You Can Stop Being Influenced by Food Ads
There is much in the news today about obesity and you can be assured that the food industry fully intends to place the blame squarely on the individual, despite the fact they spend hundreds of millions of dollars every year in an effort to entice us to buy more and more of their products. Children are especially vulnerable to the advertising for cereals, snack bars, crackers, cookies, candy, and fast foods. Colorful packaging, and now even colorful foods to encourage the little shoppers to badger their parents into buying the “convenient” snack packs for them. “Mommy I want it” is exactly the result advertisers are paying to obtain. They know that many adults will give in to the child’s demands, just to “keep the peace.”
If you live in modern society, you can’t escape advertising. How many times have you been happily minding your own business when suddenly the TV screen flashes a big, juicy, something! Your stomach may start gurgling, your mouth starts watering, and the launch sequence for hunger has begun. Once the countdown starts, nothing can stop the launch into the kitchen, or for the seriously dedicated, out the door to go get something to eat. This can happen only an hour after a big dinner. The ads are designed to do this, and they work well as we prove with our food dollars every day.
Count the Food Ads
Next time you watch TV keep a note pad nearby and make a little hash mark every time you see a commercial that encourages you to eat. You’ll also notice there are certain ads that seem to trigger the hunger response more than others. What is it about those ads? Do you start to mentally taste the food? Does it remind you of happy occasions? It can even remind you of unhappy occasions which then drives you to want something to eat because you “deserve” it.
Notice whether it is the people in the ad, the message itself, the words they use, even the background music or scenery? See if you can pin-point what, exactly, it is about the ad that draws you in. Notice what you don’t like about ads that simply do not interest you. Play college student and do this as homework, and if you can get your kids to do it with you, all the better.
My son has come to me many times to tell me about something he’s seen on TV and now wants me to buy. He gets caught up in the half hour infomercials and becomes so convinced their product is the single best thing, that it’s difficult to change his mind.
Evenings are an especially rough time for dieters because of the over abundance of advertising for food. Seeing delicious things to eat can create the sensation of hunger until it becomes a patterned response. Turning on the TV then begins to make you hungry, even without the food cues.
7 Ways to Combat Evening Snacking Habit
1. Mute the commercials or switch to another channel (channel surfers already do this anyway). Not watching or hearing the ad can help enormously. Remember, out of sight, out of mind.
2. Use commercial break time to do housework. You’d be amazed at how much clutter you can clear in three or four minutes, and every hour you get at least four of these breaks.
3. Mute the ads and keep your hands busy until your show comes back on with a project like knitting, reading or finishing that book you’ve been writing.
4. Start a new business (then you’re probably not in front of the TV anyway).
5. Step outside and breath some fresh air for a few minutes.
6. Exercise during the ads. Stand up, sit down, stand up, sit down, do this for a full minute. It’s a great leg exercise. Use a kitchen chair rather than the couch to be kinder on your knees.
7. Move to another seat in the room. Sometimes just getting up from your usual spot in the room (the coach, or your favorite chair) and moving to another location can help, so can getting a glass of water. Sometimes it’s thirst.
Be Willing to Experiment and You can Overcome the Allure of the Food Ads
The worst thing you can do is simply watch and then attempt to combat your growing desire to eat. Once the idea that you’re hungry is planted, it becomes much more difficult to change your mind. Instead stop the idea from occurring in the first place by finding something else to do instead of watching another Burger King commercial.
Advertising only works when we’re paying attention, either watching or listening. I’ve no quarrel with advertisers, I advertise my services too, but watching one hundred ads all featuring food after dinnertime is a bit much for anyone to endure. Food ads are designed for you to simply sit and be mesmerized by the flashing words, snappy slogans, colors and lights. Pay closer attention, or pay none at all, but either way you’ll gain a much greater understanding of how advertising influences you.
Kathryn Martyn, Master NLP Practitioner, EFT counselor, author of the free e-book: Changing Beliefs, Your First Step to Permanent Weight Loss, and owner of OneMoreBite-Weightloss.com
Get The Daily Bites: Inspirational Mini Lessons Using EFT and NLP for Ending the Struggle with Weight Loss.
March 6, 2009
Good Night, Sleep Tight!
One of the most important things you can do for fat loss, controlling weight gain and for overall health is often overlooked. MORE SLEEP! Yes, you actually need to sleep more to gain less!
A lack of sleep could be contributing to America’s obesity epidemic. A recent Columbia University study found that not getting enough sleep could put you at increased risk for weight gain.
The study, presented at the meeting of the North American Association for the Study of Obesity, analyzed data from 18,000 adults and found that those who slept less than the recommended seven hours a night had an increased risk of obesity. People who slept for less than four hours per night were 73 percent more likely to be obese than those who slept for seven to nine hours. Getting five hours of sleep or less decreased that risk to 50 percent, and getting six hours or less decreased it even more to 23 percent.
While it’s still unclear exactly what causes this increased risk, scientists believe that lack of sleep lowers the amount of leptin your body produces. Leptin is a protein that suppresses appetite and is responsible for telling your brain when your stomach is full. In addition, when you are sleep-deprived, you are less able to make clear decisions and may eat more food than your body actually needs.
What’s the lesson? A good night’s sleep is not only critical for your mental health; it may also be a crucial part of your diet.
So, good night and sleep tight!
Be well & stay fit!
Aimee Deak
Aimee Deak is a certified personal trainer, nutrition analyst and author of the book, “Every Body Loses”, an easy-to follow,
step-by-step guide to fat loss.
You can find more information about fat loss and exercise on her
website http://www.aim4nutrition.com
A lack of sleep could be contributing to America’s obesity epidemic. A recent Columbia University study found that not getting enough sleep could put you at increased risk for weight gain.
The study, presented at the meeting of the North American Association for the Study of Obesity, analyzed data from 18,000 adults and found that those who slept less than the recommended seven hours a night had an increased risk of obesity. People who slept for less than four hours per night were 73 percent more likely to be obese than those who slept for seven to nine hours. Getting five hours of sleep or less decreased that risk to 50 percent, and getting six hours or less decreased it even more to 23 percent.
While it’s still unclear exactly what causes this increased risk, scientists believe that lack of sleep lowers the amount of leptin your body produces. Leptin is a protein that suppresses appetite and is responsible for telling your brain when your stomach is full. In addition, when you are sleep-deprived, you are less able to make clear decisions and may eat more food than your body actually needs.
What’s the lesson? A good night’s sleep is not only critical for your mental health; it may also be a crucial part of your diet.
So, good night and sleep tight!
Be well & stay fit!
Aimee Deak
Aimee Deak is a certified personal trainer, nutrition analyst and author of the book, “Every Body Loses”, an easy-to follow,
step-by-step guide to fat loss.
You can find more information about fat loss and exercise on her
website http://www.aim4nutrition.com
How to Lose Weight While Gardening
Have you ever dreaded the idea of pulling weeds, planting a tree, or pushing a lawn mower around the yard?
Does just thinking about it make you sweat? I am sure the majority of are nodding your heads in agreement. What I am about to suggest only takes a slight change in your thinking and a bit of planning and you can learn how to lose weight and get in better shape while gardening this year.
For those of you that are already gardeners, you know that gardening is one of the best ways to get exercise because it involves all of the muscle groups in your body.
Like I mentioned earlier, we only need to change the way you think about outside chores. See I am falling into the trap too, I just called them chores. Instead, you should think of them as outdoor exercises that are designed to enhance the condition of your body and help you lose weight.
As with any exercise program, check with your doctor before starting. Make sure you are dressed properly and that you stretch before beginning.
If you aren?t used to exercising in the garden or have been relatively inactive all winter, start slowly. Start with weeding, watering, and planting seeds.
As you feel yourself getting stronger you can increase your gardening repertoire to include: pruning, heavy digging, hoeing, pushing a loaded wheelbarrow, or mowing the lawn. I think you get the idea because the list of outdoor gardening exercise ideas is endless!
Even carrying plants or a bag of potting soil to the car from the store and then out into the yard is exercise! You can potentially burn up to 300-600 calories per hour depending on your intensity and which gardening exercises you engage in.
You CAN lose weight by gardening ~ eat less and move more! The following list shows what a typical man weighing 180 pounds will burn in 30 minutes of activity. If you weigh more you can burn even more calories!
* Watering lawn/garden~ 61
* Raking~ 162
* Bagging leaves~ 162
* Planting seeds/seedlings~ 162
* Planting trees~ 182
* Weeding ~ 182
* Clearing Land ~ 202
* Digging, spading, tilling~ 202
* Laying Sod~202
* General gardening~ 202
* Chopping wood~ 243
* Gardening with heavy power tools~ 243
* Mowing the lawn with a push mower~ 243
* Shoveling snow~ 243
* Shoveling heavy snow~ 364 cals
Tips for your success:
1. Don?t over do it~ one or two hours of gardening is plenty, especially when you are beginning!
2. Don?t lift objects that are too heavy for you. If you injure yourself, chances are that you won?t be able to continue to garden for exercise and weight loss.
3. Stretch before, during and after gardening. Don?t stay down on your knees while weeding or planting for extended periods of time~ get up and move!
4. Get out in your garden and exercise at least 3-4 times a week.
5. Continue your outdoor exercise routine even after you last blooms have faded. Shoveling the snow, raking leaves, and splitting wood are great calorie burners that will lead to weight loss!
6. Don?t forget the added benefit of growing your own healthy fruits and vegetables and your yard will look beautiful from all of your hard work!
7. Have Fun and “Just do it”!
Once you get into the habit of viewing gardening as an excellent way to lose weight and stay in shape, you may never go back to the gym again!
? 2005, Candee Stark and GoingAllTheWeigh.com
This article is provided courtesy of Candee’s Weight Loss Success - You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice and the author name and URL remain intact.
Does just thinking about it make you sweat? I am sure the majority of are nodding your heads in agreement. What I am about to suggest only takes a slight change in your thinking and a bit of planning and you can learn how to lose weight and get in better shape while gardening this year.
For those of you that are already gardeners, you know that gardening is one of the best ways to get exercise because it involves all of the muscle groups in your body.
Like I mentioned earlier, we only need to change the way you think about outside chores. See I am falling into the trap too, I just called them chores. Instead, you should think of them as outdoor exercises that are designed to enhance the condition of your body and help you lose weight.
As with any exercise program, check with your doctor before starting. Make sure you are dressed properly and that you stretch before beginning.
If you aren?t used to exercising in the garden or have been relatively inactive all winter, start slowly. Start with weeding, watering, and planting seeds.
As you feel yourself getting stronger you can increase your gardening repertoire to include: pruning, heavy digging, hoeing, pushing a loaded wheelbarrow, or mowing the lawn. I think you get the idea because the list of outdoor gardening exercise ideas is endless!
Even carrying plants or a bag of potting soil to the car from the store and then out into the yard is exercise! You can potentially burn up to 300-600 calories per hour depending on your intensity and which gardening exercises you engage in.
You CAN lose weight by gardening ~ eat less and move more! The following list shows what a typical man weighing 180 pounds will burn in 30 minutes of activity. If you weigh more you can burn even more calories!
* Watering lawn/garden~ 61
* Raking~ 162
* Bagging leaves~ 162
* Planting seeds/seedlings~ 162
* Planting trees~ 182
* Weeding ~ 182
* Clearing Land ~ 202
* Digging, spading, tilling~ 202
* Laying Sod~202
* General gardening~ 202
* Chopping wood~ 243
* Gardening with heavy power tools~ 243
* Mowing the lawn with a push mower~ 243
* Shoveling snow~ 243
* Shoveling heavy snow~ 364 cals
Tips for your success:
1. Don?t over do it~ one or two hours of gardening is plenty, especially when you are beginning!
2. Don?t lift objects that are too heavy for you. If you injure yourself, chances are that you won?t be able to continue to garden for exercise and weight loss.
3. Stretch before, during and after gardening. Don?t stay down on your knees while weeding or planting for extended periods of time~ get up and move!
4. Get out in your garden and exercise at least 3-4 times a week.
5. Continue your outdoor exercise routine even after you last blooms have faded. Shoveling the snow, raking leaves, and splitting wood are great calorie burners that will lead to weight loss!
6. Don?t forget the added benefit of growing your own healthy fruits and vegetables and your yard will look beautiful from all of your hard work!
7. Have Fun and “Just do it”!
Once you get into the habit of viewing gardening as an excellent way to lose weight and stay in shape, you may never go back to the gym again!
? 2005, Candee Stark and GoingAllTheWeigh.com
This article is provided courtesy of Candee’s Weight Loss Success - You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice and the author name and URL remain intact.
Questioning Cardio for Weight Loss?
Q: I’ve heard you mention that you don’t need tons of cardio to burn
stubborn abdominal fat. Okay, I can live with that, but you’ve also said
that it isn’t absolutely necessary to perform direct ab work either. What
gives?
A: If you want to build a serious set of abdominals, routinely perform the
following exercises and their variations: squats, deadlifts, chin-ups, and
standing military presses. These multi-joint movements require a strong
contribution from the abdominals to stabilize the core, particularly when
heavy loads are used. It is not uncommon to hear clients complain of
abdominal soreness a day or two after performing multiple sets with a
decent weight of the chin-up or standing military press exercise - the ab
prestretch will tap into fibers you never thought existed! And remember,
your abdominals act as a natural girdle, or weight belt if you will, when
performing all exercises, particularly squats and deadlifts. These
muscles act as a bridge between your upper and lower body and are
heavily recruited as stabilizers.
Sure, isolation exercises like pullovers, curls, and even triceps
pressdowns also require a good degree of core stability; however, the
loads used are relatively low compared to the big 4 mentioned above. In
fact, according to Siff & Verkhoshansky, isolation becomes virtually
impossible if large loads are used, and in many cases, the tension
developed in the stabilizers will equal or even exceed that of the prime
movers!* So, you see, the abdominals can be trained quite effectively as
stabilizers - the physiques of top Olympic weightlifters will attest to that.
*Siff, MC, Verkhoshansky, YV. “Supertraining (4th Edition).” Denver, CO:
Supertraining International, 1999. (pg. 241)
Q: I am still very much confused regarding cardio intensity. One book
says keep it low intensity (i.e. 60% of MHR) and go for distance; another
keep it high intensity (80% or more) and go for as long and hard as you
can. The goal is to burn fat. Each book has great arguments for their
approach. Which is accurate?
A: The second approach is far more effective for burning fat. Without
getting into a huge discussion about this, here’s how things work in a
nutshell.
At a lower intensity, your body prefers fat for fuel. Yes, this is true, but
two things generally happen:
1. After awhile of doing this type of activity, your body adapts by actually
laying down fat (you heard me right) to become more efficient at the
given task and this usually occurs in the lower body, and
2. A higher relative amount of fat is burned during low intensity cardio
but a greater absolute amount is burned with higher intensity cardio and
in less time.
Other things to consider are: a) the EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen
consumption) is greater for a longer duration following higher intensity
work; in other words, you’re metabolism is much higher for a longer
period of time post-workout with high intensity cardio, and b) higher
lactate levels exist with high intensity cardio. So what you may ask? Well
there is a direct correlation with lactate and GH (Growth Hormone) and
GH is a potent fat-burner.
Bottom line: with regards to burning fat, do higher intensity work in the
form of interval training and you’ll get great results.
John Paul Catanzaro is a certified kinesiologist and professional fitness
and lifestyle consultant with a specialized honours Bachelor of Science
degree in Kinesiology and Health Science. He owns and operates a
private gym in Toronto, Ontario providing training and nutritional
consulting services. For additional information, visit his website at
http://www.BodyEssence.ca or call 416-292-4356.
Check out John Paul’s new DVD, Warm-Up to Strength Training, for some powerful
techniques to increase strength and improve performance! Discover some unique,
cutting-edge methods like how to increase arm strength by up to 10% instantly! It
has been recommended by many experts including Drs. Eric Serrano, Mark Lindsay,
and Ken Kinakin as well as Olympic strength coach, Charles Poliquin. Visit
http://www.StrengthWarmup.com for more information.
stubborn abdominal fat. Okay, I can live with that, but you’ve also said
that it isn’t absolutely necessary to perform direct ab work either. What
gives?
A: If you want to build a serious set of abdominals, routinely perform the
following exercises and their variations: squats, deadlifts, chin-ups, and
standing military presses. These multi-joint movements require a strong
contribution from the abdominals to stabilize the core, particularly when
heavy loads are used. It is not uncommon to hear clients complain of
abdominal soreness a day or two after performing multiple sets with a
decent weight of the chin-up or standing military press exercise - the ab
prestretch will tap into fibers you never thought existed! And remember,
your abdominals act as a natural girdle, or weight belt if you will, when
performing all exercises, particularly squats and deadlifts. These
muscles act as a bridge between your upper and lower body and are
heavily recruited as stabilizers.
Sure, isolation exercises like pullovers, curls, and even triceps
pressdowns also require a good degree of core stability; however, the
loads used are relatively low compared to the big 4 mentioned above. In
fact, according to Siff & Verkhoshansky, isolation becomes virtually
impossible if large loads are used, and in many cases, the tension
developed in the stabilizers will equal or even exceed that of the prime
movers!* So, you see, the abdominals can be trained quite effectively as
stabilizers - the physiques of top Olympic weightlifters will attest to that.
*Siff, MC, Verkhoshansky, YV. “Supertraining (4th Edition).” Denver, CO:
Supertraining International, 1999. (pg. 241)
Q: I am still very much confused regarding cardio intensity. One book
says keep it low intensity (i.e. 60% of MHR) and go for distance; another
keep it high intensity (80% or more) and go for as long and hard as you
can. The goal is to burn fat. Each book has great arguments for their
approach. Which is accurate?
A: The second approach is far more effective for burning fat. Without
getting into a huge discussion about this, here’s how things work in a
nutshell.
At a lower intensity, your body prefers fat for fuel. Yes, this is true, but
two things generally happen:
1. After awhile of doing this type of activity, your body adapts by actually
laying down fat (you heard me right) to become more efficient at the
given task and this usually occurs in the lower body, and
2. A higher relative amount of fat is burned during low intensity cardio
but a greater absolute amount is burned with higher intensity cardio and
in less time.
Other things to consider are: a) the EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen
consumption) is greater for a longer duration following higher intensity
work; in other words, you’re metabolism is much higher for a longer
period of time post-workout with high intensity cardio, and b) higher
lactate levels exist with high intensity cardio. So what you may ask? Well
there is a direct correlation with lactate and GH (Growth Hormone) and
GH is a potent fat-burner.
Bottom line: with regards to burning fat, do higher intensity work in the
form of interval training and you’ll get great results.
John Paul Catanzaro is a certified kinesiologist and professional fitness
and lifestyle consultant with a specialized honours Bachelor of Science
degree in Kinesiology and Health Science. He owns and operates a
private gym in Toronto, Ontario providing training and nutritional
consulting services. For additional information, visit his website at
http://www.BodyEssence.ca or call 416-292-4356.
Check out John Paul’s new DVD, Warm-Up to Strength Training, for some powerful
techniques to increase strength and improve performance! Discover some unique,
cutting-edge methods like how to increase arm strength by up to 10% instantly! It
has been recommended by many experts including Drs. Eric Serrano, Mark Lindsay,
and Ken Kinakin as well as Olympic strength coach, Charles Poliquin. Visit
http://www.StrengthWarmup.com for more information.
What Is Ashtanga Yoga? Understanding the Methods
Ashtanga yoga, also known as power yoga, is quickly gaining popularity among practitioners. So what is Ashtanga yoga? It is the form of yoga most used by athletes and those interested in quickly increasing strength and stamina. Because of that, Ashtanga yoga postures have a higher degree of difficulty than those in other styles. Additionally, they are done as part of series.
Usually, students doing Ashtanga yoga postures will move quickly from one to the other to maintain that focus on strength. That is in opposition to many other forms of yoga where the emphasis is on breathing, relaxation, and flexibility.
Who Should Practice Ashtanga Yoga?
Ashtanga yoga poses are for most anyone who is in decent shape. If you are new to exercise, this is probably not the form of yoga with which you should start. Even the very easiest of Ashtanga poses are very demanding on the body, especially since you will even start with a body warming routine that is designed to activate your muscles. Overall, Ashtanga yoga can provide you with a build up of strength, stamina, and even some flexibility which explains its popularity with those involved in athletics.
If you decide to give Ashtanga a try, you should expect things to progress quickly. You will likely start right off with a sequence of yoga poses. Those will be practiced until the teacher feels you have mastered it fairly well and have complete understanding of its fundamentals. Then, you will move on to another series and a higher level of difficulty. Overall, it is a very fast moving form of yoga.
Ashtanga Poses
As for the Ashtanga yoga poses, they range widely in terms of positioning. You will find yourself moving from standing, backbent, inverted, balancing, seated, and even twisting poses. In power yoga, the sun salutation sequence of poses is very popular as well, so you will often use standing forward bend, upward dog, downward dog, and many other poses sprinkled in as well.
Though much of the focus in Ashtanga yoga poses is on the development of stamina and strength, you will also, as with any yoga, be focusing. You will be asked to focus your eyes on a point as you move through the poses given out by your instructor. In order to get the full effect and benefit of Ashtanga, you should make sure that your muscles and perhaps even the rooms are very warm. This ensures maximum flexibility and minimal injury as you work through the demanding postures.
If you are into athletics, exercise, or just want a new physical challenge, perhaps you should consider giving Ashtanga yoga a try. The clear choice of athletes and an increasingly popular form in general, it is perfect for those that are in decent shape and want to increase their strength, stamina, and flexibility. Power yoga is a series of poses taken in a quick and free flowing sequence. Even the classes move quickly with teachers adding more difficult sequences every time one is fairly well mastered. So if you learn fast, like to work hard, and think you are up to the challenge of power yoga, then you may benefit greatly from Ashtanga yoga poses.
References: http://.yoga.org.nz/what-is-yoga/yoga_styles.htm
If you’d like to find out more about ashtanga yoga postures, see this article. Ashtanga yoga is great for losing weight, so if you’re interested in learning about the benefits of yoga breathing and weight loss, click here.
Usually, students doing Ashtanga yoga postures will move quickly from one to the other to maintain that focus on strength. That is in opposition to many other forms of yoga where the emphasis is on breathing, relaxation, and flexibility.
Who Should Practice Ashtanga Yoga?
Ashtanga yoga poses are for most anyone who is in decent shape. If you are new to exercise, this is probably not the form of yoga with which you should start. Even the very easiest of Ashtanga poses are very demanding on the body, especially since you will even start with a body warming routine that is designed to activate your muscles. Overall, Ashtanga yoga can provide you with a build up of strength, stamina, and even some flexibility which explains its popularity with those involved in athletics.
If you decide to give Ashtanga a try, you should expect things to progress quickly. You will likely start right off with a sequence of yoga poses. Those will be practiced until the teacher feels you have mastered it fairly well and have complete understanding of its fundamentals. Then, you will move on to another series and a higher level of difficulty. Overall, it is a very fast moving form of yoga.
Ashtanga Poses
As for the Ashtanga yoga poses, they range widely in terms of positioning. You will find yourself moving from standing, backbent, inverted, balancing, seated, and even twisting poses. In power yoga, the sun salutation sequence of poses is very popular as well, so you will often use standing forward bend, upward dog, downward dog, and many other poses sprinkled in as well.
Though much of the focus in Ashtanga yoga poses is on the development of stamina and strength, you will also, as with any yoga, be focusing. You will be asked to focus your eyes on a point as you move through the poses given out by your instructor. In order to get the full effect and benefit of Ashtanga, you should make sure that your muscles and perhaps even the rooms are very warm. This ensures maximum flexibility and minimal injury as you work through the demanding postures.
If you are into athletics, exercise, or just want a new physical challenge, perhaps you should consider giving Ashtanga yoga a try. The clear choice of athletes and an increasingly popular form in general, it is perfect for those that are in decent shape and want to increase their strength, stamina, and flexibility. Power yoga is a series of poses taken in a quick and free flowing sequence. Even the classes move quickly with teachers adding more difficult sequences every time one is fairly well mastered. So if you learn fast, like to work hard, and think you are up to the challenge of power yoga, then you may benefit greatly from Ashtanga yoga poses.
References: http://.yoga.org.nz/what-is-yoga/yoga_styles.htm
If you’d like to find out more about ashtanga yoga postures, see this article. Ashtanga yoga is great for losing weight, so if you’re interested in learning about the benefits of yoga breathing and weight loss, click here.
3 Simple Weight Loss Tips from the Pros
Tip 1) DRINK A GLASS OF WATER AFTER EACH SNACK
This will help you get in your 8 to 10 glasses of water each
day but it can also have other benefits. Ever feel hungry after
eating a handful or standard serving of nuts? Try drinking water
afterwards. The water will help you feel full and prevent
overindulgence.
Drinking water after a snack will also help remove the aftertaste from your mouth and can help curb your desire for more.
Tip 2) EAT SLOWLY & ENJOY YOUR FOOD
You will feel full and more satisfied if you take the time to savor your food and chew it slower. Don?t get in the habit of eating while standing or eating quickly. Sit down and chew.
Eating slower will help you enjoy your food more, pay attention
to what it is you are actually eating and get a better sense of when you are actually full.
Tip 3) EAT YOUR LARGER MEALS EARLY, AND SMALLER MEALS LATER
You will feel better and lose weight quicker if you eat a large
breakfast and eat a smaller dinner. You may also want to eat
the majority of your carbs earlier in the day, saving a salad and lean meat protein for dinner.
Eating larger meals during the part of the day when you are most active will help you to feel satisfied throughout the day and curb cravings for unhealthy snacks.
To Your Health,
Brent Hollins
Discover Amazing Secrets, Tips
and Resources to Lose Weight..
In Only 30 Seconds - Free!
http://www.e-healthdirectory.com/ezine.html
This will help you get in your 8 to 10 glasses of water each
day but it can also have other benefits. Ever feel hungry after
eating a handful or standard serving of nuts? Try drinking water
afterwards. The water will help you feel full and prevent
overindulgence.
Drinking water after a snack will also help remove the aftertaste from your mouth and can help curb your desire for more.
Tip 2) EAT SLOWLY & ENJOY YOUR FOOD
You will feel full and more satisfied if you take the time to savor your food and chew it slower. Don?t get in the habit of eating while standing or eating quickly. Sit down and chew.
Eating slower will help you enjoy your food more, pay attention
to what it is you are actually eating and get a better sense of when you are actually full.
Tip 3) EAT YOUR LARGER MEALS EARLY, AND SMALLER MEALS LATER
You will feel better and lose weight quicker if you eat a large
breakfast and eat a smaller dinner. You may also want to eat
the majority of your carbs earlier in the day, saving a salad and lean meat protein for dinner.
Eating larger meals during the part of the day when you are most active will help you to feel satisfied throughout the day and curb cravings for unhealthy snacks.
To Your Health,
Brent Hollins
Discover Amazing Secrets, Tips
and Resources to Lose Weight..
In Only 30 Seconds - Free!
http://www.e-healthdirectory.com/ezine.html
Fitness Resolutions
The holidays are now officially over and it?s time to get back on track! January 1st is the day we all get to start over. A time to make the changes in our lives that we?ve wanted to make but got sidetracked along the way. So, you’ve had your fill of tempting treats. The holidays are always exciting and indulgent. Now that they’re over, hopefully you’ll never want to look at another piece of pumpkin pie or vat of mashed potatoes. Starting a healthy eating program will be a pleasure instead of a chore.
Maybe emotionally, you’re ready for a change. For most Americans, New Year’s is a time of new beginning and emotional rebirth. You may feel the desire to alter your way of life or spend more time focusing on yourself. There’s no better time to improve your health.
Also, there’s plenty of time to prepare for the next holiday season. You’ve got a whole year to adapt to a healthy lifestyle. The next time the holidays hit, you’ll be better prepared to enjoy yourself without overindulging.
Approximately 90 percent of Americans make at least one New Year’s resolution each year. Unfortunately, no matter how well intentioned they are, most people fail to keep their resolutions.
Here are a few ways you can ensure your success:
1. SET OBTAINABLE GOALS. It’s reasonable to lose 10 percent of your starting weight within 3 months. The goal of the EVERY BODY LOSES plan is to help you learn how to make healthy eating choices that you can carry with you for life. Rather than focusing on losing as much weight as you can as quickly as you can, realize that, if you follow the plan correctly, this could be the last program you?ll ever need.
2. SET SMALL GOALS AND REWARD YOURSELF OCCASIONALLY. With the EVERY BODY LOSES plan, you may choose to set mini-goals. Once you reach your mini-goal, you can reward yourself and move on to the next mini-goal. Do not always give yourself food as a reward. Instead, treat yourself to new clothes that flatter your new body or a DVD of a favorite movie.
3. SURROUND YOURSELF WITH SUPPORTIVE PEOPLE. You’ll be more likely to succeed if you have friends or family offering you encouragement and praise.
TOP 10 NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS
Here is an interesting list of most common New Year?s Resolutions. Whether you’re starting a new diet, committing to a regular exercise routine, or promising to spend more time at home, chances are there’s someone else out there with the same idea. Does yours make this list?
1. Lose weight
2. Exercise more
3. Spend more time with family
4. Get out of debt
5. Work less
6. Quit smoking or drinking
7. Get involved in community service
8. Read more
9. Get organized
10. Live life to the fullest
Be well & stay fit!
Aimee Deak
Aimee Deak is a certified personal trainer, nutrition analyst and author of the book, “Every Body Loses”, an easy-to follow,
step-by-step guide to fat loss.
You can find more information about fat loss and exercise on her
website http://www.aim4nutrition.com
Maybe emotionally, you’re ready for a change. For most Americans, New Year’s is a time of new beginning and emotional rebirth. You may feel the desire to alter your way of life or spend more time focusing on yourself. There’s no better time to improve your health.
Also, there’s plenty of time to prepare for the next holiday season. You’ve got a whole year to adapt to a healthy lifestyle. The next time the holidays hit, you’ll be better prepared to enjoy yourself without overindulging.
Approximately 90 percent of Americans make at least one New Year’s resolution each year. Unfortunately, no matter how well intentioned they are, most people fail to keep their resolutions.
Here are a few ways you can ensure your success:
1. SET OBTAINABLE GOALS. It’s reasonable to lose 10 percent of your starting weight within 3 months. The goal of the EVERY BODY LOSES plan is to help you learn how to make healthy eating choices that you can carry with you for life. Rather than focusing on losing as much weight as you can as quickly as you can, realize that, if you follow the plan correctly, this could be the last program you?ll ever need.
2. SET SMALL GOALS AND REWARD YOURSELF OCCASIONALLY. With the EVERY BODY LOSES plan, you may choose to set mini-goals. Once you reach your mini-goal, you can reward yourself and move on to the next mini-goal. Do not always give yourself food as a reward. Instead, treat yourself to new clothes that flatter your new body or a DVD of a favorite movie.
3. SURROUND YOURSELF WITH SUPPORTIVE PEOPLE. You’ll be more likely to succeed if you have friends or family offering you encouragement and praise.
TOP 10 NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS
Here is an interesting list of most common New Year?s Resolutions. Whether you’re starting a new diet, committing to a regular exercise routine, or promising to spend more time at home, chances are there’s someone else out there with the same idea. Does yours make this list?
1. Lose weight
2. Exercise more
3. Spend more time with family
4. Get out of debt
5. Work less
6. Quit smoking or drinking
7. Get involved in community service
8. Read more
9. Get organized
10. Live life to the fullest
Be well & stay fit!
Aimee Deak
Aimee Deak is a certified personal trainer, nutrition analyst and author of the book, “Every Body Loses”, an easy-to follow,
step-by-step guide to fat loss.
You can find more information about fat loss and exercise on her
website http://www.aim4nutrition.com
Yoga Positions ? A Few Tips
Yoga positions and the practice of yoga can be beneficial to your mind, your muscles, and even internal functions like your digestive system. With so many benefits, it is no wonder that yoga?s popularity is on the rise. Before you take it up, though, it is a good idea to have in mind the right information to help you succeed and get the most out of the experience. Take these yoga tips into account as you begin your physical, mental, and spiritual journey.
Practice Makes Perfect
Practice your positions often. Yoga offers many benefits to your mind, body, and spirit, and these benefits may be maximized with regular practice on your own in addition to your classes and with your teacher. As a beginner, it is especially important that you practice so that you may see and feel the benefits early on. With yoga, the frequency with which you work on your positions is as important if not more so than the length of the practice sessions. Try to find a few minutes each day to do a little bit of yoga.
Make sure that you practice your poses correctly. Most anything you read, watch, or listen to about yoga will tell you to practice often, but one of the yoga tips that sometimes get skipped is that you must practice right. Make sure that each practice session extends you. Do not practice only your best poses, but also work on poses you struggle with as well. Such a practice will be more productive and give you the feeling of self-assurance that you seek with yoga.
Maximizing Your Potential
One of the more important tips for beginners is to let go of your ego. In order to fully maximize your yoga experience, you must forget about such things as impressing your teacher and classmates. One of the central ideas of yoga is self-study. To fully study yourself, you must try not to compare yourself to the teacher or other students, but instead, you should strive to maximize your own learning and improvement during each class and practice session.
Finding Yourself
During practice, remember what is important. The depths of your poses are not nearly as important as how deep you delve into yourself. In yoga, you learn about your inner attention. Be sure to use that attention when practicing and when with your instructor to get the most out of your poses even if you cannot get deeply into them physically.
Finding the Right Teacher
No number of yoga positioning tips can compete with having the right teacher. When selecting a yoga teacher, make sure you find someone with whom you feel comfortable. Your instructor should have good knowledge and work through compassion and respect for you as a person. No matter how many books you read or tapes you watch, you will never get the feedback and encouragement that you will with the right teacher.
As a beginner in yoga, there are undoubtedly times that you feel a bit lost. That is okay. Hopefully, though, with these tips you will have an idea of what you need to do to feel more successful in your yoga experience. Yoga is not a religion, but in some ways it does become a way of life, and by following these tip you can start your journey toward that way of life on the right foot.
References:
1. yoga.com
2. yogaeverywhere.com
If you’d like to learn about 6 beginner asanas, click here. Or if you’re pregnant, check out these prenatal yoga exercises.
Practice Makes Perfect
Practice your positions often. Yoga offers many benefits to your mind, body, and spirit, and these benefits may be maximized with regular practice on your own in addition to your classes and with your teacher. As a beginner, it is especially important that you practice so that you may see and feel the benefits early on. With yoga, the frequency with which you work on your positions is as important if not more so than the length of the practice sessions. Try to find a few minutes each day to do a little bit of yoga.
Make sure that you practice your poses correctly. Most anything you read, watch, or listen to about yoga will tell you to practice often, but one of the yoga tips that sometimes get skipped is that you must practice right. Make sure that each practice session extends you. Do not practice only your best poses, but also work on poses you struggle with as well. Such a practice will be more productive and give you the feeling of self-assurance that you seek with yoga.
Maximizing Your Potential
One of the more important tips for beginners is to let go of your ego. In order to fully maximize your yoga experience, you must forget about such things as impressing your teacher and classmates. One of the central ideas of yoga is self-study. To fully study yourself, you must try not to compare yourself to the teacher or other students, but instead, you should strive to maximize your own learning and improvement during each class and practice session.
Finding Yourself
During practice, remember what is important. The depths of your poses are not nearly as important as how deep you delve into yourself. In yoga, you learn about your inner attention. Be sure to use that attention when practicing and when with your instructor to get the most out of your poses even if you cannot get deeply into them physically.
Finding the Right Teacher
No number of yoga positioning tips can compete with having the right teacher. When selecting a yoga teacher, make sure you find someone with whom you feel comfortable. Your instructor should have good knowledge and work through compassion and respect for you as a person. No matter how many books you read or tapes you watch, you will never get the feedback and encouragement that you will with the right teacher.
As a beginner in yoga, there are undoubtedly times that you feel a bit lost. That is okay. Hopefully, though, with these tips you will have an idea of what you need to do to feel more successful in your yoga experience. Yoga is not a religion, but in some ways it does become a way of life, and by following these tip you can start your journey toward that way of life on the right foot.
References:
1. yoga.com
2. yogaeverywhere.com
If you’d like to learn about 6 beginner asanas, click here. Or if you’re pregnant, check out these prenatal yoga exercises.
Lose Weight And Get Healthy; Can Laughter Be A Cure For Obesity?
Once there were these two Nuns and they…just kidding! Do you feel any thinner or healthier? Well, according to recent studies, you might not in the beginning but over the long haul, you could actually drop weight.
Now, if you are laughing because you are binging on some kind of pastry or you getting trashed on alcohol, this might not work for you but if you are laughing for other reasons, it could pay greatly by reducing fat around your waist and thighs.
First of all, I am going dispel a few myths regarding the Cortisol fighting snake-oils that are being advertised.
Cortisol is caused by physical and emotional stress! Cortisol is a hormone released by your adrenal glands in response to either physical or emotional stress and that is the reason it is referred to as the “stress” hormone. Whether it’s a lot of missed nights of sleep, an extremely low calorie diet or getting caught in a traffic jam, your body responds in much the same way. It secretes cortisol into your bloodstream, which can cause even more problems.
This hormone is part of the “fight-or-flight” response that we have as human beings. Faced with stressful situations and danger, we are left to either run or fight. Your body secretes this hormone as a way of defending against stress and danger. Primarily it increases the flow of glucose, protein and fat out of your tissues and into your circulation system. For example, if a bear were chasing you in the woods, your energy levels would increase because it your body’s natural response to a physical threat.
The dangers of having these high levels of the hormone have been associated with storage of visceral fat, diabetes, heart disease, weakened immune system, and chronic depression.
Now that you are a little more educated, what do you think would be the best idea for preventing these deadly, hormonal, Cortisol surges? Come-on, I know you know the answer. It isn’t in some magic Cortisol-blocking pill, is it? That’s right, you need to control your STRESS.
You can take all the Cortisol blocking stuff you want, but if you aren’t controlling your stress, you could easily be storing abdominal fat if you are a man and hip and thigh fat if you are a woman.
I am not saying that supplementation may not be required for some people. I believe that if you aren’t getting enough rest or you are unable to relax, you probably need some nutrients put back into your body. Remember though, supplementation does not mean replacement. Learning how to get your stress levels down is the most productive thing you can do.
Also, if you are suffering with anxiety and depression, your body may need some real medical help to get your stress level down to something manageable. In fact, if you are under the kind of stress that causes weight gain, learning relaxation skills are probably the first things your doctor will advise you to do. Also, if you are suffering with anxiety and depression, don’t be afraid to consult with a qualified physician because they can really help you get your stress levels under control.
Finally, I went a long way to say, ” Laughter will do wonders for your stress levels”. Relaxation doesn’t always mean just laying down watching TV so you can’t use this issue article as an excuse for being lazy. You just need to learn how to calm down and recognize stress.
Check out this research from Dr. Lee Berk.
Therapeutic Benefits of Laughter (RESEARCH)
Dr. Lee Berk and fellow researcher Dr. Stanley Tan of Loma Linda University in California have been studying the effects of laughter on the immune system. To date their published studies have shown that laughing lowers blood pressure, reduces stress hormones, increases muscle flexion, and boosts immune function by raising levels of infection-fighting T-cells, disease-fighting proteins called Gamma-interferon and B-cells, which produce disease-destroying antibodies. Laughter also triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers, and produces a general sense of well-being.
Following is a summary of his research, taken from an interview published in the September/October 1996 issue of the Humor and Health Journal.
Laughter Activates the Immune System:
In Berk’s study, the physiological response produced by belly laughter was opposite of what is seen in classical stress, supporting the conclusion that mirthful laughter is a eustress state — a state that produces healthy or positive emotions.
Research results indicate that, after exposure to humor, there is a general increase in activity within the immune system, including: An increase in the number and activity level of natural killer cells that attack viral infected cells and some types of cancer and tumor cells.
An increase in activated T cells (T lymphocytes). There are many T cells that await activation. Laughter appears to tell the immune system to “turn it up a notch.”
Increases antibodies IgA (immunoglobulin A), which fights upper respiratory tract insults and infections.
An increase in gamma interferon, which tells various components of the immune system to “turn on.”
An increase in IgB, the immunoglobulin produced in the greatest quantity in body, as well as an increase in Complement 3, which helps antibodies to pierce dysfunctional or infected cells. The increase in both substances was not only present while subjects watched a humor video; there also was a lingering effect that continued to show increased levels the next day.
Laughter Decreases “Stress” Hormones:
The results of the study also supported research indicating a general decrease in stress hormones that constrict blood vessels and suppress immune activity. These were shown to decrease in the study group exposed to humor.
For example, levels of epinephrine were lower in the group both in anticipation of humor and after exposure to humor. Epinephrine levels remained down throughout the experiment.
In addition, dopamine levels (as measured by dopac) were also decreased. Dopamine is involved in the “fight or flight response” and is associated with elevated blood pressure.
Laughing is aerobic, providing a workout for the diaphragm and increasing the body’s ability to use oxygen.
Laughter brings in positive emotions that can enhance - not replace — conventional treatments. Hence it is another tool available to help fight the disease.
Experts believe that, when used as an adjunct to conventional care, laughter can reduce pain and aid the healing process. For one thing, laughter offers a powerful distraction from pain.
In a study published in the Journal of Holistic Nursing, patients were told one-liners after surgery and before painful medication was administered. Those exposed to humor perceived less pain when compared to patients who didn’t get a dose of humor as part of their therapy.
Perhaps, the biggest benefit of laughter is that it is free and has no known negative side effects.
So, here is a summary of how humor contributes to physical health. More details can be found in the article, Humor and Health contributed by Paul McGhee
Muscle Relaxation - Belly laugh results in muscle relaxation. While you laugh, the muscles that do not participate in the belly laugh, relaxes. After you finish laughing those muscles involved in the laughter start to relax. So, the action takes place in two stages.
Reduction of Stress Hormones - Laughter reduces at least four of neuroendocrine hormones associated with stress response. These are epinephrine, cortisol, dopac, and growth hormone.
Immune System Enhancement - Clinical studies have shown that humor strengthens the immune system.
Pain Reduction - Humor allows a person to “forget” about pains such as aches, arthritis, etc.
Cardiac Exercise - A belly laugh is equivalent to “an internal jogging.” Laughter can provide good cardiac conditioning especially for those who are unable to perform physical exercises.
Blood Pressure - Women seem to benefit more than men in preventing hypertension.
Respiration - Frequent belly laughter empties your lungs of more air than it takes in resulting in a cleansing effect - similar to deep breathing. Especially beneficial for patient’s who are suffering from emphysema and other respiratory ailments. (SIDE BAR FROM Randall Gartman: It will also help balance Oxygen and Co2 levels, which could help anxiety sufferers with hyperventilation)
—End of Research—
Now, Let me show you how you can apply what you just learned.
Sit in a chair, check your shoulders and let them relax but keep your posture straight so you can breathe properly. Imagine your butt sinking into your chair but feel yourself centered, neither leaning forward or back.
Breathe in from your diaphragm to the count of 4, hold your breath to count of 4 and release your breath to the count of 4. If you want to know how to breathe properly, watch an infant sleep because they haven’t learned how to breathe improperly yet!
As you take each breath, tighten up your toes to the count of 4, hold that tension to the count of 4 and release the tension slowly to the count of 4.
Perform that routine for each body part in this order: toes, feet, calves, thighs, buttocks, abs, chest, back, arms, hands, neck and face.
After you finish the above exercise, discover what it’s like to finally be relaxed and just sit there for a few minutes. If it is at night, you can do this lying down so all you need to do is close your eyes and get some sleep. However, if it is daytime, I want you stand up (if you can) and stretch and put a big goofy smile on your face. I mean cross your eyes and jump up and down like a crazy person. Don’t stop until you are laughing!
Now that you know that laughter is awesome medicine for fighting obesity and a variety of health issues, how often do you think you could practice putting a smile on your face? I am getting thin right now. In fact, I am exercising in public right now–LOL.
(c) 2003 - 2004 Randall T. Gartman
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Randall Gartman, “Certified Personal Trainer and NLP Practitioner,” is author of “eMpowering Physical Mastery” and “eMpowering Pain-Free Living - Life Without Obesity.” To learn more about his books and sign up for more FREE tips like these, visit his site at http://www.stopbeingoverweight.com
Now, if you are laughing because you are binging on some kind of pastry or you getting trashed on alcohol, this might not work for you but if you are laughing for other reasons, it could pay greatly by reducing fat around your waist and thighs.
First of all, I am going dispel a few myths regarding the Cortisol fighting snake-oils that are being advertised.
Cortisol is caused by physical and emotional stress! Cortisol is a hormone released by your adrenal glands in response to either physical or emotional stress and that is the reason it is referred to as the “stress” hormone. Whether it’s a lot of missed nights of sleep, an extremely low calorie diet or getting caught in a traffic jam, your body responds in much the same way. It secretes cortisol into your bloodstream, which can cause even more problems.
This hormone is part of the “fight-or-flight” response that we have as human beings. Faced with stressful situations and danger, we are left to either run or fight. Your body secretes this hormone as a way of defending against stress and danger. Primarily it increases the flow of glucose, protein and fat out of your tissues and into your circulation system. For example, if a bear were chasing you in the woods, your energy levels would increase because it your body’s natural response to a physical threat.
The dangers of having these high levels of the hormone have been associated with storage of visceral fat, diabetes, heart disease, weakened immune system, and chronic depression.
Now that you are a little more educated, what do you think would be the best idea for preventing these deadly, hormonal, Cortisol surges? Come-on, I know you know the answer. It isn’t in some magic Cortisol-blocking pill, is it? That’s right, you need to control your STRESS.
You can take all the Cortisol blocking stuff you want, but if you aren’t controlling your stress, you could easily be storing abdominal fat if you are a man and hip and thigh fat if you are a woman.
I am not saying that supplementation may not be required for some people. I believe that if you aren’t getting enough rest or you are unable to relax, you probably need some nutrients put back into your body. Remember though, supplementation does not mean replacement. Learning how to get your stress levels down is the most productive thing you can do.
Also, if you are suffering with anxiety and depression, your body may need some real medical help to get your stress level down to something manageable. In fact, if you are under the kind of stress that causes weight gain, learning relaxation skills are probably the first things your doctor will advise you to do. Also, if you are suffering with anxiety and depression, don’t be afraid to consult with a qualified physician because they can really help you get your stress levels under control.
Finally, I went a long way to say, ” Laughter will do wonders for your stress levels”. Relaxation doesn’t always mean just laying down watching TV so you can’t use this issue article as an excuse for being lazy. You just need to learn how to calm down and recognize stress.
Check out this research from Dr. Lee Berk.
Therapeutic Benefits of Laughter (RESEARCH)
Dr. Lee Berk and fellow researcher Dr. Stanley Tan of Loma Linda University in California have been studying the effects of laughter on the immune system. To date their published studies have shown that laughing lowers blood pressure, reduces stress hormones, increases muscle flexion, and boosts immune function by raising levels of infection-fighting T-cells, disease-fighting proteins called Gamma-interferon and B-cells, which produce disease-destroying antibodies. Laughter also triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers, and produces a general sense of well-being.
Following is a summary of his research, taken from an interview published in the September/October 1996 issue of the Humor and Health Journal.
Laughter Activates the Immune System:
In Berk’s study, the physiological response produced by belly laughter was opposite of what is seen in classical stress, supporting the conclusion that mirthful laughter is a eustress state — a state that produces healthy or positive emotions.
Research results indicate that, after exposure to humor, there is a general increase in activity within the immune system, including: An increase in the number and activity level of natural killer cells that attack viral infected cells and some types of cancer and tumor cells.
An increase in activated T cells (T lymphocytes). There are many T cells that await activation. Laughter appears to tell the immune system to “turn it up a notch.”
Increases antibodies IgA (immunoglobulin A), which fights upper respiratory tract insults and infections.
An increase in gamma interferon, which tells various components of the immune system to “turn on.”
An increase in IgB, the immunoglobulin produced in the greatest quantity in body, as well as an increase in Complement 3, which helps antibodies to pierce dysfunctional or infected cells. The increase in both substances was not only present while subjects watched a humor video; there also was a lingering effect that continued to show increased levels the next day.
Laughter Decreases “Stress” Hormones:
The results of the study also supported research indicating a general decrease in stress hormones that constrict blood vessels and suppress immune activity. These were shown to decrease in the study group exposed to humor.
For example, levels of epinephrine were lower in the group both in anticipation of humor and after exposure to humor. Epinephrine levels remained down throughout the experiment.
In addition, dopamine levels (as measured by dopac) were also decreased. Dopamine is involved in the “fight or flight response” and is associated with elevated blood pressure.
Laughing is aerobic, providing a workout for the diaphragm and increasing the body’s ability to use oxygen.
Laughter brings in positive emotions that can enhance - not replace — conventional treatments. Hence it is another tool available to help fight the disease.
Experts believe that, when used as an adjunct to conventional care, laughter can reduce pain and aid the healing process. For one thing, laughter offers a powerful distraction from pain.
In a study published in the Journal of Holistic Nursing, patients were told one-liners after surgery and before painful medication was administered. Those exposed to humor perceived less pain when compared to patients who didn’t get a dose of humor as part of their therapy.
Perhaps, the biggest benefit of laughter is that it is free and has no known negative side effects.
So, here is a summary of how humor contributes to physical health. More details can be found in the article, Humor and Health contributed by Paul McGhee
Muscle Relaxation - Belly laugh results in muscle relaxation. While you laugh, the muscles that do not participate in the belly laugh, relaxes. After you finish laughing those muscles involved in the laughter start to relax. So, the action takes place in two stages.
Reduction of Stress Hormones - Laughter reduces at least four of neuroendocrine hormones associated with stress response. These are epinephrine, cortisol, dopac, and growth hormone.
Immune System Enhancement - Clinical studies have shown that humor strengthens the immune system.
Pain Reduction - Humor allows a person to “forget” about pains such as aches, arthritis, etc.
Cardiac Exercise - A belly laugh is equivalent to “an internal jogging.” Laughter can provide good cardiac conditioning especially for those who are unable to perform physical exercises.
Blood Pressure - Women seem to benefit more than men in preventing hypertension.
Respiration - Frequent belly laughter empties your lungs of more air than it takes in resulting in a cleansing effect - similar to deep breathing. Especially beneficial for patient’s who are suffering from emphysema and other respiratory ailments. (SIDE BAR FROM Randall Gartman: It will also help balance Oxygen and Co2 levels, which could help anxiety sufferers with hyperventilation)
—End of Research—
Now, Let me show you how you can apply what you just learned.
Sit in a chair, check your shoulders and let them relax but keep your posture straight so you can breathe properly. Imagine your butt sinking into your chair but feel yourself centered, neither leaning forward or back.
Breathe in from your diaphragm to the count of 4, hold your breath to count of 4 and release your breath to the count of 4. If you want to know how to breathe properly, watch an infant sleep because they haven’t learned how to breathe improperly yet!
As you take each breath, tighten up your toes to the count of 4, hold that tension to the count of 4 and release the tension slowly to the count of 4.
Perform that routine for each body part in this order: toes, feet, calves, thighs, buttocks, abs, chest, back, arms, hands, neck and face.
After you finish the above exercise, discover what it’s like to finally be relaxed and just sit there for a few minutes. If it is at night, you can do this lying down so all you need to do is close your eyes and get some sleep. However, if it is daytime, I want you stand up (if you can) and stretch and put a big goofy smile on your face. I mean cross your eyes and jump up and down like a crazy person. Don’t stop until you are laughing!
Now that you know that laughter is awesome medicine for fighting obesity and a variety of health issues, how often do you think you could practice putting a smile on your face? I am getting thin right now. In fact, I am exercising in public right now–LOL.
(c) 2003 - 2004 Randall T. Gartman
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Randall Gartman, “Certified Personal Trainer and NLP Practitioner,” is author of “eMpowering Physical Mastery” and “eMpowering Pain-Free Living - Life Without Obesity.” To learn more about his books and sign up for more FREE tips like these, visit his site at http://www.stopbeingoverweight.com
Oxygen Therapy For Weight Loss?
The chemistry sounds very straightforward. Human body fat is a combination of three elements - hydrogen, carbon and oxygen molecules (plus other substances that are stored within the fat cells).
Add extra oxygen to the body fat, and in theory it should break down into two well known substances:
1. Hydrogen & oxygen molecules (H2O - water, which enters the blood stream, goes through the kidneys and is then excreted via urination); &
2. Carbon & oxygen molecules (CO2 - carbon dioxide, which is excreted via respiration).
Oxygen or Ozone Therapies are used by a number of alternative medicine practitioners around the world. It is more popular in Europe than in the USA. Practitioners are also found in Canada and Mexico.
Despite being banned in some countries and certainly debunked by large sections of the “conventional” medical profession, there is plenty of evidence that oxygen therapy produces health benefits for many conditions far cheaper, much faster and without the side effects of patent drugs.
Oxygen therapy is usually administered in one of two ways:
1. A facial mask attached to an oxygen tank, so that the patient breaths in oxygen for many hours of the day; or
2. Daily sessions of diluted hydrogen peroxide administered via an intravenous drip.
Given the straightforward chemical composition of body fat discussed above, does Oxygen Therapy actually work for weight loss? I decided to contact a number of practitioners in various parts of the world and ask them if, when treating patients for other ailments using oxygen therapies, weight loss was ever seen as a side-effect of their treatment.
All the doctors who replied responded that no such weight loss factor has ever been observed that they could credit to the oxygen therapy itself, and not the condition they were treating.
It seems that empirical evidence to support the theory that oxygen therapy could reduce body fat into the easily excreted H2O and CO2 is lacking.
Still, not everyone is convinced. The chemistry appears fine on paper, so something is missing in the implementation. Finding that missing factor could be crucial in the battle of the bulge, the quest for weight loss, and conquering obesity.
Books have been written promoting special breathing techniques for weight loss. Although there are sceptics, there are also many people around the world who swear by the success they have achieved in losing weight via these breathing techniques.
The theory behind these breathing techniques is not merely due to the intake of the oxygen, but that the human body’s metabolic process expels waste matter, including carbon dioxide, when we breath out. Our air intake is higher in oxygen than what we expire, and we breath out more carbon dioxide than we breath in.
The breathing technique therefore seeks to encourage and maximize the expulsion of carbon dioxide from our bodies - carbon dioxide that is the waste matter created when the oxygen dissolves body fat.
Personally, I must admit to being impressed though not thoroughly convinced. It is quite reasonable to assume that the people who are disciplined enough to follow this breathing technique diligently for several weeks or months are probably motivated enough to also be doing other things (dietary, psychologically, etc.) that will be causing the weight loss.
Still, it fits the basic (unproven) theory that adding oxygen to body fat should result in weight loss. Furthermore, it is harmless, so long as adequate dietary intake of antioxidant vitamins and minerals are being consumed. Whether the actual results are from the technique itself or of a more psychosomatic nature is immaterial if it works, is free and available to all, and has no adverse side effects.
By all means, add these deep breathing exercises to your overall toolbox of synergistic weight loss treatments.
Still, there is one more form of oxygen therapy (not usually recognized as such) that even the sceptics would have trouble disputing.
It is more commonly called exercise. More accurately, aerobic exercise. (Aerobic simply means “air breathing”.) It is exercise that makes you huff and puff, deepening your breathing. It is and always has been one of the most fundamental parts of any successful weight loss program.
Trevor Johnson is a Masters qualified researcher cum electronic publisher with over twenty years personal experience in the battle against obesity. Objective information and the pros and cons of many types of weight loss therapies is found at?his “Weight Loss, Dieting & Obesity” site:http://www.DietWords.com
Add extra oxygen to the body fat, and in theory it should break down into two well known substances:
1. Hydrogen & oxygen molecules (H2O - water, which enters the blood stream, goes through the kidneys and is then excreted via urination); &
2. Carbon & oxygen molecules (CO2 - carbon dioxide, which is excreted via respiration).
Oxygen or Ozone Therapies are used by a number of alternative medicine practitioners around the world. It is more popular in Europe than in the USA. Practitioners are also found in Canada and Mexico.
Despite being banned in some countries and certainly debunked by large sections of the “conventional” medical profession, there is plenty of evidence that oxygen therapy produces health benefits for many conditions far cheaper, much faster and without the side effects of patent drugs.
Oxygen therapy is usually administered in one of two ways:
1. A facial mask attached to an oxygen tank, so that the patient breaths in oxygen for many hours of the day; or
2. Daily sessions of diluted hydrogen peroxide administered via an intravenous drip.
Given the straightforward chemical composition of body fat discussed above, does Oxygen Therapy actually work for weight loss? I decided to contact a number of practitioners in various parts of the world and ask them if, when treating patients for other ailments using oxygen therapies, weight loss was ever seen as a side-effect of their treatment.
All the doctors who replied responded that no such weight loss factor has ever been observed that they could credit to the oxygen therapy itself, and not the condition they were treating.
It seems that empirical evidence to support the theory that oxygen therapy could reduce body fat into the easily excreted H2O and CO2 is lacking.
Still, not everyone is convinced. The chemistry appears fine on paper, so something is missing in the implementation. Finding that missing factor could be crucial in the battle of the bulge, the quest for weight loss, and conquering obesity.
Books have been written promoting special breathing techniques for weight loss. Although there are sceptics, there are also many people around the world who swear by the success they have achieved in losing weight via these breathing techniques.
The theory behind these breathing techniques is not merely due to the intake of the oxygen, but that the human body’s metabolic process expels waste matter, including carbon dioxide, when we breath out. Our air intake is higher in oxygen than what we expire, and we breath out more carbon dioxide than we breath in.
The breathing technique therefore seeks to encourage and maximize the expulsion of carbon dioxide from our bodies - carbon dioxide that is the waste matter created when the oxygen dissolves body fat.
Personally, I must admit to being impressed though not thoroughly convinced. It is quite reasonable to assume that the people who are disciplined enough to follow this breathing technique diligently for several weeks or months are probably motivated enough to also be doing other things (dietary, psychologically, etc.) that will be causing the weight loss.
Still, it fits the basic (unproven) theory that adding oxygen to body fat should result in weight loss. Furthermore, it is harmless, so long as adequate dietary intake of antioxidant vitamins and minerals are being consumed. Whether the actual results are from the technique itself or of a more psychosomatic nature is immaterial if it works, is free and available to all, and has no adverse side effects.
By all means, add these deep breathing exercises to your overall toolbox of synergistic weight loss treatments.
Still, there is one more form of oxygen therapy (not usually recognized as such) that even the sceptics would have trouble disputing.
It is more commonly called exercise. More accurately, aerobic exercise. (Aerobic simply means “air breathing”.) It is exercise that makes you huff and puff, deepening your breathing. It is and always has been one of the most fundamental parts of any successful weight loss program.
Trevor Johnson is a Masters qualified researcher cum electronic publisher with over twenty years personal experience in the battle against obesity. Objective information and the pros and cons of many types of weight loss therapies is found at?his “Weight Loss, Dieting & Obesity” site:http://www.DietWords.com
Spring Forage
Thankfully, winter does not last forever! In the spring there is no more
temptation to dip into the white flour canister and whip up biscuits and
gravy or grandma’s banana bread. Ah, as the daylight hours grow
longer, we lose the urge to rummage through the fridge for high carb
“no-no’s.” With the onset of spring, thick, sweet, hot, heavy, bloating,
high glycemic platters of food suddenly have no appeal!
And, to coin a phrase borrowed from a popular shark film, “just as you
thought it was safe to go back on your diet…” here comes spring! The
fabled season of birth and renewal, of life, regeneration, energy and
love has a down side for some. Everything smells fresh and sweet;
tender green grass, fragrant new flower buds, spring rain carried along
on gentle breezes. We start moving again, we are out sneezing from
allergies, hustling and bustling. We use more energy and our schedules
pick up in intensity. Life in general increases…and so do our appetites.
Now, instead of wanting comfort foods on a dark, cold day, we need an
“energy snack” while we are on the run. We expel more energy than we
have for the past two or three months and our “snack” triggers are
activated. After all, we are creatures of nature and we respond to the
seasonal cycles. We are instinctively following nature’s urges to forage
through the season’s fresh and plentiful bounty. Like the bear, we want
to hunt out snacks after winter’s hibernation. Like the cattle and hooved
creatures of the field and plains, we seek energy through munching,
nibbling, grazing and, yes, foraging.
However, as low carbers, we are in a terrific position…this negative cycle for high carbers is actually a positive for us! Eating the high carb way is a major disadvantage during spring because they reach for unhealthy,
carb-laden foods. Although we must be mindful of where we forage and
graze, low carbers have a distinct advantage over those who eat the
“old” way. Yes, a distinct advantage indeed! As long as we watch our
meal portions, and only snack when we are truly hungry or “empty,” then
spring is our smorgasboard. Graze through the fresh salad greens and
tender dark green veggies, root through the nuts and berries, forage for
pork rinds, bacon bits and a myriad of cheeses, and rejoice in the low-
carb lifestyle we have chosen!
Spring symbolizes renewal and vitality…so enjoy renewing your fridge’s
crisper bin, meat tray, and pantry. Feel the vitality of the low carb way of life, and eat guilt-free. Forage to your heart’s content–literally.
Cherie? Davidson is a freelance writer and Web content developer who
lives in the Pacific Northwest with her toy poodle, Auggie Dog, her
?energy muse.? She has her own freelance writing business, Suitable
Words Publications (http://www.suitablewords.com), where she writes
and promotes Website content, designs and develops e-books, hires out
as a copywriter and writes a wide variety of articles, reviews and essays.
She has started a blog at http://suitablewords.blogspot.com and a free
article site at http://www.writerscontent.com
temptation to dip into the white flour canister and whip up biscuits and
gravy or grandma’s banana bread. Ah, as the daylight hours grow
longer, we lose the urge to rummage through the fridge for high carb
“no-no’s.” With the onset of spring, thick, sweet, hot, heavy, bloating,
high glycemic platters of food suddenly have no appeal!
And, to coin a phrase borrowed from a popular shark film, “just as you
thought it was safe to go back on your diet…” here comes spring! The
fabled season of birth and renewal, of life, regeneration, energy and
love has a down side for some. Everything smells fresh and sweet;
tender green grass, fragrant new flower buds, spring rain carried along
on gentle breezes. We start moving again, we are out sneezing from
allergies, hustling and bustling. We use more energy and our schedules
pick up in intensity. Life in general increases…and so do our appetites.
Now, instead of wanting comfort foods on a dark, cold day, we need an
“energy snack” while we are on the run. We expel more energy than we
have for the past two or three months and our “snack” triggers are
activated. After all, we are creatures of nature and we respond to the
seasonal cycles. We are instinctively following nature’s urges to forage
through the season’s fresh and plentiful bounty. Like the bear, we want
to hunt out snacks after winter’s hibernation. Like the cattle and hooved
creatures of the field and plains, we seek energy through munching,
nibbling, grazing and, yes, foraging.
However, as low carbers, we are in a terrific position…this negative cycle for high carbers is actually a positive for us! Eating the high carb way is a major disadvantage during spring because they reach for unhealthy,
carb-laden foods. Although we must be mindful of where we forage and
graze, low carbers have a distinct advantage over those who eat the
“old” way. Yes, a distinct advantage indeed! As long as we watch our
meal portions, and only snack when we are truly hungry or “empty,” then
spring is our smorgasboard. Graze through the fresh salad greens and
tender dark green veggies, root through the nuts and berries, forage for
pork rinds, bacon bits and a myriad of cheeses, and rejoice in the low-
carb lifestyle we have chosen!
Spring symbolizes renewal and vitality…so enjoy renewing your fridge’s
crisper bin, meat tray, and pantry. Feel the vitality of the low carb way of life, and eat guilt-free. Forage to your heart’s content–literally.
Cherie? Davidson is a freelance writer and Web content developer who
lives in the Pacific Northwest with her toy poodle, Auggie Dog, her
?energy muse.? She has her own freelance writing business, Suitable
Words Publications (http://www.suitablewords.com), where she writes
and promotes Website content, designs and develops e-books, hires out
as a copywriter and writes a wide variety of articles, reviews and essays.
She has started a blog at http://suitablewords.blogspot.com and a free
article site at http://www.writerscontent.com
Turn Off the Fat Genes - A Book Review
Once in a while a good title comes along and “Turn Off the Fat Genes” is one of those titles that just have to be written about. If you are not familiar with Dr. Neal Barnard’s work, he has been writing about how to lose weight on a high carbohydrate diet for at least a decade now.
I’m amazed, as you might be, that his work is not better known. There are a number of advantages to using a high carb diet and as many disadvantages to the low carb/ high protein diets.
There is some great research in his books that document the ability to lose weight on a high carbohydrate diet, which may also be healthier in the long run than the ever-popular low carbohydrate diets.
You might think it surprising, as I do, that more people are not using high carb diets to lose weight. You might also conclude that this is solely due to a lack of awareness on the part of the public.
Turn of the Fat Genes, written by Dr. Neal Barnard features over 150 pages of menus and recipes. The recipe and menu section is very comprehensive and you can definitely find recipes that will delight you out of such a large compilation.
Dr. Bernard discusses the concept that some of the genes that shape and influence us as human beings are themselves subject to influence. The genes that affect taste, appetite and metabolism are subject to the influence of the foods that we eat.
Not only are they subject to influence, the proper use of foods can mean that you don’t have to sacrifice and starve yourself of decent nutrition. You can modify your diet, eat perhaps even more frequently and still enjoy weight loss. Does that sound incredible? It is real. You might feel incredulous because the masses of people out there have been told that low carb is the way to go.
I have been following some of the suggestions in one of Dr. Barnard’s books and I can tell you that a high carb diet can help you lose weight. Using his suggestions, I can eat a lot of food frequently and I still seem to stay thin.
To give you an idea of what kind of information “Turn Off the Fat Genes” can provide you with, here is a list of some of the Chapter titles:
Taste Genes: Broccoli and Chocolate
Appetite and the Leptin Gene
The Fat-Building Gene
Fat-Burning: Turning the Flame Higher
How Genes Influence Your Exercise
Children and the Fat Genes
Food Choices for Optimal Weight Control
Dr. Barnard writes, “Contrary to popular opinion, scientific research reveals that genes are not dictators; they are committees. They do not give orders. They make suggestions. Genes are not rogue tyrants exerting despotic control over your waistline. Rather, they work in groups, often with subtle effects, and you can nudge them in the direction you want them to go. You can counteract the fat genes and boost your thin genes.”
In ancient times, Hippocrates said, “Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food.” Of course we aren’t really talking about healing as much as we are discussing losing weight, but the principle applies.
One thing I learned from another of Dr. Barnard’s books is that carbohydrates don’t make people fat. It is fat that makes people fat. And it makes sense. Carbohydrates pack around 4 calories per gram and fats have about 9 calories per gram.
By the way, even though it is correct terminology, the fact is that the calories discussed here are actually ‘thousands of calories’. In nutrition they decided to make a calorie equal to 1,000 real life calories as measured for energy.
Anyway I don’t want to confuse anyone, because the RDA is based on nutrition calories, also known as Calories, but no one capitalizes the C as should be done. You can just keep thinking of calories as calories and don’t worry about the technicalities.
Back to the story. Dr. Barnard’s books on high carb diets are great reading and may inform you about healthier weight loss than you are currently use to. Did I mention the recipe list?
This article is for information purposes only. It is not meant to diagnose, treat or prevent any health condition. If you have or think you have a health condition or even just want to diet, please consult your physician.
David Snape writes for All Things Pondered: http://allthingspondered.com - where you can have your say and (almost) anything is pondered. He also writes for To Be Informed: http://tobeinformed.com - a site supportive of health, fitness and wellness.
I’m amazed, as you might be, that his work is not better known. There are a number of advantages to using a high carb diet and as many disadvantages to the low carb/ high protein diets.
There is some great research in his books that document the ability to lose weight on a high carbohydrate diet, which may also be healthier in the long run than the ever-popular low carbohydrate diets.
You might think it surprising, as I do, that more people are not using high carb diets to lose weight. You might also conclude that this is solely due to a lack of awareness on the part of the public.
Turn of the Fat Genes, written by Dr. Neal Barnard features over 150 pages of menus and recipes. The recipe and menu section is very comprehensive and you can definitely find recipes that will delight you out of such a large compilation.
Dr. Bernard discusses the concept that some of the genes that shape and influence us as human beings are themselves subject to influence. The genes that affect taste, appetite and metabolism are subject to the influence of the foods that we eat.
Not only are they subject to influence, the proper use of foods can mean that you don’t have to sacrifice and starve yourself of decent nutrition. You can modify your diet, eat perhaps even more frequently and still enjoy weight loss. Does that sound incredible? It is real. You might feel incredulous because the masses of people out there have been told that low carb is the way to go.
I have been following some of the suggestions in one of Dr. Barnard’s books and I can tell you that a high carb diet can help you lose weight. Using his suggestions, I can eat a lot of food frequently and I still seem to stay thin.
To give you an idea of what kind of information “Turn Off the Fat Genes” can provide you with, here is a list of some of the Chapter titles:
Taste Genes: Broccoli and Chocolate
Appetite and the Leptin Gene
The Fat-Building Gene
Fat-Burning: Turning the Flame Higher
How Genes Influence Your Exercise
Children and the Fat Genes
Food Choices for Optimal Weight Control
Dr. Barnard writes, “Contrary to popular opinion, scientific research reveals that genes are not dictators; they are committees. They do not give orders. They make suggestions. Genes are not rogue tyrants exerting despotic control over your waistline. Rather, they work in groups, often with subtle effects, and you can nudge them in the direction you want them to go. You can counteract the fat genes and boost your thin genes.”
In ancient times, Hippocrates said, “Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food.” Of course we aren’t really talking about healing as much as we are discussing losing weight, but the principle applies.
One thing I learned from another of Dr. Barnard’s books is that carbohydrates don’t make people fat. It is fat that makes people fat. And it makes sense. Carbohydrates pack around 4 calories per gram and fats have about 9 calories per gram.
By the way, even though it is correct terminology, the fact is that the calories discussed here are actually ‘thousands of calories’. In nutrition they decided to make a calorie equal to 1,000 real life calories as measured for energy.
Anyway I don’t want to confuse anyone, because the RDA is based on nutrition calories, also known as Calories, but no one capitalizes the C as should be done. You can just keep thinking of calories as calories and don’t worry about the technicalities.
Back to the story. Dr. Barnard’s books on high carb diets are great reading and may inform you about healthier weight loss than you are currently use to. Did I mention the recipe list?
This article is for information purposes only. It is not meant to diagnose, treat or prevent any health condition. If you have or think you have a health condition or even just want to diet, please consult your physician.
David Snape writes for All Things Pondered: http://allthingspondered.com - where you can have your say and (almost) anything is pondered. He also writes for To Be Informed: http://tobeinformed.com - a site supportive of health, fitness and wellness.
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