New Year Resolution To Lose Weight And Gain Muscle?

Many of us will be writing our New Year resolutions with some trepidation. Others write with great motivation. Are New Year resolutions meant to be broken? For some, yes, but most people will give it a shot.

For those whose resolution is to keep fit and healthy and enjoy life looking and feeling fantastic, then this article is for you and to motivate you to keep to your resolution successfully.

Different people exercise and workout for different reasons. Some want to be macho looking hunks, some want their fitness to be at their peak, some to lose weight and body fat and most people just want to gain muscle to have a well toned and attractive body. But whether you workout in a gym for general health and fitness purpose or to lose body fat and gain muscle to look attractively desirable, you will reap tons of fitness and health benefits whether you workout in a gym, at home or in a park. In fact unless you want to gain big muscle, it is not necessary to join a gym to reap the benefit of having a great workout. This will save you the hefty gym fees too.

For all those of you who workout regularly, you will be glad to know whatever reasons that compel you to workout, there are many more reasons for you to continue doing so.
For those of you who don't exercise at all, hey folks, these benefits are what you have been missing out.

• Better blood circulation will add a glow to your skin and hair. Not only will you be fit and healthy will have a glowing complexion. Where do you think the saying "Glowing with Health" came from?

• Lose weight or more accurately, to lose body fat. Yes, losing weight and losing fat although being used interchangeably to mean the same thing, it is not. By saying lose weight, it could mean you are loosing water, waste, and worse of all, you your muscle. Losing body fat merely meant what it says, fat loss. That will give you an attractive physical appearance.

• Exercise are excellent stress reliever. This is because when you workout and when your exercises are intensive enough, you will produce endorphin. Many call this a happy hormone.

• Increases bone density and therefore keeping osteoporosis a bone disease afflicting most women as they age at bay. Your bone will be wasting away along with your muscles. Therefore you must exercise to build strong bones and retain your muscle mass.

• When you exercise, your muscles get stronger and grow. The more muscle fiber you have, the higher is your body metabolism. The higher your body metabolism, the more body fat you will burn. That is why to lose weight permanently, you have to gain muscle.

• Gain strength and endurance. That flight of stairs will no longer be as daunting. The football game you play will be a breeze. Why? Because as your fitness level builds up, day to day chores become easier and you will enjoy whatever you do without tiring so easily because of the increased physical fitness gained through regular exercise.

• Reducing your chances of getting heart diseases, stroke and certain types of cancers which are the top killer diseases. There are many other diseases which exercises will cut down the risks of them afflicting you.

• Reduce triglycerides and bad cholesterol, raising the level of good cholesterol. Again this will protect you from diseases caused by bad cholesterol.

• Protects you against injuries as you are fitter and more nimble. You are also more flexible and will discover a new gait in your movement. Boy, it sure feels good to be in good health isn't it?

• Improve immunity. Save your doctor's bills! This means putting more money in your pocket!

• Hmmm... enhance sexual desire and performance. Remember we talked about endorphin, the happy hormone earlier? You also produce this hormone when you are having sex. Getting more interesting isn’t it?

• Lower resting heart rate and high blood pressure. That means your general cardiovascular or heart health will improve.

• Improve coordination and balance. Ask the lady for a dance, will ya?

• Regulate insulin sensitivity thus prevention of type 2 diabetes. Thus you will not put on weight so easily and in fact may even lose weight.

• Increase confidence and self esteem. Of course you can walk tall and proud because you will have improved your posture holding up your new found musculature, glowing with health and a sexily toned body to the boot!

So get into your running shoes now and head for the gym now! Go ahead, lose weight and gain muscle for the New Year. Break this New Year resolution at your own peril.

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Fat burning cannot be more than 200 gram a day

Long enough people weight is positioned exclusively as the concept defining general look. There is nothing surprising, after all mass media abound with images of slim, happy and successful people. But don’t forget that it is necessary to control body weight far not only to have standard look and actively advertised standards, but also to be assured of normal health condition.

The confirmed medical fact is known, that people with overweight become subject to various diseases more often. So, the risk of a stroke and other heart diseases are higher because of extra weight pressure on an organism. The diabetes can be caused by metabolism dysfunctions. Also it is not complete list of potential problems.

Today medical, instead of the cosmetology, problem of overweight is urgent in many countries of the world.

If you are overweighed, don't give way to despair. It is known fact that for feeling better it is enough to loose 5-10 % of body weight. For loosing weight easily and not breaking down in health, it is necessary to know basic nuances of this process.

Very often people wish to loose weight in short terms, but fast loss of weight comes back fast too. The reason is a wrong diet or taking of improper drugs. The effect of fast weight loss is based on loss of muscular weight or liquids, when the main task should be loss of fat.

It is important to know, that fat burning can not be more than 200 gram a day, therefore diets and drugs promising loss of weight up to 1 kg a day, are focused not so much on fat burning, how on fast effect which, nevertheless, will be not stable.

There is a popular belief in efficiency of starvation. Really, it gives evident result, and fat loss also happens. But the main <a href="http://discountpharmacy24x7.com/group/weight_loss.html">weight loss</a> is a part of muscular weight and organism liquid loss.

Choosing between all innovative ways, experimental means and traditional, the majority of people resort to usual diets. They can be divided into three groups. The basic diet is dieting when the daily caloric content approximately corresponds to metabolism of a person; the result of fat loss is 20-50 grams a day. The reduced diet allows losing 50-100 grams of fat a day, and the strict diet provides 200 grams of fat loss a day.

If you have decided to dump weight, don’t forget, that it is also necessary to deduce excess of cholesterol and toxins promoting accumulation of extra and undesirable fat in organism. For this purpose there are special medical drugs.

But don’t experiment with your body taking doubtful, unchecked drugs. Even well advertised means can harm an organism irreparably; taking of various medicines mixed up with exhausted diets will not bring desirable result, but also can cause absolutely unexpected side-effects. Often people who actively struggle against excess weight should spend additional means for organism treatment.

It is important to remember, that excess weight loss should be complex including organism clearance, physical exercises, development of healthy not only eating but also life habits. Proper medicines can be chosen after detailed consultation with a certified doctor.

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Cycling - Push Those Pedals to Lose Weight and Get Fit

Pedal power, in all its varieties (road bike, exercise bike, or spinning bike) offers a wide range of health benefits including:
 a.) Excellent calorie burn. (Typically 400 calories an hour for an exercise bike, 700-800 for a road bike, and 1000 for a spinning bike.)

 b.) Superior cardiovascular conditioning. Cycling builds stamina and increases endurance while lower resting heart rate. Generally individuals who cycle regularly have a resting heart rate in the mid to low 60s.

 c.) Lower body toning. Cycling is especially good to build leg muscles and for women, whose problem areas are often the hips and thighs, the slimming effect can be almost magical. Many people prefer to cycle outdoors because there’s really nothing to replace the freedom and adventure to be had exploring under your own foot power. Using a Heart Monitor Where weight loss is the goal, it is also recommended that the cyclist use a heart monitor which includes a chest strap and a wrist unit that measures duration of exercise, time in “the zone” (your target heart rate to accomplish fat burning), average and maximum heart rate, and calories burned. One pound equals 3500 calories. If you manage a 500 calorie deficit (burn or expend more than you consume) you’ll lose approximately one pound per week.  

Indoor Cycling For individuals who do not like to be out in the elements, an exercise bike can be a comfortable way to cycle daily in the comfort of your own home. Many riders watch television while they pedal and cycling DVDs are available to create the illusion that you are traveling through the hills of the California wine country or perhaps the French countryside. Recumbent exercise bikes with their bucket seats are especially comfortable. For some riders, the different angle at which the recumbent bike places the body is even more effective for body slimming and overall the position is easier for the back and the backside.

 Spinning Bikes for Indoor Cycling Spinning bikes are a special class of exercise bikes that have weighted flywheels to simulate, as closely as is possible, the feel of riding a road bike indoors. Generally, spinning is done at a gym in a class environment or, if done at home, to directions from a DVD. The workout involves “intervals” of intense riding where the cyclist is standing in the pedals and working at maximum output balanced by seated periods of a lesser cadence. Spinning is hardcore exercise with maximum calorie burn. If you have not been working out, it’s best to get moderately in shape and to check with your physician before beginning a spinning program.  

When to Cycle? Almost any time of day is appropriate for cycling. Depending on the climate in your area, it may be best to ride in the morning or evening when temperatures are cooler. Some fitness experts recommend riding first thing in the morning before eating to stimulate the metabolism, while others suggest “fueling up” first. If you have trouble sleeping, avoid cycling just before bedtime as the stimulation will contribute to your insomnia. Regardless of when or where you choose to cycle, keep track of the numbers so you can monitor your improvement and work out at a pace and duration that will show effective results.

 Benefits of Cycling As an aerobic, fat burning exercise, cycling offers multiple health benefits. Upright exercise bikes can be purchase for as little as $150 while a recumbent will run from $300 to $600. These devices allow you to exercise regardless of the weather while road bikes get you out and about exploring and having fun while you get in shape. Spinning bikes can cost as much as $1500, so that’s an activity that will most likely send you to the gym. Regardless of the type of cycling you choose, you’ll begin to see results in a month or less, putting you well on the road to those lovely words -- long and lean.

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Six Types Of Meditation

There are so many different types of meditation. How many? Who knows, but enough so that you can find the one that's right for you. To get your search started, here are six types of meditation you can try.

1. Breath watching. Can meditating be as simple as paying attention to your breath for a few minutes? You bet. Relax in whatever position works best for you, close your eyes and start to pay attention to your breathing. Breathing through your nose gets your diaphragm involved and gets oxygen all the way to the bottom of your lungs. As your mind wanders, just re-focus your attention on the air going in and out of your nose. Just do this for several minutes, or longer as you get used to it.

2. An empty mind meditation. Meditating can create a kind of "awareness without object," an emptying of all thoughts from your mind. The techniques for doing this involve sitting still, often in a "full lotus" or cross-legged position, and letting the mind go silent on its own. It can be difficult, particularly since any effort seems to just cause more business in the mind.

3. Walking meditations. This one gets the body involved. It can be outside or simply as a back and forth pacing in a room. Pay attention to the movement of your legs and breathing and body as you walk, and to the feeling of your feet contacting the ground. When your mind wanders, just keep bringing it back to the process of walking and breathing. Meditating outside in this way can be difficult because of the distractions. If you do it outside, find a quiet place with level ground.

4. Mindfulness meditation. A practice Buddhists call vipassana or insight meditation, mindfulness is the art of becoming deeply aware of what is here right now. You focus on what's happening in and around you at this very moment, and become aware of all the thoughts and feelings that are taking your energy from moment to moment. You can start by watching your breath, and then move your attention to the thoughts going through your mind, the feelings in your body, and even the sounds and sights around you. The key is to watch without judging or analyzing.

5. Simple mantra meditation. Many people find it easier to keep their mind from wandering if they concentrate on something specific. A mantra can help. This is a word or phrase you repeat as you sit in meditation, and is chosen for you by an experienced master in some traditions. If you are working on this alone, you can use any word or phrase that works for you, and can choose to either repeat it aloud or in your head as you meditate.

6. Meditating on a concept. Some meditative practices involve contemplation of an idea or scenario. An example is the "meditation on impermanence," in which you focus on the impermanent nature of all things, starting with your thoughts and feelings as they come and go. In the Buddhist "meditation on the corpse," you think about a body in the ground, as it slowly rots away and is fed on by worms. The technique is used to guide you to an understanding that your rationalizing mind might not bring you to.

There are many other meditations you can try, such as the "meditation on loving-kindness" or "object" meditation, and even meditating using brain wave entrainment products. Each type has its own advantages and effects. For this reason, you may find that at different times and for different purposes you want to use several different types of meditation.

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Beating Food Cravings

Everyone, regardless of how disciplined they are with their diet, will from time to time fall victim to cravings for one food item or another. For people trying to lose weight, these cravings are even more of a challenge to deal with than for someone simply maintaining their weight. Regardless of whether or not you are trying to lose weight however, cravings can be the one thing that makes you break your normal dietary habits and overdo the calories you usually try to do without.

Most people know that getting some kind of exercise and eating healthy, low-fat foods is the key to maintaining good health, but with the hectic and hurried schedules so many people have these days, sometimes eating right and getting exercise can be easier said than done. The best way to insure against dietary disaster when you do get those cravings throughout the day is to plan ahead and use a little strategy.

For one thing, try to plan 5 to 6 small meals with one to be eaten around every 3 hours of the day and make it a point not to miss any of them. It takes an average of 2 ½ hours for the human body to digest a meal, so by the time you start to feel a craving coming on, it’s almost time for your next meal anyway.

Make it a point to drink plenty of water. Quite often, feelings of hunger between meals are really your body trying to signal thirst. By keeping a bottle of water with you all day and making it a point to take constant “sips” throughout the day, you will keep hydrated, feel better, and eliminate one common cause for cravings to happen.

When you are at home, always try to keep some fresh fruit on hand. If you are hit with a craving, fruit is a better choice than cake or chips. Also, make a fat-free dip and cut up some fresh veggies like carrots and celery and keep them in the fridge. This will give you another quick and healthy snack that you can just grab and eat during a craving.

Never go to a party, a meeting, or any event where there will be food available on an empty stomach. This will set you right up to over eat when you get there. Always eat a small meal or at least eat a good, healthy snack before you go as this will help to stop cravings from hitting you while there.

If there are certain snack foods that you really enjoy, don’t try to completely cut them out. You will only overindulge in them when you can’t control the urge to have them later. Plan these snacks into your day, and just make them snacks that you have once in a while and in moderate amounts when you do.

Remember that just because certain food items are fat-free does not mean they are calorie free. When turning to fat free snacks, be careful of how many calories they contain and adjust your portions accordingly. It is very easy to assume fat-free is “safe” and go way overboard on them.

The next time you are hit with cravings, remember these little guidelines and you will be able to deal with them without ruining your efforts to maintain healthy eating habits.

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Detox Diets

Detox Diets are the last craze in dieting, that’s why the number of people searching for detox diets is growing everyday. You may have heard about toxins, detoxification, cleansing, purifying – they are all related to detox diets. Toxins are harmful chemicals affecting your body. They are all around you (in your food, water, air) and inside you (as waste products of metabolism). Your body eliminates most toxins and the rest are stored within body fat. These stored toxins combined with stress can affect your health in very unpleasant ways:
  - weight gain 
 - headaches
 - feelings of fatigue and weakness
 - heartburn - sore muscles and skin
 - joint pains 
 These symptoms will fade when you start detox. Well, you may feel some discomfort in the very first days, but that is a normal body reaction. You may feel headache or sore muscles, but that is because the toxins are released faster then your body can eliminate them. These symptoms will not occur again if you detox regularly. Detox and Weight Loss Detoxification is the process of releasing and expelling the stored toxins through the elimination organs of your body - the intestines, liver, lungs, kidneys and skin. Detox Diets are dietary nutritious plans that use detoxification, which helps you lose weight by cleansing out your body and improving your metabolism. Detox and Disease Prevention Detox Diets are recommended for improving resistance to disease, mental state, digestion, strengthens the organs involved in detox. Detox Diets can help prevent serious diseases such as cancer, ADD, ADHD, chronic fatigue syndrome and multiple chemical sensitivities, as well as treat heart disease, fibromyalgia, autoimmune disease. Detox Foods Detox Diets recommend consumption of foods that are beneficial for your health and essential to weight loss - organic foods, fruits and vegetables. You should drink purified water and cut back on processed foods, as well as give up alcohol and smoking. You should know… Detox Diets are quite restrictive and once you start a detox diet, you should follow it strictly. Detox Diets are safe, but you should consult your doctor before starting. Types of Detox Diets + Fasting - drinking only water, juices or broths, or eating one kind of food for a certain period of time. Your body starts burning fat for energy. + Nutritional supplements – intake of nutritious powders, vitamins and packaged protein snacks. + Hydrotherapy - detoxifying through your skin pores by taking special baths. + Specific detox diets - last between 7 and 30 days; there are quick detox diets for one and three days, and long detox diets for 8 weeks.

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Basics of Losing Weight

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.

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5 Helpful Things to Do to Start Your Personal Fitness Program

The most common challenge that people I talk to face is how to incorporate fitness into their lives. They know they have to do something to get in shape but they really don’t know how. It can be discouraging because of the abundance of information out there. So much that you may not know where to begin.

Our society has so many food choices that it is easy to pack on the extra pounds. Also our day to day jobs are less physical as they where 100 years ago so we have more sedentary life styles. We know there are benefits involved when we exercise and cleaning up or diet. However, most of us know don’t know how or where to start.

So where do we begin? Or is the question: How do we begin?

The very first thing you need do is go to your doctor and get the approval to start exercising. Your doctor may also provide some helpful tips as well.

After you get the “OK” from your doctor, try these 5 things to help you get started:

Make the Choice to Start Exercising and Eating Right

Making the decision to do something provides a form of commitment you made to your self. Deciding that you need to change behavior creates new possibilities. When you say to your self “I need to get in shape”, it means something. You should be answering these questions in your mind: When can I work out? What exercises do I need to do? What foods should I be eating? Make your self think about the commitment you just made. Only then you can let go of the past and take steps to move forward.

Write Down What You Do

You need a reference that is realistic towards your weekly activity. Write down everything you do during the week. This should include work hours, commuting hours, nights spent with your spouse, your child’s activities and anything else you can think of that you do. You should also include what you do on weekends. You should make a list for each day of the week. Here’s why…..

Some people set lofty goals like working out for 2 hours a day. This can be due to an old saying, “More is Better”. However, this is not the case. Knowing your schedule will help you set realistic goals and help you find a few hours a week to start exercising. You’ll have a visual perspective on what you can and can’t do with your routine.

Research and Get Information

Most people do not have enough information before they start a work out program. So how do we get the information we need? The good news is we live in the information age. Take advantage of your favorite search engine and learn a little bit about fitness and nutrition. However, do not go overboard and lose focus. Find a source of information you like and take notes. Find the simplest and easiest workouts and nutrition tips. Don’t over load yourself with information. 

If you have the money, hire a personal trainer for a few sessions to help you get started. Hiring a personal trainer is a great way to get started because you have made a commitment to meet someone to workout. Your goal is to have the trainer show you the basics on exercise and eating healthier. It may also be safer to learn how to perform the exercises (especially if you have not exercised for a while).

Create a Simple Plan and Set Realistic Goals

Keep it Simple! Following a simple plan while on a hectic schedule is much easier than following an elaborate plan. You should have a plan of which days you want to work out and one goal to change your eating habits for the next few weeks. For example, “I will work out for a half an hour for 3 days this week. I will eat a little less each meal.” Simple is success.

Execute Your Plan

Now that you have a plan, all you need to do is follow it. This is another big step. You should look at your plan every day upon waking. You need be mentally prepared for the great day ahead of you. Having your daily schedule in hand will help you achieve your goals for the day. When you complete your workout for the day, highlight it or cross it off your list. It will show you that you accomplished something for yourself. No matter what you must execute. This will be the hardest (and most rewarding) step.

I hope these things help you get started on a new life of physical fitness. Life is filled with making decisions, knowing your commitments, getting information, planning and execution. Try these approaches for yourself and you will see that having your own workout and nutrition program is not as far fetched or complicated as you think.

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Alcohol And Exercise

On Friday afternoon after you leave work, you probably think about going out and having a few drinks with  friends to relax and wind down.  Even though you  may think you deserve to go out and have a few drinks, there are some things that you should certainly keep in mind.

Like any other day, tomorrow is going to be a day for exercise, and since you are exercising on a  regular basis, a few drinks of alcohol won't really hurt anything, right?  Before you decide to rush out to the local bar, there are a few things below that you should think about before you make your choice about going out to drink some alcohol.

Research has proven that even small amounts of  alcohol with increase muscular endurance and the output of strength, although these types of benefits are very short lived.  After 20 minutes or so, the  problems will begin to surface.  All of the negative side effects associated with alcohol will easily outweigh any possible benefits that it can have.   No matter how you look at it, alcohol is a poison that can really harm your body if you aren't careful.

The negative side of alcohol can reduce your  strength, endurance, aerobic capability, recovery time, ability to metabolize fat, and even your muscle growth as well.  Alcohol will also have an effect on your nervous system and brain.  If you use it long term, you can cause severe deterioration of your central nervous system.   Even with short term use, nerve muscle interaction can be reduced  which will result in a loss of strength.

Once alcohol reaches the blood cells, it can and probably will damage them.  With alcohol users,  inflammation of the muscle cells is a very common thing.  Over periods of time, some of these cells that have been damaged can die which will result in less functional muscle contractions.  Drinking alcohol will also leave you with more soreness of your muscles after you exercise, which means that it will take you a lot longer to recuperate.

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A Fitness Routine for Six Pack Abs

The goal of six pack abs mainly depends upon losing weight by completing exercises that focus on the muscles in the abdominal area. There are literally dozens of such exercises including many that are meant for other major muscle groups, but that can be modified to include a workout for your abdominal muscles. Here are just a few of the major abdominal emphasis exercises.

CRUNCHES

Crunches are done by lying on the floor either on a mat or not, with your arms crossed in front of your chest. Many people do crunches with the hands behind the head, but this can create lower back problems because of the pull on the head and neck. A slightly different position has the finger tips placed behind the ears, rather than crossed on the chest. It is important not to pull on the neck or on the ears for assistance in rising off the floor. Instead, suck the abdomen back toward the spine and inhale through the nose at the same time. Raise the shoulders toward the knees using only the muscles in the abdomen. The entire back should not be lifted from the floor, as this is likely to create back strain. No additional benefit to the abdomen is gained by raising the entire torso. The key part of the crunch is the initial flexing of the abdominal muscles as the shoulders are lifted off the floor. As the shoulders clear the floor, exhale through your mouth. Complete the exhalation with a gasp to expel the last of the air from the lungs as your shoulders stay clear of the floor. Lower the shoulders back to the point where the shoulder blade touches the ground while inhaling. It is important to maintain the proper breathing control and muscle flexing to get maximum benefit from crunches.

SIT UPS

Once again start in a position on the floor with your feet flat and your knees bent. The fingers should be placed behind the ears, or you can cross your arms on your chest. Slowly raise the entire back off the floor while inhaling deeply and exhale as you reverse the move. This exercise can be made more challenging in several ways. For instance, you can do sit ups from an incline with your head lower than your lower body. You can then add weights on the chest to lift while you are sitting up. Weights can become heavier on an incline bench. The next difficult step can be attained by holding the feet off the ground while doing sit ups or making a bicycle peddling motion while doing sit ups with your legs. These exercises may not be easy, but are very beneficial to the abdominal area.

LEG LIFTS

Leg lifts begin with the legs straight and the hands at your sides while lying on the floor. Lift both legs up at the same time without bending the knees until the legs are at a ninety degree angle or a close as possible. Not everyone is flexible enough to reach the ninety degree angle. Lower the legs as close as possible to the floor without actually touching and repeat several times. Increase the challenge of this exercise by adding weights to the legs while lifting them. Another challenging exercise for improving definition and musculature in the abdomen is to hang from a pull up bar while lifting both legs to a ninety-degree position. As with most other exercises, try to stay conscious of breathing while slowly doing the routines.

JACKKNIFE SIT UPS

This exercise begins by lying flat on the floor with the hands at your sides in order to provide better balance. At the same time you raise your knees, bring your torso up slowly till the face and knees meet. Return slowly to the original position while in full control of the movement. The jackknife name comes from the natural tendency of the legs to bend at the knee with the feet dropping to the hips presenting the shape of a jackknife. The difficulty level of this position can be increased by holding a weight between the feet while performing the sit ups.

V UPS

This exercise begins with you on your back on the floor with the arms extended over your head. Bring both legs and torso up at the same time without bending the knees or the arms. Keep the pace slow and steady and reach for your feet with your extended hands at the top of the arc. If possible, try to touch your feet, but this move can be tricky until your level of flexibility increases. As with other exercises, adding weight between the feet increases the difficulty level.

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Adopting A Low Carb Diet

Diets have appeared in many different forms, especially fad diets. Among the problems with these fad diets is that as well as often leaving you feeling very hungry they can also be unhealthy and only work for a short space of time. Research has indicated that the most effective diets are those that can be adhered to over long periods of time. In the case of fad diets, weight tends to be very erratic and while you may lose weight initially it is not unusual to put that weight back on and eventually increase your weight.

One of the huge benefits of a low carb diet is that you do not need to feel hungry. This may seem like it avoids the point of a diet, but it doesn’t. The aim of dieting is not to eat less but to lose weight or eat more healthily. The most famous of all low carb diets is the Atkins diet and this remains popular because it allows you to eat good-sized meals and is proven to help you lose weight.

The basics of a low carb diet are that you can eat as much food as you like until you are full, as long as you only eat the allowed foods. Generally speaking, this includes meat, cheese, fish, eggs and poultry. You are also allowed a certain amount of green vegetables each day. As well as being a healthy way to lose weight, a low carb diet will give you a sustained weight loss meaning you can continue to lose weight even after the initial push and you will keep the weight off once it is gone.

It will also lower your cholesterol and blood pressure as well as stabilize your blood sugar level. You should supplement a low carb diet with multi vitamins because your body will become partially starved of these essential vitamins.

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10 Ways to Avoid a Heart Attack

A heart attack is known as a myocardial infarction. This occurs when the heart muscle is damaged or does not receive enough oxygen. Many cardiac related problems occur due to blockages in arteries that carry purified blood away from the heart to different parts of the body. Another cause is the formation of blood clots.

Very often, it is quite difficult to differentiate between a heart attack and heartburn. The common signs of a heart attack are a tightness, pain, or discomfort in the chest. Sweating, nausea, and vomiting that are accompanied by intense pressure in the chest. A radiating and intense pain in the chest that extends from the chest to the left arm. A shortness of breath for more than a few minutes.  If you have any of the above you must consult the doctor or go to the emergency rooms.

If you even think you are having a heart attack you must call for a cardiac care ambulance, and put under your tongue a sorbitrate or chew an aspirin. If you are allergic to aspirin don’t take one. At the hospital care will include rapid thrombolysis, cardiac catheterization, and angioplasty. They will also administer intravenously clot busting medications.

The risk factors for a heart attack include: smoking, diabetes, high levels of cholesterol, hypertension, family history of heart diseases, atherosclerosis, lack of exercise, obesity, and fast foods.

Reduce the risks of a heart attack by:

1.    Quitting smoking.

2.    Eating healthy. Avoid fatty foods, excess salt, and red meats.

3.    Controlling high blood pressure and diabetes.

4.     Ensuring regular exercise at least 30 minutes a day. Walking is most beneficial.

5.    Preventing obesity. Doing all you can to maintain weight.

6.    Choosing to live a healthy lifestyle.

7.    Practicing meditation.

8.    Doing regular relaxation and breathing exercises.

9.     Undergoing periodic cardiac evaluations.

10.    Including foods that are rich in anti-oxidants in your diet.

A killer disease, according to the American Heart Association approximately 58.8 million people in the US suffer from heart diseases. And, about 950,000 Americans die of heart ailments each year. Heart diseases and death from it can be prevented by maintaining your health. Find a balance in life between work and other activities, abandon the couch for the outdoors, don’t watch sports on television play sports instead and you can hope to live a long and fulfilled life.


The norm prevention is better than cure could lead a whole nation towards good health and well being.

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Effects Of Meditation

Once Western scientists first began studying the personal effects of speculation in the 1970s, they noticed that heart rate, perspiration, and other signs of emphasis decreased as the meditator relaxed. Scientists, like Richard Davidson, PhD (University of Badger State), have besides been considering the long-term of . In 1992, Davidson received an invitation from the 14th Dalai Lama to come to northern Republic of India and sketch the brains of Buddhistic monks, the foremost meditators in the world. Davidson traveled to Bharat with laptop computers, generators, and EEG recording equipment, thus initiating an ongoing work. Now, monks travel to his WI lab wherever they chew over while in a magnetic imaging machine or they watch disturbing visual images as EEGs record their responses to understand how they regulate aroused reactions.

Any activeness--including --will create new pathways and strengthen certain areas of the mind. "This fits into the whole neuroscience literature of expertise," says Stephen Kosslyn, a Harvard neuroscientist, in a New York Times article (14 September 2003), " taxi drivers deliberate for their spatial memory and concert musicians for their sense of pitch. If you do something, anything, even play Ping-Pong, for 20 years, eight hours a Day, there's going to be something in your head that's different from someone WHO didn't do that. It's just got to be." monks pattern three forms of : 1) focused attention on a single object for long time periods 2) cultivating pity by thinking about angercausing situations and transforming the negative emotion into compassionateness and 3) 'open presence,' "a Department of State of being acutely aware of whatever thought, emotion or sensation is present without reacting to it." Knowing the that has on the monks' brains, Davidson decided to realize what effect has on neophytes. He set up a cogitation with 41 employees at a nearby biotech company in Wisconsin River (Psychosomatic Medicine 65: 564-570, 2003). Twenty-five of the participants enlightened 'mindfulness ,' a accent-reducing form that promotes nonjudgmental awareness of the present and is taught by Jon Kabat-Zinn.

They knowing the praxis during a 7-hr retreat and weekly classes. During that 8-calendar week period, these participants were asked to think over for I 60 minutes each Clarence Day, six days a hebdomad. Brain measurements were taken before instruction, at the remainder of the eight weeks, and four months later. Measurements showed that increased bodily process in the left field frontal region of the nous, "an area linked to reduced anxiety and a positive excited State Department." Also, at the remnant of the 8 weeks, the participants and 16 controls did not ponder received flu shots to test immune responses. researchers took blood samples from them ace month and two months after the injections, they found that the meditators had More antibodies against the flu virus than the non-meditators.

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Benefiting From Your Yoga Practice

Yoga is not only an extremely popular form of exercise, but depending on the form you practice, can be exciting or calming, social or meditative, energizing or relaxing. No matter which of these best describes your yoga class, here are a few tips to help you get the most out of every class you attend.

* Go to yoga class with an empty stomach. Yoga is full bending, twisting, lengthening, stretching, and strength moves. Eating a big dinner before that kind of movement could result in you cramping up or feeling nauseous and having to leave the class or not participate as fully as you’d like.

* Communicate with your yoga instructor. If you have a bad back or a sprained ankle, let your instructor know before class. She or he will offer you adjusted versions of poses or give you a nod when you should skip a pose that could make your condition worse.

* Leave your cell phones and pagers outside. Don’t just put them on silent mode, but literally keep them in the car. This is not only a favor to your classmates and their focus, but your mind should be focused only on yoga and not concerned with whether not someone is trying to contact you about work or spilled juice on the living room carpet.

* Don’t be late and don’t leave early. This disrupts the instructor’s train of thought and the concentration of others in the class. Also, you certainly won’t get everything you can out of your hour if your hour is cut to 50 minutes before you’ve even begun.

* Be respectful of others in the class. This means keeping your voice down when you talk to others and in general, keeping conversation to a minimum. Bring your own towel or yoga mat if you need to and make sure that you are clean and not wearing any perfumes or strong scents. If props are used, make sure that you put yours away when you’re finished and by all means, leave them there for the next class.

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3 Choices To Help You Lose Weight

1.  The  Weight Loss Patch

Perhaps the most appealing benefit of using a patch is that it is so easy to use.   No pills to remember to take, no special diets, no required exercise routine.   Naturally, sticking to a healthy diet and exercise program is best for your overall health, but if that is difficult for you to adhere to all of the time, the patch may be a solution that works for you.

A weight loss patch that you place on your body will deliver the active ingredients by transdermal delivery, meaning  through the skin.  The patch ingredients will go directly into the bloodstream, bypassing the digestive system and liver. Simply apply the patch to a smooth area of your skin and change it every 3 days.   That is all of the maintenance that is required. 

A patch can even be used occasionally when you are traveling and know you will be eating out a lot, or for those times you are too busy to cook the proper foods.  A patch that suppresses your appetite will help you develop good eating habits that will help you maintain your ideal weight in the future  ~ no more yo-yo figures.

2.  Appetite Suppressant Pills

Curbing your appetite to stop the influx of calories in the first place seems to be the logical way to lose and maintain your weight.  However, we are so bombarded by confusing claims everywhere for appetite suppressant pills ~ in print, on the radio, on television, even on billboards when driving, that it is difficult to know which diet pill will really help take off those pounds ~ and keep them off.. 

Some diet pills will cause your heart to race, your hands to shake, or an overall "wired" feeling.  To avoid these problem, stay away from products that contain  Ephedra, Ma Huang, and Ephedrine.

One herbal diet pill that has gotten a lot of publicity lately is Hoodia Gordonii  The authentic plant comes from the Kalahari desert in  South Aftrica.  Respectable television shows like 60 Minutes, the Today Show, BBC, and even Oprah's "O" magazine have given it rave reviews for its fast acting appetite suppressing qualities.  While it can take one to two weeks to work fully, many users report a decline in their appetite with the first pill.

 In fact, Hoodia has had so many positive reports that there are now a lot of knock-off products being marketed to the uninformed ~ especially on the Internet.   The real Hoodia is very rare because it takes up to 7 years for the Hoodia  plant to mature to a point where it provides appetite suppressant qualities.  In addition, the African government is now limiting the amount of Hoodia it exports, meaning only a few suppliers have the real thing.  Because Hoodia is so rare, you can expect it to be a little more expensive than other diet pills.  

Another diet pill that helps shed pounds is Herbal Phentermine.  This is a non-prescription appetite  suppressant that is scientifically designed to produce similar effects of a popular Rx version of phentermine. 

The good news is that the Herbal version contains only natural ingredients so you don't have to be worried about side effects.   Plus, you can avoid the time, expense, and embarrassment of a doctor's visit. 

Herbal Phentermine will not only suppress your appetite, but it will also increase your metabolism so you burn more calories and have more energy. 

3). Carbohydrate Blockers

Perhaps you prefer not to have your appetite suppressed, but instead would like to eat all of the pasta, bread, rice, and potatoes you want.  If this sounds more like your style, then you might want to try a carbohydrate  blocker.

Scientists have discovered, and thoroughly tested a method to allow us to eat the foods we love and not gain weight.    We can now stop the normal conversion of starchy foods to sugar before it can pass through our digestive system and store as fat on our hips, thighs, buttocks and stomach.  Derived from white kidney beans, the resulting carb blockers, (starch neutralizers), are a completely natural product.  They work by neutralizing the Alpha amylase enzyme that digests starch.  

By neutralizing this digestive enzyme, the starch from our food does not get digested.  Instead, it remains intact and does not convert to sugar.  It simply passes through the body undigested and acts as a fiber  ~ which is a very good thing.   We get more fiber going through our intestines while avoiding the conversion to sugar and the resulting fat storage ~  a definite win-win situation.

Over the past several years, there have been many positive studies to determine the effectiveness of carb blockers and their ability to help lose weight.   One study was performed at the Northridge Hospital Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA, over an eight week time period. 

It reported that participants saw an average weight loss of 200% more than those taking a placebo, and lost an average of 1.5 inches around their waists.  This was 43 % more than those taking  the placebo.  Plus they reported  having 13% more energy, even though it is not a stimulant. 

Whether you choose patches or pills, prefer to eat starchy foods, or use carb blockers, some things to look for when buying diet products are that they:

1) Contain all natural ingredients
2) Do not have harmful side effects
3) Offer a 100% money back guarantee

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Add Intensity To Your Muscle Building Workout

One of the biggest difficulties facing bodybuilders is how can they be sure that all muscle fibers have been recruited and exhausted during a given exercise and it is only by achieving this that muscle gains can be maximised.

The simple answer is, you have work beyond failure and experience a higher level of training intensity than before. This also ensures that workouts remain challenging and continue to engender progress over time thus reducing the likelihood of regression.

But how do you go about intensifying your training? Fortunately there is a tried and tested path to follow as outlined below:

1. Increase resistance - increasing the weight lifted in meaningful increments ensures the muscle is pushed beyond its previous point of failure thus maintaining the muscle building process. Aim to increase the weight when you reach six to eight reps and failure does not occur.

2. Change the exercise - to achieve maximal gains all muscle fibers in a body part must be trained. Changing the angle (e.g to incline bench press) or introducing a new exercise will stimulate growth.

3. Reduce rest intervals - giving the muscles less time to recover before exposing them to further work has the effect of increasing intensity.

4. Pre-exhaustion - when an exercise involves two or more muscles the weakest will prevent you from working the primary muscle to failure. The answer is to first isolate and tire the primary muscle before immediately moving to another exercise that works the set of muscles to failure.

5. Introduce supersets - this involves performing two exercises for the same muscle group without a rest interval. This means you have to utilize different muscle fibers which stimulate greater growth.

6. Use partial reps - at the point of failure you will not be able to complete the full range of movement for a given exercise. Completing a partial rep that uses only a segment of the lift will still work your muscles beyond the point of failure. This technique is especially useful to advanced bodybuilders as it allows them to increase intensity without adding extra routines that could cause overtraining.

7. Use isometric contractions - this involves holding the weight still at the point of failure to stimulate a static contraction in the muscle.

8. Employ forced reps - this involves completing one or more final reps after the point of failure has been reached. You will need the assistance of an experienced helper to attempt this.

Once you have added these techniques to your training regimen you'll know you've done your best to maximize muscle growth.

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3 “Must Do” - Steps To A Happier & Healthier Day

Losing weight and maintaining the weight loss for an extended period of time requires some simple lifestyle adjustments. As long as you keep your adjustments within a sustainable reach, you should be able to lose weight and keep it off without much shock and interruption to your daily life.

Not surprisingly, losing weight does not have to require extended trips to the gym or engagement in some fad diet. Here are there steps to a healthier day that can help you slim down on weight without slimming down on your free time.

Exercise Daily

Daily exercise can make a difference in your body shape and in the way your body processes calories. When you exercise, you work your heart, mind and body. You are building your muscle mass, which in turn will increase the effectiveness of your metabolism.

Additionally, you encourage your heart to pump blood throughout your body more effectively, which means that you will have healthier blood and a reduced risk of heart disease. You reduce fatty deposits, which in turn helps reduce your risk of many health problems, such as diabetes. You also increase the number of endorphins that flow through your body, which means that you will note an increase in your positive attitude.

It does not require a large amount of time exercising to receive all of the above benefit. You simply need to workout regularly for a minimum of half an hour. Working out means taking a two-mile walk at a fast pace, throwing a Frisbee or riding a bicycle. Whatever the workout is, keep in mind that it should elevate your heart above it standing heart rate and it should make you breathe slightly heavier than normal. It is also good if you can break a sweat or feel your muscles challenged.

Eat All Things in Moderation

When you are trying to lose weight or sustain lost weight, it is vital that you allow yourself to eat all foods, but eat the unhealthy ones in moderation. The primary reason for many diets to fail is that people reduce the foods that they allow themselves to eat so drastically that they feel anxious after awhile eating the same things time and time again. When you allow yourself to give into simple cravings, you are rewarding your body and making it less tempted to crave larger portions of the bad foods.

You should also eat small portions of every food, regardless of its nutritional content. Eating smaller portions will help your stomach adjust to consuming less food. You can also drink water to help you feel full. American’s especially have a habit of eating more than one portion of food per meal – so be aware of your food portions!

Call a Buddy

Studies prove that having a Buddy help you work out increases your chances of maintaining a diet, exercise routine, or long-term weight loss. Buddies are fabulous motivators. They will keep you attuned to your habits and help you feel accountable throughout the day. If you must, enlist the help of a partner to be an appointed weight loss guardian. He or she will be tasked with ensuring that you stick to your weight loss goals by encouraging you to report your progress several times a week.

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Best Vitamin Supplements

Most people want to improve their health, particularly if they can do it easily. Since the way modern food is processed can destroy nutrients, many people choose to supplement their diets by taking vitamin pills. What are the best vitamin supplements to maximize health? Here is a suggested list.

Always consult your physician before you start taking vitamins. Your medical advisor is the only person who can determine what the best vitamin supplements and dosages are for you.

The basics

A multivitamin tablet is a great foundation when looking for the best vitamin supplements. It will contain some of all the basic vitamins and minerals you need and in some cases, a full dose. For example, the amount of Vitamin A in multivitamins is plenty and a separate Vitamin A tablet won't be needed.

Vitamin B complex, which includes 11 different B vitamins, contributes to the health of the nervous system. It is beneficial for medication overuse, alcoholism or recovery from a serious illness. B vitamins assist in reducing the effects of stress and support the adrenal glands. They aid in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins and are essential for the health of your skin, hair, eyes, mouth and liver.

Vitamin B-3 is also known as niacin or niacinamide. It helps maintain healthy functioning of the nervous system, digestive system and skin.

Vitamin B-6 combats carpal tunnel syndrome, joint pain, trigger finger, sensitivity to bright light, burning or tingling in the extremities and inability to recall dreams. It works in combination with magnesium and zinc.

Vitamin B-12 is used as a tonic. It assists in the conversion of iron to hemoglobin in the blood, helps normalize hormone production and increases short-term memory in the elderly. It also contributes to nervous system health.

Folic acid is an essential B vitamin that promotes heart health. Pregnant women need ample supplies of folic acid to reduce the risk of serious birth defects in their babies.

Vitamin C is a strong antioxidant. It reacts with free radicals in the bloodstream to combat cell damage, so it can be considered a cancer fighter. It is important in immune system health and collagen formation. Some people believe high doses of vitamin C can help fight colds, but research to support this is mixed. It is present in citrus fruit and prevents scurvy, a disease caused by vitamin C deficiency.

Vitamin D helps promote healthy bones, largely by helping the body absorb calcium. Vitamin D can reduce the risk of diabetes, heart attack, muscle and bone pain, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and cancers of the breast, colon, prostate, ovaries, esophagus and lymphatic system. It may also help lower blood pressure. It stimulates the pancreas to make insulin and regulates the immune system.

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that fights free radicals whose accumulation can lead to premature cell aging. In addition, vitamin E enhances immune response, which is beneficial in preventing and fighting cancer. Studies suggest it may reduce the risk of prostate cancer. It was formerly believed that Vitamin E helped reduce the risk of heart attack, but recent studies suggest it may increase that risk.

Calcium is necessary for bone maintenance and assists in muscle contraction and nerve function. It may also help prevent colon cancer.

Magnesium works with calcium to build bones. It helps keep muscles strong and nerves alert, as well as helping protect the heart from the stress of exercise. It may also protect against type two diabetes.

<b>Optional extras</b>

Beta carotene supplements the activity of vitamin A. It is a powerful antioxidant and immune system enhancer.

Chromium picolinate stabilizes blood sugar and may promote weight loss as part of a balanced diet and exercise regimen. It can also be used for body building, decreased and increased blood sugar levels and morning sickness.

Coenzyme Q10 is a major antioxidant used in the transfer of cellular respiration inside the inner mitochondrial membranes of the body's cells. It supports heart health.

Lutein promotes eye health. It may protect against aging related eye diseases, including macular degeneration and cataracts.

Selenium binds with heavy metals and helps the body get rid of them. It supports the immune system and may protect against some forms of cancer.

Zinc is another antioxidant supplement believed to be helpful in shortening the duration of colds. People with zinc deficiency may have significantly higher glucose levels and lower insulin levels than similar patients without normal zinc levels.

If you are experiencing health problems, do some research on the Internet to find what the best vitamin supplements are for your condition. People who prefer to avoid taking prescription drugs may be able to find solutions by selecting the best vitamin supplements supported by research studies.

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3 Blunders To Avoid on Your Weight Loss Journey

There are times on your weight loss journey when progress can come to a halt. Days or weeks can go by without you seeing movement on the scale, and it can get downright frustrating. After working with thousands of clients, I’ve noticed certain patterns that can cause this weight loss stoppage. Here are 3 of those patterns.

1) Eating more than you think you are.

Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Zone Delivery Service, and other diet systems have one undeniable benefit to them – they define for the average person how large an actual “serving” is. Most of us underestimate the volume of food we eat (and consequently, underestimate the number of calories we consume in a day).

By fixing in your head what a serving size or “portion” of food looks like, we can better estimate (and consequently, evaluate and calibrate) the amount of food we eat at each meal. Keep in mind, when it comes to weight loss, you need to take in less calories than you burn each day.

Two good rules of thumb:

A portion of meat (3 oz.) is the size of a deck of cards.
A portion of carbohydrates (1 cup) is the size of a tennis ball.

Please remember to fill up on non-starchy vegetables – they are full of nutrients, have very little impact on blood sugar, and contain little in the way of calories.

2) Not eating frequently enough.
It is a social custom to eat “three square meals” a day. While this may do for social purposes, for weight loss, you will want to aim for more frequent feedings. It is recommended that you consume a minimum of 5-6 small meals each day. By doing so, your body gets the signal that food is abundant, and there is no need to conserve energy.

Additionally, frequent feedings maximize your metabolism, as your body is constantly busy, burning calories by digesting your meals. By not letting too much time pass between meals, you stabilize blood sugar levels since they never really get the chance to drop. By keeping your blood sugar stable, your hunger levels are minimized, decreasing the chances that you will be tempted to overeat at your next meal.

3) Choosing to drink your calories instead of eating them.

This is a very common problem among those attempting weight loss, due to the abundance of “healthy” diet smoothies, protein concoctions, and weight loss shakes. There are 2 factors to keep in mind when relying on these liquid meal replacements.

First, many of the liquid diet shakes on the market and all fruit smoothies have an abundance of sugar in them. This causes an immediate surge in energy followed by a huge crash due to the release of insulin to control the blood sugar rise. This dramatic shift in blood hormone levels (particularly insulin levels) is something you want to avoid, both for health reasons and for weight loss.

Secondly, most weight loss shakes are devoid of fiber. Fiber is one of your most precious allies when you are dieting. It helps you feel full and blunts the rise in insulin levels when all that sugar hits your bloodstream. While fruit smoothies do contain some of the fiber from the pulp of the fruit, a better strategy would be to eat the actual fruits contained in the smoothie.

Lastly, the amount of calories that can be concentrated into a shake or smoothie is far greater than the equivalent volume of actual food.  A 16 oz fruit smoothie may contain as many as 600 calories, and will not fill you up all that much! On the other hand, eating 600 calories of fruit will prove to be much more than the typical person can manage in a single sitting (at least, I personally don’t know anyone that can eat more than 2 pounds of bananas at a single sitting!).

Think about it- when making major dietary changes, you want to get the most out of your calories. Wouldn’t you rather fill up, rather than drink something and be hungry again soon after?

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2 Steps To Six Pack Abs

First off, I want to mention that, for most people, getting six pack abs is not an easy task. It requires dedication, but it is possible! Below is a general 2-step guide that, if followed religiously for 3 months, will produce results.


Step 1: Nutrition

This is the single most important part of the puzzle, hands down. You can have the most impressive set of abs, but if they're covered with a layer of fat, you won't see them! Break up your day with 5 or 6 mini-meals because this jump starts your metabolism. And stop eating the food that is preventing results: white bread, loads of pasta, soda, candy, fast food, hydrogenated oils, sugars and fructose corn syrup.

Instead, replace them with foods that will help you reach your goal: oatmeal, olive oil, whole grain breads, fruits, vegetables, nuts, eggs, natural peanut butter, chicken, fish, protein and water. Be realistic- you'll slip here and there, but make a conscious effort to radically improve your eating habits because getting a six pack will be impossible if you don't.


Step 2: Exercise

You need to concern yourself with 3 different exercises: cardio, weightlifting and ab exercises. And aim to workout 3- 4 times a week.

The cardio you do can be anything: walking, running, biking, swimming....whichever cardio you don't mind doing so that you'll stick with it. Aim for 30-45 minutes, a minimum of 2 times a week.

Weightlifting is important because 3 pounds of added muscle burns as many calories as a 1 mile jog...and this is while you're just sitting around! Aim for 30-45 minutes, a minimum of 2 times a week. If you're confused as to what exercises to do for each body part, check out out the following website. It features professional bodybuilders, but the information is great and can be used by anyone.



The last exercise you need to incorporate into your workout is ab exercises. Aim to work your abs a minimum of 3 times a week. There are a ton of different ab exercises you can do so try to find 3 or so that you enjoy doing so you can mix it up. A good database of different ab exercises is:



Tip: mix up your workout routine every 2 weeks to keep your body guessing and changing. Add or take away different weight or ab exercises, or at the very least, vary the weight, reps or form of cardio you do.

Well, there you have it. Follow the above for 3 months religiously, and while results will vary from person to person, you will experience improvement.

It will take dedication on your part, but imagine the feeling you'll get when you look in the mirror and like what you see.

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A Healthy Guide to Good Nutrition

Whether you are at your ideal weight or striving to reach your weight goal is it simply a matter of burning more calories than you take in? The answer, I suggest, is no! Overall body health improvement as well as weight gain or loss must be factored in to the equation or you could be heading for problems. Correct nutrition can help to reduce the risk of a miriad of health-related problems, the most frightening of which are surely heart disease and cancer. Proper nutrition, however, entails eating many different foods, monitoring your consumption of some food and beverage items, and counting calories. Good diets offer balanced nutrition that reduces cholesterol, blood pressure, and helps with weight control.

To function properly, your body must have the correct combination of nutrients:
Carbohydrates. They are the primary source of ammunition in your diet. The body uses carbohydrates to build glucose which can be used immediately or stored in your body for later. Too much glucose, however, is stored as fat. There are two types of carbohydrates - simple and complex. Sugars are simple carbohydrates. Starches and fibers are complex carbohydrates.

Proteins. Proteins help your body build and maintain muscles and other tissues. They also function in the creation of hormones. Like carbohydrates, excess protein is stored as fat.

Animal and vegetable are the two major types of proteins. Too much animal protein can cause high cholesterol, as it is high in saturated fat.

Fat. Strange as it may seem; fat is another nutrient your body requires. It comes in both saturated and unsaturated forms. Saturated fat puts you at risk of health problems. Unsaturated fat is healthy, but if it goes through any type of refinement process, it can become saturated fat.

Vitamins. These are also required nutrients. Different vitamins perform different tasks within the body. They can work with the metabolism to help with energy levels for any task you can think of that you need your body to perform. It has also been noted that certain vitamins can prevent disease.

For example, vitamins A, C, and E, also called antioxidants, can assist with the prevention of coronary artery disease by keeping build up from occurring on artery walls. Vitamin B-1 is needed for digestion and proper nervous system function. Vitamin B-2 is needed for normal cell growth. Vitamin B-3 helps to detoxify your body. Folic acid assists with production of red blood cells. Vitamin D assists with the absorption of calcium. Vitamin K helps your blood clot.

Minerals and trace elements. These are another nutrient your body requires. Both are used in many different body processes. Minerals like chlorine help make your digestive juices. Phosphorus helps build strong bones. Both can be found in the foods we consume, but with a trace element, your body just needs a tiny amount. Salt is one final nutrient your body requires. You should not consume more than 2400 milligrams per day, though, as it might raise your blood pressure.

You should follow several guidelines to create a well balanced, nutritional diet. First, try to consume two and one half cups of vegetables and two cups of fruit each day. When making your selections for each day, be sure to choose a good variety. A good rough guide is to eat as many different colors as possible, this will help you to select from all five vegetable subgroups at least four times per week.

You should eat at least three ounces of whole grain products each day. At least half of your grain intake should be whole grain based. Milk should also be part of a healthy diet. Consume at least forty-eight ounces of low fat milk or milk products on a daily basis. Your total fat intake should only be between ten and thirty percent of your calories. Most of the fats you consume should be in the form of unsaturated fats, as saturated fats can do much to damage your health. Meat, poultry, dry beans, and milk or milk products should all be lean, low-fat, or fat-free. Less than ten percent of your calories should come from saturated fats, and you should always try to avoid trans-fatty acid.

Fiber-rich fruits, vegetables and whole grains should be a regular part of your diet as should potassium rich foods. Alcoholic beverages should only be consumed in moderation.

Excellent nutrition is the basis of a healthy diet.

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6 Steps to Ending Bad Eating Habits

A friend wrote, "Help me! I thought I was finally getting a handle on my weight issue but the sugar is killing me. I had an awful day. I won't even tell you what I ate today because it is just so unbelievable. All I will say is that 90% of my food today consisted of sugar! I really, really need some help getting past these cravings. I am no doubt a sugar addict. If I could get past this there is no doubt that I will reach my goal."

If you see a little of yourself in this message, you're not alone. Many describe themselves as sugar addicts. They believe if it were only for that one thing, then they could reach their weight loss goals. If you believe only one thing stands in your way of losing weight, consider this: What if that one thing (an  addiction to sugar for instance) were gone? Do you really believe, "If I could get past this, there is no doubt that I will reach my goal," or is it an easy excuse to stay stuck?

If I told you I could show you a way to stop craving sugar, would you want me to show you how?

Think about that for a moment. Close your eyes and really think it through. You've said if only you didn't crave sugar, then you could lose weight, but is that really true for you? Ask yourself these questions:

Would you eat differently, and if so how?

Would you act differently, and if so how?

What else would change, and what would stay the same?

What would you lose?

What would you gain?

Until you know what you want, know you can achieve it, and know what else will change (i.e. how your life may be different), you can't discover any obstacles that first must be considered. For instance, you may want to stop eating anything after 7 PM yet your husband doesn't come home from work until 8 and he wants you to join him for dinner. That's an obstacle.

If you've got a habit of watching your favorite TV show with a bowl of ice cream, then breaking that habit is another obstacle.

If you don't work out ways to overcome your obstacles perhaps through discussion and compromise with your husband, or habit breaking exercises for your ice cream habit, there's bound to be a problem. Just saying you're not going to do something any mroe rarely works. Instead determine what might stand in the way of achieving your goals, find a way around them, and you're much more likely to actually achieve those goals once and for all. 

The statement, "if this one thing were handled, then everything else would fall into place" is an "If Then" statement and gets people into trouble. They want a fairy godmother to make it all better. A strong belief that one single thing such as, "eating sugar is my problem," sets you up to fail, especially if you really like eating sugary foods.

Getting a handle on your cravings is not an all-or-nothing proposition. You must leave room for occasional deviations. It's not the occasional side trip that causes weight trouble, it's the road we usually travel.

In NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) a good starting point is the exercise called Establishing a Well Formed Outcome. "Well formed" means it meets all criteria of a well thought-out end result.

NLP: How to Create a Well Formed Outcome & Get What You Want

Here are the steps to creating a well formed outcome:

1) State what you want (not what you do not want). "I want to weigh 135 pounds."

2) Determine whether you can achieve it (do you believe it is possible?).

3) What resources do you have and what do you need (time, money, gear, clothes, equipment, coaching, whatever).

4) Check whether anyone else is involved and any potential obstacles that may come up regarding others. Think of everyone involved in your day-to-day life.

5) Picture yourself "as if" you've obtained what you say you want and see if that picture fits. Do you like what you see?

6) Put together a plan of action for the achievement of your outcome.

While it may seem like a lot of effort simply to decide what you really want, going through these steps at the beginning helps you find potential obstacles which previously stopped you from moving forward. For example, if you decide you want to join a gym and start exercising every day but you've forgotten you don't even own a car and just lost your job, that exercise plan might not work out right now. If you did join a gym, you'd end up not going and then you'd think you'd failed, yet it was the plan that failed, not you. You didn't think it through.

A better plan in this instance may be doing exercises at home, or within walking distance (or simply walking for exercise). Later, when you do have transportation, you can rethink the plan and perhaps join a gym then. There are always options.

It's better to look at what you want from every angle, then put together a plan you know can and will work. Then when you know what you want, you'll also know you can make it happen and begin by taking that first step toward making it a reality.

"Achieving a Well Formed Outcome" is one of the sessions in the Ending Emotional Eating 8-Week Workshop. You can also find more information on this popular and well known NLP process by searching for "NLP Well Formed Outcome" in your favorite search engine.

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