Get Fit Stay Fit

Benefits of a Personal Trainer for Aerobic Exercise

2011-11-22T01:20:00.000-06:00

There are many times in your life that you might want to have the help of a personal trainer, and doing aerobic exercise is certainly one of those times. This is a situation in which a personal trainer can really help you get the most out of your fitness goals and can really help you figure out where you should go next when it comes to working out.

It is very easy to find a trainer to help you with your aerobic exercise. The most important thing is that you are able to find a trainer that understands who you are and can help you be the best that you can be. There are many types of trainers that might fit this idea, so you have to be sure that you find one that really makes you feel comfortable.

It might seem like a trainer that stresses you out would be good for your working out, but in the long run you might end up getting more frustrated and you might not end up doing as well as you’d like to do.

The point of having a personal trainer is that you are really allowed to be yourself and to do the best that you can do on your own. This means that you have to be willing to work with the aid of a trainer, but when it comes down to it you have to be able to take care of yourself and get yourself in better shape.

Your personal trainer must be someone who is going to encourage you but also someone who is going to be willing to let you be yourself and work at your own pace.

When you have a personal trainer for aerobic exercise, you can count on one thing—you are going to have motivation. Often, aerobic exercise is something that is easy to forget about and something that is easy to put on the back burner because of other things that come up.

With your personal trainer you’ll find that it is much harder to get out of working, so you are going to be more likely to get your workout done. As long as you can find a personal trainer that is willing to work with you and that is willing to work with any conditions that you might have, you will find that this can be most beneficial for you and you’ll be able to be very happy when it comes to the amount of work that you have done.

What are Aerobics?

2011-11-22T01:18:00.001-06:00

What are Aerobics?

Aerobics, which literally means “with oxygen,” are exercise that can be done to lose weight and regain health. There are main types of aerobic exercises, and if you do these exercises daily, you will find that you really will be more healthy. Aerobics are generally done at moderate levels of intensity for a longer time and can target any part of your body you wish to slim.

There are many advantages of aerobics, which is why this form of exercise is both important and popular among health-conscious people.

Exercise can be broken down into two categories: aerobic and anaerobic. These differ in the ways in which your muscles contract during the exercise and how energy is generated within the muscles. Examples of anaerobic exercises include weight training or strength training, and with aerobic exercises, even the most well-built bodybuilder will not be able to run, swim, etc for long periods of time.

During aerobic exercise, your body breaks down glycogen to use for energy. If there is not enough glycogen in the body, you start using fat reserves instead, which is why you lose weight. Oxygen plays a key role in this process. With aerobic exercise, you don’t use bursts of energy. Rather, you spread out moderate levels of energy over a long period of time to trigger the use of fat in energy production.

In general, things like running long distances, aerobics dances, and swimming for long periods of time are considered aerobics exercises, while anything with short bursts of motion, like sprinting, are not.

Benefits of aerobics exercises are great, which is why most doctors recommend them to patients, even if you enjoy a normal weight. Some of these benefits include strengthening the repertory muscles, enlarging the heart to pump more efficiently, increasing the flow of blood (and oxygen) in the body, and increasing endurance. Aerobics decrease the risk of death due to cardiovascular problems and of osteoporosis in both men and women.

Want to learn how aerobics can change your life? There are a number of great exercise programs you can do, which include both solo activities and classes with groups. To learn more (and always before starting a new exercising program, talk to your doctor or other health care professional to learn what types of aerobic exercises will work best for your body.

Aerobics are the key to living a healthier and physically productive life, so don’t wait another day before starting a new healthy program that includes aerobics.

Breathing Exercises

2011-08-14T21:53:00.001-05:00

Breathing is such an integral part of our daily life that we are apt to feel there is nothing to it. Yet proper breathing is very important and its benefits are many.

Do you know that most women do not know how to breathe correctly?

In order to breathe deeply, one must learn to breathe with the diaphragm. Such breathing, aside from being correct, will strengthen the abdominal muscles, aid in slenderizing the waist and will wonderfully stimulate the activities of the intestinal tract.

1. Place feet firmly upon the floor, body erect, chest high. Hands on hips. Now inhale with the idea of forcing the air as far down into the abdomen as possible. If done correctly, there will be no movement of your chest and your fingers will feel the expansion of the waistline.

2. If you have difficulty in acquiring the diaphragm control in the first exercise, try this. Lie flat in bed and raise your abdomen as you breathe. Place your hands upon your stomach and press as you exhale.

What Is the Best Fitness Regiment For You???

2011-04-19T12:18:00.000-05:00

Making the right choice of the fitness program when you think that you want to remain fit and healthy can be confusing. Fitness programs should be chosen by a person according to his initial fitness level. Investing some amount of time to remain fit is necessary and you have to find that time from your leisure.

Fitness program requires daily workouts and seriously there is no reason for you to start if you cannot be regular in your exercise. It is also a grand waste of time if the fitness program consists of exercises that you abhor and will regularly avoid.

Variations, a slow progression and assigning rest days are also important to a workout routine. You should have all the tools required for your uninterrupted fitness exercise at your hand including water to keep yourself hydrated. It is advised not to select a program which overwhelm you and always have time for warm ups which will ensure stretched joints.

The problem that most of us have with fitness programs is the struggle to stay motivated. When the fitness regime takes too long a time, becomes boring and does not yield any result then we lose motivation. A great way to stay motivated is by setting goals and achieving it. You won't get disheartened very quickly if you set small goals for yourself.

Your personality plays an important role on how you stick to the fitness program. Being a social person jogging every morning alone can be quite frustrating so get yourself a team sport which may interest you. If you think that being in groups is not helping you to concentrate on your workout then joining the aerobic classes won't help you a bit.

Workout regimes can be very boring if done on daily basis. The best way to handle it is by including quite a few schedules in your daily activities. There are many ways, for example use stairs regularly instead of elevator and take a brisk walk to your office instead of driving.

The workouts have to be very much flexible and easy to change so that you can have fun while working out ? then only you will enjoy the schedule.

Fitness Trainer: Boredom Busters

2011-03-05T13:18:00.000-06:00

Scott Bumgarner ©2011

One of the biggest obstacles to staying on track for fitness is losing motivation. People are just starting an exercise program can find themselves quickly tired of the same routine. Keeping exercise appealing and maintaining a good fitness perspective is key to long-term success.

If you have to watch the exact same episode of your favorite television show every day for the rest of your life, you would probably be banging your head against the wall by the end of the week. You would change the channel, pick up a book, or do anything you could to avoid something you once enjoyed.

Yet, many people starting on a fitness program feel compelled to follow the same routine, day after day after day, and consequently fall off the exercise wagon due to sheer boredom.

That is why, most people would want the services of a fitness trainer in order to provide them the different portions of the fitness program in a more livelier style.

Fitness trainers are actually those who are expert in analyzing and creating a fitness program that is right for you. They are the ones who will calculate your appropriateness to a certain program with regards to your “fitness level,” create the program according to your specific needs, and keep you stimulated and inspired by giving you activities that will not bore you.

But then again, as with other entities included in the fitness world, not all fitness trainers are created equal. They may vary from the different trainings that they have, the health education they have acquired, and the skills that they have learned.

Hence, it is important to consider some factors that will determine if a certain fitness trainer is right for you. Here is how:

1. Certification

Like any item or product, the quality is sometimes measured and determined through the certification that goes with it. Hence, before you choose your fitness trainer, it is important to verify if the trainer is duly certified by a highly regarded fitness association.

It is also best to choose a trainer that has a CPR certification or first aid qualifications.

2. Education/Trainings

Be sure to choose a fitness trainer who had acquired an adequate training and education as far as health and physical fitness is concerned.

Even though it is not necessary, trainers who have acquired education connected with health or any other related field will definitely have an edge over the others.

3. Knows how to give the right attention

A good fitness trainer should know how to provide his or her client an undivided attention whenever their session is going on. In this way, the trainer will be able to focus more on the details that needs attention and immediate considerations.

4. Knows how to track development

It is best to choose a fitness trainer that knows how to track his or her client’s progress as far as fitness is concerned.

In this way, the trainer will be able to generate new activities and trainings designated for a particular result of the client.

5. Good Personality

Since you will be dealing most with your fitness trainer, it is best if you will look for somebody with a pleasing personality, somebody whom you can be comfortable. It is best to hire the services of somebody whom you can easily get along with.

Boiled down, the services of a fitness center and the contributions it can give you while working out on those belly fats, are, indeed, one of the best help that you can get from a professional person who knows what he is doing.

Hence, it is best to choose the best person who can give you the best services that you need so that you will never get bored again.

Working the Body Into Extreme Fitness

2011-03-05T13:06:00.000-06:00

Many people think about building muscles as abandoning life outside the gym and devoting hours in the gym like a monk in a monastery. Perhaps the only way to chisel the body into a hot muscular physique is by toiling hour by hour over the rusty iron day in, day out and year in, year out.

This need not be so. Although hard work is truly required, extreme fitness demands one to be a slave of the iron weights. Full-body work outs can make one progress and it easily fits in one's schedule. This is very convenient if one is looking forward to achieving extreme fitness but finds it hard to hold on to a single work out routine.

Genuine full-body work outs done by athletes with an aim in mind makes for maximum muscle contraction using heavy weights, makes room for full recovery so one can actually grow and continue to train hard plus it also prevents burnout which is inevitable due to excess training.

So if one is ready for extreme fitness, here is all there is to know about full body work out:

Full-body work out is a time saver. The biggest plus about having the whole body trained all at once is probably having to go to the gym less frequently; perhaps around two to three times for every seven days would be enough.

Another advantage of working out the entire body all at once is that one need not spend two or more hours of strenuous exercise in the gym for every session; one only spends one hour in the gym for every session. So that's just three to four hours per week in the gym right? With full-body work outs, it is all about the quality of exercise one does for session and not the quantity, nor even the amount of time you allot per session.

Full-body work out boosts the cardiovascular system for extreme fitness. One must allot two to four sets for every body part into the one hour session. Jam packed with exercising, each one hour session then gets the heart and the rest of the cardiovasular system pumping and up to speed in a flash.

Now feeling pumped up, next find out what rules does one have to follow when engaging in full-body work outs:

Training commences only once every two to three days. This is so easy isn't it? What is great about this is that there is time spared during rest days so that one can indulge in a few cardio exercise sessions instead of depending on cardio execises one normally does at the end of each work out session which after all, are not at all very effective.

Heavy lifting is strongly advised. Contrary to popular belief, especially among athletes. It is not true that it is good to get trapped on training lightly than one actually could so as to conserve energy for the other body parts that will come later in the routine. What is true is that one cannot achieve optimal progress if one is not training heavy, no matter which program that person is doing.

One exercise only per muscle group. This is very easy to follow and is also important. Doing basic exercises which are also intense means you do not have to do another different exercise for that body part.

Keep work out short. Resistance training affects the natural homones of the body connected to muscle building. Intense exercising boosts the testosterone levels and long work outs increase those of catabolic cortisol. Sixty minutes of work out allows you to get the best of both worlds.

Now with this convenient and powerful work out regimen, one can now truly experience extreme fitness.

Cardio and Weight Training...Without The Gym

2011-03-01T17:41:00.001-06:00

Cara M.,Certified Personal Trainer,Certified Specialist in Fitness Nutrition

www.stripthatfat.com

Cardio and Weight Training...Without The Gym

Hate the gym? Can't afford to buy weights and cardio machines for your own home gym? That's ok! The great thing about both cardio and weight training is that you don't need any extras to do them. For cardio, you can run, swim, walk briskly, hike, do jumping jacks, or, if you have a bicycle, bike, or a skipping rope, skip. And you can use your own body weight for training.

Here are some ideas I have for you:

Push-Ups (works chest, triceps, shoulders) The key when targeting the chest with Push-Ups is the direction in which your elbows travel. As with bench presses, the elbows must move away from the body to target your chest, and be kept close to the body to target the triceps. Place each hand just outside your shoulders, slightly behind the line of your shoulders. Hands pointing straight ahead, upper body rigid as a board

Tent Push-Ups (works the upper chest) Assume the position you would for normal push-ups, but walk your feet forward so your body is bent at the waist, and your hips are up high in the air. Bending at the elbows, lower yourself until your nose touches the floor. Push up.

Push-Ups, Triceps Position (works the triceps, and some chest) Begin with fingers facing forward in the same position you would for a normal push-up, but put your hands slightly less than shoulder width apart. Lower your body to the floor keeping arms in against your body.

Triceps Dips With Chairs(works triceps) With your hands behind your back, support yourself on your palms at the edge of a chair. Your hands should be touching; your elbows should angle outward. Dipping in this position relieves a lot of stress on the elbow and shoulder joints. Lower yourself, keeping your back close to the chair. Bend your elbows back and slightly to the sides. Keep your body angled slightly forward throughout the motion. Press yourself up until your arms are straight.

One-Legged Squats (works front thighs, glutes, hamstrings) Stand perpendicular to a wall, about arm's length away from it. Extend your arm out to the side and place your palm against the wall at just under shoulder-height. Angle the foot farthest from the wall at 45 degrees. Bend the other leg back. Keeping your body upright, lower yourself until the non-weight-bearing knee is close to (but not touching) the ground. Support yourself by leaning against the wall. Press yourself back up to starting position.

One-Legged Hamstring Bridges (works hamstrings) Lie on your back with one leg extended, heel on the ground. Hold the other leg up off the floor. Pushing through your heel, flex your hamstrings to lift your body. Lower and repeat for 8-10 reps. Repeat with other leg.

Lunges (works things, glutes, hamstrings) Begin the lunge by taking a large step forward, keeping your head up and torso erect. Lower your hips and allow your trailing knee to drop to a point just before it touches the floor - never let the knee touch the floor. To return to the start, push off with your forward leg and then step back when the knee is completely straight. Repeat with other leg.

The more muscles you build, the more calories you will burn both during your workout AND after. It is worth it! So next time you are working out, don't forget to add some weight training and cardio. The combination will get you looking your best!

The Probiotic Miracle

2011-02-14T14:41:00.000-06:00

John Barron, Founder

Beneficial Bacteria: An Army of Billions

When you are healthy, over 100 trillion microorganisms, from some 400 different species, flourish in your intestinal tract, aiding in digestion, absorption, and the production of significant amounts of B vitamins and enzymes. But more importantly, they crowd out all harmful bacteria -- allowing them no place to gain a foothold.

Unfortunately, the levels of beneficial bacteria decline dramatically as the human body ages. Some of the reasons for this decline include:

Over time, the colonies of friendly bacteria just naturally age and lose their vitality.
Disruptions and changes in the acid/alkaline balance of the bowels can play a major role in reducing the growth of beneficial bacteria. In addition, these changes tend to favor the growth of harmful viral and fungal organisms as well as putrefactive, disease-causing bacteria.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) like Advil, Motrin, Midol, etc. are destructive to intestinal flora.
Chlorine in the drinking water not only serves to kill bacteria in the water; it is equally devastating to the colonies of beneficial bacteria living in the intestines.
Radiation and chemotherapy are devastating to your inner bacterial environment.
Virtually all meat and chicken and dairy that you eat (other than organic) is loaded with antibiotics, which destroy ALL of the beneficial bacteria in your gastrointestinal tract.
A diet high in meats and fats, because they take so long to break down in the human body, promotes the growth of the harmful, putrefying bacteria.
Constipation, of course, allows harmful bacteria to hang around longer, which allows them to proliferate.
Cigarettes, alcohol, and stress are also major culprits -- as are some antibiotic herbs, such as goldenseal (if taken in sufficient quantity).
And if you've ever been subjected to a round of "medicinal" antibiotics, you can kiss your beneficial bacteria good-bye. The problem is that antibiotics indiscriminately destroy both bad and GOOD bacteria -- allowing virulent, mutant strains of harmful microorganisms to emerge and run rampant inside the body.
Antibiotics (both medicinal and in our food supply) are the #1 culprit in the overgrowth of HARMFUL pathogens in the gastrointestinal tract (a condition called dysbiosis) that may be at the root of many autoimmune disorders and certain cancers.

The Bottom Line to Strengthen Your Immune System

A properly functioning intestinal tract is one of your body's first lines of defense against invaders and a healthy immune system. In a healthy colon there are, on average, anywhere from 100 billion to 1,000 billion beneficial bacteria per milliliter (about 1/5 of a teaspoon) that literally consume harmful bacteria and other invaders.

In the typical American, because of poor diet and neglect of the colon, the beneficial bacteria count may be as low as 4 or 5 per milliliter. Just compare 1,000 billion to 4, and you'll have an understanding of the scope of the problem. Many researchers now believe that declining levels of friendly bacteria in the intestinal tract may actually mark the onset of chronic degenerative disease and a suppressed immune system. Our goal is to strengthen the immune system.

The Benefits of a Healthy Intestinal Tract

The benefits of a probiotically optimized intestinal tract include:

Lowered cholesterol
Inhibition of cancer
Protection against food poisoning
Protection against stomach ulcers
Protection against lactose intolerance and casein intolerance
Enhanced immunity
Protection against many harmful bacteria, viruses, and fungi
Protection against candida overgrowth and vaginal yeast infections
Prevention and correction of constipation and diarrhea, ileitis and colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, and a whole range of other digestive tract dysfunctions
Improvement in the health and appearance of the skin
Better nutrition from improved absorption and the internal generation of B vitamins.
Protection against vaginosis and yeast infections

A Key to Good Health: Probiotics

There can be no true health or recovery from disease unless you have colonies of over 100 trillion beneficial microorganisms flourishing in your intestinal tract, from your mouth to your anus, aiding in digestion, absorption, the production of significant amounts of vitamins and enzymes, and working to crowd out all harmful bacteria -- allowing them no place to gain a foothold.

SUPPLEMENTATION WITH A GOOD PROBIOTIC IS MANDATORY TO RAISE YOUR BASELINE OF HEALTH AND STRENGTHEN YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM.

Probiotic Benefits: The Best Formulas

A good probiotic formula is absolutely essential for long-term intestinal health, and long-term parasite control. When choosing a probiotic, look for the following characteristics:

Not all strains of beneficial bacteria are created equal. For each type of bacteria, there are recognized super strains. Choose a formula that uses only recognized super strains of beneficial bacteria -- clearly identified as such on the label or in the company literature.
Make sure the probiotic formula you choose includes the all-important supernatant -- the medium the culture was grown in. The supernatant, contains a multitude of beneficial byproducts of the growth process, including: vitamins, enzymes, antioxidants, and immune boosters.
Then there's the question of how many live microorganisms are left in your formula when you actually use it. Pick up any probiotic formula, look at the label, and you'll see something like: "Contains 13 billion live organisms per capsule at time of manufacture." And that's the problem: "at time of manufacture."

The die-off rate for probiotics can be astounding. Most formulas will experience a die-off approaching log 3 within just 60 days of manufacture. That means that the 13 billion you see on the label may be down to 13 million, or less, by the time you use it. Heat and moisture accelerate the process, which is why most manufacturers recommend keeping your probiotic supply refrigerated.

There are many beneficial bacteria that can be contained in a good probiotic, but two are preeminent. To maximize the probiotic benefits, look for a formula based on these two:

L. acidophilus resides primarily in the small intestine and produces a number of powerful antimicrobial compounds in the gut (including: acidolin, acidolphilin, lactocidin, and bacteriocin). These compounds can inhibit the growth and toxin producing capabilities of some 23 known disease-causing pathogens (including: campylobacter, listeria, and staphylococci), as well as reduce tumor growth and effectively neutralize or inhibit carcinogenic substances.

It's also important to note that L. acidophilus is the primary beneficia bacteria in the vaginal tract. When the presence of the acidophilus is compromised, this allows the bad guys such as Gardnerella vaginalis or E. coli or Chlamydia to take over.

Many researchers believe that declining levels of bifidobacteria in the large intestine actually mark the eventual onset of chronic degenerative disease. Bifidobacteria benefit the body in a number of ways. They consume old fecal matter, have the ability to remove cancer-forming elements (or the enzymes which lead to their formation), and protect against the formation of liver, colon, and mammary gland tumors.

More is not always better. Too many beneficial bacteria in one formula may find the bacteria competing with each other before they can establish themselves in separate areas of the intestinal tract. On the other hand, there are several other bacteria that are extremely beneficial in any probiotic formula.

L salivarius helps digest foods for a healthy intestinal tract and makes vital nutrients more assimilable. It also works to eat away encrusted fecal matter throughout the entire colon; it helps repair the intestinal tract by providing needed enzymes and essential nutrients; and it adheres to the intestinal wall, thereby forming a living matrix that helps protect the mucosal lining.
L. rhamnosus is powerful for immune system support. It can increase the natural killing activity of spleen cells, which may help to prevent tumor formation. It boosts the ability of the body to destroy foreign invaders and other harmful matter by three times normal activity; and has been shown to increase circulating antibody levels by six to eight times.
L. plantarum has the ability to eliminate thousands of species of pathogenic bacteria. It also as extremely high adherence potential for epithelial tissue and seems to favor colonizing the same areas of the intestinal tract that E. coli prefers -- in effect, serving to crowd E. coli out of the body. At one time, plantarum was a major part of our diets (found in sourdough bread, sauerkraut, etc.), but is now virtually nowhere to be found.
Note: a good probiotic formulation will usually contain fructooligosaccharides (FOS) which help promote the growth of beneficial bacteria. For some friendly bacteria, such as the Bifidus, FOS can increase their effectiveness by a factor of 1,000 times or more!!

Guidelines For Taking Probiotics

One final note: start slowly. When you first start using a probiotic supplement, there is a chance that you will precipitate a die-off of bad bacteria in your intestinal tract. This can lead to gas, stomach rumblings, and cramping for up to three weeks.

Sleep and Muscle Loss

2011-01-30T22:48:00.000-06:00

By Tom Venuto, Under Holy Grail Body Transformation Content

In this post, I’d like to talk to you about how to retain lean body mass (or even gain some) while dieting, by avoiding common mistakes that lead to muscle loss.

One of those mistakes is lack of sleep.

I’m not sure about you, but in the last few years I’ve been hearing a lot about the effect of sleep on body composition.

Specifically, I’ve been reading (in peer-reviewed journals) about how insufficient sleep can hinder fat loss or even lead to fat gain.

The earliest of these studies started with an observation of an association. In this case, researchers noticed that sleep duration has decreased over the last two decades and that a rise in obesity has paralleled the decrease in sleep duration.

Of course, this only reveals a correlation and correlation does not equal causation. So at that point, researchers began looking for mechanisms that might explain this correlation, and they wondered if they’d find a casual link between lack of sleep and gaining fat.
Indeed, they found a mechanism: even partial sleep deprivation increases plasma concentrations of ghrelin and decreases leptin.

Ghrelin is a stomach hormone that increases appetite (ghrelin goes up, appetite goes up).
Leptin is a hormone produced primarily by fat cells that signals your brain about the status of your energy stores (in fat) and energy intake (food / calories coming in). In that sense, leptin is an anti-starvation (anorexigenic) hormone (when leptin goes down, the “starvation” signal is sent, so your body starts to hold on to stored body fat in a variety of hormonal and metabolic ways)

That’s not all. Researchers have also discovered that reduced sleep can decrease physical activity-related energy expenditure. That’s not surprising. When you’re tired and fatigued from lack of sleep, you’re liable to move less in general, skip workouts or work out with less gusto.

Wait. It gets even worse.
A new study just published in the Annals of Internal Medicine (October 2010) says that insufficient sleep may not only promote retention of fat, it may compromise the maintenance of fat-free body mass!

Insufficient Sleep Undermines Dietary Efforts to Reduce Adiposity. Nedeltcheva A, et al, Ann Intern Med, 2010; 153, p 435-441

After comparing the effects of 5.5 hours of sleep against 8.5 hours of sleep, they reported the following:
“We examined whether experimental sleep restriction, designed to approximate the short sleep times of a growing number of persons in modern society, may compromise the effect of reduced-calorie diets on excess adiposity…. The combination of energy and sleep restriction in overweight adults resulted in a modified state of negative energy balance characterized by a decreased loss of fat and considerably increased loss of fat-free body mass. Our experimental data now indicate that sleep plays an important role in the preservation of human fat-free body mass during periods of reduced caloric intake.”

The previous research had already made it clear how sleep deprivation could hinder your fat loss. The key finding of this newest study was how sleep deprivation under conditions of caloric deficit (dieting for fat loss), could adversely affect the metabolic effects of calorie restriction and lead to loss of lean body mass.

Based on this research, it appears that during times of calorie restriction, your body amplifies the metabolic, neuro-endocrine and behavioral compensations which oppose your attempts at fat loss.

In other words, depriving yourself of sleep is bad. Doing it when you're on a calorie restricted fat loss diet is double bad.

If you’re also stressed out, now it’s triple bad!

High levels of unmitigated stress can increase cortisol and are linked to increased visceral fat, insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, impaired glucose tolerance, altered lipid profiles and even a higher incidence of coronary artery disease.

Sleep deprivation + stress + low calorie dieting = “The MUSCLE-WASTING TRIAD OF DOOM.”

Now, we do know that including heavy resistance weight training (I mean heavy – none of that pink dumbbell or light-weight circuit training stuff) combined with adequate protein intake helps mitigate muscle loss while youre dieting in a deficit.

However, how much that will prevent muscle loss in the presence of high stress and sleep deprivation is unknown.

And by the way, if you’re on a low calorie diet, you’re stressed, you’re sleep deprived AND your protein intake is inadequate AND you’re NOT weight training, then I am not being overly dramatic in the least to say your lean muscle really is DOOMED! You’ll lose weight alright, but don’t be surprised under those conditions if you lose MORE LEAN TISSUE than body fat!

I’d like to think that getting 8 hours of sleep and keeping stress at bay is common sense advice, but these are actually the areas that get most taken for granted and blown off by even the savviest, most experienced bodybuilders and fitness practitioners.

In fact, I’d be curious to hear (via comments below) how many readers will fess up and admit to sleeping less than 8 hours a night while also dealing with high stress and simultaneously trying to lose weight on a reduced calorie diet.

The truth is, many people are out there searching for a magic diet or workout program while ignoring some of the simplest, easiest to apply lifestyle strategies such as good sleeping habits and stress management.

I’ve been getting tons of questions over the last month since the Holy Grail Body Transformation System was released and most of them are about the intricate details of the program: macronutrient manipulation, calorie cycling, nutritional periodization and so on.

Other people want to know what supplements to take or what specific foods are best to eat and in what combinations.

Given how most people are so easily overwhelmed, why not get the simple lifestyle stuff in order first… starting with a good night’s sleep.

Because it’s now science fact: Getting your zzzzz’s is crucial not just for getting leaner and healthier, but also for gaining and maintaining muscle.

- Tom Venuto, author of
The Holy Grail Body Transformation System
and
Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle

PS If you haven’t read it yet, be sure to grab my FREE report:
Never Lose Muscle Again: The Holy Grail Method For 100% Pure Fat loss (FREE)
In it you’ll learn about the 3 primary strategies to keep your hard earned muscle. Based on the latest research, we could now add a 4th strategy: Sleep.

"Relaxing with a Mental PDA"

2010-12-31T16:04:00.002-06:00

Edward S Bumgarner ©2010

Your 5 minutes daily program to Stress management.

We all have this favorite expression when it comes to being stressed out, and I

wouldn't bother naming all of them since it may also vary in different languages.

But when it comes down to it, I think that it is how we work or even relax, for

that matter that triggers stress. Ever been stressed even when you're

well relaxed and bored? I know I have.

Since Error! Hyperlink reference not valid. is unavoidable in life, it is important

to find ways to decrease and prevent stressful incidents and decrease negative

reactions to stress. Here are some of the things that can be done by just

remembering it, since life is basically a routine to follow like brushing your teeth

or eating breakfast. You can do a few of them in a longer span of time, but as they say--

every minute counts.

Managing time

Time management skills can allow you more time with your family and friends

and possibly increase your performance and productivity. This will help reduce

your stress.

To improve your time management:

· Save time by focusing and concentrating, delegating, and scheduling time for

  yourself.

· Keep a record of how you spend your time, including work, family, and leisure

  time. 
· Prioritize your time by rating tasks by importance and urgency. Redirect your

  time to those activities that are important and meaningful to you.

· Manage your commitments by not over- or undercommitting. Don't commit to

  what is not important to you. 
· Deal with procrastination by using a day planner, breaking large projects into

  smaller ones, and setting short-term deadlines. 
· Examine your beliefs to reduce conflict between what you believe and what

  your life is like.

Build healthy coping strategies

It is important that you identify your coping strategies. One way to do this is

by recording the stressful event, your reaction, and how you cope in a stress

journal. With this information, you can work to change unhealthy coping

strategies into healthy ones-those that help you focus on the positive and what

you can change or control in your life.

Lifestyle

Some behaviors and lifestyle choices affect your stress level. They may not

cause stress directly, but they can interfere with the ways your body seeks

relief from stress. Try to:

· Balance personal, work, and family needs and obligations. 
· Have a sense of purpose in life. 
· Get enough sleep, since your body recovers from the stresses of the day

  while you are sleeping. 
· Eat a balanced diet for a nutritional defense against stress. 
· Get moderate exercise throughout the week. 
· Limit your consumption of alcohol. 
· Don't smoke. 

Social support

Social support is a major factor in how we experience stress. Social support

is the positive support you receive from family, friends, and the community.

It is the knowledge that you are cared for, loved, esteemed, and valued. More

and more research indicates a strong relationship between social support and

better mental and physical health.

Changing thinking

When an event triggers negative thoughts, you may experience fear,

insecurity, anxiety, depression, rage, guilt, and a sense of worthlessness

or powerlessness. These emotions trigger the body's stress, just as an actual

threat does. Dealing with your negative thoughts and how you see things can

help reduce stress.

· Thought-stopping helps you stop a negative thought to help eliminate stress. 
· Disproving irrational thoughts helps you to avoid exaggerating the negative

  thought, anticipating   the worst, and interpreting an event incorrectly. 
· Problem solving helps you identify all aspects of a stressful event and find ways

  to deal with it. 
· Changing your communication style helps you communicate in a way that makes

  your views known   without making others feel put down, hostile, or intimidated.

This reduces the stress that comes from poor communication. Use the assertiveness

ladder to improve your communication style. 

Even writers like me can get stressed even though we're just using our hands to

do the talking, but having to sit for 7 or 8 hours is already stressful enough and

have our own way to relieve stress. Whether you're the mail guy, the CEO, or

probably the average working parent, stress is one unwanted visitor you would

love to boot out of your homes, especially your life.

Happy as You Want to Be

2010-12-31T15:55:00.002-06:00

Almost everyone have heard the hit single 'Don't Worry, Be Happy' by Bobby McFerrin.

The song has a very catchy way of conveying its message of being happy to everyone.

Bobby Mcferiin's simple message surely made a lot of people by telling them not to worry.

Living a happy, resilient and optimistic life is wonderful, and is also good for your health.

Being happy actually protects you from the stresses of life. Stress is linked to top causes

of death such as heart disease, cancer and stroke. 

One of the better things ever said is - 'The only thing in life that will always remain the

same is change', and in our life we have the power to make the necessary changes if

we want to. Even if we find ourselves in an unbearable situation we can always find

solace in the knowledge that it too would change. 

Social networks or relationships are essential to happiness. People are different,

accept people for who or what they are, avoid clashes, constant arguments, and let

go of all kinds of resentments. If arguments seem unavoidable still try and make an

effort to understand the situation and you might just get along with well with 

Happiness is actually found in everyone, increasing it is a way to make a life more

wonderful and also more healthy.

To be happy is relatively easy, just decide to be a happy person. Abraham Lincoln

observed that most people for most of the time can choose how happy or stressed,

how relaxed or troubled, how bright or dull their outlook to be. The choice is

simple really, choose to be happy. 

There are several ways by which you can do this.
  
Being grateful is a great attitude.  We have so much to be thankful for. Thank the

taxi driver for bringing you home safely, thank the cook for a wonderful dinner and

thank the guy who cleans your windows. Also thank the mailman for bringing you your

mails, thank the policeman for making your place safe and thank God for being alive.

News is stressful. Get less of it. Some people just can't start their day without their

daily dose of news. Try and think about it, 99% of the news we hear or read is bad

news. Starting the day with bad news does not seem to be a sensible thing to do.

A religious connection is also recommended. Being part of a religious group with

its singing, sacraments, chanting, prayers and meditations foster inner peace. 

Manage your time. Time is invaluable and too important to waste. Time management

can be viewed  as a list of rules that involves scheduling, setting goals, planning,

creating lists of things to do and prioritizing. These are the core basics of time

management that should be understood to develop an efficient personal time

management skill. These basic skills can be fine tuned further to include the

finer points of each skill that can give you that extra reserve to make the

results you desire. 

Laugh and laugh heartily everyday.  Heard a good joke? Tell your friends or

family about it. As they also say -'Laughter is the best medicine'.
  
Express your feelings, affections, friendship and passion to people around you.

They will most likely reciprocate your actions. Try not to keep pent up anger

of frustrations, this is bad for your health. Instead find ways of expressing them

in a way that will not cause more injury or hurt to anyone.
  
Working hard brings tremendous personal satisfaction. It gives a feeling of being

competent in finishing our tasks. Accomplishments are necessary for all of us,

they give us a sense of value. Work on things that you feel worthy of your time.
 
Learning is a joyful exercise. Try and learn something new everyday.  Learning

also makes us expand and broaden our horizons. And could also give us more

opportunities in the future. 

Run, jog, walk and do other things that your body was made for. Feel alive.
Avoid exposure to negative elements like loud noises, toxins and hazardous places.

These are the few simple things you can do everyday to be happy.

And always remember the quote from Abraham Lincoln, he says that, "Most people

are about as happy as they make up their minds to be."

Muscle Men (and Women!): How Vitamins Supplements can Help You

2010-12-27T17:11:00.000-06:00

There are so many benefits for getting proper nutrition, that there is no way to list them all. For people who are working on building their muscles, there are certain things about vitamins and supplements that one should be aware of.

First of all, the best way to get your best nutrition is through eating the right diet. There are certain aspects of the vitamins and minerals that go along with food that just can’t be found in the supplements. It is always best to eat as well as you can.

However, if for some reason you aren’t able to get all of the needed vitamins and minerals, it is better to have them via vitamin supplements than to have none at all.

For bodybuilders, it is important to remember that you are doing great work on your body, and this work is causing you to become stronger. However, as you increase in your ability to lift things and as you increase in the strength of your muscles, you are going to need more vitamins and minerals, as well as more energy, in order to use these enhanced muscles.

You should not start bodybuilding before you have talked to a doctor or a nutritionist about what you should do to make sure that your body can maintain the muscles that it has. If you are not able to consume enough of the foods that have the right vitamins, you are going to need to take supplements. This is because it is extremely important that you have enough of the right things if you are going to be bodybuilding.

If you are building your muscles and not feeding your body properly, there is not going to be anything left over to keep you healthy as well as strong. Vitamins help to build you immune system, make hormones, and much more.

Many times it is a good idea to go on a general multivitamin if you are going to be working out and working hard on your body. This is a good idea because as you work out you are burning energy that your body would otherwise use to protect itself.

Your immune system might be very compromised as you work out, so you should try to do whatever you can to make sure that you are getting the correct vitamins and minerals that your immune system needs to function correctly. Do not be afraid to talk to your doctor about what you can do to make sure you are putting the right things into your body at all times.

5000 Year-Old Medical Secret Unearthed!

2010-06-21T08:39:00.000-05:00

When you get sick, you go to the doctor. And the doctor will, of course,

prescribe medicines. You will go and buy medicines. You take them, and

hopefully, you get well. 

This is how the health profession goes on nowadays – a cycle of diagnosis

and prescription.

If anyone were to give you herbs for medicine, you would probably say

that that person was a quack.

But nowadays, studies are being conducted to see if there are really

is any merit to what is called natural medicine.

Natural medicine is the use of natural methods, herbal medicines, and

traditional practices to heal ailments. Every culture has a form of natural

medicine. In ancient cultures, village medicine men served as the doctors

of the community, passing on medical knowledge to the apprentices that

followed them.

Many categories of the healing methods fall under natural medicine. Among

these are traditional medicine, complementary medicine, and alternative medicine.

Usually, natural medicine refers to medical practices that were in place before

the advent of modern medicine.

This includes herbal medicine, or phytotherapy, which is prevalent in Chinese,

Ayurvedic(or Indian), and Greek medicine.

Upon the advent of modern medicine, many professionals discarded the use of

herbs in favor of man-made medicine. The fact that these treatments are

based on the healing properties of some herbs was forgotten.

For example, opium, digitalis, quinine, and aspirin all have their roots in

traditional medicine.

Natural medicine can be considered as a lost art. This does not mean that it

has lost efficacy over time. In some cases, natural therapy is actually better

than modern medicine. This leads some doctors to seriously consider and study

the possible uses of natural medicine

Before we continue, it is important to stress that not all the natural remedies

are legitimate. It would help to only try those remedies which have been

thoroughly studied and are relatively risk free.

Take herbal medicine for example. There are many well-documented and studied

herbal remedies available. However, only those that deal with minor ailments such

as cough, colds, fever, skin rashes, and its ilk are likely to be recommended by

health professionals. These remedies are sometimes superior to synthetic medicine.

This is because herbal medicines are less likely to cause negative side effects. 

Currently there are numerous organizations that study the effects and advocacy of

natural medicine – among which is herbal medicine. Some governments and health

agencies openly advocate the use of natural methods since they are inexpensive

and relatively risk-free.

As their studies compile, more herbs and treatments are added to the list of

accepted medicines. However, many herbs and treatments have been proven to

be bogus medicine. This represents a challenge for both the user and the

agencies because they have to ascertain that the treatments they either use

or advocate are legitimate. 

There exist today many alternative medical treatments that fall under

natural medicine. However, not all of them have been proven to be effective.

You could mention homeopathy, aromatherapy, acupuncture, and other

alternative medical treatments. It would pay to consult the experts as to the

legitimacy of these treatments.

Natural medicine should also be thought of as an accompanying medicine. Right

now, the current collective medical thought suggests that natural medicine be

used only to supplement accepted modern medical practices. In that case of

minor ailments your expert we actually advise you to take natural therapies

instead.

The practice of modern medicine revolves around diagnosing an illness and

prescribing treatments for such. Natural medicine is helpful because it

suggests that treatment be not necessarily given only when sick. Natural

medicine strives to make each patient practice good health habits. These

habits include good diet, healthy living, and the regular natural treatment.

It is this same line of thought that leads our parents to tell us to eat our

vegetables. Yes, a healthy lifestyle and will do no harm to our well-being.

And this is the foundation of natural medicine – may it be massage, herbal

medicine, aromatherapy or others.

It is funny but true that science, in its quest for excellence, is studying the

knowledge of sages past. This, surprisingly, leads us back to the remedies

nature offers. The possibilities of finding remedies to everyday illnesses

in natural medicine are encouraging. So staying tuned to studying these

remedies is worthwhile until we can verify that these therapies are truly

helpful to our health and our society.

10 Things You Should Know About Stretching

2010-03-05T14:38:00.000-06:00

Edward S Bumgarner ©2010

Before fitness training, one must give importance to doing warm-up or stretching exercises to prevent accidents or to enhance the output during the training. There are also a number of precautionary measures and tips to serve as guidelines when doing fitness exercises. Here are some of them.

1. To increase your flexibility and to avoid injuries, stretch before and after workout. Almost everyone knows that stretching before workout prevents injuries during the exercises, but only few people know that stretching after workout, when muscles are still warm, can increase flexibility.

2. Hold your stretching position for more than 60 seconds to increase flexibility. While holding your position for 20 seconds is enough for warm ups, holding each position for at least 60 seconds will develop the body's flexibility.

3. Do not go into a stretching position then immediately return to the relaxed position, and do it repeatedly. This is more appropriately termed as bouncing while in a position. When stretching, hold that position for several seconds, and then slowly relax. You may do this exercise repeatedly this way. Bouncing or forcing yourself into a position during stretching can strain or damage some joints or muscles.

4. Work slowly in increments instead of immediately proceeding to doing the hardest exercise or position.

5. Make sure that you have stretched or warmed up all muscle groups. For some people, even if they have strong bodies, they tend to neglect the neck when working out of stretching. Stretching the neck muscles can be as simple as placing the palm of one's hand against the front of the head and pushing it. Then, do the same to the sides and the back of the head.

6. Stretch regularly to continually increase your range of movements and your level of flexibility and strength.

7. Workout considering only your capabilities and not of others. Do not force yourself to do exercises that you are not yet capable of just because there are people who can do it. Increase your limits slowly. Listen to your body. There are days when your body may be too tired that you may have to consider reducing your range of motion.

8. Learn to rest. Rest in between sets and stations to make sure that the body has enough time to recover its energy. Also, it is advisable that you don't work the same muscle groups consecutively for two days. The muscles grow during the period when you rest and not when you are working out.

9. Do aerobic exercises to strengthen your heart. Aerobic exercises are those physical activities that much oxygen for fuel. This includes cardiovascular exercises such as skipping rope, running or swimming.

10. Music may help you when you want to train for longer periods or to increase your intensity. You can use mp3 players, CD players or lightweight am radio receivers for this. Just make sure that you brought your headset with you so you wouldn't disturb people who don't prefer music while exercising.

Apart from preventing injuries and increasing one's limit, it is also said that stretching is good for a tired body and also for a stressed mind and spirit.

Lifetime Fitness: On Your Way to a Healthier You

2010-03-05T14:36:00.000-06:00

Edward S Bumgarner ©2010

Many people end up abandoning perfectly good fitness programs and weight-loss regimens before they even lace up their sneakers.

Why? Because in a world filled with fast food, instant messaging, and a five-second disease-tracking device, anything without a quick payoff goes against the grain of the typical American instant gratification ethic. While it would be nice to actually drop inches in just a few days like what most miracle ads proclaim, managing weight and losing weight through physical fitness is a slow and steady process that takes time and commitment.

Setting weight management goals for yourself can be a good motivator. Gradual weight loss, for those people who wish to shed off some extra pounds, is usually the safest.

That is why health and fitness experts had come up with the idea of lifetime fitness in order to teach people set realistic goals. These lifetime fitness programs generates dietary regimens that cut your normal calorie consumption for your weight by 500 to 1,000 per day, so will burning the same amount with exercise. In turn, this will definitely encourage healthier weight loss.

Lifetime fitness teaches you how to maintain a physically fit body at the same time enjoy and live a happy, contented life. It gives you the chance to strike a balance between the two (exercise and diet), and make exercise, be it team sports, cycling, or walking, something you will truly enjoy.

That is why lifetime fitness embodies the concept that making a long-term healthy lifestyle change is essential to keeping the pounds off once they are gone.

To know more of the advantages and benefits that lifetime fitness can bring, here are some facts that you need to know:

1. Lifetime fitness programs offers you the most comprehensive and wide-ranging fitness and health encounter with quality services, in which the customers will feel gratified.

These fitness programs provide you the right method in maintaining health, build up and encourage your competence, and take care of your family’s physical fitness as well.

2. Because the goal of lifetime fitness is to provide you with long-term achievements as far as physical fitness is concerned, these programs utilizes numerous fitness equipments that will tone and manage your health and the different parts of your body.

There are fitness equipments that will give your cardiovascular system a lift. You can also opt for some sports facilities that will provide you with an alternative way of being physically fit.

3. Lifetime fitness programs and centers also provides nutritional products such as food supplements that will aid in the formation of good blood cells and tissues thereby making your body at its pink of health.

Lifetime fitness centers and programs also provide you with up-to-date fitness magazines that do not only give substantial information about fitness and health but inspirational stories as well. These articles will give you an insight on how to make you life balance and how to live a life that is healthy and fit.

Indeed, staying fit and healthy can be a long and winding road and there are instances wherein you may find your enthusiasm fading occasionally. Nevertheless, with the comprehensive programs provided by lifetime fitness plans, you can start heading back to the right track of a healthier you.

Health and Fitness

2010-01-31T14:58:00.000-06:00

Edward S Bumgarner 2010

Being active makes a person healthy and strong. It is not just for people who have a weight problem but for everyone who likes to stay fit.

There is a lot a person can do such as jog or walk every morning, play basketball or any other sport with friends but if a person wants to have muscles and look lean, then one can sign up and workout in a gym.

People workout for 3 reasons;

The first is that the person is overweight and the only way to lose those extra pounds will be to reduce one's calorie intake and at the same time workout in the gym.

The second is that the person is underweight and the only way to add extra pounds is to have more calories in ones diet and workout.

The third is just for fun and to keep that person in shape.

The best exercise plan should have cardiovascular and weight training exercises. This helps burn calories and increase the muscle to fat ratio that will increase ones metabolism and gain or lose weight.

Just like taking any medicine, one should first consult the doctor before undergoing any form of exercise.

Here are some benefits of exercising;

1.   It is the easiest way to maintain and improve ones health from a variety of diseases and premature death.

2.   Studies have shown that it makes a person feels happier and increases ones self esteem preventing one from falling into depression or anxiety.

3.   An active lifestyle makes a person live longer than a person who doesn’t.

Working out for someone who has not done it before should be done gradually. Endurance will not be built in a day and doing it repeatedly will surely be beneficial to the person.

It is advisable to workout regularly with a reasonable diet.

A person can consult with a dietitian or a health professional to really help plan a good diet program. It starts by evaluating the lifestyle and the health of the patient before any program can be made.

Afterwards, this is thoroughly discussed and recommended to the person which usually consists of an eating plan and an exercise program that does not require the use of supplements or one to purchase any expensive fitness equipment.

A good diet should have food from all the food groups.

This is made up by 2 things. The first is carbohydrates. The food that a person consumes should have vitamins, minerals and fiber. A lot of this can come from oats, rice, potatoes and cereals. The best still come from vegetables and fruits since these have phytochemicals, enzymes and micronutrients that are essential for a healthy diet.

The second is fat which can come from mono and poly saturated food sources rather than animal fats. Since fat contains more than double the number of calories in food, this should be taken in small quantities to gain or lose weight.

Another way to stay healthy is to give up some vices. Most people smoke and drink. Smoking has been proven to cause lung cancer and other diseases as well as complications for women giving birth. Excessive drinking has also shown to do the same.

For people who don’t smoke, it is best to stay away from people who do since studies have shown that nonsmokers are also at risk of developing cancer due to secondary smoke inhalation.

Eating Heart Healthy Foods....

2009-11-02T14:58:00.000-06:00

taken from Dr David Williams Atlas

There are many delicious foods that actually help your heart; however, it is hard to fathom why anyone ever dreamed of creating the fake foods that line grocery shelves today. There are also dozens of healthful ways to prepare them. Choose organic, unprocessed foods whenever possible.

Onions:
contain the bioflavonoid quercetin, an extremely effective protector of the cardiovascular system. Onions also contain many beneficial sulfur compounds. Sulfur compounds in raw onions inhibit the stickiness of blood platelets, lower blood pressure, and cholestrol levels, and inhibit the formation of fibrin, the substance responsible for blood clots that can cause strokes and blockages in arteries.

To be effective, the onion must be raw. Dr Williams recommends eating one half raw onion a day.

Walnuts:
contain a mix of both omega - 3 and omega - 6 polyunsaturated fatty acids. When walnuts were added to the diets of 13 women and 5 men ranging in age from 52 to 68 years of age, there was a significiant lowering of both total cholestrol and the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) form of cholestrol.

As little as 5 ounces of walnuts a week can reduce your cardiovascular disease risk by 30-50 percent. A couple of walnuts a day is all it takes to keep your heart healthy.

Lecithin is a nutrient that breaks fats into small droplets and improves digestion. It also keeps cholesterol soluble, which keeps it moving in the bloodstream and helps prevent blockages or clots.

Pain in the Rotator Cuff

2009-07-27T10:02:00.001-05:00

Drs. Steven A. Peterson and Edward G. McFarland The Johns Hopkins Arthritis Bulletin

Of all the joints of the body, your shoulder is capable of the widest range of motion. This amazing flexibility allows you do just about anything, from picking up a suitcase, brushing your teeth, and throwing a 90-mph fastball, to scratching your back, and hugging your spouse.

All of this can dramatically change, however, when shoulder pain develops, and freedom of movement is affected. An estimated 20% of Americans will suffer from shoulder pain during their lifetime, with many having their damaged shoulder joint replaced surgically to relieve the pain and restore motion. Others will require rotator cuff surgery.

Q. Can the rotator cuff be torn?

A. Rotator cuff tendons have a very low blood supply, which leaves them vulnerable to degeneration as one ages. Rotator cuff damage increases naturally with age, typically in the dominant arm.

Repeating the same type of shoulder actions can accelerate shoulder degeneration, whether it be swimming laps, washing windows, or carrying a heavy briefcase.

The interesting thing about rotator cuff tears is that while rotator cuff tears are a common shoulder pain source, as many as 5-40% of people without shoulder pain have a torn rotator cuff and never know it.

Ignoring existing chronic shoulder inflammation or sustaining a sharp blow or fall on an outstretched arm may cause the rotator cuff to tear partially or completely.

An initial symptom is sharp pain in the shoulder that may radiate down to the elbow. Even so, the arm can still be moved in a normal range of motion. However, when the rotator cuff completely tears, the arm often cannot move in its normal range, and sometimes the arm cannot be raised from the side without assistance.

Q. What are the options for someone with a torn rotator cuff?

A. Many people think that because their rotator cuff is torn, they need to have surgery to restore use of their arm and get back shoulder flexibility. However, all partial tears of the rotator cuff do not require surgery.

Even with a tear, some people will find that they still have reasonably good function and relatively little shoulder pain.

Good candidates for nonsurgical therapy for partial tears of the rotator cuff include those who:

Are bothered by pain
Are not concerned with regaining lost shoulder strength
Will modify all activities that cause shoulder pain symptoms. When there is a complete tear of the rotator cuff tendon, the goal of rotator cuff surgery is to get the tendon to heal to the bone so that shoulder pain is reduced and strength and range of motion of the shoulder are increased

Good candidates for surgical therapy for a torn rotator cuff include those who have:

Much shoulder pain or loss of function
Failed nonsurgical management
Tears that cause profound shoulder weakness
Tears caused by acute trauma

Visit a Naturopathic Physician....

2009-05-01T13:58:00.002-05:00

"Five Reasons Why You Need To Take Supplements" by Melissa Wood, N.D. HSI e-Alert:

"It happened again the other day…another new patient coming in with lots of health problems. One of the biggest misconceptions that people have when visiting a Natural Health Practitioner, is that they will only get one or two 'medicines'. The other misconception is that they might only need them for a month or two to 'get over' whatever serious symptoms they have that brought them to my door.

"First of all, generally by the time someone is sitting in front of me, they have allowed their body to get to such a state that they are now having uncomfortable symptoms. Generally, this has taken years to get to this point. It's important you understand it's going to take many months, if not years, to get you out of it.

"Natural and herbal supplements can restore the body to a place of balance. But it's probably going to take more than one thing; or even two. Generally, it might take between 5- 10 supplements to help restore your health. And if there is a 'serious' health issue on the table, it will take much more than that."

In her article, Dr. Wood offers details about these five reasons why she feels it's important for everyone to take some sort of natural, whole-food supplement:

Depleted soils

Long transit time for delivery

Overcooking of foods

Not eating regular meals

Normal aging = digestion issues

Livin’ on the Edge: The Dangers of Vitamin Supplements

2009-02-07T05:41:00.002-06:00

Even though vitamins are generally good for you, and you might have no cause to think that there may be dangers associated with using too much vitamin supplement or too many vitamins, there are certain dangers that might come along with using too much in general.

If you are going to be responsible and truly understand what you are putting in your body, you should know that indeed too many vitamins and supplements might actually cause you problems. However, it is important to know how much you should be using at any given time. Dangerous results are real.

For instance, if you have too much vitamin D in your system, you might be causing yourself kidney damage. Vitamin D is generally good for you, so it is simply a matter of knowing your limits and knowing how much you should take.

Don’t think that just because the supplement bottle says to take one a day that you will be better off or increase the results you want by taking more than that.

That is simply not true – you will actually be causing yourself harm if you take more than you are supposed to be taking. Vitamin A commonly has the same results. Liver damage is very series and can cause many other problems, resulting in death.

If you are taking regular doses of niacin, you should know that you might experience flushing and stinging of the skin. This is natural, and a side effect that can be managed. However, if you take too much niacin, you might be causing heart and liver problems for yourself.

Once again, it’s simply an issue of only taking the recommended amount.

Mineral supplements can be dangerous too. Even if you are just increasing some of your mineral intact by a modest amount, you might be finding that this is leading to imbalances in your body’s ability to use other types of minerals.

If you take more than just 5 times the recommended doses of supplements such as iron, chromium, zinc or selenium, it can actually be a toxic event for your body. Almost every kind of vitamin and mineral can end up being toxic if you take too much.

Therefore, you should know that while vitamins and supplements are generally good for you, there are many times that these could actually become harmful, especially if you take more than is recommended to take during the day. For those reasons, you should simply be careful to only take what is recommended each day, and not more.

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Keeping Vitamin E in the Body: Is it Important?

2009-02-07T05:36:00.004-06:00

Your body relies on you to eat the right foods, making it possible to stay healthy. If you do not think you are getting enough of a certain kind of nutrient, you should consider supplements to help you achieve those normal levels. Vitamins are one part of your diet that you should be careful not to overlook.

Among the thirteen vitamins needs in your body, vitamin E is one of them, and you should be aware of what it does in your body. Simply put, understand our own health is important because if you do not understand it we cannot make sure we are staying healthy.

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin, along with a few other vitamins, including vitamin K. Because it is fat-soluble, it does not exit the body completely and in high levels, but instead can be stored for later use and made in the body as well.

This is very important, because it means that we do not have to eat foods rich in vitamin E every single day. However, it is still important to get enough vitamin E, whether it be through foods or vitamin supplements.

The main function of vitamin E is to be an antioxidant. Antioxidants are simple guardians of the body. They help your tissue sustain damage cause by free radicals, which are unstable substances in the body. Tissues make up our organs, so antioxidants are very important to keep all parts of out body health.

They are also thought to help slow the degenerative aging process. Another important function of vitamin E specifically is its role helping the body use vitamin K, which helps your blood clot.

Most people get enough vitamin E when eating a healthy diet. Foods especially rich in vitamin E include wheat germ, corn, asparagus, vegetable oils, olives, margarine, nuts, and leafy green vegetables, like spinach. Look on the label.

Foods rich in vitamin E will have its presence listed under ingredients or on the nutritional value part of the label. Vitamin E may also be called tocopherol.

Vitamin E deficiency is usually not a problem, nor is overdose. However, it is important to be careful is you are taking multivitamin supplements that include vitamin E. Reports of taking large amounts are mild, but can give you headaches. It is best to talk to your doctor is your believe that you are not getting enough vitamin E.

Vitamins for Disease Prevention

2009-02-07T05:28:00.002-06:00

There are many different aspects of the food that we eat that help to protect us. Our body can take the food that we eat and turn it into energy. However, our body cannot produce several things that we need in order to survive.

In order to do the things that our cells need to do to be healthy and to get by in life, our body has to receive several types of vitamins and minerals.

Our body does not make these vitamins and minerals; they are instead gleaned from the food that we eat. There are many ways to get vitamins and minerals from food, so a balanced and healthy diet is always recommended.

If you are eating foods from all of the food groups in a balanced manner, you are going to find that you are getting the correct vitamins and minerals. This means that your cells are going to be able to do the work that they need to do to make your body function correctly.

However, if you are not able to get the vitamins and minerals that you need, you are going to find that actually your body is not able to function. This is why some people choose to use vitamin and mineral supplements – because they know they aren’t get the proper amount of vitamins and minerals through what they eat.

Whether you get your vitamins through the food that you eat, or through supplements, there is no joke that they are very good for you, and in fact they are essential for you to stay healthy. One of the main jobs that vitamins and minerals do for you is the prevention of disease.

When you have the correct vitamins and minerals, your cells are going to be able to break them down and use them in many different ways. The best way that they can use the vitamins and minerals is to use them to strengthen themselves and to put up barriers against disease. The barriers that are built with the correct vitamins and minerals are going to allow you to not get sick as often and to not be as prone to disease.

If you truly want to be healthy, you should make sure that you have a balanced diet that includes the vitamins and minerals that are needed to make your body strong and healthy. This will increase your immune system, helping to prevent all kinds of illnesses.

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Different Elliptical Trainers Ratings

2008-11-15T09:51:00.007-06:00

Edward S Bumgarner ©2009

There are many elliptical trainers ratings out there, which can make it hard to decide which machine is actually the very best. People do have different opinions, and with each new individual machine there are always different features that are factored into the elliptical trainers ratings score.

Before we can decide which machine we will buy, we first have to know what is really most important to us. This will prevent us from selecting a machine that has nice features that we will most likely not use or may not be important to us.

We also have to factor in our budget and what we can afford. The elliptical trainers ratings, are rated from the best budget buy all the way to best overall quality.

The Schwinn 418 Elliptical received an elliptical trainers rating of a “best buy” by consumer reports. This machine; however, only has eight resistance levels, twelve workout programs, a pulse grip heart rate monitor and can hold someone with a maximum weight of two-hundred-and-seventy-five pounds.

Although it seems like this machine is comparable to the Proform 900 Elliptical, it is a far more durable and comfortable machine and is highly recommended by users.

The Smooth CE elliptical received an elliptical trainers rating of five stars and “best buy” from consumer search. Some great features for this machine is that it has sixteen resistance levels, nine built in programs, a wireless and hand grip pulse sensor, and can hold a maximum weight of three hundred pounds along with an ergonomic pivoting foot pedal.

This is a highly recommended machine that holds good value for the money. This elliptical machine also comes with a lifetime warranty on parts and a one year warranty on labor.

The Precor EFX 5.19 had an elliptical trainers rating as “best quality” from consumer reports. This to some will come as no surprise, especially since Proform's EFX series of Elliptical machines are considered the best top rated Elliptical machines around.

This is not the cheapest machine that you can buy on the market; but, it does have some very nice features to give you a great full body workout. It has a fixed ramp at twenty degrees, it can target different muscles by being able to go forward and in reverse, it has an electronic readout along with a membrane console with multiple features, a very accurate heart rate reading and ergonomic handlebars that adjust to a variety of hand positions.

Elliptical Trainer Reviews

2008-11-15T09:40:00.005-06:00

Have you ever looked at an elliptical trainer review? If you have you can see that they cover a great deal of information, usually focusing on key points within their elliptical trainer review. However, sometimes you can read one elliptical trainer review about one elliptical machine, and then later on come across another elliptical trainer review about the same product, yet the two elliptical trainer reviews are completely different.

This may puzzle people about how the elliptical trainer review of a product can be so different when they are reviewing the same product that another critique is looking at. There are several reasons why elliptical trainer reviews can come out so differently.

We will cover these reasons and show you the key elements that help form a proper elliptical trainer review. You may even be surprised as to how elliptical trainer reviews are scored.

One part of an elliptical trainer review is the price. The prices of the actual machines plays a big factor into the elliptical trainer review of the machine. The price ranges are categorized into economy buys, mid-priced buys, and then commercial grade elliptical machines.

Now an elliptical trainer reviews, results only compare the products that fit into these three price ranges. So if you have an elliptical trainer review for a machine in the economy buys, that has a “best buy” rating with five stars, versus a elliptical trainer review of a machine in commercial grade elliptical machines, with a four star rating, the elliptical machine with the five stars does not mean it is better then the elliptical machine with four stars.

All it means is that the five star machine was judged against all of the other elliptical machines within its class to form the results for the elliptical trainer review and rating. This is a major mistake that many consumers make when they read elliptical trainer reviews and look at the ratings.

Each reviewer and expert has certain criteria that they use to rate the machine and use that in their elliptical trainer review. Some experts may value the machines warranty more then they value the machines features when making the final assessments of their elliptical trainer review.

Other experts may find more value in the price, then they check the quality of the machine to form a final analysis for their elliptical trainer review. So when you read reviews, you must understand what the values of the reviewer are, because they may judge certain aspects of the machine in a different way than you might.

Another part of elliptical trainer reviews that you want to keep track of is the person doing the review. You want to pay attention to reviewers with unbiased opinions who write legitimate elliptical trainer reviews, and are not just sources that try to make money from writing a good review for a company to boost their products image.

You also need to know that even the best manufacturers who are known for quality and great products do have products that are not so great. This is the purpose for elliptical trainer reviews and is the reason why you cannot always judge a product by its manufacturer.

By understanding how an elliptical trainer review works and how different ratings of the same product can occur, you can now understand how to look at reviews differently.

Remember that there are trusted sources that write reliable elliptical trainer reviews. Do not fall for a review from a company that may be just writing a review for their own personal gain.

The Three Best Buy Elliptical Trainers

2008-11-15T09:29:00.002-06:00

Elliptical trainers are very new and are a great alternative to treadmills. You have heard about the many elliptical trainers that are available on the market, however, which ones should you get.

Elliptical trainers should not be judged just on price, but also on rating the machine itself. We will go over the best three elliptical trainers that fit the best price and value for the money that you pay.

Elliptical trainers that are under one-thousand dollars usually are questionable as far as quality. However, the Nordic Track CX 990, falls in the rare elliptical trainers that has one of the best prices on the market, along with good quality.

This machine has a incline feature that can change the incline form ten all the way up to 30%. This is a great feature to add intensity to your workout, along with the ten levels of resistance that you can change.

Now most Elliptical trainers only have a ninety day warranty, however, the CX 990 has a one year warranty which makes this machine a safe and smart buy for people who plan on using the machine regularly and want to maintain a nice low budget not wanting to spend less then one-thousand dollars on elliptical machines.

The Smooth CE 3.2 is a very great value for a low amount considering all of its features compared to other elliptical trainers. Besides having a heavy duty flywheel and electromagnetic brake system, it also has a wireless heart rate control and a hand grip HRC.

The Hand Grip HRC by Smooth is exclusive technology that other elliptical trainers do not have. The CE 3.2 also includes nine programs and has ergonomic, pivot foot pedals to make the use of the machine easier without having a risk of injury.

There are some elliptical trainers that do not let your body move in full alignment of the machine which does add some risk for injury. The Smooth CE 3.2 does allow your body to move your body in full alignment of the machine which is not only safer, but also provides a much more comfortable workout.

This machine retails for less then one-thousand-five-hundred dollars, which is a great deal for not only the machine, but also for the reputation of Smooth.

The Precor EFX 5.33 beats all other elliptical trainers on the market and is the top value for your money. This machine can be found at health clubs and offers a full body workout eliminating the need to join or go to a gym. It has movable handlebars, a twenty degree elevated ramp that is non adjustable as well as forward and reverse elliptical strides.

The best thing about this machine is that it offers some of the best quality parts and even has a ten year warranty on the individual parts of the machine, as well as a one year service warranty on the machine.

There are no elliptical trainers that can compare to the quality, craftsmanship and performance of this machine which is why this machine costs slightly over threethousand fivehundred dollars. Despite the cost, the Precor EFX 5.33 will save you thousands of dollars in the long run, as you will not have to be replacing machines over the years.

This is by far the best investment that you could put into any of the Elliptical trainers on the market, if you can afford to pay for the cost of the machine all at once.

All of these elliptical trainers have their different benefits along with their unique features that make them stand out. However, one common theme that these Elliptical trainers share is that they are the top three best buys for their class.

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Edward S Bumgarner: Writer, Blogger, Collector, Photographer ©2008
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