There are quite a few untruths out there about health and fitness. I'd like to share a few of them with you.

If you're thin you're fit. Sorry, but being thin is no indication of how efficient your heart, lungs, and muscles are. Body composition testing has shown that thin people usually have a higher percentage of body fat because they feel that they don't have to exercise. You've got to exercise
By doing sit-ups you get rid of stomach fat. No way! There is no such thing as spot reducing. Fat reduction comes from aerobic activities and is reduced proportionally throughout the body.
Sweat loss means fat loss. You do lose weight when you sweat but it is mostly water weight, it is not fat loss. It is usually regained after drinking liquid.
Extra protein makes you bigger and stronger. It would be great if it did. However, your normal diet meets your daily protein needs. Extra protein is only converted into and stored as body fat.
Sugar before exercise will give you fast energy, Candy bars, honey, and sweets quickly enter your bloodstream and release a tremendous amount of insulin. The insulin increase during exercise causes your blood sugar to drop, leading to faster exhaustion.
Lifting weights gives women big, bulky, muscles. Women do not produce enough male hormones for large muscle growth. They also don't have as much muscle fiber as a man. You must train specifically for muscle growth if you want to gain muscle mass.
Muscles turn into fat when you quit exercising. NO, NO, NO. Some may seem to make this look true. However, fat cannot change to muscle or vice-versa. When you stop exercising, your muscles start to waste away and lose their firmness. It is the over consumption of food that increase the size of the fat cells and therefore you puff out.
Cellulite is a unique type of fat. Cellulite is fat; all fat is fat. Rubbing creams don't work. Remove cellulite (fat) through aerobic conditioning, weight training, muscular endurance training, and diet.
Certain food supplements and foods can burn fat away. Food doesn't burn fat nor do supplements you can buy monthly supplies of. Aerobic exercise is the way we burn fat. The only way.
Low intensity aerobic exercise burns more body fat than high intensity aerobic exercise. You must look at total calorie expenditure. Everyone's physical ability is different. Gradually work your intensity up and keep going as long as you can.

Now that you know what the real deal is, don't wait another day before embarking on your weight loss and fitness plans. Think positive!

Sandra L. Garth is a wellness writer and consultant. Stay informed and motivated by receiving her twice weekly fit tips. Log on to

• 0 comments »

It?s a fact: How fast or how well you age is all in the head. It?s as simple as that.

It?s how you decide to behave. It?s your attitude about life. It?s how you feel about yourself. It?s about what you think is possible. It?s about what you think is important. Briefly, it comes down to choices you make about how you live your life.

However, there is more to it than that. Tradition, custom, conventional wisdom, consensus thinking, the influence of friends, the media, plus influences you are not even aware of -- all affect how you live your life ? and how you age.

For example, society tells us that about age 55, you are a ?senior.? If you accept that categorization of yourself at age 55, you will experience ?oldness? signs far earlier than necessary. That?s because acceptance of ?seniorhood? carries with it adoption of approved ?oldness? thinking and behaviors.

You don?t deliberately adopt old thinking and behaviors. Tradition and culture have established how you ?ought to be? at a given age. Unaware of the influence, it?s easy to fall into line.

Close friends who have fallen into line reinforce ?old? thinking and behaviors. We learn from each other without being aware of it. The result is what I call the ?monkey see monkey do? syndrome.

It doesn?t have to happen. Remember, controlling old age begins in your head. Regardless of friends or cultural influences, you can march to your own drummer. It may not be easy if belonging is important to you, or if being different is difficult for you, but you can control oldness influences.

Instead of becoming a ?senior? (or whatever word describes or categorizes people beyond age 55), you can remain an ageless mature woman or man in a constant state of growth. You don?t need to be in a category. You don?t need to accept mores of a society that is out of touch with reality.

Are we really are out of touch with reality?

Absolutely. It?s absurd to call anyone at age 55 a senior. It may have been appropriate 50 years ago, but it no longer makes sense. Consider that in 1950 there were possibly 2,300 centenarians. Today there are over 40,000. By 2050 there will be close to a million people 100 years of age or older. We are living longer ? that?s a fact.

So why cling to horse-and-buggy thinking that results in limitation of your potential? Why do we continue to relegate people at age 55 to seniorhood with all the ?old? baggage that goes along with it? Could it be because ?old age? is very big business, and debilitated old age is even bigger business? Let?s face it: A shortage of prematurely compromised people in various stages of need or want would adversely impact the economy.

You don?t have to succumb to tradition, conventional wisdom, or whatever you want to call it. You don?t have to see yourself or accept yourself as ?old? because society says you are old. There is a better way and Helen Harkness, Ph.D. describes it in her revolutionary book, ?Don?t Stop the Career Clock.? Dr. Harkness says, ?If we need some kind of aging chronology, I suggest we design our own. The following is my ?live long, die fast? contemporary model for aging.? And it?s this:

Young adulthood: 20-40; First Midlife: 40-60; Second Midlife: 60-80; Young old: 80-90; Elderly: 90 and above; Old-old: 2-3 years to live

If you are age 55, doesn?t it make you feel better to know you are not a senior, but merely in your first midlife? If you are 70 or beyond, doesn?t it change your outlook on life to know that you are not ?elderly? but merely in your second midlife? After all, if living to 100 or beyond is becoming the norm, then age 70 certainly is not elderly!

Let?s jettison antiquated attitudes and behaviors relative to chronological age. Let?s stop categorizing ourselves as ?old? (or allow others to do it to us) when there is so much life left to live as vibrant, dynamic, mature ageless persons in a constant state of growth. Your chronological age is just a number. Don?t allow it to become a premature death sentence by adopting ?age appropriate? thinking and behaviors that are out of touch with reality.

The bottom line: You can triumph over oldness, regardless of your age, if you take control of what goes on in your head, and challenge antediluvian attitudes, thinking and behaviors that no longer make sense.

Copyright 2006 Barbara Morris, R.Ph.

Barbara Morris, R.Ph. is a pharmacist, youth preservation expert, and author of Put Old on Hold. Subscribe to her newsletter at PutOldonHold.com. Learn more about Don?t Stop the Career Clock at putoldonhold.net/dontstopthecareerclock.html Her expertise is recognized in Art Linkletter and Mark Victor Hansen?s new book, How to Make the Rest of Your Life the Best of Your Life. Learn more about this new book at putoldonhold.net/LinkletterBook.html

• 1 comments »

Proform treadmills are one of the most popular types of treadmills for first time buyers. A company called Icon that is one of the biggest manufacturers of exercise machinery manufactures them. They are also the manufacturers of Reebok products. One for the main benefits with a Proform treadmill is the cost. Generally speaking, they are one of the most affordable makers of indoor running machines available on the market. Although they might not have all of the features of some of the more expensive machines they are generally well built and extremely reliable, plus they are a good buy for anyone that is looking to buy a treadmill but does not have a lot of money to spend on it.

Of course they don't just cater to the lower end of the fitness and exercise market. Pro Form treadmills make a huge range of machines and as such there are a large variety of models to choose from. Even though they do not compete at the higher end of the market, they do have something to suit most people interested in getting into better shape with the use of a treadmill. Even at the lower end of the price range where there are treadmills for around $500 they still make a reliable model. They are of course of a lighter construction than the higher cost models, but for what they cost, these treadmills make a very good exercise machine. If you go for one of the cheaper treadmills, then you should remember that they are not as durable as those that are at the more expensive end of the market, but they are still quite useable and will put up with a lot of work.

Even the basic models have such things as cushioning on the track that can save your knees a lot of wear and tear and make running a lot easier on your joints. This is achieved with the aid of air shock absorbers and they are a very effective aid for making your running a lot easier. Even if you go for one of the budget models you do not have to put up with a very basic machine. There are still plenty of features on some of the lower cost models and if there is not a feature that you are looking for then it might be possible to have it as an added feature. Heart rate monitors are a very popular add on that a lot of people find very useful

Proform treadmills are one of the better budget treadmills and are a very good buy but you need to do your research to make sure that the model that you are thinking of is the right one for you. There are lots to choose from and there is very likely to be one that suits your needs as well as your budget.

Timothy Gorman is a successful Webmaster and publisher of Treadmill-Solutions.com. He provides more treadmill ratings, recommendations and information on finding the best Proform Treadmills that you can research in your pajamas on his website.

• 0 comments »

If you have ever read a fitness magazine...

If you have ever watched TV ads about latest machines that will magically reveal your abs...

If you have ever gone to a gym and seen tens of people lying on the floor doing crunches....

Then beware - because chances are you are a victim of the two biggest abdominal training hoaxes!

Hoax # 1

Just doing some midsection exercises can reduce your love handles.

Fact:

You cannot reduce fat from a certain targeted area of your body just by using exercise alone. The abdominal area is no exception.

So, if you want to get a flat stomach and reveal your abs, losing the fat covering them is the way to go.

The only way to do this is to lose fat proportionately from your entire body by burning more calories than you consume.

How? By doing these two things:

1) Have a healthy and balanced permanent diet: dark green vegetables, fresh fruits, whole wheat and whole grain products, non-fat dairy products, fish, poultry breast, lean red meat, egg white.

You should cut out all sugar, soda, non-whole grain products and saturated fats: These aliments should only be a reward for achieving a goal, not a habit!

2) Start exercising

Aerobic and weight training will raise your metabolic rate. In result, your body will burn more calories.

* aerobic exercising

3 times per week, conduct an exercise that keeps your heart rate elevated for at least 30-45 minutes (ex: walking, running, cycling, swimming, aerobics, etc)

* weight training

Alternate days of aerobics with weight training. You will build muscles that will burn more calories, even when at rest!

Hoax # 2

You have to do tons of crunches.

Fact:

Overuse of crunches will only shorten your abs, pull your head forward, and give you bad posture. Do you really want to look like Quasimodo, the Hunchback of Notre-Dame?

Any standing exercise that will contract your abs will do, but you should specifically target your lower back to strengthen the muscles that support your spine.

The easiest exercise is sucking the gut in, also known as the stomach vacuum...

1. Exhale. Suck in your gut.

2. Maintain the contraction for 10 to 20 seconds.

3. Repeat 10 to 15 times, as often as you like throughout the day (...while in the shower, sitting at your desk, while driving, etc.).

Time now for YOU to take action!

PS: Do not forget to consult your doctor before starting any diet and exercise plan.

Copyright 2005 MHG Consulting

Dan Farrell is owner of http://www.weight-loss-exercises.info and http://www.4maximumhealth.com The Weight Loss Primer.

• 0 comments »

Life is busy. Between jobs, housework, family, and errands, the days fly by. Add into that the task of spending time going to the gym, and it just doesn't seem possible for a lot of us. Home exercise equipment and exercise videos are often a great alternative to spending time and money at a gym. If you are planning to start a home exercise routine, you may be wondering what type of exercise equipment you will need to get an effective workout. Often, you will find that you can get the best deals on home exercise equipment online.

First you will need to determine what is your current level of fitness and what goals you wish to accomplish. Your budget and the types of activities you enjoy are major factors as well. If you do not enjoy the exercises you are performing it is very easy to lose interest and quit. The safety of the exercise equipment and the amount of space you have in which to store and use the equipment is also a major concern.

Some of the different types of home exercise equipment are treadmills, elliptical trainers, stationery bicycles, cross-country ski machines, and free weights.

* Treadmills are very popular for use in the home. You can purchase a treadmill in any price range and with basic to advanced functions. You will need a treadmill with solid construction, smooth walking action, a wide belt, incline setting, and a safety cut-off. Make sure you understand the warranty and availability of replacements parts before making your purchase.

* An elliptical trainer gives you a comfortable, non-impact way to exercise and almost anyone can do it. You will be able to adjust the intensity and resistance to fit your current fitness level and change the settings as you progress in your exercise routine. Elliptical trainers vary in price and you should check out several models before making a purchase to make sure you find the best deal that you can possibly find on a well-constructed machine that carries an excellent warranty.

* Stationary bikes give you a no-impact, comfortable way to exercise and will take up very little space. Exercise bikes are great for those who have been leading a sedentary lifestyle and are just beginning an exercise program.

* You may also want to consider a step machine. Steppers give you a great cardio-vascular workout and will help strengthen your lower body muscles.

* Cross-country ski machines and rowing machines are a great way to exercise at home. You can get a full body workout in the comfort of your own home, but be sure to try these machines before you purchase. The workout you receive with a cross-country or rowing machine can be intense and may not be suited for beginners.

* Free-weights and other resistance equipment are great for toning muscles and improving strength and require very little space.

Before you make any purchases determine which kinds of equipment will be the best for you and what your particular goals are in starting a home workout routine. Compare prices, warranties, and consumer reviews for the exercise equipment you are considering purchasing to make sure it fits your needs, your budget, and is safe for you to use.

Most types of exercise equipment that you can use in your home will work great if you use it on a regular basis. Decide what your goals are and what your budget will allow before you begin shopping for new exercise equipment and purchase the types that you will find fun and challenging to use.

Tina Titas invites you to http://www.FunExerciseVideos.com From The Biggest Winner to pregnancy yoga, you?ll find exercise videos at a great price.

• 0 comments »

If you are seeking a sharp mind, ginkgo biloba may be the key to enhancing your brainpower, as well as providing a host of other health benefits.

Ginkgo has been shown to:

?Increase mental alertness

?Enhance vitality levels

?Improve circulatory health

?Improve blood vessel health

?Enhance sex drive.

Unlike many herbs where claims made which are not backed up by medical research and substantiation, Ginkgo is one of the most researched herbs in history, and medical evidence points to its many health benefits.

Turn Back the Ageing Clock

Its high antioxidant activity is renowned for fighting age related conditions.

All over the world, millions of people have claimed Ginkgo to be beneficial in the fight against the gradual erosion of energy, associated with aging.

History

The ginkgo is the oldest living tree species - geological records indicate this plant has been growing on earth for 100 to 200 million years.

Chinese monks kept the tree in existence, as they considered it a sacred herb with a wide range of health benefits.

Arriving in Europe in the 1700?s, it is now a commonly prescribed drug in many countries.

It is also one of the best researched, and popular medical herbs used in the world today.

Benefits

Ginkgo has been shown to be nutritional support for:

?Mental alertness

?Enhanced vitality levels

?Better circulatory health

?Better blood vessel health

Its high antioxidant activity is particularly valuable in fighting a wide range of age related conditions.

How it works

Few herbs have been as extensively researched as ginkgo biloba extract (GBE).

Throughout the past thirty years, around five hundred pharmacological studies have been conducted on the proprietary, standardized extracts of the ginkgo biloba leaf.

This research has concluded that the herb has three major health benefits:

1.It increases cognitive function and memory

2.It helps Improve circulation throughout the body

3.It helps slow the aging process

Ginkgo contains the following active substances:

?Flavonoids

?Terpene lactones

?Ginkgolides A, B, and C

?Bilobalide

?Quercetin

?Kaempferol.

1. Antioxidant Benefits

Ginkgo acts as a powerful antioxidant and contributes to the oxidation of free radicals, which are associated with premature aging and dementia.

Antioxidants protect eyesight, the cardiovascular, and central nervous system.

The herb has been used in the treatment of a wide variety of circulation related disorders, such as:

?Diabetic peripheral vascular disease

?Raynaud's syndrome

?Hemorrhoids

?Varicose veins.

2. Sexual Benefits

Ginkgo also helps control the transformation of cholesterol to plaque associated with the hardening of arteries. It can also relax constricted blood vessels, which has seen it used as a supplement to increase both male and female libido.

3. Memory Enhancer and Energy Booster

Ginkgo active compounds increasing the flow of oxygen to the brain, as well as optimizing the brain's use of glucose.

When consumed, food is converted into glucose - a sugar that can easily be used by the body's cells for energy.

By helping the body to make glucose available for energy use, ginkgo enhances both mental alertness and memory function.

Ginkgo therefore helps to combat fatigue by its increase in glucose utilization.

RDA for Ginkgo

There is no RDA for ginkgo since it is not an essential nutrient, but many experts recommend taking 40-80 mg, 3 times a day, on an empty stomach for best results.

It can take around 12 weeks for the benefits of ginkgo biloba supplementation to become apparent.

More health and wellness information and FREE exclusive diet and health magazines, are available on our web site: http://www.net-planet.org

• 0 comments »

Cardio Exercise...

A huge variety of fitness activities provide cardiovascular benefits. If you're breathing hard and can feel your heart beating, you're doing cardio. Because walking is fun, easy, and requires little time and no financial investment, it's our top choice for cardiovascular activity.

Walking uses your body's largest muscle group, your legs. Because it's rhythmic (you repeat the same basic movements), and it's aerobic (you take in and use more oxygen than usual), when walking is sustained for more than several minutes at a time it provides fantastic cardiovascular benefits - including weight loss - and can be quickly and easily implemented into your daily routine.

Walking at a moderate pace for about 30-60 minutes burns stored fat, and can build muscle to help speed up your metabolism, burning fat even while you sleep! So, let's start moving...

First, wake up your muscles by walking at a warm-up pace for five minutes, signaling to your muscles that they can't just sit back and burn up the available sugars, they need to tap into your fat reserves. This means not starting your daily walk at a high speed. On the contrary, a low-intensity or low-speed start signals your muscles that you are engaging in a long-term activity, prompting the burning of stored fat, and not just sugar burning.

After five minutes, pick up the pace. The speed to walk at for optimal fat burning is a determined pace, at which rate you should be breathing noticeably harder, but still able to carry on a conversation in full sentences. By doing this, you raise your heart rate to about 70% of your maximum heart rate, which acts as a catalyst for burning stored fat.

Try walking as though you're 15 minutes late for an important appointment. Now, start with walking at this pace for 30 minutes each day. For optimal weight loss, walk at least 5 days of the week, with weekly time spent walking eventually reaching 5 or more hours each week.

Use the following cheat sheet to help implement a quick and easy walking program into your daily routine:

? Start with a few gentle stretches

? Begin walking at an easy pace for five minutes

? Walk 30-60 minutes at about 70% of your maximum heart rate

? Cool down at a slower pace for 5 minutes

? Finish with a few gentle stretches

? For longer walks, walk 60 minutes at your target heart rate, and slow down a bit to complete 90 or 120 minutes at a comfortable pace

Walking an hour a day is also associated with drastically decreasing your risk of heart disease, breast cancer, colon cancer, diabetes and stroke. Find time to work one-hour walks into your life. It's well worth waking up an hour early to do so. After all, aren't you worth it?

When you feel you can comfortably walk an hour on a single day each week, try the following weekly schedule for increased weight loss and added health benefits, alternating the days to fit your personal weekly schedule:

Sunday: Long Day, 90+ minutes

Monday: Day Off

Tuesday: Short Day, 30+ minutes

Wednesday: Short Day, 30+ minutes

Thursday: Long Day, 90+ minutes

Friday: Short Day, 30+ minutes

Saturday: Long Day, 60+ minutes

On all days, remember to start with some light stretches. Start walking slow for 5 minutes. Walk at your determined pace of 70% of your maximum heart rate for the time specified, concluding with an easy pace for five minutes. Always finish with gentle stretching. Lastly, when walking for weight loss, you should take no more than one to two days off each week.

Keep up the water intake and your new 'fat loss' walking program - I'll see you in 7 days to check in on your progress and to give you the second Secret in our Health & Fitness Tactics Course.

For a ton of f.ree, valuable tips, tricks, and secrets visit: http://www.MaximizeYourMetabolism.com

? 2002-2005 Wisdom Books, LLC & Christopher Guerriero WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this blurb with it: Christopher Guerriero, is the founder of the National Metabolic & Longevity Research Center and a best-selling author, speaker, and coach to millions. He is creator of the award-winning 'Maximize Your Metabolism' system. To learn more about this step-by-step program, and to sign up for FR*EE how-to articles and F.REE teleseminars, visit http://www.MaximizeYourMetabolism.com

• 1 comments »

Pablo Cassals, Nadia Boulanger, Arturo Toscanini, and Leopold Stokowski all conducted major orchestras into their nineties. Walter Damrosch, Arthur Fiedler, and Serge Kousevitsky conducted into their eighties. Nobody knows why many orchestra conductors live longer than people in other professions, but the very act of conducting may be the reason.

Your heart is a muscle. To strengthen any muscle, you have to exercise it against increasing resistance. When you swing your arms, your arm muscles contract and squeeze the veins near them to pump extra blood toward the heart. When your arm muscles relax, they allow blood to fill the veins near them. This alternate contracting and relaxing of the arm muscles pumps extra blood toward the heart. Your heart then must contract against a greater amount of blood inside its chambers, so it does this with a faster beat and with more force, and this makes the heart muscle stronger.

To strengthen your heart, you have to exercise vigorously enough to increase your pulse rate at least 20 beats a minute above your resting pulse rate. Conducting an orchestra can drive your pulse rate over a hundred beats a minute. You conduct with your arms and during exercise, arm muscles require extra blood to supply them with oxygen. Your heart has to work two and a half times as hard to pump blood through your arms as it does to pump the same amount of blood through your legs. The blood vessels in your arms are smaller and offer a greater resistance against the flow of blood. The odds are that you will never conduct a major orchestra, but you can turn on the radio, pick up a stick, wave your arms around and become fit. Try to work up to the point where you can conduct for thirty minutes three times a week. This is a good activity for cross training with another sport that stresses primarily your leg muscles, such as walking, running, dancing or pedaling a bicycle.

Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties, including sports medicine. Read or listen to hundreds of his fitness and health reports at http://www.DrMirkin.com

Free weekly newsletter on fitness, health, and nutrition.

• 0 comments »

To those of you who have been lifting the EXACT SAME weights today you were lifting many months ago.. this write-up is for you.

If you want to continuously build muscle and strength, the logic is quite plain and simple.

You need to constantly place more stress (resistance) to your muscles than they are normally used to. The more you stress it, the more your body changes to adapt to this new stress. This change it goes through - is muscle growth and strength.

Sounds simple right?

However, growing muscle is also not about simply trying to lift the heaviest weights you can and end up sacrificing form and proper muscle stimulation. You need to be lifting heavy enough that you can ONLY complete the desired number of repetitions (reps) and no more! Also, your last rep shouldnt be easy, but you should be able to do it with good form (no swinging and jerking to complete that last rep).

Its sad that I see many gym-goers lifting the same weights week after week, month after month - which is a sure way to keep your body from transforming? and after a few months.. they give up altogether, not knowing what went wrong? thinking that weight training just wasnt for them.

So, how heavy should you lift to see results?

They?re nothing new, but my simple guidelines should help those who are just getting started or are just absolutely clueless as to how heavy they should be lifting for continuous muscle growth. For me, determining the amount of weight to use on each lift is done using the following method:

For any exercise,

If you?re aiming for muscle growth, add sufficient weight so that you can ONLY lift within the range of 8-10 repetitions. If you are able to lift 12 reps, you?re lifting too light! Add more weight until you find yourself struggling at 8-10 reps.

With adequate nutrition and rest and as time goes by, you will find yourself being able to push past your previous limits and being able to add more reps to your lifts. Now, when this happens, and you are able to lift up to 12 reps, its time to increase your weights once again to drop your reps back down to 8-10 reps.

Once again, when you?ve grown stronger and better, you will need to drop your reps back down. This ensures that you?re constantly placing sufficient stress to stimulate new muscle growth and prevent your body from adapting to a dull routine.

It?s as simple as that. It also doesnt matter how heavy you are - your size/bodyweight does not determine the weights you should lift. Everybody is unique and different and responds differently to training. Whats important to you is that you need to provide ample stimulation for your muscles. Don?t get upset when Mr Skinny next to you is lifting heavier weights than you are. Personally, I?ve never really compared my strength with others, but it is a fact that many people in my gym lift way heavier weights than me - but it is also a fact, that my muscles are way more developed than theirs. I can see it in their eyes.. the look of disbelief in their faces as they see me hoisting lighter weights? but thats the truth. Believe me. Its not entirely about the weights - but all about providing sufficient stimulation for your muscles.

Then there are some who will tell you about identifying your 1 REP MAX (The heaviest weight with which a person can complete ONE full repetition) and then lifting between 60% to 80% of your 1RM - which is indeed the correct way of doing it, but then again, lets get real. I?m just being realistic to say that most of us average gym goers don?t think too much about how much weight we need, much less going through the process of figuring out our 1 rep max for every exercise we?re doing! My method has always worked fine for me? and I believe it would work fine for you too.

So people, before you hit the gym with a new vengeance today - just remember that you should be lifting enough weight that you can ONLY do the desired reps. And pay attention to your rest days.. they are just as important as workout days! It is during these rest periods that your muscles grow and change.

Josh Stone, also known as DM, is the author behind the site http://www.dailymuscle.com which offers the author's personal views on real-life fitness, bodybuilding, sports nutrition, cardio, fat loss, training information, and on all things that surrounds fitness.

• 0 comments »

Sometimes you need a little extra help when it comes to achieving a certain level of intimacy.

There are many supplements for sexual health and satisfaction on the market, but women?s supplements for sexual health tend to be a little known or discussed topic.

Below you will encounter a variety of women?s supplements for sexual health available, when a female wishes to enhance some of her sexual experiences, as well as energy.

Natural Products

When looking for a 100% natural product to stimulate pleasure, there is an item called ?SEX for Women,? - a herbal supplement geared towards enhancing a women?s sexual health. The main ingredients of this selection include Saw Palmetto and Siberian Ginseng, said to increase a woman?s sex drive.

Another women?s supplement used for sexual health is ?Alpine Root,? which is marketed as an alternative for ginseng. It has been proven to show overall positive changes within women?s sexual performance, desire, energy, as well as stamina. Not only does this product aid women?s sexual health, and used to treat poor memory and depression.

Lubricants

Women?s supplements for sexual health could also include lubricants created from a variety of natural ingredients. The Forever Virgin Vaginal Toner and Lubricant, created to awaken the body?s senses. This European formula has passed the test within the United States, Zurich, Paris, and Amsterdam. The product claims to encourage multiple orgasms through its unique combination of flowers, seeds, and plants. You should know that this item does not contain spermicides, artificial perfumes, colors or flavors.

Nutrients

The GH Female Super Formula is supposed to improve women?s sexual health and well being by supplying her body with necessary nutrients, as well as creating a balance within her body. Women suffering from PMS or menopause may find comfort with this product, as well as females who wish to increase their sexual desire and mood. This selection of women?s supplements helps with the sexual health of the user by improving their overall health.

Supplements

The next time you are looking for women?s supplements for sexual health, you may want to consider a female pleasure enhancer named ?Sensuality.? This product provides quick results and delivers a maximum strength dose that does not disrupt a woman?s daily routine. Women of all ages can find comfort with this product, which contains isoflavones, ginko biloba, as well as a stamina blend.

The name may sound funny, but there is a women?s supplement for sexual health, called ?Desire-X Horny Goat Weed.? This product aims to help a woman find their desire and pleasure. The main ingredient?s common name comes from the plant known as Epimedium Grandiflorum, which hails from China and Japan where it?s aphrodisiac properties have been respected for centuries. This product seeks results through increasing the sexual hormone production level within the user.

Another women?s supplement for sexual health is a product referred to as Maca 500mg, which is used to increase a female?s stamina and endurance. Maca is actually a root vegetable found in areas such as Peru. There is a high concentration of iodine, zinc, amino acids, as well as vitamin C, which are essential for promoting the progress of sexual fulfillment and functions.

More sexuality information and FREE exclusive diet and health magazines, are available on our web site: http://www.net-planet.org

• 0 comments »

Is your treadmill belt worn, torn, or curling up on the edges? Does your treadmill slow down after you step on the belt and begin your workout?

If this is the case then it may be time to replace the belt.

Here are some things to check before replacing your belt.

*1. You need to make sure the deck of the treadmill is in good shape. If it looks good then it may only need to be waxed or lubricated.

*2. If the deck shows obvious signs of wear, or has grooves worn into it then you may need to replace the belt and the deck.

*3. If the deck looks good, and the belt is worn or starting to turn up on the edges then it is time to replace the belt. Here are the instructions for doing that. Most treadmills are basically the same so this is a generic set of instructions. If you have an owners manual please follow the manufacturers instructions.

To begin the belt replacement unplug the POWER Cord and remove the motor cover or hood. Then locate the screws or bolts that are used to adjust the belt tension. They are normally on either side at the rear of the treadmill. Loosen both sides and push the rear roller toward the deck.

Now loosen and remove the front roller. If your treadmill inclines, turn on the power and raise the treadmill a few degrees so the roller can be removed. After the front roller is removed, remove the rear roller. Now you are ready to remove the belt.

I know it would be easier to just cut the old belt off, but if you take it off in one piece then you will remember how to put the new one on. Along the sides of the treadmill you will find bolts or screws that hold the deck in place. Remove these and lift the deck and old belt out together. Now is the time to wax or lubricate the deck.

Look at the old belt and the new belt. There will probably be a visible seam on the belt. Normally the belt should be installed so that the seam goes downward from left to right, much like a backward slash. Some belt manufacturers will mark the belt on the inside with an arrow pointing in the direction the belt should travel.

Slide the belt over the deck in the proper alignment and lay the belt and deck together back onto the treadmill. Start all of the screws or bolts before tightening them securely. Decks tend to get warped after a while so you may need to push or pull a little to get the screws started. I have found that it is a good idea to install the rollers before securely fastening the deck to the frame.

Pull the belt to the rear of the treadmill and slide the rear roller through it. Start the adjusting screws in the roller just enough so they do not fall out. Now slide the front roller inside the belt and replace the drive motor belt over the drive gear. Do this before you tighten the roller. After you get the front roller tight, then tighten the rear roller with the adjusting screws. Tighten each side equally until the belt feels snug on the deck.

Now turn the treadmill on. If the belt starts moving, carefully step on the treadmill while holding the side rails. If the belt stops then you need to adjust more. Step off the treadmill,and tighten each screw one full turn and step on the belt again. Repeat this process until the belt does not stop.

Now increase the speed to a fast walk, hold the handrails and apply downward pressure as you walk on the treadmill. If the belt stops or hesitates then adjust some more. Now increase the speed to a jog, probably around five m.p.h. Once again if you feel hesitation in the belt when your foot hits it, adjust it some more. Continue this process until you are satisfied that the belt is not slipping.

PLEASE be careful, if you do not think you can do this then pay someone to do it for you.

Please follow these directions for safe and efficient use of your treadmill for you and your family.

The procedures for checking these items are all in the Treadmill Report!

About the Author:

Paul Webb has been in the medical and fitness repair business for almost thirty years. So he has seen many of the problems associated with treadmills and fitness equipment.

You can visit his website at http://treadmills.cc or http://treadmillsrepair.com

• 0 comments »

A vast array of home fitness exercise equipment is at your disposal, clamoring for the number one spot as far as benefits to you are concerned.

You need to be a wide-awake consumer. Let common sense be your guide. There is no easy, overnight road to fitness. Svelte and sweating unfortunately go hand in hand!

However, by choosing home fitness exercise equipment that works for you, losing the extra pounds and gaining toned muscle-power, can be fun and enjoyable. An added benefit is the self-confidence boost it generates.

When choosing home fitness exercise equipment, you need to concentrate on the three s-areas: strength training for muscle toning, stretching for flexibility, and sprinting or a related activity for cardiovascular fitness.

To give your heart a good workout, an upright or recumbent cycle, treadmill, stepper, or an elliptical cross-trainer is ideal. Quality home fitness exercise equipment often feature a heart rate monitor, to enable you to be as effective as possible in your exercise routine. Distance travelled, and calories burned may also be measured to give you a complete picture of your progress.

Do you enjoy running or walking, but are often tempted to use the weather, the neighbour's dog, potholes, or any of a dozen other factors as absolutely valid reasons to skip your run? Trim the number of ready-made excuses by about 95% by including a treadmill in your home fitness exercise equipment arsenal!

Good rubber or polymer cushions under the deck offers cushioning for your feet and knees - a comfort you will not easily find on hard road surfaces! Make sure that the treadmill features the right kind of incline running for you. To ensure durability and safety, always buy from a reputable company that offers good backing - this applies to any home fitness exercise equipment.

An upright or recumbent cycle is a good option if you are looking for low-impact cardiovascular home fitness exercise equipment. This is also the recommendation for someone with a knee-injury. A recumbent model may be more suitable if you are experiencing lower back problems.

An elliptical cross-trainer is the all-in-one version of the treadmill, stepper, and cycle. As far as low-impact exercise goes, this is one of the best options. Electronic adjustable resistance ensures non-stop exercising. You want to monitor your progress, so look for indicators of speed, time, distance, pulse rate, and calories burned in any home fitness exercise equipment.

Strength training is extremely important. The human body loses muscle mass with age. To retain mobility and strength, it is vital to work on this aspect. By using home fitness exercise equipment to increase muscle mass, metabolism is also increased. A revved-up metabolism makes it easier to shake off those stubborn extra pounds, or helps to prevent weight gain.

Strength training doesn't have to be expensive. Free weights are easy to use, and resistance bands are inexpensive, but very effective. By adding an exercise ball to the equation, you improve your balance as well.

If you can afford it, a gym system will give your home fitness exercise equipment all the advantages of going to a health center, without the inconvenience. Some of these even allow multiple users to be active at the same time.

Weider offers quality home fitness exercise equipment with the promise of trouble-free use for many years. The Advantage gym system or the superb Max has everything you need for a complete workout in the comfort of your home.

You will be whipped into shape with 65 club-quality exercises. The variety will keep you entertained and motivated, and the eye-pleasing results will soon have you strutting your stuff on the beach! The systems include a lat tower, leg developer, and rowing seat. Women can use these home fitness exercise equipment systems with confidence, knowing that they will develop the lean, toned look they desire.

Stretching is important before and after every workout. It is vital to prevent injuries. Flexibility encourages good posture, and in the process prevents or improves back problems.

People often assume that ageing equals joint and muscle stiffness. This doesn't have to be the case! Home fitness exercise equipment helps you to maintain good health, and maximizes vitality and mobility. Most often stiffness is the result of disuse. Yoga bands or fitness bands, and a good stretching program will keep you supple, irrespective of your age.

Well-known companies such as Reebok offer a variety of other tools and props to help you to gain the most from your home fitness exercise equipment. An exercise ball strengthens the core muscles, improves balance, and increases the effectiveness of many exercises.

An old-fashioned jump rope is still a great piece of equipment. Use smaller wrist and ankle weights to improve the effectiveness of any activity. A wireless heart rate monitor is useful if your home fitness exercise equipment doesn't include this.

If you go away on a business trip, or on holiday, you don't have to disrupt your exercise program or hunt around for a gym. An inexpensive option is portable home fitness exercise equipment. These gym kits usually include resistance tubes, handles, ankle straps, a door attachment, jump rope, hand grip and a handy tote bag.

Using home fitness exercise equipment can be a fun-filled family experience. Your example also helps to instill good habits in your children, which translates into an immeasurable investment in their future well-being.

Go for it!

Rika Susan of http://www.Article-Alert.com researches, writes, and publishes full-time on the Web. Copyright of this article: 2006 Rika Susan. This article may be reprinted if the resource box and hyperlinks are left intact.

For more information visit Best-Gym-Equipment.com

• 0 comments »

A dumbbell exercise program is effective with the right equipment These days, more so that in decades gone by, dumbbells are growing in popularity in fitness centers and health clubs across the United States.

In addition, they are increasingly being purchased by people who want to include them in their personal gyms at home so they can conduct a dumbbell exercise program in the comfort of their own home when it suits them best.

Rubber encased dumbbells are usually the most popular choice of dumbbells as they offer a myriad of benefits to the user.

While they may be made from high quality cast iron material to give the desired weight effect, they are coated with rubber for added protection, comfort during the dumbell arm workouts and style - the rubber is available in different colors.

Not only are rubber encased dumbbells comfortable to use and safe to use but if you accidentally drop one of them on the floor they will not damage the floor or other equipment because of the rubber exterior. Similarly they will also make a softer thud as opposed to a loud crash with an iron dumbbell.

Iron weights can make a loud continuous clanking sound and can be distracting if you are counting repetitions where as rubber dumbbells allow you to use dumbbells in any way and even drop them on the floor without making much noise.

This is ideal for conducting dumbell arm workouts in the home. The rubber used on rubber encased dumbbells is usually of a very high quality, is odorless, does not crack and is designed to be extremely durable, so the need for maintenance is almost non existent.

On the other hand, chrome dumbbells will also be a welcome addition to any personal fitness room. These dumbbells and the dumbbell weights are usually polished with high grade chrome to give optimum functionality.

Chrome adjustable dumbbells are usually sold in 5 pound increments so you can build and decrease your dumbbell weights as your fitness program changes. These adjustable dumbbells give you the flexibility to quickly and easily perform a variety of exercises according to what you are doing with your strength exercises.

Dumbbells - whether they are rubber encased or chrome adjustable dumbbells -can be purchased easily and usually cheaply from stores or catalogs selling exercise equipment online.

Online prices are generally lower than those of the traditional stores and the dumbbells can be sent directly to your home -sometimes even with free shipping and insurance.

Find out why dumbbells are the best type of free weight exercises. Get reviews and useful information. Click ==> http://www.dumbells-info.com/adjustable-dumbbells.html

Paul Johnson works tech support for New York based Internet Publishing company, DigiLectual Inc. He uses Dumbell workouts as part of his overall, balanced fitness workouts.

• 0 comments »

ProForm is the largest seller of treadmills in the world. They focus on budget models and sell through mass merchants, large sporting good chains and the home shopping networks. ProForm is owned by Icon Fitness. In addition to selling ProForm fitness equipment, they also sell Weslo, Nordic Track, Reebok, Image and HealthRider. ProForm along with the other Icon brands dominate the sub $1,000 market.

We know that ProForm offers an attractive price, with treadmills selling as low as $400. The question is, are they a good value? From strictly a price perspective they are an excellent value. When you factor in durability and maintenance, their value may come into question.

Why are ProForm treadmills so popular?

When you compare the price and features, ProForm treadmills appear to be an exceptional deal. Most have numerous bells and whistle, including built-in televisions. And from an outward appearance they appear to be a substantial machine, but it is what is under the hood that is most important.

The majority of ProForm treadmills come with a 90 day parts and labor warranty. Now what does that say about their products? I find treadmill warranties very revealing. It would seem apparent that treadmill companies using inexpensive components would offer short-term warranties. In contrast, those manufacturers that build durable treadmills can afford to offer extended warranties, like 2-5 years on the parts and 1 year labor. Although it should be mentioned that ProForm is now offering a 12-15 year motor warranty on select models.

Recently I was at a fitness specialty store in Wilmington, NC, and was talking to the person in charge of servicing. Although this particular retailer did not sell ProForm, they often service them. He mentioned they were considering discontinuing service on the ProForm treadmills. The problem was once they fixed one problem often the owners would soon came back with the same problem or another service issue.

It should be noted that there are literally tens of thousands of ProForm treadmills sold every year, and the majority of owners are satisfied with their purchase (See www.epinions.com for customer reviews). Furthermore, Consumer Reports rated one of the ProForm treadmills as ?Very Good? for quality. But it is a numbers game, and whereby other brands may have a minute percentage of mechanical problems, you can expect that percentage to be higher for budget treadmills. When you sell treadmills at budget prices you have to use budget components, and on average those treadmills are more likely to breakdown.

I recommend ProForm treadmills for primarily walking and moderate use. Their high-end models can probably handle light jogging. But if you plan to use the treadmill on a frequent basis, or have multiple users, you may want to consider other brands in the $1,500+ price range.

If your budget is tight, at least spend in excess of $700 for a ProForm Treadmill, and I highly recommend you put out a few extra dollars for an extended warranty. Treadmill repairs can potentially be costly.

For those that have a limited budget ProForm may be your best bet, but as the saying goes, ?You get what you pay for.?

Fred Waters is author of the Treadmill Ratings and Review site, where you can get the latest ProForm Treadmill Reviews. Also check out his Best Buy recommendations.

• 1 comments »

For most people, the concept of capsulized food? usually conjures up images of space travelers ingesting meals condensed into a compact pill. However, in modern-day reality, things are quite different. Capsulized foods are one of the most innovative nutritional advancements in recent memory, and will soon become a significant ? and highly valued ? concept within the healthy eating community.

To understand what capsulized foods are and how they are positively changing the way the world eats, it is helpful to see the problem that capsulized foods are designed to solve. In a word, that problem is: lack.

Despite the growing awareness of eating healthy, most attempts to provide people with healthy meal and nutritional products suffer from some kind of ?lack?.

There is a lack of convenience. Many foods are not packaged for convenience. Those that are convenient are oftentimes heavily processed and filled with artificial ingredients. And, preparing meals often requires a luxury of time many consumers do not have.

There is a lack of portability. This is a direct extension of convenience. Though a full-course meal may provide the right amount of low glycemic carbohydrates, unsaturated fats, and complete proteins, it is often tethered to the kitchen table.

There is a lack of sources. Our world is abundant with natural and processed foods. Yet, finding the right combination of those foods to meet our dietary needs is challenging for many. The array of choices adds to the confusion, and sometimes the food selections we want are not available to us. Whether one is on a low carbohydrate, low fat, or isometric diet, finding the right foods and incorporating them into our daily lifestyle requires effort.

There is a lack of nutrient-density. This refers to the amount of nutrition within a given food. For example, a soft pretzel weighing 60 grams has a low density of nutrition, whereas an egg also weighing 60 grams has a high density of nutrition. Ounce for ounce, many processed foods possess less nutritional value (or, density) than whole foods such as fruits and vegetables. However, many processed foods have great merit since they do provide dense nutrition in a small amount of food. The challenge is in identifying the foods that are rich in nutrients versus the foods that are not.

It is within this situation of lack that capsulized foods provide real eating solutions. Sometimes called ?compact liquid foods?, capsulized foods are extremely portable, require no preparation time at all, and travel easily due to their small, durable, and lightweight containers. At the same time, capsulized foods are liquefied, which allows them to be quickly consumed. This is of primary importance to eaters who simply do not have time to prepare and then sit through a traditional meal. Capsulized foods are also extremely rich in nutrients, and in fact provide the highest nutritional value per fluid ounce of any food product on the market. As such, capsulized foods effectively solve the lack of convenience, portability, and nutrition-density in a single, cost-effective eating solution.

Yet there is another key aspect of capsulized foods that must be present; in fact, it is arguably the most important aspect of all: taste[i.

Research has proven that nutritional supplements of any kind will simply not have a lasting impact if taste is not a primary design consideration. True, while people are willing to tolerate foul-tasting cough medicine, they only do so because the frequency is a few times per year. Eating, however, is an activity ? and for many, an enjoyable activity ? that people engage in on a daily basis; several times a day, in fact. Asking people to tolerate unpalatable nutritional foods is simply not a reasonable expectation, and for years, any attempt to create capsulized food has been unable to overcome this hurdle. That is, until very recently. Manufacturers today understand that in order to develop a capsulized food ? a food that can become a staple in consumer diets -- taste is paramount.

Capsulized foods often provide a complete macronutrient- and micronutrient-enriched meal in a only a few liquid ounces. This allows consumers to go from hungry to satiated, and from undernourished to nourished in less than five seconds. And at around 100 to 200 calories, capsulized foods are suitable for those on calorie-reduced diets, or those who simply want to maintain their weight.

The defining target market for nutritional supplements is no longer elite athletes, but the millions of everyday people who have been exposed, some since birth, to sugary cereals, fast foods, potato chips, candy bars, and caffeinated soft drinks[ii. This broad group of consumers is interested in healthy choices, but has proven its absolute power in punishing products that fail to reach the lofty bar set by taste buds. They also demand convenience, and capsulized foods deliver.

Eaters can now, through capsulized foods, enjoy the convenience, portability, nutritional-density, and taste that they have demanded for decades. This bodes well for not only the current generation, but future generations as well, who will have access to capsulized foods as viable and intelligent eating options.

ABOUT PROTICA

Founded in 2001, Protica, Inc. is a nutritional research firm with offices in Lafayette Hill and Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. Protica manufactures capsulized foods, including Profect, a compact, hypoallergenic, ready-to-drink protein beverage containing zero carbohydrates and zero fat. Information on Protica is available at http://www.protica.com

You can also learn about Profect at http://www.profect.com

REFERENCES

[i Source: ?Taste Matters?. AFIC. http://www.afic.org/Taste%20Matters.htm

[ii Source: ?Sports Drinks and Energy Bars: Fuelling the Couch Potato?. Kalorama Information. http://www.kaloramainformation.com/editor/viewcontent.asp?prid=373

Copyright - Protica Research - http://www.protica.com

• 0 comments »

Studies over the last 60 years have shown that people who exercise are healthier than those who do not. Over the last 10 years, many studies have shown that the more intense the exercise, the greater the protection. A report from Italy shows that physical activity is very important in helping to control cholesterol (Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Volume 44, 2006). Healthy male sedentary controls had their blood cholesterol fractions compared to those of male professional cross-country skiers and professional road cyclists. The athletes had much more healthful numbers for total cholesterol, the good high-density cholesterol, triglycerides, and the bad low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. The concentration of another heart attack risk factor called Lp(a) or lipoprotein(a) was the same in both groups because it is a hereditary factor that is not influenced by lifestyle. Every single scale of susceptibility for heart attacks except the Lp(a) was better in the athletes.

Some patients with high cholesterol levels are afraid to take statins because off fear of developing side effects such as muscle pain. A study from Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego reviews the latest data on side effects of statins (The American Journal of Medicine, May 2006). This review found that statin-induce muscle damage is more common in Asians, people who exercise, have had recent surgery, those with kidney, liver or thyroid disease, or with high triglycerides. The incidence of muscle pain and damage from statins is extremely low in non-exercisers, three to ten percent in those who exercise, and very high in competitive athletes. Most athletes refuse to take statin drugs because they train by taking a hard workout that damages their muscles. Then they must take easy workouts until the soreness disappears and muscles heal. When statins prevent this muscle healing, the athlete must train at reduced intensity for a much longer period of time. Brand names of statins include: Altoprev, Crestor, Lipitor, Mevacor, Pravachol and Zocor.

Subscribe to my FREE weekly newsletter on fitness, health, and nutrition.

Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties, including sports medicine. Read or listen to hundreds of his fitness and health reports -- and the FREE Good Food Book -- at http://www.DrMirkin.com

• 0 comments »

One of the most important things you can do for fat loss, controlling weight gain and for overall health is often overlooked. MORE SLEEP! Yes, you actually need to sleep more to gain less!

A lack of sleep could be contributing to America's obesity epidemic. A recent Columbia University study found that not getting enough sleep could put you at increased risk for weight gain.

The study, presented at the meeting of the North American Association for the Study of Obesity, analyzed data from 18,000 adults and found that those who slept less than the recommended seven hours a night had an increased risk of obesity. People who slept for less than four hours per night were 73 percent more likely to be obese than those who slept for seven to nine hours. Getting five hours of sleep or less decreased that risk to 50 percent, and getting six hours or less decreased it even more to 23 percent.

While it's still unclear exactly what causes this increased risk, scientists believe that lack of sleep lowers the amount of leptin your body produces. Leptin is a protein that suppresses appetite and is responsible for telling your brain when your stomach is full. In addition, when you are sleep-deprived, you are less able to make clear decisions and may eat more food than your body actually needs.

What's the lesson? A good night's sleep is not only critical for your mental health; it may also be a crucial part of your diet.

So, good night and sleep tight!

Be well & stay fit!

Aimee Deak

Aimee Deak is a certified personal trainer, nutrition analyst and author of the book, Every Body Loses, an easy-to follow, step-by-step guide to fat loss.

You can find more information about fat loss and exercise on her website http://www.aim4nutrition.com

• 0 comments »

For those of you still considering the advantages of yoga and meditation, let me share with you the incredible results I have experienced since sticking to a yoga and meditation regime of 3 times for 40 minutes each week.

1. Digestion - Acid Reflux. I realize I am not alone in experiencing the painful effects of poor digestion, sometimes termed acid reflux. I used to keep Tums and Rolaids antacids in business popping 6-8 just to get through a typical night. This was my reality ever since I can remember - even as a teennager. In fact, this condition ran in my family - so I was resigned to never finding a treatment, let alone a cure.

I am amazed to say that after 4-months of consistent yoga and meditation, my condition is virtually disappeared. I have not taken a single antacid in weeks, have slept better than ever and no longer have to be as careful about my diet.

Sure - if I go overboard, drink or eat too much, then some symptoms reappear, but not near as bad as in the past.

If you live with this condition, then you realize that this sounds like a miracle, and in fact, I look at it that way. This certainly convinced me of the power of yoga and meditation.

2. Feeling of Control Again. One of our biggest negative stressors is when we lose control of a situation or our life. The fast pace of today's society, focus on material things, race to compete with peers and constant media exposure to bad news all lead to a feeling of losing control.

Beyond stress, losing control in one's life can lead to all kinds of negatives including substance abuse, depression, anxiety, violence and more...

For me, the main advantage of yoga and meditation is that it re- empowers you - given you control of yourself. By focusing on yourself, you no longer rely on the need to control your environment, but instead, allowing you to control your own reaction to that environment.

Not only is this incredibly empowering, but is also the ticket to true happiness, great relationships and clear thinking in your life. Yoga and meditation, by calming the mind and giving you back control, lead to a peacefullness letting you deal with the most intense life experiences.

3. Living On Purpose. The two factors outlined above result in a lifestyle that sees us letting life happen to us, instead of allowing us to experience and accomplish what we want.

Until we accomplish true calming of the mind, we do not have the state of mind or body to take control of life and really do with it what we want. How many of you have thought about things you really wanted to experience or do and ended up saying If only... or I just don't have the energy... or Maybe later....

These are all excuses we use to rationalize our inability to step up to a life we really and truly desire.

Through yoga and meditation, we can prepare ourselves better for getting the most out of our lives and can finally stop having to justify why we simply can't.

Yoga and Meditation bring you back the enjoyment, fun and energy you had as a little child. Visit us at: http://www.yogasuccess.com to find out more about how to make yoga and meditation work in your busy life.

• 0 comments »

A healthy pregnancy almost always involves weight gain. But now that baby?s here, you?re probably wishing those extra pounds would hurry up and disappear! While it won?t happen overnight, these six simple tips can help you lose that extra weight in a healthy way. (If you?re looking for parts 2 and 3 of this article, you can find them both at http:// www.mambomoms.com/articles.html)

1) Try to relax and don?t be in too much of a hurry to lose your extra pregnancy weight. Remember, it took 9 months for you to put it on, and you should give yourself at least half that amount of time to take it back off. In fact, eight to 12 months is not an unreasonable amount of time to give yourself. And even if it does take a year to get back to your pre- pregnancy size and shape, those pounds are all the more likely to stay off because you?ve lost them gradually.

You definitely should not be thinking about weight loss at all in the early post-partum weeks. Your body needs this time to recover from giving birth, readjust to its pre-pregnancy state, and establish a milk supply for your baby. Besides, most new moms find that a fair amount of weight tends to melt off all by itself in these first few weeks as excess fluids retained in late pregnancy are gradually shed.

Remember that gradual weight loss based on sensible nutrition and enjoyable physical activity is the best path to permanent weight loss. This applies whether or not weight gain is due to pregnancy, but when you are dealing with all the changes and adjustments that come with having a new baby, it?s all the more important to take a slow and steady approach so you don?t add to your stress level.

And speaking of stress, recent research shows that when you?re stressed, your body releases hormones that can contribute to weight gain. So try not to add to your stress level at this time by putting unreasonable pressure on yourself to lose that extra weight too fast. Instead, take a long term approach and be sure to incorporate some kind of relaxation into your day, whether it?s having a nap, a warm bath, or receiving a relaxing back massage.

2) Eat well and nourish yourself with healthy foods so you?ll have the energy you need to care for yourself and your baby. If you restrict your calories you?ll probably get tired, cranky, and lose energy, making you less apt to exercise and less able to take good care of your baby.

Cutting back too much on your caloric intake can also sabotage your weight loss efforts by forcing your body into ?starvation mode.? When your body isn?t getting enough fuel, it becomes much more efficient at using what you do give it, so that over time you will actually gain weight rather than lose it. You are much better off to eat well and get regular, moderate exercise to help shed those extra pounds.

Remember though, that there is a big difference between eating and eating well! If you eat nourishing foods you will probably feel full sooner and you will likely need fewer calories than if you eat ?empty calorie? foods like white bread and french fries. Eat a variety of healthy foods, including plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, and make sure you are getting a proper balance of the major nutrients (protein, carbohydrate and healthy fats). You may want to talk to your doctor or midwife about continuing to take your pre-natal multivitamin, or other supplements, at least during the immediate post-partum period.

Snacking is something you?ll probably want to do a lot of, either because you may not always have time to prepare a meal, or because the demands of caring for a new baby mean you get hungry more often.

Here are a few ideas for good, nutrient-dense choices for snack foods:

? apple slices spread with low fat cream cheese and sprinkled with crushed walnuts

? yogurt with chopped fresh fruit and nuts

? whole grain toast with nut butter

? cheese with whole grain crackers or rice cakes

? tomato or mixed vegetable juice with a hard boiled egg

On the other hand, try not to overdo it. Being pregnant or nursing a baby is not a license to indulge in a non-stop buffet of foods, even if they are nutritious! Eat when you are hungry, make healthy food choices most of the time, and remember that your baby is counting on you to choose wisely if you?re breastfeeding, so make those calories count nutrient- wise.

In part two of this article, you?ll learn why drinking plenty of pure water is important to weight loss in general, and to post-partum weight loss in particular. You?ll also find out how many calories a day you?ll use by breastfeeding your baby. Part three will teach you how you can burn extra calories easily and enjoyably without huffing and puffing at the gym. You?ll also learn the secret that savvy new moms use to effortlessly burn up to an extra 200 calories a day ?that?s 2 pounds a month with no extra effort!

Susan Peach is a retired La Leche League Leader, a dance and fitness instructor, and mother to two teenage boys. She is also the creator of Mambo Moms, a fun and gentle Latin dance based fitness program that helps new moms get back in shape while spending quality play time with their babies. Find out more at http://www.mambomoms.com

• 0 comments »

A study from the Universit? de Toulon-Var in France shows that it takes longer to recover from hard exercise in the evening than in the morning (International Journal of Sports Medicine, Volume 27, 2006). Cyclists performed ten six-second bouts of all out effort, with 30 second rest periods while the researchers measured peak power output, total mechanical work, peak pedaling rate, and peak efficient torque. The same group of cyclists performed these workouts in the morning on one day, and in the evening on another day. They found that the short-term recovery patterns were slower in the evening than in the morning..

While the researchers offered no explanation, decreased muscle performance late in the day may have a lot to do with brain function. Each muscle is made up of millions of individual muscle fibers. Each muscle fiber is instructed to contract by a single nerve fiber that receives messages from the brain. Your brain is far more alert after sleeping and napping than after being active for many hours. For example, students score higher in exams taken shortly after waking up than later in the day, and telephone operators answer more calls in the morning than in the afternoon. Late-day mental performance improves after napping, and the same may be true of muscle function.

Automobile accidents are more common at night because most people start to lose their ability to concentrate maximally after they have been awake for more than eight hours.

Another study from France shows that much of your early morning alertness can be restored just by napping or drinking coffee prior to driving (Annals of Internal Medicine, June 2006). Researchers tested young drivers during the day and again in the evening after drinking coffee containing 200 mg of caffeine, taking a 30-minute nap in the afternoon, or a placebo consisting of decaffeinated coffee. They drove 125 miles between 6:00 and 7:30 PM, and again between 2:00 and 3:30 AM. The doctors compared self-rated fatigue and sleepiness, inappropriate line crossings from video recordings, and polysomnographic recordings during the nap and subsequent sleep. Night time driving performance was similar to daytime performance for 75 percent of the participants after coffee, for 66 percent after napping, and for only 13 percent after the placebo. This study agrees with most other studies that show that napping or stimulants improve mental functions that require concentration or memory in the afternoon and evening.

Subscribe to my FREE weekly newsletter on fitness, health, and nutrition.

Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties, including sports medicine. Read or listen to hundreds of his fitness and health reports -- and the FREE Good Food Book -- at http://www.DrMirkin.com

• 0 comments »

By far the most widespread inquiries were from women commonly afflicted by diet resistant fat deposits on their hips, thighs, and butts concurrently self diagnosed as cellulite. The reported conditions were uncannily uniform; adjectives such as cottage cheese, dimpled, bumpy, and gravel like were common. The letters also lay claim to the fat's stubborn nature, that no amount of diet or exercise would get rid of it.

All in all, the women writing these letters were at their wits end, frustrated that they were cursed with this deferent fat called cellulite that just won't go away.

Well ladies, you are not alone. Millions of women, to varying degrees, are covered with cellulite making it the most common diet related problem. Millions and millions of dollars are spent each year on creams, potions, Luffa sponges, liposuction, special massages, and the like in an effort to rid the body of cellulite all to no avail. None of the available cellulite remedies work ?because there is no such thing as cellulite!

In the mid seventies a Swedish doctor discovered if he attached a name to a common cosmetic problem and created a remedy for it, vanity would drive his bank account to a level he could hitherto only dream about. Boy was he right!

Almost immediately the concept of cellulite caught on. For nineteen ninety five and ten minutes each night before bed, one could apply a special cream to the afflicted area and then rub themselves raw with a long, course, natural sponge known as a Luffa and the cellulite would go away.

Well the only thing that went away was the Swedish doctor, in the direction of the setting sun driving his new Ferrari, giggling?probably still to this day ?about all of the digits in his Swiss bank account. In our minds this was probably one of the greatest deceptions of all time, it's more than 30 years later and people still think that cellulite is a viable excuse for a fat cheesy butt.

I realize that you're probably a bit mad right now - we're telling you something different that you've been led to believe for so many years - sometimes the truth is shocking, but you can use this truth to help you reach your goals much faster. So if you're still convinced that cellulite is an honest medical condition, grab a medical dictionary the next time you visit the library and look it up. All you'll find where the word should be is a space.

If you want to use the term cellulite to describe how the fat on a woman's lower body looks, fine. We'll accept that, however, the fat termed cellulite is no different from the adipose tissue residing under the skin in any other area of the body.

If there is no physical difference then why does it look different? Good question. First, you have to understand something about the skin. It's very elastic, stretching when you move, closely following the rest of the body. In doing so it must also be attached to the body. For example, the skin covering the fingers is attached to the muscles and bone by fibrous cords called irabitclae that are far less elastic than the skin itself.

Since the connective tissue is not as elastic as the skin, it will only stretch so far while being acted on by the force of expanding fat cells. Once the cords reach their limit, and the fat cells are still expanding, the cords stop and the skin in between keeps going. The point where the connective tissue is attached to the skin is the low point of a dimple. Put a bunch of these dimples together and you have what looks like a pillow case full of gravel.

Why is cellulite so hard to get rid of? Another good question, the answer pertains to the gender specific deposits of fat. To put it simply, the areas of greater fat concentration appear to be the last to go. In order to get rid of the look of cellulite you must get rid of the fat that is causing it. Remember in the realm of normal people twenty to twenty-five percent body fat is normal for a woman, while fifteen to twenty percent is normal for a male. Most of America exceeds the upper limits of their respective group creating a forum for a whole lot of cheesy looking fat.

Dieting can be deceiving; we've seen women who appear skinny up top yet are hauling around quite a load down below and scream cellulite when they can't diet it off. Even though their collar bone is sticking out and their arms are skinny, their body fat measurements are still quite high.

The bottom line is that dieting down is tough work indeed and you MUST have follow a proven system to get this fat off - otherwise you'll end up more frustrated than anything else. It's a lot easier to give up and blame a disorder than it is to religiously pass the bulk food section at the market and actually do 30 minutes of aerobics every day. If the diet and activity level of an average American were analyzed it would be very clear why cellulite is so common.

The plain truth is this...Body fat must be reduced in a very specific fashion. One that attacks every aspect of that fat - not just diet, not just exercise, not just a combination of diet and exercise. If you really want to melt fat from your body, you need to first properly cleanse your system for 3 - 7 days, then you need to modify your eating habits to include loads of fresh raw vegetables and several sources of lean protein, you need to drink between 1/2 - 1 gallon of water each day --- yes, this all seems like a lot - we understand that - but here's the result --- if you do this, plus you throw away all those junky supplements, plus add a few other simple techniques like those found here YOU WILL GET RESULTS - results that your friends will notice, results that your spouse will notice, results that everyone will notice.

For a ton of f.ree, valuable tips, tricks, and secrets visit: http://www.MaximizeYourMetabolism.com

? 2002-2005 Wisdom Books, LLC & Christopher Guerriero WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this blurb with it: Christopher Guerriero, is the founder of the National Metabolic & Longevity Research Center and a best-selling author, speaker, and coach to millions. He is creator of the award-winning 'Maximize Your Metabolism' system. To learn more about this step-by-step program, and to sign up for FR*EE how-to articles and F.REE teleseminars, visit http://www.MaximizeYourMetabolism.com

• 0 comments »

You've seen it on the TV commericals: before and after pictures of people who 'lost weight' by simply taking a pill. The local radio station plays ads promising that you can 'lose weight' without dieting, or as they call it, 'sweaty exercise'. Your favorite magazine even tells you that dieting alone can help you reach your 'ideal weight'.

What do all of these advertisements have in common?

Products and ads that promise you 'weight loss' without exercise are only telling you part of the story. The first important point to realize is that NOT ALL DIETS OR DIET PILLS WORK, AND EVEN THOSE THAT DO WORK FOR SOME PEOPLE DO NOT WORK FOR ALL PEOPLE. The government is constantly taking action against fraudulent weight loss claims.

Unfortunately for the American public, we don't hear very much about the difference between FITNESS and WEIGHT. The infomercials would have you believe that reaching your ideal weight automatically means that you are healthy, and that HOW you reach that ideal weight doesn't really matter. Nothing could be further from the truth!

In reality, weight alone does not equal fitness. Think about it.....we all know someone who is thin but not 'fit' or 'healthy'. Simply being thin does not automatically qualify us as fit! As a matter of fact, the world is full of SKINNY FAT PEOPLE.

What? Skinny fat people? How can that be?

When talking about overall fitness, what matters is the percentage of bodyfat we have. IT IS ENTIRELY POSSIBLE FOR A THIN PERSON TO HAVE A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF BODYFAT. It is also entirely possible for a thin person to be out of shape!

The International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) defines 'fitness' as: The state of well-being consisting of optimum levels of strength, flexibility, weight control, cardiovascular capacity and positive physical and mental health behaviors, that prepare a person to participate fully in life, to be free from controllable health risk factors and to achieve physical objectives consistent with his/her potential.

Wow! Fitness means all that?!?!? Of course! Being truly fit doesn't simply mean the number on the scale. Think about it this way.....some people who are thin still suffer from high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and other maladies that we often associate with weight issues. BEING THIN DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN THAT YOU ARE FIT.

Doctors and medical associations have told us the truth time and time again: the only path to true fitness is through regular exercise!!

* Simply losing weight does not necessarily create a HEALTHIER HEART, but regular exercise will improve heart health.

* Simply losing weight does not necessarily LOWER CHOLESTEROL, but regular exercise will.

* Simply losing weight does not necessarily LOWER THE RISK OF SOME CANCERS, but regular exercise has been proven to reduce the risk of some cancers.

* Simply losing weight does not necessarily PREVENT OSTEOPEROSIS, but regular resistance exercise does.

* Simply losing weight does not necessarily BOOST THE IMMUNE SYSTEM, but regular exercise will.

* Simply losing weight does not necessarily lead to HEALTHIER PREGNANCIES, but regular exercise does.

* Simply losing weight does not necessarily PREVENT DISABILITY IN SENIORS, but regular exercise does.

* Simply losing weight does not necessarily help you KEEP THE WEIGHT OFF FOR LIFE, but regular exercise will.

* Simply losing weight does not necessarily IMPROVE PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE, but regular exercise does.

* Simply losing weight does not necessarily PREVENT MUSCLE LOSS, but regular resistance exercise does.

* Simply losing weight does not necessarily INCREASE METABOLISM, but regular resistance exercise will.

* Simply losing weight does not necessarily DECREASE THE RISK OF INJURY, but regular exercise does.

* Simply losing weight does not necessarily PREVENT DIABETES, but regular exercise will.

* Simply losing weight does not necessarily PREVENT ESTROGEN LOSS, but regular exercise may.

This list could go on and on and on.....the point is that simply losing weight does not make us fit. THE ONLY PATH TO TRUE FITNESS, AND ALL THE BENEFITS ASSOCIATED WITH FITNESS, IS WITH REGULAR RESISTANCE AND AEROBIC EXERCISE.

So the next time you see one of those advertisements promising weight loss without dieting or exercise, remember that weight loss is not the only goal that matters! Remember that the world is full of 'skinny fat people'.

SURE, you'll lose weight by consistently exercising at the gym.....many health club members have experienced dramatic weight loss! The difference between the infomercials and weight loss through exercise is that by regularly working out the weight you lose will be FAT.

Consistently engaging in both aerobic AND resistance exercise will not just help you lose weight BUT WILL HELP YOU BECOME TRULY 'FIT'. And isn't that the real goal?

* Copyright 2005 Pick Up The Pace. Permission is not required for the distribution of Pick Up The Pace articles as long as they are used in their entirety, are properly credited to Pick Up The Pace, and are accompanied by our website link: www.letspickupthepace.com.

* The information in this article and on this site is for general reference purposes only and not intended to address specific medical conditions. This information is not a substitute for professional medical advice or a medical exam. Prior to participating in any exercise program or activity, you should seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health professional. No information in this article or on www.letspickupthepace.com should be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any medical condition.

Tracie Johanson is the founder of Pick Up The Pace, a 30-minute exercise studio for women, focusing on fitness, health and nutrition for maximum weight loss. Please visit http://www.letspickupthepace.com for more information.

• 0 comments »