Split Up Workouts for Better Results

Running for 30 to 45 minutes at miles per hour on the treadmill everyday could get boring. Shorten your workouts while increasing their effectiveness by using intervals. Sprint, jog, walk during the same session. Change your scenery, go outside. Studies show that feelings of overall well-being increase for outdoor exercises. 

Eat and Be Merry!

Low energy levels can be a sign of common dieting disasters.

One is skipping breakfast. Missing the first meal of the day not only allows muscle breakdown to go unchecked but also makes blood sugar levels fall. This can lead to huge lulls in available energy while also increasing the risk of binge eating. Another is eating low carb - 150grams or fewer per day, for too long. Try carb cycling, two days low and two days moderate. This will help drop fat, but you will also stay sane.

What's Your Fitness Level?

This test can be performed on either a running track (six laps around a standard 400-meter track) or on a flat street where 1.5 miles is measured using an odometer.

For Men
Poor: > 12 minutes
Average: 12 to 10:01 minutes
Good: 10 to 9:01 minutes
Exceptional: < 9 minutes

For Women
Poor: >14 minutes
Average: 14 to 12:01 minutes
Good: 12 to 11:01
Exceptional: <11 minutes

Aerobic fitness test and results are based on Muscle & Performance Magazine!

Everthing D

The benefits of D3 are invaluable. Some include: strong bones, immune function, cancer prevention, nerve improvements, and increased endurance. Based on which climate region you live, your vitamin D3 intake should average between 2000iu and 5000iu. Yes excess D can be stored in the fat tissue of your body. Common side effects are: loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting. If these occur discontinue taking D3 and see your doctor.

Are You Constipated?

Warning signs of constipation:
-straining during a bowel movement more than 25% of the time
-hard stools more than 25% of the time
-incomplete evacuation more than 25% of the time
-two or fewer bowel movements in a week

Some reasons why you might be constipated:
-inadequate water intake
-inadequate fiber in the diet
-a disruption of regular diet or routine, e.g. traveling
-inadequate activity or exercise
eating large amounts of dairy products
-stress
-hypothyroidism
-antacid medicines containing calcium or aluminum
-medicines(especially strong pain medicines, such as narcotics, antidepressants or iron pills)
-pregnancy

Eat First

Eat small and frequent throughout the day. Doing this will keep you from being tempted to over indulge. I know it sounds funny, but you never want to eat when you are hungry. Keep a protein bar on hand to eat throughout the day. Soups and salad blunt hunger when eaten at the start of a meal.

Eat Slowly and You Won't Overeat

It takes food between 15 and 20 minutes to pass from your esophagus into your stomach. It takes that long between your first bite and the moment your brain gets the signal from your stomach that it's being fed. If you eat fast like in five minutes, you still have ten minutes before your brain gets the signal that it's stuffed. That gap is costly because it allows you to put on unwanted pounds easily and unexpected.

When Willpower Is Not Enough

When willpower is not enough to avoid over eating this holiday, try these products known to aid in appetite suppression, glucomannan, hoodia, chromium, zinc, guarana and or caffeine

Eat Protein to Avoid Unhealthy Foods

Protein is a powerful nutrient. It makes sure your body doesn't eat its own muscle for lunch, it takes longer to digest, occupying your digestive tract and making you feel full longer. You don't have to cook a chicken breast. Whey protein powder has been shown to keep levels of ghrelin, the hunger hormone, low while boosting levels of another hormone called cholecystokinin, which makes you feel full.

Use Water To Eat Less This Holiday

Studies show that drinking 16 oz of water before meals can reduce the over-all number of calories that you consume at each sitting. So if you're worried about going overboard, chug a lug on water before eating to feel fuller faster.

Adrenal Support

Pantothenic acid is particularly important for optimum adrenal function and has long been considered the "anti stress" vitamin because of its central role in adrenal function and cellular metabolism. Nutritionally oriented physicians often recommend pantothenic acid supplementation (usual dosage of 250 milligrams twice daily) to treat allergies.

Got Jetlag

Use Melatonin. Taking 1-3mg of melatonin 30 minutes prior to bedtime will help reset your clock much faster. The sublingual tablets appear to work better than tablets and capsules. Your dose can vary depending on your specific needs. Melatonin use should start 3-5 days prior to your trip and continue for the same number of days upon your return.

Improve The Health Of Your Child!

Children need to take a good broad spectrum multivitamin and mineral everyday. Science has shown that prolonged nutrient depletion can lead to more serious health challenges over time. Help your children understand that supplements are not medicine and they are designed to help them be better, healthier and happier people.

Take Care of Your Kids!

Omega-3's from fish, Grandma always said "eat your fish it will make you smarter". Omega-3's benefit our children's: brain development, eye development, joints, mental clarity, heart health, and general health and development. In conversation with  parents they are having success treating their children's ADD and ADHD with Omega-3's with a high DHA to EPA ratio, similar to the ratio's found in breast milk. (please consult you doctor first before administering Omega-3's to your child as a treatment for ADD or ADHD)

The Truth About Belly Fat

There is no magic pill for belly fat. There are supplements that help, like CLA and L-Carnitine. But a combination of things might help, for example: controlling stress, getting 8 hours a sleep, drinking a minimum of 8 glasses of water, eating 6 small meals a day, and doing a combination of cardiovascular exercise and weight training. You can not get that six pack by targeting. Just doing abs is not going to cut it.You have to work the entire body.

Healthy Fast Foods

We all know that eating fast food everyday is not good for you. But sometimes we have no choice. Subway has been the solution for years, but what happens when you really want a burger!

Make Time For Your Workout

If you are serious about losing weight, start by scheduling into your day time for exercise and meal planning. Treat these times as appointments that you can't miss. Also, look at your exercise time as a reward, not a punishment, by choosing a type of exercise and a place to exercise that you really enjoy. You'll find that you will look forward to this time of your day. Remember you are the most important person.

Give Your Body a Break

For one day a week try all liquids. Your digestive system, kidneys, and liver is always working, and depending on what your eating they're working overtime. Don't worry you're not going to starve to death. Believe it or not, we tend to eat to much. By giving your organs a chance to recharge, you will have more energy and more focus than ever before.

Tips for Success!

Focus on the variety of good things you can eat rather than the foods you have to give up. If you find yourself with food cravings, increase your intake of good fats and protein and cut back on carbohydrates.

Check Your Emotions

Emotions good or bad trigger a response. Some of the time you respond with food. If you are excited you celebrate by eating. If you are sad or disappointed you comfort yourself by eating. Watch the emotional eating and keep track of you doing so. This will not immediately stop you but the goal is to become conscious of when you do it. Being conscious of it will not only help you stop eating to your emotions but if your not eating to your emotions you actually have to deal with the root issue!

Are You Dehydrated?

Don't include diuretics such as coffee and tea or other beverages as part of your daily water intake. They can be used in conjunction with water but not replacing it. Bring a 32oz or 64oz bottle of water with you and drink it throughout the day. Remember your minimum intake should be 64oz a day. You should be drinking water throughout the day. If you are thirsty or have an headache your already dehydrated.

Let Eggs Become Your Best Friend

Eggs are rich in protein and are loaded with the good fat you need for energy, and lean muscle. Eggs are a complete protein and utilized better in the human body than any other protein source. They contain a complete amino acid profile, they have thirteen vitamins and minerals, and are low in sodium.

Don't Get Discouraged It's Only the Beginning

Only weigh your self once a month.  Your weight tends to fluctuate to much day to day to get an accurate measure. When starting your fitness program more inches are lost than pounds. Most people want the opposite, but losing inches makes you look as good and well proportioned. If you are adding strength training to your program which you should be, you might even gain weight in the beginning. This is because muscle weighs more than fat. But in the end you will lose more weight and have better appearance. Muscle burns more calories than fat even while at rest. It also boost metabolism and gives you a more lean look.

Change Up Your Old Routine

Do not let your fitness program become routine. If your exercise program has become to easy your body has adapted to the increased work load. If this is happening you are not getting as much benefit as when you first started. Keep your program fresh with by working out with friends, videos, and a personal trainer.

Eat To Get Thin

Always have suitable foods on hand to keep from cheating on your nutrition plan. Example: nuts, fruits, yogurt, and protein shakes are great options to keep you from junk foods. Eat small healthy meals several times a day (not just three meals, more like five to six) to keep blood sugar levels even, this keeps you from craving unhealthy foods throughout the day.

Vegan Protein

For those who are allergic to soy or get bloated with whey try Hemp protein. Hemp protein is isolated from the hemp seed. It supplies eight of the essential amino acids as well as some healthy fatty acids. There is no lactose, high fiber, and low calories, making it a healthy alternative to your regular protein powders. The only draw back is you might have to double scoop it, because it contains less protein per gram than other sources.

Iodine For Thyroid Health

Iodine-this essential dietary mineral also forms part of the foundation of thyroid hormones. T4 contains four iodine atoms, and T3 contains three. Multivitamins and kelp supplements don't contain enough iodine to help normalize thyroid function. You may need to take 5,000-10,000  mcg of iodine for a couple of months before reducing the amount.

Train Harder With Less Pain

Omega-3s help reduce body fat. Omega-3s are readily converted to prostaglandins, hormone like substances that assist with many processes in the body, one of which is to promote fat burning. Omega-3s enhance joint recovery. Running long distances can take a toll on your joints. The omega-3 fats can help your joints recover faster, reducing joint pain and keeping your training on track. They do this by reducing inflammation. Less inflammation means better healing.

Don't Be Afraid of The Weights

Doing cardiovascular exercise after weights allows the body to get into its fat burning zone quicker than doing weights after. It takes at least 45 minutes of cardio to get into that fat burning stage, anytime before that you are just burning carbohydrates. Weight training also builds more muscle which burns more calories during exercise and at rest.

Get More Energy!

Chronic stress increases levels of the hormone cortisol. Adrenal exhaustion develops when the body can no longer sustain high cortisol production. Fatigue follows afterwards, making most people dependent on caffeine. Licorice Root blocks the body's breakdown of cortisol, enabling normal levels of the hormone. Take Licorice Root in the morning and early afternoon to help restore normal cortisol patterns.

Is Your Water Making You Sick?

One way to ensure that the water you drink is healthy is to avoid chlorinated water. Chlorine in your water kills micro organisms, but it also kills the healthy probiotic bacteria in your gut. Our primitive ancestors drank mineral rich water straight from the source. Chlorine also destroys the natural acidity of the skin, which is the first barrier against disease. You should avoid drinking, bathing, and swimming in chlorinated water as much as possible. Opt for the beach over the pool, get a filter for you shower, and drink bottled glass mineral water for better health.

Got Goat's Milk?

For people with intestinal disorders, goat's milk has the potential to heal. Whereas cow's milk requires three hours to be absorbed, goat's milk requires only twenty minutes. Goat's milk protein molecules are half the size of cow's milk making it easier absorbed through the small intestine. In comparison to cow's milk goat's milk is: less allergic, it doesn't as readily produce gas or bloating, it is not mucus forming, it is a rich source of the mineral selenium, and it is also high in medium-chain fatty acids that inhibit Candida.

Beautiful Skin from the Inside Out

Incorporating antioxidants in your skin care regimen can help protect against and possibly even reverse the accumulated free radical skin damage caused by the sun, pollution, and smoke. All of these things cause your skin to show signs of aging, including wrinkles and discoloration. Here are some of the most effective antioxidants to look for on your product labels and how they work: Alpha-Lipoic Acid is both fat and water soluble, making it able to easily penetrate skin cell membranes to reduce wrinkles and dull skin. Acai act as an astringent, keeping the skin taut and helping to protect the connective tissues. Astaxanthin protects against the damaging effects of sunlight and other environmental stress, and increases skin elasticity and moisture retention. CoQ10 is naturally produced by the body as its main defense against free radicals. Coffee Berry helps fight skin inflammation and is now believed to help reduce hair loss by defeating the hormone DHT. Grape-Seed Extract, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and

Vitamin E are other antioxidants of the same importance.

Supplement Safety!

These are some guidelines for when you shop for nutritional supplements. Make sure the ingredients are offered in therapeutic dose ranges. (enough of the ingredient to actually be effective) Try to get ingredients organically produced from uncontaminated sources. Make sure the label is readable and you know what is exactly in there. Make sure the ingredients have a record of being effective.The scientific claims should be about the supplement you're buying, not similar supplements.Last but not least, the supplement should come from companies that have been audited and certified by governing bodies.

Sleep and Recharge

With all that's going on in your busy life, it could be hard to clear your mind and get to sleep at night. Add to the fact that we take stimulants throughout the day to keep us energetic. Sometimes mother nature doesn't make it any easier on us, ie the earthquake on the east coast. Melatonin might be the answer. It is known as the sleep hormone, naturally occurring in the body and can improve circadian rhythm and help you fall asleep faster. Try the timed release version to asleep longer at night. (recommended dose is 3 mg) This improved rest will help the body to restore itself so you can feel more energetic each morning.

The Foundation for Optimum Health

These are the foundations of optimum health, and if done correctly could not only improve longevity but the quality of that longevity.

Supplementation - How you incorporate vitamins, supplements and other natural remedies into your daily health regimen.

Diet - The foods and beverages you choose to fortify the body each day, and you eating habits.

Exercise - What do you do to physically challenge your body beyond your required daily activities.

Mental Health - Hoe do you feel about yourself, your relationships, your work and family. This also includes spirituality, self-esteem, stress management, and self-fulfillment.

Workout Plan for Moms

Burn Calories doing everyday chores faster. Always wear your workout gear around the house, it keeps you motivated and you have to get your workout in whenever you can because of time constraints.

 

Activities

Complete with the kids, see who can sweep leaves faster or clean a room in the smallest amount of time. Have yard runs fence to fence. If there are multiple kids get creative and start a relay race. Find a park or track around the house and stroller trot with other moms. Start a fitness challenge among friends, this keeps you accountable and motivates you when no one else is around. Don't walk up the stairs run up the stairs. Add a few extra laps on the stairs when doing chores or chasing the kids around. Pace walk, instead of strolling through the grocery store to burn extra calories. Do extra laps with the kids at the mall when shopping.

 

Don't forget strength training

Have fun, do push-ups and lunges with one of  your kids on your back. This is great for working out and the kids have a lot of fun as well. Try lunging every time you bend over to pick up toys or clothes around the house. If you have smaller kids, use them for your resistance training. For example: hold your baby close to your chest like you normally do, while performing squats. Use them as a medicine ball for abs (they really get a kick out of this one). Sitting in an up-right position with your feet flat on the ground, perform a sit-up or crunch and kiss them every time you come up. Another great workout is leg raises, this can be done by lying on your side and lifting your leg. To up the intensity keep it below your shoulders and hold it in place. Flex your foot as well, it helps. Get the kids to count for you.

 

Arm workouts

To keep those nice tone arms or get the arms you lost, try starting off with arm circles. Hold you arms out to the side at shoulder height and proceed with circular motions. You can raise the intensity by making them bigger and smaller. Do this for about a minute or more if you're comfortable. Holding a small weight in both hands is another great way to up the intensity. Start off slow, you don't want to hurt your back or shoulders. Arm curls are great too with light weights. Hold your arms by your waist and raise them in a smooth motion flexing the biceps. Do multiple sets max of 10 reps or as much as time will allow. Triceps dips are an awesome arm workout: place you arm on the seat of the chair with feet flat on the ground and bend 90 degrees at the elbow. Extend your legs all the way out for more resistance. Do 3 to 4 sets and 8 to 10 reps.

 

Remember to be creative. Your entire house is a gym and every chore or movement can be an exercise with intensity, speed, and resistance. Don't forget to include everyone including the husband, kids, neighbors, pets, and other family members. HAVE FUN!

 

Weight Loss Advice

Keep portions smaller than your first. It's easy to overeat when you have too much food on your plate. Smaller portions help prevent overeating. Also, try eating off of a saucer instead of a regular plate to control portions.

Control your hunger with filling foods that are low in calories. Eat mostly fruits, veggies, nuts, and seeds and leave animal proteins to the lean cuts. Avoid starches, and focus on the vegetable as being the main part of your plate. Fruits and vegetables can help fill you up without adding a lot of calories. These foods will satisfy your hunger and help you lose weight.

Adrenal Fatigue

Adrenal fatigue can come from drugs, supplements, stress, or tobacco. People who use high stimulant fat burners to lose weight are slowing their metabolic rate over time. Because they are wearing out their adrenal glands, when they stop taking the product they gain more weight more easily. Energy drinks also damage your natural metabolism and max out your adrenal glands. Get back to your old self by: doing away with drugs, alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco, drinking plenty of water, properly supplementing, eating right, and getting more sleep.

Go Beyond Walking (continued)

If you've tried walking with friends, walking in malls, walking your dog, walking with headphones, walking while watching TV, and walking backward, it's time to try something new. With boredom can come lack of motivation. Even if you're still enjoying walking, it's time to mix it up. Try different types of exercise to keep walking from gettingstale. When you add variety you'll get more results from your efforts. 

Go Beyond Walking (continued)

Many people are wrong in assuming that a slow 45 minutes walk is the equivalent of a vigorous 25 minute jog. Your heart like any other muscle, has to be pushed in order to grow stronger. If your working in a zone to burn calories and possibly fat, you should be sweating, somewhat out of breath. You be able to talk in short sentences not full blown conversations. If you walk on a treadmill increase the elevation and speed controls. If you walk outside make a conscious effort to walk faster and faster, and or find some hills.

Go Beyond Walking

No one exercise, not even walking, is sufficient. Doing just one thing over and over again has built in limitations. For example: if you exercise by walking, you body gets very used to it. Your muscles become accustomed to being used in the same way. So even if you increase your distance and speed, your not going to as good a result as when you started your workout plan.

Enjoy Your New Lifestyle

Celebrate your success everyday. Each morning, take a moment to look at yourself in the mirror and be proud of your accomplishments. Reward yourself with treats like a massage, a facial, a new pair of running shoes, or a new workout CD, but not with food. You don't want to delay your progress.

Substitutions for your food Cravings

Going through your new lifestyle choice you are bound to run into road blocks named "food cravings". Try replacing some of them to be successful. For example:

• Ice cream made with sugar - berries in heavy cream or in sour cream with splenda
• Salty chips - macadamia or soy nuts, pumpkin seeds, soy chips
• Sugary soft drinks - sugar-free beverages or add sugar-free syrups to seltzer water
• Tortillas - wrap fillings with low carb tortillas or lettuce leaves

Hope these substitutions work for you.

Quick Health Tip

Exercise keeps your head clear, relieves your anxiety, restores your energy, keeps your mind off food, and boosts your metabolism. Even if you don't have a weight problem, symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, or irritability that are relieved by eating, may mean you suffer from unstable blood sugar. If you go to the doctor, chances are they will try to medicate you. Before automatically accepting a prescription for a pharmaceutical, ask your physician whether there is a natural alternative in the form of a supplement or lifestyle change.

Digestive Health Continued

These are two more of the most common factors causing negative problems when it comes to digestive health and disorders.
High intake of carbohydrates- many carbohydrates are not digested, but undigested but undigested carbohydrates do not pass harmlessly through the small intestine. They stay in the gut, where they can potentially feed "bad" bacteria. As a result, fermenting bacteria and yeast damage the intestinal wall and digestion is impaired.

High intake of sugar- refined white sugar, like carbohydrates, can feed the "bad" microorganisms in the intestines. One such organism, a yeast called Candida albicans is a big fan of sugar. Eating too much white sugar can cause Candida and thrush. Sugar can also feed bacteria that irritate the lining of the GI tract.

Digestive Health Continued

Taking are of your digestive health is sometimes over looked. If taken are of properly you can rid yourself of certain disease, have more energy, speed up weight-loss, take less trips to the doctor, and really control you health. Below are some products the interfere with your digestive health.

Artificial Sweeteners- Sweeteners that include sorbitol, and xylitol can aggravate irritable bowel syndrome and cause diarrhea in sensitive individuals. diet foods, chewing gum, some vitamins, and medicines such as cough syrup and antacids contain sorbitol. These items are often overlooked as potentiators of gastrointestinal distress.

Antibiotics- Antibiotics can have a devastating effect on the gut. They wipe out bacteria, friendly and unfriendly. Harmful bacteria, yeast, and fungi that were kept in check by friendly bacteria suddenly have free reign and can proliferate in the intestines. Some strains of bacteria are resistant to antibiotics. These powerful strains remain in the gut to cause all kinds of trouble.

Digestive Health

This will be a multi-part series on digestive health and disorders. Today we're starting with the big three. The three most commonly used non-prescription products that have a negative impact on digestive health.

Alcohol- The excessive drinking of alcoholic beverages damages the intestinal tract and strains the liver. The liver is responsible for producing bile, the substance that breaks down fat in the digestive process.

Nicotine and caffeine- These substances injure the stomach and esophagus. They relax the sphincter muscle that controls the passage of food from the esophagus to the stomach. Consequently, hydrochloric acid from the stomach can splash into the esophagus to cause heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Go Ahead and Cheat a Little

During our quest for a healthy lifestyle we sometimes deprive ourselves to much, when a little cheating could actually keep us on the band wagon. For example, I here that it is sometimes to hard to stick with a certain diet or nutrition plan because you crave your favorite unhealthy foods. So instead of sticking with the healthy program you quit or don't even start. Instead give yourself a day to eat those unhealthy foods, just don't go crazy and make yourself sick. This is a great incentive for being good 6 out of the 7 days in a week. The best thing is you're more likely to stay on your healthy eating plan because your providing yourself with balance. As time goes on you'll crave those unhealthy foods less and less. But when you first start don't forget to cheat a little!

Weight Management

Weight Management 101. Burn more calories than you consume. To Lose Weight: stop eating just before you are full. To Maintain Weight: stop eating when you are full. To Gain Weight: keep eating after you are full.

Getting Lean

The key to getting lean is to consume the right amount of carbohydrates that your body needs, and this is mainly dependent on three factors: weight, activity level, and fitness level. Athletes have a advantage over individuals who are not physically fit. An athlete, due to regular intense activity requires more carbohydrates than the average Joe or moderately active person. The more active you are, the more you have earned the right to eat certain carbohydrates.

Build Your Muscles

Whey protein can help to make weight training more effective by making muscles grow bigger, according to a study by Canadian and British researchers, published in the Journal of Nutrition. In comparing muscle responses to various exercises, the study found that two factors work synergistically to produce maximum muscle growth: Resistance or weight training until a muscle is fatigued. The load can be heavy or light-the key is to reach the point of fatigue. Consuming whey protein (15 to 30 grams) immediately after exercise will increase muscle growth and speed recovery.

Protect Your Heart

Vitamin B12 plays an essential role with folic acid and other B vitamins in a series of biochemical reactions called methylation. Methylation is needed to replicate genes and regulate their activity, protect against cardiovascular diseases, and make neurotransmitters and phospholipids. Low levels of vitamin B12 lead to increases in blood levels of methylmalonic acid, which may boost the risk of heart disease, stroke, and Alzheimer's disease. To protect yourself, take a supplement containing vitamin B12, vitamin B6, and folic acid.

Cleansing for Energy

Think about it, all of your body systems are probably bogged down with waste. Not just your colon, but your liver, blood, kidneys and more. By removing the waste, the energy your body was using to handle toxins can now be used to generate energy for your daily activities. I suggest cleansing a minimum of 14 days to a maximum of 30 days.

Heat Exhaustion

Sweat is the body's way of cooling off. But if you're overheated for an extended period of time and don't replace the fluids you've lost, the internal systems that regulate temperature become overwhelmed and can't release the heat. If you become dehydrated, heat exhaustion can lead to potentially deadly heat stroke. Take immediate action if you feel dizzy, clammy, or nauseated. Get some place cool and drink lots of cool water. Find some sports drinks with electrolytes and take it easy.

Hooray for the Onion

20 grams fresh onion three times per day. Preliminary trials and at least one double-blind trial have shown that large amounts of onion an can lower blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. The mechanism of onion's blood sugar-lowering action is not precisely known, though there is evidence that constituents in onions block the breakdown of insulin in the liver. This would lead to higher levels of insulin in the body.

Got Magnesium!

People with Type 1 diabetes tend to have low magnesium levels, and magnesium given orally or by injection partially overcomes the reduction in magnesium levels. In one preliminary trial, insulin requirements were lower in people with type 1 diabetes who were given magnesium. Diabetes- induced damage to the eyes is more likely to occur in magnesium deficient people with type 1 diabetes. In magnesium deficient pregnant women with type 1 diabetes, the lack of magnesium may even account for the high rate of spontaneous abortion and birth defects associated with type 1 diabetes. A double blind trail found that giving 300 mg per day of magnesium to magnesium deficient type 1 diabetics for five years slowed the development of diabetic nerve damage (neuropathy). The American Diabetes Association acknowledges strong associations between magnesium deficiency and insulin resistance but has not said magnesium deficiency is a risk factor.

Teen Girls and Sports Injuries

Knee injuries are more ommon in young girl athletes for several reasons. Girls have thinner ACLs, which support leg spins. The small notch on in their knees have a guillontine effect on the ligament when it goes into extension. They also put their ACLs at risk because they fire thier quads more than their hamstrings putting more pressure on the knee. Girls knees are also aligned differently than boys, causing inreased stress on them. Mothers tell your daughters to focus on technique and proper body mechanics to reduce injuries. ACL tears take 6 to 9 months to get bak to your sport healthy. BE CAREFUL!

The Chicken Finger Nightmare

My eating is very clean and healthy 99% of the time. All of my meals from breakfast to dinner is home cooked. Every once in a while I decide to eat out, and every time I pay for it. The chicken fingers and fries are still spinning in my stomach. After writing about getting sleep I couldn't get any. Every time I eat out, my body pays for it. I haven't had chicken fingers and fries in 3years, and it will be another three years before I try it again. Somebody told me I should have gotten a salad, but going out to get a salad doesn't scream danger and excitement. The way my body feels now, I am going to stay away from danger for a long while.

Go To Sleep!

The consequences of sleep deprivation go far beyond the miseries of fatigue and diminished performance. Decades of clinical research document that a good night's rest supports nearly all systems of the body, including: skin health and youthful appearance, healthy collagen formation, insulin levels already within normal range, healthy body weight, glucose levels, blood pressure, healthy cell division, cardiovascular health, and good mood. But a lack of sleep has the opposite effect. Scientist attribute sleep related difficulties to the unprecedented levels of stress most of us endure in today's society.

Short On Exercise Time, Jump Rope

We would love to spend an hour or two dedicated to transforming our bodies, but sometimes we just don't have the time. My alternative is jump rope. This is a full body workout that burns more calories than and has a higher cardiac output than indoor cycling, elliptical, and jogging at a moderate pace on the treadmill. 15 minutes of jump rope is the equivalent to 20 moderate minutes on the treadmill, 25 minutes on the stationary bike, and 30 minutes on the elliptical. Try it, you will feel the difference!

Are Your Joints Keeping You From Exercising?

A lot of us have joint problems like arthritis or or early osteoporosis, so normal
resistance training and high impact exercise are not an option. Here are some non-weight-bearing and non-impact activities:

• Bicycling and indoor cycling
• Deep water walking
• Stretching and flexibility exercises (avoid bending forward)
• Swimming
• Water Aerobics

CoQ10(Ubiquinol)

As we age, the levels of antioxidants in our bodies fall. Due to the natural course of aging and the increasing reach of environmental toxins, it may be difficult to get the optimal amount of antioxidants through food alone; dietary supplements may be of benefit to optimize and maintain a healthy cellular redox balance. CoQ10/Ubiquinone is one of the best for your heart health and energy. CoQ10 is a coenzyme, meaning that it partners with other enzymes in the body to produce particular reactions. It plays two vital roles in cellular and body health: energy production and free radical production. After age 40 the liver conversion rate of CoQ10 to Ubiquinol slows down. It is better to get Ubiquinol already in its active form which is utilized better in the body. You will be able to feel the difference.

What Motivates You To Lose Weight?

There was a conversation around the gym the other day about what motivates individuals to work out and lose weight?  Specifically to seek out a personal trainer to lose weight? This question is interesting because it generates a lot of different answers. 

Some of the common answers includes: illness, illness that could lead to death, vanity, special life events including weddings.  The number one answer (to the question of what motivates an individual to lose weight) in the mind of a personal trainer is the hope that the individual extends their quality of life. 

Of course everyone will answer these questions differently, hence why i wanted to pose the question here: What motivates you to lose weight?

Working Out?

Walking is effective for the elderly and the obese.

 

For exercise to really be effective you must increase your heart rate for at least 30 minutes.

Good workouts can be productive and addictive. The more you exercise and see results, the more you want to workout. The problem is not allowing your body the proper rest can be counter productive. Your body needs rest days and the proper nutrition to be able to rebuild it-self and get ready for the next challenge. Muscle damage, heart problems, high cortisol levels, free radical cell damage, and a host of other health problems will occur if you don't properly space out your workouts. Be smart and listen to your body, REST!

Fat is Good!

Welcome to all our new followers. For more information on fun and innovative ways to a healthy lifestyle, please visit our website at athletes4life.net! EFAs(essential fatty acids):
These fats are considered essential because the body cannot make them. Our intake needs to come from our diet, or supplements. Recent research has revealed that EFA's benefit most of the major diseases we face such as: heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, cancer, and major skin health issues.

New Venture!

A4L is expanding the way we help and interact with the community. Athletes4life.will be using this forum to discuss all heath and fitness related topics to help you lead a healthier lifestyle.