Kevin Gianni On Health Habits - The Renagade Health Show

This week has been a week for meeting old friends. Since I signed on to Twitter, I have been making connections with people I haven't run into for some time.

One of these is Kevin Gianni. Somehow because we got so darn busy, I kind a lost track of him. Now, a couple of years later, I see he is producing a daily health show online. It is called The Renagade Health Show and he shares some great information. FREE.

Yes, you are reading that right, FREE. I recommend that if you are seriously interested in great and bountiful health, go over there right now and check it out, maybe even sign on to get his daily updates.

Today's show is about developing daily health habits and you can see him here at:

The Best Formula for Health and Diet Success
- The Renegade Health Show Episode #50

There are some powerful episodes that can help us gain energy, lose weight, increase our fitness, or just overall improve our health and well being. I signed up right away.

Brain Power - Are You Keeping Your Brain Well Nourished?

Do you ever stop to think how hard your brain works for you every Day? Most of us do not consider the importance of our brain while we focus on the rest of our body. Your brain is the most essential organ and yet it is the organ least cared for.

You need not study hard or become a bookworm to boost your mental faculties. Just a few smart tricks, techniques, habits, changes in diet, lifestyle and behavior could energize your grey matter and get the best results from your brain.

Here are some thoughts to help your brain stay healthy and alert.

1. Physical exercise strengthens your brain. Exercise benefits your brain cells. The blood vessels inside your brain dilate and increase blood flow when you engage in regular exercise. Exercise helps to excrete toxins and allows oxygen and other nutrients to flow into your brain strengthening your brain cells.

2. Start your day with a healthy breakfast. Skipping breakfast affects your brainpower and performance at home, school or work.

3. Kick-start your brain with problem solving in the morning so that it wakes up and is all ready to go when you start. Why don’t you start off your day with a crossword puzzle or sudoku from your morning newspaper? Your brain needs these teasers to be more efficient during the first few lazy hours in the mornings.

4. Research backs up the support in favor of omega-3 fatty acids. Fish is the best brain food. Omega 3 fish oil is not just healthy brain food for babies. It's also an essential brain food for children, adolescents and adults. The EPA and DHA in fish oil seems prevent dementia.

5. Here is a trick to remember something important for the next day – read and review over the matter needed for the next day before you go to sleep the previous night. While you sleep your brain does its sorting and filing for you and stores it for you. When you think about it the next day your brain supplies this information fresh out of its memory cells.

6. Did you ever get stuck with a small detail when your brain just stops and you experience a mental block? Try darting your eyes from side to side. You would be amazed at the results! What is the reason behind this? Everyone has a left and right hemisphere in the brain. They communicate constantly on a daily basis throughout your thinking process.

Sometimes when this communication link or connection gets weaker for some reason you may experience a memory lapse. Darting your eyes helps to strengthen this connection to jerk your memory and bring back into focus that little detail you had forgotten all along. All it takes is 5 to 10 seconds to jolt your brain. Try it.

7. Good sleep, music, busy life and plenty of water are also factors that help in building your brainpower.

It is possible to boost your brainpower at any age. Try these strategies and you would start praising your brainpower in as little as two weeks!

Start the Day With a Bowl of Fruit Loops?

Start the Day With a Bowl of Fruit Loops

You see, the words "Fruit Loops" enticed you in here to see what the rest of the article was about. Maybe even that Fruit Loops had become the next great diet program and was the answer to weight loss.

Sorry to burst that bubble but we won't quite be traveling down that road.

Without exception, breakfast represents the first and, without question, the most critical meal in a normal day. It sets the tone for the rest of the day and will directly influence what your mood will be for the day and how productive you will be.

It sends the first message to your metabolism as to what you expect it to do and how hard it's going to have to work. Can your body call in sick or does it have to work efficiently for the next sixteen hours giving you good health and an optimum weight?

That's a big burden to put on just meal, especially one we approach still-half awake as we stumble to the kitchen. It is critical but your body is always up to the task.

Think of breakfast as the first position on an assembly line. If you don't put the frame of the car on the line at step one, the guy putting on doors at step two is not that important.

Did you know that over 50% of Americans are either overweight or obese? Of that group, an amazing 80% admit to skipping breakfast.

Without exception, it is the first approach most choose in trying to lose weight. Skipping a meal equals fewer calories equals weight loss is the formula that pops into the mind of someone desperate to lose weight.

Statistics clearly show that it doesn't or can't work otherwise those that did it would lose weight, which is the desired goal of the formula.

Why would anyone choose a method to try that you know will fail? The psychology behind that question sadly shows just how desperate and frustrated Americans have become to break this over-weight pattern.

I read a ton of literature on nutrition but far from consider myself an expert in it. Since I take full responsibility for my body and how I want it to look and act, I have spent the better part of my fifty plus years trying to understand nutrition and how it affects my overall health and appearance.

I have never read even one study or research report that even remotely suggests that skipping breakfast, or any meal helps lose weight. To the contrary, it directly contributes to gaining weight or maintaining an overweight condition.

Yes, it helps you to gain weight by skipping the meal.

Within 60 minutes of awakening in the morning, you must put calories into your body. You need to act and act rather quickly in turning on the key to your metabolism. It should be about 10-15 percent of the total calories your body needs to maintain normal activities.

For most adults, this will fall into the 250-400 calorie range.

It is critical to fall within this range, a King's feast of bacon, eggs, toast and juice is just as bad as skipping.

A cup of a whole-grain, natural cereal with skim (or reduced fat milk) is the perfect choice.

I use 100% natural and safe Stevia to sweeten it just a bit. I use the Kashi Go Lean cereal as it does not have the additives of the commercial brands, cost no more and is high-glycemic as far as carbs go.

These break down over hours, thus fueling you longer. Low-glycemic carbs, such as white bread or sugary cereal spikes your insulin almost immediately but results in a quick crash to your system when the level drops in about an hour.

Very poor approach to the end goal of keeping your metabolism running at the same level all day, where the most efficient burning of calories is accomplished.

Another approach is to make breakfast all protein, which breaks down slowly as well and gives you a much fuller feeling until the next meal. Egg whites or a whey protein shake or even cottage cheese are great choices.

If you have time constraints and kids to get off to school, plan ahead and have natural breakfast bars available.

However you tackle it, don't make the number one mistake that keeps your body from giving you the optimum weight you desire. You must eat, and eat often.

Although it represents the topic of another article that can go into depth on it, the body is meant to "graze". By that I mean, that you should eat six or seven times during the day, each light in calories.

By doing this correctly, there is never the sensation of hunger, and the internal engine called your metabolism works at top level and is able to fully digest all food and burn and use each nutrient available.

Keep in mind, the total calories of the day still must be considered and stuck to.

The main point I wanted to address here is how critical it is to rev up the engine at breakfast, not hours later. It's like driving a high-performance, finely-tuned car for a sixteen hour trip versus chugging through the same sixteen hours in a misfiring, broken down Pinto, with smoke pouring out of the exhaust. So buckle up and get started.

Stay healthy and fit with good nutrition and plenty of exercise!

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Frank_Kuzniacki

Ho Hum, Getting Tired, Should I Take A Nap?

Nap Today, Perform Better Tomorrow

A couple of new reports came out this week addressing sleep in our culture. Everyone knows that they feel a little cranky when they don't get enough sleep. It's therefore no surprise that sleep affects your mood. What may be surprising, though, is that scientists know very little about why that's true.

We understand quite a bit about why sleep disrupts your immune function, your metabolism and your ability to learn and remember things. I have discussed each of these in past articles. But we don't know much about how sleep regulates mood. An interesting new study published in Current Biology by Michael Walker, sheds some light on this subject.

A loss of reason

A complex brain circuit that involves both higher thinking centers and reactive centers controls your emotions. It's the higher thinking centers that separate us from other animals. We have the ability (although we don't always use it) to evaluate our responses thoughtfully, before just reacting impulsively.

In the new study, volunteers were either deprived of a good night's sleep or allowed to sleep normally. Researchers then looked at both their higher thinking and their reactive brain centers after presenting them with some emotionally negative images to stir their reactions.

They found that specific reactive centers of the brain acted the same whether or not the volunteers had slept well the night before. But certain higher thinking centers responsible for keeping those reaction centers under control, were much less active in the sleep deprived group.

The interpretation of this is that our 'gut reactions' are not really that affected by lack of sleep (at least in this situation) but our ability to reason and monitor those reactions is weakened, which can have all kinds of downstream consequences.

Is a longer workday productive?

Why is this important? Other studies show that we are getting far less sleep today than we did a century ago and throughout history. The advent of artificial light has extended the length of our daily 'productivity', but many argue that this is actually counter-productive.

By not getting optimal sleep, we are decreasing our ability to function efficiently the next day, and actually getting less done.

In fact, another study just released shows exactly that. In this one, researchers, Patricia Murphy and Scott Campbell, showed that napping is actually productive.

First of all, midday napping did not cause people to sleep less well at night, as many believe.

Second, midday napping improved performance on math, decision-making and reaction-time tests. This increased performance was true after the nap and lasted all the way into the next day, following the nap.

Many of us are so busy that we steal hours from our sleep to attempt to get more done. But science argues that we are not getting more done this way. We are actually reducing our ability to be creative, make decisions, work efficiently and cooperate with other people.

Perhaps a little more time invested in our rest could dramatically improve our career and personal relationships.

Copyright (c) 2007 BrainFit For Life

Master Brain Fitness techniques for you and your family. Your Brain Fitness holds is the key to unlock your maximum potential. Dr. Simon Evans and Dr. Paul Burghardt at BrainFit For Life put together the right ingredients in right amount to create the recipe for success.

Visit http://www.BrainFitForLife.com for FREE Brain Fitness resources.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Simon_Evans

Tomatoes Anyone?

I just couldn't ignore this article when I read it so I decided to post it here. I absolutely love tomatoes, and I'll eat them just about anyway they can be prepared. Except for tomato soup that is.

I don't know how that came to be, except to say when I was young my mom used to feed tomato soup to us quite often, probably a "money" thing. She used to add milk to it and at the time I sure didn't like creamy tomato soups. Maybe that is it, I just got sick of having it too often.

Anyway, soup aside, I love tomatoes plain and simple, and wouldn't you know it they are terrific for you!

Why Do You Need To Eat Tomatoes?
By Riana D Lance

Do you eat tomatoes? Of course you have known that tomatoes are now eaten easily around the world. You can find tomatoes everywhere as part of fruits and vegetables.

Some experts said that tomato is known as a source of power of nutrition, as it contains a large number of vitamins and minerals that can support our body’s health.

Tomatoes have been first cultivated in Peru, and then brought to Mexico. Now, tomatoes are sold everywhere. In American grocery stores, tomatoes are often picked unripe, and ripened in storage with ethylene.

Which one is better, unripe or ripe?

Tomatoes that are ripened in storage with ethylene, plant hormone produced by many fruits and acts as the cue to begin the ripening process, tend to stay longer, but have poorer flavor than tomatoes ripened on the plant. They may be recognized by their color, which is more pink or orange than the ripe tomato's deep red.

Based on the nutrition content, red tomatoes have more vitamin A than green tomatoes. But in this case, green tomatoes have more protein.

If you eat tomatoes everyday, it is beneficial in preventing cancer to 50%. Tomatoes will fight different kinds of cancer and protect your heart from heart attack.

Why tomatoes are beneficial for health?

Tomatoes contain various kinds of ingredients. Here are some of them:

*Lycopene, one of nature's most powerful antioxidants. It is beneficial to fight different kind of diseases, most of all to fight cancer.

*Fiber in tomatoes prevents diabetes, asthma, colon cancer, and lowers the amount of cholesterol from the body.

*Vitamin C and A, antioxidants which fight free radical. They fight against aging, soothe skin and hair.

*Potassium, vitamin B6, folate, and niacin have proven effect in lowering cholesterol level, lowering blood pressure and works against heart disease.

*Vitamin K in tomatoes helps to build bone.

*Chromium and biotin make the body's ability to process sugar and fat, which may improve fighting diabetes and help nerve function.

*Riboflavin helps with energy metabolism and fights against migraine headaches.

So, if you consume ripe, unripe or tomato-based food products (tomato sauce, tomato pasta etc.) all deliver many nutrients with multiple mechanisms of action to prevent you from different kinds of diseases.

About the author: Riana D. Lance writes about health in some publications. Twice a week she informs her health tips and knowledge in a newsletter. Subscribe to get your free twice a week newsletters so you can stay healthy for the rest of your life from Heathifica.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Riana_D_Lance

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Water, The Elixir Of Life

7 Reasons Water Should Be Your Drink of Choice

We know water is good for us, but with soda, juice, coffee, tea, energy drinks, and other drinks so readily available, it’s hard to make the decision to choose water.

Drink more water because . . .

* It keeps skin looking great.
If your skin looks tired and unhealthy, so do you. Staying properly hydrated removes all the toxins that build up in you skin, and helps prevent it from drying out.

If you have the opposite problem; puffy bloated skin, lack of water is likely your problem too. When skin doesn’t get water, it retains what it already had, leaving your skin cells full, puffy, and not too attractive. If you want to look beautiful, you should keep yourself hydrated.

* It’s cheaper.
Sure, if you buy bottled water, it’s about as expensive as soda, juice, and coffee. However, some studies are showing that tap water is usually as clean and safe as bottled water, and costs a whole lot less.

If you have a problem with the taste of your tap water, buy a filter pitcher or one that attaches to the faucet. It still costs a lot less.

* For a healthy heart.
When you’re properly hydrated, your blood is thinner and easier to pump. This means your heart has to do less work and ultimately lasts longer. Studies have shown that people who drink plenty of water have fewer heart problems.

* Reduce toxic build-up.
Sure, it sound’s like something from a bathroom cleaner commercial, but you have toxins in your cells too. Some come from the environment and others you produce yourself. Either way, they’re in your body and you need to get rid of them.

Just like you use water to flush your toilet; your body uses water to flush out toxins. Getting rid of this waste helps you function more effectively and feel better.

* There's no sugar added.
While fruit juices may contain many nutrients, they also contain a whole lot of sugar. This is especially true for many bottled juices from the grocery store. This sudden burst of sugar triggers your insulin response and makes you tired and sluggish.

It also helps to convert that sugar to fats faster. Sugary sodas will produce the same reaction and they usually contain no nutrients at all.

* Caffeine is a diuretic.
So why water? Why not drink diet soda or coffee all day? These drinks contain caffeine, which actually causes you to lose water throughout the day. You retain some of the water content of the beverages, but not as much as when you drink pure water.

You can try decaffeinated beverages, but the best way to use the water you drink is to get it pure and clean, with no chemicals added.

* Energy Boost.
Think you can’t get through the day without your morning caffeine boost? Well water can give you energy as well. Your body is made up mostly of water. It loses it throughout the day, so you have to replace it for your body to work efficiently; particularly the heart and digestive tract.

As mentioned earlier, water helps your body work better by getting rid of excess waste. The more efficiently your whole body is works, the better you’ll feel and the more energy you’ll have. Maybe enough energy to skip that cup of coffee.

So go ahead, skip the vending machine, go to the faucet, and get yourself a nice, refreshing glass of water, and you will absolutely be doing yourself a Big Favor.

Need An Energy Boost? Try Getting More Fresh Air!

People spend a lot of time indoors every day. Kids spend six hours a day in school. Many adults spend at least eight hours inside of the buildings where they work. We spend all night in our homes: eating, playing, and sleeping. When do we take the time to enjoy the “great outdoors”?

Fresh air is highly underrated. Getting out of doors on a regular basis can improve one’s health and sense of well-being. Definitely it is a good boost to energy levels.

The air that we breathe on the inside is not as fresh as we need it to be. Dust is a fact of every day life. It collects on every surface. As we try to get rid of it, the dust swirls around us and makes its way into our respiratory system via nose and mouth.

In your homes, if you cook and occasionally burn a meal or two, those fumes get inhaled also. We need a break from the indoor air. Companies try to sell us products to clean our home or office air which is fine, but there is just no substitute for fresh air.

Fresh air cleans our lungs. We may cough a bit at first as our lungs are getting rid of the impurities that we suck up on a weekly basis. But, after a while we’ll begin to breathe deeper and deeper which brings more oxygen to our cells.

The increased oxygen brings with it increased energy to do the things we need to do. More oxygen brings greater clarity to the brain, which needs twenty percent of our body’s oxygen to function. We can think better than we could before.

Exercises performed outdoors in fresh air offer increased aerobic benefits. More clean air in helps improve our breathing technique. Better technique increases stamina. More oxygen to the muscles reduces that lactic acid build-up in the muscles which leads to cramping.

Fresh air cannot be found everywhere outdoors. In large cities where factories operate day and night, spewing smoke and particles into the air, fresh, clean air is at a premium. For these people, getting away from where they live will bring their bodies the benefits of fresh air.

A program called The Fresh Air Fund was started in 1877 by a non-profit organization. There goal was to introduce disadvantaged children living in the inner cities to the “great outdoors”. The program was started in New York to benefit the city’s youth.

A man, by the name of Reverend Parsons asked his parishioners to volunteer to host inner city youth for a time away in the country. They agreed and The Fresh Air Fund was born. The program still flourishes today, offering a choice of five camps in upstate New York for the city’s children to enjoy time away and learn about country life.

Fresh air and increased oxygenation produces a healthy mind, clean lungs, and a calmer constitution when we actively use it. Getting outdoors should not be a chore, but a privilege. Enjoy the earth and get your dose of fresh air, you will boost your energy at the very least.

What Most Doctors Won't Tell You About Colds And Flus

I just read a great newsletter I receive from Dr Ben Kim, and he wrote an article on his website about colds and flu that is awfully good info. If you aren't already getting his newsletter, you should.

Here is the article link and a little teaser to get you interested.

What Most Doctors Won't Tell You About Colds and Flus

The next time that you experience a cold or the flu, remember this: giving your body plenty of rest while allowing the cold or flu to run its course is good for your health.

Conventional medicine and the pharmaceutical industry would have you believe that there is no "cure" for the common cold, that you should protect yourself against the flu with a vaccine that is laden with toxic chemicals, and that during the midst of a cold or flu, it is favorable to ease your discomfort with a variety of medications that can suppress your symptoms.

Unfortunately, all three of these positions represent a lack of understanding of what colds and flus really are, and what they mean to your body.

Colds and flus are causes by viruses. So to understand what colds and flus do at a cellular level, you have to understand what viruses do at a cellular level.

First, do you remember learning about cellular division in grade seven science class? Each of your cells are called parent cells, and through processes of genetic duplication (mitosis) and cellular division (cytokinesis), each of your parent cells divides into two daughter cells. Each daughter cell is then considered a parent cell that will divide into two more daughter cells, and so on, and so on, and so on.

Viruses are different from your cells in that they cannot duplicate themselves through mitosis and cytokinesis. Viruses are nothing but microscopic particles of genetic material, each coated by a thin layer of protein.

Due to their design, viruses are not able to reproduce on their own. The only way that viruses can flourish in your body is by using the machinery and metabolism of your cells to produce multiple copies of themselves.

Once a virus has gained access to one of your cells . . . Read the whole article here

Take Care Of Your Stomach, Intestines And Bowels And They Will Take Care Of You

A Case For Eating More Vegetarian Meals

Take Care Of Your Stomach, Intestines And Bowels And They Will Take Care Of You

Many of the health benefits derived from a vegetarian diet have to do with creating a healthy environment in the bowels and stomach. Our digestive systems, from prehistory on, were designed to metabolize vegetable matter, more than animal products.

Fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts provide the kind of dietary fiber our digestive systems need to function properly.

The Western diet that’s high in processed and refined flour and sugar, and in animal products that are laden with hormones and antibiotics, are actually anathemas to our insides.

When the digestive system doesn’t function and work as it’s intended to, that leads to opportunistic diseases or changes in the DNA of cells in the stomach and colon. And there are more practical considerations as well.

When we don’t get enough of the fiber we need, we incur a host of digestion and elimination problems, such as constipation and hemorrhoids that are a result of straining. These diseases and syndromes are much less evident in a vegetarian population than in a meat-eating population.

Other diseases of the bowel that occur less frequently in a vegetarian population include irritable bowel syndrome, and chronic ulcerative colitis, mostly likely due to the increased fiber content in a vegetarian diet.

And of course a diet that’s higher in dietary fiber that comes from a vegetarian diet will decrease the likelihood or risk of colon cancer.

When you consider the risks that come with a diet that includes meat and animal products, and the benefits that come from a vegetarian diet, does the prospect of a steak or burger or bacon really sound that good to you?

Doesn’t it at least make sense to reverse the portion sizes and proportions of meats to vegetables and side dishes? In other words, if you must continue to eat meat, then make meat your side dish, or just incidental to your meal, such as in a stir fry.

Increasing the proportion of fruits and vegetables in your diet can only be good for you.

Detoxification, Cleanse Your Digestive System And You Cleanse Your Body!

When people talk about detoxification and cleansing the body of harmful toxins, it’s often seen as a fringe element of vegetarians. People really don’t like to think about harmful toxins building up in their colons or in their arteries, but it’s often a by-product of a carnivorous diet.

A diet that’s high in fat and processed foods tends to slow down our digestive systems, and our elimination processes are also interrupted.

This can allow harmful bacteria and toxins to accumulate and can create a general feeling of sluggishness, as well as a host of digestive disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome or colitis.

When we begin eating a more healthy vegetarian diet, we start to get more dietary fiber into our systems, and all of a sudden, our digestive systems start to work better,

When you reduce high-fat meat and processed foods in your diet, then much of your body’s energy is freed from the intense work of digesting these foods.

Everything becomes clearer – your blood, your organs, your mind. You start to become more aware of the toxic nature of the food you’d been eating before.

Toxicity is of much greater concern in the twentieth century than ever before. There are many new and stronger chemicals, air and water pollution, radiation and nuclear power.

We ingest new chemicals, use more drugs of all kinds, eat more sugar and refined foods, and daily abuse ourselves with various stimulants and sedatives. The incidence of many toxicity diseases has increased as well. Cancer and cardiovascular disease are two of the main ones.

Arthritis, allergies, obesity, and many skin problems are others. In addition, a wide range of symptoms, such as headaches, fatigue, pains, coughs, gastrointestinal problems, and problems from immune weakness, can all be related to toxicity.

When you start a more vegetarian eating plan, your body eventually will cleanse itself of the harmful effects of these toxic foods. It’s kind of like a river gradually cleaning up after we stop dumping toxic materials into it

Nothing feels like health and energy as much as a clean toxin reduced digestive and elimination system working as it was made to.

Men And Weight Loss in General

Men and Weight Loss

Men and weight loss is a subject which has hardly been discussed, but it should be; at least among men. When it comes to dieting, men have a different point of view. Place a dinner consisting of steak and potatoes in front of them, and they are most happy.

Perhaps it will not be evident when they are young, but as they grow older, all of the fatty foods they’ve eaten may eventually catch up with them.

While weight loss is a topic most women can discuss, chapter and verse, men seen to fall into the “yeah, whatever” category. There is a wonderful commercial which nails the problem on the head.

A man is sitting in a chic restaurant with his woman friend. He is given a gourmet lunch (which you can hardly see on the plate). He stands up, throws down his napkin and says, “Enough of this chick food!” Runs out of the restaurant and goes across the street to a fast food restaurant.

A song begins, and a stream of men start filing out of the restaurant with a cheese burger in their hands rejoicing about the virtues of being able to eat what they want; and what they want is a cheese burger.

Although it was a wonderful commercial, it really brought home the fact that men want hearty meals; meaty meals; and are not engaged in eating “chick” food.

While the daily recommended diet should include two servings of fruit plus three servings of vegetables, needless to say it is difficult for many men to follow these guidelines. In order to assist men and weight loss, here are some tips you may wish to utilize:

Instead of high fat content meals, reduce the fact by consuming lean meats instead. Reduce sugar intake by substituting water instead of sodas and alcohol, especially beer.

If you need to snack, try low-fat cheese or non-fat yogurt. Stay away from Trans fats and foods which are fried.

You can certainly have sandwiches, but try to choose roast beef or ham; (you may want to try the Subway Restaurants which have low calorie, but delicious subs). Stay away from the fast food restaurants as much as possible. Bring lunch to the workplace or job site.

You can just as easily make a healthy meal at home, and save money as well. Eat vegetables and grains that are high in fiber and low in fat. Limit your sodium intake as well.

Try to do some form of exercise daily. You don’t have to kill yourself but a steady 20 to 30 minutes at least 4 or 5 times a week will make a huge different to your weight and life overall.

The good news is that studies have shown that men do tend to lose weight faster than women once they embark on a plan of healthy eating and exercise.

Men and weight loss usually bond together at an older age, when a doctor advises your cholesterol is too high; you’ve developed a paunch; or you have high blood pressure.

While you may be healthy now, undoubtedly you wish to remain so as you age. The only way this will happen is if you begin to understand the diet process; and why it is so important to your health.

Let's face it men, our metabolism will tend to slow down through the years and our eating habits will start to catch up with us, unless we actively prevent them from doing so. So this is not one to procrastinate with . . .

Some Alternative Thoughts To Conventional Thinking?

Conventional Wisdom – Is It Really Wisdom or Lazy Thinking?

Many of us rely on conventional wisdom to help guide us through routine decision-making processes. But, does conventional wisdom really serve us that well? Or does it actually keep us from making the best decisions possible?

While common knowledge can be helpful in certain situations, it keeps us from making progress in almost every aspect of our lives, as well as that of our society and the worldwide community.

By now, we’re all too familiar with the example of Christopher Columbus’ discovery of the Western World. Conventional wisdom of the day was that the Earth was flat and if you sailed far enough you would simply fall off the end of the Earth. Having little more than intuition and faith, Columbus defied conventional wisdom and set out on his voyage of discovery. Of course, the rest is history.

One of the areas most affected by conventional wisdom is in the area of health and wellness. For centuries, Western cultures have favored scientific advances in the fight against death and disease. Obviously, advances have been made that improved the plight of mankind. Discovery of the causes of many diseases have led to improvements in sanitation and drinking water supplies.

Unfortunately, these advances have received little credit for the virtual elimination of such diseases as polio and tuberculosis (in developed countries) while mass vaccination programs have received almost all of the credit. Conventional wisdom says that vaccination prevents disease. In depth analysis might point to many differing perspectives.

Another bit of conventional wisdom is that animal protein is unhealthy for humans. It’s supposed to increase cholesterol and cause cardiovascular disease. Just this week, though, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) released a study that counters that conventional wisdom.

For years, Dr. Robert Atkins, developer of the high protein, low carbohydrate weight-loss program named after him was called a quack, huckster and charlatan by mainstream medicine. The JAMA study showed that the high-protein Atkins diet was more effective at helping participants lose weight than other mainstream programs, like The Zone diet and the Ornish diet.

Even more amazing is that with the unconventional high-protein, high-fat Atkins diet participants not only lowered blood pressure, the reduced LDL, or bad, cholesterol and increased HDL, or good, cholesterol. Maybe Dr. Atkins’ critics will now let him rest in peace.

Conventional wisdom also tells us “germs cause disease”. Fortunately, the theory that germs alone cause disease is about as silly a notion as the one that Columbus had to overcome. Unfortunately, the Germ Theory (misapplied) has done much to set up Western civilization for potentially huge public health problems in the near future.

Let’s take a closer look. If germs really caused disease then why doesn’t everyone in a household get a cold or the flu at the same time? Or, why do just some people at work get the flu and not everyone?

In its haste to eliminate disease by killing germs, modern Medicine has abandoned the real precepts of the Germ Theory that tell us it’s the strength of the germ (or pathogen), the amount of exposure and the strength (or weakness) of the host (you and me) that determines if one will actually develop a disease or condition when exposed.

The main reason that some get sick and some don’t is the strength of our immune system and it’s ability to isolate and kill those germs. Many believe that conventional wisdom regarding the war against disease is that it has caused potential problems with over-vaccinating children and abuse of antibiotics among a host of other problems. It has also created a situation that actually invites a pandemic catastrophe.

There are many sets of conventional wisdom that bear scrutiny, including global warming, mandatory vaccination programs and the net benefit of mandatory public education. Of course, the list is limited only by your own observation.

So, how can we keep from becoming a victim of conventional wisdom as both individuals and as a society?

First, realize that “common knowledge” is just that. It’s common, accepted by all without little thought or analysis, the lowest common denominator and far from the final answer.

“Conventional wisdom” is more consensus than wisdom. It stifles thought and fosters ignorance among the masses.

Second, force yourself to ask “Is this true or does it just seem true because so many people accept it?” Finally, let principles guide you rather than the mere assertions of others.

Here are some principles that will never let you down.

· The human body is a self-healing, self-regulating organism. It doesn’t as much need help as it just needs less interference.
· If drugs worked, rich people wouldn’t die.
· Individual freedom is superior to group identification.
· Morality, self-restraint and personal responsibility are more effective than regulation.
· If something can be imagined, it can be done.
· The human mind contains all the knowledge of the Universe. Don’t allow your thinking to be limited by common knowledge or conventional wisdom.
· The Earth has been here a long time. It can correct anything Mankind can do to it.
· The wisdom of Nature is greater than the sum of all Mankind’s knowledge now and forever.
· Mother Nature always wins in the long run. Work with it not on it or against it.

Just know that principles win out over knowledge every time. Live your life in accord with solid principles.

Don’t be a victim of common knowledge or conventional wisdom. Think for yourself. Be all that God designed you to be.

by Dr. Tim Langley

Dr. Tim Langley is a chiropractor, economist and business consultant. He lives and practices in Marietta, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta. Dr. Langley writes on issues that relate to health, business, personal development, economic development and politics. He is also the developer of “The Membership Practice”. You can find out more about Dr. Langley at his web site http://www.langleychiropractic.com or through his blog at http://drtim.wordpress.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tim_Langley

Aspartame Sweetener, Side Effects Revisited

Aspartame May Be Causing Your Headaches

Go to any medical institution that has an online website, such as Mayo Clinic and MedicineNet, and you'll find aspartame is always listed as a potential trigger for migraine headaches.

Aspartame is an artificial, non-nutritive sweetener that is found in Equal, Nutrasweet, diet colas and in over a thousand other food products, vitamins, sports drinks and chewing gum.

Studies have shown that one out of every three women have headaches associated with aspartame. Some people have actually had seizures that have been attributed to aspartame and most of them experienced severe headaches just before.

Other symptoms associated with aspartame include: depression, insomnia, tinnitus, memory loss, dizziness, nausea, fatigue, vision problems, heart palpitations, anxiety attacks, vertigo, irritability, weight gain, seizures, brain tumors and even more.

People with hypothyroidism, diabetes, hypoglycemia and hypertension are at greater risk for getting a headache after consuming aspartame. I am hypoglycemic and cannot tolerate aspartame at all and do get headaches whenever I consume it.

About 10% of aspartame is broken down into methanol in the small intestine. This methanol is then absorbed and is converted into formaldehyde. Scary, huh? Fruit juices and alcoholic beverages also contain methanol but they have another substance called ethanol that blocks the conversion of methanol to formaldehyde.

Aspartame does not have this protection. Experiments have shown that consumption of aspartame causes a build up of formaldehyde in the brain, kidneys and liver as well as other parts of the body.

About 40% of aspartame is broken down into aspartic acid. Again, because aspartame is quickly absorbed it can spike the levels of aspartate in the blood plasma. Aspartic acid is called an excitotoxin which can cause damage to the brain and nerve cells.

High levels of excitotoxins can damage areas of the brain not protected by the blood-brain barrier, causing neurotoxicity. Excitotoxins can also be found in MSG and when combined with aspartame can increase the negative effects of this substance on the brain.

Another substance found in aspartame is phenylalanine. This is an amino acid that is commonly found in foods. The phenylalanine in aspartame, however, is absorbed more quickly than that found in natural foods and can spike blood plasma levels of phenylalanine. This adversely effects the production of neurotransmitters in the brain.

And finally, another product of aspartame that may be dangerous to your brain, is partylphenylalanie diketopiperazine (DKP). A very long couple of words. Some scientists are concerned that the DKP in aspartame may cause brain tumors. There is, however, almost no research yet on this substance.

Here's a little political information about the approval of aspartame by the FDA. Aspartame was discovered in 1965 and there was a lot of controversy over the health risks associated with it.

In 1980 the Board of Inquiry of the FDA denied a petition for approval of aspartame. But in l981 a newly appointed FDA Commissioner, Arthur Hull Hayes, ignored the ruling and approved aspartame for dry goods.

It was recorded in the Congressional Record of 1985 that Donald Rumsfeld, the CEO of Searle Laboratories, said he would do everything he could to get aspartame approved. Rumsfeld at that time was on President Reagan's transition team and the day after taking office appointed Hayes.

No FDA Commissioner in the previous sixteen years would allow aspartame to be approved. It looks to me as if aspartame was pushed through without regard to the dangers it could cause to our health.

I don't know about you, but I think there is enough evidence out there concerning adverse effects of aspartame and lack of proof that aspartame is not dangerous to keep me away from this substance. And as I said at the beginning, I always have a headache when I consume aspartame. If you have recurring migraine headaches and consume aspartame regularly, you might want to consider that it may be the cause.

If you are curious about aspartame and other excitotoxins such as MSG, you should google excitotoxins and read some of the information. It's scary stuff. I don't touch either of these substances and haven't, at least knowingly, for the last 15 years.

by Kathy Love

Kathy Love is the creator and webmaster for natural-cure-remedy.com where she has compiled information about natural cures and remedies for various health problems and ailments. For more information about headaches, go to her Cure Headaches Naturally page.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kathy_Love

Exercise Does Not Have To be Complicated. Just Move And Burn Those Calories!

A Few Simple Ways to Burn Your Calories

It is not always necessary to run 15 miles each day to burn some real calories. It may be tiring as well as boring doing the same thing every morning. A better idea is to engage oneself in physical activity each and every week.

This way you will be able to create a solid base to ensure that you can build a successful exercise program. The following simple exercises can be included as a part of that program.

It is important to know how the calories are burned during an activity. It depends on both the weight of the person, as well as the intensity. The following are estimates for the number of calories burned for an average 150 pound person during an hour of activity.

If you are walking briskly, expect to burn about 300 calories.

Basketball is a great way to spend calories. You can burn well over 450 calories in an hour.

If you have to clean your house, why not do it with optimism? Light cleaning consumes about 240 calories an hour.

Do you have a green thumb? Yes, gardening uses about 324 calories!

Golfing on the weekends is a favorite pastime of many. 385 calories are burned if you carry your clubs! Forefront!

Put a stationary bike in front of the television. You’ll be burning 380 calories an hour while you catch up on the latest news.

Are you a fan of the aerobics class at the local gym? Great if you are, because this activity uses 405 calories for just an hour of sweating.

Also, that elliptical trainer can burn an amazing 630 an hour!!

Even ping-pong has healthy benefits! This activity uses 280 calories per hour.

Apart from the above ways of burning calories, there are some other activities doing which we start burning calories unknowingly. Like a mother or a person with children knows that chasing after these little ones can burn calories. The number probably depends on just how wild that kid is, but that can certainly count.

Hey, if nothing else, even sleeping burns calories. You’ll be using up 45 for just an hour! But that’s not an excuse to take a nap! Actually being active as much as you can is the master key to weight loss success as well as leading a healthy life.

No dieting or medicine can cover up the requirement of physical activity or exercise if you are considering a healthy lifestyle or a good shape of your body.

Burn those extra calories. Follow the simple ways to bring positive change in your life style to ensure a healthy life and beautiful body and mind. You can make it a success, as we say where there is a will, there is a way.

by Isabel Hayek

The author, Isabel Hayek, addresses health and fitness related issues. If you wish to seek help for your fitness related problems, you can log on to http://www.adipexpower.com for more information and advice.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Isabel_Hayek

How To Lose Weight And Keep It Off

Great post about weight loss vs fat loss, why diets fail, and how to keep weight off permanently post diet period. Check out the 'KSuccess Blog'.

Rodger is currently hosting a Physical Fitness & Weight Loss Challenge. It started some time ago and is still open and the information alone is worth heading on over and checking out.

Back to the article link and a little teaser for you:

SMART Weight Loss - How to Lose Weight and Keep It Off

Did you know that as many as 95% of all diets fail to produce long-term weight loss? I don’t know about you, but that seems like a pretty dismal success rate to me. Why is losing weight and keeping it off such a difficult challenge?

Now, before you tell me all about your friend Joan who went on the XYZ diet and lost 30 pounds in 2 months, you have to be clear about what success means when it comes to weight loss and dieting.

It turns out that losing weight is generally NOT the problem. In fact, most overweight people will find that they can lose weight using almost any popular diet. The real problem is keeping the weight off after you’ve lost it.

That’s where most diets fail to deliver, and usually leads to the “yo-yo” dieting vicious cycle that can wreak havoc on your sanity!

In this article, I’ll show you why most diets actually set you up for failure right from the start. I’ll also show you an alternative way to lose weight based on a strategy that I have been using successfully over the past 10 months. It took me a while to figure out the best way to go about it, but that means that you won’t have to go through the same trial-and-error process that I did.

My Own Struggles with Weight Loss

A few years after finishing college, I started eating more and stopped exercising as much as I used to. Not surprisingly, my weight slowly started to go up.

About six years ago, I reached my peak of about 170 pounds, which clearly put me into the “overweight” category based on my height. I didn’t necessarily feel fat, but I was definitely overweight.

Since then, I’ve tried to lose the weight three times.

The first time was about four and a half years ago. My strategy then was to follow a traditional “diet” and eat less food to create a caloric deficit. I would often skip breakfast altogether, or have just a small piece of fruit.

Using this approach, I felt hungry a good portion of the day, particularly in the morning. I could hear my stomach rumble while I was trying to do work. I got cravings for food nearly every day. I definitely did not enjoy the experience.

This “diet” only lasted for about 3 months. My weight did drop down to about 165 pounds, but it quickly went back up after I stopped dieting.

My second weight loss attempt was about three years ago. At that point, I had started playing racquetball regularly 3 times a week. The regular exercise from racquetball helped me get my weight down to about 166 pounds. Then, I tried going on another diet to get my weight down even more.

After about 4 months, I finally broke 160 pounds for a single day! Unfortunately, I had the same problems sticking to this diet as I did before, and I never reached my target of 158 pounds. To make matters worse, I dropped one of my regular racquetball days because the gym was too crowded and ended up going back up to about 167 pounds.

I started my third attempt on March 2006. This time, I didn’t want to have the same poor results that I experienced before, so I changed my strategy.

I’m very confident that this time I’ll be able to lose the weight and keep it off long-term because I’ve already reached and surpassed my original target weight of 158 pounds. Plus, I have kept the weight off for well over 3 months.

So far, I’m down to about 155 . . .

Read more . . .

A Short Lesson On Body pH And It's Importance To Your Health!

How Body pH Can Affect Your Energy Levels

WHAT MOST PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE; WE ARE BIO ELECTRICAL ENGINES
In order to accomplish all the many millions of complex functions that occur over the course of the day, your body has to be able to communicate with itself… all the way down to the cellular level. And do you know how it does this? Through pulses of electricity. That's right, electricity.

Your body operates on an electro magnetic current. Believe it or not, all of the organs in your body emit these fields of electrical current. In fact, nerve signals are nothing more than electrical charges.

What creates this electrical power in your body is a very fine balance that exists in your bio chemistry. And of all the systems in your body that depend on this delicate, bio chemical balance, one of the most important is your blood stream. This is where pH comes into play. But what is pH?

WHAT PH IS AND WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO ALL YOUR BODY FUNCTIONS
PH is a scale that measures how acidic or alkaline a substance is. The scale ranges from 1 to 14 with 1 being very acid, 7 neutral and 14 very alkaline.

So what does pH have to do with you and your blood? Well, the pH of your blood is extremely important. The ideal pH level for your blood is right around 7.35 and your body goes to enormous lengths to maintain this level.

Why? Because if your blood pH were to vary 1 or 2 points in either direction, it would change the electrical chemistry in your body, there would be no electrical power and in short order you would drop dead. As you can see, maintaining the right pH level in your blood is pretty important!!

With this in mind a good way to avoid upsetting this delicate bio chemical balance would be to take a look at those things that can compromise the maintenance of the ideal pH level in your body. And what is the main culprit in this case? The answer is the creation of acid in your body.

Before we look at what causes acid, here's a graphic example to give you an idea of what can happen in the blood when your pH drops to less than ideal. Red blood cells are how oxygen is transported to all the cells in your body.

As red blood cells move into the tiny, little, capillaries, the space they have to move through gets pretty small. In fact, the diameter of the capillaries gets so small that the red blood cells sometimes have to pass through these capillaries one red blood cell at a time!

Because of this, and because it's important for the red blood cells to be able to flow easily and quickly through your body, they have a mechanism that allows them to remain separate from each other.

This mechanism comes in the form of the outside of healthy red blood cells having a negative charge. This causes them to stay apart from each other, sort of like when you try to push the negative ends of two magnets together. They resist each other and stay apart.

Unfortunately, acid interferes with this very important mechanism in a pretty frightening way. Acid actually strips away the negative charge from red blood cells. The result is that your red blood cells then tend to clump together and not flow as easily. This makes it much more difficult for them to flow easily through the bloodstream.

But it also makes it harder for them to move freely through those small capillaries. This means less oxygen gets to your cells. Acid also weakens the red blood cells and they begin to die. And guess what they release into your system when they die? More acid.

I could describe a whole list of processes that occur when your system becomes and remains acid but I think you get the idea. The point is that aside from the acid that is secreted into your stomach to aid digestion, acid in your body is bad. Really bad.

In regard to producing energy in the body, here's an easy question for you. What do you think happens to a person's energy level if over time their system becomes more and more acid, their biochemical balance is disrupted and their red blood cells can't deliver oxygen and nutrients as efficiently to all their cells? The answer is simple. Their energy level drops. Dramatically.

Are you beginning to get the picture here as to the importance of pH in your body? Good. Now let's take a quick look at what causes acidity in your body and then look at steps you can take to get your body pH back to an ideal level.

WHAT CAUSES ACID IN THE BODY
The primary cause of an acidic condition in your body is from what you put in your mouth. In other words, what you eat and what you drink. And it isn't how "acid" something may seem when you eat or drink it. It has to do with what is left over when you digest it.

Specifically, does eating or drinking something leave behind an acid or alkaline "ash". For example, I don't know about you but I love seafood. Scallops are one of my favorites. However, when your body digests scallops, it leaves an extremely acid ash. In fact, scallops are one of the most acid foods you can eat.

Unfortunately, a lot of the things most people put in their mouths create an acid ash. These include alcohol, coffee and a lot of flesh protein in your diet. Interestingly enough, stress also tends to create an acid condition in the body.

STEPS YOU CAN IMMEDIATELY TAKE TO IMPROVE YOUR PH
Fortunately, it is pretty easy to immediately change your pH for the better and make it more alkaline. The first step is to understand which of the foods you are eating and the drinks you are drinking are acid and which are alkaline. Then it's simply a matter of eliminating some of the more acid foods you are eating and adding in more alkaline foods.

However, before you start, it's important to get a baseline of what the pH is in your body so that you can see how you are improving or if you need to continue to eliminate more acid foods and add in more alkaline ones.

You can do this by testing the pH of your saliva on a regular basis. This is really simple to do. More details on how to do this are provided on some web pages I have created for you to help you out. A link to these pages is provided below.

In addition to decreasing the amount of acid foods you eat and increasing the amount of alkaline foods you eat, one of the best ways to immediately begin changing your pH is to drink "green drinks".

You can make these by simply adding a powder that is made up of a whole host of vegetables that are highly alkaline to a glass of water. Information on suggested green drink powders to use is included on pages that I have a link to below.

RESOURCES WHERE YOU CAN LEARN MORE
Clicking on the following link will take you to some pages I created that have more information on alkaline and acid foods, how to test your own pH and what to look for in green drinks.
http://www.ajpip.com/resources/site_map.htm

Start taking the steps described above and you may very well find your energy levels increasing over time. Mine certainly have.

- by Andy Long

After years of extreme fatigue, severe digestion problems and frequent sickness, Andy Long now enjoys energy levels that allow him to windsurf in 30 mph winds for 3-4 hours at a time.

He now shares with others what he did to completely regain his health through his health related web sites and newsletter.

To see a list of the topics covered in Andy's newsletter, click on the following link: http://www.ajpip.com/rbopi/ancrb.htm

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andy_Long

Goals And Goal Setting In Weight Loss and Health Building

OK. OK. I admit it, the reason I have been posting so many weight related articles lately is that I was getting pretty chunky myself and it was time to start focusing in on dropping down to a more healthful weight.

I am in the process of dropping 40 pounds from my December 2006 weight. I was not doing my regular exercises and walking that is normally part of my daily schedule. Let's face it, my work has kept me pretty busy and I sacrificed fitness activities for business growth.

I do not feel bad about this. Sometimes my life does get out of balance and then I need to swing back and forth from time to time.

Overall, I do pretty well at balancing my hectic schedule with my personal physical fitness time. I choose my own schedule and commitments, and sometimes the urgency of business overwhelms the importance of healthful activity.

I never get that far out of shape, but performing more computer time has definitely caused me some grief as far as reduced calorie burning this time. So, it was time to get the old metabolism fired back up and get serious about my fitness goals! LOL!

There are some great articles on Paul Piotrowski's Blog that deal with the mind set needed to succeed with your weight loss goals. The links to the information can be found at the bottom of this post.

Weight Loss Tip: Why You Must Know Exactly What You Want to Look Like

Ok, I’ve got it: you want to lose weight. Yes, you want to “look good naked”.

But do you know exactly what you want to look like?

Maybe, just maybe that’s why most people never arrive at their dream( be it a body or a ‘place’). Their minds don’t know what they really want. They don’t know what they’re aiming for. You want to “lose weight” but you don’t have a clear picture of what you want to look like. Your poor mind does not know what you want.

How can you expect to ever get that body!

Remember This: You are never going to make any real progress towards getting the body you want, unless you tell your mind, your real, inner mind called your unconscious mind, what exactly it is that you want.

You see, everything we achieve in our lives, we achieve because of our minds. In fact, the (overweight or out-of-shape) state that you have arrived at today, is because of your Mind.
Now you may be saying to yourself: “I did not set myself the goal of getting my body to look like it does right now! That statement just can’t be true!”

Ok. Look at it this way.

Our minds are what are known as “goal-seeking servo-mechanisms”. That means, our minds need something to strive for, to work for, to achieve.

And if we don’t set a real goal for our minds, that mind of ours is always striving for goals that others have set for us. And it is always striving for our 'default goals'.

And how did these “default goals” get into our system?

Listen: Somewhere, somehow, in our past (or present) environment, we have learnt certain things, quite unconsciously. We have learnt:

What is ‘True’

What is ‘Important’ to us

What ‘Feels Good’ And these ‘Truths’, ‘Important’ things and things that ‘Feel Good’ set a kind of ‘default goal-set’ in our unconscious minds.

Let me explain with an example that I see happening today, right before my eyes:
I know a family, with a young son. That son is already showing the signs of becoming Big. On more than one occasion, when we went out for pizza with this family, I watched the parents and the son each consume a full pizza.

I could not believe my eyes!

My 3 kids were hard-pressed putting away 2 slices of the same pizza! My wife and I could hardly eat one pizza between us (and I am a bodybuilder who can eat quite a bit, though I draw the line at pizza...). But this family gobbled up 3+ pizzas like there was no tomorrow!

That young boy has unconsciously learnt from his parents the doubtful ‘joy’ (the 'Feel Good') of eating big amounts of food at one sitting. And it shows in his young body.

Unfortunately, it will take quite a bit of work for him to un-learn these lessons, lessons that are being reinforced daily by his family.

You see, you already have what I call ‘default goals’ in your unconscious mind. These default goals have been programmed into your mind from way back when through your immediate family and other influential people (your friends, school, etc).

And even one of those ‘default goals’ could have brought you to your current body shape, where you need to lose weight to live to see your children graduate … from Grade 2!

Remember this: It is your unconscious mind that really guides your body and your life, long-term.

Therefore, it is very important for you, especially if you want to tip yourself in favour of losing weight, to have a clear goal for what you want your body to be.

You see, a Strong, Clear Goal of your New Body, will over-ride your default goals, and set a new direction for you, so that you automatically start out on losing weight.

You have to have a clear picture of yourself, sitting right in front of your mind: "This is what I want to look like with my New Body". If you want to lose weight and get a great body, then you must have this picture constantly in your mind, not only now while you are reading this article.

And once you inform your subconscious about this body that you are targeting, you are going to lose weight until you look like that body. Almost automatically.

So, as part of today’s Weight Loss Tip, let’s set about getting a clear picture for yourself.

Get out all the magazines you have in your cupboard under the stairs. Leaf through the magazines. Tear out large images of the best bodies for display in those magazines. If you like those pictures, they are in the running for what you consider to be a great body.

Make sure that these pictures are very scantily clothed (and your gossip magazines are sure to have many images along those lines). You should be able to see pretty much all of the body (so that you can give your mind a very clear idea of what it must head for.)

Line up your pictures next to each other and then select the 3 best pictures. Remember, you need to be able to see the bodies clearly, so these should be the largest pictures you can find.

Can you find any that are “all-round” views of the same beautiful body? Then that’s the body (and the set of pictures) you choose!

Now stick those pictures up on a board in your private room, in a position that you can see every day.

And from today, for the next 60 days (or until you are sure your mind is “set” in the right direction), look at that collection of pictures for 2 minutes every morning, and 2 minutes each evening before going to bed.

And while you look at those pictures, say to yourself: “That is the body I want for myself. And I am taking action right now, each day, to get myself that body.”

And watch yourself take action to lose weight, and start moving in the direction of your fantastic body!

This weight loss tip alone is worth its weight in gold to you.

Now get cracking! Put this tip into practice, right now!

by Melroy d'Rego

Melroy d’Rego is the author of the book “Why Your Mind Keeps You Fat and How You can Fix It!” as well as the “Fix the Mind that Keeps You Fat” Workbook and dozens of articles (both audio and text) on getting the Mental Attitude + Action mix that can make anyone’s body permanently lean and strong.

Melroy is an award-winning public speaker and a bodybuilder. He loves to teach people to use their mind to Lose Weight and get the great body they deserve.

Visit http://www.winnerology.com/ or call 61-2-9466-7545 to get your copy of “Why Your Mind Keeps You Fat and How You can Fix It!”, the Book that will Help you Lose Weight, and Keep it off, Permanently!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Melroy_Drego

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Looking To Get Into Shape Before Summer?

Here is a series of great articles on Paul's blog which really helped me get serious results at the beginning of this year . . .
Getting in Shape Series - Step 1 - No Holds Barred
Getting in Shape Series - Step 2 - The First Few Steps
Getting in Shape Series - Step 3 - The What, The Why and Beliefs
Getting in Shape Series - Step 4 - Getting Leverage
Getting in Shape Series - Step 5 - Shifting Your Identity

I hope you enjoy them. A successful mindset can keep you in the game when all else fails.

Salt - Good Or Bad? Depends On Your Product Choice

As usual, the difference between good and bad salt is down to whether we choose our processed product rather than an organic source. I thought this article would illuminate some of the positive attributes of salt, that is unprocessed Sea Salt or Celtic Salt, of course.

Our bodies do require salt to operate properly and taking in the optimal amount and type of salt is critical to whether we are helping or hurting our systems. Check this article out:

Salt of the Earth: The Real Story Behind Salt

It’s everywhere. It always has been. I’m talking about salt. You see, salt is a primary source of minerals for our bodies. Minerals are vital to every chemical transaction in our body – 35,000 of them, per second, per cell. Multiply that by the body’s 100 trillion cells!

Salt has been traditionally derived from sea water and, like gold, used as currency around the world for almost all recorded time. By now you’re probably thinking, “So if salt is so important and it is everywhere, why the article, Doc?”

Like many of our foods today, salt has been hijacked and adulterated. Almost all salt you see today (table salt) is made of just three minerals, sodium, chloride and iodine. Sodium and chloride give off that salty taste and iodine was added in the mid 1900’s to help reduce thyroid goiters (swellings).

In contrast, whole, un-processed grey salt gently combed from the sea contains 84 minerals and trace elements in all their natural ratios. Grey salt is not iodized, as it naturally has a small amount of iodine.

Many, if not most, of the chronic health problems we see in America today are in part contributed to by the lack of minerals in our daily diet. Worsening the situation, our over-sugared, over-worked, over-stimulated, under-rested lifestyles lead to adrenal gland distress, further pushing minerals out through the urine.

Utilizing a moderate amount of grey salt (sometimes called Celtic Salt) can help improve the body’s mineral balance. The benefits of a healthy mineral balance may include: better, more restful sleep, better energy and stamina, better weight and blood sugar control and reduced sensation of stress/anxiety.

Because farming soils have been so significantly depleted over the last 50-75 years, it is increasingly difficult to get all of the minerals we need for optimal health. So the addition of grey salt to the diet can have terrific health benefit.

Additionally it can also have a great culinary benefit—most people find that “table salt” (sodium chloride) often makes foods taste salty, where grey salt brings out the flavor of the food.

by Brett Saks

Dr. Brett Saks is a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC), Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine (NMD), author and lecturer. His book “The Bio-Logikal Diet: Your Guide to Optimal Health” helps readers develop the knowledge to make better, more informed lifestyle choices that they can implement in their daily lives. For more information, or to order a copy of his book, please visit http://www.bio-logikal.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr._Brett_Saks

The Body's Acid Alkaline Balance And How It Affects Your Energy And Weight Loss

Is Acid Weighing you down?

The body is naturally acidic. This is a true statement. However, the foods we eat add to this acidity and the fat in our body stores the additional acid, which results in overweight problems and an unhealthy body.

There are specific foods that are alkaline and help to flush the acid and fat from the body. These alkaline foods replace the acid and rapid weight loss is inevitable.

Here are some foods from the alkaline food list:

1. Vegetables
2. Wheat Grass
3. Fruit (grapefruit, lemon, lime are good)
4. Nuts (almond)
5. Fish oil, coconut oil, flaxseed oil and liver oil
6. Grains – Buckwheat, quinoa, spelt7. Condiments – red chili pepper, sea salt, most herbs and spices
8. Goat milk
9. Beans and legumes
10. Pumpkin seeds and Sesame seeds

In addition to these foods, water is very essential in our daily diet. We can also supplement our food list with products that already contain all these ingredients above. There is a product called Energy Green that has all these alkaline foods as part of its ingredients so there would be no need to consume each item on the food list - there would be everything all in one product.

The body requires more attention to survive longer and remain in good health. Our health is a product of what we eat. Taking back control of our health and weight requires more awareness of our food consumption.

Here are some strong acidic foods to avoid or eat in very low moderation:

1. Dried fruit
2. Mustard
3. White sugar
4. Soy Sauce
5. Cashews and peanuts
6. Barley, corn and rye
7. Beef, organ meat and pork
8. Cottage cheese
9. Ice cream
10. Whey protein powder

The key to taking back our health is education and knowledge about food intake and its effect on the body. Weight loss is the primary goal of most people, but pursuing a weight loss diet will not necessarily meet the long-term goal of keeping the weight off.

Healthy eating and moderate exercise should become a lifestyle. Taking a supplement is also recommended if the foods we eat don’t contain all the right amounts of alkaline to assist in healthy living.

Learn all you can about the effects of alkaline versus acid in the body. Here are some effects that will give you a head start:

1. Acid –can cause overweight problems, indigestion, acid reflux, loss of energy, stores the fat

2. Alkaline- gives more energy, natural and safe weight loss, eliminates chronic digestive problems, regulate blood sugar, strengthen the immune system, gets rid of the acid.

Acid overload drains so much of our energy that the body doesn't have enough energy to fight off viruses and disease. In other words, the immune system is weakened. More so, when the body is overly acid there is more vulnerability to germs, yeast, bacteria, molds and fungi.

Why? Because all these microorganisms thrive in acidity! In an alkaline environment they are weakened and cannot multiply as well. Therefore, by keeping the body alkaline it can prevent colds, the flu, and many other illnesses.

To protect against acid buildup, the body begins to create and store fat. Even if you are on a weight loss diet and you exercise, your body will try to hold on to this fat because it is important for protection against acids.

That is why many people who restore alkalinity in their body find it incredibly easier to lose weight. There are so many weight loss pills available today. Hoodia is a very popular one. However, more pills are not the solution.

The true way to lose weight is to do so naturally and with permanent results and a healthier body.

by Cheryline Lawson

Cheryline Lawson, author and owner of http://www.alkalinedietdetox.com

Did You Set 2007 Resolutions Regarding Your Health

I just had a new report come available for setting healthy New Year's Resolutions. It is fairly long and well detailed so prepare to spend some time going over it. There are many extremely useful tips and strategies for making resolutions work long term. So if any of your goals are in this health area, then read on. The link to the whole report is below.

Setting Healthy New Year Resolutions
How to set and stick to your health goals this New Year

Staying Healthy for a Life Time

“This New Year I’m going to go to the gym four times a week”, “My resolution is to quit smoking”, “I will lose 20 pounds and look great for summer”…We’ve all been there at some point or other, the New Year starts and so do our resolutions.

And why not, the New Year is all about new beginnings, hopes and dreams. The problem can be when we’re not realistic with our resolutions or don’t map them out appropriately it can be difficult to accomplish all our goals.

It’s great that you want to get healthy this New Year. By now, we all know the important link the foods we eat play in our health. We also know how smoking, excessive drinking and lack of exercise can affect our health for the worst.

If you’ve been putting off starting your healthy habits because it seems like too much of a daunting task or just haven’t had the motivation this is a great time to get started. This report will give you information on staying healthy and keeping your body in optimum shape, by incorporating small achievable steps into your everyday life.

Continued on site here.

Fruits and Vegetables - Nature's Healers, And How To Maximize Their Benefits

Fruits and Vegetables - Nature's Healers

Natural healers have long known about the power of fruits and vegetables. Did you know that green leafy vegetables have almost 20 times more essential nutrients, ounce for ounce than any other food? Fruit (eaten properly) and vegetables contain all the vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, amino acids and fatty acids the human body requires.

Fruit is, without exception, the most cleansing and most easily digested food you can eat. Both fruits and vegetables are high in water and fiber which help the cleansing process. Water transports toxins from the cells and tissues of your body, and fiber keeps the eliminative system working.

I did previously mention the importance of eating fruit “properly”. This means it should be eaten fresh and apart from any other food, with the exception of plain, unsweetened yogurt. The reason being, fruit takes less digestive energy than any other food. When you eat fruit with or after other food, the sugar ferments instead of being assimilated, creating gas. The body then has to work very hard to process the remaining food.

Because yogurt is a cultured food, it is predigested by virtue of the live enzymes it contains, and is very easily assimilated. Fruit does not digest in the stomach, as other foods do. It is digested partially in the mouth when you chew it, bypasses the stomach, and is digested and absorbed in the small intestine. Cooking or canning fruit destroys its nutrients and its sugars turn acidic, making it of no benefit to the body.

There are studies that show that people who eat lots of vegetables have half the cancer risk of people who eat few vegetables. Fresh fruits and vegetables accelerate body cleansing and proper elimination of wastes, which in turn normalizes body chemistry. Fruits and vegetables are loaded with antioxidants like Vitamin C and mixed carotenoids (converts to Vitamin A in the body). Antioxidants support and protect your immune system.

One of the many beneficial elements of fruits and vegetables are bioflavonoids, a significant part of the vitamin C complex. Bioflavonoids:

• Build a protective antibiotic barrier against infection
• Boost immune response
• Are anti-inflammatory
• Help relieve allergies and asthma
• Assist in preventing cardiovascular disease
• Protect eye health
• Detoxify your body of carcinogenic chemicals, radiation and heavy metals

Fresh fruits and vegetables are the most nutrient-dense foods you can find. This means that they are packed with nutrients in comparison to the number of calories they contain. As a result, they are essential for any kind of weight loss program. You can eat as much of them as you want, which can’t be said about any other kind of food.

In case you’re saying to yourself, “Yes, but it’s so hard to eat fresh fruits and vegetables… I’m just too busy… how can I eat more of them,” I have listed some ideas below that I think will help simplify matters for you.

How is it best to shop for, store and prepare fruits and vegetables?

• Use leafy greens, broccoli, berries and ripe fruit within two or three days of purchase to get the most out the vitamin content.
• Rinse fruits and vegetables under cold running water. Avoid soaking.
• Cook vegetables such as potatoes, beets and sweet potatoes whole or in large pieces and in their skins to preserve vitamins.
• Cook vegetables by lightly steaming or using a pressure cooker until just tender.
• Grilling, roasting and stir-fry are also excellent ways to cook vegetables.
• Don’t boil them in water, unless you drink the water or use it in a soup or as a broth. The water-soluble vitamins will escape into the cooking water.
• Shop just for two or three day’s worth of most fruits and vegetables at a time to preserve their freshness.
• Don’t eat canned fruits or vegetables. They contain very few nutrients and too much sodium and/or sugar (added as preservatives).

Tips for including more fruits and vegetables into your diet.

• Take a piece of fruit with you to work or school for a mid-morning snack.
• Have fruits and vegetables cut up and ready to eat on the refrigerator shelf.
• Combine fruits of different colors, flavors, and textures like red grapes and pineapple chunks.
• Fill half of your plate with vegetables first, then add the other food.
• Try a new fruit or vegetable.
• Make a point to have at least two vegetables every night for dinner. Make one of them a “high-powered” choice like carrots, greens, sweet potatoes, broccoli, cabbage, spinach, red pepper, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, squash or eggplant. Rule of thumb: The more intense the color, the more nutrients it contains.
• Add fresh vegetables to foods you already eat, like to pasta, or rice.
• Experiment with different ways to cook vegetables – grilling, roasting, stir-fry, streaming
• Experiment with fresh or dried herbs and seasonings for flavoring.
• Eat fruit for breakfast and vegetables with lunch and dinner.

The human body is designed to consume a diet that is predominantly vegetarian. Fruits and vegetables are true healers and, for optimal health, should constitute the majority of the food you eat every day.

Merry Rose is a Certified Nutritionist with a private practice in Los Angeles. She has been passionate about nutrition for over 25 years. Formerly, a professional singer and dancer, she noticed that what she ate and drank had a tremendous impact on her level of energy and overall health. Merry received her certification (CN) from the National Institute of Nutritional Education. Merry designs personal nutrition programs for a broad range of issues with an emphasis on women’s and children’s health. She is the consulting nutritionist for the Nike Fitness Academy.

RoseNutrition.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Merry_Rose

Who Is Your Doctor Really Serving?

I found an interesting and also disturbing article today. I receive a newsletter from Dr. Ben Kim which I have enjoyed immensely since I began receiving it some time ago. I heartily recommend it, there is always some great health information in it.

Here is a bit of the article here and the link to the rest. Being Canadian myself, I have always suspected that there was more in play here with our health care system than just serving the greater good. Here it is:

A Sick Health Care System

One of the main goals that I have for this web site is to encourage our readers to learn how to be their own best doctors.

Please don't misunderstand me; I think that there are some wonderfully caring and competent doctors in our world.

But there are also many doctors who don't have each of their patients' best interests at or even near the top of their list of priorities.

Over the years, it's become clear to me that a big part of the problem with our health care system is the system itself; our current health care system doesn't encourage doctors to teach their patients to prevent disease and address health conditions with simple food and lifestyle choices.

Take, for example, the health care system here in Canada . . . Read further