on 7/21/2008
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Four months ago I found myself standing in front of the produce section of my local supermarket with somewhat of a dilemma. In one hand, I was holding a conventionally grown Macintosh apple. In the other, I had one that's been organically grown. Both apples were shiny, firm, and red. Both were free fat free, sodium free, and cholesterol free, and would provide my body with vitamins and fiber.
The conventionally grown apple cost less and with almond butter still proven to be one of my favorite snacks. But the organic apple has a label that says "USDA Organic." Does that mean it's better? In this age of disease and food-borne illness, could it be safer? More nutritious for our health and lifestyle?
As these questions came up, I was floored at how the differences between organic and conventional food has on one's health. I instantly wanted to become a wiser consumer for the next trip I had down the supermarket aisle so then I will have the most effective care for... read more
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health, organic foods
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on 7/4/2008
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When heading off for July 4th events, be sure to plan ahead. Most likely, you're planning on attending a BBQ and will probably bring a food item or two. Be health smart and bring fruit (and maybe some wine).
Fast forward. You're there. You brought watermelon, pineapple and a nice bottle of merlot. Excellent.
And there's all the other food. How hungry are you? Doesn't really matter does it? 'Cause you're going to snack for the next three to four hours on whatever is there. Am I making this up?
So, before you go let's think this through. There are some foods that you come by infrequently, and you really do enjoy them. Like cavier at a wedding. But potato chips at a BBQ? Skip them. A fresh margarita (made with the pineapple you were so kind to bring), OK. Potato salad, macaroni salad, I think not. You get the picture.
Here's the plan:
You get 4 items to choose for your event. Everything else you eat will be naked fruits and vegeta... read more
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4th of july, holiday health, planning ahead
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on 6/13/2008
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Making the resolution to raise your metabolism is a great idea. This lifestyle change can help keep weight off for the rest of your life.
As a fitness professional, I find that the greatest mistake people make is to crash diet or lose weight without exercising. This can be disastrous to one’s metabolism.
Taking extreme measures to lose weight leads to self-deprivation and ultimate failure. Self starvation puts the body into survival mode. This leads to a lowered metabolism. The body will react by storing fat and burning off muscle and bone. This is the reason why careless dieting can lead to obesity. Once the metabolism is lowered from starvation, it becomes more and more difficult to burn fat. In my experience, I have found that people with a history of yo-yo dieting burn less calories while at rest than the average person. In order to lose weight, they need to eat less and less. Now their body doesn’t have the nutrition it needs to go about life in a healthy... read more
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healthy living, metabolism, health, disease
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on 6/9/2008
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This is a great workout that you can do in home. It involves a short warm up and a full body exercise routine. Definitely give this workout a try if you don't have time to go to the gym.
Warm up using your jump rope for 5-10 minutes.
1. Squat w/ NRG Ball Raise
Stand in a demi-squat position legs shoulder width apart, knees bent, chest lifted. Put the weight in your heels and shift your pelvis so that your tailbone is behind the hips. Hold an NRG ball with an overhand grip in front of your thighs, hands a little wider than shoulder width apart. As you bend your knees, sit back into your heels, lower your body until your thighs are parallel to floor and simultaneously raise your arms overhead. A variation is to raise your arms on a diagonal, so that one arm is slightly higher than the other. Aim for 15-20 repetitions
2. Hip flexion w/ NRG Ball Triceps press
Stand in a demi-squat position legs shoulder width apart, kn... read more
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at home workout, workouts
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on 5/29/2008
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Anybody can lose weight; losing weight is actually easy. Easier than you think at least.
You just have to be careful about the food you eat and to make more effort than you usually do. Dieting doesn’t have to mean food deprivation and lots money spent on the best gym memberships. You can keep your body in shape with simple exercises that do not require gym equipment or professional advice and supervision.
A simple exercise that anyone can perform at home or the park is called Stair Sprinting. All you have to do is run up and down the stairs between several floors. The more floors, the better off you’ll be.
It’s a good idea to start small, even if you’re in a good physical condition. Run up and down four floors two times. First timers and overweight people are unlikely to manage more than two reps anyway. However, it’s no big deal if you can’t do more than two reps in the beginning. Resistance to effort is built in time. Do the two reps every other... read more
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weight loss, stair sprints, simple exercises, steps
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