September 11th, 2009
So what is depression and why does it affect our weight? Depression is someone who is uncontrollably sad. This can be due to a situation or a chemical imbalance in the brain. Depression causes the brain to make chemicals that feed the depression. It heightens the appetite chemical and suppresses the chemical of the brain that makes us stop eating. Hence we often gain weight. Alternately it can increase the chemical that makes us feel full and stop us from eating for long periods of time. Depression is not healthy for the body. That’s obvious. Depression is bad for weight loss and a healthy lifestyle so what can you do about it?
Take time and breathe. When you breathe you oxygenate your brain allowing it to produce the chemicals in a more balanced manner. Exercise; not only will it assist in your weight loss efforts but it assists the body in producing adrenaline and other happier chemicals in the brain. Take care of yourself first and foremost. If you are dealing with depression it’s often a situation that requires rest and care. You may need professional help and there’s nothing wrong with that. When you get your depression under control you’ll be better able to work with your body toward your goals.
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September 10th, 2009
So when you were a little girl or boy maybe you wanted to dance. Maybe you even did dance and let it fall by the wayside. Why? I started dancing again. You can start classes as an adult in any kind of dancing. Right now I’m going through a ballroom dance series at the community center and I think I’m going to hit Jazz and tap in the next few weeks. Dancing alternates between fast and slow and provides a heck of a workout on the way. Your body is moving, your legs are floating across the floor and your arms are held fast building muscles in every part of your body. Let’s not forget that it’s a great aerobic exercise keeping your heart rate up and your body moving. You and the music and maybe your partner alone on the dance floor because no one else matters but that moment. When you add in long term health benefits of a stronger body that’s less prone to disease and weight loss what can be better? Let your dream take flight and be the dancing queen your parents always thought you could be and don’t let it be out of the question if you’re a guy… no girl can resist a guy who knows how to dance.
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September 9th, 2009
This diet is for people who love to cook and eat food from the Meditaranian variety. Specifically The Mediterranean diet requires participants to eat fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, pasta, rice and seeds. Olive oil also accompanies most of these meals as it is a main ingredient in food preparation. These are the native ingredients used in food in the Meditarraneian area of the world.
Since the people in the meditarraneian region have lower cases of chronic illness it seems that one of the main differences is the food which is what inspired this diet. It’s hard to make a lifestyle change of this nature however it’s not asking you to change a great deal of your life. Simply teaches you how to choose low fat and low cholesterol options. It has very few, if any, dietary restriction and encourages you to take time and enjoy your meals.It encourages moderation. By taking time with your food, you’ll also eat less of it. The diet itself doesn’t focus on exercise although it’s definitely encouraged outside the diet. This is the type of diet for people who love food and flavor. The flavor is encouraged more than anything else. Let’s face it, if you eat a small portion of incredible food… it’s much better than a whole heep of mediocre food. Bon Appetit!
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September 8th, 2009
So you’re dieting and you’re not really sure what to do. Your friends invited you out to dinner and you don’t want to disappoint but you’re not sure what you’ll eat. How do you count calories when you’re at a restaurant? To start, let’s not focus on counting calories. You’re allowed to cheat but that doesn’t mean you need to choose the greasiest thing on the menu. There are a few tricks to help you watch your consumption even when you’re out on the town. Talk to your server. Let her know about your dietary interests. Often restaurants have vegetarian or low fat options listed on the menu to keep it simple and easy for you to stick to whatever diet you’d like. You should avoid ordering extra calories. Do you need the appetizer or cocktail? You can ask for oils, butters, dressings and the like on the side. This puts you in control of your portions. You can also choose to have your food baked or boiled instead of fried. This will greatly increase the nutrients and decrease the fat content. Then there is always desert. Choose fresh fruit deserts or lighter angel food cakes instead of focusing on the high fat chocolate options. With some strength you can head to the restaurant with your friends and keep to your diet. If you cheat a little, I promise we’re not looking.
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September 6th, 2009
So fresh fruits and vegetables are healthy but sometimes it’s hard to get around to eating more. The current food pyramid indicates you should have on average 1 ½ – 2 cups of fruit and 2 ½ cups of vegetables. This comes close to the old 3-5 servings a day but not really. They have started to indicate that fruits and vegetables are no longer lumped together in their health benefits. What this tells us is that we need both. The reason is because fruits and vegetables provide us with different benefits. Vegetables provide vitamin K and iron where fruits offer antioxidants and vitamin C. This is not to say they don’t over lap some however these are a few generalizations. So now we know they are healthy but how do we seamlessly add them to our diet without noticing that we’ve changed something. To start when you use vegetables currently change your methods to use the fresh stuff. Many times when they are frozen or canned they lose many of their nutrients. Next make sure you add them to every meal of the day. Add a banana with breakfast, a small salad with lunch and maybe some green beans with dinner along with strawberry shortcake for desert. This is just a quick sample but the combinations are endless and your body will thank you!
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September 3rd, 2009
So let’s take a minute to think about why we are getting fit tone and healthy. Improved quality of life is important and health does matter in the over all scheme of things but let’s face it, are we really that unhealthy if we have those few extra pounds? If you’re in the boat where you’re trying to lose that last 5-10 pounds chances are you’re not doing it for health reasons. It comes down to appearance matters and it does and it should. When you look better you feel better about yourself which will continue to improve your body and body image. It’s amazing what looking good can do for your mood and over all health. While you’re working on losing those last couple pounds there are a few things you can do to improve your looks and keep you motivated. Your clothing matters a great deal to improve your looks. If your clothing is too tight or too loose it will negatively affect your image. Vertical stripes and things of that nature. You can also use tools such as tummy tuck and slimming undergarments. Makeup will greatly improve your first impression appearance and help you with your over all self esteem. The last 10 pounds are the hardest. Stay motivated and you’ll get there.
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September 2nd, 2009
Similar to yoga, tai chi offers a combination of physical exercise and relaxation and breathing. While not a full exercise routine in and of itself it is a great place holder. Let’s say you are looking to do your diet and exercise daily. It’s obvious that daily exercise while beneficial may damage your body. So what do you do on those off days while you’re allowing your body it’s healing time. Mostly you have to allow your muscles to rest after great exertion or your muscles will not heal and tone as they should. Tai Chi is a great place holder and way to keep active in your exercise routine without further damaging your muscles. Tai Chi is a low impact workout focusing on breathing and slow patterned movements. Please do not misunderstand; I’m not trying to indicate that Tai Chi is not a good exercise if you’re trying to lose weight only that it’s relaxing nature implies that your hear rate will not hit a level for optimal weight loss or muscle building. Tai Chi is practiced to bring patience and balance to your workout and life. It’s exceptionally relaxing while keeping you moving and puts you in a meditative mind.
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August 26th, 2009
Is there any wonder that stress is so closely tied to weight? Stress increases levels of cortisol an emotional hormone into the body which when misplaced leads to slower metabolism and greater storage of fats. With reviews and BMI’s and advertisements going crazy it seems that the weight loss community is making it stressful which I might add is the antithesis of being able to gain results. Why would so many people trying to help you lose weight market their products with stressful ideas like looking your best, as though your not good enough now, and quick weight loss solutions that try to make you think you can’t do it on your own without chemicals or special foods. They do this so that you will continue to think that you need their product. That you can’t do it on your own. The reason you’ve been unsuccessful is because you haven’t been trying hard enough, so we’ll make it easy. Advertisements are made to sell you things and in these instances things you don’t need. Do not misunderstand there are some legitimate products out there that contain supplements and vitamins made to increase your metabolism. I’m just saying that it’s time to stop listening to scare/stress tactics when it comes to weight loss.
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