You can’t count the benefits of exercising. They are just too numerous. They help control weight, help weight loss, improve your attitude and generally make you feel better. The experts are now telling us that just thirty minutes a day of moving will improve your health.
While I must accept the opinions of so many experts, I still find setting aside the time is a problem in my busy life. If you experience the same problem, you might try some of these ideas to get you going:
1. When you go to the mall or grocery store, don’t park next to the front door of the store. Leave your car as far from the store as you can. This will give you more of a walk in an effortless way.
2. When the weather suits you, go outside and clean the yard. Just bending and stretching to pick up leaves and trash will burn calories.
3. Try taking the dog for a walk. Your dog will enjoy this very much and keep you moving.
4. At work, perhaps you can walk at lunch time. I’ve found that some of my office staff are willing to walk some days with me. This makes the time go faster and yet, I’ve exercised during the daylight hours.
I’m sure you can find many more reasons and ideas to help motivate you in the right direction. I find that walking in the sunshine helps improve my mood and that I will just make the time when the sun is out. Find your reason to help yourself.
Showing posts with label weight loss. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weight loss. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Are You Eating Yourself to Death?
My immediate answer is YES, you are eating yourself to death!
I can just hear you all shout "Hold on a second there Richelo! I eat very healthy foods, and I only drink healthy fruit juices. I don't eat sweets, I only buy low fat and low carb products. I eat healthy, and don't need to read the rest of this article!" HOLD ON there a moment! You are not eating as healthy as you think! Let me tell you why.
Never in the history of man have we seen more obesity, diseases, syndromes and what not, than we do right now. Is this all thanks to food? No, BUT, a HUGE part is, and if you will indulge me for a short while, I will try my best to explain to you in an easy to understand manner, why this is so.
We live in an instant gratification and microwave society. If it is not quick, easy and now, it is so yesterday. BUT, at what cost?
I can write a whole book about all the "stuff" they put in processed, or so called fast foods, but, I don't want to bore you to death with all the scientific names and what it does to your body. Let me rather simplify this for you, and say that if it is processed in any way, it is not good for you, and very possibly bad for you!
So, what exactly is processed foods, and why is it so bad for you?
Does it come in a can, sealed box, sealed bag, or is it ready made? If so, it is processed. This is the vast majority of the foods that you get at the grocery store! Have a look the next time you are at the store, and you will see this to be true.
Now on to why it is so bad for you. For this food to last long, have the right color, and not pick up all the bad bacteria associated with keeping food for long, a LONG list of chemicals are added to this food. A lot of these chemicals are known to have very serious negative effects of the human body. To name but a few of these "side" effects: Cancer, High blood pressure, high cholesterol, Numbness, Burning sensation, Tingling, Facial pressure or tightness , Chest pain, Headache, Nausea, Rapid heartbeat , Drowsiness , Weakness and Difficulty breathing for asthmatics .
Now, forget all the "stuff" being added. What about nutritional value? Because of all the processing, there is little, if any, real nutrients left in any any of these foods! Not only that, BUT, the salt levels are WAY above what a human being should be consuming!
What about all these healthy bran cereals? Are they processed? YES. They contain more sugar than anything else! You poor blood sugar levels does not know what to do with all the extra insulin that it gets with just about any fast or processed food!
So, what then is safe and healthy?
Anything that is fresh, not processed, and preferably organic. Plain and simple! YES, that means that nice cup of coffee you are enjoying while reading this is not very good for you!
Have a look at your grocery store. The vast majority of the fresh, non processed foods are around the perimeter of the store, and not in the isles! This makes shopping so much easier!
"BUT, it takes so long to prepare!" The most common complaint I hear! Well, if you plan it properly, you can make all your fresh food in less time than it takes to get all your fast food during the day! Read that again! My wife and I prepare all our meals, for the 2 of us, and our 2 children, in 30 minutes in the morning! All fresh, all healthy, and all ready to eat for the rest of the day!
How much, and how often should you eat? This is also very simple. You should be eating every 2.5 to 3 hours. Before you start screaming at me for telling you to eat so much, remember also that these meals should be much smaller portions of your regular 3 meals a day. This will equate to around 6 meals a day.
What will you be eating? Also quite simple. Protein, Carbohydrates and Fat. YES, fat! You need to eat lean meat, skinless chicken or fish for protein. If you are vegan, there are loads of alternatives. For carbohydrates, you will have fruit and vegetables. For fat, you will have fish, fish oil capsules or flaxseed oil.
That's IT! Sounds boring? Believe me when I tell you that it is not!
To read many more articles like this one, and to learn more about healthy eating and exercising, please visit my web site at http://www.allaboutfitnessonline.com/. While at the site, also take the time to subscribe to our newsletter, which is published bi-weekly, and includes many more articles just like this one.
I can just hear you all shout "Hold on a second there Richelo! I eat very healthy foods, and I only drink healthy fruit juices. I don't eat sweets, I only buy low fat and low carb products. I eat healthy, and don't need to read the rest of this article!" HOLD ON there a moment! You are not eating as healthy as you think! Let me tell you why.
Never in the history of man have we seen more obesity, diseases, syndromes and what not, than we do right now. Is this all thanks to food? No, BUT, a HUGE part is, and if you will indulge me for a short while, I will try my best to explain to you in an easy to understand manner, why this is so.
We live in an instant gratification and microwave society. If it is not quick, easy and now, it is so yesterday. BUT, at what cost?
I can write a whole book about all the "stuff" they put in processed, or so called fast foods, but, I don't want to bore you to death with all the scientific names and what it does to your body. Let me rather simplify this for you, and say that if it is processed in any way, it is not good for you, and very possibly bad for you!
So, what exactly is processed foods, and why is it so bad for you?
Does it come in a can, sealed box, sealed bag, or is it ready made? If so, it is processed. This is the vast majority of the foods that you get at the grocery store! Have a look the next time you are at the store, and you will see this to be true.
Now on to why it is so bad for you. For this food to last long, have the right color, and not pick up all the bad bacteria associated with keeping food for long, a LONG list of chemicals are added to this food. A lot of these chemicals are known to have very serious negative effects of the human body. To name but a few of these "side" effects: Cancer, High blood pressure, high cholesterol, Numbness, Burning sensation, Tingling, Facial pressure or tightness , Chest pain, Headache, Nausea, Rapid heartbeat , Drowsiness , Weakness and Difficulty breathing for asthmatics .
Now, forget all the "stuff" being added. What about nutritional value? Because of all the processing, there is little, if any, real nutrients left in any any of these foods! Not only that, BUT, the salt levels are WAY above what a human being should be consuming!
What about all these healthy bran cereals? Are they processed? YES. They contain more sugar than anything else! You poor blood sugar levels does not know what to do with all the extra insulin that it gets with just about any fast or processed food!
So, what then is safe and healthy?
Anything that is fresh, not processed, and preferably organic. Plain and simple! YES, that means that nice cup of coffee you are enjoying while reading this is not very good for you!
Have a look at your grocery store. The vast majority of the fresh, non processed foods are around the perimeter of the store, and not in the isles! This makes shopping so much easier!
"BUT, it takes so long to prepare!" The most common complaint I hear! Well, if you plan it properly, you can make all your fresh food in less time than it takes to get all your fast food during the day! Read that again! My wife and I prepare all our meals, for the 2 of us, and our 2 children, in 30 minutes in the morning! All fresh, all healthy, and all ready to eat for the rest of the day!
How much, and how often should you eat? This is also very simple. You should be eating every 2.5 to 3 hours. Before you start screaming at me for telling you to eat so much, remember also that these meals should be much smaller portions of your regular 3 meals a day. This will equate to around 6 meals a day.
What will you be eating? Also quite simple. Protein, Carbohydrates and Fat. YES, fat! You need to eat lean meat, skinless chicken or fish for protein. If you are vegan, there are loads of alternatives. For carbohydrates, you will have fruit and vegetables. For fat, you will have fish, fish oil capsules or flaxseed oil.
That's IT! Sounds boring? Believe me when I tell you that it is not!
To read many more articles like this one, and to learn more about healthy eating and exercising, please visit my web site at http://www.allaboutfitnessonline.com/. While at the site, also take the time to subscribe to our newsletter, which is published bi-weekly, and includes many more articles just like this one.
10 Possible Causes of the Obesity Epidemic
It's well accepted that reduced physical activity and fast food are linked to obesity. But the evidence that these are the main causes of obesity is largely circumstantial. To stimulate debate, experts suggest 10 other possible causes of obesity, outlined in the International Journal of Obesity.
1. Sleep debt. Getting too little sleep can increase body weight. Today, many get less shut-eye than ever.
2. Pollution. Hormones control body weight. And many of today's pollutants affect our hormones.
3. Air conditioning. You have to burn calories if your environment is too hot or too cold for comfort. But more people than ever live and work in temperature-controlled homes and offices.
4. Decreased smoking. Smoking reduces weight. People smoke much less than they used to.
5. Medicine. Many different drugs including contraceptives, steroid hormones, diabetes drugs, some antidepressants, and blood pressure drugs can cause weight gain. Use of these drugs is on the upswing.
6. Population age, ethnicity. Middle-aged people and Hispanic-Americans tend to be more obese than young European-Americans. Americans are getting older and more Hispanic.
7. Older moms. There's some evidence that the older a woman is when she gives birth, the higher her child's risk of obesity. Women are giving birth at older and older ages.
8. Ancestors' environment. Some influences may go back two generations. Environmental changes that made a grandparent obese may "through a fetally driven positive feedback loop" visit obesity on the grandchildren.
9. Obesity linked to fertility. There's some evidence obese people are more fertile than lean ones. If obesity has a genetic component, the percentage of obese people in the population should increase.
10. Unions of obese spouses. Obese women tend to marry obese men, and if obesity has a genetic component, there will be still more obese people in the next generation.
These other contributing factors deserve more attention and study. Even more explanations include: a fat-inducing virus; increases in childhood depression; less consumption of dairy products; and hormones used in agriculture. What do you think can be attributed to the epidemic?
1. Sleep debt. Getting too little sleep can increase body weight. Today, many get less shut-eye than ever.
2. Pollution. Hormones control body weight. And many of today's pollutants affect our hormones.
3. Air conditioning. You have to burn calories if your environment is too hot or too cold for comfort. But more people than ever live and work in temperature-controlled homes and offices.
4. Decreased smoking. Smoking reduces weight. People smoke much less than they used to.
5. Medicine. Many different drugs including contraceptives, steroid hormones, diabetes drugs, some antidepressants, and blood pressure drugs can cause weight gain. Use of these drugs is on the upswing.
6. Population age, ethnicity. Middle-aged people and Hispanic-Americans tend to be more obese than young European-Americans. Americans are getting older and more Hispanic.
7. Older moms. There's some evidence that the older a woman is when she gives birth, the higher her child's risk of obesity. Women are giving birth at older and older ages.
8. Ancestors' environment. Some influences may go back two generations. Environmental changes that made a grandparent obese may "through a fetally driven positive feedback loop" visit obesity on the grandchildren.
9. Obesity linked to fertility. There's some evidence obese people are more fertile than lean ones. If obesity has a genetic component, the percentage of obese people in the population should increase.
10. Unions of obese spouses. Obese women tend to marry obese men, and if obesity has a genetic component, there will be still more obese people in the next generation.
These other contributing factors deserve more attention and study. Even more explanations include: a fat-inducing virus; increases in childhood depression; less consumption of dairy products; and hormones used in agriculture. What do you think can be attributed to the epidemic?
7 Reasons Why You Should Be Using Coconut Oil
It is a common misconception that coconut oil is bad for you. People all over the world are experiencing the healthy benefits of using coconut oil. It is actually one of the healthiest oils you can consume. Here are the top seven reasons why you should use coconut oil as an alternative to other common cooking oils.
1. Coconut oil doesn't turn to fat in your body.
Unlike many other common oils, like soy (vegetable) and corn, coconut oil won't make you fat. Coconut oil contains medium-chain triglycerides (MCT), which are an easy fuel for the body to burn, without turning to fat. Most other cooking oils and fats contain long-chain triglycerides (LCT). LCT's are usually stored as fat. Since coconut oil is a MCT, it is more easily absorbed and converted to energy quicker.
People in the tropics have relied on coconuts as a traditional staple in their diet for centuries. They consume large amounts of coconut oil every day. Instead of getting fatter, it helps them stay healthy, lean and trim. When they switch from coconut oil to our modern oils, they develop obesity and the health problems that our modern society faces.
Some other people who have known this truth for a long time are people who are in the animal feed business. When livestock are fed vegetable oils, they put on weight and produce more fatty meat. When they are fed coconut oil, they become very lean.
2. Coconut oil increases your metabolism.
Not only does coconut oil convert to energy quicker in your body, it increases your metabolism, which promotes weight loss. Because it boosts your metabolism, it helps your body burn fat more effectively.
Coconut oil may triple your calorie burn. Since coconut oil is a MCT, it is converted to energy so quickly that it creates a lot of heat. In a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, MCT's burn three times more calories for six hours after a meal than LCT's.
The February 15, 2005 issue of Woman's World magazine stated that coconut oil is the "underground high-metabolism secret."
This is great news for people who have thyroid problems, since coconut oil improves sluggish thyroids by stimulating the production of extra thyroid hormones. Most other common oils, like vegetable (soy) and corn have been shown to inhibit thyroid function.
3. Coconut oil has omega 3 fatty acids.
Most cooking oils contain omega 6 fatty acids, something we get way too much of in the United States. Our omega 6 to omega 3 ratio should be 1:1 but it is more like 50:1. We need to drastically cut back our omega 6 oils and consume much more omega 3 oils to be healthy. And coconut oil is filled with these healthy omega 3 fatty acids.
4. Coconut oil gives you energy.
Because of the healthy omega 3 fatty acids and the fact that it increases the metabolism, most people that switch to coconut oil feel a burst of added energy in their daily life.
This is because coconut oil is nature’s richest source of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT's), which increase metabolic rates and lead to weight loss. MCT's promote thermogenesis, which increases the body's metabolism, producing energy.
This is because coconut oil is nature’s richest source of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT's), which increase metabolic rates and lead to weight loss. MCT's promote thermogenesis, which increases the body's metabolism, producing energy. Many people with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia have found that adding coconut and coconut oil to their diet was helpful to them.
5. One of the best things you can use on your skin and hair is coconut oil.
Coconut oil one of the best things you can apply directly on your skin and hair. It gives temporary relief to skin problems like rashes. It aids in healing and restoring skin to a younger appearance. It has also been known to help with people who suffer from yeast infections in the skin, as well as many other skin problems.
Not only does is soften and smooth your skin, coconut oil has antioxidant properties that protect the skin from free radical damage. Coconut oil makes excellent massage oil too.
6. Coconut oil has healthy benefits that most other oils do not.
Evidence is mounting that coconut oil has anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-viral effects when both consumed and used topically on the skin.
Most oils oxidize and turn rancid very quickly causing free radical damage in our bodies. Coconut oil is not easily oxidized and does not cause harmful free radical damage like polyunsaturated vegetable oils. Free radical damage is thought to be responsible for many ailments in our body from arthritis to increased susceptibility to cancers.
Coconut oil also helps our bodies absorb other nutrients more effectively, such as Vitamin E.
7. Coconut oil is one of the best oils you can use for cooking.
It has a higher smoke point than olive oil, which means it can take higher temperatures better. There are several healthy omega 3 oils we can choose to consume, such as flax and olive oil, but they don't do well under the high heat we use for cooking. Coconut oil can be used in higher cooking temperatures.
It is harder for coconut oil to go rancid, unlike other cooking oils, which are usually rancid long before you even bring them home. Rancid oils cause free radical damage in the body, which is a leading cause of cancer. Coconut oil is stable for over a year at room temperature.
Because of the misinformation we have been given for years, we have lost out on the healthy benefits that coconut oil has given the people of the tropics for centuries. But now it has been rediscovered! Coconut oil is so effective, it won't be long before we see coconut oil supplements promoted, but you can get the jump on the popular crowd and start consuming and cooking with coconut oil today!
1. Coconut oil doesn't turn to fat in your body.
Unlike many other common oils, like soy (vegetable) and corn, coconut oil won't make you fat. Coconut oil contains medium-chain triglycerides (MCT), which are an easy fuel for the body to burn, without turning to fat. Most other cooking oils and fats contain long-chain triglycerides (LCT). LCT's are usually stored as fat. Since coconut oil is a MCT, it is more easily absorbed and converted to energy quicker.
People in the tropics have relied on coconuts as a traditional staple in their diet for centuries. They consume large amounts of coconut oil every day. Instead of getting fatter, it helps them stay healthy, lean and trim. When they switch from coconut oil to our modern oils, they develop obesity and the health problems that our modern society faces.
Some other people who have known this truth for a long time are people who are in the animal feed business. When livestock are fed vegetable oils, they put on weight and produce more fatty meat. When they are fed coconut oil, they become very lean.
2. Coconut oil increases your metabolism.
Not only does coconut oil convert to energy quicker in your body, it increases your metabolism, which promotes weight loss. Because it boosts your metabolism, it helps your body burn fat more effectively.
Coconut oil may triple your calorie burn. Since coconut oil is a MCT, it is converted to energy so quickly that it creates a lot of heat. In a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, MCT's burn three times more calories for six hours after a meal than LCT's.
The February 15, 2005 issue of Woman's World magazine stated that coconut oil is the "underground high-metabolism secret."
This is great news for people who have thyroid problems, since coconut oil improves sluggish thyroids by stimulating the production of extra thyroid hormones. Most other common oils, like vegetable (soy) and corn have been shown to inhibit thyroid function.
3. Coconut oil has omega 3 fatty acids.
Most cooking oils contain omega 6 fatty acids, something we get way too much of in the United States. Our omega 6 to omega 3 ratio should be 1:1 but it is more like 50:1. We need to drastically cut back our omega 6 oils and consume much more omega 3 oils to be healthy. And coconut oil is filled with these healthy omega 3 fatty acids.
4. Coconut oil gives you energy.
Because of the healthy omega 3 fatty acids and the fact that it increases the metabolism, most people that switch to coconut oil feel a burst of added energy in their daily life.
This is because coconut oil is nature’s richest source of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT's), which increase metabolic rates and lead to weight loss. MCT's promote thermogenesis, which increases the body's metabolism, producing energy.
This is because coconut oil is nature’s richest source of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT's), which increase metabolic rates and lead to weight loss. MCT's promote thermogenesis, which increases the body's metabolism, producing energy. Many people with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia have found that adding coconut and coconut oil to their diet was helpful to them.
5. One of the best things you can use on your skin and hair is coconut oil.
Coconut oil one of the best things you can apply directly on your skin and hair. It gives temporary relief to skin problems like rashes. It aids in healing and restoring skin to a younger appearance. It has also been known to help with people who suffer from yeast infections in the skin, as well as many other skin problems.
Not only does is soften and smooth your skin, coconut oil has antioxidant properties that protect the skin from free radical damage. Coconut oil makes excellent massage oil too.
6. Coconut oil has healthy benefits that most other oils do not.
Evidence is mounting that coconut oil has anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-viral effects when both consumed and used topically on the skin.
Most oils oxidize and turn rancid very quickly causing free radical damage in our bodies. Coconut oil is not easily oxidized and does not cause harmful free radical damage like polyunsaturated vegetable oils. Free radical damage is thought to be responsible for many ailments in our body from arthritis to increased susceptibility to cancers.
Coconut oil also helps our bodies absorb other nutrients more effectively, such as Vitamin E.
7. Coconut oil is one of the best oils you can use for cooking.
It has a higher smoke point than olive oil, which means it can take higher temperatures better. There are several healthy omega 3 oils we can choose to consume, such as flax and olive oil, but they don't do well under the high heat we use for cooking. Coconut oil can be used in higher cooking temperatures.
It is harder for coconut oil to go rancid, unlike other cooking oils, which are usually rancid long before you even bring them home. Rancid oils cause free radical damage in the body, which is a leading cause of cancer. Coconut oil is stable for over a year at room temperature.
Because of the misinformation we have been given for years, we have lost out on the healthy benefits that coconut oil has given the people of the tropics for centuries. But now it has been rediscovered! Coconut oil is so effective, it won't be long before we see coconut oil supplements promoted, but you can get the jump on the popular crowd and start consuming and cooking with coconut oil today!
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