On Taking A Handful of Vitamins and Jumping Off A Cliff

 

No Choice but To give an Interview...=D

We all are comfortable in our routines, at our homes or at work. We do certain things to keep us comfortable, healthy and happy.

But what happens when you are away from home and out of your natural routine? It can be easy to ignore all of the little things that we are used to, like for instance 8 hours of sleep. Sometimes we completely loose our routine and we find our self out of whack.

You see when you allow this to happen, not only are you heading down hill to the “outta whack” place but it also takes time to come back from that place and all of that time reduces your productivity.

It is imperative that you bring some comforts of home with you when you are away, maybe some food that you are familiar with or it could be as simple as your pillow.

I had the pleasure of interviewing a friend of mine, Wayne Allyn Root. He talks about the ways he keeps him self in top notch condition and about his “healthy addictions” and how they work positively in his life.

The key here is that he refers to what he does as a habit. He has made a habit of having healthy, affirmative, positive things in his life and because it has become a habit, he doesn’t leave his habits behind when he leaves home. He continues to exercise, watch his nutrition, take his supplements, meditate and all of the other healthy habits he talks about in the video.  Make sure and check it out.

We had a wonderful day on the zip lines in Jamaica and we were all able to do that because we were all fit enough to go and we were all below the 250 pound weight limit. Not only that but we were all willing to try something new and adventurous, with terrific friends and I have to tell you there is nothing better for your health.

I really appreciate the time that Wayne took to talk about his healthy habits because as you can tell, He is a very busy person, he is generous with his time and such fun to hang out with.

Wayne is the economic advisor to Wealth Masters International and lends his name to that organization because he believes in what we are doing collectively, in addition to what he tells you on the video which is impressive all in itself.  He has written several books, his latest is Conscious of a libertarian and I suggest you pick it up and read it, it’s an eye opener.

Wayne is someone worth following so I suggest you find him on Face book and connect, he has some great things to say and he makes it his business to find out what is going on and keep all of us informed.

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Life “zips” By Fast, Don’t Close Your Eyes!

Life “zips” by fast…..Literally so hang on for the ride and keep your eyes wide open, you won’t want to miss a thing.

Experience all that life has to offer make a choice to live life to the fullest. Visit the places you want to see, enjoy the culture, experience the life there.

That’s how we roll so we found our self “hanging” around the tree tops in Jamaica with the locals, the wildlife (us and the real thing) and the beautiful views.

I realized how wonderful I felt zipping along with the wind in my face and the sound of the zip line in my ears. The sight of the ground far below and the distant ocean was breath taking. The “drops” were exhillerating and I realized that what we were doing was so much real life.

The first thing I felt was anticipation and excitement like when something new is about to happen.
Next we needed to prepare for our trip with safety equipment just like preparing for a big project.

I needed to be patient because I was ready to go and there were 30 of us that needed to get ready, it seems like real life is a waiting game.
Then it was time to zip and life started moving really fast.

Sometimes you slow down so much you need to pull your self to safety, just like real life.

The drop offs represented when things aren’t going right to me, we hold on for the ride and eventually our feet hit solid ground so we can get back zipping along again.

When you get to the other side it is absolutely exhillerating just like a job well done.

So get out there and live life.

click on the link to find out more about living a healthy life

Zipping Jamaica
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How You Can Change Your Biochemistry

Get Your Body Moving

It seems that there is new information every day about the newest, the latest, the greatest diet, exercise, new past time or sport but what really doesn’t change at all is what our bodies really need.

First and foremost is good positive thoughts, wholesome nutrition, body movement and exercise, and stimulation for the brain of some sort.

We read all of the time how this benefits that and that help this and so on and so forth but if you really want to get down to the nitty gritty it seems to be a nutrition issue.  What to eat, when to eat it, what combinations are good and how much.

Lowering intake of sugars will certainly help you to loose belly fat.  The reason for that is belly fat is closely related with blood sugars and insulin.

However there are ways that you can do more.

When measuring biochemical changes in our bodies, scientists look for alterations in the metabolites. Some of these metabolites help us to stabilize our blood sugar and burn fat, to stay brief.  While studying exercisers they found changes in more than 20 different metabolites.

What that means is that being in optimum weight and exercising 4 to 5 times a week helps us maintain healthy glucose and insulin levels because of the sensitivity of our insulin receptors.

In order to enjoy good health it is essential to maintain healthy insulin levels.  In doing this we prevent all sorts of disease such as diabetes, heart, cancer you name it.

So even if you appear to be in good shape and don’t exercise you are putting yourself at risk.

The good news is that if you are out of shape or over weight, you can regain your health it just takes longer depending on how far you have to go and how determined you are to get there.  It isn’t an easy road so the best thing to do is watch it and don’t let it get out of control.

If you are really out of shape it’s nice to know that even 10 minutes of brisk walking will lead to beneficial biochemical changes and they last up to an hour.  So what if you were able to take several 10 minute brisk walks throughout the day?  You could accomplish a lot.

If you are already in good shape, chances are you go for a good “steady state” work out several times a week, but what would you say if I told you there was a better way to get results?

What if I told you that you could CUT BACK on the time you work out each week and get better results than what you are getting?

You would be interested wouldn’t you?

Stay tuned and we will talk about this more next time, we will make some changes and see how it works for you.

For now check out the importance of weight training here

to find out more about us make sure and visit us here

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Every Day Ways to Practice Meditation

Peaceful Meditation

Don’t let the thought of meditating the “right” way add to your stress. Meditation takes time and patience to learn so getting stressed about it will just disolve all of the benefits that you are looking to gain.

You can make meditation what ever you need it to be. More relaxed or structured, what ever works for you is what is right for you. Some people build meditation into their daily routine. For example, they may start and end each day with a half hour or an hour of meditation, But all you really need is a few minutes of quality time for meditation.

Tips to practice meditation on your own

Here are some ways you can practice meditation on your own, in ways that work for your own personal needs. Take a few minutes or as much time as you like to practice one or more of these meditation methods:

* Breathe deeply. This technique is good for beginners because of the natural function of breathing. Focus your attention on your breathing. Concentrate on feeling and listening as you inhale and exhale through your nose. Breathe deeply and slowly. When your attention wanders, gently return your focus to your breathing.

* Scan your body. When using this technique, focus your thoughts on different parts of your body. be aware of how your body feels, pain, tension, warmth or relaxation. Combine body scanning with breathing exercises and imagine breathing heat or relaxation into and out of different parts of your body.

* Repeat a mantra. You can create your own mantra, whether it’s religious or not.

* Walking meditation. Combining a walk with meditation is an efficient and healthy way to relax. You can use this technique anywhere you’re walking – in a tranquil forest, on a city sidewalk or at the mall. When you use this method, slow down the pace of walking so that you can focus on each movement of your legs or feet. Don’t focus on a particular destination. Concentrate on your legs and feet, repeating action words in your mind such as lifting, moving and placing as you lift each foot, move your leg forward and place your foot on the ground.

* Engage in prayer. Prayer is the best known and most widely practiced example of meditation. Spoken and written prayers are found in most faiths. You can pray using your own words or read prayers written by others. Check the self-help or 12-step-recovery section of your local bookstore for examples. Talk with your rabbi, priest, pastor or other spiritual leader about resources.

* Read or listen and take time to reflect. Many people report that they benefit from reading poems or sacred texts silently or aloud or listening to inspiration music, and taking a few moments to quietly reflect on the meaning that the words bring to mind. Listen to spoken words or any music you find relaxing or inspiring. You may want to write your reflections in a journal or discuss them with a friend or spiritual leader.

* Focus your love and gratitude. In this type of meditation, you focus your attention on an object or being that you hold above reverence, interlacing feelings of love and gratitude into your thoughts. You can also close your eyes and use your imagination or gaze at representations of the object.

So as you can see there are many different types of meditation and maybe what works for you isn’t even listed here. We are all individuals and so we have individual needs.

Take the thought with you that Meditation time is your time and it is valuable so schedule it in and make sure that you don’t miss it. It will improve you overall health and lower your stress levels.

 

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Battle Brittle Bones

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Our bones are alive, in fact, your bones are continually remolding. The way you eat and exercise has a lot to do with the way your bones remold.

Collagen is a glue like substance made up of vitamin c and water and this makes up the structure of our body such as skin, bones, teeth, blood vessels, cartilage, tendons and ligaments so that includes all connective tissue in our body.

Calcium is a mineral that is stored in the bones so that it can be used whenever it is needed for many of our body’s vital functions. Our bones are made up of a combination of these two substances, Collagen and Calcium.

Our bones give off calcium and as they do that new bones are molded. The body always needs calcium so it will take it from your bones if the supply is low. This determines how the bones are remolded. Bones remolded with less calcium will tend to be brittle so eating a diet high in calcium is you first order of business.

As we get older bone production slows down. Our bones start loosing the ability to reshape new bones, over time the bones become less dense, brittle and more at danger of getting a fracture.

We have all hear of osteoporosis, that is the disease that accelerates the loss of bone tissue but natural aging is a culprit as well. Osteoporosis is most noticed by a humping over in the back, it can be slight or it can be quite severe.

The good news is that the rate of bone loss can be minimized by regular strength training. Lifting weights and Yes, that includes Pilates. During a mat work out you utilized your body weight for resistance and the equipment utilizes springs to allow for resistance.

Find out about resistance training, click here

The discipline of Pilates gives you the same benefits of a weight training. In addition to exercise make sure you get good amounts of calcium.

Study after study shows that you can slow the rate of bone loss just by walking and adding a resistance training to your exercise program along with good nutrition. Nobody wants to walk around with a stooped back or be susceptible to fractures.

The best thing to do is to build the bone density in your 20’s, 30’s and 40’s with exercise and good nutrition.

Did Joseph Pilates create the fountain of youth? You can be the judge of that but he did live a healthy life well into his 80’s. You too could grow old with Pilates, as us boomers get older it is more fashionable to grow old gracefully.

Find out more about Pilates by clicking here

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Why do we over eat?

Click this picture, find out what you are doing to youSo why do we over eat?

Our intentions are good. We know what things are bad for us so why is it that we smell a yummy cookie that we have to have it and we don’t stop at just one.

Was it the rough day at the office, the stress of bills, the kids bickering? Let’s find out.

“Health Magazine” asked some of the leading experts in the field questions about the unexpected reasons why so many people over eat or binge from time to time.

What we found out is that eating to much happens from time to time and the lack of will power is NOT to blame.

REST

One of the main reasons that we feel the need to over eat is that we are not getting enough sleep. Not getting enough sleep can actually cause metabolic changes that can actually create weight gain.

A lack of sleep is harmful because of two hormones that are affected when we don’t get our rest.

Leptin is the hormone that tells us we have had enough to eat.

Ghrelin is a hormone that triggers hunger.

When we dont get enough sleep there is an increase in Ghrelin and a decrease of Leptin. That is why when you don’t get enough sleep you are hungry and you eat until you are “stuffed” Getting enough sleep can stop the ugly cycle.

Not only that but not getting enough sleep can impair glucose metabolism and if that doesn’t change it can lead to type 2 Diabetes.

STRESS

Stress in constant doese causes your body to pump out the hormone called Cortizol. Over time that Cortizol will boost your appetite and lead to eating to much. Cortizol and Insulin work together to boost our cravings for “comfort foods” that are high in fat, sugar and salt.

The Bad news is that Fat cells create Cortizol on their own so if you are over weight you are getting it double.

Cortizol and Insulin togetehr causes our bodies to store more “viseral fat” which puts us at risk for Heart Attack or Stroke.

Stress is the reason that people go off diets, even people who normally restrict their portions will over eat during stressful periods.

FAT ON THE BRAIN

We are hunters and gatherers and there are certain things that seem to be written into our “DNA” (not really, they just SEEM to be). Back when our ancestors were foraging for every meal they welcomed finding foods that would give them a little more energy and pad their bones.

It’s not your lack of Willpower that is your failure, what it really stems from is our outdated survival mode. In fact, when you eat fatty foods your brain gets a signal from the body that it is satisfied and in addition to that creates a memory of that experience. That is why we crave certain foods, the memory.

What once helped Humans survive in small portions is now expanding our waistlines when we eat them in larger portions.

Click here to find out more about where those extra pounds come from

Visit our sight: Meet Gordon and Shelli

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Improving immunities during flu season

Meditate

Flu Season is upon us.

Are you planning on getting the two flu shots that are recommended this year? Maybe you are just stocking up on cold and flu medicine or maybe it’s hand-sanitizer.

What ever method you choose, there are some natural ways to boost your immunity. , It includes some twists and inversions that encourage the main immunity components in our bodies, the lymphatic system and the adrenal glands to perform better.

These methods help to balance, calm and relax the nervous system.

Dr. Jeff Migdow. MD developed a system to help.

Do the following exercises 4 to 5 times a week to be healthy and feel great all season long.

Half Shoulder Stand

How to:

Lie on Back, bend knees and lift them towards chest. Rock back up onto shoulders, bend elbows and put hands on either side of hip for support, extend legs upward. Stay in this position for 2 minutes taking deep breaths. Bend knees to chest to reverse out. Recharges the Kidneys, opens up the back, good for circulatory and lymphatic systems.

Spinal twist-seated

How to:

Sitting tall on floor legs extended, bend left knee, place Right foot to outside of L. knee, L. elbow to R knee and twist, look behind. This stimulates flow of lymphatic fluids.

Open chest with Pigeon pose

How to:

Sit cris cross on the floor. Take R. leg around behind, knee to floor, top of foot to floor. Front leg remains at 90 degrees in front touching floor all the way to buttox. Clasp hands behind, roll shoulders down away from ears and stretch open the chest.

To find out more about healthy living visit us at:
http://www.healthpulse-shelli.blogspot.com

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Increase your Longevity

Step Into Fitness

The shift towards longevity is a choice.

A choice to live a healthier lifestyle and make changes in food consumption.

Unfortunately in America today the obesity rate continues to increase at an alarming rate. Creating more illness and disease.

Fast food companies are setting the pace to have a record year. Economy is down and their food is cheap.

This is where the choice needs to be made.

The choice not to go through the fast food line. Head to the grocery store and spend some time in the produce department.

To make a choice to cut down on sugar and make healthy food choices.

To make a choice to Exercise and take care so that you can enjoy your life and be productive, live a quality life until the end.
That is what I call Longevity.

There are many studies that link exercise with longevity. The most recent study: “Extended Lifespan” came from Brigham and Womans Hospital in Boston. They set out to see if exercise had the ability to “modify” longevity.

What they found is that those that exercised regurlarly had a life span that was greater than the sedentary group at age 65 and beyond.

The study noted that even in the presence of heart disease and chronic illness that exercise had the ability to increase longevity.

Eating healthy along with an exercise program that includes resistance exercises and cardio is the best way to maintain a healthy body, mind and spirit and increase longevity.

When “dieters” were studied, one group modifying diet only the other group adding exercise to the diet. The group that added exercise lost twice the weight and kept it off.

Make a choice to get up, turn off the TV (unless it is an exercise program) and get moving.

Creating lean muscle mass is the best way to boost the metabolism, burn calories at a higher rate and release Endorphines into the body. It also sculpts and tones, increases bone mass, and burns more fat at a higher rate.

Not only will you look younger, leaner and more toned. You will Also increase you longevity.

See my article called Sick and eating by cliking here

And visit my blog about portions Size and Our size

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Sick and Eating

Too Good to leave it?

You have heard of Sick and Tired I’m sure but how about sick and Eating?

Americans are eating their way to obesity and all of the illness that comes with it.

We have heard so much recently about Health Care Reform and how all of the unecessary proceedures and tests, the greed factor and the lack of major competition are such an issue that will make reform very difficult.

Even the most thoughtful and efficient plan that Obama can come up with is going to be up against the rising tide of diet related disease.

So if the Government thinks that it’s going to be tough to get insurance to come around, how do they think they are going to go up against the agricultural quadrants?

The USA spends twice as much per person as most European countries on health care and that can be directly related to diet induced diseases such as diabetes, hypertention, high cholesterol, and the various cancers that have been linked to the western diet. We know it is because we are fatter.

one tenth of all health care spending is spent on obesity or the results of it.

The American way of eating is really the issue here. The president would like to see more healthy foods served in schools and his wife planted a garden on the white house grounds this summer.

Reform in the food system will need to be figured into the new health care plan but everyone is treating the problem like it doesn’t exist.

As long as our bad habbits are charged to the future there will be little notice. There will be lots of money made in the fast food industry coming up here and if the government takes over our health care then they will be paying for treating the diseases that the fast food caused. So in essence the government will be subsidizing both the treatment of type 2 diabetes and the consumption of high frictose corn syrup.


Insurance companies think it is more profitable to pay to treat a disease than to prevent it. When the playing field gets leveled and insurance is affordable, and “pre exisiting conditions” are not acceptable grounds for being turned down for insurance the relationsship between the medical and insurance business with the food industry will need to undergo a tremendous change.

When these new rules start, Health Insurance conpanies will soon discover they have a huge interest in reducing the rate of obesity and diseases linked to diet.

It won’t take long for the insurance company to figure out that they will spend more than $400,000 in a life time of a person who has diabetes. It would be $6,600.00 per year if they have a healthy client, so it will be in their best interest to educate and regulate (so to say)

This should be very interesting to watch as our Health Care debate heats up.

Are you one of the ones that are educated?

click here to find out why we over eat.

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Impressive crowds at the Race for the Cure

Racing for the cure

We were so impressed by the crowds at this years Race for the Cure.

It was dark when I got up but I could see the sun coming up on the horizon and I knew it was going to be a beautiful day. Rain or shine we were on our way downtown Portland with 40,000 other people.

We put the harness and a race for the cure T shirt on our 100 pound Labrdoodle and headed to meet our team at the MAX tracks for our 7 AM train.

Lilee our Dog had never been on a Max train but she didn’t mind it at all, she likes people and seemed to have a pretty good time.

We got on the train at the end of the line, the farthest it goes from Portland. As we went along and made stops, more and more people continued to get on the train until the pup was just a little squished.

Finally the train stopped in downtown and we got off. The crowds were just as impressive off the train as on.

The Race for the Cure is always so much fun. Everyone there is celebrating life in general or in specific ways so the energy level is pretty intense.

I saw people meeting and hugging and crying, teams that were pretty “snazzed” up with silly costumes. beautiful balloons and other pets joining their masters on the walk. I saw a Cat and even a turtle in costume. (imagine that).

The crowds were overwhelming to say the least. When the race starts they actually seperate us up two main roads for about 6 or 7 blocks before both streets join, it is a complete sea of people where ever you look.

I watched the survivors come across the finish line and was totally amazed and inspired by what I saw. I saw women with only one breast or none. I saw survivors walking and in wheel chairs. I saw a survivor that was a Man. Then there were a few that didn’t look to be more than 20 years old. Everyone was happy and smiling. The support that was on the streets of Portland on Sunday September 20th 2009 was something that makes my heart swell with pride.

THEN I FOUND OUT WHY

PORTLAND HOLDS THE THIRD LARGEST RACE FOR THE CURE IN THE WORLD

reported by oregonian newspaper

We were honored to be a part of that celebration

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End of life care

End of Life Care, So what’s the big deal?

I live in a state where it is widely regarded that none of us are getting out of here alive. There are two things in this life you can be sure of. One, you were born. And two, you pass away.

We have experienced quite a bit of this in the past year. Not just some distant relatives. First it was our Step Dad. Then a month later my husbands only sister.

Just about a month ago it was our Mom (my Mother in law). There are all different ways of dieing. As in the case of our step Dad. He was fine one day. The next day went to the hospital at 9 AM and had passed away by 2:30 PM. He was 83 years old. The other two weren’t as fortunate. Cancer played it’s part.

It is very hard to see a loved one die of a terrible disease. When we talk about “end of life care” it really just refers to the special needs of the senior community. That “end of life” could last years.

We had an “end of life care” discussion with Mom several times. In her doctors office, a specialists office, when Hospice got involved we had the discussion several times.

It had to be addressed. If you are any type of reasonable person you realize that the end of life is inevitable.

The important part here is the word CARE. How does a person want to be cared for at the end of his or her life?

In Oregon 78% of the population has advanced directives. Meaning they have stated what they want and in the case they are not able to express those wishes then someone is named that understands and makes the decisions for them. We are forward thinking about the subject.

Honestly, thinking that we are going to face some type of “tribunal” or something when we get into our later years is laughable. However facing life and making decisions about how you want to die is a very important topic.

It could mean the difference between being on life support for years with no quality of life maybe depending on Medicaid, Or passing away peacefully at home in an environment that is not “clinical”.

Our Mom had choices to make about the level of care she would receive. From the “whole enchelada” to just comfort and pain relief. She only had one diseased lung. She understood that this was the end of her life but none of us knew how long we were referring to. Her Doctor was very caring and concerned when we spoke of her care. It was private and she made her choice be known and we honored it to the crossing of the T’s and dotting of the I’s.

The end of our life is PART of our life. It need not be unmentionable, life needs to be celebrated no matter what the stage.

Find out about Extending Longevity by clicking here

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How are you growing?

How are you growing?

I was in the office the other day, looking out the window at the yard. I was thinking how beautiful it looked after a summer of stellar weather.

As I was looking at the planter near the fire pit I noticed the decorative grasses planted there. They are the cool stiped type. There are three in all, but why was one of them much smaller?

They were all healthy and growing straight and true. They had all gotten the same care and water the entire time they have been planted. The one just didn’t seem to be expanding like the other two.

Just like people, not two plants are alike. They all adapt differently and need different amounts of food and water to be happy.

Roots run deep or they are shallow depending on the plant. We all know shallow people, they seem to be the ones that don’t grow. they are the ones that seem to stay in the same place year after year.

Then there are the deeply rooted ones. Always moving forward, growing and spreading into new areas.

What makes people what they are?

Your up bringing has much to do with it but not everything. Who are the individuals who shaped your life and what were their beliefs? You will have some of that mixed into who you are.

You know that we don’t grow old, we just stop growing. So how is your growth going? Are you striving to be the best person you can be? Cheerful, friendly and positive thinking is the most healthy way to be.

If there are people surrounding you that are pessimistic, jealous and basically not growing, your times spent with these individuals needs to be limited.

This isn’t always easy to do, sometimes they are family or somebody in your life that is hard to limit. You need to find a way. You can’t just cut them out of your life no matter what some people say. Just limiting your time with them and maybe sharing with them why you need to do that should be adequate.

Find out more about us @ http://shellithompson.blogspot.com/ (Copy this address into your browser)

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What are your beliefs?

Everything starts with a belief

If you sat back and waited for change the two things that would prevent it from happening besides “sitting back and waiting” is:

Lack of Belief and the lack of action taken

.First you need to take action and make something happen in order for you to change anything

.When you see that change then you will grow the belief that you can make change happen for yourself.

You are one step closer to what you want to attain when first you believe

.A doctor writes you a prescription, you take it to the pharmacy and pay to have the perscription filled and then you take the medication. Why do you do that? Because you have a belief that the medication will help you and you have gotten the medicine from a practitioner that you trust. That faith will be the first step to your recovery and it will put you on the road to healing.

Just like that, Belief in yourself will lead you on the path that you are looking for. Surrounding your self with supportive people that believe in you should never be taken for granted, it is the most priceless commodity.

The “dream breakers” are the people that you don’t need in your life. These are the people that tell you that you are crazy and your ideas will get you no where fast.

Step back and take a look at these individuals. Are they going anywhere at all? Chances are they broke their own dreams. Now they are on a mission to keep everyone on their level by rejecting new ideas and creating doubt in the mind of the dreamer.

After all you are only dreaming right? WRONG!

The dream breakers do their dream breaking in disguise. They tell you they only want what is best for you or that they just worry that you are being “scammed”. In reality they can see if you stay on your current path, you will move on and belief in yourself will grow and then you will believe anything is possible.

They don’t want you to realize that they are trying to break your dreams because they have a lack of faith and an unwillingness to do what is necessary to move forward.

IT IS NOT EASY GATHERING PEOPLE AROUND THAT WILL ALLOW THEIR DREAMS TO BE BROKEN.

HOW WILL THE DREAM BREAKERS REPLACE YOU?

Find out more @ http://shellithompson.blogspot.com/

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Steps to a Healthy Life

We all want to live a healthy life. The choices we make decide on how healthy that life will be. There are certain people that take the “health thing” pretty seriously. They have made a commitment to be healthy and more fit. How do you live a healthier life?

Here are a few tips.

Wash your hands often for at least 20 to 30 seconds. A dose of preventions is better than an ounce of cure. Avoid certain behaviors such as smoking, excessive drinking of alcohol and eating excessively. That can dramatically improve your health all in it self. There are easy ways to get started being more healthy.

Strengthen Your Muscles

Muscles tend to weaken as we age. If you want to prevent a that from happening in a BIG way, you need to practice weight bearing exercises on a regular basis. Weight training increases lean muscles tissue. It also encourages bone Density. Bone density starts to decrease in our thirties but we can combat that with regular resistance training. Weight training also jump starts your metabolism and helps you to burn calories at a faster rate.

Go For A Walk

We are designed to be on the move. We started as hunters and gatherers on the move constantly. Walking actually triggers all of the bodies systems. digestion, stress relief, preparation for sleep, clarity of thinking. It is a free activity, It is easy, most everyone walks and you can get the exercise with out the wear and tear on your body.

Stop Drinking Soda

This is a big one. All of the processed sugars in these sugary drinks just makes you crave more. These drinks have contributed to the skyrocketing rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Diet soda is the worst because it tricks the brain with the sweetness but there are not any calories so the body is not satisfied and craves more. It is easy to put down 40 pounds of liquid calories a year by just having 2 glasses of milk, one glass of juice and one glass of wine a day. That is 200,750 calories a year the 40 pounds of liquid calories represents. Add soda to that and the calorie count could easily double along with the liquid calories consumed. These are all — USELESS calories that do nothing but eat your teeth and add unwanted pounds.

Keep a Food Journal

You can double your weight loss by just writing down everything you eat. Doctors have found the more people wrote down what they ate the more weight they loss. We become aware of our habits when we go through the process of reflecting on what we eat. That is the only way to change a behavior, to become fully aware of it. There are online food journal sights that can make it easy or you can get yourself a cheap notebook and write it all down there. Make sure you include the time so you can see any patterns forming with they type of food and the time. Make sure to write how you felt at the time. Measure your hunger from 1 to 10, just that alone may keep you from putting that extra helping on your plate.

Relax, take a “Chill”

If you are a stressed out person, you are more vulnerable to colds and flu all winter long. When you get sick it will take longer to recover if you are a stressed out person. People that do not know how to relax gain more weight and get more illnesses than a person that has learned to “Chill”. People that have learned to combat stress sometimes use exercise or specifically weight training to relieve it. Some find peace in music or humor. Other good ways to reduce stress are Tai Chi and Yoga.

Get Plenty Of Sleep

People really over look this factor. Sleep is one of the most important aspects of health. Without it hormone levels go “whacky” and you do not have the energy that you might have, you gain weight easily and you are moody. Do not put your self in the path of the flu this season. Not getting enough rest will make you more susceptible to what ever is going around. One thing that helps sleep is to have a routine and stick to it. No excitement late in the evening, a dark sleeping environment that is 50 to 60 degrees is best.

Eat Outside The Home Less Often

Eating out at restaurants just makes you loose control of what you are eating. Many times they get prepared foods and fail to really cook anything. many additives and preservatives are used in the foods and many meats are soaked in a “salt brine” to keep it from spoiling (salt is a preservative). Be careful about the foods you buy for home, Look at the label. Be aware of sodium levels and keep them as low as possible. Be a conscious eater.

Eat Whole Foods and Go Organic Where You Can

Any un-processed or un-refined with no added sugar, salt or fat. usually whole foods have a low glycemic index so they will not increase your blood sugar and insulin levels as quickly as processed foods. Eat wheat bread, stay away from french fries. Eat as many fresh fruits and vegetables as possible. Stay away from anything in a bag, box, or can.

Find Your Passion

What is Life without passion?
Life needs to have meaning or we are not fulfilled and that is not something that we enjoy. having a “higher purpose in life” can reduce the risk of death among older adults. Purpose is stimulating cognitively so the real truth is “use it or loose it”, they have been saying it for years, now I believe it. Everyone needs to feel useful and have interests or what is life about.

Be As Social As Possible

The reason that we are so social as human beings is that we re-create and in order to do that we need to communicate (although some of us do that better than others). In order to create a strong sense of social identity it is necessary to belong to social groups, clubs, teams or church is another option. Having this strong sense of social identity significantly reduces your chance of having a stroke, dementia, and even our yearly common illnesses such as the flu and a cold. Loneliness breeds both illness and early death.

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Yoga Feels good

Balance and Stretch click image to read more

Why Yoga feels so good.

Are you looking for a self-help treatment that you can give yourself? Look no farther than a local Yoga studio. Practicing Yoga regularly revitalizes every single part of the body right down to the cellular level. Nothing quite beats Yoga as a great source of natural health care.

There are many reasons to practice Yoga. Yoga grants physical health and vitality, relief from pain and stress, emotional strength and clarity during difficult times and the list goes on and on. Of course, not even Yoga can be touted as a cure all for everything but if I find myself needing a mental or physical boost, a little Yoga goes a long way.

How you look impacts the way you feel about your self and it goes the other way around too. One of the many blessings of practicing Yoga is a youthful appearance. Yoga poses tone your muscles much the same as isometric exercise When you add inner focus to Yoga stretches, there will be little or no chance of muscle injury. Toned muscles hold the posture erect, reduce the risk of injury and give you an awesome physique.

Looking to fight the battle of cellulite? Yoga can help you to do that because rather than building muscle, Yoga builds muscle tone. Yoga stretches muscles lengthwise, causing fat to be eliminated around the cells and that is what reduces cellulite. Because Yoga helps to maintain balanced metabolism, Yoga also helps to regulate weight.

You can help your self to look years younger than you are. In India, age is measured by flexibility of the body and especially the spine. The spine works as the messenger for the brain, when the spine is flexible; the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain and other organs is unrestricted. Many poses and exercises in Yoga are aimed at keeping the spine flexible by gently moving, twisting and flexing the spine in all directions.

We all know that stress will zap your energy faster than anything. Finding ways to relax and enjoy life will bring more energy. Yoga gives you tools to turn stress into energy by allowing you to recognize the stress when it begins before it becomes too large to manage because Yoga will give you a greater self awareness.

With your higher awareness will come peace of mind and that equals freedom. Freedom from the load on our minds that we often carry unconsciously, that load, you will realize, holds you back. Becoming aware of how your mind works is your first step to peace of mind.

After you practice Yoga for a while it may help you to overcome some self-limitations you may be placing on your self. When you are able to do that you will feel lighter and you will have an “acceptance” of your life as it is. You start to learn that challenges have their place in your life but they will not “rule” your life.

Yoga helps you realize your true potential and it encourages you to grow and improve towards that potential always striving to reach peace of mind.

Yoga helps you to focus on your breath. Breathing is the first thing we do when we come into this life and it is the last thing we do as we leave. However many of us are often not even aware that we are breathing.

Have you ever forgotten to breathe? There are some things in life that are so frightening, exciting, dangerous or amazing you may momentarily forget. Think about the way that you are breathing and how it relates to what is happening in your life.

Your breathe is rapid and shallow if you are afraid, or you take short sharp breaths when you have exerted your self with intense work. We take in a deep long breath when we are tired, we yawn to draw in additional oxygen. A sigh releases anxiety and if you were to stand on a windy cliff over looking the ocean you would likely take a deep long breath.

Taking the unconscious process of breathing and making it conscious is an essential aspect of yoga. The Sages of old found that as they became aware of their breathing as it moved in and out the mind could be consciously controlled. They then began to use the mind to control the breath, which happened to benefit the entire body and mind.

The ancient yogis were aware of the life energy that all things on this earth are made of. They revered the vital energy that enters on the breath. The exhale or releasing energy of the out-breath also being vital. The interplay of the two, inhale and exhale is what keeps us alive by circulating the vital life force and eliminating the used-up energy.

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What are you doing to you?

Looks can be deceiving click picture to read more

Our bodies are a miraculous thing. Sometimes we get out of whack. Our bodies start behaving “out of whack” and suddenly everything goes “crazy”. There are changes to our bodies that we would love to reverse if we just understood how. So what are you doing to yourself by…..

Drinking soda

Diet soda does NOT help you to lose weight. Quite the contrary it is actually responsible for excess eating and resulting weight gain. The sweet taste causes Insulin to be produced by the pancreas (which is a “storage” hormone) and tells the liver to stop converting fat to sugar for energy because an influx is on the way. When it does not arrive, your brain tells you to eat. This is particularly dangerous to diabetics. Sugar, wine, refined carbohydrates in our diet causes our blood sugar to go up. When it crashes quickly we release a stress hormone called Cortisol.

Cortisol is responsible for shutting down the metabolism and locking down fat. That puts the body into the mode of burning sugar instead of fat. It is the cause of “belly fat”. Cortisol creates a craving for sugar. The brain is the only organ that actually needs sugar. Without sugar we die. The sugar we Need is NATURAL SUGAR. Drink Your Water. Many of us are not sick, we are just thirsty but we have misinterpreted. Every 24 hours our bodies recycle the equivalent of four thousand glasses of water to maintain the normal physiological functions. It does this each and every day, day in and day out.

During this recycling procedure the body comes up short about 6 to 10 eight ounce glasses each day depending on environmental conditions. If we are to replace the deficit we would need to drink 1/2 our body weight daily. THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR WATER. Water is a nutrient. Water dissolves all proteins, starch, minerals and other compounds so that the blood can distribute them to the rest of the body. The start of many diseases in the body is caused by dehydration. The body does not know the difference between hungry and thirsty. Most people walk around severely dehydrated.

What should a meal look like? Your meal needs to include lean protein and be “vegetable heavy”, your diet needs to have some fat in it, good fats such as oil and vinegar dressing or use olive oil. 400 to 600 calories will look something like this. 6 to 8 cup salad (not ice burg) 1 1/2 cups any other vegetable Protein (5 to 6 ounces of lean meat for example).

ALL PROCESSED FOODS ARE LOADED WITH MSG.

Things like Taco Bell, Lean Cuisine and Weight Watchers frozen meals (along with the ones at the store) include MSG. MSG is a brain-toxin. It is highly addictive and affects the same receptors in the brain as Valium.

MSG stimulates the pancreas to produce insulin and it stimulates your appetite. Many people in the United States live on a “processed diet”. No wonder our nation as a whole has become more and more unhealthy. Have you seen the lines at the drive thru? When we make a habit of eating poorly it will change the way your body functions and we need to be patient in restoring our good health, sometimes the damage is irreversible.

You can have all the money in the world but you can not buy good health.

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Importance of Weight Training

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Many Americans under estimate the importance of weight training.

Many Americans under estimate the importance of weight training. Not only that but they have a misconception about what weight work can mean for them. Many times when I ask someone if they do any type of resistance training they say, “oh, I hate weight work but I do it anyways.” Or,” I don’t” and they leave it at that. Many women say that they don’t want their bodies to look like a man. So there is the misconception.

Weight work need not include the “bulk up”. Some women like that on them self but it is hard to maintain for women especially (who aren’t made to look that way). It includes many hours at the gym and most likely a trainer.

What People need to understand is that first off, muscle weighs more than fat but it takes up less room. Muscle burns more calories than fat to maintain. Resistance work also increases the density of bones. This is a crucial factor for women because we tend to decrease our density as we grow older and sometimes our diets aren’t very helpful.

What is helpful for women is to lower the weight way down and do more repetitions. The reason that you do this is because with smaller weight you will not bulk up at all, you will just tone and give shape to what you already have.

You will strengthen your muscle in a different way, a way that will increase the endurance of the muscles. This will allow you to continue doing your favorite activities for longer periods of time without being tired.

The most recent testing on the human body concluded that weight training burned more calories and fat than aerobic training. That does NOT mean to discontinue your aerobics because that is exercising your heart. A strong heart is an important key in keeping your blood pressure down.

If you don’t belong to a gym, you can do simple weight training exercises at home with simple house hold items. Be aware of what the weight is and go for it.

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Don’t Stress The Small Stuff

As we start a new year and a new decade many things in our life seem uncertain. The economy is not improving as fast as we would like and we have to wonder what the government is up to? The national debt is doing nothing but increasing and the provider of the paper the government uses to print the money is having a hard time keeping up with demand. So what does this mean for all of us?

It means that we need to do the best we can with the tools that we have. Use our education to the best of our ability. Hold our head high and move our lives forward the best way we can. For some of us it means that we will need to re-invent our self.

We have questions about how we will pay the bills or put food on the table? How will we pay for college for our kids that are in high school? Will we be able to go on a family vacation this year? Will we ever be able to retire?

All of these questions create stress in our life. They create stress and sometimes strife within family units that can blow out of proportion to the questions that we ask. At times the stress feels like it will break you apart so how do we manage it?

Finding ways to relax is the key to living, healthy, happy, energetic and stress free. Relaxation is the key to keeping your relationships healthy and keeping YOU SANE!

Relaxation is an essential part of stress management. Relaxation is not just about peace of mind or enjoying a hobby. Relaxation decreases the wear and tear on your mind and body from the challenges, hassles and stress of daily life.

Whether your stress is out of control or you have already got it tamed, you can benefit from learning ways to realize relaxation.

Learning basic relaxation techniques is easy, often free or low cost, and poses little risk. These simple techniques will get you started on taking control of the stress in your life and improving your health.

The benefits of relaxation techniques

With so many things to do, relaxation is easy to ignore. But that means you might miss out on the health benefits relaxation can provide.

Types of relaxing activities

In general, relaxation techniques involve refocusing your attention to something calming and increasing awareness of your body. It does not matter which technique you choose. What matters is that you try to practice relaxation regularly to gain the most benefits.

There are several main types of relaxation techniques, including:

Auto relaxation.

Auto means something that comes from within you. In this technique, you use both visual imagery and body awareness to reduce stress. You repeat words or suggestions in your mind to help you relax and reduce muscle tension. You may imagine a peaceful place and then focus on controlled, relaxing breathing, slowing your heart rate, or feeling different physical sensations, such as relaxing each arm or leg one by one.

Progressive muscle relaxation.

In this technique, you focus on slowly tensing and then relaxing each muscle group. This helps you focus on the difference between muscle tension and relaxation. You become more aware of physical sensations. One method is to start by tensing and relaxing the muscles in your toes and progressively working your way up to your neck and head. Tense your muscles for at least five seconds and then relax for 30 seconds, and repeat.

Visualization.

In this technique, you form mental images to take a visual journey to a peaceful, calming place or situation. During visualization, try to use as many senses as you can, including smell, sight, sound and touch. If you imagine relaxing at the ocean, for instance, think about such things as the smell of salt water, the sound of crashing waves and the warmth of the sun on your body. You may want to close your eyes, sit in a quiet spot and loosen any tight clothing.

Practicing relaxation techniques can reduce stress symptoms by:

Slowing your heart rate

Lowering blood pressure

Increasing blood flow to major muscles

Reducing muscle tension and chronic pain

Improving concentration

Reducing anger and frustration

Other common ways to relax include:

Yoga

Tai chi

Listening to music

Exercise

Meditation

Hypnosis

Massage

Relaxation techniques take practice

As you learn relaxation techniques, you will become more aware of muscle tension and other physical symptoms of stress. Once you know what the stress response feels like, you can make a conscious effort to practice the best relaxation technique for you the moment you start to feel stress. This can prevent stress from getting out of control. The first priority in relieving stress is to recognize the presence of it.

Remember that relaxation techniques are slearned over time. Your ability to relax improves with practice. Be patient with yourself – do not let your effort to practice relaxation techniques become stressful. Do not be upset when stress gets the best of you that will make it worse, just tell yourself you WILL do better next time and forgive yourself.

Also, bear in mind that some people, especially those with serious psychological issues and a history of abuse, may experience feelings of emotional discomfort during some relaxation techniques. If you experience emotional discomfort during relaxation techniques, stop what you are doing and get in contact with your health care professional or mental health provider.

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