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Herbal Diet Pill - Hoodia

1-800-Patches, Inc.

By Anita Cherry for Buzzle.com

Hoodia is a herb that contains is a molecule that tricks your brain into thinking that your stomach is full even though it isn’t. No side effects have been reported so far even though it has been used for thousands of years...

Hoodia gordonii is a plant which is used as an appetite suppressant. It is considered a Herbal Diet Pill because it has a molecule which makes your brain feel that you are not hungry. It looks like cactus but it is a succulent. It is shaped like a cucumber, has many tentacles which has spikes and is fleshy inside. The texture of hoodia is almost like cucumber. When eaten raw it is not very tasty.

The San tribesman who has a history of 40,000 years living in the Kalahari Desert in South Africa used to eat the bitter-tasting stem of the plant. Hoodia gordonii has kept them from feeling hungry on long hunting trips when they have little other food or water. Hoodia grows at very high temperatures and takes at least 7 years to grow. There are many variations of the hoodia plant. Only Hoodia gordonii has the appetite suppressant molecule. Hoodia doesn’t have stimulant properties and is not a drug. It took the South African national laboratory 30 years to isolate and identify the specific appetite-suppressing ingredient in hoodia. The plant contained a previously unknown molecule, which has since been christened P 57. When they found it they applied for a patent and licensed it to Phytopharm who in turn sold the development and marketing rights to the giant Pfizer Corporation. This molecule behaves almost like glucose and makes the brain think that the stomach is full. Hoodia effectively helps to reduce the appetite by 100 to 1000calories a day.

The main effects of hoodia are that you will feel hungry only after your usual time of eating, a general feeling of well being and feeling your stomach is full as soon as you have eaten only little.

The San bushman used to eat it raw after removing the spikes and skin. The san people used it only sparingly. Even though there's nothing in the research that shows hoodia to be dangerous everyone should also be aware that nobody can claim it to be free of side effects 100%.At the same time it is advisable that people who are underweight or have eating disorders or are having anorexia nervosa with or without bulimia should not be taking hoodia. Some people can be allergic to some plants and so be on the lookout for some allergies as well. When you eat refined carbohydrates blood sugar drops and hoodia does not counteract it so people with diabetes mellitus should be cautious as well.

Hoodia is sold in capsule, liquid, or tea form in health food stores and on the Internet. Prescription drugs containing hoodia or its synthetic P57 derivatives may take up to 3 more years from being on the market. Natural hoodia supplements are currently available.

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Your Gym Has Clean Sheets

1-800-Patches, Inc.

Want a spin bike delivered to your room? Get that and more with our guide to staying fit on the road. By Ryan Brandt for Outside Online

After a predawn start, a bout with jet lag, and a triple-meeting afternoon, you're ready to head to the hotel bar rather than face an aging rowing machine stashed in a dank, windowless room. Put that martini on hold. You'll feel better during and after your trip if you squeeze in a workout, and we're here to restore your motivation with a guide to fitness-centric hotel services, the perfect in-room regimen, smart tips from a travel-savvy exercise physiologist, and more. Take our advice and you can retire to the bar and toast your health.

ROOM SERVICE
Hotels nationwide are catering to health-conscious travelers. Here are eight ways you can reap the rewards.

[1] PERSONAL GYM: Stop waiting in line for the cardio equipment and book a WestinWorkout room. For about $20 more than the standard-room rate, you'll get a treadmill or spin bike, adjustable dumbbells, and a stability ball, plus a fitness library, training videos, and total control over the remote. www.starwoodhotels.com/westin

[2] AWAY GAMES: What's better than a hotel with a gym? A gym with a hotel. At Renaissance ClubSport, in Walnut Creek, California, your room comes with 12,000 square feet of workout space, an Olympic-length swimming pool, and full-size basketball and racquetball courts with regular pickup games. In May Renaissance broke ground on a second ClubSport, this one in Southern California. www.marriott.com/property/propertypage/oakbr

Run the Numbers
Cross a GPS with a sophisticated wrist-top training tool and you get the GARMIN FORERUNNER 305, an ultraprecise data cruncher that can track pace, mileage, heart rate, elevation change, and calories burned, then help you find your way back to your hotel, anywhere in the world. $350; www.garmin.com
[3] ROOM WITH A RIDE: Call down to the Fairmont Chicago's front desk and an hour later you've got a Trek 1000 road bike. Take it for a spin on 21 miles of paved paths along Lake Michigan. $15 per hour; half-day, $50; www.fairmont.com/chicago

[4] CARDIO TO GO: Omni hotels deliver stationary cardio equipment to your room. Reserve a treadmill for $15 and it'll be in your suite upon check-in, so you can go for a run without going out. www.omnihotels.com

[5] ADRENALINE CONCIERGE: The Rock Stars program at selected Rock Resorts one-ups the "dude at the front desk" found at typical mountain-town hotels. Exhibit A: The Lodge at Vail's "spokes-person" is charged with dishing beta on the area's singletrack. A climbing guide is in the works for the chain's Keystone Lodge. www.rockresorts.com

[6] FITNESS CHANNEL: Order one of ten complimentary on-demand workout programs covering the likes of yoga, Pilates, core work, and meditation on the new Mind.Body.Spa channel at Kimpton boutique hotels (yoga mat included). Westin's DVD-based fitness programming includes similar offerings, as well as spinning instruction. www.kimptonhotels.com

[7] GYM BAG: Omni, Kimpton, Marriott, and Hilton all offer bundled exercise equipment you can take to your room at no charge. Hilton's Fit Kits include sets of low-weight dumbbells, yoga mat, resistance tubing, and a 30-minute workout book. Marriott provides the BodyRev, a handheld cardio-and-strength trainer. www.marriott.com, www.hilton.com

[8] NEW YORK EXCLUSIVE: Manhattan's Affinia Dumont features exercise equipment delivered to your door and rooms with full-length wall mirrors and ample workout space. You also get access to a wellness library, an exhaustive city fitness directory, and a minibar stocked with healthy snacks. www.affinia.com

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    12:05 AM, Anonymous Anonymous
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DVDs For Custom Workout

1-800-Patches, Inc.

By Gail Gedan Spencer for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Hiring a personal trainer can be a great way to personalize a workout but can get quite expensive. And fitting your schedule to theirs often isn't convenient. So bring one home on a DVD.

Here are a few new DVDs that allow you to customize a workout to your favorite moves or least favorite trouble spots.

• "Build Up Your Muscles" (Gin Miller Fitness, $29.95; available at collagevideo.com or ginmiller.com). Video fitness pioneer Gin Miller offers four 45-minute workouts, whether you own resistance tubing, weighted balls, dumbbells or wrist and ankle weights. The only other thing you need is a chair. Miller has a high fun factor (she likes to do funny voices and such) but that's relatively toned down in this disc, which is simple to follow and a great no-frills workout.

• "Prevention Fitness Systems Personal Training" (Gaiam, $14.98). The calm and friendly Chris Freytag leads you through five targeted workouts: lose weight, get firm, improve your health, flatten your belly, or slim your hips and thighs. And each workout has a weekly schedule, so you can just click on the day of the week in your chosen workout. (You can't click on Sunday; it says "rest.")

Or you can mix and match the two 13-minute cardio segments and five toning sections, as well as a warmup and cooldown, to make your own custom workout. It's infinitely customizable, and you're not bound to be bored with this many combinations.

Bonus segments include portion control, moves to beat knee pain and a waistline checkup.

• "Get Ripped!" (Razor Digital, $14.99). Canadian trainer Jari Love leads a scrupulously well-led and no-nonsense 55-minute weighted workout that's aerobically challenging as well as muscle building. It's all in the pacing, which is quick and includes a lot of reps. You'll need a barbell or dumbbells as well as an aerobic step.

Two background exercisers show modifications, and the propulsive music is timed to keep your pace.

Bonus segments include a conversation with an exercise physiologist, great tips on technique and modifications and somewhat of a self-serving gushfest of Get Ripped fans.

FITNESS FREEBIES

Go to www.propelfitnesswater.com/gunnar-one-on-one/ to build a personalized workout to load to your video iPod or computer desktop, courtesy of Propel Fitness Water and "trainer to the stars" Gunnar Peterson, who's personable and encouraging. You can use bands, weights and/or a fitness ball in these exercises.

And for more downloadable video workouts, go to www.propelfitnesswater.com/your- bones-your-body/, which has weight-bearing, bone- and muscle-strengthening workouts from the always-great Kathy Kaehler.

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Working for Wellness

1-800-Patches, Inc.

Businesses promote employee health through weight-loss contests By Antonio Young for the Daily Journal

Debbie Ronek of Bradley knows all about health challenges.

As a radiation therapist for Riverside's Betty Burch Bridgewater Center, she issues high doses of radiation for countless cancer patients fighting for their lives.

However, earlier this summer, Ronek took on a wellness test of her own. She entered Riverside's first "Biggest Loser Competition," a contest that motivated employees to slim down and shape up.

For eight weeks, Ronek and more than 200 other Riverside staff members split into 45 teams and competed for a prize pot that reached $3,006.

Each participant paid $10 to enter the contest, and weigh-ins featuring exercise and nutrition information, were conducted weekly. If an employee skipped a weigh-in or gained weight between the weigh-ins, he or she paid a dollar, which went toward the prize pot, said Christi Landeck, Risk Management specialist for Riverside's patient safety and employee health office.

The winning team was chosen based on the percentage of body weight lost, with a quarter of the reward given to the top individual "loser."

"We figured it would be a way for us to stay on a diet and be accountable to each other," said Ronek, 39, who participated with three of her co-workers.

They took half of the prize money by finishing in first place for losing 119 pounds.

Ronek, who weighed 201 pounds at the start of the contest, also took the individual crown for shedding 40 pounds and losing 20 percent of body fat. She also won $751.03.

It wasn't easy, however. Ronek had to stick to a no-salt, no-sugar diet mainly consisting of sweet potatoes, rice, turkey and chicken breast. She also ran on a treadmill five times a week for up to 50-minute sessions. Feeling much healthier, Ronek hopes to drop down to 135 pounds, she said.

Meaningful workouts

Companies across the country looking to contain their runaway health care costs are encouraging weight-loss competitions among their employees. A trimmer work force could mean decreased medical claims and higher productivity among employees.

According to a 2001 report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, almost 65 percent of U.S. adults are overweight or obese, a figure that has nearly doubled over the past two decades. Companies bear as much as $61 billion in direct health care costs and $56 billion in indirect costs due to lost employee productivity and premature death due to obesity.

Provena Health System was been able to save about $200,000 in health-care costs with its 2005 wellness program dubbed, "Bottom Line Challenge." Provena St. Mary's Wellness director Mike Grimsley said more than 10,000 of its employees have participated in the 10-week contest over the last two years.

In "Bottom Line," teams of six compete; and the winners are awarded for pounds lost, percentage of body fat lost, reduction or maintenance of blood pressure, inches lost and amount of cardiovascular exercise and resistance exercise. Past prizes have included cash, tickets to sporting events and even vacations.

But their improved health and energy matters most to employees.

"Some people use it as a springboard to get themselves back on track. They lose (weight) in the first contest, gain confidence and when the next contest comes around, they lose even more," Grimsley said.

This year's "Bottom Line" female winner was Lisa Adair. She lost 13 pounds and shed 9 1/4 inches of body fat after performing more than 5,000 minutes of cardio exercises and weight training.

A desk clerk for Provena St. Mary's Total Wellness Center, Adair also participated in "Walk the Line." The employee wellness program promotes increased walking through the use of pedometers. Over a two-month period, she took 652,643 steps. That's nearly 22,000 steps per day.

About two years ago, Adair weighed nearly 270 pounds. She now weighs about 150 pounds and hopes to get down to 135 pounds in the near future. Adair had lost 24 pounds in the 2005 "Bottom Line" contest.

But hospitals aren't the only ones promoting good health to their employees. Armstrong World Industries, a floor-tile-manufacturing plant based in Kankakee, has conducted weight-loss contests for its employees for more than 10 years.

The company's program, called "Biathlon," gives points for exercise. Prizes include lawn chairs, duffel bags and polo shirts.

Starting a wellness program at your work

Step 1:
Set the foundation. Build support among all levels; a successful program requires commitment from management and employees.

Step 2:
Form a workplace wellness committee to ensure employee participation and management support. Consider representatives from a cross-section of different departments.

Step 3:
Gather data on demographic information; health risk factors; number of medical claims; and injury rates and causes to identify key needs and expectations.

Step 4:
Implement goals. Do you want to reduce absenteeism by one day per employee? Decrease unnecessary emergency room visits? Or improve dietary habits of employees?

Step 5:
Consider incentives for the employees. Offer perks that are attractive and meaningful such as discounts on health insurance premiums or co-pays, fitness center discounts, time off or cash. gift certificates to restaurants are other good options.

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Diet Supplement Pills Ineffective or Dangerous

1-800-Patches, Inc.,

Guest contributor: Karen Collins, M.S., R.D., C.D.N.

Americans spend billions of dollars each year on weight loss supplements. Although we wouldn’t buy a car or a dinner without knowing some details, many who purchase these supplements have no idea what is in them, or what independent reports say about their safety and effectiveness. Even though the Food and Drug Administration has charged some companies with using banned ingredients, and the Federal Trade Commission has successfully prosecuted marketers who made illegal claims, the same products, or copycat versions, still remain available.

Appetite suppressants. Some weight loss supplements contain ingredients meant to suppress the appetite. Caffeine and its herbal counterparts, guarana, bitter orange and yerba maté, as well as ephedra (ma huang), fall into this category. Animal studies suggest that they may slightly suppress the appetite, but the limited human studies lasted only a few months. All these ingredients are nervous system stimulants, so they commonly produce side effects like headaches, insomnia, elevated blood pressure and heart palpitations. Product labeling can be deceptive: Weight-loss supplements labeled ephedra- or caffeine-free may contain other ingredients from the list above, which may pose the same health risks. Although ephedra (ma huang) has been banned by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), you may still see it in some supplements. In a summary of more than 50 trials, this substance created a 2 to 3.6-fold increase in the risk of psychological, heart and digestive system problems.

Metabolism accelerators. Supplement manufacturers claim other ingredients aid weight loss by speeding up the metabolism. For example, EGCG, a phytochemical found in green tea, is being studied for its potential to reduce cancer risk. Some initial studies suggest it could slightly increase the rate at which calories burn. Now it can be found in many weight loss supplements and “weight-loss vitamins.” However, since there are only extremely short initial studies so far, the body might adapt to EGCG, reducing its effect over time. Second, the weight loss benefit seen with EGCG amounts to about 60 to 70 calories a day. This small difference is more likely to help prevent a gradual yearly weight gain than reverse excessive weight gain. Third, the effect of EGCG appears to depend on the dose. Supplements with amounts of 30 to 40 milligrams (mg) of EGCG, which is commonly seen in these products, may not have the same effect as a dose over 250 mg used in the studies.

Fat blockers. Supplements may also contain ingredients that manufacturers state will block the absorption of fat or carbohydrates. Chitosan is a common example, and a few preliminary studies made it appear promising. However, several controlled studies found that chitosan had no significant effect on fat absorption. In the most recent study, men would need seven months to lose one pound of body fat. There was no fat loss for women.

Satiety inducers. Another group of ingredients are said to increase the feeling of fullness and decrease eating. Guar gum appears safe for this purpose, but 11 well-controlled studies show it has no benefit for weight loss. Psyllium can help control blood sugar and blood cholesterol, but studies do not support its reputed ability to reduce eating and assist weight loss.
There are more than 50 individual supplements and 125 combination products now available for people who want to lose weight. Yet a Harvard Medical School review of these products that set standards for product quality, safety and effectiveness concluded that none of them met all three standards. Future research may identify some safe and effective ingredients for weight loss, but for now it seems smarter to invest in walking shoes, a gym membership, or healthier food instead.

(This article was provided by the American Institute for Cancer Research in Washington, D.C. A registered dietician is available to respond to questions about diet, nutrition, and cancer at the free AICR Hotline at 1 (800) 843-8114 during business hours.)

Karen Collins holds a B.S. degree from Purdue and an M.S. degree from Cornell, both in nutrition. When she’s not writing or speaking, she conducts a private nutrition practice in Jamestown, New York.

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Do you love SPIN CLASS but hate everyone else’s sweat? Download a private spinning instructor at iAmplify

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Dont Supersize It

ChangeOneDiet.com from Reader's Digest

Article from CampShane

Parents have power - they control the grocery shopping and create the family's definition of a meal. Even if they can't control school lunches or keep kids from blowing their allowance on chocolate bars, they can set the rules for what's eaten in the house and when.

Don't even buy it: Spare your kids (and yourself) the temptation by not stocking the house with chips, soda, doughnuts and other junk foods.

Portion control: Think in terms of cups and half-cups. If you do have ice cream, serve it in small bowls.

Keep the serving bowls and platters off the table to cut down on second helpings. A little more thought will go into it asking for seconds.

Start cultivating taste buds and eating habits as early as possible. New parents can use those first years, before many children become pickier eaters and hone the ability to argue, to introduce healthy tastes. Offer vegetables as the first course when the child is most hungry.

When out, NEVER "supersize." Nobody needs that much food, especially your kids.
Limit the locations: Eat in the kitchen or dining room. If kids can't eat in front of the TV, they'll reduce mindless munching (and maybe cut down on TV, too!)

Make them ask: Parents have more control when kids know they have to ask for a snack.

Don't cook separate "kids" meals: Youngsters won't learn to like new tastes if they always default to macaroni and cheese or pizza.

Place fruit and veggies in clear sight: Make it as "grab-and-go" as possible, whether washed and on the counter or sliced in the fridge.

Eat as a family whenever possible: Put the vegetables right on their plates.
Make junk food less available, but don't ban it completely: You don't want to foster an obsession.

Avoid overly processed foods: Can you recognize what plant or animal it came from? If not, don't eat it.

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Houdini Wasn’t The Only One Who Knew About Illusions

Sierra Trading Post

By Tara Patriquin / Personal Fitness for The Chronicle Herald

We all have problem spots that we just can’t get to measure up in proportion to the rest of our body — no matter what measures we take. This is when illusionary tactics can come in handy.

Unless you have ever trained for a bodybuilding competition, where proportion is critical, you might not know that it is possible to achieve a symmetrical body shape, with some hard work and a little ingenuity. You just need to know where you’re lacking and what complementary body part you can work to create balance.

We know that we can’t spot-train for weight loss, but we certainly can for muscle gain. For example, perhaps you’ve got a bit o’ booty and hips. This isn’t a bad thing, by the way, but I recognize that not everyone who has it is happy about it. Whether genetics or your sport has made it impossible for you to reduce your fanny, you can help create the illusion of proportion by training around the midsection and shoulders.

It seems obvious, but increasing your width across the body — facing front on rather than from the side — makes you look bigger overall. This is the classic V shape that is so desired by bodybuilders. Whether you are bodybuilding or looking for symmetry, the same principles apply.

If you broaden up through the shoulders it will create balance between the shoulders and hips so that your hips aren’t appearing so wide. Do some overhead shoulder presses and, most importantly, some lateral side raises to build up through the side of the deltoids (shoulders) for more width.

You can enhance through your back to help show off the shoulders; more specifically, through the upper back: the traps and the lats. Do so with pull-ups of all angles. Use the Gravitron machine (assisted pull-ups) if you need to.

Do three types of pulls: one with hands wide and palms away from you; another with a narrow grip, palms facing each other; and one more with palms towards you, hands held shoulder width apart. Challenging the lift from all three angles will force the back to recruit different fibres, helping you increase strength and size faster.

You can enhance this look even further by narrowing down through the waist to create the illusion of even more width through these areas. This requires fat loss, aided by a clean diet. Or you can work out the obliques to get a little bit of width through the midsection so that the waist doesn’t look so narrow against the hips, again helping to create balance. Rule of thumb, though — your waist should never look wider than your hips, or you become too boxy.

It’s also important not to neglect calves, because little chicken legs will destroy any balance that you achieved in your upper body.

If you have larger hips, you might want to avoid exercising the outermost part of your butt (gluteus medius). Stay away from the abductor (outer thigh) machine or side lunges, as they target this area. Squats, while being an ultimate exercise for lower body mass, can also increase the size of your gluteus medius, so limit them if this is a concern for you.

Or you can do either of these exercises with high-rep, low-weight for toning and burning rather than for building. Alternatively, you can pre-fatigue the glutes with another exercise before hitting these routines, encouraging the surrounding muscles to take on the load.

Maybe your hips aren’t your problem, but instead you are sporting a bit of a muffin top. Is that offensive? I just heard that term a few weeks ago and think that it is the funniest thing I’ve heard in a long time: muffin top. No disrespect.

Let’s just say that you are carrying a little extra weight around your midsection so that it spills out over the top of your pants. Couple this with long and lean limbs and you might feel like your small amount of weight around the waist appears worse than it really is.

Never fear. The same above principles can work for you to create a more symmetrical body, if not at least the illusion of one. Building up your lower body helps create balance. Do squats and leg presses to build up your glutes and thighs to balance out the extra weight around your waist. And while training the shoulders, don’t neglect some bicep curls and triceps kickbacks to put some muscle on those lanky arms.

And who knew that having a little fashion sense could help you shed or gain a few extra pounds? Well, if you have ever watched TLC’s What Not to Wear (my guilty pleasure), you may have noticed that they are the masters of illusion. They can take an otherwise short and frumpy woman, and with the right fit, colours or prints of her clothing can make her look two inches taller and 10 pounds lighter.

I am no fashion expert; in fact, I could probably stand to be on that show myself, but I have picked up a few tips along the way. The best advice they give people is to avoid pleated waistlines. People think that pleats hide any unsightly areas, but really they draw attention to the area. You want to draw attention away from your problem areas.

If you have a larger tummy, wear a V-neck top and accessorize to draw the eye up and away from your tummy. Women should be choosing jackets or tops that are cut in a silhouette shape as this helps create a clean line through the torso.

And please, if you can’t build up the shoulders in the gym, don’t resort to shoulder pads. They look so unnatural. Instead, choose the right bottoms, like straight-leg pants or A-line skirts to create the illusion of a smaller lower body.

So my friends, you can go to all these measures, if you must. But in the end, regardless of whether your hips are bigger than your shoulders, isn’t the important thing your health and wellness? Just a thought!

Stay Healthy! Stay Happy!

Tara Patriquin is a certified personal trainer and a registered holistic nutritional consultant living and working in Halifax. Her freelance column appears every Wednesday.

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Mike Pedersen's Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide

WebPhone

How to easily get in shape for golf in 30 days!

The "Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide" is your golf performance success guide in downloadable e-book format, jam-packed cover to cover with all the golf improvement tips, techniques and methods previously known by only a small handful of the worlds best golfers. This book contains all the information you'll ever need to instantly play your best golf!

Here's Just A Small Sample OfWhat You'll Discover:

The simple exercise you can do to make your balance rock-solid. This is the well guarded secret to avoid those slices and hooks that send your ball wildly flying into the rough, sand traps and water hazards. Imagine that ball sailing down the middle of the fairway time after time.

A "killer" stretch for your back to give you maximum movement just when you need it (again, a key component of ANY pro golfer's game - and something you won't learn from any gym instructor or personal trainer)...

How to easily develop both flexibility and strength without having to work out like a gym junkie! (no matter what age you are). And you should also know that this system is NOT about building up more muscle. It's about using what you already have yet getting massive increases in your power (increasing your muscle mass can actually shorten your swing)...

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Pregnancy Without Pounds

ChangeOneDiet.com from Reader's Digest


You're about to discover the SECRETS that most pregnant women will never know about Looking Good & Feeling Great during pregnancy!

Pregnancy does NOT need to be an endless struggle. You don't need to feel FAT, UNATTRACTIVE and UNCOMFORTABLE. With Pregnancy Without Pounds, You'll Discover:

How to avoid unwanted excess pounds.
Exactly which pregnancy exercises get you fit and toned
How to have an easy labor and quick recovery
Exactly what you need to do now to lose weight fast after delivery

Secrets to minimize stretch marks and cellulite
How to crackdown on food cravings (and why you're having them)
Secrets to looking and feeling like a sexy mama

And much, much more... Visit Pregnancy Without Pounds

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    Turbulance Traning

    Spa Finder, Inc

    This revolutionary new fat loss system called Turbulence Training is designed specifically to help busy men and women such as students, executives and parents with young children to get the most results in the least amount of time.

    Turbulence Training is scientifically proven, it is endorsed by elite trainers and top fitness magazines, and has been used by thousands of men and women for burning fat as well as increasing muscle and improving your health and energy levels at the same time.

    Say Goodbye To Long, Slow Boring Cardio And Start Incinerating Maximum Fat In Minimum Time With Killer Workouts You Can Do In The Privacy Of Your Own Home In 45 Minutes Or Less...

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        6:59 PM, Blogger AthleticEdge
    The tubulance training workout designed by Craig Ballantyne is a great program to burn fat with challenging workouts.

    Mike Gough
    http://www.procombinetraining.com
    http://nflcombinetraining.blogspot.com/

    The 40 Yard Dash Expert 

     
    Men's Health Home Workout Bible

    Editorial Reviews

    From Publishers Weekly
    The Men's Health Home Workout Bible goal is not only to "turn a piece of your humble abode into your personal war room," but also to demystify the art of weight training: "Where it really counts-results-there's zero difference between a home gym and a membership gym." Sharply written by Men's Health fitness director Schuler, this volume contains all an average man needs to know to get his body in shape: expert, no-nonsense, to-the-point chapters on muscle groups, with descriptions that readers will actually remember; how to buy effective equipment without going bankrupt; and the correct way to lift (all those big guys in the gym are doing it wrong). But the heart of the book is located in the more than 200 pages of exercise programs designed by Mejia (all expertly photographed and illustrated), an incredible range of simple and effective routines. To further help the reader along, Mejia provides 4-week workouts for body weight, dumbbells, barbells, and cables, for work at home, as well as 4-week all-equipment and multistation workouts that can be done at home. This newest in the Men's Health series provides a range of solid, useful and entertaining information on a range of men's issues. Any man interested in learning the most effective way to develop a successful weight-training routine that he can do at home should buy and read it daily for inspiration.

    Book Description
    You dont need to muscle your way in to the gym to get a great workout. While recent statistics show that strength training is one of the countrys fastest-growing exercise activities, there is a corresponding rise in dollars spent on home exercise equipment. If a home workout is your style, this encyclopedic volume shows you how to get the results you want no matter what gear you own or what your experience level. Each chapter focuses on different types of equipment (dumbbells, barbells, cable station, full multistation home-gym apparatus, or even no equipment at all) with workout advice appropriate to the beginning, intermediate, or advanced weight lifter. Learn how to create a customized workout program based on your goals, equipment, and experience. Those interested in creating or expanding their home gym will find valuable consumer tips for making the wisest choices and getting the best deals.

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    Motivational Stories

    As I journeyed in the last two months researching about healthy weight loss, The Bikini Body Diet has become a wonderful resource tool, not only for myself, but for those that come and visit this site.

    I have shared my story through its ups and downs. The Challenges. The Successes. And the wonderful feeling of knowing I'm reaching my goal.

    If you have a story to share, please let me know. I would like to post it on this blog.

    Thank you for passing by and sharing your thoughts with me.

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    Workouts Without Heartburn

    1-800-Patches, Inc.

    By R. Morgan Griffin WebMD Feature

    In many people, moderate exercise -- and the accompanying healthy weight -- can be a good way to keep GERDGERD symptoms at bay. But, for some people, especially athletes with intense fitness regimens, a good workout can have an unpleasant side effect: acid refluxacid reflux. Here are some tips on how to get fit without the heartburnheartburn.

    Don't exercise within two hours of eating. If you have a full stomach, the pressure on your sphincter -- the ring of muscle between the esophagus and stomach -- can lead to acid reflux.

    Eat sensibly before you exercise. In general, avoid foods that increase the risk of acid reflux, like chocolate, citrus juices, caffeinated drinks, and spicy or fatty foods. The National Heartburn Alliance recommends that, before a workout, you opt for foods low in protein and fat and high in carbohydrates.

    Drink water. During your workout, drink lots of water. It will keep you hydrated and help with digestion.

    Take chest pain seriously. "Unfortunately, the pain of heartburn is absolutely indistinguishable from pain caused by heart problems," says David Carr-Locke, MD, director of endoscopy at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. "The same nerves are affected." So play it safe: get any chest pain checked out by your doctor.

    Take your medicine. If you consistently have heartburn when you exercise, take medicine beforehand. J. Patrick Waring, MD, a gastroenterologist at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta, recommends an over-the-counter H2 blocker, (such as Axid, Pepcid, Tagamet, or Zantac.) If your symptoms are more severe, you may need a prescription from your health care provider.

    Consider less intense activities. "Any activity that causes a lot of bouncing or jiggling is likely to increase your risk of GERD symptoms," says Lawrence J. Cheskin, MD, associate professor at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He says that calmer activities -- like walking -- are less likely to cause problems.

    But most importantly -- keep exercising. While exercise can bring on heartburn in some people, Cheskin makes clear that it's better to exercise regularly and have acid reflux than to live a symptom-free life spent lazing on the couch.

    "Exercise has so many benefits," Cheskin tells WebMD. "The last thing I'd want is for people to stop exercising. I'd rather that people have heartburn -- which we can control with medicine -- than a heart attackheart attack."

    So if you have heartburn when you exercise, talk to your doctor. While modifying your workout might make sense, Cheskin says you could be better off taking medicine for GERD and keeping your fitness regimen as is.

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    Dumbell Exercises & Routines

    Good Times Entertainment

    For Women and Men "Dumbbell Exercises and Lifting Routines To Help You Gain More Muscle, Lose Weight, or Just Get Yourself in Better Physical Shape... WITHOUT the Hassles, and Expenses of Health Clubs". Increase Your Muscle Size And Improve Your Physical Fitness In 90 Days!

    Just remember how good you are going to look, and feel once you've started making improvements in your body!

    Your clothes will start to fit, you will no longer be embarrassed to wear a T-shirt and shorts in public...and you can accomplish all of this in the privacy and comfort of your own home!

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    Five Food Choices that can Save Your Life in One Week

    Spa Finder, Inc

    Say goodbye to stomach stress with these diet tips by Melissa Walker for iVillage

    Shop for Healthy Eating, Proper Nutrition, Diet Tips

    Stomach problems have become a leading health complaint among Americans, especially women. We pop Tums like candy and take all sorts of pills to relieve heartburn, indigestion, gas and acid reflux. It doesn't have to be that way, says Sorai Stuart, PhD, ND, author of Nutrition for Your Body, Mind & Spirit

    "Certain foods, when mixed together, create digestive problems which can lead to health issues," says Dr. Stuart. "But if you know how to combine your foods, you'll eliminate ulcers, indigestion, heartburn, nausea and a whole host of other ailments."

    Dr. Stuart has put together five rules of eating that she says will have you feeling better instantly. "Any one of these changes will improve your health," she says.

    1. No more meat and potatoes
    "Avoid mixing animal proteins and grains or starches," advises Dr. Stuart. "The body uses different enzymes to break down proteins than it uses for grains and starches, so when you mix them together, there is a discomfort." Instead of beef and yams, try meat with veggies and skip the starch or eat it with a separate, no-meat meal.

    Making your body's digestive process more straightforward is effective, says Eileen Silva, PhD, coauthor of A Healthier You! "Most people who struggle with weight have poor gut function. Simplifying the way you eat can help," Silva says.

    2. The fruit stands alone
    "Fruits are a fast-digesting food," says Dr. Stuart, who says some of her patients come to her saying they have allergies to certain types of fruit. "I ask them when they're consuming the fruit, and they usually are having an apple or banana after a meal, which means it's mixed up with all these other foods in your stomach and its digestion is slowed." She recommends eating fruit at least half an hour before a meal or as a snack between meals.

    Wellness coach Jennifer Tuma, creator of the interactive DVD Diets Don't Work, believes eating fruits only from our native region can also help. "Our bodies are designed to digest food that's indigenous to the land around us," she says. Dr. Silva stresses that fruits are a great between-meals snack to keep blood sugar levels stable and deter overeating when mealtime rolls around.

    3. Don't drown your food
    Downing a glass of water half an hour before a meal is a common tip to keep you from eating when you're not really hungry, and Dr. Stuart says that it's a great idea — especially because she advises against drinking beverages during mealtime. "Chewing sends the signal that food is coming," she says. "When that's followed by a slug of liquid, the body is confused, and it can cause discomfort."

    Silva recommends drinking 20 to 30 minutes before you eat. "Drinking during a meal can flush away digestive enzymes," she says. "If you really want to have a beverage with a meal, I recommend taking a digestive enzyme supplement."


    4. Put away the bread and butter
    "Most people overload on grains and dairy," says Dr. Stuart. As a result, our bodies cannot utilize all of what we're consuming. She asks her patients to give up dairy and grains for 10 to 14 days and see how they feel. "They start to feel great in a few days," says Stuart. "Stomach pain and discomfort go away — they have more energy, they sleep better and they lose joint pain and headaches." Then Dr. Stuart slowly introduces the food groups back into patients' diets. "The bottom line," she says, "is that we should be eating more veggies than any other food group."

    Tuma warns that people should be aware of possible side effects like fatigue or mood swings that can come with a big diet change. "While there are benefits to detoxing, you should be educated as to what to expect," she says.

    5. No more bubbles
    "Carbonation is a bloat," says Dr. Stuart. "Adding gaseous elements to your body has a bad effect on your heart, liver and gall bladder — not to mention it's a real irritant to the abdominal area." What to drink: fresh vegetable juice, water, diluted fruit juices and herbal teas, according to Dr. Stuart. Any wine? "Once in a while," she says. Phew!

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    Enter To Win $100 in Free Products Every Week!

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    Frank & Chili Manicotti Recipe

    Related Articles - Recipes, Healthy Eating Recipes, Diet Cookbooks

    Ingredients

    8 servings
    8 pcs. Manicotti pasta, cooked
    ½ cup Swiss cheese, shredded
    2 slices fat-free Swiss cheese singles, cut into strips
    8 fat-free frankfurters
    30 oz. vegetarian chili with beans, canned
    10 oz. tomatoes and green chilies, drained and cut up

    Instructions

    Slit each frankfurter lengthwise to the center. Insert a strip of cheese into each slit. Place one cheese-stuffed frankfurter into each cook manicotti pasta shell; set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine chili with beans, tomatoes and chilies. Spoon two cups of the mixture into bottom of a 2-quart glass dish. Arrange filled manicotti shells atop chili mixture in dish. Pour remaining chili mixture over top. Cover and microwave on high for ten minutes, or until heated through, turning dish twice during cooking time. Uncover and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Microwave again on high for one minute, or until cheese has melted.

    228 Calories; 3g Fat (11% calories from fat); 18g Protein; 33g Carbohydrate; 21mg Cholesterol; 976mg Sodium

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    Roving Reporter Competition


    Article by etravelbackboard.

    We know everyone loves a caption competition – so we’ve got another great one for you to sink your teeth into!With our August sponsor being the beautiful Kamalaya Koh Samui, dedicated to health and wellbeing, we thought it apt to use one of the images that show off exactly what you get when you visit this retreat!

    All you have to do is come up with a caption that has the word “health” or “exercise” in it will win!!Know what you’re playing for? The winner will enjoy 4 Days / 3 Nights Kamalaya Retreat for 2 persons at Kamalaya Koh Samui, Thailand.

    The prize also includes round trip transfers from Koh Samui Airport to the resort, 3 nights in a hillside room, wellness consultation, daily breakfast, complimentary use of steam cavern, swimming & plunge pools, Shakti Fitness Centre, Introductory yoga, meditation, tai chi, chi gong and exercise classes. What’s more, regularly scheduled talks, presentation and films on nutrition, fitness, alternative medicine and health is included.What a fantastic prize!!

    So put on your thinking caps and send your entries to: rr@etravelblackboard.com

    For more information on Kamalya Koh Samui, visit www.kamalaya.com

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    Humour of the Day


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        1:23 AM, Anonymous Anonymous
    Do you think bird flu is going to be a problem ?

    I heard it would hit USA & Canada this fall.

    Is there anything to the bird flu panic ? 
        11:50 AM, Anonymous Anonymous
    Hello, thank you for dropping by our site. Unfortunately, this blog is only about weight loss so we dont have information on any other health issues. Hope you come back again. 

     
    Diet Free Future?

    Nearing An Obesity Vaccine - KKTV

    Theres hope for a new weapon in the battle of the bulge. On Monday, Scientists reported success with an experimental vaccine to fight obesity.

    Researchers vaccinated rats against a "hunger hormone" called ghrelin. The rodents ate whatever they wanted without gaining fat.

    According to Dr. Kim Janda of the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, more research and data will be needed before an obesity vaccine is widely tested in humans.

    The next, in a long list of steps, will be to see if already obese rodents lose weight when given the vaccination.

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    No One Wins on The Biggest Loser

    Reality show sends an unhealthy message By Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD, LD
    WebMD Weight Loss Clinic - Expert Column

    Related Articles - Weight Control, Healthy Weight Loss, Fitness Boot Camp

    I was really hoping that the take-home message from NBC's new reality program, The Biggest Loser, would be some valuable lessons about weight control. I should have known better when I realized no registered dietitian was involved in the program.

    After watching the show, I was outraged and disappointed that network executives and advertisers would endorse such exploitation of overweight people. The show is not about healthy weight loss. It is a dramatized and often humiliating portrayal, with the castoff mentality of reality television.

    The Setup

    On the show, a dozen desperate overweight men and women begin a personal weight loss journey in hopes of winning $250,000 -- a sum that pales in comparison to the million-dollar rewards on other reality shows. Two teams, red and blue, live together in Malibu and compete to lose the most weight each week.

    The red team is coached by a drill sergeant-type fitness trainer and follows a high-protein, high-fiber, low-carbohydrate, controlled-portion diet. The blue team's strategy is to eat small, frequent meals with fewer calories, more volume, and low carbohydrates. Guidance for the blue team is provided by a kinder, gentler fitness trainer.

    If your team is not the biggest loser in a given week, you must cast off a member who is not losing his or her share of pounds.

    Emotional Drama

    Starvation, deprivation, and being pushed to physical extremes are, apparently, the kind of human drama we like to watch. Fitness trainers drive contestants to the point of tears and emotional outbursts. Of course, the cameras are there to capture the bickering, the pressure, and the breakdowns of the hungry and physically exhausted contestants.

    As if the drama of unrealistically rapid weight loss is not enough, the contestants are asked to put on bathing suits and expose more flesh than they want the world to see. The 12 team members line up and have their weights displayed in giant numbers at the beginning of the week, then again at week's end. Now, I am a strong proponent of weekly weigh-ins and accountability, but I recommend doing it in private and tracking your own personal journey to success.

    To make the situation even more unrealistic, glass-front refrigerators filled with "forbidden foods" are an ever-present temptation to the dieters. In addition, there are plates of tempting foods at every meal. I would describe these tactics as cruel and unusual punishment. And they do little to teach the contestants about healthy weight loss.

    The Right Way to Lose Weight

    Healthy competition is a great way to add motivation to your weight loss efforts. But the kind of competition depicted on this program is counterproductive.

    The Biggest Loser competition might indeed result in big losses, but it defies all the professional wisdom about safe and effective weight loss. That's because the contestants are not addressing lifestyle behaviors and eating habits that they need to change permanently, not just during a nine-week race.

    This approach is similar to a fad diet, and we all know about them: You can lose weight on just about any diet, but when it's over you gain the weight right back -- unless you've changed your behaviors.

    Besides, when you lose more than the recommended 1-2 pounds per week, much of it is water, not fat. The experiences of the "successful losers" tracked in the National Weight Control Registry have taught us that slow, gradual loss is the most successful route to long-term weight control.

    Healthy Eating Plans

    The blue team is following an "eat more" diet. Its members record everything in a journal (a good thing!), monitor their portions, and follow a high-protein, low-carb plan. Complex carbohydrates of any kind -- including healthy whole-grain carbs -- were not listed anywhere on this team's sample meal plan. The only carbs came from fruits and vegetables and did not meet the recommended five or more servings daily. In my opinion, there is too much protein and not enough complex carbohydrate or fruits and veggies for this to be a healthful, sustainable plan.

    According to NBC's web site, the red team follows a diet composed of 30% carbohydrates, 37% protein, and 33% fat, with a daily calorie range of 1,100-1,500. "Eat less" is what the red team calls its diet, and not only is it too low in calories to fuel the grueling workouts, it does not meet scientific guidelines for healthy diets. (The National Academy of Sciences recommends that meal plans be 45%-65% carbs, 20%-35% protein, and 10%-35% fat.)

    It gets worse. This team is not allowed to enjoy healthy fruit choices such as mangos, bananas, melons, or juice. Questionable advice suggests they take a supplement called "chitosan" (whatever that is), and drink 100 ounces of water daily, which is more than you need.

    In my opinion, viewers should not try to follow either the red or the blue diet. Anyone tempted to try these restrictive plans should definitely check with their doctor first. Weight Loss Clinic members, be assured that your eating plans are in line with professional guidelines and would stand up to medical evaluation.

      :    : 


    The Value of Support

    The WebMD Weight Loss Clinic program works because we advocate a lifestyle that includes plenty of nutritious foods to keep hunger at bay, daily physical activity, and support. Most any member of the WLC will tell you that one of the best features of our program is the support from fellow members, moderators, and professionals.

    Encouragement is a crucial aspect of weight loss success, and I don't think the tough-as-nails approach to The Biggest Loser contestants qualifies as positive reinforcement. We need our friends and family to rally around us when the going gets tough. That is what helps keep you going, not berating and scornful comments.

    Forbidden Foods Create Desire
    Can you imagine how hard it would be if you had a glass-front refrigerator stocked with your favorite decadent foods staring at you 24/7? The temptations displayed in the refrigerators and at mealtimes are certainly not the right way to help the contestants overcome overeating. I wish they would stock those refrigerators with delicious fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy -- foods that satisfy hunger while meeting nutritional needs.

    Studies have shown that when you deny people certain foods, they tend to crave them. At the WLC, we let you have your favorite foods (albeit in limited quantities) because we know you can sustain an eating plan that includes food you enjoy. The best strategy is to stock your kitchen with nutritious foods and to limit your exposure to foods likely to trigger overeating.

    Boot Camp

    Four hours a day is the exercise schedule for some of The Biggest Loser contestants. Realistically, most of us struggle to meet the guidelines of one hour per day! It's hardly likely that contestants will keep up with this punishing regimen after they leave the show.

    The best plan is to find activities that you enjoy and to gradually work up to an hour per day. Small changes, like taking the stairs and parking your car farther away from your destination, contribute to your daily physical activity. Strength training a few times a week is also important, to keep muscles strong and metabolism high.

    To find time for your workouts, I suggest turning off that television! The Biggest Loser is simply perpetuating many of our society's unrealistic views about weight loss. Eating healthy and losing weight is not a contest, but a journey that should last a lifetime.

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    Detox Your Way To Health and Beauty

    Related Articles - Detox, Bath Relaxation, Meditation Exercises

    How many times have your brain felt so sluggish that you can't even think clearly? How many times have you felt so tired that even climbing a single flight of stairs takes a lot from you? Or how about those times when you felt so unpretty that even your best outfit can't lift your mood? You've tried every known trick to stay fit and scoured every shelf in the health and beauty aisle for that wonder product that could revive you but still to no avail. Why not try looking at home and the produce section of your grocery? What am I talking about? I'm talking about detox.

    Detoxification is not merely sweating buckets on the gym or starving yourself with a water diet. It is a wholistic approach to health and beauty. It encompasses everything from diet, fitness, and your sense of well-being. Try it for a weekend and start the new week with a renewed and more revived you. Detoxifying your way to health and beauty is possible with a few things which you could conveniently find in your home. With a loofah or brush, scented candles, aromatic oils, herbal tea, and a free, me-time weekend, you're all set to rejuvenate and renew yourself.

             


    Start on a Friday by eating light (think salads and fruits) and drink lots of water the whole day. At night, slowly dry-massage yourself with a loofah or brush with slow and long strokes. Move in one direction: upward and towards your groin. Refresh yourself with tea or water then soak in a bath of warm water and drops of aromatic bath oil. Light some scented candles while gradually adding cool water within a half hour until your bath becomes slightly cold. This is the beginning of your new health and beauty routine. This process is done for the stimulation of the blood vessels. Dry yourself and dress warmly for bed.

    Begin the next day by drinking hot lemon water. Go for a walk while breathing deeply. Give yourself a steam bath or go swimming. You could also ask your partner or therapist for a massage. Again, end your health and beauty detox regimen with a dry-massage brush and bath. Spend your Sunday, doing the whole process but add another activity. Make a list of people or things, such as your work, that are toxic to you (read: bad vibes). Assess how you should deal with them to lessen their toxic effect. After this, pamper yourself or do meditation exercises.

    Be reminded though that you may experience excessive sweating, slight headaches, and skin rashes. These are signs that your body is releasing toxins and that they are temporary. Detoxifying is effective, safe, and inexpensive enough to be part of your weekly health and beauty routine. Just remember to avoid this during your period, pregnancy, and sickness. Lastly, talk to your doctor if you encounter any problem while detoxifying.

    By Elizabeth Gilley
    For more valuable information on Health and Beauty, please visit http://www.eknowitall.com

    Article Source: http://articles.simplysearch4it.com

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    Update on Rosie, the Fad Junkie Sister

    Related Articles - Diets, Exercise Machines, Fitness

    So, as of today, Rosie has lost a total of 19lbs on what she calls as her mix-n-match diet plan. It's really quite interesting considering that she has not stuck to any particular diet pattern. If you have not read my original posting on her - fad junkie - you'll find it quite entertaining.

    When she's doing the things she enjoys the most - watching videos, she's on her step climber. She's talking to her friens on the phone, she's got her sauna belt on. She's managed to make her workout and her mix-n-match diet plan fit her schedule.

    She's gone shopping for new clothes. She's happy and in Cloud 9. She feels like she's achieved some part of her life goal. She has more pounds to lose and then to maintain it, but like the little choo-choo train, she's chugging along to her goal. Very motivated. Very excited. And she's bought some new toys.

    I cant wait to see what she's got this time. I didnt even begin to talk about the exercise machines she has sitting in her living room. Just the ones in her bedroom to start. Maybe this time she'll let me take the ones that past their prime.

    I better bring a van.

           

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    Rosie - Personal Story

    Update on Rosie, the Fad Junkie Sister
    Related Articles - Diets, Exercise Machines, Fitness. So, as of today, Rosie has lost a total of 19lbs on what she calls as her mix-n-match diet plan. It's really quite interesting considering that she has not stuck to any particular diet pattern. If you have not read my original posting on her - fad junkie - you'll find it quite entertaining. When she's doing the things she enjoys the most Read More

    Fad junkie
    So, I'm going to tell you about my sister. She's a diet product fad junkie. She has a friend's wedding to prepare for tomorrow, so I am watching my elderly mother at her house. It just amazes me how she spends her money on the internet. Let's start with the bedroom and itemize how many diet merchandise she's bought in the last year.
    1. The Bean - It's actually a very neat product Read More

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    Sugar Busters! How It Works

    Reviewed By Charlotte E. Grayson, MD. February 2004. Article from WebMD.

    Related - Sugar Busters Books , Sugar Busters! Groceries, Diet

    The authors use basic science to explain their theory -- up to a point. A snack or meal that is high in carbohydrates (of which sugar is the basic building block) raises the level of glucose in the blood stream quickly. This stimulates the pancreas to release the hormone insulin. This release produces too much insulin, say the authors, so that the body is not able to convert that glucose into glycogen (which is used for immediate energy needs). Alas, the body's ability to store or hold glycogen is limited to a measly few hundred grams -- an average of 700 grams can be stored in the liver and muscles.

    The result of that insulin production is stored fat. And the body has uncanny ability to hang unto it, like it or not, in the form of that spare tire around one's middle, those thunder thighs, and that belly. And, wouldn't you know it, the body can store thousands of grams of fat. All of this was incredibly useful for our forebears before the invention of fast-food joints, when the next meal might be long off, and fat could be converted into energy as needed. But while we no longer need this efficient system of packaging, we're stuck with it.

    However, a high-protein, low-carbohydrate meal causes only an imperceptible rise in blood glucose and consequently a very small rise in insulin but a significant increase in the glucagon level, claim the authors. What is glucagon? The other hormone secreted by the pancreas that helps regulate blood sugar and "promotes the mobilization of previously stored fat," according to the authors. "[As] you burn food reserves for your energy requirements between meals, high levels of glucagons will allow that energy to be derived" from your stored fat reserves. Furthermore, the elevated glucagon level stays high for quite some time "so you can keep on burning that mobilized fat."

    Insulin, on the other hand, "inhibits the mobilization of previously stored fat," they warn, "even if one is on a rather skimpy, but glucose-generating, diet." All this explains why people eating a diet high in white-flour pasta cannot burn fat even when food intake goes down.

    The most controversial claim of the Sugar Busters! diet is that by keeping the need for insulin low by eliminating or severely restricting certain foods, we can reduce insulin resistance, a condition wherein our bodies have become insensitive to normal levels of circulating insulin in the bloodstream. Insulin resistance results in obesity and frequently is the culprit behind type 2 diabetes, or the non-insulin-dependent form of the disease. "Fifty percent or more of insulin resistance can be reduced or even reversed as insulin resistance does not totally depend on our inherited genes," say the authors.

           

    What the Experts Say

    They don't like Sugar Busters! much. "The authors contend that you can avert diabetes on the Sugar Busters! diet. That is a myth," asserts Maureen L. Storey, PhD, associate director of the Center for Food and Nutrition Policy at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. In addition, Storey doubts the authors' fundamental weight-loss claims. "When we gain weight, it doesn't matter where the calories come from -- calories in and not enough out will cause you to gain weight.

    "Furthermore," Storey says, "the diet perpetuates the myth that your body can distinguish from sugars that are naturally occurring in food products and sugars that are added to a manufactured product. It can't. Even a high-fiber cereal such as Kellogg's All Bran has some sugar in it. We are all concerned about getting more fiber in the diet so that if adding a little bit of sugar to the food makes us eat more, that is great."

    Theresa Nicklas, PhD, professor of pediatrics at the Children's Nutrition Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, says her main complaint about the diet is its claims about insulin resistance. "Diet does not cause insulin resistance," she says. "Insulin resistance is a medical condition that must be diagnosed by a physician. It isn't something that can be self-diagnosed by reading a book."

    She is also concerned that the diet is too high in protein. "High protein diets increase calcium excretion and may exacerbate gout," she notes. "Possible side effects include kidney and liver damage, fatigue, weakness, and irritability. Just why are people losing weight on this diet? Each menu averages a mere 1,200 calories. Just about anyone can lose weight on 1,200 calories a day."

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    Pole Dancing and Cardio Strip Classes

    By Amy Bertraind for St. Louis Post-Dispatch

    Teri Hatcher is doing it. So is Carmen Electra. But your accountant, your doctor and even - gasp! - your mom?

    We're talking about classes in which everyday women release their inner vixen by learning moves inspired by ... well ... strippers.

    Pole dancing, cardio stripping and variations in between have been popular on the coasts for several years now, but the classes are just now making their way to the Midwest.

    When Sheila Kelley appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in 2003 to promote her "S-Factor" book on the subject, viewers nationwide got to see what all the fuss was about.

    "I think when people saw it on `Oprah' they said, `Oprah's doing it, so it must be OK,'" says Angela Farrar, who teaches the cardio strip fit class at the Fitness Studio in the Lifestyle Center in Clayton, Mo.

             

    Suzie Peiffer launched a pole dancing class about six months ago.

    "I like to tell people it's not dirty," Peiffer says. "Nothing comes off. It's exercise; it's fitness. It's fun, and it can tone the body from head to toe. And it boosts your self-esteem so you feel so much better about yourself as a woman. There's a real empowerment there. And what's wrong with that?"

    Peiffer's class meets three times a week in a studio next to her home in St. Charles, Mo. She has two poles on which the women take turns trying out their moves.

    "We have all ages and all sizes that come here," she says. "It's a really diverse group."

    Fitness Studio co-founder Stacie Mullen decided to bring the class to St. Louis in March after looking at the latest trends in fitness.

    "Women want one of two things when looking for a workout. One is an affordable personal trainer; the other is the excitement of a new workout, and that's what we offer here," Mullen says.

    Both women say they are adding classes to meet demand.

    The class at the Fitness Studio meets twice a week in a dimly lighted room in the lower level of the Lifestyle Center. A disco ball and stripper poles in the middle of the room help add to the atmosphere, as do songs such as "Don't Cha" by the Pussycat Dolls and "Pour Some Sugar on Me" by Def Leppard.

    Farrar, a certified fitness trainer, says she encourages women to let their hair down and wear high heels as they dance.

    "They are optional, but they make you feel sexier," she says.

    "Half of this is heel management," jokes Kathy Geise, 43, coming out of a tough session. "My quads are killing me. I'm shaking. But it's all about the heels."

    The workout:

    Besides giving women a chance to feel sexy and self-confident, the workout itself is the main draw for many of them.

    "My butt has totally come up," says Farrar, 35. "I've been teaching for 16 years, and I've never found anything that works the butt, hips and thighs like this. Every girl wants to dance and have fun and be sexy, but this is a great workout, too. When I'm finished I'm completely drenched in sweat. ... I think there's a misconception that this is a fluff workout, but we work hard."

    Peiffer says the arms get a great workout in her classes. "I'm 125 pounds," says the 49-year-old mother of four. "So every time I lift myself on the pole, I'm lifting 125 pounds."

    In Farrar's class, the women seem to catch on to the routines quickly. After working through some new moves and reviewing old ones, the women do workouts with a chair or with the poles in the room.

    The routines cover an amazing amount of deep squats and bending from the waist, not to mention hip rolls and sexy poses.

    "The husbands love it," says Peiffer. "I've never known a husband to object to letting their wife come to this class."

    Motivations:

    "It's just so much fun," says Amy Purtle, 32, who hasn't missed a class of Farrar's since it started. "It's helped me be in touch with my self-image. I'm more comfortable with myself now."

    Geise, a medical sales rep, agrees with Purtle. "It's all about embracing the feminine, embracing your goddess energy."

    Like Purtle and Geise, many come to the class to get a workout and to bolster their self-image. Others come for a variety of different reasons.

    "I love to dance," says Naomi Green, 41, a corporate paralegal and mom to two daughters. "Men love it, and sure, I'll go home tonight and show my husband these new moves."

    For Dora Owens, 44, a computer programmer, the motivation is continued weight loss. "I've been losing weight running, but I'm tired of running, so I thought this could add spice to my workout."

    Spice is just what she's getting.

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    What's Standing In Your Way?

    By QuestionEverything.com

    You think you’re doing everything you can to lose weight. You’re making sacrifices, adding exercise into your routine, but the weight just isn’t coming off. Why?

    Stress is…well, stressful.
    It’s not just in your head. It’s a scientific fact: How you respond to and cope with stress influences your appetite, body composition and overall fitness level.

    Research has shown that a sustained high level of cortisol, which the body creates during chronic, unrelenting stress, can have dangerous, even life-threatening effects on the body. It literally poisons your body, making you more vulnerable to colds, flu, fatigue and infections. It can affect your memory and concentration. New evidence proves that it can also increase your appetite. Researchers have concluded that cortisol helps refuel the body during and after stress by ramping up your appetite.

    Are you a slave to the scale?
    There are lots of recommendations out there for the "perfect weight." But the reality is that there are so many variables involved, like your height, bone structure, environment, activity level, etc. Your perfect weight really depends on your own body.

    However, many specialists in the health and nutrition field think the Body Mass Index gets pretty close. BMI. You’ve heard of it. Your doctor may have mentioned it to you. It’s the measure of the percentage of fat and muscle mass in your body. You might even know what your BMI is, but do you know where the healthy range is for you? The National Institutes of Health (NIH) states that healthy weights fall into the 18.5-24.9 BMI range. BMIs 25 and above are classified as overweight.

    If it’s not helping you, let it go.
    A habit is defined as an action or behavior pattern that is regular, repetitive and often unconscious. If you have bad habits that are preventing you from losing weight, identify them, and let them go.

    What habits are keeping you from losing weight?

    Habits are learned, not inherent.

    You need to recognize that you are in control. Then determine what habits you have. And finally, try to reverse bad habits and start making positive changes.

    Good intentions. Bad habits. Even the best intentioned dieter can make mistakes. These are the most common:

    Skipping breakfast

    Reacting to stress, anger or even happiness with comfort foods

    Eating more than you need to
    Do any of those habits ring true for you? If so, here are some simple ideas to help you turn them around.

    So, how can you fix it?
    Keep healthy, lower-fat foods stocked at home or in your purse. There are many low-fat, pre-packaged foods available today that you can eat on your drive to work or while dropping off the kids or running errands. Make it easy for yourself to start the day off right with a nutritious breakfast and healthy snacks.

    No matter how you feel, before you put food in your mouth, count to 50. Ask yourself if you are hungry (i.e., your stomach is aching and hollow) or if you only think you want that food.

    Keep a daily food journal. Experts say it’s a critical tool for effective weight loss. Document what you eat as you eat it, or just write it all down before you go to bed. Then review the journal. You might be surprised to see how much you are eating each day. You’ll become more aware of what you are eating in the moment. Try cutting foods in half and chewing just a little more slowly. It can really help in cutting down your daily calorie intake.
    Ultimately, the next time you make an effort to lose weight, find a diet that includes behavior support to help you make permanent improvements to your health.

    How many calories do you need to cut to lose weight?
    We all know that the basics of losing weight are eating less and getting active. But how much less do we actually need to eat? There are so many numbers and formulas floating around the diet world, let’s try to make this one easy.

    How many calories does it take to maintain what I’ve got?

    Before you start cutting out calories to lose weight, you need to figure out how many calories it takes to hold onto the weight you have now. This is where your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) comes in. Your BMR represents the amount of calories you need each day to maintain your current weight.

    How do I use the BMR to lose pounds?
    To start losing weight, subtract calories from your BMR. First use the BMR (with your activity level) to determine how many calories you should eat each day to maintain your current weight. Then to lose weight safely (1-2 pounds per week), cut 500-1000 calories each day from your BMR. When you cut a total of 3,500 calories, you’ll lose one pound of body weight.

    Since your body will require fewer calories as you get smaller, re-calculate your BMR along with your activity level as you lose weight, about every 10-15 pounds.

    How low should you go? Don’t reduce too many calories thinking you will lose more. Going lower than 1200 calories a day isn’t anymore effective for long-term weight loss than just lowering your calories to achieve the recommended 1-2 pounds a week rate.

    Missing a meal is missing the point.
    People who skip breakfast and eat fewer times during the day can end up gaining weight. Think about it. If you skip a meal, you’ll end up hungrier later on, and you’ll settle for anything, instead of making a smart, healthy choice.

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