Hi all

Anytime you exercise, your brain releases chemicals known as endorphins that produce a feeling of euphoria, which is known as “runners high”, which is also very easy to become chemically addicted to. Without this rush, you’ll feel irritable and out of it until you exercise again. 

Therefore, you’ll go on exercising and not listen to what your body is actually telling you – which is to stop. The main reason addicts will continue to push themselves lies in what will happen when they don’t work out. Normally when they are unable to exercise, they will display signs of depression, anxiety, confusion, and be less happy with themselves.

Aches and pains

Over exercising doesn’t only affect the mind, but the body as well.  Exercise will initially do what it is intended to do, give you a fit body but once you cross the line however, it can drastic. Muscle damage, osteoarthritis, and heart problems will all be waiting in the wings if you continue to overdo it.  The body has limits and if you push beyond that limit, you’ll do nothing but harm yourself.

Obsessive exercise tends to happen among those who are new to exercise.  Therefore, if you are keen to reap the benefits of getting fit, you’ll tend to overstep the limits. The initial signs of over exercise are exhaustion, which can lead to a build up of fatigue.  Keep in mind, it isn’t only the muscles that are at risk, but the bones as well.  Many people who exercise push themselves to the point of injuries such as shin splints or even stress fractures, then refuse to rest, which causes greater and sometimes even permanent damage.

Even a brisk walk in the morning doesn’t come without risk, as walking too much can lead to osteoarthritis.  When you walk, you are working against gravity.  Even though you are exercising your muscles, you are also harming your knee joints as well. Many people who walk up to an hour or more everyday end up with complaints of aches in the knees. 

 The fact is, jogging also harms the knees, and too many sit ups can hurt as well.  As with any type of exercise, moderation is the key. You should always start off gradually, and combine several different types of workouts, which is one thing that obsessive exercisers forget to do.  One of the biggest complication factors of people who get addicted to exercise is that they will tend to perform the same workout each and every day, which further increases the risk of permanent damage.

Think right

You should never work out to the point where you feel completely exhausted once you have finished. Your limit with exercise should be 45 minutes to an hour, four or five days a week.  When you are finished, your workout should leave you feeling fresh and energetic.  Every week should make it a point to take a day’s break – as your body will need to relax and rejuvenate.

The key to achieving this completely lies in your attitude, as exercising is the way to a healthy life.  If you do it only to please yourself, you’ll defeat the entire purpose when you stand there on the weighing machine. If you take things one day at a time and don’t over do it, you’ll be well on your way to a healthy body.  Exercising can be a lot of fun and a way to relax, if you don’t rush it.  Start off slow and gradually work your way up.  Before you know it, you’ll know how to prevent injuries before they happen and you’ll know exactly what you need to do to remain healthy.

Stay healthy

Alex

Hi all

The type of exercise you do all depends on you and
what you like to do.  What you hate doing, paying
membership fees, and whether or not to buy equipment
are all things you need to consider as well as answer.

If you choose something that you don’t like to do,
you aren’t going to keep doing it for a long period
of time.  Give it some thought – if you don’t like
jogging, you aren’t going to get up at 6 AM and go
running.  If you can’t find something you like to
do, choose something you hate the least, which will
normally be walking.

Walking is great exercise, as it suits all levels
of fitness.  Anyone can start a walking program at
any time, it’s normally the intensity and duration
that differs.  Walking is also a social exercise,
as it isn’t difficult to find a training partner
to chat with while you exercise. 

Walking with a partner will also make time go by faster.
No matter what exercise you choose, you should
start at a low level of intensity and build it up
over a period of weeks, which is essential to the
longevity of your exercise program.  If you start
off too hard, you could end up with an injury
which will require time off to get over.

If you are really in bad shape, you should start
off by walking for 10 minutes each day.  Then,
increase it by 5 minutes every 2 weeks.  To make
things more interesting, you should try walking
a different course every few days.  You can also
roster a different friend to walk with you each
day of the week.

If walking isn’t your thing, then you may want
to try a fitness center.  They have loads of
variety and normally have trainers on hand to
answer any questions you may have.  When you
choose a fitness center, make sure that they give
good service.

If they aren’t willing to treat you well before
you join, then they certainly won’t after you
join.  You should also make sure that the equipment
they use is well taken care of.  It’s easy to
find out, as all you have to do is listen to the
machines. 

If they squeak a lot or make noise,
then chances are they aren’t being taken care of.
If you still aren’t sure what you should do, then
you should look into golf or tennis.  Both are
good social activities in most areas, and you can
even meet new friends. 

Tennis is great for fitness although it isn’t for someone who is just starting
out.  If you haven’t exercised in a long time,
then golf may be the best activity for you.

Stay healthy

Alex

Hi all

Nothing beats waking up in the morning with the thought of going to the gym to lift weights or jog on the treadmill.  After a hard days work, the gym is one place you don’t even want to think about.  Sometimes, even the thought of exercising at home with your own equipment can be less than desirable. 

Sometimes, just trying to get and stay motivated to exercise on a regular basis can be a challenge.  No matter how you look at it, exercise can be downright boring and even tedious at times.

So, you may be wondering just how you can get the motivation you need to exercise on a regular basis. If you’ve been wondering what you can do to make exercise more fun, you’ll find some ideas below that just may help to make exercise more fun and a little bit easier.

First things first, you should exercise with a friend. You can challenge each other, help each other out, keep each other motivated and on track, make each other laugh or just make a game out of your exercise programs.

You can also try something different.  If you go to the gym each and every day and use the same piece of equipment or use the same piece of  equipment at home, you should try mixing things up. Reverse your routine or just change the order of your exercises. 

Go to a city park that has playground equipment and use the slide, climb on the monkey bars, do pull-ups, hang from your knees, just let your imagination guide you.  You don’t always need to follow a strict routine, just get out there and have fun working your muscles.

An outdoor circuit in the park is also something you can try.  There are some parks that have circuit courses set up with a planned course where all you have to do is walk or jog to each station and then follow the instructions. If there isn’t a planned course, then you should do a combination of jogging and walking, picking a distance of a couple hundred feet.  Jog 100 feet then drop and do a couple of pushups, walk the next 100 feet and then drop to do sit ups.

You can also ride a bike around your neighbourhood or hike on a hiking trail.  A walk in the park or around your neighbourhood is also a great way to get some exercise.  Doing yoga in the park or on a beach is also a nice and relaxing way to exercise both your body and your mind. Playing a competitive sport is also something you can try.  A lot of cities have team activities such as tennis, football, and so on. 

These types of activities will not only provide you with good exercise but they will also help you to meet new people as well. When you exercise, try to picture your muscles getting bigger.  Research has shown that if you
focus all of your thoughts on the muscles that you are working, they will respond better.  Try to watch them work with each repetition as your muscles contract and relax.

As you can tell, there are plenty of ways you can make exercise more fun and interesting.  You don’t need to follow the same routine day after day, as you can do many other things to get in some exercise.

The important thing is that you should always try to incorporate exercise in any various form into your everyday life and make these habits the kind of habits that will last a lifetime.

Stay healthy

Alex

This information is aimed at helping you to
reduce your fat intake.  The average individual
eats too much fat, a factor that’s linked to
a variety of health problems, including cancer.
Diets that are high in fat are associated with
breast and colon cancer, with some studies
linking high fat to prostate cancer as well.

A majority of people can bring their fat intakes
down to a healthy range by making a few adjustments
in the way they shop, cook, and prepare the foods
they eat.

Now days, it’s getting easier and easier to control
the amount of fat you consume.  The fat content of
foods are now available through the nutrition label
and through brochures distributed by food companies
and even fast food restaurants.

You can use this information on nutrition to choose
lower fat foods by comparing products and food
brands.  Once you have a rough idea of what a healthy
intake of fat is, you’ll know what you can and what
you can’t have.

From day to day, the amount of fat you eat will
vary.  Some meals and some days will be higher in
fat than others.  Even high fat meals can be kept
in line with healthy eating as long as you balance
those days accordingly.  The average fat intake over
the course of weeks and months is important, not the
fat intake of every meal and food you consume.

Younger adults and high active adults who have
higher calorie needs can probably eat a little more
fat.  Older adults and those that aren’t very active
should aim for a lower fat intake.  This way, you
can control your fat intake and avoid the many
problems that fat is associated with.

Stay healthy

Alex

Hi All

The nutrition label located on each and every food item,
will tell you all the information about that food.  For
some however, this information isn’t exactly that reader
friendly.  Fear not, as it’s actually easier than you
think.

Serving Size
This size is based on the amount people eat. Similar
food items will have similar serving sizes, thus making
it easier to compare 2 foods of the same category.

% Daily Value
This indicates how food will fit in a 2,000 calorie
diet.  This will help you to understand if the food
has a lot, or just a little of the important nutrients.

The middle section
The nutrients you’ll find listed in the middle section
are the ones that are most important to your health. 
This information can help you to calculate your daily
limit of fat, fiber, sodium, and other nutrients.

Vitamins & minerals
The percent daily value found here is the exact same
as the Recommended Daily Allowance for vitamins
and minerals. 

Now that you know what the nutrition label actually
means, it’ll be a lot easy to eat healthy.  Eating
healthy is a great thing – especially when you use the
nutrition label to assist you with your food choices.

Stay healthy

Alex

Hi all

Whenever we get too busy or stressed, we all tend
to make poor food choices that will actually
increase stress and cause other problems.  To get
the most of your healthy eating and avoid stress,
follow these simple tips.

Always eat breakfast
Even though you may think you aren’t hungry,
you need to eat something.  Skipping breakfast
makes it harder to maintain the proper blood and
sugar levels during the day, so you should always
eat something.

Carry a snack
Keeping some protein rich snacks in your car,
office, or pocket book will help you avoid blood
sugar level dips, the accompanying mood swings, and
the fatigue.  Trail mix, granola bars, and energy
bars all have the nutrients you need.

Healthy munchies
If you like to munch when you’re stressed out,
you can replace chips or other non healthy foods
with carrot sticks, celery sticks, or even
sunflower seeds.

Bring your lunch
Although a lot of people prefer to eat fast food
for lunch, you can save a lot of money and actually
eat healthier if you take a few minutes and pack
a lunch at home.  Even if you only do this a few
times a week, you’ll see a much better improvement
over eating out.

Stock your home
As important as it is to get the bad food out of
your house, it’s even more important to get the good
food in!  The best way to do this is to plan a menu
of healthy meals at snacks at the beginning of the
week, list the ingedients you need, then go shop
for it.  This way, you’ll know what you want when
you need it and you won’t have to stress over what
to eat.

Stay Healthy

Alex

Hi all

If you have problems serving healthy foods because
of the prices, you’ll find these tips to be just
what you need to eat healthy on a budget.

1.  Eliminate junk food
Doing your shopping on your own is the easiest way
to shop, as children and sometimes spouses are
usually the ones requesting junk food.  Shopping
alone will prevent this, and ensure that you only
buy the foods you need.

2.  Water or milk instead of soft drinks
You can still enjoy your favorite drinks at a
sporting event or night out, although you should
stick with the smallest size when shopping to save
money and calories.  Children and even adults need
milk or milk products on a daily basis.  Milk will
also help you get strong and provides calcium for
healthy bones and healthy teeth.

3.  Buy fruits in quantity
Whne they are in season, buy fruits in quantity
and freeze any extras.  You can buy several pounds
this way, and freeze extras to have them when the
fruit goes out of season.  Wash the fruit well,
remove any spoiled pieces, dry thoroughly, then
freeze in plastic zipper bags.

4.  Meats and beans
Meats and beans are the best sources for protein.
Lean meat is more expensive than meats with a lot
of fat.  Canned beans are a great deal as well,
as they give you protein at a great price.

5.  Beans as a substitute
You should use beans a substitute for meat on a
frequent occasion.  There are several varieties,
so you can prepare them in a crock pot, so when
you return home they are ready to consume.

The USDA recommends eating beans at least 4 times
per week.  If you experience gas after eating
beans you should try washing them, covering them
with water, bringing the water to a boil, then
draining it off and refilling the pot. 

6.  If you live in a coastal area or an area
where fish are around, make that an integral
part of your diet.  You can catch them from the
lakes or rivers, saving money in the process.

7.  Peanut butter is great for those on a budget
as it’s popular with almost everyone.  You can
use it for sandwiches instead of eating hot
dogs.  It does need to be refrigerated, although
bigger jars can last you for weeks.

8.  You should fill up with foods that have a high
content of water.  Watermelon, salads, and even
sugar free gelatin are all great examples. 

Eating healthy is always something you can’t go
wrong with.  You can eat healthy for just a few
bucks, which makes it perfect for those on a
budget. Now, you don’t need a lot of money to have
the lifestyle and health you’ve always wanted.

Stay healthy

Alex

Hi all

Fast food is a big part of modern life these days,
making it very hard to teach a child how he or she
should eat healthy.  The cheapest and easiest foods
are those that are normally the least healthy.  If
you give your child the choice between healthy food
and junk food, you normally won’t like the results.

Even though it isn’t possible to get a child to like
all healthy foods, there are some ways to get your
child to try and hopefully like at least a few of
them.  You can be as creative as you like, as getting
kids to eat healthy foods can be a little harder than
you may think.

Sneak the healthy food in.  Even though it would
be great if your kid understood the importance of
fruits and vegetables, this isn’t always possible.
If you can’t get them to eat good food willingly,
there are ways to sneak them in, such as making
muffins out of bananas or apples, or pizza with
spinach on it.

Call fruits and vegetables by funny names.  You
can refer to broccoli as “trees”, making them
more fun to eat.  There are many different names
you can call fruits and vegetables, even making up
your own if you prefer.  Most kids prefer to eat
foods that sound fun.

Make the foods taste better. Ranch dressing is
great for broccoli, while peanut butter is a great
topping for celery.  There are several combinations
for vegetables that can make them taste much
better.  You can let your child pick a topping
for a vegetable, even if it’s something you wouldn’t
normally like yourself.

Dress the vegetables up.  Just as much as calling
them names help kids eat healthy foods, making them
look funny also helps.  You can do this by making
funny designs on the plate, or setting them up to
look like people.  Although some parents don’t like
their kids playing with their food, sometimes it
helps to get them to eat healthier.

There are several ways to make your kids eat
healthier, but to make them enjoy it also has to
be fun as well.  This isn’t always an easy task,
because kids normally don’t like foods that are
good for them.  It can however, be done with a bit
of creativity.  Hopefully, doing this will help
your child develop a love of healthy foods for the
rest of their lives.

Stay healthy

Alex

Hi all

If you’ve been looking for a way towards a high
octane diet, you’ll find fiber to be exactly what
you need.  Even though research has shown fiber to
be powerful, many people aren’t taking this nutrient
seriously.

To help you fuel your health with fiber, here are
10 facts to help.

1.  Fiber fights diseases.  A diet high in fiber can
help to prevent colon cancer and heart disease.  High
fiber helps the body to eliminate cholesterol by
binding it in the digestive tract.  For thousands of
years, fiber has been used to stop constipation.

2.  Fiber can actually help with overeating.  All high
fiber foods will take longer to chew and digest,
making you feel satisfied longer

3.  Most popular foods don’t have enough fiber.  If
you like the more popular foods, you probably need
to increase your intake of fiber.

4.  Grains offer the most fiber.  Dietary fiber is
actually plant matter that we cannot digest.  The best
sources are whole grains and concentrated grain
products. 

5.  Kids need fiber as well.  Children that are older
than 2 years of age should consume a daily intake of
fiber.  Kids are most receptive to fiber found in
fruits, vegetables, and even fortified breakfast
cereals. 

6.  More fiber needs more water.  In order to keep
fiber moving through your digestive tract, you’ll
need to consume a lot of water.  With your diet of
fiber, you’ll need eight or more glasses of water
every day.

7.  Fiber cannot be cooked out.  When you cook
your fruits and vegetables, don’t worry about cooking
the fiber out, as it stays.  The fiber found in
fruits and vegetables aren’t just in the skin or
in the peel.

8.  You can get enough fiber.  If you eat more than
50 grams of fiber in a day, you can get diarrhea
and bloating, which can interfere with your body’s
absorption of other key minerals.

9.  Getting the right amount of fiber in your diet
doesn’t have to be hard.  Even though you may think
so, getting the amount of fiber you need isn’t very
hard to do.  All you have to do is eat the right
foods and you’ll be well on your way to a fiber
rich lifestyle.

As one of the key ingredients to healthy eating,
fiber is something you don’t want to skip.  Fiber can
serve many different purposes, which were covered
above.  If you’re not  getting enough fiber in your
diet you should do something about it now instead
of waiting until it is too late.

Stay healthy

Alex