How to Survive the Holidays

By Dr. Jason Fowler

The day after Thanksgiving is a milestone of sorts in America. It reminds us of just how quickly the year has gone by- and how close we are to the holiday season. This realization- coupled with the fabulous sales at major department stores and malls everywhere- helps make the day after Thanksgiving our biggest shopping day of the year. And until we flip the calendar over to a new year, the chaos just doesn't let up.

"Our bodies have the capacity to do more than we normally do," says Dr. Scott Bautch, past president of the American Chiropractic Association's (ACA) Council on Occupational Health. "But our bodies do not adapt very well to doing a lot more than we normally do. Since the added demands of this season can stress the capacity of our bodies, we need to do everything we can to help ourselves. Eat right, drink plenty of water, stretch, exercise and take a few minutes to slow down and reflect on what the season is all about."

So relax and enjoy the holidays! Dr. Bautch and the ACA encourage you to consider the following tips to help keep you and your loved ones healthy, happy and safe this season.

Treat Holiday Shopping As An Athletic Event Stay hydrated! Drink eight to ten 8-ounce glasses of water a day. (Coffee, tea, soft drinks and alcohol are diuretics/dehydrators. Don't substitute them for water.) On shopping days, you may need to drink even more water. Be sure to stretch before and after a long day of shopping. When you are stressed-out, your muscles are less flexible than usual. Wear shoes with plenty of cushioning in the soles to absorb the impact of walking on those hard shopping mall floors. According to recent studies, 60% of women report wearing shoes that are uncomfortable. Make sure the clothing you wear is as comfortable as possible. It's a good idea to wear layers, because you may be going from a cold environment (outdoors) to a warm environment (indoors). Leave your purse at home. Wear a light fanny pack, or if necessary, a light backpack instead. Pack only those items that are absolutely essential (driver's license, credit card, etc.). If you start to feel some pain, nip it in the bud. Apply an ice bag to the affected area for 20 minutes, then take it off for a couple of hours. Repeat a couple of times each day over the next day or two. "During the holiday season, we're running at absolute maximum capacity, which can lead to stress and even depression," says Dr. Bautch. "Why do so many people become depressed around the holidays? We need to stretch and stay hydrated to increase our capacity, so we are not overwhelmed by the activities of the season."

Plan Frequent Breaks Into Your Shopping Day During a day of heavy shopping, most people should take a break every 45 minutes. Those with less stamina may even need to take a break every 20-30 minutes. If you work in a physically demanding job where you are accustomed to being on your feet most of the day, you may be able to get away with taking less frequent breaks. If possible, obtain a locker. Lockers can help cut down dramatically on how much you have to carry around. You can take a load off by scheduling trips to your locker into your breaks. If your mall or shopping center does not offer lockers, try to plan trips to your car. Don't carry around more than is absolutely necessary at one time. When taking breaks, try to eat light foods. A salad and some fruit is a much better option than a burger and fries. Skip the coffee break! Coffee and sodas contain caffeine and sugar, which add even more stress to your body. Pass on the designer coffee at the java stand and keep drinking water. "We actually need to eat better than normal during the holiday season," explains Dr. Bautch. "On average, people gain five to six pounds during the holidays. And heart attacks occur more often during the holidays as well. Eating a heavy meal and then running out on an exhausting shopping trip can be very dangerous."

Shopping With Children If at all possible, DO NOT bring a child or children along on a holiday shopping trip. Most children simply do not have the stamina for such an event. You and your child will only become frustrated with one another. Don't add this type of stress to an already stressful situation. Try to split "child duty" up with a spouse or another parent. They'll watch your kids while you shop, and vice-versa. "Shopping with children is just a bad idea," says Dr. Bautch. "If your hands are loaded with shopping bags, you may not be able to hold your child's hand, which could increase the chances he or she might wander away from you. Take whatever steps necessary to not have to bring your child along."

Wrapping Your Gifts Since there is no "ideal" position for wrapping gifts, the most important thing to remember is to vary your positions. For example, try standing at a table or countertop for one package, sitting on a bed for another, sitting in a comfortable chair for another, etc. Do not wrap packages while sitting on the floor. Wrapping packages while sitting on a hard floor can wreak havoc on your posture, and should be avoided. Always stretch before and after you wrap gifts. "When wrapping presents, it is a good idea to 'stretch the opposites,'" says Dr. Bautch. "In other words, if you are leaning forward when wrapping your gifts, stretch backward when you are done. - 17268

About the Author:

For additional information on health and chiropractic feel free to contact Dr. Jason Fowler Dr. Jason Fowler

My Second Week: Preparing for the HCG Diet

By Amelia Handley

We're all set. Lisa and I both ordered our HCG products from HCG Diet Direct last night. She stuck to the basics: enough homeopathic HCG weight loss formula to last her for a 25 day program. I got the same plus B-Total Sublingual and the cookbook. She's pretty sneaky (and I'm a pretty nice friend) so I bet she'll get most of the advantages of the cookbook through me, but I've totally got an edge with the B-Total Sublingual.

I've got an edge, but I don't think it's cheating because I absolutely tried to talk her into getting B-Total. She knew I ordered it when we both ordered our HCG diet kits. So while I've got an edge...I wouldn't call it an unfair edge.

We both thought the ordering process was perfectly understandable and easy. We just got online, went to HCGDietDirect.com and clicked on the Buy Products link. Then we added the products we wanted to purchase to our online carts and then checked out. We both paid online using Visa credit cards. The site was secure and we both received email receipts for our transactions immediately.

And even more impressive...I got a second email telling me that my order had already been prepped and was ready to ship. And that was only a few hours after my initial order. That's quick moving on their part! I haven't talked to Lisa so I'm not sure if her's was handled so quickly, but if not same day then I would guess it will be ready for shipment next day. And that's pretty cool.

Our products should arrive pretty quickly and we got a great deal on it because not only were most of the HCG Diet Direct products and HCG diet kits on sale, but I found an online coupon code that gave us an additional discount. You have to love that! We expect our HCG diet kits to arrive within the week. And that works out perfect because after studying the calendar we decided it was just too serendipitous that Thanksgiving is right around the corner. It's the perfect "loading" day. The first two days of the diet you are supposed to eat a lot of fatty calories from what I understand. I'll go into further detail once I have the full instructions that should come with the HCG diet kits.

So our HCG diet kits are in the mail and we've set a date to start the HCG diet. We're starting the day before Thanksgiving. That way the whole Thanksgiving thing won't be a huge deal and the 25 days will be complete right before Christmas so we'll at least be able to enjoy a bit more of the Christmas time "eating" than if we were still in the middle of the actual diet. We'll still be in maintenance phase at Christmas, but that's far better than 500 calories per day. - 17268

About the Author:

Amelia Handley majored in exercise science in college with a minor in Nutrition. Yet she still found herself veering from diet to diet in order to control her weight. With HCG Diet Direct she's found a program that allows her to combine her desire to control her own body weight with her education and not feel off balance.

Benefits Of Diet Meal Plans

By Clyde Chu

When a person wants to lose weight or gain a healthier lifestyle, one of the big challenges if food. Many people find that staying on a diet when they are in different environments throughout the day can be very difficult. When a person uses diet meal plans much of this challenge and difficulty can be alleviated in an easy way.

The benefits of the meal plans are found when a person feels better and doesn't have to spend money on fast food or emergency shopping trips. By planning meals around a pay day, it is possible to have a proper diet on a daily basis that will give the body all of the vitamins and nutrients needed to be healthy and active.

When creating diet plans it is important that the person create an individual meal plan that meets their needs. For many people who eat several times a day, a standard 3 meal, 2 snack meal plan will not be effective. To benefit from a meal plan, it must be a doable plan that will keep a person from getting hungry. This means that it must include proper foods for all of the times that a person eats during the day.

The most benefits that will be gained from diet meal plans will be found in the way that they are created. When planning for meals it is important that all the nutrients and vitamins that a person needs be included in the plan. Depending on the calories that one is going to try to stick to each day, the type of foods used to meet the goal of a healthy diet may differ.

A healthy lifestyle includes more than just weight loss and maintenance. When one is eating properly, they are providing their internal organs and body with vital nutrients that are needed to run efficiently and stay healthy. Many individuals who eat properly are rarely sick. This is because their immune systems are kept in good condition through diet.

When one is not experiencing the highs and lows that often accompany high sugar intake they do not get the headache that often follows. By supplementing sugar and high calorie foods with healthy alternatives in the diet plan a person can maintain energy levels on a consistent basis without experiencing the normal effects of chemical that one usually eats.

There are many diet meal plans available through different sources. When deciding on the meal plan that will be right for an individual it is important to think about eating habits and how a meal plan can be used to adjust the foods that are eating during the times when a person would normally be eating junk food. By incorporating healthy alternatives into the meal plan and having them on hand, one will find that staying on a diet is much easier. - 17268

About the Author:

Want to find out more about Diet Meal Plans , then visit Clyde Chu's site on where to choose the best Diet Meal Plans for your dietary needs.

Maybe Baby? Help and Advice with Pregnancy

By Keith Woolley

Newspapers have been writing a lot about fertility and the fact that more and more women choose to start a family in their 30's or forty's. Women nowadays are highly likely to have a high flying career and be brooding about town trips, shoe shopping and sports autos, and far less about Mothercare, changing nappies, and pushing carts.

The average age for giving birth in the United Kingdom is going up about 2 months annually. The average age in 2007 was 29.3 years compared with 28.6 years in 2001. Statistics prove the average woman under thirty will get pregnant within the first 6 months and those in their early thirty's may take up to and longer than 9 months. From 35 onwards it might take one year.

Some ladies are spending a large amount of money trying to increase their chances of conceiving naturally, but this may be a nonessential cost. Lord Robert Winston, pioneer of IVF treatment, said to the Daily Mail that ladies who freeze their eggs to delay parenthood are being given false hopes by fertility hospitals. He is going on to assert that this does not in any way guarantee a girls will become pregnant or go on to have a healthy baby.

So without ditching the thrilling lifestyle what can you do to help turbo-charge your wellbeing for that 'maybe baby' stage? Being healthy is far easier than you might think. Here are a few tips

For her :

Iron

Most ladies recognize iron as a vital mineral for good health. In spite of this data, iron deficiency is regarded the commonest nutritive deficiency and the most influenced group are ladies of child bearing age. Studies have shown that even delicate inadequacies of iron are linked to reduced fertility. It would seem that a deficiency of iron may play a role in ovulatory dysfunction. Take daily Iron additions ( look for non-constipating form )

Necessary trans-acids

The force on women to stay slim has lead to many women adopting very fat free diets. Unfortunately, this pattern of eating is related to a decline in fertility. The necessary trans acids ( found in nuts, seeds and oily fish ) have many functions across the body, including balancing the hormones involved in fertility. Try Omega 3-6-9 capsules with a mix of high quality fish, flax and borage oil.

Multivitamin and mineral formula

A multivitamin and mineral formula has for some time been regarded as a measure for general wellness and as health insurance. Studies now suggest that a multivitamin formula could also be of use for maintaining fertility in women. Studies in the latter 90s proved that ladies who constantly took a multivitamin formula, were less sure to be infertile due to ovulatory failure than people who didn't. Similarly, the more frequent and regular the supplements were taken, the better the results .

Try Solgar's Female Multivitamin & Mineral complex

Vitamin D3



Vitamin D3 ( also known as the sunshine vitamin ) could help the fertility of women affected by ovulation Problems. One in 5 girls suffer with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome ( PCOS ) and can have a lesser chance of conception at a later age. Researchers at Yale varsity faculty of medication ( 2008 ) concluded ladies with ovulation problems or PCOS were much more sure to be short of vitamin D.

Try 1000iu D3 supplement

For him :

Your better half should be thinking along the same lines as you when it comes to living healthily. Sperm count and motility plays a particularly significant part in the act of making an attempt to become pregnant. Why do all of the hard work when your other half plays an equal part in the middle of conception? current figures ( from Norwich Union Healthcare in 2005 ) show that 2.5 million men suffer from sterility in the UK. Male infertility may account for as much as a 3rd of Problems with conception so it is important that your man takes similar steps to you to keep himself and his sperm in tip top health.

Zinc

Zinc is clearly one of the most vital nutrients needed for fertility, particularly for men. Studies show that a low zinc intake corresponds with a low sperm count and poor sperm motility.

Vitamin C

As an antioxidant, vitamin C is essential for good health. For men, this nutrient plays a particular role in augmenting fertility. Research has shown that vitamin C may help to reduce the clumping together of sperm and thus reinforces sperm motility. Additionally, vitamin C usually reinforces sperm quality and protects the DNA contained within it from damage.

Visit www.solgar.co.uk for more information on vitamin & mineral supplements

. - 17268

About the Author:

The first step in conception is getting the right Prenatal Support. Go along to the Solgar site and find all the data you need. Keith Woolley is a Research Director for Natural Food Stores in the UK

Powerful Six Pack Abs Diet

By Chris Love

Would you like to be the one who is always been recognized in the public with the fully flat abs and muscular body? Would you not be feeling as the most luckiest person if you happen to see the girl you like the most, like your muscular body? Are you roaming around for finding the right gymnasium that would help you to burn and develop muscles? All these questions can be easily solved by making use of the sex pack abs diet on a daily basis which would easily help you in training the people for body building.

What typicality stops you from not making use of the gym? Why didn't you spend some time for your physical fitness and health? Do these questions make you feel which is supposed to be a humorous sentence? Whatever may be the case, we have selected from 4 - 5 applications so as to start with the initial step.

It is not a big deal taking the six pack ab diet. You should always be sure you are compatible with undergoing the course before you start doing the six pack ab diet. Here are some tips on following the six pack ab diet.

In order to keep you healthy during a long fit run you should eat the best breakfast. The best breakfast consists of a cup of milk, one full egg, and some fruit.

Secondly, for the six pack ab diet you should always make yourself ready both mentally and physically before starting. This program consists of different ways food is available and which food would help fight some problems and develop your fitness in some way.

The next point which one needs to always think about is that you must not over do the work-outs and exercises which would create unnecessary pain in his body which would become serious on a long run. With the emergence of multimedia applications world wide throughout the globe, one can very easily make use of the online gym development and muscle developing videos because of the lack of interest. Likewise the taste and the way of handling things would drastically change from one person to another, even the taste of TV channels and the TV itself changes a lot. When you consider the way in which samsung hdtv makes a different mark is that the brightness and contrast as well as the richness of colors is never ever seen in any other TV.

The final take simply says that the six pack trainer should make sure to connect with with people they are dealing with and use proper guidelines and functions. In order to make the best ordering, you just need to maintain your body perfectly. - 17268

About the Author:

Looking to find the best deal on six pack abs workout, then visit www.abuffbodynow.com to find the best advice on six pack abs workout for you.

Overlooked Bodybuilding Tips That Really Build Muscle Up

By Ricardo d Argence

Depending on where you look there is a lot of great information out there on how to build muscle up. However what follows are a number of tips that can really aid you in terms of stacking on muscle mass. Here they are:

Green tea is effective in helping build up muscle mass because it stops the enzyme that inhibits nor-epinephrine, and so you can have raised levels of this muscle-building hormone that can also help you lose some weight. It is also packed with antioxidants that are good for your general health and will help your body recover after workouts.

Eat foods that contain healthy fats. Such foods are beneficial for the proper functioning of several parts of the human body such as the heart, brain, production of energy and regulating hormones. Good sources of this fat are oily fish, natural peanut butter, avocado, and oily dressings.

Try casein protein. This kind of protein takes longer to digest and so it makes an ongoing release of protein. This can be very effective if you have it just before you go to sleep because your body can use the protein to build muscle up while you are sleeping.

Take on board at least 20 grams of protein as soon as you wake up. As soon as you arise drink a whey protein shake. This will put a stop to the catabolic state of your body that you may have been in during your sleep and give you a good start on hitting your protein target for the day.

Try using dropsets on parts of the body where you have trouble in growing. This intense method will help produce growth in very hard to grow muscle groups.

First, finish your set as you usually would and when you have pushed your last rep lower the weight by 20 percent, do more reps, then lessen the weight again, and do more reps.

Continue repeating this process as many times as you can bear but the next day you are likely to experience significant muscle soreness and a tremendous burn at the time.

Drink much water. Do not underestimate the advantages of keeping your body well hydrated during the day. Water is needed for many reactions in the body; especially ones that help build muscle.

Continue learning as much as you can. There are many new ways, techniques and strategies to try in developing your physique. try different things see what works for you and what doesn't and take the best.

By trying some of the above mentioned weight gain hints you can build up muscle much faster than you have before. If you want to look lean and ripped, we greatly recommend trying burn the fat build the muscle e-book. Best of luck! - 17268

About the Author:

Stop wasting your time, effort and cash on B.S. "Miracle Programs" that don't deliver results! Learn the honest truth revealed by a real Body Building expert and at last start noticing the gains you want. Visit us if you want to read more Fitness Articles

How Can Adjustable Dumbbells Enhance Your Workout?

By Hanif Furqan

The Bowflex Selecttech 552 Adjustable Dumbbells have been invented to solve an issue that many fitness enthusiasts thought was unavoidable. The majority of consumers who do strength training at home have tied up a great deal of floor space and money towards sets of steel discs and bars. Those oversized stacks of equipment are never exactly appealing, nor will they be simple to move or store. Weights aren't especially practical if you just have one size, though. So what other possibilities could you find?

Bowflex has come up with a type of adjustable dumbbells which will fix the storage challenge. Imagine a particularly made stand intended to contain a set of weighted discs in a vertical arrangement. Now imagine a resourcefully devised housing which resembles a dumbbell and will fit atop the discs. The housing incorporates a dial at one end of it and works like a combination lock. An individual measurement on this dial matches a certain group of the aforementioned weighted discs. As an example, if you turn the dial to 20 lbs, the housing connects to the appropriate set of discs which, when taken as one, weigh precisely 20 lbs. The extra discs are not connected to the housing. As you remove the housing out of the stand, the unneeded discs stay in the stand, therefore you merely lift a 20lb barbell. What you have imagined is Bowflex's adjustable dumbbell.

Bowflex Selecttech 552 Adjustable Dumbbells could adjust between 10lb and 90lb, which means that they handily accomplish the work of 17 separate pairs of dumbbells. So, how much of the floor would these dumbbells free up in your bedroom? After you appreciate the kind of space Bowflex's innovative dumbbells can save, you will probably ask the next natural question: it this their only advantage? The fortunate answer is; you'll find several more benefits.

Because SelectTech adjustable dumbbells are abel to be recalibrated with one quick motion, you will transition from tricept raises to lunges without having to pick up heavier barbells or disassemble and reassemble discs. You only replace the dumbbell in its stand, move the dial to the increased weight, and raise the dumbbell again. SelectTech dumbbells permit you to adjust the weight in 5lb increments, consequently you can gradually add the weight while your physical conditioning progresses.

An additional selling point is the housing containing the individual discs and thwarts them from slipping or slapping together as the dumbbells are being moved. Yes, those compact and easy to use adjustable dumbbells are even quiet to exercise with.

Bowflex has come up with a set of adjustable dumbbells made to be compact, convenient, and quiet. Do you need one more reason to go find some? Okay, then, here it is; these SelectTech adjustable dumbbells costs less than the entire set of dumbbells they take the place of. Most often, products which rely on the best fitness technology are pricey. Although, because these dumbbells use fewer materials than the entire collection of weights they take the place of, the Bowflex Selecttech 552 could probably cost less than a normal set of weights.

If you are serious about exercising, reclaiming space, saving time, and keeping your finances, the only reasonable thing to do is to locate your local Bowflex retailer and ask them about those adjustable dumbbells. - 17268

About the Author:

Hanif Furqan helps people in getting a home gym that is perfect for them. Check out his website to see reviews & great deals on the Bowflex Select-tech 552

In Addition to the HCG Detox Drops

By Amelia Handley

Did you read Article 1? Because this is Article 2 in the series. The series is going to document my travel through preparing for and then actually following the popular HCG diet. I avoided HCG weight loss clinics by opting for a reputable online company. I hate frequent appointments and I didn't want to pay for the office visits (I don't have health insurance) so it was a logical choice for me. After looking around I decided to work with HCG Diet Direct.

I also already challenged a friend to a weight loss duel of sorts. She's considering taking the HCG detox drops with me. If she agrees; the first one to "break" the diet will owe the other one a brand new pair of jeans (recipient's choice, of course). I figure that's a good move since after taking the HCG detox drops I'll be down like a million sizes and I'll definitely need some new clothes. (I always like thinking positively).

So while I'm waiting for her to accept my challenge I've been looking around the site more and I've decided that there's no reason not to consider the additional supplements offered to support the basic homeopathic HCG weight loss formula through HCG Diet Direct. They have a cookbook which I have already decided to have on hand. There's no reason to hurt myself by not having as many food options as possible while I'm on a very low calorie diet. Variety has got to make it a bit easier, right?

Then there were all the other products calling out to me. I knew that I had to get it under control (I don't have an unlimited budget) so I decided to limit myself to 2 products in addition to the HCG detox drops. The cookbook was number one so now I just had to pick number two.

They all seemed like a good idea. There's the Metabolizer and Energy Supplement and the B-Total Sublingual Drops. There's the Thyroid Function and Hormone Balance supplements. And then there's the Colon and Liver Function product. I quickly narrowed it down to the B-Total Sublingual and the cleanser.

I was thinking about the Colon Cleanser and Liver Function product because I've been hearing about cleanses for years and always thought they seemed like a good idea. I was thinking about the B-Total Sublingual because I read a testimonial that said it was the reincarnation of Vitamin B shots in oral drop form. And that seemed like a fabulous idea since the Vitamin B shots are an effective weight loss treatment on their own and could only increase my weight loss results.

So you're about to be the first to hear about it...I'm going to go ahead and purchase the B-Total Sublingual Drops in addition to the HCG detox drops. Whew! I hate being frugal. Maybe I'll change my mind and only limit myself to 3 additional products instead of 2. These things can be so difficult! - 17268

About the Author:

Amelia Handley majored in exercise science in college with a minor in Nutrition. Yet she still found herself veering from diet to diet in order to control her weight. With HCG Diet Direct she's found a program that allows her to combine her desire to control her own body weight with her education and not feel off balance.

Fish Oil Benefits: Your Body Cannot Live Without Them

By Daniel Fittman

To discuss fish oil benefits, it almost seems easier to talk about what it cannot do for you. With all the things you hear about fish oil, it seems like it is some kind of miracle cure for just about everything. And that really is not so far off the mark because it supplies something that your body cannot function properly without.

The fish oil that your body needs must be from cold deep-water fish such as cod, salmon, mackerel and herring. The deeper the water, the better, as the fish should contain less mercury. Mercury levels are always a concern with fish consumption.

What the fish oil provides you in particular is Omega 3 fatty acids. These acids are needed by our bodies to function but we are not able to make what we need. These acids must be acquired from either supplements or diet. And it is not easy to eat enough oily fish to provide all the fatty acids that we need.

The fatty acids from fish oil are essential for proper cardiovascular and mental health. Research has shown that they help to remove bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol in the body. They help to keep the arteries clean and without plaques which can lead to heart attacks and strokes. They also aid in lowering of blood pressure.

These fatty acids are also important for the functioning of your brain, particularly in its behavioral and cognitive abilities. Omega 3 deficiencies have been indicated in many mental disorders such as schizophrenia and other illnesses, as well as Parkinsons and Alzheimers. Supplementation with fish oil is showing improvement with adults and children who suffer from ADHD and ADD.

Fish oil fatty acids play an important role in brain and nervous system development. Therefore, it is an important supplement for pregnant women to aid in proper development of the fetus. There are also studies showing that premature deliveries are less common when supplementing with fish oil.

Omega 3s in fish oil also act as anti-inflammatories and can be used for reducing inflammation and pain in any such condition in the body. Examples of these conditions include lupus, inflammatory bowel disease, arthritis and prostatitis. The anti-inflammatory aspect of fish oil can also work on reduction of wrinkles in the skin. The acids also increase collagen production, which is a further aid in more youthful skin.

There are studies that have found fish oil to be a possible aid for cancer prevention, especially in the colon, prostrate and breast. The fatty acids help to keep normal cells from becoming cancerous, they kill off cancer cells and stop abnormal cell growth.

Another fish oil benefit is that it stimulates serotonin production and this hormone makes us feel happy. The fish oil is also believed to decrease levels of stress producing hormones. Between these two benefits, fish oil should make you feel calmer and more relaxed and, as a result, your immune system should get a boost as well.

There are more fish oil benefits that could be added, but the point is made. These fish oil fatty acids are vital for your health. When you look for a supplement, be sure that you find one that has no fillers and no preservatives. You want a high quality supplement made from nothing but cold-water fish. - 17268

About the Author:

Daniel runs a website dedicated to the benefits of fish oil where you can find information about fish oil side effectsand other fish oil related information.

The Best Way To Lose The Weight You Want To Be Healthy

By Christopher Rom

Creating a diet you need to determine what your ideal calorie level is. You need to calculate your approximate base metabolic rate using the calculator below. This is the number of calories you would burn if you were asleep 24 hours a day.

Personal Deficit

Part 1: It's recommend to recalculate for every 5 lbs you lose. At lower body weight you will require fewer calories for fat loss and also a lower deficit. Lesser aggressive deficits are used as your body's fat % goes down as it's more difficult to keep your lean mass as you get leaner. You want to avoid lean mass loss as much as possible.

Part 2: Allow yourself a treat once a week , or one day to take in higher amount of carbohydrates. Eating at your maintenance calories on this day is recommended. This will help keep your metabolic rate up, and help stave off cravings.

Gauging Your Progress

Measure yourself once every week or two to gauge your progress. Measure when you wake up after using the washroom. If you are female, not measuring when you are on your cycle as you will be retaining water as this will give you a false measurement. Some or all of the following measurements will change.

Customization

Your maintenance calories will be an approximation. Which may need to be adjusted due to how many calories you eat based on results. IF no results are seen in how your clothes fit, or with the measuring tape then lower your daily calories by 300. Wait 2 weeks and re-evaluate every 2 weeks.

DO NOT consume less than the number you calculated. IF no progress and you have lowered your calories to the estimated BMR, Read the article on repairing a damaged metabolism: Venuto - How to repair a damaged metabolism

Designing a Diet

* Get rid of junk foods from your home if possible - ie. chips, ice cream, pizza. They bring in a lot of extra calories. They also sacrifice your health. Save junk foods for the once per week "treat" with a maximum of 500 extra calories. * Meals that are based around a protein, a carbohydrate (fruit, vegetable or grain), and a fat. Is complete meal.

* Eat something before morning exercise and don't skip breakfast. You could end up burning muscle tissue.

* Water, water, water. If you don't drink enough water you may get more hungry when you are thirsty. Approximately 1 gallon a day, more if you are very active. Increase water intake slowly though, such as over the period of a week with an extra 16 oz per day.

* Store meals in tupperware containers and cook in advance. It can be frozen for later in the week. This prevents the "there was nothing ready to eat" excuse.

* Get a digital food scale and measure out your servings. No need to measure broccoli, you can guesstimate it and similar vegetables (ie. things with 20 or fewer calories per serving). * Intake at least 1 gram of protein per pound of goal weight (ie. if you would like to weigh 120 lbs, eat at least 120g of protein per day).

Advance Planning of Meals

A nutrition diary will help you plan meals based on your desired caloric and macro-nutrient intake. You can either add the meals the day before, or you can use a word processor or spreadsheet program to write up week long meal plans in advance. Planning in advance helps with staying compliant to the meal plan as there are no "last minute" decisions to be made, and you can precook and store in tupperware in advance. Most meats last at most 4 days in the refrigerator, so advance cooking requires cooking twice per week or freezing of some meals.

A few Meal Examples/Ideas

1. 100 grams of cooked chicken breast, 2/3 cup cooked brown rice, 6 walnut halves, 1 cup strawberries.

2. 4 oz cooked measure sirloin steak, 1 cup broccoli, 200 grams sweet potato.

3. 0.5 cups 2% fat cottage cheese, 1 cup cubed cantaloupe

4. 3 oz shaved home cooked turkey breast, 2 slices 100% whole wheat bread, mustard or light mayo, 1 oz light cheddar sliced. Calorie Counting and Tracking Macro-nutrients

Three of the macro-nutrients are protein, carbohydrates and fats. Protein has 4 calories per gram, carbohydrates have 4 calories per gram, and fats have 9 calories per gram. Fiber contains between 0 and 2 calories per gram but we don't explicitly take this into account when doing ratios (just use total carbs, it will be close enough). Alcohol contains 7 calories per gram. Macro-nutrient Ratios

A macro-nutrient ratio gives the percent of calories coming from carbohydrates, protein or fat.

Being strict with a particular ratio is not good, and the one you favor will be dependent on you. There is also no need to switch ratios when switching from cutting to bulking (although, you may wish to make changes for increased satiety when cutting, or decreased fullness when bulking). A macro-nutrient ratio gives you the percent of calories from each nutrient in your diet. Here are a few suggestions (again, no need to be strict):

Getting at least 1g of protein per pound of "goal" body weight is the normal level. For fat loss, goal body weight is where you would like to end up. For muscle gain, use the body weight you expect to be in 6 months. So if you would like to weigh 120 lbs, then you would want at least 120 g of protein. As well, for dieting, 20% fat intake could put your fat intake very low, I suggest for most women to intake at least 40g of fat per day. Example

Needing 2000 calories, you are using a 40% carbohydrates, 40% protein, and 20% fat ratio (often written 40c/40p/20f), then you calculate the grams of each by the following calculation: You will be aiming for 200 grams of carbohydrates, 200 grams of protein, and 44 grams of fat per day. Assuming you are aiming for 5 meals a day, the easiest way to determine approximately what to intake per meal, is by dividing these numbers by 5.

The simplest way to count calories and track macro-nutrients (protein, carbohydrates and fat) is through the use of free calorie tracking software such as Nutridiary. You simply add the foods in that you ate that day or, preferably, plan in advance by skipping ahead to the next day(s), and entering ahead of time.

People prefer Nutridiary for the ability to design meals that you can easily tweak to get desired nutritional amounts. Another website that is helpful is NutritionData. NutritionData is good for quick searching of nutrition info, and for calculating calories from recipes. I do hope that this will help you in your quest towards a healthier body, body weight and life! - 17268

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To help you Check this free report out to get started on your new healthy energized life and lose the weight the healthy way and not the crash diet way Free Report

What an Abs Program Must Have to Get You a Six Pack

By Chuck Brady

Are you interested in finding a good abs training program? We're not talking about just any abs program, but one that really works and delivers what it promises. You're probably tired of getting the runaround with various other programs that guarantee results but only leave you feeling discouraged and angry because you've had to spend so much money and have had to devote so much of your precious time.

What do you think an abs program should convey? Do you believe that you should have to literally exert all of your energy for the entire day just to have a toned midsection? Surely it has got to be easier than that. Just look at the models and the movie stars, do you think they spend hours and hours doing crunches? There is no way. One day is filled with loads of responsibilities, so it is no wonder that most people have a difficult time sticking to other abs training programs that require them to give and give and still never see any results.

How about your diet? Have you ever noticed that most programs out there require you to cut out whole food groups? There is no way that you muscles can grow without the proper nutrients. The way to staying overweight is to starve yourself and the way to six pack abs and an astonishing figure is to keep your body nourished. If more people could understand that, then a lot more of them would have those flashy abs and mesmerizing figures that they dream of.

It's no wonder that people have almost completely given up on the whole idea of an abs program. The problem is that there are too many people putting false information out there that have no idea what they are talking about. They simply state the basics, put a price and the product, and hope for the best. They fill the advertisements with lies about how you're going to have the abs you want, but in reality, it never happens. And aren't you tired of the boring abs program that requires you to perform the same exercises over and over again? The same people who give the glowing testimonials are the ones who put these abs training programs on the market. Seriously, what are they thinking?

Doing thousands of crunches each day might help you to reap some results, but the end will be devastating because muscle cannot continue to grow and tighten if it is a constant state of fatigue. In order to obtain six pack abs, you also need constant change. Doing the same exercises over and over again is just boring and completely ineffective. A good abs program isn't boring, and it's definitely not ineffective. Again, you might notice some results with the average abs program, but not enough to maintain or get the look you want. When you purchase an abs training program, you want to see results. It's funny because people usually know deep down whether or not something is really going to work. Chances are that you too, knew deep down that previous other programs you tried were destined to fail.

That just goes to show you how desperate people are to purchase just any old abs program. A lot of it is a result of haste. You should never be in a hurry to purchase an abs training product. Make sure that you thoroughly read the advertisements, and maybe even do a little bit of research. Know what it is that you are looking for and you should be able to find it quickly and easily. - 17268

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The most effective flat abs fitness program challenges you both physically and mentally, and actually gets results! Discover the truth about the wildly effective abs program that is achieving huge popularity because, for once, this is one that works!

Arm Flab And Energy Drinks

By Katherine Crawford M.S.

Are you trying to get rid of arm flab? Have you been drinking energy drink upon energy drink to keep you active and to burn more fat? Well, there are downsides to drinking these caffeine-laden concoctions.

Letting go of energy drinks can be hard. They are ultra convenient and all you have to do is drink a bottle and instant energy is yours.

But you should be aware of the negative side effects of taking bottled energy for reducing arm flab:

1. Digestive lining degradation. Almost all energy drinks have one main ingredient in common: caffeine. And high amounts of caffeine can damage your digestive lining. It can also cause a lot of gastric distress.

2. Artificial masking of sleep debts. Just because you no longer feel the need to sleep, doesn't mean that your body isn't suffering the consequences. One consequence, is a reduction in the production of arm flab burning hormones.

3. More midnight awakenings. Surprisingly, even the best of sleepers wake up at least 10 times every night. And they don't remember a thing. Having lots of caffeine during the day can increase your frequency of awakenings, decrease sleep quality and you wouldn't even be aware of it.

4. Increased stress. Energy drinks stimulate your adrenal glands to release epinephrine, dopamine and norepinephrine. All of which give you a tremendous surge of energy. Over time, the constant bombarding of your adrenal system can accelerate aging.

5. Dehydration. The evils of dehydration are many. And caffeine can leave you perpetually dehydrated without you really feeling it. But your body will feel it. Having your hydration stores consistently topped off will make losing arm flab a lot easier.

You are much better off sticking with loose leaf teas instead of energy drinks. However, you still have to be careful with abuse here. If some area in your daily routine is lacking, attack it before popping more caffeine. This will be a much better approach for losing that arm flab. - 17268

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Get free and valuable advice on the top toning exercises for upper arms immediately by going to Katherine Crawford's M.S. website Sleeveless in 7. And figure out how to get sexy and thin arms in no time by visiting her blog about arm exercises right now!