Add Fitness to Your Wishlist

It's that time again; time to start buying holiday gifts for friends and families. While you're out finding the perfect present for them, though, consider what it is you want to receive this year. If you are like many people who are hoping to get in shape, you may want to add some of the top fitness products to your wish list this season. You should also consider these presents for loved ones who share your goal for a healthier life. Everyone has their own preferred method of working out and getting into shape. Thankfully, though, there is surely a fit gift to suit every personality. For example, people who love to work out with a group are likely to appreciate a membership to a gym or health club. Get one for your best friend, and sign yourself up too. Then, you can go together and make getting into shape a social experience. Another great option is to sign up for a fun class. Get a gift certificate for a local dance studio and learn to strut your stuff, or hit the yoga mat to discover a new way of healing your body and your mind. If you and your friends already share a fitness hobby, you can get great gear to step it up a notch. Love to bike? Consider getting a pair of quality fitness sunglasses or a mileage tracker for your cycle. If running is your thing, check out the latest shoes that record how far and how fast you run. Other great options for any sport are heart rate monitors, music players, and environmentally friendly sport bottles. The gym may not be the place for everyone, though. If you are someone who prefers to get sweaty in solitude, your best gifts are likely to be found in the DVD section. Add a few of the top video workout products to your wish list and clear a space in front of the TV. With the recent surge in fitness interest, there are hundreds of great programs to choose from. Everything from pilates to kickboxing can be done right in your own home with the aid of your DVD player! If the television isn't quite personal enough, consider a paid membership to an online training site. You can gain access to personalized workouts and nutrition info. Most sites even let you download routines to your iPod or mp3 player. They also let you record your progress and celebrate your successes. Plus, it's easy to sign up with a friend and send each other progress reports. No matter what your interests, there is sure to be a fitness gift perfect for you or another exercise enthusiast in your life. So, drop a few hints to family and friends to let them know which of these fit gifts you're hoping to unwrap this season. Don't think they'll get it right? Splurge on yourself this year. You deserve it!

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Robert Harden, fitness coach at Extremely-Fit, invites you to visit http://www.extremely-fit.com. The perfect place to fill your Christmas wish list. DVD programs like P90X, 10 Minute Trainer, and Turbo Jam are perfect gifts! Not to mention as a fitness coach, you have someone to ask all those important questions along the way.

Food and Diet

Food and Diet By Brenda Williams

Food and Diet is such an incredibly important part of our lives. Every day we need food to sustain ourselves. However, not just any food will do. We should always exercise caution and be selective when we can regarding what type of food we put into our body. That being said, there are many people who choose not to eat healthy because they don't have the mental fortitude and wherewithal to turn away from tempting foods that are bad for them.

Here's an example. In an effort to eat better, I decided that I would forego all of the sugary, carb heavy foods that I normally eat such as bread, butter, cookies, pies and fast food. Instead, I am now trying to revert back to the way I used to eat before I got out of college. You see, when we have someone else making our food for us, we often don't think twice about what is healthy versus what is not healthy. When I was in college, I had the food at the dining hall. When I didn't eat at the dining hall, I was racking up debt on my credit cards eating out; and while I ate out quite a bit, I always somehow managed to eat relatively healthy. Eating became a problem after college was over and it was time to step into the real world. No longer leaning on the total support of an academic institution to provide me with free meals, and having racked up a ton of debt eating out was no longer an option; I had little money but was still hungry. So what are your options when you don't have the money to spend on healthy foods that cost more? You eat poorly.

Rather than go to the supermarket and purchase the necessary ingredients needed to make a healthy meal for myself which would've taken anywhere from twenty to thirty minutes to make, I opted instead to stop in at the local fast food restaurant. And even though I would order what I thought was the healthiest choice on the menu (typically some sort of chicken deal), it turned out that it still wasn't that great for me. The funny thing about eating poorly is that your health almost immediately suffers. In my case, I am a runner; and having been used to a relatively healthy diet to then go to one that is in the dumps, I began to feel sluggish. I was having trouble getting out of bed in the mornings (and I am typically a morning person). My feet felt like they were dragging up the hills, and I became increasingly irritable and couldn't think straight. If that wasn't enough, I began to put on a little weight- hardly noticeable, but noticeable enough to me.

The lesson to be learned here is that we must learn to treat our bodies as if they were temples. Before you pick up food to eat, think twice about whether or not the food is good for your body. Do you really need to eat that bag of chips? Discipline yourself to do better.

Fort Worth Rehab

Fort Worth Addiction

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Low Carb Diets - Fast Weight Loss Or Big Let Down?

One of the most widely held beliefs among the weight loss community is that low carb diets are the key to a fast slim-down. Just think of all of the "low carb" diets available... -- Atkins -- South Beach -- Zone ...just to name a few. But why do so many weight loss professionals promote carbohydrate restriction? Four words... it appears to work. Those who restrict carbohydrates, often do lose weight quickly. And for individuals who are desperate to lose weight this quick slim-down seems like the "light at the end of the tunnel". It appears to them that they have found the "holy grail" of weight loss in cutting carbs. But have they only been fooled? The answer is a resounding yes! The truth is that your body depends on GOOD carbohydrates for the majority of its functions and when there is an absence of GOOD carbohydrates (As there is with carb restricted diets) your body will actually manufacture its own in order to maintain tissues that absolutely need them! Because the manufacturing of carbohydrates takes additional energy your body will burn an excess amount of calories... something that promoters of low carb diets call the "Metabolic Advantage". Along with the excess use of energy by the body to produce carbohydrates, people who are on low carbohydrate diets are also eating fewer calories because they are consuming far fewer BAD carbohydrates than they typically would on a day to day basis... -- French fries -- Boxed cereals -- Soda (diet or regular) -- White Bread -- Refined Pastas -- Salad Dressings -- White sugar It's this combination of an increased use of energy by the body to manufacture carbs and fewer calories from refined carbs going into the body that makes low carb diets produce quick weight loss... ...giving the illusion that the diet is actually working, when really it's only a set up for massive failure! So what's the problem? The problem is that most carb restricted diets make no distinction between good carbs and bad carbs. These diets simply teach the elimination of most carbs from your caloric intake. This is a huge mistake because eliminating good carbs from your diet causes the body to go into survival mode, meaning that it will store and ration the food you consume. As a result, when a person who has been on such a diet begins to eat normal again, the body will store increased quantities of the food they eat as fat! Your body needs good carbs like whole grains, vegetables and fruits. Vital organs such as your brain, kidneys and liver absolutely will not function without carbohydrates and when these carbs are cut out of your diet for any extended period the affects can be extremely dangerous! At some point you will have to consume good carbs or you will seriously impact your health! There's no need to partake in low carb diets to lose weight. There are other alternatives that produce faster, healthier and longer lasting weight loss!

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Jason Clemens is a leading weight loss and nutrition expert. "Learn the simple, step-by-step weight loss formula for losing 30lbs In 30 Days - using the ancient, almost magical power of four basic, all-natural principles!" ==>Visit http://www.naturalexplosiveweightloss.com

Savory Soups and Stews

Savory Soups and Stews By Kaleena A Lawless

In the fall and winter time, we crave hearty meals that keep our bodies warm and full. Soups and stews offer a dish that is both healthy and filling. Soups are hydrating and great for weight loss. Stews have the potential to deliver an awesome serving of lean proteins for workout recovery and building muscle.

Soups

Soups can be made from scratch using a broth, fresh vegetables, meat, pasta and spice. You can purchase a soup blend mix containing grains and vegetables to add to your favourite broth.

Made from scratch soups usually don't take long to prepare but they can take a long time to cook for the ingredients to become tender and the spices to come out.

If you are in a hurry there is a wide variety of canned and boxed soups. When you go canned, try to pick up the low sodium option. My favourite ready to eat soups are the brands in mason jars sold in most grocery stores. They are a little more expensive but they are packed with grains and vegetables. The thicker pureed soups are delicious paired with a piece of whole grain bread for dipping.

Avoid creamed soups that are high in fat and try to make canned soup with water or low fat milk instead of full fat milk or cream.

Stews

Stews are similar to soup except they are thick and made with larger pieces of food. Typically stews are made with beans, chunks of beef, other meats or vegetarian meat-like alternatives and vegetables such as peppers, corn, carrots and potatoes.

Stews are perfect for when you have a bunch of left overs. Just throw all ingredients in to a pot with a bit of water, stock or crushed tomatoes (some recipes call for wine or beer but this is a health blog!) and simmer on low heat until the flavours and spices have blended.

Stews are great for people trying to cut back on carbohydrates and fat because it's such a filling meal that you won't notice the only carbs are coming from vegetables.

Eating healthy doesn't mean being hungry. With literally thousands of soup and stew recipes out there your palate will never get bored and your body will be more fit than ever before!

Kaleena Lawless Personal Training Specialist http://www.kalisthenixfitnessblog.com

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Whole Eggs Versus Egg Whites

Whole Eggs Versus Egg Whites

By Siegfried Garcia

This has been probably one of the most controversial issues in the Fitness World. And it all boils down to whether you eat the Whole Egg or just the Egg white. As for the whole egg, it's all about the Yolk. Which actually has 210mg of cholesterol. So what? Well as we all know cholesterol when increased, could block arteries to the heart which cause common heart attacks and maybe other cardiovascular diseases. But wait, there are 2 types of cholesterol right? The good which is HDL and the bad which LDL. Before we go any further, lets try to define some terms here.

High-density lipoproteins (HDL) "good cholesterol" - It carries the cholesterol from the arteries back to the liver.

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) "bad cholesterol" - It carries the cholesterol through the blood streams from the liver to peripheral tissues. It also carries fat to the arteries which eventually blocks blood from flowing.

So maybe the question in mind is... which of the 2 do we really need? Actually the answer is BOTH. However, it is advised to take at least only 2 whole eggs a week. Why? The LDL or bad cholesterol resides on the Yolk. The HDL or good cholesterol resides on the white. Too much intake of the yolk may trigger some heart illnesses. Though HDL is suppose to free us from LDL, it unfortunately cannot handle the large amount if taken daily assuming a whole egg is consumed. As for weight lifters who need Protein Intake, a good practice wood be 1 whole egg and a couple of egg whites. But of course it is always better to seek a physicians advice just to be safe.

People who are in the weight gain program I believe have Eggs in their Diet list. That's because of it's high Protein content. As we all know, protein is the one responsible for building our muscles. Others get it from milk, fish, beef & white meat (chicken breast/ thigh).

In my second month of training, I'm now going to increase my Protein intake. And Eggs are definitely in my list. Limiting the yolks and increasing the whites of course. I'm also going to start having oat meal which is rich in fiber. Just to flush all those stuff we really don't need in the body.

I was actually given a meal plan. Thanks to the very supportive people of http://www.bodybuilding.com/. You may want to check it out and see if it would apply to your eating habbits.

Siegfried Garcia "A Blogger's Journey to Fitness" http://thebloggerexperiment.blogspot.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Siegfried_Garcia http://EzineArticles.com/?Whole-Eggs-Versus-Egg-Whites&id=1688284

How to Stay in Shape During a Bad Economy

How to Stay in Shape During a Bad Economy

By L. A. Smith

During times when jobs are scarce and/or the price of food, gas and other necessities are on the rise and making unaffordable things that are not necessarily a need but a want like:

1.) Your membership to that awesome gym that's costing you $60 to $150 dollars per month or 2.) Those personal fitness training sessions you like so much.

Fret not because if you should have to cancel your membership or your training sessions during tough economic times, you can still maintain your fitness for pennies on the dollar.

The key to maintaining your fitness at the lowest possible cost is really two fold. The first thing you must do is find effective workout routines that you can do using the exercise equipment you currently have or find routines that are effective and require a limited amount of exercise equipment and space. The second thing you must have is commitment and determination.

Finding good workout routines is really easy to do today with all the articles being printed in magazines and on the internet pertaining to fitness. Search the internet and/or go to your local library and find 3 to 6 workout routines that require only an exercise ball, a pair of dumbbells, and perhaps a couple of resistance bands. If you do not already have the foregoing exercise equipment, you can purchase all of it for $50 or less.

As for the commitment and the determination, a couple of things you can do in this regard to keep you on track is to get yourself a workout log and schedule your training days and then put those schedule training days in your cell phone, your calendar on your computer or in your alarm clock at home, so that you receive an alert reminding you of your training days and time. In addition, on those days when you feel like you just don't have the motivation and/or energy to train, be sure and do something even if it's just a 10 minute walk. This will keep you on track with your schedule, which is very important because many find it difficult to get back on track once they deviate from their scheduled workout routines.

Get free workout routines, printable workout log and ebook from L.A. Online Fitness (http://www.laonlinefitness.com).

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How important is Water to Your Health?

How important is Water to Your Health?

You could be dying of thirst and not even know it.

In fact thousands of individuals are actually shortening their lifespan simply because they are not getting the required hydration their bodies require.

Are you overweight? Do you have excess hunger or do you feel depressed and anxious? If you do then you may not be drinking enough good quality water.

The earth is 70% water. Water makes up two thirds of our body weight. Our brains are 85% to 95% water and our blood is 82%.

It’s easy to see how important water is. The amount of water you consume and the quality of the water with proper minerals and ph levels is vital to your health.

Most Americans are suffering from dehydration which can cause fatigue, fuzzy memory and even eyesight problems.

Water serves as a lubricant. It helps form saliva and provides fluids around our joints. It also regulates temperature, alleviates constipation, plus regulates our metabolism.

Our water supply is in danger of pollutants all around us. The problem is increasing every year.

We can all help by trying not to pollute. From gas, to sewer drains, storm sewers, septic tanks and treatment plants, these all add to polluting our precious water supply.

All water is not equal. Many of us are drinking bottled water because we know that tap water has much to be desired. It contains pollutants and poison such as chlorine. So we often look for alternatives.

Many studies on bottled water indicate that it’s not any better then tap water. You are likely wasting your money and degrading your health if you are drinking bottled water.

Water filtration may be a better choice. With the proper filtration system you can eliminate the bad particles while hopefully keeping any beneficial minerals. This can get complicated and expensive however.

Some believe that reverse osmosis systems and distillation, removes all the good minerals along with the bad. This could possibly influence the water property to act as a mineral sponge. Since the water is in effect too pure, the net effect could be that it is taking minerals from your body.

Tap water is usually too acidic. Alkalinized water is believed to be better for your health. Alkalized water rich with minerals will help hydrate you faster.

Electrolytes in water helps cells maintain their voltage across cell membranes. This also support the ability of nerve impulses to work more efficiently. They also help muscle contractions and provide peak physical performance.

Good quality water with the proper ph, minerals and electrolytes will keep your body running smoothly while giving you a longer, healthier life.

So you see that it is important to drink adequate water that is of the highest quality and includes the essential minerals needed for optimal performance.

A final note, water is around 600 times cheaper then cola and much better for you, so drink up!

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Steve Caldwell is a student of health and an advocate of people interested in improving a healthy lifestyle through proper nutrition and exercise. To become a part of this healthy movement, feel free to join our social community, HealthEWorld.

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Copyright © Steve Caldwell 2008. All rights reserved.

A Timeless Guide to Fitness Nutrition

A Timeless Guide to Fitness Nutrition By Gary Holdon

What is fitness nutrition? It's been said time and again that the only thing that doesn't stay the same is change. At one point you realize that portion control does have its advantages and it effectively sheds off the pounds. But sometimes this doesn't always work and you'll probably end up harming your body in the long run. There are some who can attest to the benefits of green tea and even lose weight because of it but sometimes even this isn't enough to stay fit.

And so the search continues for the elusive formula of how to stay fit and healthy. The biggest question is: what is the universal law which everyone can follow and use everyday and get constant results? This universal law states that a body in a state of movement stays that way but a body cannot be in this state efficiently without the right kind of nutrition. This means getting enough exercise and eating right are both important.

When it comes to fitness nutrition, the concept of dieting is different than what most are exposed to. The belief of fitness nutrition is based on what your body is burning while in movement, what it requires to sustain this and what it requires to recuperate and repair itself.

Fitness Nutrition Guide for Those Who Exercise

To get into fitness nutrition, you should follow a dietary guide especially if you plan to workout for more than 60 minutes everyday. Having tired muscles is a common complaint when working out. This is generally caused by a short supply of sugar in the liver but in this case, there is a short supply of sugar in the body's muscles. If a muscle's supply of sugar is depleted, there is soreness and fatigue felt which is why to boost your stamina and fight tiredness, eating in small portions is advised.

The best food for your muscles is glucose, which is a type of carbohydrate from sweet and starchy foods. If you plan to exercise for more than 60 minutes the best foods to are breads, beans, cereals, fresh or dried fruits or yogurt. Sports drinks and energy bars are not enough to feed your muscles and sustain it for extended moments of demanding workout sessions plus this can affect the health of your teeth. It's also best to stay away from cakes and biscuits which contain high fat carbohydrates.

The important rule of fitness nutrition is always stay hydrated. This means drinking water even if you're not thirsty so always have a water bottle nearby. It's advised to drink a cup of water before and during a workout and then drink three cups right after. Not only is staying hydrated necessary it is required in fitness nutrition and as well as in life.

There are so many diet plans available out there and new ones seem to keep coming out every time. But what is common among these plans is the addition of exercise into their diet plans. It is quite evident that if you want to burn more you need to move more. To be able to achieve efficient burning of calories is to follow proper fitness nutrition. If you plan to start a diet plan, always check with your doctor and remember results don't come right away so be patient.

We have a great solution for fitness nutrition. Why not check it out? Click Here for more information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gary_Holdon http://EzineArticles.com/?A-Timeless-Guide-to-Fitness-Nutrition&id=1662670

How to Lose Weight During the Holiday Season

Every year we face a similar dilemma. While we all love to enjoy getting together and celebrating the holidays with friends and family, come January we face the consequences of our actions and often find ourselves finding a few (or sometimes more) extra pounds. Is there any way we can actually reverse this trend and take off a few pounds this year? You bet there is. Here are a few things that will likely produce good results. Read More

Feel And Look Younger Starting Today

As we age there is often the desire to feel younger like we did years ago. When we were young everything was easy and fun to do.

As the years go by we begin to ache a bit more, have less energy and can even find it more difficult to think as well as we should.

Well don’t feel alone. Many of us are in the same boat and want a better quality of life.

You have seen certain older people that seem to defy aging. They just keep on doing what they enjoy and seem younger than their years. You can tell they are having a great time enjoying life. What’s their secret? Are they just blessed with good genes? Well, they could be.

Maybe they just know how to take care of themselves and have acquired the knowledge and desire to look and feel younger.

There are many factors involved in staying fit. Activities like exercise, both physical and mental, diet, interactions with others and of course your genetic makeup can decide this.

As far as exercise goes, it really does help. If you are one of those that doesn’t like exercising then you could find something physical that you enjoy. What about a sport? Even walking in places you enjoy like a park will benefit you.

Pollution can have an effect on aging as well. Try to cut down on pollution as much as possible. You may not be able to do a lot about the world you live in, but at least you can control your immediate environment to some extent.

Some things you can do in your own home is keeping it clean, use a water filter and keep toxins out at much as possible. A good hepa vacuum can really do wonders by getting rid of dust and animal dander.

If you eat a lot of fast food and processed food, then it’s no wonder you are aging faster then necessary. Do you grab a donut and coffee for breakfast or do you eat a balanced meal?

Try eating whole foods including some raw fruits and vegetables that are filled with antioxidants. Drink plenty of water too.

Some foods just seem to be extraordinary in the anti aging department. These include blueberries, green tea, aloe vera, ginkgo biloba and beets.

There are many supplements that will help you to look and feel younger as well.

If you start following a healthier lifestyle by exercising, eating a wholesome diet, taking a few supplements and doing things you enjoy, then you will find that you will be younger at heart and look better as well.

Just imagine a life with less stress, greater mental clarity, full of energy and less aches and pains.

Now is that a change worth making?

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Steve Caldwell is a student of health and an advocate of people interested in improving a healthy lifestyle through proper nutrition and exercise. To become a part of this healthy movement, feel free to join our social community, HealthEWorld.

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Copyright © Steve Caldwell 2008. All rights reserved.

Weight Loss Exercise Plan

Weight Loss Exercise Plan By Eva Young

When you are trying to lose weight in a consistent manner and seriously, you need to consult your doctor and fitness instructor who will chalk out a proper weight loss exercise plan that is tailor made and appropriate for you.

Yoga

Yoga has its hardcore followers as well as detractors when it comes to weight loss. But it has been proven that certain yogic postures do help to trigger weight loss if combined with other forms of exercise.

You can practice the following - Hatha yoga Warrior pose Archer pose Kundalini yoga and yogic kriyas Power yoga Sun salutations Vinyasa yoga Ashtanga yoga

Most of these are vigorous forms of exercises which will make you break out in a sweat and involve abdominal crunches, dance and shake moves, jumping, deep squats, pacing, jogging, arm raising etc. These are really beneficial but you need to practice them under expert supervision.

Aerobic exercise

When you combine power yoga with aerobic exercises, the results will be visible in a few weeks.

Exercise

However, most fitness experts and past benefactors will swear by resistance training, weight lifting and muscle building exercises which are considered as the best weight loss tools in the book. Combine these with cardiovascular exercises and watch your calories burn super fast.

These exercises listed above are metabolism accelerators and performing these exercises regularly will help you to burn your fat with ease.

Opt for regular doses of swimming and aquatic weight loss exercises. It is difficult to cheat the water for water creates greater resistance and you have to exert yourself really hard, which will result in rapid weight loss.

An hour of running every day, preferably out doors will work wonders. If it is not possible to run outdoors, you can opt for running on your treadmill.

Cycling, jogging, walking briskly 10000 steps a day, playing outdoor games of your choice like tennis, soccer, cricket, baseball, basketball, playing golf without the cart, practicing martial arts will all help you to lose significant amounts of weight.

Always climb up the stairs, walk down to the grocery store, take your dog out for an airing, play with your children in the park, do household chores. The key to losing weight is to give up your couch potato habits for good and embracing a healthy active lifestyle. Kick your sedentary ways.

Do you know what a healthy diet is? A healthy diet is all about what you eat rather than how much you eat. Read more about helathy diet plans here.

Would you like to lose 2+ pounds of pure fat each week? Start your own healthy diet plan now!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eva_Young http://EzineArticles.com/?Weight-Loss-Exercise-Plan&id=1642611

Eating Healthier As a Family

Eating Healthier As a Family By Laura Plunkett

Changing a family's diet requires two crucial elements: patience and persistence. Keep in mind that this is a long-term project so go at your own pace. Decide upon a change and stick with it. Don't let them see you waver.

1. Explain that changes in your family's diet benefit everyone's overall health, not just the child with diabetes. Eating more vegetables, fruits, and whole grains while avoiding sugar, white flour, and processed foods pays healthy dividends for everyone.

2. As we struggle with our own eating impulses, we know how hard it is to deny ourselves without support and encouragement. Think of your family as an organization like Weight Watchers. Your job is to keep a close eye on your child's ups and downs, set limits, and offer constant praise and encouragement.

3. When you shop, concentrate on the outer edges of the store where you find fresh produce, meat, fish, whole grain breads, dairy, and frozen fruits and vegetables. Avoid the cookie, cracker, juice, candy, and soda aisles.

4. Each time you place an item in the shopping cart, consider whether it has nutritional value. If it doesn't have vitamins, minerals, protein, or fiber, leave it in the store.

5. When you get home, wash and cut up the fruit and vegetables and put them on a shelf in the refrigerator so that they are the first thing your children see when they open the door.

6. Place a snack plate of green pepper, carrots, cucumbers, celery filled with peanut butter, and some ranch dressing next to your children when they are watching television, playing computer, or doing homework. Over time, add pieces of raw broccoli, cauliflower, baby tomatoes, red peppers, snap peas, green beans, or celery filled with cream cheese. You can add chunks of cheese, rolled up cold cuts, and fruit as well.

7. A salad at dinner gives everyone raw, enzyme-rich food. Serve it before the meal when your children are really hungry.

8. Feed your children at home before parties. This will help them limit themselves to one or two slices of pizza and a small serving of cake or ice cream. Feeling full, they may be able to skip the frosting, the cookies, and the candy.

9. Save dessert for special occasions rather than keeping sweets in the kitchen. A walk to the ice cream store makes it a treat and less accessible than reaching into the freezer.

10. Take your time and take small steps. Picky eaters need to taste foods many times before they will accept them. You can move from white bread to a slightly darker oat bread before introducing a hearty whole wheat bread. Just when you are ready to give up, you may find your child is ready to give in!

Laura Plunkett is a nationally-known expert on parenting children with diabetes. Additional articles and her book The Challenge of Childhood Diabetes: Family Strategies for Raising a Healthy Child are available at http://www.challengeofdiabetes.com

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Blood Pressure Tips For Diabetics

Blood Pressure Tips For Diabetics

By Christopher Ruane

You should be receiving regular blood pressure checks if you have long term chronic illness. If you want to check it more often than you go to the doctor, you can purchase a monitoring device that lets you measure blood pressure. There are different kinds to choose from. Two of those are the aneroid and digital monitor. This may be helpful for someone who has diabetes mellitus and needs good long term control because they have a risk of vascular problems.

Now, the aneroid type monitor uses a pointer to let you read your blood pressure. The digital monitor displays your reading on a screen which makes it easier to read.The aneroid monitor is cheaper but not as easy to use. This may have value if you visit for a health check up and get nervous. This can make a reading higher than it should be due to being around healthcare professionals.

Among taking your own blood pressure readings, you can double check your lifestyle habits. Are you on a healthy diet? Eating healthy will help keep your blood pressure low and normal. Cut back on salt (known as sodium). Opt for seasonings to give an alternative taste. Salt substitutes contain potassium instead of sodium and can cause problems with certain medications such as digoxin. Introduce more vegetables and fresh fruits into your diet. If you use tobacco (stop doing so )or drink excessive amounts of alcohol try to cut back or refrain completely. These will raise your blood pressure putting you at more risk for a stroke or heart disease.Only eat one piece of fruit at a time in you have glucose intolerance or suffer diabetes.

If you cannot quit these on your own there are plenty of resources and trained people to help.Would you consider yourself at a healthy weight or overweight? Overweight people are more prone to developing high blood pressure (hypertensive disease).

If you are not already regularly physically active, try to do at least thirty minutes of physical exercise three times a week. This will make you feel a lot better. Did you know there is a definite link between depressive illness and heart problems? Not difficult to believe when depressed people do not look after themselves.

Having high blood pressure puts your health at risk. If these lifestyle changes do not help, you may eventually have to consider going on medications. There are many different kinds of blood pressure medications and they need to be combined with a healthy lifestyle and exercise to deal with the issue more effectively.

For more related information visit Blood Pressure Readings. Get knowledge on dealing with symptoms, drug side effects and improving your life!

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Lower Your Blood Sugar

Glucose is a natural part of body metabolism. The food you eat is transformed into glucose in the bloodstream. The pancreas produces insulin that helps move excess glucose into the cells of the body where it can be used for energy. Highly processed and refined foods made of simple carbohydrates are quickly transformed into glucose. This causes a dramatic increase in blood sugar. The pancreas must then produce a great amount of insulin to move the excess glucose out of the bloodstream. This often overtaxes the pancreas and with constant consumption of high glycemic foods, the pancreas can burn itself out leading to diabetes. With the hectic pace of life that most of us live, we eat foods that are easy to digest but have a bad effect on our health. A diet of whole foods, consisting of fresh fruit and vegetables helps regulate and keep blood sugar in balance. But quick breakfasts consisting of sugar and lunches filled with fat do little toward a healthy balance in glucose. What can help lower your blood sugar? Drugs certainly do, but all of the drugs currently used to treat diabetes have severe side effects and do nothing to treat the complications of diabetes that leads to blindness and the deadening of nerves in the hands and feet. Fully 90% of all diabetics are overweight or obese. Losing weight should be the top priority of many diabetics. The simple act of losing a few pounds can help reduce blood sugar. It has been shown that the extra "spare tire" we carry around acts much like a separate organ in the body, secreting compounds that make it difficult for the cells to open up and accept glucose. Many type 2 diabetics are Insulin Resistant. Because the cells cannot open up, high levels of blood sugar and insulin remain in the bloodstream where it damages the kidneys, heart and impairs overall circulation. Regular exercise has the extra benefit in helping glucose move into the muscle tissue where it is needed to fuel activity. Most people do not exercise enough or not at all. A sedentary lifestyle works against the maintenance of proper health and well-being. Excessive smoking, drinking and stress levels all have a damaging effect on blood sugar control. To lower blood sugar means a total change of one's lifestyle, something not easy to do for the majority of people. Weight loss and exercise are the two most important activities that avoid the dangers of diabetes, yet are the most difficult to do. In summary, to lower blood sugar we need to: 1. Eat a proper diet rich in fiber and more fruits and vegetables. 2. Lose weight. 3. Exercise regularly. Walking is the simplest form of exercise. Just 20 minutes a day can help lower cholesterol and blood sugar. 4. Cut out smoking, excessive drinking. Reduce stress levels through prayer or meditation. 5. Supplement. Most people don't even meet RDA recommendations for essential vitamins and minerals. Supplementing is a necessity, more so for the diabetic who loses nutrients very quickly through the process of elimination. 6. Detoxify. Environmental toxins remain in the body and affect the functioning of the major organs. Food on store shelves are regularly treated to preserve freshness and color. Regular detoxification is necessary. 7. Drink at least 8 glasses of pure water every day to help flush out those toxins.. Lowering blood sugar is a major key to health and longevity. But it means a total commitment and a willingness to set aside the lifestyle that is making you sick.

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The author has been a diabetic for over 8 years. Like many he experienced the symptoms. He has since tackled the disease by losing weight and normalizing his blood sugar through natural means. If you should be interested in finding out about some products that have helped, you'll find them in the Resource section of his website-in-progress at: http://www.newagediabetic.com

Lower Abdominal Exercise - Toning Up the Lower Abdominals

Lower Abdominal Exercise - Toning Up the Lower Abdominals

By Phil Corey

Getting a tone lower abdomen can be a tricky process most of the exercises you see target the upper and middle abdominal areas. Finding exercises that are going to target the lower abdominal muscles effectively can be difficult. This is because many people do not realize the types of exercises that target these lower muscles.

For the most part these exercises actually involve the use of your legs. You work these muscles by pulling your legs up and tilting your pelvic muscles up and out. These work the harder to reach muscles that are found in the lower pelvic region. You can even target these muscles with more traditional abdominal exercises for example a crunch by lifting your legs at the same time you come up in the crunch.

This however can be difficult for some individuals. It is considered a more advanced abdominal exercise. For those looking for less advanced abdominal exercises that work on the lower abdomen consider simply lifting your legs. It works best to lift both at the same time curl your pelvis up and in towards your body. This will help you tighten up the muscles on the lower abdomen.

The muscles of the lower abdomen can be difficult muscles to get too through traditional styles of exercise. Women may have more difficulty with this area than men may especially if they have had children or been pregnant since the abdomen muscles especially the lower ones take the most stretch and weight during the pregnancy. You can also use an exercise ball in order to assist with providing a low resistance form of these exercise, to add more resistance consider using resistance bands or weights. This can help create a more advanced lower abdominal exercise while still maintaining its simplicity and ease of execution.

There are a number of ways that you can accomplish providing resistance, expanding on and making these types of exercises more difficult as your muscles strengthen and advance. Check with the exercises to see what type of muscles tone they are going to provide. If you are looking for lean and tone you may want to try different exercises than if you are looking for the built muscular look that comes from strength training.

Before starting any exercise program or routine, it is important to check with your primary health care provider as well as a fitness expert in order to ensure that you are doing the exercise properly and it will give you the results you want. Starting any type of exercise program can be a great thing and finding an exercise or exercise set that is, going to provide you with what you need to get back into shape should not be fraught with avoidance. Making sure that you are using an exercise program that is going to get you results without going outside of your fitness level and is still able to be adapted as you advance can be difficult but it can also be rewarding and a great way to start a new lifestyle.

For more information on free exercises to flatten your stomach, how to tone abs quickly and related topics visit AbsSecrets.Blogspot.com

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