Monday, March 29, 2010

10 Strategies for Successful Weight Loss

The great ones have great strategies for success—Odysseus hiding in the Trojan horse, Ali using the rope-a-dope, Bugs Bunny dressing in drag.

Your weight-loss strategy should be similarly inspired. Willpower alone won't shrink your waist—you need facts and wisdom on your side if you're going to maintain the resolve you showed in January.

There are scientists who study weight loss so the rest of us can keep track of the important stuff, like spring training and Rotisserie drafts. These researchers regularly come up with good advice, the latest and greatest of which we've gathered for you. Pick a few tips, put them in your lineup, and get back in the weight-loss game.

Friday, March 26, 2010

Weight-loss Evolution

It's how you run, not how far that reaps fat-burning benefits. So try these five simple routines to run smarter, not further

YOUR ACTION PLAN

What? Five fat-burning running programs you can tailor towards your lifestyle and goals.

Why? To lose a kilo of fat you need to burn approximately 29000 kil0joules more than you eat. Running is one of the fastest ways to expel energy and keeps your metabolism hiked up long after you've chucked your trainers back in the cupboard.

Who? Anyone who wants to burn fat quickly and cheaply.

When? Do two or three of the routines below each week, leaving at least a day of rest between each run.


1 Keep it short

Best if running bores you

The science For some people, running for long periods can be about as exciting as a double bill of The Antiques Road Show. If this is you then you'll be pleased to hear that a study at Canada's Laval University found people doing cardio exercise for 45 minutes burnt less fat than those who did interval training for 25 minutes. If 45 minutes on the trot is too dull follow the study's 25-minute program below to cash in on these fat-zapping benefits.

The appliance Warm up with a slow three-minute run. Run as fast as you can for 30 seconds, then rest for 60 seconds. Repeat this eight times. Run as fast as you can for 60 seconds and rest for 60 seconds. Repeat five times.

Result: get instant fat-burning benefits.

2 Bait your threshold

Best to be pitch-ready fast

The science If you want to get fitter, faster, you have to increase your pace to just below your lactate threshold. A paper in the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine found unfit guys who ran at just below this threshold burnt twice as much fat as trained athletes. One way to find your lactate threshold is to run at a slow pace then increase your speed every two minutes until you rate your effort as seven out of 10.
For an alternative, see below.

The appliance Run at a slow pace, increasing speed every two minutes. The speed at which your breathing has become markedly deeper is your lactate threshold. Now take your foot off the gas to run just below it. Run 15 minutes at this pace then rest for two minutes. Repeat three times.

Result: super-fast match fitness.

3 I rest my case

Best if you don't like long runs

The science "Less pain, more gain," could be the new mantra that keeps you lean. You're not complaining. Research in the Journal of Applied Physiology found guys doing 60 minutes of cardio training who took a 20-minute break at the halfway mark, burnt more fat than guys who exercised for a full hour without a break. It's thought the first session mobilises the fat into your blood stream and the second session burns it off.

The appliance Run for 30 minutes at a leisurely pace. Stop and stretch your upper body for 20 minutes. Run for another 30 minutes. Or, run one 30-minute session in the morning before work and another after work. Don't wear the same kit or you'll clear the gym.

Result: better results by bookending work.

4 The afterburner

Best if you like track running

The science Whether you run five kilometres in 25 minutes or 65 minutes, you'll still burn the same amount of kilojoules while you're doing it. However, a study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found people who did high-intensity exercise burnt more kilojoules after exercise than those who trained for longer at a lower intensity. Use this routine to slim when sedentary.

The appliance Run six sets of 400 metres at a pace that's eight out of 10 effort. Jog for two minutes to recover. Run eight sets of 200m at a pace that's eight out of 10 effort. Jog slowly for two minutes to recover. Run two sets of 800m at a pace that's eight out of 10 effort. Jog slowly for four minutes to recover.

Result: burn fat while you're sitting down.

5 Go that extra mile

Best if you want to build stamina

The science It's what you always wanted to hear: slow-and-steady can win the race against fat. A study published in The Canadian Journal of Sport Sciences found that when subjects increased the amount of time they ran from 30 to 45 minutes, the rate at which they burnt kilojoules after the run doubled. When they ran for an hour they burnt five times more kilojoules after their run than after a 30-minute run - not a bad return on your fat-burning investment.
The appliance Continue to run for your usual amount of time, but try adding five minutes extra each week until you're running for around an hour. Or alternate between running and walking in 10-minute intervals to clock your time.

Result: burn more fat in the long run.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Bad form on cardio machines

Hunching over or using a death-grip on the handrail cheats your body and can throw off your alignment, thus jarring your spine, shoulders, and elbows.

To make sure that you are getting the best out of a cardio machine, make sure that you don’t set the incline or resistance so high that it causes you to hang onto the machine too tightly. Instead, use a natural gait with a light grip for better results. If you want a more challenging workout, then hold on lightly with one hand and move the other arm, switching arms once in a while.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Why Weight?


Vanity not enough of a reason for you to burn off excess fat with exercise? Lose your gut and you could also gain more money, more sex and a rosier outlook on life.


1 BURN, BABY, BURN
Your bespoke fat suit is from years of eating more calories than you’ve been burning. “Start consuming fewer calories than you need, so that your body turns to its fat cells for energy instead,” says Dr Jack Edmonds, weight loss advisor at The London Clinic. Then the lumpy skin pockets these fat cells are stored in will begin to deflate, and that suit becomes a bit more figure-hugging. The fat is then absorbed into your liver, kidney and muscles.

2 SKIN TIGHT
“Controlling weight loss with diet and exercise means your skin will shrink to fit your body, thanks to its elasticity,” says Dr Ian Campbell, an obesity specialist. “To maintain the collagen that provides this elasticity, drink eight glasses of water a day and eat vitamin C-rich fruits like guava and kiwis,” says Amanda Ursell, author of The Complete Guide To Healing Foods. Skimp on the fruit and your skin will be baggier than jeans from the 1990s.

3 SLEEP SOUNDLY
“Being overweight disrupts sleep and leads to snoring,” says Marianne Davey, director of the British Snoring and Sleep Apnoea Association. Lose flab to reduce the neck’s fatty tissues, which squeeze your airways. Dropping 10 per cent of excess weight can improve sleep by two hours a night, found the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

4 HAPPY DAYS
Gut-busting makes you feel good. “By breaking down fat, you’re producing energy-boosting by-products called ketones,” says Dr Edmonds. “Your brain prefers these to its normal energy source – glucose. As a result, it gets revved up and releases a cocktail of feel-good chemicals.” But eat regular, small meals and sip water all day. “If ketones build up, your blood becomes acidic, making you weak and lethargic,” warns Dr Edmonds.

5 CLEAR YOUR PIPES
University of Texas research shows a 10 per cent weight drop reduces blood pressure, halves your diabetes risk and cuts LDL (bad) cholesterol by 15 per cent. The trump card: lose 4.5kg for better sex. “Conditions linked to being overweight can cause arteries in the penis to shut down,” says Dr Andrew McCullough, director of sexual health at New York University. Lose weight to keep yours flowing.

6 DOUBLE YOUR SAVINGS
In the UK, obesity has more than doubled in the past 18 years, and the average male spends $180 a week on junk food and booze. In the US, obese Americans pay more for health care each year than do normal-weight adults. It’s not difficult to make a connection and appreciate the financial benefits of staying lean. Save on the unhealthy snack habit and you will also save on the unnecessary medical expenses in the future.


Saturday, March 20, 2010

Running


While many people find running tedious and monotonous, truthfully, it actually burns some serious fat. This is because running is a weight bearing activity that uses up a lot of energy.



Because of this, your body will do its best and try to make it easier for you by shedding kilos. Therefore, try to build up the intensity of your run over time for the maximum results. Most trainers recommend increasing the intensity of your workout to see improvement in your strength and aerobic capability.



Tuesday, March 16, 2010

10 Strategies for permanent weight loss

1. Exercise is essential for weight loss

It's nothing new, but exercise is probably the most important predictor of whether you will succeed at long term weight loss and weight loss maintenance. In order for exercise to be helpful in weight loss, you should strive for a minimum of five 30 minute sessions per week. The good news is that recent research has shown that three 10 minute sessions in a day are as good as one 30 minute session. This helps many in combating the old "no time for exercise" excuse. Be certain to find something you enjoy. You'll be more apt to stick with it. Try walking with a friend, joining an intramural sports league, participating in outings with a group like The Sierra Club, or trying some classes at your local gym. Once you give exercise a chance, you will begin to enjoy its positive benefits on your psyche as well; you will literally become "hooked."

Having trouble getting a workout in? Why not try one of these Diet Channel recommended programs:

2. Weight loss and weight training

We chose to list this separately from the "exercise" category because of the significant weight loss benefits attached to weight training in and of itself. The basic equation is this: the more muscle tissue you have, the more calories you will burn. This is why world class weight lifters must eat thousands of calories a day to maintain their weight. Muscle is active tissue, fat is not. Thus, muscle "burns" a significant number of calories each day for its own maintenance. In her book Strong Women Stay Slim, Miriam Nelson, a Tufts University researcher, showed that a group of women who followed a weight loss diet and did weight training exercises lost 44% more fat than those who only followed the diet. While aerobic activity can help burn calories, muscle's where it's at when it comes to giving your metabolism a significant daily boost even at rest.

Read Cardio and Strength Training: How do you create a balanced routine? to find out how best to pursue numbers 1 and 2 above in tandem.

3. Keep a diary for triggers that hinder weight loss

Keeping a food diary can be a huge asset in successful weight loss. Devote some time each day to record what you have eaten and how much, your hunger level prior to eating, and any feelings or emotions present at the time. A food diary can provide a large amount of self-awareness. It can identify emotions and behaviors that trigger overeating, foster greater awareness of portion sizes, and help you discover your personal food triggers. Study any patterns that emerge from your food diary and identify where you may be able to make more healthful changes. A food diary provides an added benefit of keeping you focused on and committed to your goals. Start keeping a food diary today by printing our food diary.

4. Stay focused on being healthy, not on becoming thin

Many people become more successful at long term weight loss when their motivation changes from wanting to be thinner to wanting to be healthier. Change your mindset to think about selecting foods that will help your body's health rather than worrying about foods that will affect your body's weight. The Food Pyramid offers a basic outline of the types and amounts of food you should eat each day to give your body the nutrients it needs for optimal health.

5. Find out why you overeat

All too often overeating is triggered by stress, boredom, loneliness, anger, depression and other emotions. Learning to deal with emotions without food is a significant skill that will greatly serve long term weight control. The Solution, a book and national program developed by Laurel Mellin, RD, helps participants to identify their eating triggers and respond to them without food. A research study showed that the participants in this program demonstrated a better rate of long term weight loss maintenance than those who simply diet and/or exercise and don't address behavioral and emotional issues. Chronic over-eaters and "emotional eaters" can be significantly helped by learning new behavioral skills such as those Mellin presents. You can also seek help with behavioral and emotional eating issues from a licensed counselor or psychologist in your area.

6. Weight loss support: join a weight management group

A big key in long term weight control comes from receiving encouragement and support from others. You can check to see if groups such as Jenny Craig offer programs and resources in your areas. You may also wish to check with your local hospital to see if their registered dietitian conducts group weight loss programs.

7. Weight loss and portion control

With the advent of "super-size" meals and increasingly huge portions at restaurants, our concept of normal serving sizes is a distant memory. Be mindful of the amounts of food you consume at a sitting. When necessary, divide your food in half and ask for a take home bag. It is all too easy to be a "plate cleaner" even when served enormous portions. Learn to pay attention to your hunger level and stop eating when you feel comfortably full, not stuffed.

8: Lose weight slowly with small changes

Try to remember that "losing 15 pounds in two weeks" is nothing to celebrate. It is important to realize that the more quickly weight is lost, the more likely the loss is coming from water and muscle, not fat. Since muscle tissue is critical in keeping our metabolism elevated, losing it actually leads to a decrease in the amount of calories we can each day without gaining weight. Fat loss is best achieved when weight is lost slowly. Strive for a weight loss of no more than 1-2 pounds per week. One pound of weight is equivalent to 3500 calories. By making small changes like eliminating 250 calories a day from food and expending 250 calories a day from exercise, you can lose one pound (of mostly fat) per week. You can calculate how much time you need to exercise to burn 250 calories by clicking here. You can calculate your caloric needs by clicking here, and then subtract 250 from that number.

9. Eating slowly can lead to weight loss

Did you ever notice that thin people take an awfully long time to eat their food? Eating slowly is one method that can help take off pounds. That's because from the time you begin eating it takes the brain 20 minutes to start signaling feelings of fullness. Fast eaters often eat beyond their true level of fullness before the 20 minute signal has had a chance to set in. The amount of calories consumed before you begin to feel full can vary significantly depending on how quickly you eat. So slow down, take smaller bites and enjoy and savor every tasty morsel.

10. Weight loss through eating less fat - but do it wisely

We've known for some time that limiting high fat foods in the diet can be helpful with weight loss. That's because fats pack in 9 calories per gram compared to only 4 calories per gram from proteins or carbohydrates. To many, the message to limit fats implied an endorsement to eat unlimited amounts of fat-free products. Just to clarify, fat-free foods have calories too. In some cases fat-free foods have as many calories as their fat laden counterparts. If you eat more calories than your body uses, you will gain weight. Eating less fat will help you to lose weight. Eating less fat and replacing it with excessive amounts of fat-free products will not.


Adapted from Original Article

The Perfect Day of Weight Loss


You can always use your time better. Boost metabolism, burn calories, and torch your belly for 24 hours with these secrets.




7:00 a.m.
Wake up and do 2 minutes of jumping jacks, high knee skips, pushups, or crunches.

7:15 a.m.
Have two scrambled eggs and a slice of Canadian bacon. A 2009 Purdue University study found that a high-protein breakfast makes people feel fuller throughout the day, so they're less likely to overeat.

7:45 a.m.
Hit the gym, and lower weights slowly. Taking 3 seconds to lower weights during full-body resistance training can rev your metabolism for up to 3 days, according to a Wayne State University study. (Study participants used a challenging weight for 5 sets of 6 reps for each exercise.)

9:00 a.m.
Chug some milk. A diet with plenty of calcium-rich dairy can enhance weight loss, according to a 2007 study of overweight people.

10:00 a.m.
Grab a protein-rich snack, like half a turkey sandwich on whole-grain bread with Swiss cheese. In a Georgia State University study, athletes who ate three 250-calorie snacks a day were more likely to lose body fat and have more energy than those who didn't.

11:00 a.m.
Walk briskly around the office for a while. A recent Mayo Clinic study found that lean people walk an average of 3.5 miles per day more than obese people do.

1:00 p.m.
For lunch, eat a spinach salad with grilled halibut and almond slices. All contain magnesium, a metabolism-friendly mineral.

2:00 p.m.
If your meeting is with just one or two people, do it West Wing style, walking the halls as you talk.

4:00 p.m.
Down a glass of iced green tea. According to a study in the Journal of Nutrition, the catechins in green tea decrease body fat.

5:00 p.m.
Have another mini-meal—and make it fiery. According to a 2006 study review, spicy foods help burn fat and calories.

7:00 p.m.
Take a short walk before dinner.

7:30 p.m.
Eat dinner. If you ate lightly today, don't worry about a heavier meal now: "It doesn't matter when you fuel up; it's how many gallons you put in the tank," says Gary Foster, Ph.D., director of Temple University's center for obesity research and education.

9:30 p.m.
Grab a good book (or magazine!), pop in some tunes, and relax. Stress jacks up your levels of cortisol, a chemical that boosts abdominal fat.

10:30 p.m.
Draw your shades so the sun won't rouse you early. According to a 2008 review, losing sleep affects the hormones that turn your appetite on and off, making you feel less satiated by food and hungrier overall.


Monday, March 15, 2010

6 Steps to Losing Fat


1 MEASURE UP
So your waist is on the wrong side of 40 inches. That’s bad. An increase in waist girth has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, according to a study from the journal Circulation. The ideal height-to-waist ratio you should maintain to minimise the risk of cardiovascular disease: 1:0.5, according to the journal Obesity.

2 STICK TO IT
Make losing flab part of your lifestyle. Peg your motivation to a short-term goal, like shaping up for your wedding, and you’ll likely yo-yo back right after, says Mitch Chilson, Men’s Health advisory board member. After the event or goal is reached, you’ll be less likely to continue your efforts because there’s no need to.

3 DITCH YOUR FAT FRIENDS
Not literally, but a study in the New England Journal of Medicine has shown that people tend to be obese if they’re surrounded with fat friends. So surround yourself with active folk: Hook up with that army mate who’s still getting IPPT Golds – even better, rope your portly buddies in.

4 EAT BREAKFAST
A study in the journal Public Health Nutrition suggests that breakfast helps to regulate energy intake distribution across meals throughout the day. Aim for low-glycaemic carbs like wholemeal bread and include some protein into your meal. But if you only eat out, get the kopi kaya toast set (ask for less butter and less sugar in the coffee) for a muscle-boosting 18g protein meal. Just try not to eat more than four eggs a week.

5 START RUNNING
One of the most convenient ways to shed flab is to run. You can motivate yourself to start by going shoe shopping, suggests personal trainer Sam Ng. As a general guideline, overpronators (where your foot rolls too far towards the inner ankle) should get motion control shoes, and underpronators (not enough foot roll, so the outer area of the foot takes more impact) should get cushioned shoes. Neutral-footed? Lucky you – you can wear any kind of shoe, says Ng.

6 WORK OUT AT NIGHT
Research in the Journal of Applied Physiology showed that study participants performed at their peak at 11pm. Still, it varies according to individuals, so alter your times accordingly.

Ditch The Spare Tyre

THE FORMULA
A 3,500-calorie decrease results in a 0.5kg reduction in body fat. Here’s how you can painlessly reduce the bulge.

Remote Control
A nightly side dish of television can leave you gutted. University of Pittsburgh researchers found watching TV during dinner twice a week results in 3.5kg of weight gain over a year. This is because you’re more likely to overeat and chew food less. An eight-week TV ban will reduce your weight by 0.5kg.
• 8 weeks = 0.5kg gone.

Walk The Talk
It’s called a mobile for a reason. Next time it rings, stand up. “Standing obviously uses more muscles and requires more effort,” says personal trainer Pat Leahy. “Walking burns even more calories” (precisely 48 in a 10-minute walk-as-you-talk call). So, thrice a day for a month means 3,500 calories.
• 1 month = 0.5kg gone.

Train Less
Decreasing your reps and increasing the weight by 5 to 10 per cent will fire your calorie-burning furnace. Ohio University found heavy training increases your metabolic rate over the subsequent two days, helping you burn 600 more calories than lighter training. Two workouts a week means 3,600 calories in three weeks.
• 9 weeks = 1.5kg gone.

Dress Down
After centuries of dieting, women have learnt a trick or two. They know what Penn State University recently found: Consuming a salad with low-cal vinaigrette before a meal tips the scales in your favour. This will decrease your calorie consumption by 10 per cent over the day, thanks to the filling effects of acetic acid in the dressing. Two salads a week means 3,600 calories.
• 12 weeks = 1kg gone

Eat More
It sounds as convincing as an election promise, but eating more the right way sheds fat. The University of Illinois found that men who consumed half the carbs but twice the protein of an average eater lost 1kg more than those on other 10-week diets.
• 10 weeks = 1kg gone

10 Easy Diet Tips That Will Work For You!

Losing weight is often one of the best things a person can do for optimal health and wellness. Being overweight can damage to the heart, contribute to high blood pressure and be hard on the joints, to name just a few of the problems that may be caused by carrying around excess weight day after day. Dropping even a few pounds can pay off handsomely in increased health and energy.

While losing weight is extremely important for the overweight or obese, dieting can be intimidating and is difficult for many people. Successful, permanent weight loss requires diligence and a workable plan. When contemplating weight loss, choose a nutritionally sound diet plan. Regardless of which diet is being pursued, try these helpful tips to make the whole dieting experience easier.

Diet Tip #1 – Eat Less, Move More
Excess weight is simply excess calories stored on the body. To get rid of excess weight, eat fewer calories than are consumed and get some exercise. While this may seem elementary, too many dieters do not adhere to this basic principle. The added advantage of eating less and moving more is that exercise will increase fitness while simultaneously burning calories, which in turn will increase the metabolism and cause the body to use more calories even while at rest.

Diet Tip #2 – Try Diet Friendly Substitutes
Consider where calorie-saving food substitutions can be made. Read labels or do some research online to determine where significant savings can be achieved. For instance, replace whole milk with low fat milk, or better yet, fat-free milk. In recipes, substitute plain yogurt for sour cream. For a snack, choose raw vegetables over chips or crackers. To get the salt to stick on popcorn, use a light coating of cooking spray rather than melted butter. Breakfast Cereal.

Diet Tip #3 – Beware of Low Fat or Fat Free Foods
Carefully read the label on any item claiming to be low fat or fat free. High calorie substitutes, such as high fructose corn syrup, are often used to enhance flavor and texture in low fat or fat free foods. In addition, to increase palatability, many of these items rely on chemical substitutions that may be undesirable.

Diet Tip #4 – Become Familiar with Portion Sizes
Use a measuring cup and diet scale to determine exact portions. Correct portion size is often difficult to estimate, leading to over consumption of the food in question. After portion estimation proficiency is achieved, periodically recheck portion weights or measures to ensure continued accuracy.

Diet Tip #5 – Use Small Plates and Cups
Make portion control easier by using smaller plates and cups. Having food arranged so that the plate appears full eases feelings of deprivation. Use a measuring cup to determine the exact volume of various cups or glasses. Use a permanent marker to indicate specific measurements on frequently used items. Purchase a toddler or child-size divided plate to help control food portions at meals or when snacking.

Diet Tip #6 – Forego Second Helpings
Limit meals to one helping of each food. Eat slowly, putting the fork down between each bite. Drink plenty of water and extend mealtime as long as necessary to ensure that satiety is reached without indulging in a second helping. Include raw vegetables with each meal to provide a healthy, low calorie option if the temptation for seconds cannot be resisted.

Diet Tip #7 – Control the Environment
Make dieting as easy as possible. Stock the pantry and refrigerator with diet friendly foods. To avoid relapse in times of weakness, get rid of all high calorie foods or any item that may lead to uncontrolled consumption. Have appropriate snacks on hand at work or in the car. Make wise food choices easy by preparing meals at home and taking a lunch each day rather than eating out and relying on willpower.

Diet Tip #8 – Eat on Purpose
Don’t be afraid to get in touch with hunger. Discover what true hunger really feels like. Treat this as research and document all findings. Observe what happens to the body as hunger approaches and how long it takes the physical feeling of hunger to subside even when no food is consumed. Also, pay attention to any emotional reactions that may arise. Strive to develop a sense of actual hunger so that eating becomes a purposeful activity designed to sustain the body only rather than fill other needs.

Diet Tip #9 – Treat Yourself Well
Dieting can be hard work. Pamper yourself during this time by getting enough sleep and enjoying non-food-related treats. If a slip occurs, it is not the end of the world and should not be the end of the diet. A slip is nothing more than a momentary failure. Simply forgive yourself and move on without recrimination.

Diet Tip #10 – Drink Water Before Meals
Drinking a glass of water 15 minutes before you eat makes it easier to feel full sooner, and makes it harder to eat as much.

Losing Weight Takes Effort

"The heights by great men reached and kept
Were not attained by sudden flight,
But they, while their companions slept,
Were toiling upward in the night."
~~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

In order to take advantage of losing weight and being successful, you must be prepared--that means " paying your dues."

Nothing is more frustrating than to see that you are gaining weight again.

Be in a position to benefit from your failure. It pays to be prepared, and that comes down to plain, hard work. It's not usually glamorous. It's not always exciting. It's not always fun. It is, however, always necessary.

By being prepared, you have to create a game plan to get back on track right away without beating yourself up and devastating your self-esteem. My game plan is taking it a bite at a time. What's your's? Maybe it's taking it a day at a time, going back to your diet tomorrow. Maybe it's getting angry and becoming more determined then ever to succeed.

Have you ever been at a Weight Watchers or TOPS meeting and noticed several people there who are slim and trim? What about those Jenny Craig and Nutri/System ad's with their before and after pictures? They make losing weight look so effortless, but remember, in reality, these people have been dieting for years.

Without effort and action, you will not succeed. You can't wish your weight away. You have to work at it and be prepared for those times when you slip, so you can pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and move on...

Losing weight demands preparation, effort and commitment to come to fruition.

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Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Is It Time to Exercise, Yet?

A lot of the listeners to my audio podcast “Being Healthy for Busy People” have told me that I’ve motivated them to get off the couch and start moving. And some of them have told me that they’re excited to start an exercise program, but wanted to know what the best time of day to exercise was to get the best results.

Since, there are different opinions on this subject, I’m dedicating this show to helping you figure out when the best time is for you to exercise. So, sit back and enjoy the show!

If you haven’t yet, please subscribe through iTunes.



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Happiness is Medicine for the Heart

February 24, 2010 at 12:26 pm · Filed under Heart Health

According to a recent study published in the European Heart Journal, happier people may have healthier hearts. The study indicated that people who reported being generally happy and content were less likely to develop heart disease. In fact, it seemed that as a person’s level of happiness increased, their risk to develop heart disease decreased.

It isn’t clear exactly the reason why happier people may have healthier hearts, but adding a little happiness to your life certainly couldn’t hurt. To improve your overall happiness and help your heart, try some of these strategies:

Spend some time every day doing something you enjoy. Don’t stress yourself out trying to squeeze something else in, but make your favorite activities a priority–even if it’s only 10 or 15 minutes a day. If you like to read, set aside some time for that book you’ve been wanting to read. Miss knitting? Pull out the yarn and needles and finish a few rows.Get physical. You’ve heard it before, but exercise improves mood. Get those endorphins pumping with a brisk walk, some power yoga or your favorite workout DVD. It doesn’t take much time–just 10 minutes or so, to reap the mood-boosting benefits.Just relax. Don’t wait for your yearly vacation or the infamous “someday” to take a break. Make regular time to relax, whether it’s by soaking in a bath, getting a massage, meditating, or watching your favorite television show. Whatever it is you choose to do, be present and savor the time.Have a good laugh. Put in a funny movie, have lunch with a friend who always makes you laugh, or read the Sunday comics. It’s hard to NOT be happy when you’re laughing so hard your belly hurts.Spin it. When something has you down, try seeing the experience from a positive angle. There’s always a silver lining, you just need to locate it and put your focus on it. It may not eliminate the negative, but it might make it a little more bearable.

Don’t worry, be happy. Have some fun. Try new things. Accentuate the positive whenever you can. Happiness just might be medicine for your heart.

"Eat well. Live well. Be well."



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