Health and Fitness Nutrition

It is commonly known that nutrition is a critical part of everyday life. However, during pregnancy nutrition becomes even more critical for the health of you and your baby. Not only is nutrition critical during pregnancy, the nutritional needs of your body are different during this period of your life. Different nutritional needs develop because of changes in your body as well as the needs of a developing fetus. Your body is under a lot of physical stress during pregnancy which increases the need for special nutrition and added vitamins.

As soon as you find out that you are pregnant you need to consult your physician. The two of you should develop a pregnancy nutrition and fitness plan, that should be implemented as soon as possible. The first three months of your pregnancy are the most important because this is when most of your baby’s organs and brain are being developed. Proper nutrition during pregnancy can minimize the risk of birth defects, malformations and miscarriage. The first three months are when most miscarriages occur.

You should immediately begin taking special prenatal vitamins to ensure the health of you and your baby. This will help to ensure that your developing baby receives all the right vitamins that are needed. Folic acid is one of the most needed vitamins during pregnancy and women rarely obtain a sufficient amount through their diet. Prenatal vitamins need to replace the vitamins that you are currently taking. Your regular vitamins although sufficient when you are not pregnant, may be detrimental to your developing baby during pregnancy. A pregnancy specific nutrition and fitness plan will help ensure a happy and healthy baby and will also make you feel better during your nine month journey.

Turn on the Water Works

Although drinking 6-8 glasses of water is highly recommended for everyone, water becomes more important when you are pregnant. In fact, during pregnancy many experts recommend that you drink 10-12 glasses of water daily. Water does not include juice, soda, coffee of other types of beverages, it only includes water. You need to keep in mind that everything that you consume during pregnancy passes through to your unborn baby. Not only is water extremely important for a multitude of reasons, you should probably avoid or severely limit your intake of soda and coffee. These beverages, provide numerous chemicals that may not be healthy for your developing baby.

Drinking a lot of water may be difficult and many women find it easier to keep a water bottle with them at all times so they can continuously sip water throughout the day. If you do not like the taste of plain water, you can always add a small amount of juice or a twist of lemon to add some flavor. Extra water is needed to aide in your baby’s development, to remove waste from your system and to help ensure adequate flow of nutrients to your baby.

Drinking alot of water may also minimize or prevent some of the ailments you commonly experience during pregnancy, such as nausea, constipation, and swelling. Severe constipation is a common symptom during pregnancy because your developing baby depletes the water in your system.

Pregnancy Nutrition – Foods to Avoid

Your body and developing baby are much more vulnerable to bacteria and other contaminants during pregnancy. As a result, there are certain foods that you will be advised to either avoid completely or limit during your pregnancy. Here is a partial list of items that you need to avoid or limit:

1) raw eggs, this may include certain dressings or sauces;
2) unpasteurized milk and cheese, this may include certain soft cheeses;
3) raw or rare fish and meats;
4) fish that tend to have high mercury levels;
5) caffeine and alcohol;
6) unwashed vegetables; etc.

Unwashed vegetables are very bad because of the pesticides and bacteria that they may carry. Caffeine in moderation may be acceptable but make sure you obtain specific details regarding the quantity that is advised. Your doctor and a pregnancy nutritional guide should be consulted to develop a complete list for you to follow.

Summary and Additional Resources

Pregnancy nutrition and fitness are extremely important for the health of you and your developing baby. Your baby has special nutritional requirements that begin at the moment of conception. The first three months of pregnancy are the most important because that is when your baby’s organs and brain are being developed. It is also the time that most miscarriages occur.

Proper specialized nutrition can also make you feel better and provide additional energy during pregnancy which is critical because of the added stress that is being placed on your body. You will need to make sacrifices but it will pay off in the long run for you and your baby. When you see your healthy beautiful baby for the first time, you will know that it was all worth it!

There is a lot of information that you need to know about pregnancy and pregnancy nutrition. Although your doctor and loved ones can help, there is too much to learn for this method to be sufficient. We provide comprehensive pregnancy information and recommended pregnancy guides. We review the most popular guides to find the ones that are best for your needs.

Donna Deerkoski
http://www.articlesbase.com/women’s-issues-articles/special-pregnancy-nutrition-needs-123676.html

Lifetime-Natural Bodybuilder, Personal Trainer, Nutritionist and Success Coach From New Jersey Teaches You How to Turbo-Charge Your Metabolism, Gain Muscle, Burn Off Body Fat and Develop Unstoppable Motivation … Guaranteed! Discover How He’s Taught Thousands of People to Get Leaner Faster Than They Ever Thought Possible!

Even if You Have Less-than Average Genetics… Even If You’ve Never Succeeded at Losing Weight Before… Even If You Have Stubborn Fat Deposits That Don’t Seem To Budge… Right Here on This Web Page You’ve Found The Fat Loss Success System You’ve Been Looking For!

Outlaw Bodybuilder Thumbs Nose At Weight
Loss “Experts” Who Earn Fortunes On The
Sweat And Dreams Of Young Men & Women,
And Finally Reveals The Simple Proven Science
Of Fat Loss No One Else Will Tell You About You’re about to discover what might be the most powerful fat loss system ever developed. It’s the same diet program fitness models and bodybuilders use to reach single digit body fat levels and achieve rock-hard muscle definition that makes them look like walking anatomy charts.  

There are thousands of diet programs and dozens of people claiming to be experts. However, very few of these so-called “Fat loss experts” practice what they preach or have the credentials and track record to back up their claims. Since you’re probably wondering how this program is different, here’s the whole story:

Tom Venuto has been bodybuilding for 24 years and competing for 18 years. He’s been involved in the fitness industry as a personal trainer, health club manager, nutritionist, motivation coach and freelance writer for nearly 20 years. Bodybuilding and fitness is his life – it’s all he’s ever done.You may have seen his photos or articles in some of the magazines or on the Internet: He’s been in IRONMAN, Australian IRONMAN, Olympian’s News (in Italian), Muscular Development, Natural Bodybuilding & Fitness, Exercise for Men and Men’s Exercise. He has written over 190 articles on bodybuilding, fat loss and fitness and you can find his articles featured on dozens of websites worldwide including Bodybuilding.com, About.com, Lee Labrada’s Lean Body Coaching Club, Will Brink’s Muscle Building Nutrition.com, Global Health & Fitness.com, A to Z Fitness.com, and too many others to mention.He has a BSc. degree in exercise science, He’s a certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) and a certified personal trainer. He is a member of the International Society for Sports Nutrition (ISSN), the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the National Strength And Conditioning Association (NSCA). He is a competitive bodybuilder and has won three state and three regional championships. He’s even gone as far as 2nd place in the Mr. Natural USA and 2nd in the Mr. Natural North America contests.

One more thing – and this is important – he is a “lifetime natural” bodybuilder. “Natural” means he has never used steroids or any other banned or illegal physique enhancing drugs – ever! You can achieve AMAZING results on this program without ever taking drugs – and he’s living proof!Here is some great news for you! Since there are no printing costs for e-books, you can get this e-book for much less than it would cost if it were a hard copy manual – AND you get it instantly (no waiting for the snail mail!) Your investment in this life-changing e-book is now.                                                                                        
NOVYAR                                                                                                                                                     
Go here http://www.2boysons.synthasites.com

Novyar
http://www.articlesbase.com/online-promotion-articles/burn-the-fat-feed-the-muscle-673541.html

By Tom Gilliam, Ph.D.

The holidays are here in full (fattening) force. And unfortunately for the health conscious, along with the tinsel and the tree comes the onslaught of temptation: the rich turkey gravy, the dressing, the sugar cookies, the eggnog, the pie—all those comfort foods that taste especially comforting during a recession-marred holiday. But as we mentally prepare ourselves to push away from the festively set table, it’s easy to forget we aren’t the only ones facing tempting treats—our kids are too.

That’s right. Between parties at school and stockings stuffed with sugary surprises, our kids are just as susceptible to the guilty pleasures we allow ourselves during the holiday season. The bad news is that the “special occasion” indulgences we allow during the holidays can quickly morph into harmful bad habits for our children—habits that will last long after the gifts have been unwrapped.

A lifetime of fitness always begins at home, and that’s also true when the home is covered in tinsel and lights. Research shows over and over that the only way to combat childhood obesity is to make nutrition and exercise family priorities. And while it’s okay for them to indulge a little bit during the holidays, you should gently steer your kids away from the third buttery dinner roll and the double handful of chocolate candy.”

It’s no surprise that childhood obesity is a growing problem in the U.S. In fact, the New England Journal of Medicine recently reported that one in three kids is now overweight or obese. This reality has encouraged more and more companies to teach the “family fitness” principle to their employees, helping the “get kids and families healthy together” trend gather momentum.

Kids live what they learn, and parents are their number one source of information. If they see you making unhealthy choices, they will naturally assume it’s okay for them too.

With busy holiday schedules and tightened budgets, it may seem impossible to come up with new and creative ways to help get your family on the fitness bandwagon. Not so. Making just a few simple changes to your family’s daily routine can have a huge impact on everyone’s overall fitness.

Here are some tried and true tips for getting your family in shape—not only during the holidays but at any time of the year:

Find “hidden” exercise in your holiday housekeeping routine. It may seem like a no-brainer, but good old fashioned chores can be one of the best ways to keep in shape. And, luckily, there are many reasons to do chores this time of year. Be sure to involve your kids in any pre-holiday festivities clean-up or just the general tidying up of the house. Vacuuming, dusting, mopping, sweeping, and taking out the trash are all ways your kids can do their part for the family while helping to get in the physical activity they need each day. Crank up the volume on some good music during chore time to get everyone moving and the house will be clean in no time!

Brave the frosty air and enjoy winter workouts. On snowy days, get bundled up and get moving. Go sledding, build snow angels, and have a snowball fight with your kids. If you’re near a city, hit the sidewalks and enjoy the holiday window displays. Or if it’s too cold or rainy, visit an indoor sports facility like a batting cage or an indoor rock climbing center. It certainly beats sitting inside being a couch potato!

Alleviate winter break boredom with a spirited game of Duck, Duck, (Christmas) Goose. Know how restless your kids get when they’re out of school for a few weeks? Add instant entertainment—and sneak in some exercise—by showing them the games you used to love to play when you were a kid. Teach them all about Red Rover; Mother, May I?; Duck, Duck, Goose; and Red Light, Green Light—then spend an hour after dinner playing one of them. It’s a great way to stay active and create some special childhood memories for your own children. Check out www.gameskidsplay.net for a complete listing of instructions plus other suggestions for new games to learn and try together!

Model good “snacking” habits. As mentioned before, your kids learn their eating and exercising habits from you. If they see you make a healthy snack choice like an orange instead of reaching for yet another handful of holiday party mix, they’ll go for the good stuff too. But don’t rely on pure willpower. Try to keep the house low on junk food. Help kids avoid temptation by keeping the house stocked with healthful and delicious snack foods like yogurt, fresh fruit, raisins, and natural peanut butter. Just because it’s the holidays doesn’t mean it’s okay to gorge on sugary and fat-filled foods.

On the other hand, don’t ban all holiday treats. When trying to get the family eating more healthfully, many parents make the mistake of throwing out all of the candy, cookies, juice drinks, and other foods that kids tend to love. That is the wrong approach. Don’t make any food totally off limits. As long as food is consumed in moderate amounts, it’s okay! Making something off limits can cause your child to binge on treats when they are available at school or at Grandma’s. Besides, the holidays just wouldn’t be the holidays without the occasional Christmas cookie or Hanukkah doughnut.

Make exercise a daily habit. Whether it’s a 30-minute stroll after dinner each night or a weekly trip to the local walking trail, make exercising with your family a consistent routine in your day-to-day lives. Besides being good for you, it can help you alleviate some holiday stress and help your kids burn off some of their excited energy. When it’s a part of your regular schedule, like going to Grandma’s on Sundays or having spaghetti for dinner on Thursday nights, your kids will expect it. And who knows? If you keep up the fitness routine, your kids might even look forward to the additional family time.

Set up a holiday fitness competition. Kids are naturally competitive. Use that quality to their advantage. Buy everyone a pedometer and tell the kids that whoever logs the most miles gets to open the first Christmas or Hanukkah present. Alternately, create a goal that the whole family can work on together. Set a number of miles for the week and chart each family member’s progress at the end of the day. At the end of the week, if the family has achieved their collective goal, then celebrate with a movie night or a special (low-fat!) frozen yogurt treat.

Encourage kids’ culinary curiosity. You should never stand in the way of your child trying something new, even if you suspect she won’t like it. Always encourage their interest in trying new foods and you will be rewarded when they discover they do like broccoli and Brussels sprouts. You might also be surprised by what you can sneak by your kids. The holiday season is a great time for them to try out foods they don’t eat every day that are nutrition powerhouses—pumpkins, cranberries, and spicy teas, for example.

Let them help make the figgy pudding. Kids love to help in the kitchen, and by allowing them to be a part of the food prep process, you can seize a great learning opportunity. And they’ll especially enjoy having a hand in preparing your Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa feast. Explain to them why you use certain foods and techniques to be healthier. Allowing your kids to help in the kitchen gives them a sense of ownership over the meal, and they will be more eager to gobble up a healthy dinner that they had a hand in cooking!

Sneak “fitness” gifts into their stockings. There are lots of great (and inexpensive) resources out there that can help you keep maintaining a healthy lifestyle on your kids’ minds. For older kids a subscription to a fitness magazine might make a good stocking stuffer. You might also throw in a fitness DVD—beginner’s martial arts and beginner’s yoga or pilates are great options. For younger kids, my own series of brightly illustrated children’s books, featuring cartoon characters Heart “E” Heart and friends, is a huge hit and a great way to get them thinking about healthy living. And jump ropes, stretch bands, and dumbbells are appropriate gifts for kids of all ages and can be bought for under $10. While the recession has caused many families to cancel fitness club memberships, the good news is that many, many fitness items are reasonably priced. You don’t have to bust your budget to give your kids the best gift of all—the keys to a healthy life.

Remember, getting fit and healthy is not about going to extremes. It’s about making small, gradual, incremental changes in your day-to-day life. And that’s why the holidays are a good time to help your kids start the process—there’s something valuable about practicing the art of moderation in a season known for the exact opposite.

You know the cliché about New York—if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere? Well, the same is true of the holidays. If you show your kids they can exercise when it’s 20 degrees outside and they can stop with two sugar cookies instead of wolfing down six, think how much easier it will be to make healthful choices when it’s warm outside and there’s no endless supply of treats to tempt them. Get them in the habit now and maintain it all year long; eventually they’ll grow up to be what you want them to be: healthy and happy adults.

# # #

About the Authors:

Thomas B. Gilliam, Ph.D., is the founder and president of T. Gilliam & Associates, coauthor of the book Move It. Lose It. Live Healthy.: The Simple Truth About Achieving & Maintaining a Healthy Body Weight, creator of the Move It. Lose It. Live Healthy.® wellness program, designed to teach workers how to achieve a healthy body weight, creator of www.moveitloseitlivehealthy.com, and founder and owner of Industrial Physical Capability Services, Inc. (IPCS).

Since 1982, Dr. Gilliam has designed and managed many corporate fitness centers ranging from 500 square feet to 34,000 square feet. He has established a variety of wellness programs to deal with such health issues as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, physical inactivity, stress, osteoporosis, low back pain, and many more.

In addition, Dr. Gilliam is a pioneer and acknowledged expert in the field of dynamic strength testing for industry based on the sports medicine model. Since 1982, he has provided isokinetic physical capability assessments for Fortune 1000 companies through his company Industrial Physical Capability Services, Inc. (IPCS) (www.ipcs-inc.com). Dr. Gilliam’s programs have dramatically reduced workers’ compensation costs and decreased injury incidence and severity rates for major industrial clients. In addition, Dr. Gilliam has been instrumental in identifying and presenting to industry the higher risk for injury and disease caused by obesity in the workplace.

Dr. Gilliam is the creator of the Heart “E” Heart program, which is a healthy lifestyle program for children and their families. He was the principal investigator in a National Institutes of Health research study investigating the impact of physical activity and nutritional habits on heart disease risk in young children. Conducted in the late 1970s, this research resulted in numerous scholarly publications and television and radio interviews throughout the world, including NBC’s Today Show and NBC’s Nightly News with its science editor, Robert Basel.

In 1973, Dr. Gilliam earned a doctorate degree in exercise physiology with a minor in graduate statistics and research design from Michigan State University. From 1974 to 1982, Dr. Gilliam was a tenured faculty member at the University of Michigan. Before resigning from his tenured faculty position, he was involved with numerous funded research projects (i.e., N.I.H., Kellogg Foundation, State of Michigan, and others) that resulted in twenty-nine refereed scholarly publications.

Jane C. Neill, R.D., L.D., is the 2004 recipient of the Nutritionist of the Year Award for the State of Alabama Public Health. She is an active member of the American Dietetic Association and currently employed by the Alabama Department of Public Health, where she works with the WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) program as a WIC coordinator and a licensed dietitian. She has worked in the WIC program for over ten years, providing daily nutrition counseling for women, infants, and children.

While on the staff as a registered dietitian at the University of Michigan Health System in the late 1970s, Jane was instrumental in working with Dr. Gilliam as an investigator on the National Institutes of Health research study to investigate the impact of physical activity and nutritional habits on heart disease risk in children ages six to eight years.

Ms. Neill is a member of the team that developed and wrote the Heart “E” Heart program for children and their families.

She received her bachelor’s of science degree from the University of Alabama in 1977 in food, nutrition, and institutional management. Ms. Neill has been working as a registered dietitian for over twenty-seven years.

About the Book:

Move It. Lose It. Live Healthy.: The Simple Truth About Achieving & Maintaining a Healthy Body Weight (Move It. Lose It. Live Healthy., LLC, 2008, ISBN-13: 978-0-9762703-5-5, ISBN-10: 0-9762703-5-8, $19.95) is available in bookstores nationwide and through all major online booksellers.

For more information, visit www.moveitloseitlivehealthy.com.

C. Hand
http://www.articlesbase.com/wellness-articles/the-festive-fit-family-ten-ways-to-combat-childhood-obesity-by-getting-the-whole-family-healthyholiday-style-691844.html

Under the surface, every body is built the same. Each of us has an athlete’s body buried down there somewhere – and we all have the ability to move like athletes. Some of us are just ahead of others in terms of our fitness progress. However, with appropriate nutrition, sleep and exercise, everyone can jump and move just like athletes do. This is how life is meant to be played, and our bodies are built for exactly this kind of movement!

Before you begin a training regimen, it is important to determine your specific training goals. Are you a professional athlete training to increase your level of performance? Are you a general health-and-fitness enthusiast who wants to slim down and feel great? Are you a physical laborer who wants a permanent solution for your back pain so you can start feeling strong and healthy again? Are you seriously overweight, and ready to make and stick to a life-changing commitment?

Only after you have determined your major health and/or fitness concern can you begin working toward that goal. For example, it wouldn’t be very productive to train like a bodybuilder and put on a lot of nonfunctional muscle that weighs a ton if you had a goal to compete as a professional boxer. It is essential to identify your primary goal and remain focused on it without getting sidetracked into a training agenda that will only detour your success.

You must be specific when you design your training program, ensuring that it will accomplish the specific things you desire from it. Be clear and precise with your goals. Have a realistic timeframe. How much time are you willing to commit to this exercise program – per day, per week, per month? What is the best time of day to fit exercise into your busy schedule? Determine a time that will work, and adhere to it – no excuses. Admit honestly how far you are from achieving this goal, so you can gauge how long it’s going to take to get from your starting point to that goal.

The most important thing is to design a program that is specifically tailored to your needs. A general one-size-fits-all plan, or one created for another individual, will not necessarily work for you. Your level and ability are different from others’, as are your goals. So don’t look to train like anyone else, and don’t expect others to train like you.

Once you’ve identified your goals and designed a program to help you accomplish them, all that’s left is to begin!

Scott White
http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/setting-fitness-training-goals-57660.html

Since 2002, I have been able to help hundreds of people improve their health, burn fat, build muscle and get into the best shape of their lives. Now, make no mistake about it, a big part of this is our properly designed rapid fat loss interval training program and nutritional guidance. I have done the research for you and trust me when I say, our system flat out works. But, today I am going to share something more powerful; something that must be set in place before you can even start to think about following a fitness program.

So, here it is:

What do you think is the real secret behind my clients and their success stories? Well, if your answer was my aforementioned boot camp training and nutrition systems, then your answer is wrong. Indeed, it is one of the most time efficient and effective programs you’ll ever see, but unfortunately it’s useless if someone is unwilling to start it AND stick to it, right? So, it appears that the most important component of changing your body is finding the motivation to achieve your goals, and that’s the main focus of this article today. I want to explain the exact process wew go through when it comes to identifying who is going to succeed as a training client. It’s a “consultation” and three step goal setting process that each one of my clients undergoes before they start working with us.

Before I outline this process, let me just come clean with something. There are a lot of people who think defining real goals with a real plan is a little far fetched, almost useless. They just want the “magic bullet”. Right here, right now, no real plan, no hard work.

Unfortunately, these people just don’t get it and frankly if you are one of those people, please do us both a favor and stop reading this article and go buy another useless weight loss diet pill or some fitness magazine down at the book store, because I simply cannot do anything for you.

Take no offense, but I can only help people who want to learn and are committed to changing their life. I simply cannot help people who already think they know it all and think they are too good to take some time to figure out what the heck it is that they actually want to accomplish.

The bottom line is that the most successful people out there, and I mean not just weight loss success, I am talking business, lifestyle, etc., are shamelessly goal driven. They know exactly why they want to do something and harness that super motivation to figure out what and by when they want to go about accomplishing that. In addition, they plan and prepare for every possible roadblock they will encounter in their path to success. This is what I want to teach you how to do today, so let’s get to it!

Step One- The Why: Why do you want to do this?

This is where it’s time to get real. In almost every initial client consult, when I ask why they have contacted me today, here is the typical blanket response that I first hear:

“Well, I guess I want to get healthy and lose some weight.”

That is good start, but if you think that’s all, you’d be mistaken. There has got to be more to this. Sure, I know they want to lose weight and be healthy, I mean who doesn’t, but really WHY do they want to do this? I mean, what is it that’s going to get them up at 5 am to get their morning workouts in or take a couple of hours on Sunday to plan and prepare their meals for the upcoming week? It sure isn’t “being healthy” because for some reason this just isn’t a very powerful motivator for most people (though it should be).

Let’s face it: everybody wants to look better naked. Stop giggling, you know it’s true and frankly that’s okay. Because whether you admit it or not, the desire to improve one’s appearance is the most powerful motivator on the planet. You want to feel strong, empowered, sexy AND attractive, if not for a significant other, then for ourselves…but probably a combination of both.

So, after a little more digging, I find out the real reason why they want to do this; I want to pinpoint their past or pain and then establish their current and future ambitions. Some people want to be able to mow the lawn in the summer with their shirt off and not feel self-conscious. Others want to get back into their favorite pair of pants that they haven’t been able to get one leg into for the last five years. Others want tighten up their skin, and “see” muscle definition. Then there are those who want to look and feel more attractive to ignite some passion back into their relationships or improve their physical image for work or career. And of course, my personal favorite is preparing for big events that have built in deadlines. Maybe you want to get as lean and tight as possible for you new bathing suit, sitting on the beach during your big Hawaiian vacation. Maybe you or a family member is getting married and you want to “wow” everyone with your new body. Whatever it is, there IS a motivation behind putting in all the sweat equity that comes with our boot camp training. This is the stuff that gets people hyped up and ready to commit to making some real changes.

So, the first thing you have to figure out is your personal WHY. To make this even simpler for you, just answer this question: what are your physical dreams? Once you establish this, everything else is easy.

Step Two- The What and When: What do you want to achieve and when do you want to achieve it by?

So we already figured out the obvious: you want to look better, be desirable and feel healthy! So, now we need to establish what objective goal(s) need to be accomplished in order to realize this personal dream.

Well, from a logistics standpoint and keeping things as cost effective as possible, there are three popular ways to track your “look better” progress, in order of importance from least to most important:

1.) Scale Weight: This is by far the least important goal, but it gives a number that’s worth tracking. Though body fat percentage would be a much better method of tracking progress, it is simply too inaccurate on a small scale and too costly on a large scale. The key is to taking your initial weight before you start and then not weighing more than every 2 weeks. I have found most people to do better with tracking their weight every month. There are simply too many variables for controlling your body weight and the natural fluctuations based on diet (and for women, their menstrual cycle), means the less frequently you do this the better. If the scale is just too de-motivating for you in general, then just skip this one altogether. The 3 little numbers on the scale are not that critical…the following two markers are far more important.

2.) Dress/Pant Size: This is probably the most simple and effective unused method of tracking whether or not you look better. I think it’s safe to say that if you are dropping dress and/or pant sizes that you will be looking better, right? Your best bet is to also select one dress or one pair of pants that you really want to get into since that is the true end goal in mind. I tell my clients to assess how they are fitting in their preferred dress/pant size tracker on a weekly or bi-weekly basis as clients follow our training program. Be sure to stick with this piece of clothing, so you are not confused by different manufacturers and their size variations. There’s nothing more empowering than to feel yourself fit better and better into your favorite clothing.

3.) Digital Pictures: Pictures don’t lie, that’s the bottom line. If you want the truth, what better way than pictures? This is of overriding importance. Taking a before picture is essentially you telling the whole world that you are ready to change and that you are ready to do whatever it takes to make those changes. The key is take pictures wearing exactly what you want to look your best in. Maybe the jeans you’re trying to fit into, maybe it’s a sleeveless shirt and tank top that you want to wear during the summer. And if you want to see your abs, then you best believe that you need to take pictures of your midsection to track how much more definition you get. Take a front, side, and rear view picture and be sure to note the exact conditions in which the picture was taken (lighting, distance from camera, time of day/week, etc.) to be as accurate as possible in your assessment. These “before” pictures will become your trophy shots of your past life and are an absolute must if you really are serious about getting results that count. We tell our clients to take new pictures either bi-weekly or monthly until they reach their goal(s).

Step Three- Plan and prepare for roadblocks: What are the big obstacles that will prevent you from having the success you desire? What has contributed most to past failures?

Now that we know what you want to accomplish, it’s time to plan and prepare for any obstacles that might get in your way of getting the job done based on your own personal schedule.

In general, the number one thing I hear is that people are too busy and tired and don’t have enough time to get their workouts in or make healthy, nutrition friendly meals.

Well, I don’t care how busy you think you are, there is always hidden time throughout the day and week that can be freed up if your re-prioritize. Again, think back to why you wanted to do this in the first place and then examine what’s most important to you. Make your workouts and your meal times just like work appointments, non-negotiable deadlines. Either you make the appointment or you don’t. And if you want to keep your job (or get your dream body) then you better make that appointment. One more thing for you on being busy. You don’t need any special whiz-bang fitness gimmicks. You’ve got everything you need built right in…your bodyweight. There are amazingly effective bodyweight workouts that could take only a few minutes a day to complete. Problem solved.

Another big obstacle is alcohol. People like to drink and unfortunately alcohol is about as detrimental to burning fat as it gets. Again, what’s more important to you, looking sexy or getting hammered? The choice is yours. Remember, once you achieve your goal(s), alcohol can be added back in with moderation. But understand something, low to zero alcohol consumption is needed if you want to look your best year round and that’s a fact. Don’t give me that garbage about having just one-drink-a-day. Quit sabotaging yourself and grab your water bottle.

Lastly, many people deal with boredom eating or emotional eating. Boredom eating means just that, eating to fill up dead time when you have nothing better to do. The best way to deal with this is, you guessed it, to do something! Find an active hobby to keep your mind off of eating when boredom takes over and you can easily beat this trend. Emotional eating describes the use of food to cope with stress or to reward for accomplishment. Food is not unlike drugs or alcohol in this regard, it can be very addictive. There is no quick fix for emotional eating other than avoiding trigger situations (bars, parties, etc.) and trigger foods (starches, sugars, fast food, etc.) in the short term to break bad habits.

At the end of the day, whether your roadblocks are very unique to you or fall within the realms of what I see everyday with my training clients, the key is to be honest about them and to plan and prepare for them. And that’s where social support and accountability come into play. The clients who have had the most success with us have undergone their transformation with the support of other friends or family members. This is so critical, especially since most of the poor food and drinking choices that sabotage one’s progress occur on the weekend, when most people hang out with their loved ones. If they are committed with you and your goal to get fit and look better, you can put yourself in a much better position to realize the success you desire and deserve.

Curtis Hoekstra
http://www.articlesbase.com/wellness-articles/top-scottsdale-fitness-trainer-shows-how-to-turn-new-year-resolutions-into-reality-714433.html

Abstract – Many health and fitness enthusiasts advocate the using fitness and protein powders. However according to experts they aren’t right for everyone. Find out if they are right for you and your health and fitness goals.

Those who use protein powders claim they improve athletic performance, help build muscle and decrease workout fatigue. Protein powders are safe to take and convenient to make. Studies show protein is most beneficial during the post-workout. This is the fifteen to forty five minute period following the exercise, when the exhausted muscle is most receptive to replacing nutrients. Preparing a protein shake in this time frame is easier than cooking a meal. The liquid protein is also more available to your system faster.

There are experts who say however that these powders are not necessary for getting and staying physically fit. All that is needed is the proper diet which includes the nutrients these powders have. There is no benefit in taking protein in pill or powder form. Excess protein is used as energy or stored as body fat not as muscle. Heavy overloading on protein can lead to side effects which can include diarrhea, bloating, frequent urination and even kidney stones or gout.

To decide if they are right for you, you must look at your specific training goals, food preferences, your body composition, and your health and nutrition habits. If you decide to buy a protein powder know what you are buying. There are four main types: Whey, casein-(which are both milk-derived sources), soy and egg.

When choosing a powder you should consider the protein to calorie ratio. This ratio should be high. Multiply the grams of protein per serving listed on the label by 10. The resulting number should be at least as large as the total calories per serving. If not, choose another powder. You should also be checking the label for any undesirable ingredients like high-fructose corn syrup, artificial colors and flavors, or partially hydrogenated oils.

Also important is the amino acid content. Two non-essential amino acids are available in powders have significant value for athletes. Glutamine is known to decrease muscle breakdown. Creatine, which is a combination of the amino acids arginine, glycine and methionine, may help increase the kind of muscle strength needed to perform quick, explosive movements (like sprinting or certain types of weightlifting).

It is also important to consider both the taste and mix-ability of the powder. If you dislike the taste you will be less likely to use it. If you are bringing your powder to the gym you are away from a blender so avoid proteins powders that clump or sink.

Allison Preston
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/getting-more-out-of-fitness-powders-86009.html

Are you looking to improve and lead an active lifestyle. Health is a subject which we are concerns about and proper health care provision will helath to be healthy and strong.

Here are the topic which will take a look at:

Fitness and excercies: Men’s always aim to improve their physique, fitness and exercising has became a common way to get in well built and to be healthy. Well quality of health care is also affected by lack of training and education to health care professional so before getting stared with your exercises need to consult good professional fitness doctor. He will guide and help you to buildup your body.

Healthy diet: Analyzing your diet is a part of being healthy. Yes proper diet help us to be healthy and fit. Diet should be less oil and more of green vegetable so you body get all the required vitamins. If you are gaining unwanted weight or have any digestion problems it’s always good to take an opinion of your dietician. It will definitely help you in accordance to your diet and nutrition. Like balanced eating, dietary needs, food allergies, dieting, healthy foods, additives, preservatives and emulsifiers.

Sports and adventure: Men’s are generally found of sports and adventure. But many times they get injured or some times get some or the other health problems. To play under guidance of trainee will help you to enjoy the game. Men’s above 45 ages generally get muscle and joint pain after playing to avoid all such pain and training is required which will result in reduction of such health problems.

General health: Health is important to us all but there are some diseases, conditions and health issues that are of special interest to men. Always be fit and fine visit doctor once in a month. It is said that prevision is always better then cure. To keep all the diseases away and all the health related problems. Live a health and long life.

Anna Josephs
http://www.articlesbase.com/supplements-and-vitamins-articles/forget-your-health-problems-and-live-long-life-72981.html

Have you ever wished that ketchup were considered a vegetable? It would ease so much parental guilt.

The issue of family nutrition is ripe for guilt. The choices we as parents make have a direct effect on the health of each member of our family. Yet our daily life routine can make it difficult to create healthy mealtimes and habits. Still, until our kids reach a certain age, we are responsible for helping them make the choices that will guide them through adulthood.

Here are fourteen tips for giving your family a health makeover.

1. Do a Body Mass Index (BMI) check. Is everyone in your family at an optimal weight? Find out by using a BMI calculator (which you can find by doing a simple Google search for “BMI Calculator.” Enter the height and weight of each family member. Take a minute to talk about healthy weight and height and all the benefits of living a healthy life, from improved energy to the decreased likelihood of certain diseases. Make a plan together to help everyone get to his or her optimal weight in the months to come. There are lots of support networks and diets online that can help you achieve this end, for people of ages.

2. Write down your goals. As a family, write down what each person pledges to do in the coming weeks and months to become a healthier person. It is best to start with one or two specific goals. If you choose too many things at first, you are more likely to become overwhelmed and quit. Small changes can lead to big differences in your life.

3. Make your health goals into a family game. Talk about the healthy choices each person made each day. Reward these choices on a daily or weekly basis.

4. Cut down on soft drinks. Replace one or two sugary soft drinks or energy drinks each day with water. You can add a splash of lemon or lime juice if it helps make plain water more palatable at first. Once you start drinking a lot of water, you will begin to crave it, and you will no longer feel like the sugary drinks do much to quench your thirst.

5. Drink more water. A good rule of thumb is to drink one-half ounce of water for every pound of body weight. Calculate out how much water each person in your family should be drinking each day. Once you are hydrated, you may find that you sleep better and are better able to keep your moods on an even keel, too.

6. Eat breakfast together. Enjoying a family mealtime is a great way to stay emotionally connected. Start your day with the family by eating a nutritious breakfast. Make sure to include some form of lean protein to help you maximize your energy.

7. Exercise together. Think of ways you can combine family togetherness with exercise. Take a walk together in the evenings, and go sledding or bicycling on the weekend.

8. Is there anywhere you can walk instead of drive as a family? Or consider taking your bikes.

9. Subscribe to healthy living magazines and encourage everyone to read about the latest research on how nutrition affects our lives, and stay motivated to exercise and live a healthy, fit life. A good fitness magazine can be tremendously motivating.

10. Cut down on your television. If you do watch TV, watch it together as a family and use the programming as spark for family conversations.

11. Turn off the TV when you eat breakfast or dinner together. Without the accompaniment of TV or radio, you’ll be more aware of what you are eating, and how much you are eating. Plus, you will be able to more closely bond with your family during the meal. Start each meal with a ritual conversation starter. “What was the best thing about your day?” is a great one.

12. In addition to TV time, try limiting video games and computer time, too. Plan a family game night with a favorite board game. Do household chores together. Join an organized sports league.

13. Make healthy alternatives readily available. Set a bowl of fresh fruit on the kitchen counter, as well as bowl of carrots, broccoli, sugar snap peas and raw broccoli.

14. Go easy on yourself. Remember that the example you set will be followed by your children. One of the most important methods for creating a healthy family is to make your health and fitness a priority by staying active and making nutritious food choices, and they likely will, too.

Jamie Jefferson
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/give-your-family-a-health-makeover-86840.html

Copyright (c) 2007 SharpBrains

A year ago we wrote a Glossary where we defined Brain Fitness as “the general state of good, sharp, brain and mind, especially as the result of mental and physical exercise and proper nutrition” and a Brain Fitness Program as a “structured set of brain exercises, usually computer-based, designed to train specific brain areas and functions in targeted ways, and measured by brain fitness assessments.”

Now, thanks to a recent ELDR magazine article, we can add Brain Fitness Vacation to the glossary:

“A brain fitness vacation is like a regular vacation, only you attend events, do exercises, and arrange for experiences that address the aspects of good brain health: physical exercise, mental exercise, good nutrition, and stress management.”

Dave Bunnell, the founder and editor of new magazine ELDR (and previously editor of PC World, PC Magazine, Upside, and many other magazines) met Dr. Goldberg and myself after our speech in San Francisco State University last May. When he showed an interest in writing a story, and I mentioned half-jokingly that it would have to wait a few weeks since my wife and I were about to take a much needed “brain fitness vacation”, he said, well, maybe that’s the story!.

Here you have some of the activites mentioned in the article:

1) Guesstimation. Lisa asks Alvaro a question, “How many trees are there in San Francisco?” To come up with an answer, Alvaro first tries to guess how many trees, on average, there are in a city block. He then calculates approximately how many blocks there are in a square mile, followed by how many square miles there are in San Francisco, and so on.

2) Number Series. Alvaro says, “Two, three,” and Lisa replies, “four, six.” Alvaro then says, “Six, nine,” and Lisa replies, “Eight, twelve.” He says,”Ten, fifteen,” and the sequence goes on as long and as fast as you can keep doing it.

3) Haiku. During the entire vacation, Alvaro and Lisa composed haiku for each other every morning. The rule was they couldn’t write them down. They had to create them in their heads and remember them.

4) Sensory training. Lisa puts a piece of chocolate into Alvaro’s mouth while his eyes are closed. He lets it melt completely without chewing and without opening his eyes. Next, he puts a grape in Lisa’s mouth.

5) Visualizations. Alvaro and Lisa sit quietly for about 15 minutes, breathe deeply using their diaphragms, and visualize special moments from their past, such as the most beautiful view they’ve ever seen, or a loving personal moment.

I hope this gives you some ideas for your next trip with your partner!

Alvaro Fernandez
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/brain-fitness-vacations-for-baby-boomers-tips-for-staying-sharp-241279.html

What makes a seasoned woman? Time. Like a good wine, she’s complex. Life experience has taught her that she is not defined by her chronological age. If you’re a seasoned woman you know your health is your most precious asset. You know that the best gift you can present to the world is a healthy YOU – physically, mentally, and emotionally.

But if you’re over 40 and especially if you’re over 45, you’ve probably realized that keeping fit and healthy isn’t the same game you played in your 20′s and 30′s. Maybe you can’t lose weight as easily as you once did. The same workouts aren’t producing the same results. Every woman over 40 knows that feeling of frustration when she’s gained a few extra pounds, or of not being able to work out as intensely as she once did. Busy lifestyles make healthy eating and exercising even more challenging.

While we’re not all the same, every woman needs to exercise and embrace healthy eating habits. I’ve identified 5 of the biggest barriers to staying fit after age 40 – and how you can overcome them. I want you to challenge your beliefs about eating, exercising, and how you look. Learn your individual “factory settings” and how you can naturally and intuitively stay fit and healthy. Staying fit isn’t about feeling bad. It’s about feeling strong.  And having fun – not stressing about every forkful of food or every minute on the treadmill. Remember, you become what you believe! Be the beautiful, seasoned woman you are – it’s the spice that makes the dish!

 Barrier 1: The cookie cutter syndrome

Your body has specific factory settings that are unique to you. What you may not know is your body naturally wants to take you to your optimum weight (not Jessica Alba’s or Angelina Jolie’s) as long as you don’t fight it. You just have to reacquaint yourself with you and stop using cookie cutter programs that don’t address YOUR special needs! Yes, it might be harder to lose or maintain your weight once you hit your forties and fifties, but when you understand how your individual body works, you can get results faster and maintain them easier.

You’ll look great and feel even better. Take off your clothes and take a good look at yourself in the mirror. Like a lobster that discards its old shell and grows new shells throughout its lifetime, you have the power to throw off old images of your body and embrace who you are right now – without beating yourself up about it. Start paying attention to your body. Follow its wisdom.

You are not doomed to either being overweight or to being on a perpetual diet. Once you accept the body you were born with, you can return to your unique, normal weight – as nature intended. What I’m strenuously against is the endless pressure to be THIN. That’s a huge part of the problem. The data from some treatment centers shows a steady increase in eating disorders in women over the age of 40. We’re all different. Some bodies are meant to be soft and curvy. Others are naturally sharp and angular. That’s the beauty of diversity. Accepting and loving the unique beauty of your body will set you free and give you confidence and power!

Barrier 2: Minding Your Metabolism

Nutrition is essential to metabolism. Everyone is familiar with the word “metabolism”, but not a lot of people know what it means. You probably know someone who can eat anything they want and not gain weight. Well if you believe some people are just born with robust metabolism….it’s a myth!

The truth is, you are not the victim of your metabolism – you are the creator of your metabolism. There’s no mystery. Food is simply energy. Your body requires energy to function. Food in the form of protein, carbohydrates and fat are your main sources of energy (calories). Take in more energy than you need from any of these and your body will store it as fat.  You need to eat smarter, not less. Lose the mindset: “eat less, weigh less.” Restricting your calories will guarantee you a slower metabolism. The act of HEALTHY eating – which is prompting your body to process the supportive foods frequently – guarantees a faster metabolism. A faster metabolism means your body becomes a fat burning machine.

Barrier 3: Diet Addiction

Diets don’t work.

The health and fitness industry is banking on the fact that you either don’t know this or won’t believe it. But if you’ve tried to lose weight in the past on any kind of fad diet and you’ve gained the weight back and then some, you know what I mean. I know, you’re probably thinking you have to be on a diet forever to have any kind of permanent weight loss. But nothing could be further from the truth.

With rare exceptions, most people were born into normal weight bodies. But then we learned to diet instead of eating intuitively. Dieting signals deprivation to your body and sparks a biological drive to prime the body to maximize food intake and minimize energy burned to save itself. Making the best food choices is your secret weapon in the quest for over 40 fitness. Eating supportively will help you boost your metabolism, burn more fat and increase your energy dramatically. The goal here is to be FIT and HEALTHY and look great for YOUR body type.

Believe it or not, good nutrition is that powerful! And you can change your eating (or lack of eating) habits bite by little bite. Aim for at least one healthy choice each day and more supportive than the day before. Go for 2-3 improvements each week. Making these small nutritional changes will quickly add up to amazing results as you gain control over your metabolism.

Barrier 4: Ignoring the Fab 4

There are 4 essential components of fitness. If you want to get fit and avoid injury, you’ll need some variations of all of them. Many clients complain about taking the time to stretch or just want to do cardio without weight training or weight training without cardio. You need them ALL.  So what are they?

1.    Balance & Flexibility

2.    Muscular Strength & Endurance

3.    Body Composition

4.    Aerobic Capacity

Your body composition shifts as you age. Weight gain after 40 is very common. The most dangerous type is around the mid-section because of its proximity to your organs, so it’s the greatest risk for heart disease. The good news is that the combination of cardio, resistance training and flexibility exercises means that a healthy body composition will take care of itself! We lose an average of 5% of muscle mass every ten years after the age of 35 – if we don’t do anything about it. A side effect of this is weight gain.

Cardio exercise increases your metabolism so that you burn energy at a higher rate than if you weren’t exercising. It reduces your appetite by turning on your sympathetic nervous system. This activates your “fight or flight” response. What does that mean? Try this:

The next time you feel a twinge to binge, take a quick walk or jog. Notice how you feel after you workout. Your hunger will lessen or disappear altogether. Cardiovascular exercise, resistance training and flexibility exercises will help you lose extra weight that stresses out your joints. You’ll strengthen the joints and elongate the muscles which reduce your risk of injury in your day to day activities.

Barrier 5: Leaving Your Goals to Chance

Research shows that writing down your health and fitness goals makes them 95% more achievable. The more specific you are about what you want, the more likely you will do what is necessary to get it.

First, check your expectations. Are your goals reasonable? While it would be nice to lose 20 pounds in 7 days, there is no safe way to make that happen. Unrealistic expectations undermine your efforts and make it difficult to stay on track. Look beyond the obvious. Set goals that can be measured with something other than a bathroom scale – like lowering your blood pressure by 10 points or increasing the distance you can walk or jog.

It’s much easier to sit with a glass of wine or a bowl of ice cream than to jog to the corner or do crunches on a stability ball. But you don’t have to go to the gym, and you can carve out 30 minutes a day to work out. For years I exercised either first thing in the morning before work or at night after the kids went to bed with nothing except a couple of exercise videos, a few hand weights and a workout bench I bought at Goodwill for 5 bucks.

Start right where you are. If you don’t (or can’t) make time to do this FOR YOU, perhaps the problem isn’t the fact that you’re time crunched. Perhaps your life has gotten too out of control and the question now becomes priorities. Your health and well being should be at the top of the list!

The best advice I can give you is JUST GET STARTED. Start moving. The more you move, in very subtle ways, the more calories your body will burn throughout the day. And that will have more than subtle positive effects!

Robin Stephens
http://www.articlesbase.com/women’s-health-articles/5-barriers-to-fitness-over-40-and-how-to-get-your-groove-back-693821.html