Health & Nutrition Tips
Why You Can't Afford to be Dehydrated
The 10 Commandments of Weight Loss Success
Five Ab Exercises You Can Do In Your Living Room
The Truth About Protein, Carbs and Fats
Two Ways to Fit Into Your Skinny Jeans
Personal Fitness Trainer: Tips for Hiring a Good One
Why You Can't Afford To Be Dehydrated
By Rosa Coelho
Are you a grape or a raisin?
If you're drinking at least 1 litre of water for every 25kg then CONGRATULATIONS, you're a GRAPE! No need to keep reading, unless you want to reaffirm what a great thing you're doing for your body. If you're not drinking enough water then keep reading, you're a RAISIN!
We all know that water is vital to health! So much so that without it we could not survive, yet many people do not take drinking water as seriously as they should. If you're not drinking enough water, here are a few side effects you may be already experiencing or may experience in the near future:
Weight gain, headaches, tiredness, constipation, sore back, muscle cramping, dy skin, poor muscle tone, kidney stones, wter retention, heartburn, stomach aches, depression, irritation, and nausea.
Ready to start drinking more water? Here are some tips to get you started.
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At the start of each day, fill a couple of bottles of your required amount for the day. This will prevent you from guessing at the end of the day if you've had enough.
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If you don't enjoy the taste of water, try adding a couple of lemon slices.
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Set yourself timers to remind yourself. It's so easy to get caught up in a project for several hours and then realize you haven't had a sip in hours.
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Try drinking herbal teas. There are several out there, so even if you've tried a couple and didn't like them, keep trying. A few of my favorites are chamomile, peppermint, ginger, fennel, and dandelion.
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Keep bottles in your bag, car, office, whereever you spend time.
Once you find what strategies work best for you, the next step is to not become frustrated by the amount of times you find yourself running to the bathroom. This will slow down after a few days. What's happening is your body is actually ridding itself of excess water. Over the period of time that you haven't been drinking enough water your body has gone into “survival mode” — it simply wasn't sure if or when you were going to give it more water, therefore it held onto the little water it had. You may have seen the visible signs through being bloated or puffy around your ankles, hips and thighs.
Remember, water is vital to survival. Treat your water intake with the same seriousness that you would if you were ill and were prescribed medication.
Go on, have a drink of water!
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The 10 Commandments Of Weight Loss Success
Copyright © 2008 Frank Smoot
A major new clinical research study, involving more than 14,000 people and spanning some 16 years, has allowed us to identify what does — and what definitely does not — lead to safe, struggle-free, lasting weight loss. As a result, we now know "The 10 Commandments Of Weight Loss Success."
Commandment #1: Get The Facts Before You Act!
Be certain that whatever you do is based on real data, not on hype and wild claims. Recent research has revealed a wealth of new insights into what works--and what doesn't. Some prime examples:
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An astonishing 96% of weight loss attempts fail.
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We gain back a tragic 95% of all the pounds we lose.
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Dieting is worse than useless. It's counterproductive.
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Relying on will power often leads to weight gain.
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Most of the reasons we're overweight have nothing to do with food or diet.
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But, not being aware of these simple truths, people turn to food-based approaches like dieting--and fail by the millions.
Commandment #2. Set Realistic Weight Loss Goals.
Your "target weight" must be based in reality, not fantasy. If you're trying to look like Barbie or Ken (or Pamela Anderson or "Arnold,") you are in Fantasyland--and in danger as well. Make your goal to be healthy...not "perfect."
Commandment #3. Beware Diet Industry "Solutions."
Failed diets cause tremendous amounts of unnecessary suffering. Yet we still turn to dieting and other heavily-promoted "solutions" because the Diet Industry still pushes them relentlessly. Climbing out from under their avalanche of misinformation is "Weight Loss Job #1."
Commandment #4. Understand That Weight Loss Success Is NOT About Food
Being overweight is actually not "the problem," but a physical symptom of a non-physical problem. In other words, the excess weight you can see is only a symptom of a problem you can't see. We fail because we can't solve problems by attacking symptoms, but only by dealing with the real, root causes of obesity.
Commandment #5. Know Who You Are Losing Weight For
Who are you really trying to please or impress by losing weight? The only acceptable person to lose weight for is you. If your goal is to please or impress anyone else, you are already in trouble. Getting to your healthiest weight is one thing in life that really should be "all about you."
Commandment #6. Get Your Whole Being Involved
"Body-only" or "food-oriented" weight loss approaches are doomed from the start. For lasting weight loss, you must involve your "whole" being -- your body, mind, and spirit. See weight loss success as a 3-legged stool. If even one leg is missing, the stool will collapse--no matter how sturdy the other two legs are. To succeed, you must involve and align all three aspects of yourself toward your weight loss goals.
Commandment #7. Be Very Careful What You Put In Your Mouth
Diet drugs, pills, and "metabolizers" are, at best short-term fixes. At worst, they can be deadly. Weight loss pills not only breed dependency, but the minute you stop, you "Yo-Yo" back to your original weight--or higher.
And just because something is "natural" doesn't mean it's healthy. Nature is full of things that can kill humans and other animals. (Amazon tribes count on it!)
Commandment #8. Have A Realistic Time Frame
Trying to lose more than 1-2 pounds per week sets you up to get sick, to fail, to be miserable, and probably all of the above. "Losing 10 pounds in 2 days" is very unlikely and very unhealthy. You didn't put on your unwanted pounds in a hurry. Don't try to take them off that way.
Commandment #9. You MUST "Tune Up" Your Colon For Long-Term Health
Poor colon function is epidemic, dangerous, and is a primary factor in excess weight. Too little exercise, too much protein, fat, sugar, salt, alcohol, nicotine, and not much fiber adds up to lousy colon function--causing discomfort, sluggish digestion, poor nutrient assimilation, heartburn, gas, allergies, even cancer.
Fortunately, colon function is easy, inexpensive (and very rewarding) to correct. (For more details about the crucial importance of colon health, please read the article here, or send an e mail to frank@coachfranksmoot.com)
Commandment #10. See Effort and Struggle As "Red Flags"
Fact: Nearly everyone who stays at their target weight year after year uses a proven "success recipe" that makes success struggle-free and virtually effortless. Only a few researchers are aware of this. And you can be sure you won't hear it from the Diet Industry.
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Five Ab Exercises You Can Do In Your Living Room
Copyright © 2008 John Barban
The best exercises for working on your abs can be done anywhere without any equipment at all. You can even get a very effective ab workout done while you're watching television right in your living room, there is no need to ever step foot in a gym. As a matter of fact, these ab exercises might even be easier in front of the television as you can pay more attention to your favorite show instead of the burn you will feel from the workout.
These 5 exercises can be done without distracting you from the television. If you're going to sit in front of the tube, might as well work on your abs and core muscles at the same time.
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Bridge on elbows - lie flat on the floor face down in a starting push up position. Support your body on your elbows and feet. Hold this position keeping your body rigid like a board and flexing your abs tight. Beginners hold for 30 seconds working up to a minute as you become stronger.
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Bridge on hands - lie flat on the floor face down in a starting push up position. Support your body on your hands and feet. Hold this position keeping your body rigid like a board flexing your abs tight. Beginners hold for 30 seconds working up to a minute as you become stronger.
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Side Plank - lie in on the floor on your side. Support your body with one hand and on your feet keeping your body rigid like a plank. Do this on both sides for an equal length of time. Beginners hold for 30 seconds working up to a minute as you become stronger.
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Lying leg raise - lie on your back with your hands underneath the your lower back. With our legs extended raise them a 3-4 inches off the ground, hold this position for a 10 count and repeat 4 times.
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Seated leg raises - sitting on a couch or chair slide your butt to the edge and support yourself with your hands at your sides, legs straight feet on the ground. Raise them off the ground until they are parallel with the ground. Do 20 reps for 4 sets.
These are simple a very effective ab and core exercises that can be done right in your living room without even distracting you from watching your favorite tv shows. If you know how to move your body effectively there is never any reason to even leave your house to get a great workout. Now that's a pretty good deal.
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The Truth About Protein, Carbs and Fats
People know that by eating a high protein and low carb, low fat diet, they will lose weight. But it is not worth it. When you eat too much of carbs or fats, you store it as body fat. When you eat too much protein, where do you store it? Your body cannot store it. The body has to get rid of it. It breaks it down. People eat way too much protein. When the protein is broken down, it creates toxins and acids.
The acids cause your body to remove calcium from your bones to neutralize the acids. The toxins from the breakdown of protein, attacks your arteries and can lead to high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes. College textbooks on nutrition say that protein deficiency is rare in the world and does not exist in this part of the world. That means that while there are millions of people starving because they are not getting enough carbs and fats, it is rare to get enough of them but not enough protein.
The brain needs lots of carbs. If a person does not get enough, he can get depressed. This can lead to someone killing themselves. So it is not worth it to lose some weight and end up dead. Also the brain needs plenty of carbohydrates for you to sleep well. If you are not getting enough carbs, that can make it hard to sleep leading to mental problems and even a nervous breakdown.
Of course the good carbs from foods made by nature like fruits and vegetables are good for you. The bad carbs from foods made by man are bad for you, like cookies, donuts and candy. These foods are designed to make you fat and addicted to food. The unholy grains, like wheat and rice are also bad for you. The whole grains like whole wheat, brown rice, wild rice, millet, barley, buckwheat, kamut, spelt and quinoa are good for you.
Fats are needed to lubricate the brain, arteries and skin. A lack of good fat (like omega-3) can cause you to become depressed. It can also lead to high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes. Also it can cause skin problems. The bad fats are bad for you. But the good fats are good for you. Fish cannot be included as good fats since there is too much mercury in them from pollution. But you can get good fat from avocados. It is 60% fat and it is great for you. It is even anti-inflammatory which can help your joints.
When they are soft but not mushy, they are good to eat. Sometimes they have brown in them and they are not good so it is like a gamble buying them. But it is well worth it. Other good fats are olives, olive oil, canola oil, nuts and seeds. Studies with olive oil show that it helps your arteries and helps you to be thinner. Flaxseeds, walnuts and pumpkin seeds are good sources of omege3s, a fat that people do not get enough of.
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Two Ways to Fit Into Your Skinny Jeans
By Jayson Hunter
Fear of fat could be slowing down your weight loss progress
Research keeps evolving to show us just how certain nutrients play very important roles in the body. There are people who promote fat for weight loss, and those who fear and shun fat for weight loss. If you want to fit into your “skinny jeans” then I suggest you don't fear fat.
I am here to tell you that there are certain fats that actually help with weight loss. This doesn't mean you should be eating a high-fat diet. It does mean that you shouldn't fear fat if you are trying to lose weight. If you do, you could be slowing down your weight loss progress.
The first fat that you should incorporate into your diet is coconut oil. Most of the fats you eat circulate around in the body until your body absorbs them and stores them as fat or maybe uses some of it for energy.
Coconut oil helps burn calories
Coconut oil behaves differently in the body. Coconut oil is a medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) that is very common in foods. Instead of circulating around the bloodstream like other fats, MCTs go into the liver where they are utilized for energy. Your body also requires more calories to digest MCTs, which is a good thing, because your goal is to burn as many calories as possible.
Some ways to use coconut oil is to put it on breads instead of using butter. You could sauté with it or melt it on veggies for flavoring. It is a saturated fat though, so don't over-consume this fat or you might see your triglyceride and cholesterol levels rise.
Nut butters can make you feel full
The other fat that can help you get into those skinny jeans is nut butter, which is an unsaturated fat. Some research is showing that those who eat nut butters often weigh less than those who avoid it. Nut butter contains protein, fat and fiber, which researchers believe helps keep you feel full, so overall you eat less food.
This is why health professionals also promote nuts such as almonds, because they provide protein, healthy unsaturated fats, and fiber. They help fill you up and make a great snack on the go. I highly recommend keeping some natural unroasted almonds on hand at all times.
You can use Nut Butter in a variety of ways. Of course you can use it as a spread on breads or as a dipping sauce. You could flavor noodles or vegetables with it as well. Look for natural versions of Nut Butter so that you aren't consuming added oils or hydrogenated fats.
I suggest you give these unique fats a try with your meals and not only add some variety to your meals, but get you closer to fitting into those skinny jeans.
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Personal Fitness Trainer: Tips for hiring a good one
By Scott Abbett
A couple days ago, I saw something ridiculous in the gym. I witnessed a personal fitness trainer putting his client through activities more akin to practicing for a circus tryout than building a stronger and shapelier body. The client was being instructed to do pushups with one hand being elevated by a medium-sized, air-filled ball. In between pushup repetitions, the client was told to roll the ball back and forth between hands. He did a pushup with his left side elevated by the ball (shaking precariously while trying to balance) - then he pushed it across to the right hand. He trembled in getting it beneath his right hand for a repetition. Then he flung it over to his left hand again after a rather shaky (and unbalanced) right-handed pushup.
I was secretly rooting for the client to end the session by bouncing the ball off his trainer's head a few times.
What the hell was that all about? Is half the world going bonkers or is it just a lot of the personal fitness trainers and their clients who follow any instructions they're given, no matter how silly? You couldn't convince me with a Ph.D. candidate's dissertation that this client was deriving benefit from what his "personal trainer" was having him do. It was a complete and utter waste of time and appeared to only feed that trainer's ego with the belief that he was in possession of proprietary or esoteric knowledge.
Don't get me wrong. There are some good fitness trainers out there. They're just interspersed among a bunch that is mediocre at best and downright counterproductive at worst. In an apparent attempt to make their profession appear that it doesn't consist of merely demonstrating basic exercises and counting repetitions, many are taking this "core training" fad a bit too far, in my opinion. When will they come back to basics? When will they realize that there's much more value to provide a client within the realm of effective basic training combined with powerful mental performance enhancement? It's a visually nicer body that most people are seeking - not the ability to balance on their knees atop an exercise ball while attempting to do one-armed dumbell rows (I actually witnessed that too).
So how does one choose a personal fitness trainer? These guys and gals aren't cheap. They can charge a good chunk of change to essentially teach you some circus acts, or just arbitrarily walk you through some exercises. It's not pleasant to think of wasting time and money in this manner.
I have a unique criteria that I recommend people follow when choosing a personal fitness trainer. In fact, I'm not aware of anyone else who will provide you with this list. After going through it, however, you will find that it makes sense. These are not numbered in level of importance, but the final one listed is THE most important. So here it is:
1. Make sure the trainer is in good physical shape
Sounds like a given, doesn't it? Well, it's amazing how often I see a client trudging along behind a personal trainer whose gut is hanging over his belt and whose muscles appear to have not been worked in years. I don't care if the trainer has a degree in Kinesiology or won a bodybuilding contest years ago; if that individual can't keep their own ass in shape, what makes you think they'll be of much help getting and keeping you that way? All else being equal, it's not motivating to have an out-of-shape fitness instructor and it can set doubts in your mind at a subconscious level.
2. Hire someone who has mental training credentials as well as the physical ones
Most of your ability to positively change your body and keep these positive changes is a mental thing. We know this intuitively. Yet how many people take it seriously enough to hire a personal fitness trainer who can also help them get their mindset in shape?
I recommend finding someone who has credentials in Sport's Mental Training or Hypnotherapy/NLP and can effectively combine these disciplines with the physical regimens when necessary. Believe me, you'll be glad you did.
3. Make sure the trainer is certified by an NCCA accredited course or reputable college
The NCCA (National Commission for Certifying Agencies) is an accrediting organization holding standards for reputability of certification programs. Top quality fitness certifications that are NCCA accredited include N.F.P.T. (National Federation of Professional Trainers) and ACE (American Council on Exercise) and ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine).
Of course, certification from a reputable college or trade school also represents quality fitness credentials.
Bottom line: Be sure your trainer has high quality nutrition and exercise knowledge.
4. Ask the trainer for references
Just like hiring any other professional, it's best to ask for references. Make sure to ask for past clients who've gotten positive results within the same area of improvement that you're seeking for your body.
5. Make sure the trainer records progress for his/her clients
I'll say it plain and simple: If a personal fitness trainer isn't keeping a record log of your workouts, then you're wasting your time and money. That is; unless you just want to pay them to be your friend.
A trainer who doesn't keep a record of what he or she has you doing is just arbitrarily choosing your exercises, sets, and repetitions. Assuming they've got a lot of clients, it's unlikely they're able to keep it all in memory.
Watch your prospective trainer handling other clients for about a week or two before deciding whether to hire them. If you're serious about improving your physique, don't shell out your money if they're not doing any writing along with their instructing.
There you have it; some tips for hiring a good personal fitness trainer. If you follow them, you'll be more likely on your way to a stronger and better looking body, and less likely to end up doing stupid human tricks with a ball on the gym floor.