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Health & Exercise

Posted in Best Templates Resources by admin on the April 18th, 2008

The most important thing you need to know is that exercise is a
natural activity that is required in order to stay healthy. The
human body was not made for a sedentary lifestyle. Think about
this. Most of us, as we age and become absorbed in our careers,
simply ignore the physical needs of our bodies.

Research is providing some interesting results with respect to
fat loss, muscle mass and general health. For example, did you
know that high intensity cardio can burn more calories in the
long term than long bouts of low intensity exercise? Do you
realize that each pound of muscle you carry burns approximately
50 calories per day whether or not you exercise?

As always, before you start any new exercise program, please
check with your doctor first. If you are currently sedentary,
overweight or simply out of shape, jumping into a demanding
exercise program may not be a good idea. Once you are declared
good to go then read on to get started.

New Cardio Ideas

Cardio isn’t just about slogging away on the treadmill,
stairmaster or exercise bicycle anymore. While low level cardio
can certainly play a role in your exercise routine, it is
probably not optimal in terms of achieving your goals in a
timely manner. A new style of cardio, called high intensity
interval training (HIIT), is king.

HIIT involves performing regular cardio activities at extremely
high intensities for short periods of time. HIIT can be
performed using activities such as rowing, cycling, sprinting
and stair climbing. For example, after warming up on your
exercise of choice go as fast as you can for 30 seconds. When 30
seconds have past, then go slow and recover for 2 minutes.
Repeat these fast and slow intervals from 5 to 7 times.

Although this sounds easy, you will find this is a very
advanced training technique. You may need to work up to this
over several weeks by performing standard cardio training with
brief intervals of intensity. You will certainly stress your
heart and your respiratory system with HIIT training. In fact,
this new style of cardio, while short, maximizes your
cardiovascular fitness adaptations.

Resistance Training

While a complete encyclopedia of weight lifting exercises is too
comprehensive to include here, you should know that resistance
training is one of the best ways to gain or retain both muscle
mass and bone density. Why is this important? Muscle mass is
responsible for most of your resting metabolic activity. It is
also what makes you look fit, shapely or sexy.

A common concern for women is that they don’t want to look too
bulky. This is generally not something you have to worry about.
You will find that even men, if they are not using steroids or
other illicit methods, have a hard time putting on an
appreciable amount of muscle mass. Another concern for women is
that if they put on muscle the scale weight may rise!

It is very important that you learn the difference between
total weight and how lean you are. Putting on muscles will
almost never make you look bad, but covering your muscles with
fat will. What you want to do is lose the fat while retaining
the muscle — something which is not easy to do. In general, if
you diet to lose weight, you lose both fat and muscle, which
reduces your metabolism and makes it increasingly difficult to
achieve the body you desire.

Although adding muscles is somewhat easy in the very beginning,
it takes a lot of time and effort to build up muscles. However,
just remember that for every pound of muscle you put on and
maintain, you will be able to safely eat another 50 calories per
day without gaining weight. Of course, you will likely want to
adhere to appropriate nutritional guidelines.

To summarize, add resistance training to your exercise regimen.
It is okay if you use machines, especially at first, but if
possible learn to use free weights. Make sure that you know the
proper form for the exercises you do and focus on compound
movements where possible. For example, squats, chin ups, bench
presses, rows and deadlifts are all great exercises that will
work multiple large muscle groups at one time. If you follow
this advice you will find it easy to put on and maintain
reasonable amounts of muscle in a relatively short period of
time.

Rest & Recovery

If you are working hard to put on muscle mass, which most men
and some women are, then you need to realize that you gain
muscle only when you aren’t in the gym. Muscles grow in response
to work, but only if you feed them the appropriate nutrients and
give them time to recover appropriately. Working out every day
or performing long bouts of cardio will probably not help you
achieve your goals!

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Diet Fads - Is if for you?

Posted in Best Templates Resources by admin on the April 4th, 2008

It might be actresses such as Suzanne Sommers and Jane Fonda,
or models such as Christie Brinkley or Kathy Ireland. It seems
that a number of celebrities today offer their own weight loss
programs. The programs are appealing because we see these
various svelte celebrities and we want to have bodies just like
them. The celebrities are also highly likable, so we have a
predisposition to be accepting of their products.

However, did you ever stop to think whether these celebrities
have any nutritional training? Do they have medical training? Is
the information that they offer nutritionally sound? Or is it
just a good sales pitch?

Nutrition experts Annette B. Natow and Jo-Ann Heslin, authors
of the book Get Skinny the Smart Way, say that consumers should
be leery of celebrity-inspired diet books. They point out that
such books are often based upon nutritional fiction and that,
while the diets outlined in these books may result in short-term
weight loss, they can be far from healthy in the long run.
Therefore, you might consider passing up the celebrity diet
books and opting for those written by nutritional experts
instead.

But celebrities aren’t the only ones preaching fad diets. For
instance, there’s the so-called grapefruit diet which recommends
consuming a grapefruit prior to each meal. Another fad is the
cabbage soup diet, which requires you to consume all the cabbage
soup you can handle. Other fads call for eating all the eggs you
can…consuming only raw foods…or fasting every other day.
Such diets are not only based on nutritional
misinformation–they can also be dangerous.

For instance, let’s take a closer look at the cabbage soup
diet. No major health organization has endorsed it. Moreover,
the American Heart Association disapproves of it, noting that it
can actually harm you. Promoters of this diet say that you can
lose as much as 15 pounds a week by following it–what they
don’t say is that most of that weight is water weight. Once you
begin eating normally again, you will see your weight rise once
more. Some of the side-effects of the cabbage soup diet include
a feeling of weakness, stomach pains, and diarrhea.

Yet another questionable diet approach is what’s known as food
combining. Such a diet assumes that you are overweight because
you are not eating the right combination of food. The
requirements of such a diet can seem quite arbitrary. For
instance, you might be told that you can eat a banana only in
the morning. This is rubbish, since your stomach can deal with a
variety of different foods at one time. The idea behind such a
diet is to eat food with fewer calories, but there are other
methods you can use to accomplish the same goals.

Some companies even claim that you can shed pounds while you
dream. They say that, if you use their product right before
bedtime, you will lose weight. In actuality, no company can make
such a claim with any degree of credibility. It is impossible to
burn a large number of calories while snoozing. In other cases,
you may be tempted to try to lose weight by consuming special
milkshakes or candy bars. In essence, these products are just
milk and candy with certain vitamins and minerals added.
However, one rarely feels satisfied after consuming these
products. As a result, you may find yourself actually consuming
additional calories during the rest of the day. While you might
be able to theoretically lose weight in the short-term, you’ll
find it difficult to maintain the weight loss over the long haul.

The fact of the matter is that there is a great deal of money
that can be made through the sale and marketing of diet
products. As long as America has a large contingent of
overweight people, companies will try to make a profit off of
overeating. It is up to you to be savvy enough to recognize a
diet fad when you see it and opt for a different approach to
losing weight. You’ll find that there are really no short-cuts
to weight loss. Any successful diet program takes time,
patience, and determination, along with a willingness to change
your eating patterns.

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Human Growth Hormone - Playing An Anabolic Role In The Body

Posted in Best Templates Resources by admin on the March 24th, 2008

HGH or human growth hormone is a protein hormone of 190 amino
acids, which is synthesized and secreted by the Somatotroph
cells (hence called Somatotropin) in the anterior pituitary. The
genes for human growth hormone are localized in the q22-24
region of chromosome 17. The structure of HGH includes four
helices necessary for functional interaction with the GH
receptor. Structurally, HGH is homologous to prolactin and
chorionic somatomammotropin and it appears as if the three share
some evolutionarily connection. The triad is known to promote
growth and aid the lactogenic activity.

Human Growth Hormone Secretion

Synthesis and secretion of HGH is controlled by many factors
such as exercise, nutrition, sleep, stress and sometimes even by
growth hormone itself. The control, however, are wielded by two
hypo-thalamic hormones (Growth hormone-releasing hormone or GHRH
and Somatostatin or SS) and one hormone present in the stomach
(Ghrelin).

Functions of HGH

Human growth hormone contributes in the building up of the human
body. HGH has two different types of effects on the human
tissues and the human system as a whole - direct and indirect.
The direct effects are the upshot of the growth hormone binding
its receptor to the target cells. Indirect effects are
stimulated by an insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), a hormone
secreted by the liver and other tissues in response to growth
hormone action. In fact, most of the growth promoting effects of
HGH are the consequence of IGF-I acting on the target cells.

Thus, it is apparent that HGH or Somatotropin plays a vital role
in major physiological processes, including growth and
metabolism.

HGH & Growth

The major role of growth hormone in effecting body growth is to
stimulate the liver and various other tissues to secrete IGF-I.
IGF-I. This, in-turn, it provokes proliferation of Chondrocytes
(cartilage cells), resulting in bone growth.

HGH & Metabolism

Human growth hormone has been found to have important effects on
protein, lipid and carbohydrate metabolism. These effects in
some are direct, others indirect and a few showing mixed
effects.

Although height growth is an all-too-manifest effect of HGH on
the human system, it has several other specific and essentially
functions. These functions range from protein synthesis to
building muscle mass, calcium retention to mineralization of
bones, stimulating the immune system to maintaining fuel
homeostasis, etc.

This is all about real human growth hormone. Biosynthetic human
growth hormone, also known as recombinant human growth hormone
and abbreviated as rHGH was first used for remedial use in the
U.S. in 1985. Since then, the biosynthetic variety of HGH has
nearly sidelined the pituitary-prompted human growth hormone,
especially in therapeutic use.

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The Benefit of Yoga

Posted in Best Templates Resources by admin on the March 21st, 2008

The benefit of yoga practice goes far beyond the actual time
you spend in the poses. One of the most common reasons why
people begin practicing yoga is to improve their health and
well-being. Yoga means union. It is a union of the mind, body
and breath, so all aspects of your life are impacted by your
practice.

A major benefit of yoga is physical.

Yoga improves your flexibility. - The stretching that you
engage in during every practice helps lengthen and stretch
muscles, which helps reduce the risk of injuries.

It helps to improve your balance. - The majority of yoga
practices include some type of balancing in the poses. A
significant number of people, especially as they began to get
older, start to have problems with balance, which can lead to
major injuries due to falls. By having a greater sense of
balance, you are able to move more easily and safely.

Yoga can help reduce pain. - Tense muscles often
contribute to pain. Relaxing muscles helps to minimize muscle
tension and the pain that is associated with it. Also, breathing
deeply into muscles helps lessen pain by altering your
perception of it.

It tones your muscles. - Yoga works all the muscles in
your body. It helps strengthen and tone them and also builds
endurance and stamina.

It helps to increase your level of energy. . - Carrying
tension in your body takes an enormous toll on your energy
reserves. By learning how to relax through your yoga practice,
you benefit by enjoying higher levels of energy so you can more
thoroughly enjoy your daily activities.

Yoga helps promote a sense of relaxation. - Most people
breathe high in their chests. This not only does not allow them
to get sufficient oxygen, it also triggers the stress response,
which contributes to feelings of anxiety. Breathing deeply as
practiced in yoga, helps relax your muscles and also brings much
needed oxygen to your cells. The deep sense of relaxation also
leads to better quality sleep.

Each yoga practice ends with some type of relaxation. Since your
body and mind are one, by relaxing your body you also relax your
mind. Many yoga experts believe that a relaxation pose is the
most beneficial pose in any yoga practice.

Another benefit of yoga is mental.

Yoga clears your mind and helps you focus your attention.
- During your practice, you are focusing your attention on
your breath and turning inward. This concentration allows you to
withdraw from the distractions in your environment. A
significant benefit of yoga practice is that you can take this
ability to focus your attention into every aspect of your life.
You can be fully present with whatever you are doing instead of
worrying about tomorrow or regretting yesterday. Not only will
your actions be more productive, you can also enjoy them in a
greater way.

Yoga helps reduces stress. - Deep breathing helps reduce
the hormones that are released when you are feeling overwhelmed,
overloaded, and frazzled. The internal focus that accompanies
the poses helps create a relaxation response in your body.

Yoga can help release stuck emotions. - Often stuck
emotions find their way into our bodies. Remember, your mind and
body are one, and if you are suppressing any painful emotions,
you will often experience that as pain in some part of your
body. A benefit of yoga is that by breathing deeply into places
in your body that hold tension, you can help release the
emotions that may be buried there. You can then examine these
emotions and let go of those that do not serve you.

Also, as you take your body past the limits of where it has
been, you start to feel that you can move past other limitations
in your life as well.

You gain a sense of peace and tranquility. - Most yoga
practices include some time for meditation. Regular meditation
helps your mind reach a state of inner calm. It helps you gain
control over your thinking instead of being at the mercy of
wayward thoughts.

As you can see, the benefit of yoga has far reaching effects in
every area of your life. Maintain a regular yoga practice, and
you will see for yourself, how yoga can benefit you too.

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Try A Landice Treadmill

Posted in Best Templates Resources by admin on the March 19th, 2008

Landice treadmills receive rave reviews from consumers and
exercise magazines. Landice treadmills are highly rated in
consumer guides and are popular with those who work out at
health clubs.

Why are Landice treadmills so highly rated? Landice treadmills
have top of the line machines that are built to last. Landice
treadmills are durable and affordable.

Consumers say that Landice treadmills are solid and have great
motors. Landice treadmills offer lifetime warranties. If you are
serious about treadmills you may want to look at Landice
treadmills.

Landice treadmills have a unique design which makes them very
attractive to exercise enthusiasts.

Some Landice treadmills are constructed like automobiles. You
even start these Landice treadmills with ignition keys. The
speed is increased with an actual gear shift. These Landice
treadmills have built-in six-disc CD players. Try a L8 and see
the difference!

You will find Landice treadmills that have four-ply belts and
VFX shock-absorption systems. The control panels in these
Landice treadmills offer computer graphics. You have the choice
of six programs that you can design depending on the work-out
you desire. If you would rather use the built-in programs there
are seven to choose from.

Some Landice treadmills have six training calendars that allow
family members to set their owning training schedules. The L7
has a magnetic foot-plant monitoring system. With this feature
the belt speed is always being corrected so that you don’t
experience belt surge.

The L7 is one of the Landice treadmills that have a rust-proof
frame. This treadmill in an excellent buy.

Take a look at Landice treadmills the next time you are in the
market for a new machine.

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