Have you thought about doing an internal body cleanse? Another term for that would be body detoxification or simply, detox. The purpose of detox is to free the body of toxins that have accumulated through the years. Effects include weight-loss, freedom from allergies, pain, infections and other illnesses, freedom from fatigue, headaches and others. Some even report miraculous results like curing of hyperacidity, kidney stones, and a whole lot more.
One of the safest cleansing diets would be the Master Cleanse. It was originated by Stanley Burroughs sometime in the 1950’s. Mr. Burroughs is a natural healer way back then. I tried Master Cleanse about a month ago and I experienced great results like clearing of my skin, weight-loss, more energy, clearing of phlegm and others. Having completed it for 10 days was an accomplishment for me. And I will do it again a few months from now. It is the safest and most effective cleansing diet programs that you’ll ever come across.
Master Cleanse requires drinking of a certain lemonade recipe throughout the day and nothing more for a minimum of 10 days. It also requires taking a saltwater flush every morning or taking a diuretic tea every evening. During the time that I was on the Master Cleanse program, I did not feel hungry at all and I didn’t have my usual cravings. It was amazing. In the end, I lost a total of 9 pounds. Beyonce Knowles did her Master Cleanse prior to shooting the movie, “Dreamgirls”. She lost a total of 22 pounds.
I know you’re all eager to know the recipe. Here it is.
Ingredients:
2 liters of pure, filtered water
14 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice
10-14 tablespoons of Grade B Maple syrup (please make sure that it’s grade B)
½ teaspoon of Cayenne pepper
All you have to do is to mix all these ingredients in a 2-liter jug that you can take anywhere. This will be your liquid food for the whole day. And again, don’t worry because you will not get hungry, you will not experience the usual cravings that go with other diet programs and best of all, you will have all the energy that you’ll need to accomplish all your work for the whole day because of the Maple syrup. I want to stress that Grade B Maple syrup is the one that you’ll need. Please use these specified ingredients, no substitutes.
About the importance of the saltwater flush or the diuretic tea, since you will not be eating anything, you might not be able to eliminate the toxins if you won’t add these to the Master Cleanse. I chose to do the saltwater flush not only because I have done it before, but also because I think it is safer. But you can also opt to take the diuretic tea.
For the saltwater flush, every morning before taking the lemonade, prepare about 1 liter of warm water and add a teaspoon of rock salt to it. Drink it up and walk around so that it goes all the way down faster. The saltwater will not be absorbed by your body due to its density, it will go straight towards your large intestines taking with it the toxins that are lodged there.
A few days within the Master Cleanse program, you will notice that your tongue will be coated with a thick, white covering. It is proof that Master Cleanse is working. Continue on for a minimum of 10 days or until the white covering on your tongue disappears.
Email me for your results or for any questions.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
Fitness Benefits of Massage
We all know that a massage can relieve stress, help to make sore muscles feel better and even reduce anxiety, but can it help us achieve our fitness goals? Research shows that the massage you get to relieve stress can also have a positive effect on your muscle-building capabilities and fitness level.
Massage improves circulation and general nutrition of muscles. This appears to be the most valuable fitness-related benefit. After a muscle is exercised, vital nutrients must be supplied in order for it to increase in size. Massage maximizes the supply of nutrients and oxygen through increased blood flow, which helps the body rebuild itself.
Massage improves range of motion and muscle flexibility. This results in increased power and performance, which helps you work efficiently and with proper intensity to help the body’s muscle building response.
Massage helps to shorten recovery time between workouts. Waste products such as lactic and carbonic acid build up in muscles after exercise. Increased circulation to these muscles helps to eliminate toxins and shorten recovery time.
Massage can help prevent over-training. Massage has a relaxing effect on the muscles, as well as a calming effect on the nervous system. This can help prevent the limiting effect on muscle building caused by over-training.
Massage can aid in fat loss. According to research, massage may burst the fat capsule in subcutaneous tissue so that the fat spreads out and becomes absorbed. In this way, combined with proper nutrition, massage may help in weight loss.
Massage helps prevent and even heal injuries. By stretching connective tissue, massage improves circulation to help prevent or break down adhesions.
While a massage won’t build muscle directly, it helps the body’s rebuilding phase following a workout and influences muscular growth. Getting a massage is just as important as regular workouts. Great news for those of us who thought working out was all hard work!!
The many benefits of massage...
Choose your style: Shiatsu, Swedish, Thai, Sports. Get the one that suits you.
Source
Massage improves circulation and general nutrition of muscles. This appears to be the most valuable fitness-related benefit. After a muscle is exercised, vital nutrients must be supplied in order for it to increase in size. Massage maximizes the supply of nutrients and oxygen through increased blood flow, which helps the body rebuild itself.
Massage improves range of motion and muscle flexibility. This results in increased power and performance, which helps you work efficiently and with proper intensity to help the body’s muscle building response.
Massage helps to shorten recovery time between workouts. Waste products such as lactic and carbonic acid build up in muscles after exercise. Increased circulation to these muscles helps to eliminate toxins and shorten recovery time.
Massage can help prevent over-training. Massage has a relaxing effect on the muscles, as well as a calming effect on the nervous system. This can help prevent the limiting effect on muscle building caused by over-training.
Massage can aid in fat loss. According to research, massage may burst the fat capsule in subcutaneous tissue so that the fat spreads out and becomes absorbed. In this way, combined with proper nutrition, massage may help in weight loss.
Massage helps prevent and even heal injuries. By stretching connective tissue, massage improves circulation to help prevent or break down adhesions.
While a massage won’t build muscle directly, it helps the body’s rebuilding phase following a workout and influences muscular growth. Getting a massage is just as important as regular workouts. Great news for those of us who thought working out was all hard work!!
The many benefits of massage...
Choose your style: Shiatsu, Swedish, Thai, Sports. Get the one that suits you.
Source
FDA Targeting Deceptive Food Label Claims
General Mills, Coca Cola Company, and Kellogg’s are among the big name food manufacturers who have come under fire in recent months for making false claims on their products’ labels. Now, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will be stepping up its activities on food companies that make bogus claims on packaging and labeling, said The Money Times.
According to The Money Times, the practice of using catchy packaging with claims about nutritional value and improved health have become routine in marketing efforts to draw in consumers. But, it is against federal law to make false, “ambiguous” claims on food labels and being caught doing so can lead to “warning letters,” “fines,” and/or “product seizures,” said The Money Times.
FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg stated that the agency “will take enforcement action against any egregious examples,” quoted The Money Times. “Some nutritionists have questioned whether this information is more marketing-oriented than health-oriented, and judging from some of the labels that we have seen, we think this is a valid concern,” Hamburg said, reported The Money Times.
Hamburg note, for example, foods that were at least 50 percent sugar indicating a “Smart Choices” checkmark; some foods boast high percentages of recommended daily vegetable allowances without mentioning that the foods also contain a whopping 80 percent of the daily fat limit, said The Money Times.
This year alone we wrote that General Mills was in some trouble over health claims it had been making over its popular cereal, Cheerios. The Associated Press (AP) reported previously that federal regulators were miffed over the cereal giant’s claims that Cheerios can lower cholesterol and treat heart disease; claims, says the FDA, that are only allowable on FDA-approved medications.
Another cereal giant, Kellogg Company, agreed to settle charges earlier this year with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that it used false advertising to tout its Frosted Mini-Wheats cereal. The national television ads falsely boasted benefits children receive after eating a breakfast of Kellogg’s Frosted Mini Wheats, saying that children who eat the breakfast cereal experience a 20 percent improvement in attentiveness over children who skipped breakfast, reported the SF Gate in a prior report, citing the FTC.
In January we wrote about how the Coca-Cola Company was being sued over false claims about some of its beverages in its second such scandal over deceptive marketing practices. According to a previous Reuters article, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) was suing the soft drink giant in a class action lawsuit that accused it of making false claims about its Vitaminwater drinks.
That lawsuit followed an earlier warning by the FDA about its marketing of Diet Coke Plus, said Reuters, in which it claimed that Diet Coke Plus includes vitamins and minerals, which violate U.S. policy against marketing soda and other snack foods as more nutritious, or “fortified.” In December, the Wall Street Journal reported that Coca-Cola launched Diet Coke Plus the prior year as a “a good source of vitamins B3, B6, and B12, and the minerals zinc and magnesium.” But, the FDA objected to Coca-Cola’s labeling, said the LA Times, which said the FDA “scolded” Coca-Cola for its “inappropriate nutritional claims” and labeling. “You should take prompt action to correct the violations,” it said in its December letter, reported Reuters.
Watch out for bogus claims. These food giants think that they can get away with it. The public cannot be fooled anymore. Let's show them all.
Source
According to The Money Times, the practice of using catchy packaging with claims about nutritional value and improved health have become routine in marketing efforts to draw in consumers. But, it is against federal law to make false, “ambiguous” claims on food labels and being caught doing so can lead to “warning letters,” “fines,” and/or “product seizures,” said The Money Times.
FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg stated that the agency “will take enforcement action against any egregious examples,” quoted The Money Times. “Some nutritionists have questioned whether this information is more marketing-oriented than health-oriented, and judging from some of the labels that we have seen, we think this is a valid concern,” Hamburg said, reported The Money Times.
Hamburg note, for example, foods that were at least 50 percent sugar indicating a “Smart Choices” checkmark; some foods boast high percentages of recommended daily vegetable allowances without mentioning that the foods also contain a whopping 80 percent of the daily fat limit, said The Money Times.
This year alone we wrote that General Mills was in some trouble over health claims it had been making over its popular cereal, Cheerios. The Associated Press (AP) reported previously that federal regulators were miffed over the cereal giant’s claims that Cheerios can lower cholesterol and treat heart disease; claims, says the FDA, that are only allowable on FDA-approved medications.
Another cereal giant, Kellogg Company, agreed to settle charges earlier this year with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that it used false advertising to tout its Frosted Mini-Wheats cereal. The national television ads falsely boasted benefits children receive after eating a breakfast of Kellogg’s Frosted Mini Wheats, saying that children who eat the breakfast cereal experience a 20 percent improvement in attentiveness over children who skipped breakfast, reported the SF Gate in a prior report, citing the FTC.
In January we wrote about how the Coca-Cola Company was being sued over false claims about some of its beverages in its second such scandal over deceptive marketing practices. According to a previous Reuters article, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) was suing the soft drink giant in a class action lawsuit that accused it of making false claims about its Vitaminwater drinks.
That lawsuit followed an earlier warning by the FDA about its marketing of Diet Coke Plus, said Reuters, in which it claimed that Diet Coke Plus includes vitamins and minerals, which violate U.S. policy against marketing soda and other snack foods as more nutritious, or “fortified.” In December, the Wall Street Journal reported that Coca-Cola launched Diet Coke Plus the prior year as a “a good source of vitamins B3, B6, and B12, and the minerals zinc and magnesium.” But, the FDA objected to Coca-Cola’s labeling, said the LA Times, which said the FDA “scolded” Coca-Cola for its “inappropriate nutritional claims” and labeling. “You should take prompt action to correct the violations,” it said in its December letter, reported Reuters.
Watch out for bogus claims. These food giants think that they can get away with it. The public cannot be fooled anymore. Let's show them all.
Source
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Octomom Nadya Suleman Reduces Waistline and Stress Through Yoga by Rosemary Black, Daily News Staff Writer
Octomom Nadya Suleman's sleek physique may be due in part to her intense yoga workouts.
The ponytailed, leggings-clad mother of 14 has been spotted in the park near her home practicing yoga moves in front of the cameras, according to the London Daily Mail. Suleman reportedly lifted weights, did sit-ups, and worked on her lotus position.
And even if she hasn't perfected the downward facing dog yet, yoga's good for both her muscles and her head, experts say.
"Yoga offers wonderful resistance and toning practice," says Dr. Anne Kulze, nutrition and wellness expert and author of "Dr. Ann's 10-Step Diet." "It may not pump up the heart rate the way aerobic exercise does, but it's fantastic for toning. People also love it for stress, which we know can impact body weight."
In fact, the time-pressed Suleman may have found the perfect way to tone her body and keep her sanity at the same time.
Yoga is known for its stress-busting potential, says Anne M. Fletcher, author of "Thin for Life" and "Weight Loss Confidential."
"Yoga can help with depression and it increases your energy and relaxes you," she says. "There's something more important about exercise than just burning calories and getting into shape. Yoga offers that psychological dimension, too."
Suleman's svelte shape has been evident for months - even last May she had shrunk to a shadow of what she looked like at the octuplets' birth in January, reports the Daily Mail. But she may be craving not just a leaner body, but some inner peace, too.
She'll find that if she keeps working on her yoga poses, says Christine Avanti, fitness expert and author of "Skinny Chicks Don't Eat Salad."
"Yoga isn't the top fat burning exercise but it gets toxins out of your body and enhances your metabolism," says Avanti, who is certified to teach yoga. "It helps the muscles to be long and lean, rather than short and bulky. It's a muscle toner."
And if the busy 33-year-old mom doesn't have time to tone her muscles through yoga, she can simply try another technique that's built into her day anyway: lifting eight plump babies in and out of their strollers.
Experts say that staying with an exercise regimen should be easy for Octomom as long as she's genuinely enjoying it.
"Any exercise routine that motivates the user to stick with it is good," Fletcher says. "If you find something that you like, you'll stick with it and that's what's important."
Yoga is a complete workout that benefits not only the body, but also the mind and the emotions. It is a real calming workout that's really perfect for the busy mom like Nadya.
Source
The ponytailed, leggings-clad mother of 14 has been spotted in the park near her home practicing yoga moves in front of the cameras, according to the London Daily Mail. Suleman reportedly lifted weights, did sit-ups, and worked on her lotus position.
And even if she hasn't perfected the downward facing dog yet, yoga's good for both her muscles and her head, experts say.
"Yoga offers wonderful resistance and toning practice," says Dr. Anne Kulze, nutrition and wellness expert and author of "Dr. Ann's 10-Step Diet." "It may not pump up the heart rate the way aerobic exercise does, but it's fantastic for toning. People also love it for stress, which we know can impact body weight."
In fact, the time-pressed Suleman may have found the perfect way to tone her body and keep her sanity at the same time.
Yoga is known for its stress-busting potential, says Anne M. Fletcher, author of "Thin for Life" and "Weight Loss Confidential."
"Yoga can help with depression and it increases your energy and relaxes you," she says. "There's something more important about exercise than just burning calories and getting into shape. Yoga offers that psychological dimension, too."
Suleman's svelte shape has been evident for months - even last May she had shrunk to a shadow of what she looked like at the octuplets' birth in January, reports the Daily Mail. But she may be craving not just a leaner body, but some inner peace, too.
She'll find that if she keeps working on her yoga poses, says Christine Avanti, fitness expert and author of "Skinny Chicks Don't Eat Salad."
"Yoga isn't the top fat burning exercise but it gets toxins out of your body and enhances your metabolism," says Avanti, who is certified to teach yoga. "It helps the muscles to be long and lean, rather than short and bulky. It's a muscle toner."
And if the busy 33-year-old mom doesn't have time to tone her muscles through yoga, she can simply try another technique that's built into her day anyway: lifting eight plump babies in and out of their strollers.
Experts say that staying with an exercise regimen should be easy for Octomom as long as she's genuinely enjoying it.
"Any exercise routine that motivates the user to stick with it is good," Fletcher says. "If you find something that you like, you'll stick with it and that's what's important."
Yoga is a complete workout that benefits not only the body, but also the mind and the emotions. It is a real calming workout that's really perfect for the busy mom like Nadya.
Source
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Health and Nutrition Myths - Part 1, by Evita on May 7, 2008 in Health and Nutrition Myths, Nutrition, Pharmaceuticals
There are many, many areas for us to still talk about when it comes to proper health and nutrition that is based on unbiased, credible and reliable advice, and through your feedback I am delighted to expand upon these topics. Hence I call this article “Health and Nutrition Myths - Part 1″. And who knows, this might even turn into a regular series on Evolving Wellness. I am hoping you will have many more comments and questions where the topic of your health and nutrition is concerned and so this is part 1 of many!
Health and Nutrition Questions and Answers
I feel like my body is supposed to be able to deal with unhealthy stuff but don’t overdo it. Isn’t that what we do from an early age?
I have heard so many such comments from so many people. Most of us do believe that our body can “deal with” or “handle” many harmful substances we put in it, especially in moderation.
And why?
Well the answer is very simple - because the very first people we looked at as examples were our parents. As young kids most of us have seen our parents do at least one of the following: smoke, drink, overeat, or eat poorly (fast food, skipped meals, etc.)
And what?
And for the most part, nothing - they still survived, they did not drop dead on the spot, in fact most of the time they did not even get sick at that moment. So our human brain made a very quick association. “This stuff seems to be ok”.
Now the fact that mom and dad got unexplained headaches, the fact they got indigestion or other digestive problems, the fact that they got high blood pressure or had heart problems never really got linked to what they ate or drank. This is especially true for anyone who grew up in the 80’s or before. People correlated headaches and blood pressure to such things as the weather, cancers and heart disease to worn out bodies or old age and that was that.
Well today we have a different story. Science and medicine has been making leaps and bounds in terms of discoveries. Today we can link so much of what happens to us down the road to what we ate, drank or put into our system earlier on in life, at a consistent rate.
And so for most people out there, the correlation that “everything I put into my system will affect me in a positive or a negative way, quickly or long term” does NOT exist. We have just seen too many people “be okay” after they would eat and drink lots of stuff we are today being told is bad and should be avoided.
I did talk quite a bit about this in a previous article I wrote entitled “Everything in moderation…not quite!“, which can fill in more details on this subject.
And so I stress again: just because our body CAN handle unfavorable substances does NOT mean it wants to. And you truly do become what you eat as food is used to make and fuel our cells that make up your tissues, organs and ultimately - you!
What each of us has to ask ourselves is simply this “how good of health do I want?” It is not one answer serves all. Really, I know many people who will say answers like “average” or “good enough”. And so ask yourself the following:
“Am I okay with getting the average headache, indigestion, cold, flu, etc.?” If yes, then some substances that are harmful or not really meant to be consumed by the body, when taken in small amounts will serve you just fine.
“Am I okay with cancers and heart disease as a possible future outcome on top of small regular ailments, etc.?” If yes, then consume anything you like in any amount you like.
If however you answered no to the above two questions, and if your goal is optimal health and prevention of any and all diseases then you have to understand that you cannot put any harmful substances into your body in any amount. This way you are creating the most optimal environment for your body to function and hence offer you protection when need arises.
What about all these different germs out there? We can’t live in a bubble. This world is not a healthy place.
When it comes to “germs”, it might shock most people a lot to find out that in fact about 95% of bacteria out there are beneficial and necessary for us to survive and the environment. This is obviously NOT what the chemical cleaning companies want you to believe. We live today in a world where we are trying to eliminate 99.99% of germs but nobody stops to ask is this really beneficial. All we get constantly is scare tactics of diseases we can get from all these “germs”. And in fact what we are doing is making the harmful bacteria stronger than ever using all these chemicals.
Well the truth is about 100 years ago, heck not even, 50 years ago, people lived in conditions that were not even half as sanitary as we have today and many kids and adults were healthier than ever. No allergies, no asthmas, etc.
The other truth is, yes there are some bacteria and viruses that do cause disease BUT and ready for this one…if you have an optimally working system your risk of these “bugs” ever causing a disease in you drops drastically and in perfect cases even disappears.
So no, we definitely cannot live in a bubble, but the best part is we do not need to. A lot of the hype and hysteria that comes out of the media and big corporations though, will have you believe otherwise.
I personally love the topic of bacteria and viruses and will thoroughly enjoy talking more about this in future articles.
As far as the world being a healthy or not healthy place, well that is up for debate depending on what aspect of it you are considering. Yes, the quality of water and air has deteriorated and yes it is harder than ever to find whole, healthy foods. But that does not mean they do not exist. Call me an optimist, but there are still lots of healthy and amazing things about the world today.
We are tough little organisms!
Yes, we are! Our human body was constructed in such magnificent ways that most doctors and scientists still can’t wrap their minds around it. We still know so little when it comes to the ins and outs of our body. But we have made amazing progress.
And it is our bodies amazing resilience that gives a lot of people the wrong impression about what the body can and cannot take. As I mentioned above, very seldom do we see quick correlations between cause of something we took in and effect. Our body is so good at covering things up and trying to deal with things, that that is why it usually takes years for something more serious to become prominent.
In the meantime as we throw in harmful substances body cleans them out and neutralizes them and does whatever it needs not to upset the delicate balance in which it has to operate. But as any “machine” with enough stress on it, things start to break down. And hence nutrition can greatly hurt or help the body do what it is supposed to.
What about prescription meds? Do they cause liver disease too?
Depending on what type of medication you are taking and in what amounts, one can definitely sustain liver damage from taking prescription meds. This can turn into liver disease again depending on the drug(s) and length of time taking them on top of the consumption of other substances like alcohol and bad food.
The liver has to detoxify (a.k.a clean) anything and I mean everything that is foreign or harmful to the body. And since prescription meds are “drugs” just like alcohol is a “drug”, and for those not comfortable with that term, we can use the term “chemicals” (not that that is any better), they too need to be dealt with by the liver.
This is why just a simple over the counter medicine like Tylenol has to be used cautiously as taking too many of those pills at once can cause liver damage or worse. And let us all think how many people in our society pop those like candy at the sight of the slightest pain.
Ultimately for a healthy liver, just like fast food should be avoided so should as much medicine (drugs) as possible. I am not telling you to drop you medication without a doctor’s approval but simply to know the facts that yes drugs, any drugs, do put stress on and eventually can cause liver damage. This is obviously not what the big drug companies want you to focus on, but it is an unavoidable truth.
Hence I am a big, and I mean big believer of prevention to avoid treatment in the future, usually because the health gets to a point where drug intervention is needed to help the person function and this is good in one way but damaging in another. If there already exists a problem I would therefore recommend a good naturopath whose philosophy is also about prevention not one who will push supplements onto you in place of pharmaceutical drugs.
Conclusion
As I have mentioned many times before, learning together is fantastic! So as you bring me your questions and concerns I love explaining how the body functions and doing my own research in areas I need to fill in on. This way we can all grow, learn and become even more aware of attaining optimal health and wellness. And so I look forward to many more questions to come!
We are a tough species. We keep on adapting and evolving. But there is always going to be a trade-off if we don't look after our won health. Healthy living is a personal lifestyle choice. Proper education is the key in encouraging everyone to join the bandwagon towards wellness and healing.
Source
Health and Nutrition Questions and Answers
I feel like my body is supposed to be able to deal with unhealthy stuff but don’t overdo it. Isn’t that what we do from an early age?
I have heard so many such comments from so many people. Most of us do believe that our body can “deal with” or “handle” many harmful substances we put in it, especially in moderation.
And why?
Well the answer is very simple - because the very first people we looked at as examples were our parents. As young kids most of us have seen our parents do at least one of the following: smoke, drink, overeat, or eat poorly (fast food, skipped meals, etc.)
And what?
And for the most part, nothing - they still survived, they did not drop dead on the spot, in fact most of the time they did not even get sick at that moment. So our human brain made a very quick association. “This stuff seems to be ok”.
Now the fact that mom and dad got unexplained headaches, the fact they got indigestion or other digestive problems, the fact that they got high blood pressure or had heart problems never really got linked to what they ate or drank. This is especially true for anyone who grew up in the 80’s or before. People correlated headaches and blood pressure to such things as the weather, cancers and heart disease to worn out bodies or old age and that was that.
Well today we have a different story. Science and medicine has been making leaps and bounds in terms of discoveries. Today we can link so much of what happens to us down the road to what we ate, drank or put into our system earlier on in life, at a consistent rate.
And so for most people out there, the correlation that “everything I put into my system will affect me in a positive or a negative way, quickly or long term” does NOT exist. We have just seen too many people “be okay” after they would eat and drink lots of stuff we are today being told is bad and should be avoided.
I did talk quite a bit about this in a previous article I wrote entitled “Everything in moderation…not quite!“, which can fill in more details on this subject.
And so I stress again: just because our body CAN handle unfavorable substances does NOT mean it wants to. And you truly do become what you eat as food is used to make and fuel our cells that make up your tissues, organs and ultimately - you!
What each of us has to ask ourselves is simply this “how good of health do I want?” It is not one answer serves all. Really, I know many people who will say answers like “average” or “good enough”. And so ask yourself the following:
“Am I okay with getting the average headache, indigestion, cold, flu, etc.?” If yes, then some substances that are harmful or not really meant to be consumed by the body, when taken in small amounts will serve you just fine.
“Am I okay with cancers and heart disease as a possible future outcome on top of small regular ailments, etc.?” If yes, then consume anything you like in any amount you like.
If however you answered no to the above two questions, and if your goal is optimal health and prevention of any and all diseases then you have to understand that you cannot put any harmful substances into your body in any amount. This way you are creating the most optimal environment for your body to function and hence offer you protection when need arises.
What about all these different germs out there? We can’t live in a bubble. This world is not a healthy place.
When it comes to “germs”, it might shock most people a lot to find out that in fact about 95% of bacteria out there are beneficial and necessary for us to survive and the environment. This is obviously NOT what the chemical cleaning companies want you to believe. We live today in a world where we are trying to eliminate 99.99% of germs but nobody stops to ask is this really beneficial. All we get constantly is scare tactics of diseases we can get from all these “germs”. And in fact what we are doing is making the harmful bacteria stronger than ever using all these chemicals.
Well the truth is about 100 years ago, heck not even, 50 years ago, people lived in conditions that were not even half as sanitary as we have today and many kids and adults were healthier than ever. No allergies, no asthmas, etc.
The other truth is, yes there are some bacteria and viruses that do cause disease BUT and ready for this one…if you have an optimally working system your risk of these “bugs” ever causing a disease in you drops drastically and in perfect cases even disappears.
So no, we definitely cannot live in a bubble, but the best part is we do not need to. A lot of the hype and hysteria that comes out of the media and big corporations though, will have you believe otherwise.
I personally love the topic of bacteria and viruses and will thoroughly enjoy talking more about this in future articles.
As far as the world being a healthy or not healthy place, well that is up for debate depending on what aspect of it you are considering. Yes, the quality of water and air has deteriorated and yes it is harder than ever to find whole, healthy foods. But that does not mean they do not exist. Call me an optimist, but there are still lots of healthy and amazing things about the world today.
We are tough little organisms!
Yes, we are! Our human body was constructed in such magnificent ways that most doctors and scientists still can’t wrap their minds around it. We still know so little when it comes to the ins and outs of our body. But we have made amazing progress.
And it is our bodies amazing resilience that gives a lot of people the wrong impression about what the body can and cannot take. As I mentioned above, very seldom do we see quick correlations between cause of something we took in and effect. Our body is so good at covering things up and trying to deal with things, that that is why it usually takes years for something more serious to become prominent.
In the meantime as we throw in harmful substances body cleans them out and neutralizes them and does whatever it needs not to upset the delicate balance in which it has to operate. But as any “machine” with enough stress on it, things start to break down. And hence nutrition can greatly hurt or help the body do what it is supposed to.
What about prescription meds? Do they cause liver disease too?
Depending on what type of medication you are taking and in what amounts, one can definitely sustain liver damage from taking prescription meds. This can turn into liver disease again depending on the drug(s) and length of time taking them on top of the consumption of other substances like alcohol and bad food.
The liver has to detoxify (a.k.a clean) anything and I mean everything that is foreign or harmful to the body. And since prescription meds are “drugs” just like alcohol is a “drug”, and for those not comfortable with that term, we can use the term “chemicals” (not that that is any better), they too need to be dealt with by the liver.
This is why just a simple over the counter medicine like Tylenol has to be used cautiously as taking too many of those pills at once can cause liver damage or worse. And let us all think how many people in our society pop those like candy at the sight of the slightest pain.
Ultimately for a healthy liver, just like fast food should be avoided so should as much medicine (drugs) as possible. I am not telling you to drop you medication without a doctor’s approval but simply to know the facts that yes drugs, any drugs, do put stress on and eventually can cause liver damage. This is obviously not what the big drug companies want you to focus on, but it is an unavoidable truth.
Hence I am a big, and I mean big believer of prevention to avoid treatment in the future, usually because the health gets to a point where drug intervention is needed to help the person function and this is good in one way but damaging in another. If there already exists a problem I would therefore recommend a good naturopath whose philosophy is also about prevention not one who will push supplements onto you in place of pharmaceutical drugs.
Conclusion
As I have mentioned many times before, learning together is fantastic! So as you bring me your questions and concerns I love explaining how the body functions and doing my own research in areas I need to fill in on. This way we can all grow, learn and become even more aware of attaining optimal health and wellness. And so I look forward to many more questions to come!
We are a tough species. We keep on adapting and evolving. But there is always going to be a trade-off if we don't look after our won health. Healthy living is a personal lifestyle choice. Proper education is the key in encouraging everyone to join the bandwagon towards wellness and healing.
Source
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Why Is Walking So Good For Weight Loss? by Liz Neporent, Diet and Fitness Expert
While it's true that walking doesn't burn calories as quickly as jogging or Spinning classes or other high-intensity workouts, scores of studies have shown it to be a very effective weight-loss tool. For example, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that brisk walking is very effective for reducing deep abdominal fat, the most dangerous kind of fat. And a University of Colorado study found that if people could commit to walking 2,000 steps a day more than they do now -- the equivalent of about one additional mile or about 15 minutes worth of movement -- they may not necessarily lose weight but would probably stop gaining. The typical adult gains 1 to 3 pounds a year, which means they're eating, on average, an excess of 10 to 30 calories a day. The 100 calories per day burned off from walking 2,000 steps would more than compensate for this excess.
Researchers have also found that walking an additional 6,000 steps a day (or about 3 miles) is the point at which the pounds really start coming off, as long as it is done in conjunction with sensible eating habits like fat, calorie and portion control.
A report from the National Institutes of Medicine makes similar recommendations, advising one hour of daily walking or other moderate exercise for weight loss. What's more, the majority of participants in the National Weight Control Registry, an ongoing survey of more than 3,000 people who have lost at least 30 pounds and kept it off for more than a year, report walking as one of their major-weight loss strategies. You may notice that I reference the registry frequently. That's because it is the only "living laboratory" to examine weight loss in the real world.
So if walking doesn't exactly melt calories like hot butter on toast, why is it such a successful weight loss strategy? For one thing, walking has a major advantage over most other fitness activities: It doesn't require a lot of stuff. No helmets, gloves, wrenches, pumps, kneepads, wrist guards, caps, goggles, pools or poles. Just lace up your shoes, open the front door, and off you go. (For women, I also recommend a decent bra. If you're not doing power walking, it doesn't even have to be a sports bra, just something sturdy with lots of support to minimize the bounce.) Plus, unless you're a toddler, walking has virtually no learning curve.
Of course, running is equally accessible and convenient, but it also has a much higher injury rate. Walking is considerably easier on your joints, tendons and ligaments -- although a small percentage of walkers do get injured from overdoing it or wearing the wrong shoes. Walking is also less exhausting, so you may be more likely to stick to your program. Running may burn twice the calories per minute as walking (running burns an average of 8 to 12 calories per minute compared to walking which only burns 4 to 8 calories per minute at a moderate pace), but if you quit after 5 minutes because your knees feel like they're about to explode, what's the point? Even most beginners can walk for at least 10 minutes straight without feeling winded and from there, it's fairly easy to build up stamina.
Walking is also an especially good weight-loss activity because it's so easily adaptable to your fitness level. As you become more fit, you can walk faster, walk more often, walk up steeper hills or walk for longer periods.
If you don't find walking especially motivating, find a way to make it more entertaining. You can bop along to your ipod mix so long as you stay on the treadmill or keep the volume low enough to stay aware of your surroundings. You can walk with a friend or join a group. I even found one way to get paid for walking: Check out fitness pro Leslie Sansone's Walk Leadership program.
My 2 cents: Even if you do other types of exercise, walking should be the foundation of your activity plan. National Weight Control Registry participants cited walking as their top weight-loss strategy; they walk off an average of 1,000 calories a week. Even though I am an avid exercise and exhibit OCD running behavior myself, I still walk 20 minutes to 2 hours a day between appointments, with my daughter or just strolling along thinking. Trust me, regular walking has many benefits. Click here for more information on AOL Health about how it attacks deep abdominal fat.
Walking is the easiest fitness program to maintain and sustain due to the fact that there are no equipment needed and it doesn't burn people out like all the other exercise or fitness activities. It helps me keep a calm mind as well. It is actually very therapeutic if you walk outdoors. Try it!
Source
Researchers have also found that walking an additional 6,000 steps a day (or about 3 miles) is the point at which the pounds really start coming off, as long as it is done in conjunction with sensible eating habits like fat, calorie and portion control.
A report from the National Institutes of Medicine makes similar recommendations, advising one hour of daily walking or other moderate exercise for weight loss. What's more, the majority of participants in the National Weight Control Registry, an ongoing survey of more than 3,000 people who have lost at least 30 pounds and kept it off for more than a year, report walking as one of their major-weight loss strategies. You may notice that I reference the registry frequently. That's because it is the only "living laboratory" to examine weight loss in the real world.
So if walking doesn't exactly melt calories like hot butter on toast, why is it such a successful weight loss strategy? For one thing, walking has a major advantage over most other fitness activities: It doesn't require a lot of stuff. No helmets, gloves, wrenches, pumps, kneepads, wrist guards, caps, goggles, pools or poles. Just lace up your shoes, open the front door, and off you go. (For women, I also recommend a decent bra. If you're not doing power walking, it doesn't even have to be a sports bra, just something sturdy with lots of support to minimize the bounce.) Plus, unless you're a toddler, walking has virtually no learning curve.
Of course, running is equally accessible and convenient, but it also has a much higher injury rate. Walking is considerably easier on your joints, tendons and ligaments -- although a small percentage of walkers do get injured from overdoing it or wearing the wrong shoes. Walking is also less exhausting, so you may be more likely to stick to your program. Running may burn twice the calories per minute as walking (running burns an average of 8 to 12 calories per minute compared to walking which only burns 4 to 8 calories per minute at a moderate pace), but if you quit after 5 minutes because your knees feel like they're about to explode, what's the point? Even most beginners can walk for at least 10 minutes straight without feeling winded and from there, it's fairly easy to build up stamina.
Walking is also an especially good weight-loss activity because it's so easily adaptable to your fitness level. As you become more fit, you can walk faster, walk more often, walk up steeper hills or walk for longer periods.
If you don't find walking especially motivating, find a way to make it more entertaining. You can bop along to your ipod mix so long as you stay on the treadmill or keep the volume low enough to stay aware of your surroundings. You can walk with a friend or join a group. I even found one way to get paid for walking: Check out fitness pro Leslie Sansone's Walk Leadership program.
My 2 cents: Even if you do other types of exercise, walking should be the foundation of your activity plan. National Weight Control Registry participants cited walking as their top weight-loss strategy; they walk off an average of 1,000 calories a week. Even though I am an avid exercise and exhibit OCD running behavior myself, I still walk 20 minutes to 2 hours a day between appointments, with my daughter or just strolling along thinking. Trust me, regular walking has many benefits. Click here for more information on AOL Health about how it attacks deep abdominal fat.
Walking is the easiest fitness program to maintain and sustain due to the fact that there are no equipment needed and it doesn't burn people out like all the other exercise or fitness activities. It helps me keep a calm mind as well. It is actually very therapeutic if you walk outdoors. Try it!
Source
Nutrition IQ 101: True or False? Common Food Myths by Lee-Ann Watanabe, Honolulu Extreme Training Examiner
Eating fat will make you fat
False. Many foods pump up their low fat versions with sugar and calories to make up for the lost flavor from fat. Eat healthy full fat products in small portions and save yourself from the additives and chemicals their low fat counterparts come with.
If you want to lose weight, you shouldn’t snack
False. “Studies show that people who avoid eating between meals may end up consuming more calories overall,” says Keri Glasman, R.D., author of The Snack Factor Diet.
Low fat chocolate milk can be used as a post-exercise recovery drink
True. Low-fat chocolate milk contains high-quality protein and carbohydrate, which make it an excellent sports drink. Experts suspect one reason for chocolate milk's effectiveness in helping athletes recover is its carbohydrate-to-protein ratio, which is approximately 4:1. White milk would not work as well because it has less carbohydrate than chocolate milk.
Eating carbohydrates makes you fat
False. Carbohydrates are your body’s primary source of energy. Reach for veggies or whole grain carbohydrates and limit consumption of their cousin – white carbohydrates. White starches increase blood sugar and causes your body to release insulin; a hormone that signals your body to store fat.
To kick start weight loss, it’s a good idea to follow a detox diet
False. People who are sleep deprived have a harder time losing weight.
True. Sleep deprivation disturbs the body’s natural balance of hormones that regulate energy and hunger. Researchers at Standford University have found that those who had less than 7.5 hours of shut eye each night also carried a higher body mass index.
Don’t eat after 8 p.m.
False. It doesn’t matter what time you eat versus what you are eating. A calorie is a calorie is a calorie, so if you are consuming more than you are burning, you’ll gain eight. Also, if you exercise in the evening, it is crucial that you refuel your body.
You’ll lose more weight if you eat breakfast
True. Your body is like your car engine and needs fuel to get moving once you ride from your “fast.” You need to break the fast which is why breakfast is so important. Eating breakfast will rev up your metabolism to stoke that calorie fire burn throughout the day.
So, there you have it. The most common myths about nutrition and weight-loss. As Lee-Ann said, a calorie is a calorie no matter what time you eat it. Choose what you eat wisely and make sure that you don't overeat.
Source
False. Many foods pump up their low fat versions with sugar and calories to make up for the lost flavor from fat. Eat healthy full fat products in small portions and save yourself from the additives and chemicals their low fat counterparts come with.
If you want to lose weight, you shouldn’t snack
False. “Studies show that people who avoid eating between meals may end up consuming more calories overall,” says Keri Glasman, R.D., author of The Snack Factor Diet.
Low fat chocolate milk can be used as a post-exercise recovery drink
True. Low-fat chocolate milk contains high-quality protein and carbohydrate, which make it an excellent sports drink. Experts suspect one reason for chocolate milk's effectiveness in helping athletes recover is its carbohydrate-to-protein ratio, which is approximately 4:1. White milk would not work as well because it has less carbohydrate than chocolate milk.
Eating carbohydrates makes you fat
False. Carbohydrates are your body’s primary source of energy. Reach for veggies or whole grain carbohydrates and limit consumption of their cousin – white carbohydrates. White starches increase blood sugar and causes your body to release insulin; a hormone that signals your body to store fat.
To kick start weight loss, it’s a good idea to follow a detox diet
False. People who are sleep deprived have a harder time losing weight.
True. Sleep deprivation disturbs the body’s natural balance of hormones that regulate energy and hunger. Researchers at Standford University have found that those who had less than 7.5 hours of shut eye each night also carried a higher body mass index.
Don’t eat after 8 p.m.
False. It doesn’t matter what time you eat versus what you are eating. A calorie is a calorie is a calorie, so if you are consuming more than you are burning, you’ll gain eight. Also, if you exercise in the evening, it is crucial that you refuel your body.
You’ll lose more weight if you eat breakfast
True. Your body is like your car engine and needs fuel to get moving once you ride from your “fast.” You need to break the fast which is why breakfast is so important. Eating breakfast will rev up your metabolism to stoke that calorie fire burn throughout the day.
So, there you have it. The most common myths about nutrition and weight-loss. As Lee-Ann said, a calorie is a calorie no matter what time you eat it. Choose what you eat wisely and make sure that you don't overeat.
Source
Exercise's Benefits Good for Weight, Mind by James Konopack, Assistant Professor of Health Studies, Momnouth University
As a member of the American College of Sports Medicine, I can affirm the answer is yes. A significant body of research has demonstrated that exercise, when combined with a healthy diet, results in both weight loss and maintenance of a healthy weight.
Further, there is little evidence supporting the claim that exercising produces hunger so uncontrollable that it leads to weight gain. In fact, a recent study from the University of Pittsburgh showed just the opposite: overweight and obese women didn't eat any more food after 40 minutes of exercise than they normally would when inactive.
Exercise does require both effort and self-control, but when these are combined to form a healthy lifestyle, the rewards are substantial. Economically, expenditures are reduced (the recent Weight of the Nation conference reported that obesity accounts for $147 billion in annual health care costs), and people tend to lead more enjoyable, more energetic and happier lives.
Even for the non-overweight, exercise provides benefits that no single pill or prescription ever could. It treats and prevents numerous chronic conditions, including heart disease, high blood pressure, type II diabetes and depression.
Exercise is a health tool we all need, regardless of our weight, and the public must take its importance seriously. Further, advice about weight loss should come from a qualified health or fitness professional, instead of articles that may not showcase the full realm of scientific information surrounding the issue.
There are indeed a lot of benefits of exercise besides weight-loss. One can expect a calmer mind as well. Exercise should be part of every person's lifestyle.
Source
Further, there is little evidence supporting the claim that exercising produces hunger so uncontrollable that it leads to weight gain. In fact, a recent study from the University of Pittsburgh showed just the opposite: overweight and obese women didn't eat any more food after 40 minutes of exercise than they normally would when inactive.
Exercise does require both effort and self-control, but when these are combined to form a healthy lifestyle, the rewards are substantial. Economically, expenditures are reduced (the recent Weight of the Nation conference reported that obesity accounts for $147 billion in annual health care costs), and people tend to lead more enjoyable, more energetic and happier lives.
Even for the non-overweight, exercise provides benefits that no single pill or prescription ever could. It treats and prevents numerous chronic conditions, including heart disease, high blood pressure, type II diabetes and depression.
Exercise is a health tool we all need, regardless of our weight, and the public must take its importance seriously. Further, advice about weight loss should come from a qualified health or fitness professional, instead of articles that may not showcase the full realm of scientific information surrounding the issue.
There are indeed a lot of benefits of exercise besides weight-loss. One can expect a calmer mind as well. Exercise should be part of every person's lifestyle.
Source
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Yoga
A lot of people have this notion that flexibility and strength are prerequisites of yoga. The truth is, anybody can start doing yoga. Strength and flexibility can be developed at any age. Physical built and age doesn’t matter as well.
Yoga is breath, body and mind, or body, soul and spirit. First, let me explain to you what yoga is in simple layman’s terms.
Physical/Body
The physical part of yoga pertains to the asanas or the different poses. Through these poses, we develop strength, balance and flexibility. Poses are classified into seven groups: Standing poses, Sitting Poses, Forward Bendings, Twisting Poses, Back Bendings, Hand Balancings and Inverted Postures. By doing these poses, we also develop a more heightened sense of body awareness resulting in better movement, space awareness and control. The physical part of yoga also deals with balancing the different areas of the body, balancing the right and left hemispheres, front and back part of the body and the upper and lower parts.
Breath/Soul
Breathing is an integral part of yoga. It is a way of releasing pent-up energy or stress that we’ve put into our bodies. Breathing in yoga is deep and diaphragmatic. This type of breathing together with the different yoga poses, achieves internal organ massage as the diaphragm expands and contracts. It is somewhat like a cleansing routine or you could also liken it to taking an internal organ shower, rendering the organs tuned-up to their true functions.
Mind/Spirit
Yoga poses are done statically. That means, the poses are done in stillness. In stillness there is focus. In focus, there is silence. Yoga quiets the mind. It brings the mind into a calm, clear and focused state. Depending on the focus of the individual practitioner, sometimes it brings the mind into a really good meditative state. Being focused doesn’t mean that the yoga practitioner has to stress to concentrate. It is not required at all. To achieve focus in yoga, all one has to do is to let go of thoughts, worries and concerns, and just focus on his or her breathing and the asanas or poses. It’s just being at the moment.
Yoga is the integration of the body, mind and spirit. It is being aware of the self as a total being. It is uniting the body with the mind and the mind with the spirit. We do not live by the physical aspect alone. The body has to follow the mind, the mind has to obey the soul and the soul must surrender to the spirit.
If you’re a beginner in yoga or just starting to contemplate on doing yoga, please don’t get intimidated by the different poses that you see on print or on television. As a yoga teacher, I always tell my students to do only as much as they can for the moment and I always remind them that strength and flexibility or the perfect pose can be achieved in time. The different poses can even be modified to suit each individual and it will have the same effect on them as the ones who are doing the more advanced pose. Yoga is not a competition, it is inner work.
Another note on breathing, people tend to hold their breath when they are faced with difficult or stressful tasks (sometimes even as simple as playing computer games). Yoga can help individuals become more aware of their breathing and the type of breathing that they do whether it is deep, heavy, labored, shallow or relaxed.
Total wellness and healing can be achieved through yoga. Try it and see for yourself.
Yoga is breath, body and mind, or body, soul and spirit. First, let me explain to you what yoga is in simple layman’s terms.
Physical/Body
The physical part of yoga pertains to the asanas or the different poses. Through these poses, we develop strength, balance and flexibility. Poses are classified into seven groups: Standing poses, Sitting Poses, Forward Bendings, Twisting Poses, Back Bendings, Hand Balancings and Inverted Postures. By doing these poses, we also develop a more heightened sense of body awareness resulting in better movement, space awareness and control. The physical part of yoga also deals with balancing the different areas of the body, balancing the right and left hemispheres, front and back part of the body and the upper and lower parts.
Breath/Soul
Breathing is an integral part of yoga. It is a way of releasing pent-up energy or stress that we’ve put into our bodies. Breathing in yoga is deep and diaphragmatic. This type of breathing together with the different yoga poses, achieves internal organ massage as the diaphragm expands and contracts. It is somewhat like a cleansing routine or you could also liken it to taking an internal organ shower, rendering the organs tuned-up to their true functions.
Mind/Spirit
Yoga poses are done statically. That means, the poses are done in stillness. In stillness there is focus. In focus, there is silence. Yoga quiets the mind. It brings the mind into a calm, clear and focused state. Depending on the focus of the individual practitioner, sometimes it brings the mind into a really good meditative state. Being focused doesn’t mean that the yoga practitioner has to stress to concentrate. It is not required at all. To achieve focus in yoga, all one has to do is to let go of thoughts, worries and concerns, and just focus on his or her breathing and the asanas or poses. It’s just being at the moment.
Yoga is the integration of the body, mind and spirit. It is being aware of the self as a total being. It is uniting the body with the mind and the mind with the spirit. We do not live by the physical aspect alone. The body has to follow the mind, the mind has to obey the soul and the soul must surrender to the spirit.
If you’re a beginner in yoga or just starting to contemplate on doing yoga, please don’t get intimidated by the different poses that you see on print or on television. As a yoga teacher, I always tell my students to do only as much as they can for the moment and I always remind them that strength and flexibility or the perfect pose can be achieved in time. The different poses can even be modified to suit each individual and it will have the same effect on them as the ones who are doing the more advanced pose. Yoga is not a competition, it is inner work.
Another note on breathing, people tend to hold their breath when they are faced with difficult or stressful tasks (sometimes even as simple as playing computer games). Yoga can help individuals become more aware of their breathing and the type of breathing that they do whether it is deep, heavy, labored, shallow or relaxed.
Total wellness and healing can be achieved through yoga. Try it and see for yourself.
Fitness and Weight-Loss
I plan to start my blogs with a topic on weight-loss and fitness because this is where it all started.
Let us first discuss the word fitness. What is fitness? Being fit is being in a state of good physical condition. It is a state wherein a person is able to do his or her daily tasks without undue fatigue or stress. What then is weight-loss? It is actually the giving up of unnecessary weight particularly body fat to achieve a more desirable figure/body, or for some people, to achieve better health because obesity is related to diseases.
There is a strong relationship between these two concepts: weight-loss and fitness. There is a lot of concern right now on weight-loss because more and more people are becoming obese. Being obese can mean that a person might not be able to do his or her daily tasks without undue fatigue or stress. Most people (I am not saying all) who are overweight tend to get tired easily, and are more prone to injuries and aches due to their body weight. Then of course for some, it is a confidence issue. Being “just the right size” adds up to one’s desirability or attractiveness. For a lot of people, this gives them enough motivation to achieve fitness.
Fitness can mean a whole lot of different things to different people. Goals vary. For some, losing just a certain number of pounds will do, some would rely on body measurements. Still some would try to achieve the body that they truly desire. Usually for men, it is the rock hard body-types and for women, the long and lean look.
That’s how it all started for me. In my early 20’s I gained a lot of weight that I couldn’t fit into my clothes anymore. Every time I went to purchase new ones, the sizes would just get bigger and bigger. I didn’t like what I saw on the mirror as well. My confidence dropped and I found it difficult to perform daily tasks with ease. This is when I decided that I had to do something about it and so I attended fitness classes. At first, I went for just three classes a week. After a while, I progressed to attending classes every single day. I was hooked and I enjoyed it. I was young and probably because of too much inactivity prior to this, my body craved for it. After a few months, I knew that I already achieved what I wanted, but I wanted more. And so I worked harder. This is just about the time when the fitness instructors at the gym offered me a teaching post. I readily accepted it and they trained me to become a fitness professional as well.
In our world today, people have this notion that they have to go to the gym or work-out to achieve weight-loss and/or fitness. It is true that fitness and weight loss can be achieved through physical exercise but it doesn't necessarily mean going to the gym or being physically exhausted from working-out, unless you really want to do it that way, or you really enjoy doing it that way. Not all people have the money and the time to spend in fitness centers. There are other ways. Outdoor fun can be one of them. If you enjoy playing any sport or any physical game, that would be a great way to achieve fitness, and lose weight in the process. You can organize your physical activities with friends, be it a game of volleyball, badminton, soccer or even just a game of tag. Achieving fitness and weight-loss, and having fun in the process is a great way to go. Still, there are some people who enjoy being alone, and running or just plain walking around the park will do. Walking is very calming and therapeutic as well. If you enjoy dancing, then dance to your heart’s desire. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to attend dance classes to achieve fitness and weight-loss unless you are into the artistic side or if you want to learn a particular type of dance (ballet, jazz, belly dancing, street-dancing, tap dancing, etc.). You can dance for about 30 minutes to an hour inside your room, or you can split it up to dancing for 10 minutes at a time for about 3-5 times a day. If you want to learn certain martial arts, that’s another great form of exercise that will help you achieve fitness and weight-loss, but it is best to practice with certified instructors in the discipline if you choose this as your path. Let us not forget the eastern forms of physical activities that not only takes care of your physical aspect but mental, emotional and spiritual as well. Under this umbrella, we have Tai Chi, Qi Gong, Yoga and others. Still let’s not forget our favourite childhood toys, the hula hoop, the skip rope and the all-time favourite bicycle or any other toy from way back that we can use for movement.
To sum it all up, achieving weight-loss and/or fitness can be fun and exciting. It doesn’t have to be boring and you don’t even have to get really physically exhausted to achieve your goals. Choose any activity that you like doing and that you can stick to doing on a regular basis. It doesn’t have to just be a single activity either. You can choose to combine all the activities that you like doing. For example, if you feel like dancing with joy today, then do so. If tomorrow, you feel contemplative, then take a walk. If the next day, you feel like hanging out with your friends, then organize a game of football.
Another thing, watch what you eat. But that’s another story. ‘til next time...
Let us first discuss the word fitness. What is fitness? Being fit is being in a state of good physical condition. It is a state wherein a person is able to do his or her daily tasks without undue fatigue or stress. What then is weight-loss? It is actually the giving up of unnecessary weight particularly body fat to achieve a more desirable figure/body, or for some people, to achieve better health because obesity is related to diseases.
There is a strong relationship between these two concepts: weight-loss and fitness. There is a lot of concern right now on weight-loss because more and more people are becoming obese. Being obese can mean that a person might not be able to do his or her daily tasks without undue fatigue or stress. Most people (I am not saying all) who are overweight tend to get tired easily, and are more prone to injuries and aches due to their body weight. Then of course for some, it is a confidence issue. Being “just the right size” adds up to one’s desirability or attractiveness. For a lot of people, this gives them enough motivation to achieve fitness.
Fitness can mean a whole lot of different things to different people. Goals vary. For some, losing just a certain number of pounds will do, some would rely on body measurements. Still some would try to achieve the body that they truly desire. Usually for men, it is the rock hard body-types and for women, the long and lean look.
That’s how it all started for me. In my early 20’s I gained a lot of weight that I couldn’t fit into my clothes anymore. Every time I went to purchase new ones, the sizes would just get bigger and bigger. I didn’t like what I saw on the mirror as well. My confidence dropped and I found it difficult to perform daily tasks with ease. This is when I decided that I had to do something about it and so I attended fitness classes. At first, I went for just three classes a week. After a while, I progressed to attending classes every single day. I was hooked and I enjoyed it. I was young and probably because of too much inactivity prior to this, my body craved for it. After a few months, I knew that I already achieved what I wanted, but I wanted more. And so I worked harder. This is just about the time when the fitness instructors at the gym offered me a teaching post. I readily accepted it and they trained me to become a fitness professional as well.
In our world today, people have this notion that they have to go to the gym or work-out to achieve weight-loss and/or fitness. It is true that fitness and weight loss can be achieved through physical exercise but it doesn't necessarily mean going to the gym or being physically exhausted from working-out, unless you really want to do it that way, or you really enjoy doing it that way. Not all people have the money and the time to spend in fitness centers. There are other ways. Outdoor fun can be one of them. If you enjoy playing any sport or any physical game, that would be a great way to achieve fitness, and lose weight in the process. You can organize your physical activities with friends, be it a game of volleyball, badminton, soccer or even just a game of tag. Achieving fitness and weight-loss, and having fun in the process is a great way to go. Still, there are some people who enjoy being alone, and running or just plain walking around the park will do. Walking is very calming and therapeutic as well. If you enjoy dancing, then dance to your heart’s desire. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to attend dance classes to achieve fitness and weight-loss unless you are into the artistic side or if you want to learn a particular type of dance (ballet, jazz, belly dancing, street-dancing, tap dancing, etc.). You can dance for about 30 minutes to an hour inside your room, or you can split it up to dancing for 10 minutes at a time for about 3-5 times a day. If you want to learn certain martial arts, that’s another great form of exercise that will help you achieve fitness and weight-loss, but it is best to practice with certified instructors in the discipline if you choose this as your path. Let us not forget the eastern forms of physical activities that not only takes care of your physical aspect but mental, emotional and spiritual as well. Under this umbrella, we have Tai Chi, Qi Gong, Yoga and others. Still let’s not forget our favourite childhood toys, the hula hoop, the skip rope and the all-time favourite bicycle or any other toy from way back that we can use for movement.
To sum it all up, achieving weight-loss and/or fitness can be fun and exciting. It doesn’t have to be boring and you don’t even have to get really physically exhausted to achieve your goals. Choose any activity that you like doing and that you can stick to doing on a regular basis. It doesn’t have to just be a single activity either. You can choose to combine all the activities that you like doing. For example, if you feel like dancing with joy today, then do so. If tomorrow, you feel contemplative, then take a walk. If the next day, you feel like hanging out with your friends, then organize a game of football.
Another thing, watch what you eat. But that’s another story. ‘til next time...
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