across many fields agree that it is a good idea to keep at least a few gallons of bottled water in your home and workplace for safety purposes.

However, the vast majority of bottled water purchased and consumed is for use outside of these situations. Many people choose bottled water for health reasons, believing that it is free from bacteria and other germs that linger in tap water, or that bottled water is processed in such a way that potentially dangerous chemicals can’t leak into the supply. However, scientific studies suggest that most bottled water is roughly equivalent to tap water in terms of germs and chemical makeup.

The major health benefit of bottled water is probably not due to the characteristics of the water itself, but simply due to the fact that having access to portable, refreshing bottled water encourages people to hydrate themselves. Few Americans make time to down the recommended eight glasses of water per day, but with the rise of bottled water more people are drinking more water more often, which spells good news for everybody. If bottled water helps you to make hydrating a regular part of your day, the benefits may very well outweigh the financial costs. Staying hydrated is good for your health because it allows your body to easily flush away toxins, and it is good for your appearance. Drinking water helps you build vibrant skin cells; grow stronger, firmer hair; and replenish your muscles; leading to greater overall health. And if bottled water makes hydration an easier part of your lifestyle, then bottled water is worth its weight in gold.

As with any alternative health remedies, consult with your physician before discontinuing any prescribed medicines. Abruptly stopping taking your prescription medicine could have serious and long-term effects on your health.

For all of your healthcare needs, from supplements and vitamins to medical equipment, we encourage you to visit www.ProCareNow.com! You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest!

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Get Your Vitamins Naturally When Possible

2014-02-04T13:47:00.000-08:00

There’s no doubt that there are times when supplemental vitamins are a good idea, but the best way to get your daily requirements of all vitamins is to consume them naturally. The problem is that most people don’t eat enough of the right foods to get all the vitamins needed to keep your body healthy.

One of the strikes against getting the right vitamins through diet alone is time. It simply takes time to stop for breakfast, lunch and even dinner. Another is the sheer availability of fast food. Most people are filled with the need to grab something to eat on the go.

Arguably the biggest strike against eating right is simply habit. We tend to grab a package of chips instead of an apple or banana for a mid-morning snack. A donut and coffee could easily be replaced by a muffin and fruit juice or milk, but we tend to crave those less healthy foods. Take a minute to consider some sources of vitamins that could easily be part of your daily food intake. You may be surprised at easy a few substitutions could be.

• Orange or apple juice instead of one soda a day. You’ll be surprised at how quickly you develop a taste for the juice. With this one change, you’re greatly increasing your intake of Vitamin C, needed to keep your immune system healthy. Not only that, apple juice provides a pick-me-up very similar to the caffeine rush some people look for.

• Bake it, broil it or eat it raw. We tend to fry so many foods – including the popular potato. Instead of French Fries at your next meal, choose a tossed salad or baked potato. Unless counting calories is an issue, slather on the dressing or sour cream to make it more appealing. The bottom line is that baked or raw veggies are generally higher in vitamins than their fried counterparts.

• Breakfast cereals are often fortified with vitamins – even those “good” cereals. Choose foods fortified with vitamins instead of those “empty” calories to help get the vitamins you need to keep you going throughout the day. Manufacturers are meeting the demands for “food-to-go” with cereal bars and other nutritious foods that are rich in vitamins.

At the end of the day, most people simply don’t eat right. If you measure the intake of vitamins over the course of a typical day, you’ll probably find that you’re not getting all the vitamins you need. When that’s the case, find good vitamins in the form of tablets, chews or other supplements as the next step.

As with any alternative health remedies, consult with your physician before discontinuing any prescribed medicines. Abruptly stopping taking your prescription medicine could have serious and long-term effects on your health.

For all of your healthcare needs, from supplements and vitamins to medical equipment, we encourage you to visit www.ProCareNow.com! You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest!

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