Fitness And Health

Archive for October, 2008

A reminder for all of us that it is not our perceived short comings that hold us back.

Technorati Tags: blessing, motavation, overcoming

Why Cardio Doesn’t Work for Fat Loss

By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
www.TurbulenceTraining.com

Cardio exercise is such a strange thing. In theory, it should work
so perfectly well for all men and women, but as anyone who has
tried it knows, the practicality of it just doesn’t add up.

After all, some men and women do cardio 6 hours, 9 hours, or more per week, and still have belly fat to burn. On the other hand, it works just fine for others.

British researchers wanted to get more insight into this paradox, and studied 35 overweight men and women, who weren’t previously exercising.

(Reference: International Journal of Obesity 32: 177-184, 2008).

Subjects exercised 5 times per week for 12 weeks. That’s a lot of
exercise, but it helped the subjects lose an average of 8.2 pounds, which is great – I was positively surprised by the results.

So cardio will work for some people, however, in my experience, it works best in young men, who need the help the least!

Back to the study, the variance in fat loss between individuals was huge. Check this out…

The best subject lost a staggering 32.3 pounds in 12 weeks, while the worst subject actually GAINED 3.74 pounds.

The scientists think they know where things went sour. They
classified the subjects into 2 groups, called the “Compensators”
and the “Non-compensators”.

The Compensators were hungrier, and as a result consumed an extra 268 calories per day, all but wiping out their cardio efforts.

Therefore, the Compensators lost the least amount of weight, and scientists believe that was due to the huge “compensatory” increase in appetite experienced by this group.

Does your appetite increase when you do slow cardio? If it does,
research shows it will ruin your cardio efforts.

So if your cardio program is not working for you, check your
appetite and calorie intake to see if you are “compensating” for
your efforts. If you are, you might be better off using a program
of high-intensity resistance and interval training (i.e. Turbulence Training) for your weight loss efforts.

As Australian Professor Steve Boucher has shown in research,
interval training increases hormones called catecholamines. And
increased catecholamines can reduce appetite, among other fat-
burning benefits.

In the real world, few people lose 33 pounds after 12 weeks of
cardio. Heck, few even achieve an average weight loss of 8 pounds with aerobic exercise.

So again, check your appetite, and consider giving high-intensity
exercise a go for your next workout program.

Beat the curse of cardio with high-intensity Turbulence Training.

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training
About the Author

Learn about the “Dark Side of Cardio” in the free report from Craig Ballantyne at www.TurbulenceTraining.com. Craig is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit www.TurbulenceTraining.com

Technorati Tags: appetite, Cardio, cardio increases appetite, fat loss, interval training, weight loss

Governor Mike Huckabee took action when he received a diagnosis of Diabetes and changed his life and his whole state.

If you have a diagnosis of type-II diabetes take it as a challenge. Type II Diabetes is brought on by a combination of lifestyle and genetics – with lifestyle being the bigger part. That’s right, it’s your fault. You don’t get a pass for bad genes you must take responsibility for your lifestyle and for changing it. Watch Governor Huckabee’s story and how he took responsibility and used the diagnosis to change his life, the lives of those around him, and his whole state. We’ll pick up the discussion below:

And don’t believe for a minute that just taking the pill is the right approach. Diabetes and the habits that helped it form also put you at risk for other maladies. The changes you make by lowering your blood sugar and loosing weight will also relieve or prevent a spectrum of other health problems including:

1. High blood pressure
2. Heart disease
3. Stroke
4. Gallbladder disease
5. Joint pain
6. Sleep apnea
7. Arthritis
8. Breast cancer
9. Prostate cancer
10. Kidney cancer

You can read more about Governor Huckabee’s story at USA Today and CBN.

Technorati Tags: Diabetes, Fitness, mike huckabee, weight control

In this expert article Shane Ellison presents information about getting healthy fats into your diet. Healthy fats include Olive Oil, Fish Oil, and other non-transfat fats that contain Omega-3s and other healthy nutrients. Olive Oil should be your oil of choice. Consider using it instead of butter. Have you been to a traditional Italian restaurant? Always Olive Oil is on the table and you have to ask for butter. There is wisdom to this borne out by modern science that has shown the health benefits of Olive Oil. If you go to the store you will find different grades and prices for the Oil. The type depends on how it is processed. The best to buy is Extra Virgin. This oil is pressed out and heat is not used to get it. It means that it is as pure and natural as you can get it.

So substitute Olive Oil for butter – Olive Oil and vinegar dressing is good too. By the way there is a whole other story to tell about the benefits of vinegar and you will see them here in future posts.

The Big Fat Scam for the Obese and Diabetic
by Shane Ellison

Traditionally, a low-fat, high carbohydrate diet is recommended for the obese and type II diabetics. This low-fat approach is based on simple math. Fat has about twice as many calories per gram as carbohydrates and protein. Regardless of the lower calorie content, applying the theory has proven disastrous. It has secured America a seat in the worldwide Fat Ass Hall of Fame while giving birth to a diabetes epidemic. No surprise, math isn’t the best measure of a foods effect on the body. Biochemistry is – go figure.

In contrast to carbohydrates, eating fat (not trans fat, but naturally occurring fat) has proven to be the most important method for ensuring fat loss and warding off diabetes. This is courtesy of fats inability to spike the fat storing hormone insulin – and prevent us from feeding our pie hole excess calories. Thus, despite eating fat in the form of grass fed beef, seeds, nuts, avocados, coconut oil or fish, you won’t suffer from unsightly belly fat. This phenomenon has been proven many times.

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition recently showed that eating twice as much fat led to greater weight loss. Researchers compared two eating plans that were similar in caloric intake but vastly different in fat consumption. Obese individuals who consumed 61% fat energy for eight weeks lost 18 pounds; those consuming a mere 30% fat lost 14 pounds (they replaced the fat intake with 46% carbs). (1) Far more staggering than the differences in weight loss are the differences in biochemistry among the two groups.

Low fat, high carbohydrate eaters have the perfect biological environment for obesity and type II diabetes. Their blood levels of glucose, insulin and triglycerides skyrocket.(2) The Nurses’ Study by Harvard found that women who adhere to the Big Fat Scam and eat mostly carbohydrates increase their risk of diabetes 2.5 times! Men are not immune to the deadly carbohydrate effect.

Diabetics usually die early from heart disease, twice as often as those without diabetes. It is so damaging that it can erase 11-20 years from a persons lifespan. Currently, an estimated one in four American’s suffer from it. One in three born in the year 2000 will succumb to the Big Fat Scam and therefore suffer from diabetes according to The Journal of the American Medical Association. (3)

The best way to avoid being an honorary member of the Fat Ass Hall of Fame and the diabetes epidemic is to avoid the Big Fat Scam. Start eating more fat (avoid trans fats, of course, and give preference to fats with omega-3’s). Judge your food based on its effect on insulin (via glycemic load), count calories second. Stop futzing around with fad diets and self-proclaimed weight loss gurus who push wanton pill and supplement use as well as whole grains, fruit juice, sugary yogurt, candy bars disguised as health bars and most anything else served out of a box, package or window.

References:

1. Barclay, Laurie. Low-Carb/High-Fat or High-Carb/Low-Fat Diet Improves Weight Loss, Mood. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2007;86:580-587

2. YD Chen, AM Coulston, MY Zhou, CB Hollenbeck and GM Reaven.Why do low-fat high-carbohydrate diets accentuate postprandial lipemia in patients with NIDDM? Diabetes Care, Vol 18, Issue 1 10-16.

Liu S, Willett WC, Stampfer MJ, Hu FB, Franz M, Sampson L, Hennekens CH, Manson JE. A prospective study of dietary glycemic load, carbohydrate intake, and risk of coronary heart disease in US women. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2000 Jun;71(6):1455-61.

Gardner CD, Kiazand A, Alhassan S, Kim S, Stafford RS, Balise RR, Kraemer HC, King AC. Comparison of the Atkins, Zone, Ornish, and LEARN diets for change in weight and related risk factors among overweight premenopausal women: the A TO Z Weight Loss Study: a randomized trial. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2007; 9 (297): 969-77

Frederick F. Samaha, M.D., Nayyar Iqbal, M.D., Prakash Seshadri, M.D., Kathryn L. Chicano, C.R.N.P., Denise A. Daily, R.D., Joyce McGrory, C.R.N.P., Terrence Williams, B.S., Monica Williams, B.S., Edward J. Gracely, Ph.D., and Linda Stern, M.D. A Low-Carbohydrate as Compared with a Low-Fat Diet in Severe Obesity. New England Journal of Medicine. Volume 348:2074-2081. May 22, 2003. Number 21

3. K. M. Venkat Narayan, MD; James P. Boyle, PhD; Theodore J. Thompson, MS; Stephen W. Sorensen, PhD; David F. Williamson, PhD. Lifetime Risk for Diabetes Mellitus in the United States. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2003;290:1884-1890.

Shane Ellison holds a master’s degree in organic chemistry and has first-hand experience in drug design. He is an internationally recognized authority on therapeutic nutrition and author of Health Myths Exposed, The Hidden Truth about Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs and The AM-PM Fat Loss Discovery. Read his free report entitled The Foundational Health Education to beat obesity, heart disease and death by prescription drug:
www.thepeopleschemist.com
Article Source: U Publish Articles

Technorati Tags: Diabetes, fish oil, good fats, healthy heart, obesity, olive oil, omega-3

Friday, September 12th, 2008

The US has become a “caffeine-dependent nation”. As if the traditional coffee, tea, and soft drinks were not enough, we have added caffeine to mints, gum, and a variety of “energy drinks.” These drinks happen to be enjoying tremendous sales not only in the US, but in other countries as well. So it caught my eye when Australian researchers recently reported that the energy drink, Red Bull, has the potential to increase the risk of heart attack or stroke.¹

This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise’s Total Health Breakthroughs which offers alternative health solutions for mind, body and soul.

Technorati Tags: blood pressure, caffeine, energy drinks, Increase Energy

Affirmations are an aid to healing, getting fit, becoming successful, in fact they will aid you in any area of your life.

This post describes how you can record your own affirmations to play in the background or full up as you go through the day or just when you need a refresher. But I also want to state here and now that it is not necessary that they be recorded at all. Write them on an index card and bring it out and read them to yourself or aloud several times a day. It still works – I like them recorded and I let them play in the background on a loop as I work at the computer. Do it the way you’d like – just do it for yourself – do it to build yourself up to be the best person that you can be. That’s the most unselfish thing you can do – build a better you. You will, by becoming better, lift those around you. Even if you don’t intend to record affirmations stick with us for the background and a couple of ideas about writing affirmations.

Émile Coué is credited with popularizing affirmations with his famous ‘everyday in every way I’m getting better and better.’ Coué was a pharmacist who found that when he dispensed medicine with a good word that the medicine was more effective. From this he developed his daily affirmataions.

If you are trying to improve any area of your life from health to sports performance to how you do in school affirmations can help. Many people grew up being told various things both good and bad about themselves. A parents voice may ring in your head to this day and it affects your actions, what you believe you are capable of, what you believe the truth to be. The truth is, “what one man can accomplish, so can another.” The truth also is the mind has a powerful affect on the body and by putting your message in you can improve your lot. Put your message of the desired result and build yourself up.

Music is not required for affirmations but studies have been done suggesting that affirmations (and any form of learning) can be facilitated by playing Baroque music at the same time. Baroque music is at 60 beats/minute and that seems to be the key. Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” is one piece with suitable music (largo tempo).

Affirmations or self-talk have long been recognized as a way to affect the way you look at and interact with the world. Affirmations affect both the conscious and unconscious mind allowing you to plan and sink ideas and actions into your life almost unnoticed.

In reality affirmations have been around almost forever. Consider these verses from Proverbs 4:

20 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. 21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. 22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. Keep them in the midst of thine heart! Proverbs is promoting the idea of scripture as affirmations and keeping them in your heart.

Here is the whole idea Behind Affirmations:

1. State desired thought/action in a positive way.
2. Repeat.
3. Keep it in your heart, in other words keep it in mind all the time.
4. Keep to a single theme in your affermations for a few days or a week. Keep it short and repeat.

If you suffer from negative thoughts, create or find a good affirmation to replace it. Some people use Bible Quotes: Norman Vincent Peale in “The Power Of Positve Thinking” gave several scriptures for this purpose. Notably Philipians 4:13 – “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” He was also fond of Romans 8:31, “If God be for me, who can be against me.” There are many in both testaments of the Bible that can be used if you are so inclined. Peale, a minister also made clear that even if you were not a believer that the techniques would still work.

Your affirmation should be positive and reflect a desired condition: “I see a picture of myself as having already reached my goal. The picture becomes clearer day-by-day as I work toward and achieve my goal.” This affirmation includes instruction to visualize your goal, to see it as already completed. This is a huge success factor in anything you want to do. “I do the things I need to do to keep myself healthy, fit and feeling good.” “Life is a wonderful dance, I enjoy my life and experiences, I attract the very best into my life and I am grateful.” Use words like: “I have” or “I Am,” say it in the present tense. Just a few ideas to get you started in creating your own and remember, your thoughts create your life.

I like to record about a minutes worth on a common theme and then loop the playback with Real Player or ITunes. You can read more about it and download free affirmations on this blog. There are lots of resources on the web and many want to charge money for affirmation recordings but there is no need to pay. The formulas are very simple and you can do it for yourself.

If you don’t have audio recording software, try Audacity – it’s open source and free. It should be able to do anything you need. Here’s where to find Audacity and the basics of how to install it:

1. Download Audacity: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/latest/audacity-win/audacity-win-1.2.6.exe
2. Execute and follow the prompts
3. Download lame: http://www.rarewares.org/dancer/dancer.php?f=226
4. Unzip it and save the file lame_enc.dll to C:\Program Files\Audacity. Ignore the rest of the zip contents.
5. The first time you use the “Export as MP3″ command, Audacity will ask you where lame_enc.dll is saved. Point it to: C:\Program Files\Audacity

That should do it.

Remember keep your affirmations short (1 to 2 minutes). Keep it positive. Repeat.

Here are some books that can help you tune yourself mentally.
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Technorati Tags: affirmation, christian self talk, Fitness, Health, norman vincent peale, positive imaging, positve thinking, Self Help, self talk, success

Tony Robbins at TED — a great piece!

Why do you do the things you do? What internal resources can you marshal to help you follow through on the things you already know to do. Eating well, exercising, or any other area where you failed to take action. Someone once said, “To Know And Not To Do Is Not Yet To Know.” Tony helps you get hold of the thing within you to get yourself to take action.

About Ted:

When you click through for this presentation your browser will open into a new page for the presentation.

Technorati Tags: Defining Factors, Motivate, Tony Robbins

This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, an e-zine dedicated to making money, improving your health and quality of life. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.

Technorati Tags: alzheimers, Diabetes, healthy aging, kidney disease, vascular disease

As promised we are posting audio affirmations and will post more from time-to-time. You can subscribe on ITunes or download them directly here.

To use ITunes:

1. Pull down the “Advanced” menu.

2. Pick “Subscribe to Podcast.”

3. Paste the RSS feed URL:

http://fitnessandhealthblog.com/fitnessandhealthblogpodcast.xml

into the box.

4. Click “OK.”

When you play the file you will see it is just over 1 minute. It is important that you set your player to loop repeatedly on the audio. With ITunes you need to make a playlist and put the podcast into it. Then select repeat in controls as seen here:

If you have downloaded the mp3 file directly you can accomplish the looped playback in real player like this:

If you are interested in recording your own affirmations and more ideas about them you might want to check out this hub page.

Technorati Tags: affirmations, positive living, Positive Thinking, Self Help

About Affirmations

“Every day, in every way, I’m getting better and better.” This affirmation by Emile Coue is a well known affirmation. Key in this affirmation is giving up the idea of willing your way. Getting there by will power. We all know the things we should do, want to do — we may even write them out or buy a program that promises success in the thing we want. And yet – we may wake up a year later and realize that somewhere down the road from that resolve that we would conquer – to where we are now – that here was just one more thing that slipped away from us: one more thing we couldn’t accomplish.

So many things we intend, so many things we will, and yet where are we? Think of John Lennon’s lyrics:

So this is Christmas
And what have you done
Another year over
And a new one just begun
Ans so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young

John Lennon’s lyrics highlight the good intentions we all have and at years end: “what have you done?”

Will Power

Coue taught that willpower was the the biggest obstacle in life. We will something so and then it is not – so we are failures. Rather than will power perhaps it is better to slide an idea into mind, to allow it to become part of the self. Allow it to trigger a simple and profound law that is timeless – but that I first heard from Tony Robbins: thoughts precede action. An idea repeated becomes part of our thoughts, our lives and it cannot but help to turn into action. Action that we are aware of and action in parts of our bodies that we cannot seem to control. Can you lower your tension level or blood pressure by will? There is ample proof that your thoughts help rule both of these.

If you can accept our premise I’ll leave you with another thought. What kinds of affirmations are going into your mind and affecting you every day? Give that some thought, try out Coue’s affirmation and we will pick it up there in another post.

Coming soon: free audio affirmations on this site.

Technorati Tags: affirmations, Health, positive living, success