Now that the new year is here, many of us are struggling to hold onto our usual new year's resolutions. Have you noticed that most of the time resolutions add to your 'to-do' list rather than simplifying your life? Why not making a resolution to simplify your life instead? Do you often feel overwhelmed with things to do, places to be? You enjoy being productive but feel frantic during the day? You are organized and live by your to-do list and yet this chore list seems to get longer rather than shorter? Do you know a lot of people but often wonder why there doesn't seem to be any time for deep connections? Simplifying one's life means just that, letting go of certain habits, conventions, or actions that don't serve you in creating more meaning in your life, and then using that energy to create connections, peace and a sense of gratitude. We all want to be of service, be professional, get things done, be responsible and reliable, be the best we can be but we often forget ourselves on the way. No wonder we end up feeling so overwhelmed. Fortunately, there are some simple steps you can take that will help you let go of things that are not bringing meaning into your life, so you can have more time for those things that are truly important to you! These changes will allow you to find more fulfillment and joy in your everyday activities. Peace and serenity are attainable when you re-arrange your life for more balance. The most common complaint I hear in my coaching practice is from the 'Super mom.' (Now, this example also applies to you men, so read on.) The 'super mom' has a demanding career but she also volunteers at school, bakes cookies for her children's class, takes care of the house, chauffeurs the kids around and listens to her partner's concerns late at night. All of these responsibilities may be important to her. But they can take over, creating a schedule that allows for no time for self or meaningful relationships with others. There is only one solution: Simplify! To experience more joy, we need to let go of certain activities, to create a space that we can fill with more meaning. All our obligations and assignments are serving some purpose. Yet, we need to have the courage to say 'No' so that we can slow down and make time for ourselves. We also need to get to know ourselves. Often we have not taken time for reflection on what gives us true fulfillment. Once we know what we really want, we need to put a realistic plan in place. Change doesn't just happen by willpower but by laying out a concrete plan that is attainable and measurable. We need to create a list of those activities we will courageously say 'No' to, scheduling blocks of time for whatever holds meaning for us and then safeguarding them. We also need someone to hold us accountable during these times of creating new habits and lifestyle changes. Tell a friend, a coach, your partner or even your boss which changes you will accomplish. Lastly, we need to consistently take action on our new plans until the new rhythm of life becomes a habit. So, what can you say 'No' to today so that your life will be simpler and more meaningful? How can you say it so that it gets heard and understood? Where can you create a space that you then thoughtfully fill with something that holds deep meaning to you? If you chose one action that would allow you to create some time for peace, reflection and connection, what would it be? How frequently do you need this special time? How can you safeguard it? And who should you tell about your plans? Who can be your support? Today's the day to make a commitment to yourself. Get out your calendar and block off that special time for the coming month. And keep saying 'No thank you' to new obligations that would jeopardize your time for you. Once you have a little practice, you'll be surprised how easy it is to simplify!
For the best diet results, you need a personalized diet that you can stick to. Maybe your aiming to shape up, or to improve your fitness and health, no matter what you want to achieve the best way to achieve it is with a diet that is designed for you - to suit your tastes, habits, and lifestyle. A personalized diet plan can be obtained from a multitude of sources. Provided you have no major health problems and your trying to lose weight (as opposed to lowering cholesterol which will probably require a more specialised diet) then one of the many diets offered by the major fitness and diet gurus will do the job perfectly. Just pick the diet that best suits you. Advice can also be obtained at your local gym where there will usually be a knowledgeable person who can help you find your perfect diet. Everyone reacts differently to diets, certain diets which cause immediate weight loss for you may cause lackluster change in other people. So personalizing your diet - making it suit you - can greatly increase the benefits you get out of your diet. So verify that the food you eat is the correct food for you. If you suffer from a health condition that is interfering with your diet, or perhaps isn't compatible with your diet, you should avoid changing the diet to suit your condition without consulting your doctor first. Most doctors will be able to tell you what foods are or aren't compatible with your condition and advise you on what to do with your diet. Of course your doctor knows as much as anyone about your health. They are in an excellent position to help you decide on the diet that will be most effective for you. They will also be able to spot any potential problems with a diet you are on, or are considering. For example if you are on medication to prevent blood clots then you shouldn't eat green vegetables (spinach in particular). Your doctor will spot issues like this and point them out to you. Most mass market diets are designed to be 'one size fits all', but in truth we are all different. What works for one person might not work for you. That's why the diet that you can tailor to your self and your body is the best kind of diet. So when you are considering diets check if the diet can be shaped to suit you, this is the kind of diet that will work best. Another problem is that depending on where you live, some diets might call for you to eat a particular food that is difficult or even impossible to find. They might also require you to eat foods that are out of season or more expensive to buy in your location than others. If this is the case, you should change your diet to include foods that are easier to come by, but that also work in your diet. Of course there is little point in beginning your diet with great determination only to find a week later you dont have the ability to stick with it. It is important that you ease yourself into your diet when possible. Phase out your old diet while gradually adopting your new personalised diet. That way you'll be able to stick with it and get the most out of your new diet. Avoid a diet that requires you to abruptly change your eating habits, forcing you to stop eating your favourite foods for example. Changes like that will cause temptation and make you cheta on your diet. A diet like this will rarely last long enough to have any meaningful effect on your health or weight. If your diet has an aim - like losing weight or lowering your blood pressure then you should consider making a progress chart. that way you can look at the chart and see how far you've come and how much closer to your goal you are. that kind of encouragement will give you a much needed boost in your confidence, and your resolve to work along the path of your new diet and achieve your goals.
Recent TV news showed that various food brands are offering low carbohydrate foods due to public demand. That just shows how poorly informed the public can be. The Mayo Clinic (http://www.mayoclinic.com/) tells us that "Every day your body requires certain nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats and protein, to function properly. Too much of one nutrient or not enough of another can influence your health." Encyclopedia Britannica (http://www.britannica.com) tells how carbohydrates can be classified, but they are all described as molecules of Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen. "Carbohydrates are the most abundant molecules in all biology." Carbohydrates and oils are the means that plants store energy. Few plant fats are saturated. Fats are also compounds of Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen, but in more complex structures than carbohydrates. The more structural bonds, the less liquid is the fat at room temperature. Such liquid fats are called oils. Hydrogenating oils creates more hydrogen bonds to make liquids into soft or hard fats. These trans-fats are bad for cardiovascular health. The "essential fatty acids" are the ones that the human body cannot create from other foods, such as proteins. Proteins have many structures, but are mostly composed of Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen plus Nitrogen. The essential amino acids are those proteins which the human body cannot create from other foods. Of course, foods also contain essential vitamins and minerals. Supplements of these can be beneficial, if not overdone. High / Low Carbohydrate / Protein diets really miss the target. Once minimal needs of each food type are met, the real issue is high or low calories compared to those used. If you eat more than your exercise can burn, you gain weight, and vice versa. Carbohydrates as sugars are fine as nature provides them, but not as refined and concentrated by humans. Like any source of calories, excess consumption leads to body fat. The details will vary, but a five pound bag of fresh fruit contains fewer calories than a typical candy bar. Supposed high protein diets are often filled with hidden fats. For example, consider ground beef. Center for Science in the Public Interest, with reports on-line at www.cspinet.org, tells us "USDA allows ground beef labels to make claims that would be illegal on other foods." "Ground beef accounts for 45 percent of the beef sold in the U.S. and it adds more fat -- and more artery- clogging saturated fat -- to the average American's diet than any other single food." "The USDA allows no more than 10 percent fat by weight in most foods that are labeled 'lean.' But the USDA allows ground beef that is up to 22.5 percent fat to be called 'lean.'" Of course, that fat is "saturated". In contrast, protein from plants, such as grains and legumes, has much less fat than ground beef and none of it is saturated. Tempeh, an Asian food made from whole soy beans with careful fermentation, has more protein than an equal amount (volume or weight) of ground beef, and also contains all the essential amino acids. So try this for healthy diet rules. Eat all the vegetables and fruits you can stand, but without sauces, dressings, added sugar, butter, margarine, or cheese. The same applies to grain foods, such as whole grain breads and pastas. Get at least some of your proteins from plant sources. Avoid all foods fried in fat or oil. I lost weight and one third of my blood cholesterol by reducing my beef and pork consumption, increasing my use of broiled and baked fish and chicken, and learning about soy foods that are now available in North America. Even Ph.D. scientists can mis-lead themselves with wishful thinking. A former colleague of mine was often heard to describe his high protein, low carb diet in terms of complex biochemical theories, yet he was always at least 100 pounds overweight. He also ate and drank about three times as much as I did at shared meals.
So far, the evolution of our exercise and fitness techniques has done wonders to improve our muscular strength, balance and flexibility, increase our cardiovascular efficiency and reduce our body fat. However, the problem is that many of the movements, motions and techniques found in the local gym have no correlation to the needs or goals of your life. For example, do bicep curls apply to your everyday life? Running on a treadmill provides cardiovascular health, but its application to the needs of everyday life seems to be somewhat ill defined. I have been in the health professional for over a decade and have thought long and hard upon the meaning and value exercise represents in our lives.
While the main focus of exercise seems to be upon physical and aesthetic results I believe that another layer of benefit can be added to improve upon our desire and motivation to exercise as well as increase the return on our energetic and monetary investments. Here are some questions to consider as you ponder the role of exercise in your life: What motivates you to improve your life? ·Is it the advancement of your life station, the exploration of your unique abilities and the constant learning that you obtain as a result of your direct experience that provides you the most pleasure and reward? What are the goals of your life? ·What does it take to be successful in these goals? ·Is your life station being advanced by your efforts? Is there a direct application exercise provides your life? ·Are you learning about yourself during your exercise routines?
·Would you like your exercise routines to have a more meaningful impact upon your life?
What makes a person successful? I believe success is something that is practiced through a combination of commitment, perseverance, staying true to your word, integrity, and other attributes. With these attributes sufficiently developed any individual can attain success in whatever form they choose for their life.
The question is how does one practice and develop these somewhat nebulous concepts?
My answer is exercise.
Here is how it works
Our sub-conscious mind responds to whatever we repeatedly do and what thoughts we constantly think. Also, whatever we practice we get better at. For example, positive thinking becomes more positive. Negative thinking becomes more negative.
If you think positively your health reflects this. You can see it in the eyes, skin, hair and energy. A positive person positively shines while a negative person brings the whole world down.
By consciously choosing to practice exercise as a means to develop and strengthen not only your body but also specific attributes of success, you will create a powerful mind/body association
Consider this scenario: If you go to the gym and decide that you are going to stay true to your word and that today in the gym you are going to get on the bike for twenty minutes. You work hard towards this goal and all the while you are exercising on the bike you maintain this inward focus. Not only will you improve your health, not only will you lose fat, but you will also improve your ability to focus, your ability to commit, your ability to follow through upon what you say goes in your life and your ability to succeed!
This is the true power of what exercise can do for your life!
Decide before your workout what attributes you need more of in your life. Do you need more practice committing or is integrity something you need more of? Whichever you choose they all can be practiced in the gym setting. Consider the following examples:·Commitment, decide what exercise you will perform, for what time interval you will perform it and at what level of intensity. Then follow through upon your intention and DO NOT STOP until you are successful. ·Integrity, find your most powerful and uplifting posture. Lift weights while maintaining this posture. Use the weights as a means to challenge your posture. The integrity is staying true to your form while being challenged.
·Perseverance once again pick an exercise and choose how intense you want to exercise (keep it safe). After you reach the end of your set, increase the number of reps or increase the weight and DON'T STOP (unless you feel pain) until you complete the set as you intended. Persevere through the effort and discomfort until you reach your goal.
There are many other attributes that can be practiced and all it takes is some imagination and some thought to apply them to the gym. Balance, learning to adapt, endurance, intimacy, self-connection, inner listening, improving confidence and so on.
The real nectar you receive from working out this way is that when you reach the goals you set for yourself as a result of your intention, you create for yourself a physical-mental memory anchor.
Then when you are in your life and you feel your integrity or commitment being challenged you can remember this anchor. You remember that if you can last twenty minutes on the treadmill at 6.5 mph and remain true to that, than you can most certainly overcome whatever obstacle you are currently facing in your work or personal life.
AMLA ( EMBLICA OFFICINALIS )FOR HEALTH AND BEAUTYAMLA, proudly known as 'Indian Gooseberry' has been the key constituent of many Ayurvedic formulations. And nowadays, it has been accepted by almost all medical branches as a result of extensive research carried at Germany, England, India, and various other countries.IN AYURVEDA, importance of Amla has been ascertained from the experiments and experiences of ancient Rishi-Munis of India, namely Charak, Chyavan, Atreya, Kartik, Vrat Koumudi, and many others. Amla is considered one of the strongest rejunevatives (rasayana), particularly for blood, bones, liver, heart and skin.q SOURCE OF NATURAL VITAMIN C : Amla is exceptionally rich source of vitamin C and powerful anti-oxidant. 100 gm. of Amla contains about 700 mg. of vitamin C, which is thirty times the amount found in oranges.q VITAMIN C : Vitamin C is essential for making 'Collagen' in the body. Collagen provides much of the framework in the cell or tissues, just as the skeleton provides the framework for the body. Thus, Vitamin C plays the vital role in growth and repair of tissues in ALL PARTS of human body, and hence it is useful for treatment as well as prevention of so many diseases. It enhances the overall immunity. " When your immune system is strong,You get sick less often, and recover quickly." q POTENCY OF AMLA : Research has shown that Amla is 12 times more assimilable and creates more potent medicinal effect than synthetic vitamin C, known as Ascorbic acid. Researchers have also shown that just 8.7 mg of natural vitamin C from Amla is equivalent to 100 mg of synthetic vitamin C. The synthetic vitamin C is missing vital nutrients such as Rutin, Bioflavonoids and the "J" & "K" factors.q MODERN SCIENCES: The modern sciences too, have accepted the supremacy of Amla towards imparting health and beauty, due to its very high vitamin C content. q UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE researchers, published the result of their study, based on a single measurement of vitamin C in the blood of 19,496 individuals aged 45 to 79 state that : as concentrations of vitamin C in blood plasma went up, the risk of dying from all causes went down. This report in the March 3, 2001 issue of 'Lancet' state that the risk of death from all causes including heart disease, cut in half for individuals who have highest levels of vitamin C in blood. In the findings of Dr. Kay Tee Khaw, the high blood levels of vitamin C were associated with a decreased risk for cancer. q AN ANTIOXIDANT : Oxidation is removal of electrons from the molecular oxygen and to convert it to an active form called as 'oxidant'. It has a tendency to acquire electrons and damage most cell structures by releasing DNA damaging free radicals. The Vitamin C in Amla is a well-known antioxidant, which is able to inactivate DNA-damaging free radicals, by releasing oxygen electrons. Thus vitamin C in Amla prevents the abnormal growth of cells in all parts of body. q H.L.NEWBOLD, in his book "VITAMIN C AGAINST CANCER", has interviewed four Noble Prize Winner scientists, and professors from some of the world's best-known medical centers. He reports the latest findings about vitamin C as a promising new weapon in the battle against cancer- not only for treatment, but also for prevention. Few lines between the covers of his book have been quoted below:…. (Nobel Prize Winner) Dr. Linus Pauling and Ewan Cameron began an experiment with 1100 terminally ill cancer patients. The results: the 100 patients taking vitamin C had lived four times as long as 1000 control patients who received no added vitamin C.…. cholesterol is broken down and eliminated as bile acids. Vitamin C is beneficial to heart patients. …Mr. Cameron said that in terminally ill cancer patients treated with vitamin C : not only their lives prolonged, but also the quality of their lives was greatly improved during the time they did live. This freedom from pain was most important for terminally ill cancer patients.…We (human beings) cannot make our own vitamin C.…one should not wait for the application of vitamin C until one gets ill. We should take it all the time.…like oxygen and water, vitamin C is an indispensable part of the life of every living creature on this globe. q PHARMACOLOGICAL PROPERTIES: Amla is not only a wonderful antioxidant, but it has proven anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-mutagenic, yeast inhibiting, nematicidal, anabolic, anti-hepatoxic, anti-hyperhidrosis, anti-inflammatory, anti-histaminic, anti-spasmodic, hypolipidemic, and hypotensive relieving properties. It also acts as an antacid and anti-tumorganic agent. In addition, it increases protein synthesis and thus useful in cases of hypoglycemia.q PREVENTIVE AND IMMUNITY ENHANCING, ANTI-AGING USES OF HEALTH FOOD : AMLA POWDER HEALTH1. Cough, Bronchitis, Asthma, Intermittent fevers2. Hyperacidity, Bilious vomiting, Gastritis3. Ulcer, Jaundice, Hepatitis 4. Hemoglobin, Red blood cell count, Anemia 5. Cholesterol, Hypertension, Cardiac disorders 6. Diabetes7. Ophthalmopathy, Cataract8. Rheumatism, Osteoarthritis9. Diarrhea, Dysentery 10. Gonorrhea, Spermatorrhea,11. Sexual rejuvenation 12. Scurvy, Bleeding gums13. Cancer14. HIV15. Heavy metal poisoningq PREVENTIVE AND IMMUNITY ENHANCING, ANTI-AGING USES OF HEALTH FOOD : AMLA POWDER BEAUTY1. Premature graying and hair loss2. Skin diseases, wrinkles on skin 3. Obesity 4. Anti-aging q RECOMMENDED DOSES : Daily intake of dietary vitamin C (According to U.S. RDA), are listed below : Infants age below 1 year : 30 to 35 mg Children age 1 to 14 years : 40 to 50 mg Adolescent age 15 to 18 years : 65 to 75 mg Men age over 18 years : 90 mg Women age over 18 years : 75 mg In accordance with above chart, as a HEALTH FOOD & BEST DIETARY SUPPLEMENT, about one teaspoonfull of vitamin c rich, quality Amla Powder is sufficient for enhancing general immune system. Daily doses of powder can be adjusted with the age. As we cannot make our own vitamin C, and the body excretes any excess of the same, the regular intake of herbal Amla Fruit Powder is highly recommended for all the people.
To lose weight and get in shape you must have a good diet and exercise regularly to burn fat. The first thing you must understand about exercise is that just because you are burning calories does not mean you are burning fat. Your main focus when you exercise should be losing body fat, and you can't lose body fat just from burning calories. When we exercise, our bodies will start burning calories, but the calories that are burned are the calories from carbohydrates in our system. In order to burn calories from your stored fat, your body requires the presence of oxygen. There is a certain amount of oxygen that your body needs in order to start burning fat and the only way for you to measure the amount needed for your own body is to keep up with your target heart rate during exercise. Please understand that if you continue to only burn calories from carbohydrates, you will lose mostly "water weight" which leads to a decrease in your metabolism. Also, think of the calories that are burned from carbohydrates as your energy calories. If you lose too much energy calories then your muscles will not receive enough energy to increase your metabolism which indirectly burn fat. Therefore you must increase your calorie intake when you are on an exercise program to replace your burned energy calories.
Burning Fat Calories during exercise
During aerobic exercise, your body goes through several stages before it reaches the point where you are burning fat. You will hear people say that you are only burning sugar (carbohydrates) not fat during the first 10 minutes of exercise. This is true to a certain extent. I say this because you will continue to burn sugar past the 10 minute mark if you are not working out hard enough for your body to want more oxygen; or you are working out too hard and you can't supply your body with enough oxygen for fat burning. When you exercise you must move at a steady pace (not too fast, not too slow) so your body will utilize your stored fat (not carbohydrates or sugar) as its energy source. Also remember that just because you reached the fat burning stage does not mean you will stay there. Staying at the fat burning stage once again depends on if you are moving at a pace that is right for your body. Make sure that you are within your target heart rate range.
Burning Fat Calories at rest
The only way for you to continue to burn fat calories hours after you have finished working out is through the anaerobic exercise of weight training. Weight training is the key to burning fat at rest. Weight training is an anaerobic activity that will cause you to burn more calories than aerobic exercise. The calories that you are burning during weight training exercises are mostly calories from carbohydrates (meaning you must eat even more calories per day for energy); but the calories you burn at rest are mostly calories from fat. The reason you are burning fat at rest is because weight training increases your metabolism which uses your stored fat as energy.
To make your body the ultimate fat burning machine you must do aerobic (cardio) and anaerobic (weight training) exercises.
At first glance, this product manual's title (Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle) was a bit distracting. While the 300+ page manual does a good job of explaining how increased muscle strength helps lose body fat and why its more important to lose body fat versus lose weight; I wasn't sure about the content of the product manual until I read it in its entirety. The overall premise is to burn the body fat with exercise and feed the muscle with good nutrition plans. The author, Tom Venuto, is a body builder and that helps explain some of the direction of the manual.
On the plus side, Tom's instructional product manual has a tremendous amount of information including goal setting, discussions on meal frequency and exercise plans, just to name a few. On the negative side (depending on your perspective), it contains a few references about the basics of weight loss (or body fat loss) such as drinking plenty of water and burn more calories than you consume. Basics are covered in 2 of the 17 chapters, so it didn't waste too much of the reader's time.
Overall, I would rate this instructional manual, (Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle) an 8.5 out of 10. If you have the ability to motivate yourself and take action by reading a manual, then the price for this product of $39 is a great value. However, if reading an instructional manual isn't enough to motivate you to take action to lose body fat, then you may benefit from a more multimedia rich program such as Denise Austin's Fit Forever , Billy Blanks' Tae-Bo, or Winsor Pilates . These other programs include CDs, videos and/or charts. However, if you do consider these other programs, they may cost a bit more.
What I liked
1. 1. Tom's full chapter on setting 'compelling' goals helps the reader understand the importance of defining a compelling reason for unstoppable motivation to succeed. In my opinion, a true compassionate reason is key to success in any area - without it, you're setting yourself up for mediocre results He uses excellent quotes from Denis Waitley & others to drive his point home.
2. His discussions on how to lose body fat versus losing weight is covered well in his product manual and he discusses various methods to test body fat including the inexpensive use of calipers for skin fold testing. I personally use the $20 Accu-measure calipers and they work very well.
3. He mentions that dieting isn't as important as good meal planning and increasing muscle strength to help lose body fat. The combination of these two strategies are key to your long-term success. For more details about Tom's manual, (Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle), check out his site which as additional details, plus any special offers that might be available.
4. His discussion on the 'adaption syndrome' is valuable and an important lesson in getting to the next level of success in your goal to lose body fat. You can also adapt this lesson to help you succeed in many other areas of your life.
What I didn't like
1. Tom provides tons of valuable information on the subject of weight loss or how to lose body fat, but in the beginning of the product manual, it lacks a detailed plan to help the reader start a program quickly. Given today's fast paced world, a quick start guide would have been useful.
2. For novice readers, the sections on drinking plenty of water and calorie balance are extremely important, but for readers with this basic knowledge on how to lose body fat, these sections are a bit too elementary.
3. In this product manual, Tom discusses the benefit of timing meals. While this might improve your personal situation, I personally believe the extra effort dedicated to timing is not worth the time & effort put into the timing process. (Or maybe I'm just a bit lazy to go through that much detail to lose the last percentage of body fat.)
Overall
For beginners, this manual (Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle), provides 300+ pages of details that are extensive, easy-to-read and easy-to-implement. If you have some basic knowledge of weight loss or losing body fat, you can still benefit from about 90% of this product manual. There are a great few sections that I've never seen before and are very interesting perspectives on how to lose body fat.
If you have the discipline (& can get motivated to take action), then the small price you'll pay ($39) is worth it. If however, you can't get motivated to take action by reading an instructional book, then you should consider other multimedia products such as Denise Austin's Fit Forever , Billy Blanks Tae-Bo, or Winsor Pilates . As mentioned before, be prepared to pay a bit more for these other programs. I've followed many of the steps outlined in his instructional product manual and have been pleased with the results. For $39, and with a 3-month money back guarantee - it's worth the price. Similar to other lengthy instructional manuals, plan to read in small periods of time and keep your pen out to take good notes. Last time I was on his site, he was giving some free bonuses away also, you'll want to check out his site today before you consider purchasing.
Is beautiful skin just for the very young? Not any more. You can have great skin at any age. Lasers, skin peels and advanced skin care products have made flawless skin a reality. But before you spend money on invasive cosmetic procedures and super expensive creams that promise to roll back time, please understand the and practice the following about how to have super skin naturally:
1.Beautiful skin starts on the inside and reflects what's going on inside.
2.Beautiful skin requires lots of water. We are 80 percent water so constant replenishment is necessary to get rid of toxins and keep the body working optimally. If you wait until you feel thirsty, you are already in a state of dehydration. Telltale signs of chronic dehydration include offensive breath, pale, pasty and parched skin with an overall withered look.
3.Get back to basics with food. Ninety percent of money spent on food is spent on processed food, which is nutritionally bankrupt, and the skin reflects that nutritional deprivation.
4.Even the best diets require supplementation. Antioxidant supplements such as alpha lipoic acid, DMAE, Vitamin C, Vitamin E and others help the body fight off free radicals responsible for aging.
5.Exercise not only keeps you in super shape, it makes your eyes and skin glow. (A treadmill is a wonderful investment that pays huge dividends!)
6.Have regular bowel movements. If plumbing is chronically clogged, it's going to have a negative effect on the appearance of your skin.
7.Living in a spirit of gratitude for absolutely everything releases "feel good" endorphins that make your eyes and skin glow. Nothing is sexier.
8.When asked, "How are you?" always respond "I'm fantastic." It also boosts release of endorphins and makes you appear younger.
You are going to be pleasantly surprised! Most people think that in order to lose weight you have to do strenuous exercise, continuously, and lots of it! Well, Guess what? NOT TRUE!
I know you are thinking? That's crazy! It doesn't make any sense! I thought the same thing, when I first heard this. But it all comes down to understanding how your body works.
By exercising 20 minutes a day average, you can reduce your craving for the wrong kinds of foods that result from your life stresses. SO let's explore that concept of how the body really works! Your body has two ways to create energy. Your body can turn fat into energy, or it can turn blood sugar, glucose, into energy. But it can't do both at the same time. At any time, your body is either burning fat, or blood sugar. When your energy demand is low, your body burns fat. When you are walking, working at your desk, driving a car, and even sleeping - the demand for energy is low so the body is burning fat. But as soon as your activity levels increase - your body turns to blood sugar since fat cannot be converted into energy quickly enough.
Let's take an example. You are walking down the street to the bus stop (burning fat), and you see your bus start to close the doors and ready to leave. You start running - and very quickly your heart rate and your breathing will increase, and your body will begin to burn blood sugar instead of fat. Constant strenuous exercise conditions your body to burn blood sugar, instead of fat. Wow! That is an eye-opener, isn't it?
These types of strenuous exercises are great for the heart, lungs, and circulation, and you may want to do these AFTER you lose the weight. Until then, try anaerobic exercise that doesn't increase your heart rate. Try long, slow walks, because they are burning fat while you walk - but as an added bonus, you are conditioning your body to burn fat, opening up fat burning systems, burning calories, and building muscle
Weight lifting is another great exercise for losing weight because it will build muscle and muscle burns fat. Yep, that's true. The more muscle you have the more fat your body burns every day. Don't get me wrong - I am talking easy weight lifting, such as with 5 or 10 pound weights, and limit this to about 20 minutes a day, every other day. Alternate walking and weight lifting during the week - take Sunday Off. It is really that simple! Start your walking program easy too. Start with 5 minutes out, and then come back. Over time increase to 10 minutes out, and then come back; then 15, then 20. 20 minutes out and 20 minutes back - 40 minutes total every other day. Then stay consistent! One of the biggest problems with strenuous exercise is that people sometimes injure themselves early on in the program, and then that's the end of it! All you need to do is walk and weight lift - light workouts. And once you have gotten started, do it consistently. This easy exercise program combined with a program of nutrition, information, and personal coaching can be just your ticket, to getting rid of those unwanted pounds forever.
Quick, what's the first thought that pops into your head when you hear the word "diet?" Probably that when you're on one, you feel like you're going to "d-i-e" right?!
WHAT EXACTLY IS A DIET?
Most people believe that a diet is something that involves pain, suffering, and giving up foods we enjoy. Some of the symptoms of "being on a diet" usually include being hungry and cranky all the time. But this is not really the true meaning of the word and if you get hung up on all the negative stuff, you'll miss the entire concept.
Webster's dictionary defines a "Diet" as:
a : food and drink regularly provided or consumed;
b : habitual nourishment;
c : the kind and amount of food prescribed for a person for a special reason.
In other words, it's what we regularly or habitually eat and drink to nourish our bodies. That's not so bad. But here's the hidden truth that will turn your understanding of diets on its head and practically guarantee that you'll reach whatever weight goal you desire: Being "on a diet" really means having a plan for your eating instead of eating according to any spur-of-the-moment mood or habit. That's it!
This is so simple. But then most basic truths are. However, it's extremely powerful if you take the time to think about it and fully understand what it means. Let me say it again so that you don't miss it: Being on a diet really means having what you eat controlled by a PLAN instead of by your moods or habits.
WHY MOST DIETS DON'T WORK
The reason most diets don't work is because of the extreme measures most of them require. Some force you to give up everything except cabbage soup, or everything except meat and meat products, or everything except salads. This is not only monotonous, it's also pretty harsh -- not only harsh to stick with, but harsh on your physical wellbeing as well.
True, a monotonous diet is often effective at losing weight over the short term (ie: the Atkins Diet) but you have to wonder if you aren't giving up a part of your health in the process (ie: ketosis, acidosis, etc). Many conventional diets put the body in a highly acidic state which can create a number of health problems.
Our bodies are designed to absorb vitamins, nutrients, and minerals from a wide variety of foods and a monotonous diet runs directly counter to that. It simply isn't natural, and is the main reason most conventional diets just don't work in the long run.
THE RIGHT WAY TO DIET
The right way to diet is to think of dieting as a system of correct eating. Your diet should include a balanced plan for a variety of foods, taken in moderate amounts, and in the proper combination. Eat when you're hungry, not when the clock says it's lunch or dinner time.
So forget the fad diets that don't work and get started on planning a diet that you can stick with over the long term. This is the balanced approach to good health and nutrition, and it's an approach that you can live with for the rest of your life.
