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1. Spend more

The best way of maximum fat loss is by spending more calories than you consume. You may do this by exercising or by under going a work out schedule. You can also do this by lowering the rate of eating food items with high calories in them.

2. Don’t starve

Starvation is a wrong method for losing fat. Healthy fat loss is done by losing only calories. But, starvation and diet loss leads to the deficiency of all the minerals. Instead, the combination of a good workout and a healthy diet may help you loose weight much more efficiently. Though, these methods have slow results, it is always better to go with one of them as you actually secure your future health.

3. Go slow

Don’t go too fast and remove all the items that have calories in your diet. You need to have some patience to loose weight the healthy way. You may cut down on food items with high calorie values and exercise moderately. Exercising too much or starving may lead to nothing but spoiling your daily chores.

4. Check the food

It is extremely necessary that you consume only healthy food while loosing fat. Processed food items are generally not safe to be consumed while on a fat loss. Once you have obtained the results and are satisfied with your body, you may start eating all these food products but in limited amounts.

5. Eat proteins

Increase the intake of proteins in your diet as much as possible. Because, when we cut down on specific food items, our protein intake also lessens. This may lead to protein deficiency in your body which is not at all good for your health. Thus, when you increase your protein consumption, this problem of deficiency is avoided.

6. Train your muscles

Good and nice working muscles help curb fat much faster. Thus, you should also do some exercises to train your muscles and make them work efficiently enough.

7. Hydration

Drinking lot of water is a must while under going a fat loss. Water helps your body from drying up even if you don’t consume food for days. Thus, while you are suffering a calorie loss, drinking a lot of water is a must to keep your body working efficiently and up to the mark.

8. Track your progress

You should keep a track on even the minor goals that you have achieved in your weight loss program. This may help you work with more enthusiasm as you know that you are getting good results.

9. Goals

It is extremely important to set timely goals to be achieved for making the fat loss process faster. The goals may urge you work faster and more efficiently. Achieving those goals may keep you happy and satisfied with the results of your program.

10. Consistency

It is extremely necessary to be consistent while you are on a quick fat loss program. If you skip any of your schedules even for a single day, the results may be postponed by days. Thus, consistency is extremely important while loosing fat.

So, you’re a nerd (or a geek, if you prefer). You spend your life sitting in front of your computer, your TV, or your latest book. You don’t play sports, you don’t go running, hiking or cycling, and the word gym conjures up painful memories from middle school.

And you’ve put on a bit more padding than you’d like.

The problem is, you can’t stand exercise, you don’t want to spend the next 2 months eating cardboard food, and you don’t want to record your every caloric intake with a spreadsheet (though if that idea appeals to you, go for it). What’s a geek to do?

Well, here are some tweaks you can make to your lifestyle that, with a minimum of effort, will help. They won’t take the weight off quickly, but they’ll lower it over time.

And you might be able to keep it off better than someone who goes on a crash diet, because you’re changing your habits, not just making a short-term change.

1. Take the stairs, not the elevator

You have to get there somehow. Take a few extra seconds and get some incidental exercise on the way to work. (If you work on the 47th floor, you can try taking the elevator most of the way, and getting off early.)

2. Walk a bit more, drive a bit less

Instead of hunting for a parking space close to the store, grab one of the many spaces a bit further off. Take 10 minutes to walk down the street to lunch instead of driving. Park the car and walk into the restaurant instead of taking the drive-through. You’ll get a little exercise, and you’ll save a little gas.

3. Cut out sides

If you go to a sandwich shop, just get the sandwich. Skip the chips or potato salad. If you have a burger, skip the fries. If you absolutely have to get some sort of side, make it a side salad or a piece of fruit (if that’s an option), or at least something with intrinsic nutritional value beyond starch and grease.

4. Cut restaurant meals in half

Over the last decade or two, restaurants in the US have become very *ahem* big on portraying value. Look how much food you’re getting for your money! Unless you’re 6 feet tall or physically active, though, you don’t actually need two entire chicken breasts, a cup and a half of rice, and a side of lasagna. I’ve found that at most places, a good rule of thumb is to eat half the meal and take the rest home. (Plus then you have a meal ready to go the next day.)

5. Stop eating when you’re not hungry anymore

I know this sounds simple, but a lot of us had “clean your plate” drilled into us as children. And you’ll probably hit “not hungry” before you hit “full.”

6. Cut down on the soda

I know, you absolutely need that Dr. Pepper or Mountain Dew. (Believe me, I know!) But if you can, try to get used to having, say, iced tea with meals. Or drink coffee instead (just don’t sweeten it too much). If you’re out somewhere with a soda fountain, and you can handle diet soft drinks, try mixing the diet cola with something else, to cut down on the sugar.

7. Try to go a step up from fast food

Sure, the dollar menu at Jack in the Box or Taco Bell is cheap, but if you can spare a few more bucks, you might get healthier food at someplace like La Salsa.

8. Find vegetables that you like

You might have to experiment a bit for this. Don’t be afraid to try things you disliked as a child; tastes change as you get older. And don’t forget to try different ways of cooking them. I never liked broccoli when I was younger, and I still don’t like it raw…but steamed, it’s become a staple. (Don’t try to force cauliflower or Brussels sprouts on me, though.)

9. Learn to cook

Home-cooked meals can be tailored to the right size, so you won’t have extra food sitting on your plate with an “eat me” sign. Plus you know exactly what’s going into them, and you won’t need to load it up with extra butter, salt, etc. like restaurants love to do.

10. Keep healthier snacks around

If you know you tend to get hungry half-way through the afternoon, plan ahead so that you don’t find yourself grabbing a candy bar from the vending machine. Bring some fruit, or carrot sticks, or cheese, and keep it in the lunch room. If you find yourself chewing down on a Twix every afternoon, whatever else you do isn’t going to help much.

Constipation is a fairly common problem for most people but its symptoms and the discomfort that comes along with it make it a horrible experience for most. Fortunately, it is easy enough to resolve and easy enough to avoid. Here are some simple tips to follow to prevent future bouts of constipation and maintaining regular, healthy bowel movements.

1. Fiber, Fiber, Fiber

A key to fighting constipation is to increase your fiber intake. It helps produce soft, bulky stools that are easy to expel. Beans, whole grains and cereals as wells as fresh fruits and leafy vegetables are foods that are rich in fiber. These vegetables include cabbage, brussel sprouts and carrots.

2. Increase fluid intake 

In fighting constipation, one must also increase fluid intake. Drink at least 8 glasses of water each day so there is enough of it to produce soft stools that is easy to eliminate.

3. Eating more fruits and vegetables also helps fight constipation

They contain substances that remove toxins and help them be flushed out of the digestive system.

4. Fighting constipation does not mean sacrificing your protein intake

The key to enjoying the benefits of proteins without constipating is by eating it with a fiber- rich food. Suffering from constipation or being prone to it does not mean you have to give protein up entirely. To keep constipation at bay, balance your protein intake with vegetables so it will not bring out your constipation problem. Proteins that stay very long in the colon may lead to cancer so eating vegetable along with them help eliminate them eventually.

5. Exercise

Engaging in daily exercise is also known to relieve symptoms of constipation and to promote regular body processes including bowel movement.

6. Ignoring the urge to have a bowel movement is also a no-no in prevention of constipation

It is good to condition one’s body to do bowel movement first thing in the morning to regularly eliminate body wastes and toxins. Even if you are busy, if you feel the urge to eliminate waste do so, before you have problems with constipation by habitually ignoring nature’s call.

7. Maximize the marvels of papaya

Papaya is a fruit that is rich in fiber and has substances that have antioxidant properties. Papaya is an excellent source of relief from constipation. It has a rich, sweet likeable taste that provides not only relief from constipation but is also filling. It makes an excellent desert and can be eaten as it is or as a drink or shake or as an ingredient in salads. It is also known to have anticancer properties so it also protects the cells in the colon against this disease. Papaya also contains papain which is an enzyme that helps breakdown proteins (which is why it is used as a meat tenderizer in many cooking techniques.)

8. Limiting the intake of foods that are poor in fiber is also a key step in preventing constipation

During snacks, go for food that provides fiber such as cereals or wheat bread as well as fruits and vegetables. Fruit juices, especially those prepared from fresh fruits are also excellent sources of fiber that prevent constipation.

9. Go for natural foods rather than processed foods to prevent and fight constipation

This means choosing fresh vegetables and fruits rather than those that are canned or have preservatives in them. Fresh fruits and vegetables mean having all the important nutrients and fibers intact.

10. In cases where constipation had already set in, the best remedy is to take laxatives

There are a lot of over-the-counter laxatives available today but it is still best to consult to doctor before taking some. This is to know which one is the best for your case because it may depend on the cause of your constipation. Fighting constipation through the use of laxatives should also be done in moderation. Treatment with laxatives should only be done until regular bowel movement is achieved and not longer. For children, they should be also be used under the advise of a doctor and should not be used on a long- term basis.

Preventing and fighting constipation is easy enough especially if you could identify the causes of your problem. By following the above tips in fighting constipation, there is no way you should lose the battle and be deprived of a feeling of comfort that could only come from the regular exercise of one of your body’ most important functions: waste elimination.

Article Source: http://www.dietarticles.info

Lee Dobbins writes for www.colon-articles.com where you can find out just how important it is to care for your colon as well as learn more about preventing constipation.

Want to get rid of the excess baggage you carry with you which infact you hate the most? Read on…

1. The Diet

A bestseller in Australia, the Total Wellbeing Diet (TWD) is the result of studies carried out at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, the country& government research laboratory. This eating plan is less contentious than Atkins, simpler to follow than the GI diet and combines the best elements of the two. More important, it promises to help even the most reluctant dieter to shed a stone and a half in 12 weeks. You don’t risk the side effects of energy slumps, headaches, constipation and bad breath, but neither do you go hungry. Experts from the British Dietetic Association give it the thumbs up. The Total Wellbeing Diet by Manny Noakes (Penguin £9.99)

2. The Spa

Clinique La Prairie in Montreux, Switzerland, is best known for its revitalizing technologies (such as injecting clients with live sheep-embryo cells to boost the immune system), but is equally famous for its two-week weight-loss programme. With a private hospital and resident doctors, Clinique La Prairie is consistently voted the world’s best medical spa, but at £8,200 for 13 nights full-board, it is not cheap. However, with the assistance of a personal trainer, a counselor to get you emotionally primed for a thinner body, lymphatic drainage and anticellulite treatments, inch loss is virtually guaranteed. Best of all, you won’t starve there are no drastic detox diets and the low-fat menu is one you will want to continue when you get home. www.laprairie.ch

3. The Drink

Victoria Beckham, Joss Stone and Jerry Hall are said to be among the fans of Pu-erh tea, an ancient Chinese drink first used 1,700 years ago and renowned for its fat-busting properties. Clinical trials in China have shown that three cups a day for a month can lower blood fats by up to 30%. For weight loss, it is recommended that you drink three cups a day for three months, then a cup a day for weight maintenance. From £37, from Harvey Nichols or www.eternalspring.org.uk

4. The Wonder Drug

Satiatrim, a drink that originated in the United States, is now available in the UK. According to Dr Tanya Little, a researcher at the University of Manchester who has conducted several clinical trials on the supplement, it slows the movement of food through the stomach. The result, she says, is that you feel full more quickly, which, in turn, reduces the amount of food consumed in a subsequent meal. A week’s supply of the ready-made drink version costs £35.95 (plus p&p), from www.victoriahealth.com

5. The Holistic Guru

At his London clinic in Wimpole Street, Nish Joshi has used a fusion of ayurvedic principles and orthodox medicine to help the likes of Sadie Frost, Kate Moss and Patsy Kensit to hone their bodies. Last month, he opened his latest venture, the Joshi Clinic Wellness Centre, in Marylebone, for those seeking the ultimate overhaul. Sign up for a weight-loss programme, and you will undergo a detailed tongue and dietary analysis to check for inadequacies in your current diet, prior to being given a tailored schedule of exercise, nutrition and treatments. Further wellness centers are planned in the UK, as well as New York and Dubai. Membership costs from £95 per month. For details, call 020 7723 2444 or visit www.thejoshiclinic.com

6. The Exercise

Interval training is an exercise technique that gym-goers have used for years to improve cardiovascular fitness. But this summer, researchers at the University of Guelph, in Canada, proved that one hour of interval training (that alternating fast-paced running, swimming or cycling with a slower-paced activity) at least once a week increased fat burning by 36%. If you want something more cutting edge, try lifting Russian kettle bells. Geri Halliwell got rid of her mummy tummy by working out with these cannonballs with handles, which range in size from 8kg to 40kg. Swing and lift them in a variety of ways to use every muscle in the body; the manufacturers claim you can burn up to 1,500 calories an hour. Trainers recommend working with them for one hour, three times a week. Kettle bells cost from £35, from www.optimallifefitness.com

7. The Fashionist Diet Doctor

8. The Diet Book

Jessica Simpson, Eva Mendes and Alicia Keys are among the celebrities who currently have their noses buried in The 5- Factor Diet, a book by the personal trainer Harley Pasternak. The five comes not only from the number of food types each meal should include protein, complex carbs, fiber, fat and fluids but also from the five meals a day she recommends you eat, using recipes containing no more than five ingredients, which take no more than five minutes to prepare and five minutes to cook. There is also a five-day exercise plan consisting of  guess what? five exercises you perform for five minutes each. It sounds faddy, but independent nutritionists from the American Dietetic Association have given it their approval. The 5-Factor Diet (Meredith Books £12.19). For more information and to buy the book, visit www.5factordiet.com

9. The Treatment

There are few spa treatments that will dramatically whittle away pounds from your waistline and hips, but the Elemis Body Sculpting Cellulite and Colon Therapy comes close. If you are hoping to look a little slimmer by next month, then this detoxifying fennel-and-birch peel-off body mask, combined with specialist massage techniques that encourage blood flow and help break down fat cells, could shave off a couple of inches. In independent tests, 96% of women experienced significant improvements on the tape-measure front, having undergone the recommended twice-weekly sessions over four weeks. The treatment costs £90 an hour; www.timetospa.co.uk

10. The Pre-Diet Detox

When Madonna and Beyoncé want to lose a few extra pounds or kick-start a diet, they reportedly embark on the lemon detox, which involves knocking back glassfuls of Madal Bal natural tree syrup. It is formulated from four different Asian palm syrups that are rich in essential minerals; you mix it with the juice of freshly squeezed lemons and a pinch of cayenne pepper. During the five- to 10-day fast, it is recommended that no food is consumed, although those who find it too tough can have one meal a day. Expect to lose up to 2lb a day (Beyoncé reportedly lost 22lb in 10 days), some of which may be regained when you embark on a healthy diet. Nutritionist Amanda Griggs, of the fashionable Balance clinic on the King’s Road in London, and Dr Elizabeth Adalian, lecturer at the Centre for Homeopathic Education in London, are among the experts who support the plan. More than half a million liters of the syrup is sold across 33 countries every year. One litre costs £39.99. For information and stockists, visit www.lemondetox.com, or call 0845 370 1012 for mail order.

Always consult your GP before embarking on a new diet

Let me state from the “get go”…I am not a fitness expert, just a guy who likes to workout and do so with an eye towards “functionality”. Refer to your coach/doctor/priest/life counselor/whatever… before trying anything I may suggest here.

I’m not the biggest, strongest, fastest, fittest, etc. guy in the world, but I have been able to maintain a level of fitness that has allowed me to “hang” with a respectable crowd in Army Basic, PLDC, Police Academy, SWAT School, FBINA, 5k’s and other competitions and physical tests.

The bulk of my training centers around running, weight training and CrossFit style GPP workouts. Sometimes I have to chase suspects and that’s usually wearing a ton of crap, the end of which sometimes results in having to struggle with people (GPP/CrossFit). I add in jogging and a 5X5 weight lifting program for a simple base of strength and fitness to support my other goals.

Sometimes I like to throw in oddball stuff as a challenge or just as a way to test myself in a manner different from what my body is getting used to…because in the end “training” can only approximate “reality” just so much. Its good to have an “eye opener” every once and a while to keep yourself honest and realize that you are not as fit or well trained as you may think you are. Some of these were just “try it” workouts, some I did for a “Cycle” (I cycle my workouts on a seasonal basis) and some I do all the time.

These are 10 such workouts –

1. Get out and push

Pushing and pulling a vehicle in neutral across a parking lot is a great overall body workout and an intense cardio effort. Be ready to waive off do gooders who think you are broken down.

2. Escape from New York (or wherever)

Here’s another one that is sure to get some strange looks. Find a fence and jump, climb, hurdle it. Then jump back over again. To really add a challenge, take a pack/duffel or sandbag and throw it over. Jump the fence…then throw it back over again. Repeat.

3. Go ahead and flip out

Find a big truck or tractor tire (w/o the rim knucklehead) and lay it flat. With good lifting form, squat down and pick up one side and flip that sucker over in an explosive, powerful move. To add to this one, flip it…jump into the middle…jump out the other side…turn around and flip it again…repeat.

4. Kettle bells are not musical instruments

They are an old Russian torture device that can give you one hell of a workout. That’s a picture of mine above. There’s way too many things you can do with them than I can cover here. Go Google it.

5. I am with the sub-urban commando squad

I load up a rucksack and hump it a few miles through town every once and a while. Do it often enough and you will discover that many of your friends and co-workers drive through your town and start to wonder how well they really know you. Do at your own risk. If you do something stupid this can lead to joint injuries and other such inconveniences.

6. "Ouch! Babe"

The 100 Burpee workout will show you that your own body is all the equipment you will need to kick your own ass.

7. Feeling felon

This one may just get you tackled by a cop if you are stupid about it, but if you have a place to play “grown up tag” where the neighbors wont call 911 when they see you, give this a shot. Give your partner a head start then try and tag him. Jump fences, hurdle ditches, break a leg…I probably would if I did it too often. I used to do this with my friends “back in the day”. It’s as “functional” as you can get.

8. Working on the chain gang

Take that same tire from above and add a sledgehammer. Stand on the tire or next to it and slam away. Be sure to alternate grips to get an even workout…and watch your feet.

9. Sled dog

Fashion a harness and attach it to a cheap plastic sled. Put some weight plates in it and do some sprints. You may have to fashion a way to keep the plates in the sled.

10. Grass drills

Like my Drill Sergeant used to tell me… “GO SMOKE YOURSELF PRIVATE!!!” Get someone to give you orders for a set period of time: GO=High step run in place, STOP=Drop into a 3 point stance, BACK=Flip or drop to your back, FRONT=Flip or drop to your belly. Add to these basic commands things like PUSH UPS, SIT-UPs, BURPEES, BEAR CRAWL, SPRINT (out and back), ROLL LEFT, ROLL RIGHT…the imagination is the limit, my Drill Sgt. Once had us pick up the person behind us and run around the company training area with him over our shoulder.

Most of us believe that age related diseases like high blood pressure, heart disease, arthritis, adult onset diabetes, stroke, cancer, etc are the inevitable consequences of aging, but we are now finding out that this is not necessarily true. We actually have a lot more control over how we age than you might think. Healthy aging is mainly the result of how we “communicate” with our genes — through our diet, our lifestyle and the environment we bathe them in. Healthy habits nurture healthy genes.

When most of us think of genes, we think of the ones that determine particular characteristics such as whether we have brown hair, blue eyes or long legs, or those that predict specific childhood diseases. These genes are “fixed”, but are only few in number. By far the vast majority are the thousands of genes that direct all of our biochemical processes and that render us susceptible to the many chronic diseases so many people are experiencing today.

While we are each born with a set of genes — a baseline set of conditions which we can’t change — we can change how they are expressed. This means that most genes in and of themselves do not create disease. Rather, the likelihood of developing disease and disability is determined by the way we live our lives and by the choices we make. You may have the genes for and be susceptible to heart disease or diabetes or arthritis, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you will get those diseases. In other words, these genes do not cause disease per se unless they are thrust into a detrimental environment, one conducive to expressing these genes as chronic disease.

There are multiple factors in your diet, environment and lifestyle that affect your genes and how you age. Many of these are within your control. Of all the factors, diet is the easiest to control and probably the most important determinant of how our genes are expressed.

A revolutionary new science, Nutrigenomics, is showing how different foods may interact with specific genes, how food “talks” to our genes and how our genes express themselves after the conversation. It is confirming that food provides potent dietary signals that directly influence the metabolic programming of our cells and modify the risk of common chronic diseases. It is telling us that food is information, that it contains “instructions” which are communicated directly to our genes.

Armed with this information, your genes commandeer various metabolic actions and affect millions of critical biological processes, including cholesterol levels, aging, hormone regulation, weight gain and loss, and much more. Eat the right foods and they will send instructions to your genes for good health. Eating the wrong foods however, sends messages for disease.

What we are finding out is that there is so much more to food than just the nutrients we have discovered thus far. Real food is packed with thousands of compounds which have a complex and dynamic relationship with one another and your genes. With processed foods however, these micronutrients have either been altered or are missing, and therefore they can never deliver the same beneficial messages to your genes. Just as a computer program won’t function well when it gets fed bad data, neither will your body. Once you understand that food is “data” or complex information that the body uses to direct the multifaceted actions that keep us vibrantly alive, it’s easy to understand that loading up on junk food is like taking the fast lane to a giant system failure.

Foods loaded with sugar, trans fats and chemicals, and foods processed beyond recognition, are simply “bad data” for human consumption. I call these “food-like substances” because they are not real food. If you eat these regularly, your body stops working properly.

It makes perfect sense, when you think about it. When you bathe your genes in an unhealthy environment, like the one created when you eat junk food, your genes “miscue” metabolic actions that can trigger disease. For example your body responds to “food-like substances” as if they are “foreign bodies”. This prompts an inflammatory response as your body tries to protect itself. Over time, continued consumption can lead to the development of a low grade chronic inflammatory condition which is now becoming recognized as an important precursor to a variety of more serious forms of illness.

Bottom line: the food you eat affects the functioning of your genes.

Here are 10 ways to improve the “conversation”.

1. Eat real food i.e. fresh, whole, unrefined and unprocessed food

Food is more than a delivery system for nutrients containing protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. Real food is more than the sum of its parts, it’s about how it all works together, about the integrity of the information or the total message. Although you should know how to read food labels, most real food does not come with a label …vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, wild fish, organic chicken and eggs etc.

2. Be close to nature

Although there is no one right diet for everyone (as we are all different), try eat as close to nature as possible because the further removed food is from its source the less good data it will contain, and the more likely it is of being a “food-like substance” and not real food.

3. Select fruits and vegetables in a wide variety of colors

4. Buy fresh

Buy fresh foods whenever you can, preferably organic and locally grown if possible. Fresh foods are better than frozen foods, which are better than canned foods.

5. Stop eating when you are 80% full

6. Be skeptical of foods that come individually labeled with a health claim

Most healthy foods don’t need a health claim. Have you ever seen a health claim on a bunch of broccoli or on a box of blueberries?

7. Be wary of foods you’ve seen advertised as the vast majority of these are processed foods

8. Be careful of obsessive calorie counting

Figuring your diet simply in terms of calories or even percentages of protein, fat and carbohydrate, can inadvertently deprive your body of the “complete” messages that real, whole foods provide .

9. Enjoy your food, preferably in the company of people you love

10. Don’t waste your time feeling guilty if you ate the “wrong” thing

I’m sure you know exercise is good for you, but do you know why?

The Importance of a Balanced Program

Before I discuss the benefits of exercise, I want to emphasize a few factors that are of significant importance to any exercise program. To enjoy all the benefits that exercise can offer, it’s essential to follow a well balanced program that addresses both flexibility and strength.

It’s just as important to have unrestricted range of motion through each joint as it is to have a strong and durable body. Deficiencies in either aspect can leave you susceptible to injury.

It’s also essential to stay within your capacity by moderating the frequency, duration, and intensity of your workouts. We live in an age of “no pain, no gain” and think it’s commendable to fight through fatigue. All this does is ruin your health. Frequently pushing yourself past the point of fatigue may give you a fit body that looks great, but underneath, it will also be a tired body that is not performing it’s basic functions well.

1. Decreased Risk of Heart Problems

Heart disease is a leading cause of death and a significant concern for many people. Any exercise that elevates your heart rate will strengthen your heart, increase it’s capacity, and make your circulatory system more effective at pumping blood throughout your body. This will help make your arteries more pliable and less susceptible to atherosclerosis, improve your blood pressure, and in turn, lower your risk of heart disease.

2. Weight Loss

3. Reduced Pain

Most people sit all day and rarely utilize their entire range of motion. Because of this, some muscles are overused while others are underused, and the result is tightness, weakness, and imbalance that leads to muscle and joint pain. A well designed exercise program will help you increase your flexibility, mobility, and strength while keeping these aspects in balance across each joint. By following such a program, your joints will work more smoothly, your muscles will be less likely to become tight or overused, and as a result, you will have less muscle and joint pain overall.

4. Decreased Risk of Injury

Weightlifting and other forms of resistance based exercise will put a demand on bones, muscles, and connective tissue that will force them to become more durable. Stronger bones will be less likely to break or fracture, and stronger muscles and connective tissue will be less likely to tear or sprain. And by including stretching and mobility exercises in your exercise program, your range of motion will improve and further decrease the risk of muscle tears, sprains, and joint stress.

5. Improved Mood

It is well known that exercise can be used very successfully to fight depression. This is primarily a result of exercise increasing the production of serotonin which has a direct influence on your mood. Exercise also triggers the release of endorphins which are known to produce a feeling of exhilaration while also relieving pain, anxiety, and stress. This is what’s commonly referred to as a “runner’s high.” Because of these effects, you’re likely to find that good moods come more easily and frequently while exercising regularly.

6. Improved Immunity

With all the stresses of modern life, many of us have decreased immunity and get sick frequently. By stimulating circulation within the lymphatic system and improving the circulation of oxygen throughout the body, exercise strengthens the immune system and increases resistance to infection. Most people who follow an exercise routine for any length of time notice that they get sick less often during that period. However, there is a catch. Exercising too much will actually weaken your immune system and increase your chances of getting sick.

7. Improved Mental Ability

Poor memory and poor concentration have become common frustrations of modern life. Although it may seem unusual for exercise to have an impact on your mental abilities, it does! Exercise improves oxygen flow to the brain, promotes development of the nervous system, and causes an increase in various chemicals associated with mental function. With these additional resources being provided to your brain on a regular basis through consistent exercise, your mental clarity is likely to improve, you’ll remember things more easily, you’ll be able to concentrate better, and you may even become more creative.

8. Improved Confidence

While many people exercise to improve their appearance, there is a deeper reaching benefit that often goes unrealized. Sticking with an exercise program long term requires commitment and determination. The sense of accomplishment you gain from your hard work and your improved appearance will undoubtedly increase your pride and self confidence. And with this increase in confidence, you’ll be likely to find the ambition and courage to take on challenges that you wouldn’t have considered previously.

9. Improved Physical Function

All you have to do is look around to see how poorly most of us are functioning physically. Simple tasks such as walking, bending over, and squatting are basic functions that many of us can’t do without pain or can’t do at all. The strength and range of motion that exercise develops will make these basic daily functions easier to perform. It will help you get in and out of cars, walk up and down stairs, lift heavy objects overhead, and perform other basic functions with ease and without pain.

10. Increased Capacity

It’s common today for people to take weeks instead of days to recover from simple illnesses and mild injuries or to become easily exhausted by a small amount of activity. Because exercise improves circulation and metabolism, it also improves the rate at which nutrients and oxygen are delivered to cells. As a result, each cell is able to function more effectively and produce energy more consistently. Because of this improved function, your ability to recover from injury and illness will be improved, and your capacity to handle more demanding physical and mental activities will be increased.

What Are You Waiting For?

If you’re not already exercising on a regular basis and enjoying all of these benefits, then now’s a better time than any to get started. Don’t be overwhelmed or intimidated by all the conflicting advice that often circulates. Take that first crucial step and get started! you can always learn more as you go. Even if it’s only a few days per week, commit yourself to making exercise a priority in your life. I’m sure you’ll find the commitment worth while as exercise is something we’re all naturally inclined to benefit from.

With the number of obese children in this country continually on the rise, it is more important than ever to pay attention to what your child is eating. Children have also become more sedentary as their favorite types of entertainment have switched from active play to video games.

If you have an overweight child, it is up to you to help him lose weight so that he will be healthier now and as an adult. The eating habits that are developed as a child will carry over into adulthood, so it is important to get him into the habit of eating right while he is still young. Here are 10 tips that will help you guide an overweight child to lose weight and be healthy.

1. Set a great example

by eating healthy food, and working out yourself. It is much easier to promote healthy eating and fitness when you are actually practicing good habits yourself.

2. Stress the importance of good health

and eating correctly, rather than focusing on a number on the scale or a size.

3. Visit the doctor for a checkup

especially if your child seems to be craving sweets, urinating frequently at night or frequently during the day, has blurred vision, or unexplained fatigue. Along with the increase in obesity, juvenile diabetes is on the rise as well as an increasing number of children who are developing adult onset diabetes.

4. Avoid fast food

Fast food is one of the biggest problems for obese children. Portion sizes are overly large, and the food is packed with fat and sugar. Even if you have to cook ahead of time and freeze the meals, avoid the drive thru window.

5. Always have fresh fruits and vegetables available for kids to snack on

One of the healthiest ways for an overweight child to lose weight is to increase the nutritious, high fiber foods that they need for healthy digestion and for their vitamin requirements. Variety is the key to getting everything they need. This will also supply antioxidants which will boost their immune system.

6. Promote physical activity

Can’t seem to get them moving? Start by incorporating some sort of outdoor activity for fifteen minutes every day. It can be shooting baskets, passing a football, or swimming if that is an option. Once they get into the habit, you will likely find them doing it for longer periods of time without having to prompt them. It’s all a matter of finding the activity that they enjoy enough to put the effort into. A new bike, scooter, or pair of skates can go a long way towards encouraging healthy outdoor play.

7. Start with a good, hot breakfast

Kids who skip breakfast or eat sugary toaster pastries can’t function as well and they will be starving early in the day. This leads to more unhealthy snacking when their sugar level drops.

8. Don’t expect them to give up sweets completely

There is nothing wrong with having a small dessert after they have eaten a healthy dinner, just not in place of it.

9. Focus on things you know your child likes and that are good food choices

Make them available so that he chooses them in place of foods that will contribute to the problem.

10. Don’t reward with food

instead choose fun activities, small incentives like stickers or other non-food rewards.

Make changes your child’s diet one meal at a time and try to get him moving by going on family adventures that require getting outside and walking. Working together is the best way to help your overweight child get healthy, and stay that way.

Denise Sanger is the owner of NewCoolToysOnline.com which features a fantastic selection of outdoor toys and outdoor play toys for kids of all ages including toddler outdoor toys.  The company is located in sunny Florida and may be reached at 877-950-7665.

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

A recent study by Princeton University psychology professor Bart Hoebel suggests that sugar is as addictive as cocaine. Hoebel allowed laboratory rats to binge on sugar for one month. He found that the sugar caused neurochemical changes in the rats’ brains that were the same as those found in people who were addicted to drugs like cocaine. Subsequently, the rats exhibited addiction-related signs such as cravings, withdrawal symptoms and relapses.

So does that mean chocolate candy and nose candy are much of the same? Here are some of the scientific and not-so-scientific similarities between sugar and cocaine.

1. The obvious

They are both white power-like substances.

2. The high

Cocaine and sugar can cause people to feel euphoric and more energetic. They both
increase dopamine, a neurotransmitter responsible for producing pleasurable feelings in the body.

3. The cravings

Cocaine users experience powerful cravings for the drug and the Princeton University study shows that those same types of cravings occur in rats who are allowed to binge on sugar.

4. The addiction

Once the body develops a tolerance for cocaine, it needs more and more of the substance in order to achieve the same pleasurable effects. The Princeton study revealed that same phenomenon in the sugar-laden lab rats.

5. The withdrawal

Cocaine withdrawal symptoms often include anxiety, restlessness and cravings. These same symptoms were exhibited by the Princeton study rats once they were removed from their month-long sugar binge.

6. The Coca-Cola connection

Prior to 1929, Coca-Cola was actually made with small amounts of cocaine. Today, the world’s most popular soft drink is cocaine-free, but has a sugar content of 39 grams per 12oz. serving.

7. The dental issues

Cocaine can cause a host of dental problems including dry mouth, bruxism (teeth grinding), and extremely acidic saliva which can lead to tooth decay and enamel damage. Sugar can cause tooth decay and gum disease

8. The detox

Breaking an addiction to either cocaine or sugar starts the same way – with a detoxification process. The person needs to eliminate the harmful substances from their body.

9. The relapse

Cocaine is so powerfully addictive, that users who quit often revert back to their addiction and become even more hooked than before. After a month of sugar binging, the rats in the Princeton study were deprived of sweets “cold turkey.” When they were allowed to consume sugar again, they did so at a much greater rate.

10. The deadly effects

Cocaine and sugar can both ruin your health. Cocaine is a stimulant that can induce life-threatening convulsions and seizures. As for the sweet stuff, studies attribute refined sugar to many serious health problems such as obesity, diabetes, hypoglycemia, high cholesterol and heart disease.

Your boyfriend has gained some weight and you don’t know how to tell him that it would be better for him to give up pizza and beer. Well, we prepared you 10 ways to say it without breaking his heart. Are you ready? Attack!

You can’t just cross your arms and announce him loudly that he gained weight and that you’re leaving him in 3 months if he doesn’t do something about. Well, theoretically you can, but we know that you’re too elegant to do it (I think). So, here are 10…sensitive ways to express your opinion about his new belly.

1. Buy clothes with a few sizes smaller

After he tries them and obvious, he discovers that the clothes are too small, tell him surprised "Oh, I’m sorry, but 5 months ago you were wearing a size M! What happened? Maybe we can took it to a tailor and make some adjustments. It will look somehow weird, but it’s all right, isn’t it?"

He will surely feel strange and do something about. If not, you should insist and go on the next tip.

2. Offer him a subscription to the classes of a famous coach

He won’t accept fitness classes, but if he knows that you spent a considerable amount of money on that class, he will be forced to participate, whether he wants it or not.

3. Establish a weight loss program for two

Tell him initially that you want to create a weight loss program only for you, but ask him to weigh himself, as a game. When the needle will indicate a weight above the normal one, you should say: "Very well, you’ll be included in my program!"

4. Give him small portions of food

Does he want to eat 3 meals for dinner? That’s fine, but no more than 200 grams of food! If he wants more, remind him that a few months ago he wasn’t eating so much. There is no need to not serve him; just be polite, give him food, but always mention about how much he eats!

5. Improve the weight loss diet for couples

Are you both eating unhealthy? Then you should gradually change the family’s eating habits. If he won’t have temptations near him, maybe he will succeed to loose weight faster.

6. Pinch and gather

Play with his belly and pinch the adipose tissue, even if he says he likes it; the truth may be different. He will become conscious about his extra pounds and maybe he will start doing something about.

7. Ask him to wear a T-shirt/ shirt that he was wearing some time ago

Remind him about "that" T-shirt, which he worn at your first date; if he doesn’t find it, help him to search better, and if he no longer fits in it…tell him that he gained weight.

8. Break the chair

Well, here you need dexterity. Remove a few screws, as your partner has to break the chair (accidentally, of course) when he sits on sit. He will surely get worried!

9. Add some testimonials

Place some pictures with him around the house, living memories of that "x" pounds that he was having just a few months/ years ago. When he will face the proofs, he will understand the message.

10. On the sunny beach

Your holiday destination should be a tropical one. Before leaving, take him to a pool and ask him to undress in public, as he will be too timid to do it; as a result, he will try to loose weight in order to look hot on holiday.

Good luck!!