Sunday, August 28, 2011

Aerobic Weight Exercise - Combining the Greatest From Both Worlds

We have all heard of the benefits of cardio training and the great things it can do to burn calories, help your heart and generally keep you healthier and more vigorous. We also know of the benefits of weight training to build lean muscle for greater metabolism and losing weight. Most of what we have read revolves around is cardio or weight training better. This article is about combining the best of both worlds in an interval cardio training program that will yield the best from both, plus fight the boredom that will come on with too much routine.

The Mayo Clinic talks of interval training as a way to burn more calories while spending less time at the gym. It used to be what only high-level athletes did in their training sessions, but is now coming into vogue for the average exerciser. Interval training is merely alternating bursts of intense energy interspersed with periods of lighter activity. Cardio weight training will further throw weight training into the mix.

The advantages of this is to increase the number of calories you will burn, improve your aerobic capacity, build lean muscle as well as preventing you from losing interest. All this and you don't need any special or additional equipment. The interval of reduced activity should not be long, perhaps 30 seconds, as you don't want to sacrifice the aerobic advantage you've gained when you allow your heart rate to drop too long. When you bring weights into the workout, they should be smaller and the repetitions higher so as to not exhaust the muscles prematurely.

One aspect of this training that appeals to people is it can be customized by anyone to fit their individual needs. As long as both cardio and strength training are involved, whatever exercise routines you like can be incorporated into your agenda. The important thing is to raise your heart rate from the first exercise, don't take too long between segments, and keep cardiovascular activity prevalent throughout.

This is a suggested 20 minute circuit that will give you an idea of what you could do. Start with one minute of push-ups or bench-presses with light weights. Next you will do squats for one minute, followed by pull-ups for one minute. Three minutes on either a stationary bike or treadmill is your next stop, then one minute performing the military press. You will end the first half of the segment with stationary bike or jogging for three minutes.

The second half of the segment begins with triceps and leg extensions, and you will do each for one minute. Next you will do leg curls for one minute, and finish with two minutes of sit-ups and two minutes of crunches. The last-minute will be your stretching and cooling time.

If you're looking for ways to raise metabolism, this is the exercise agenda for you. This is only a suggested workout, and if you are just getting started it would be perfectly fine to ease into it on a more gradual basis. Also, you should feel free to substitute any other exercises that you choose that accomplishes the same thing. The important thing is to get out and do it, and as you go you will tweak it to the point that it will fit what works best for you.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Fasting Cardio Training - Does It Work

If you have been training for a while it is probable that you have heard of the concept of doing your cardio workout first thing in the morning before having anything to eat. By following this method you are ensured to burn more fat than you would when you train after eating.

This method of training was introduced in 1999 by sports training expert Bill Phillips, who indicated that working out on an empty stomach helps in burning more fat. This has made a lot of people rush to the treadmill before having a single bite.

Phillips supported his idea by a well known biological fact that after fasting for extended number of hours the circulation of sugar in the blood will be very low which leads to an extreme low level of glycogen (stored as carbohydrates). With the absence of glycogen the body does not have any source for energy and thus starts using fat for fuel.

In addition to that, the low levels of insulin, due to fasting, promotes the generation of fatty acids that will also be used as fuel to do the exercise.

This strategy was very popular in those days; after all who does not want to burn more fat and get leaner with the same amount of work?

Unfortunately the bad news is that this method does not work for the following reasons:

1. It does not give a deep thought about metabolism and how it works. The body's metabolism establishes a kind of equilibrium when burning fat and other substances in the body. When you burn more fat during exercise you will burn more carbohydrates afterwards, and vice versa. So who cares if fat burning is maximized during exercise if this will be switched over after the workout.

This is a shortsightedness of this program. When somebody wants to gauge the metabolism effect he should measure the long term effect, i.e. in days and not hour to hour.

2. Another thought about the breakdown of fatty acids. It is true that the breaking of fatty acids will be more when you do your cardio on an empty stomach but the rate of this breakdown is more than what you consume while working out. This leaves a number of fatty acids floating around in the blood system that will not be utilized in your workout.

These floating fatty acids will form again in the form of triglycerides which will again be deposited in the body leading again to the same results where you started, more fat cells.

3. The benefits of fasting cardiovascular training will have effect only on low intensity training and after training for extended time. Experiments were made where subjects were trained for 50% of their maximum heart rates, which corresponds the intensity of regular walking. These subjects did not burn more fat than those who trained after eating. The results started to shift in the favor of the fasting team only after 90 minutes of training leaving us wondering who will be able to train with no food for a couple of hours.

4. Fasting cardiovascular training does not take into consideration the excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), or what publicly known as the after burn. This EPOC represents the calories that are burnt after finishing the workout. Studies have shown that this after burn is promoted further if a person eats before training. These calories burnt to produce energy come from fat.

5. Studies have shown that high intensity interval training (HIIT) does wonder in terms of calories burnt from fat. This high intensity is impossible to achieve when you are fasting. The body needs a good supply of glycogen to provide it with the energy needed to perform these HIIT.

6. Training when you do not have a good level of glycogen is catabolic in nature. Meaning you will be burning more of your muscle tissues. When you train on an empty stomach you tend to lose 10% of your total calories from protein, this is double what you would lose when you train after having a pre workout meal.

As a conclusion, doing your cardio exercises on an empty stomach does not have any advantages; in fact it might have negative effects especially for those who want to build muscles. This form of training will end up in making you lose muscle and decrease your fat loss.

I bet that you have a question in your mind now and that is 'what should I eat?' This will vary depending on the duration of the exercise and its intensity as well as when did you have your last meal, additionally there is the genetic factor.

As a rule of thumb, to provide your body with amply supply of energy and to prevent any muscle shrinkage you need to consume � gram of carbohydrates and 1/8 gram of protein for every pound of your body weight. So, if your weight is 200 pounds you should consume 50 grams of carbohydrates and 25 grams of protein.

Training on an empty stomach is an old theory that has been challenged by many physical training specialists, since this theory was out to the public many studies has been made to contradict it. Having a nutritional pre workout meal that is rich in carbohydrates and proteins is essential for your fat loss and muscle building efforts.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Home Remedies To Quit Smoking : How To Stop Smoking Naturally


Cigarette smoking is like an addiction that has affected thousands of men, women and even teenagers across the globe. After a while, some people do realize the ill effects of the habit on their health. The risks of several health problems, especially cancer and respiratory problems increase because of cigarette smoking, or even passive smoking.

It is never to late to enjoy the benefits of quitting cigarettes, which include an improvement in health, boost in immunity, lower risks of several diseases, better memory, and so on. However, it is not very easy to quit the habit, as the absence of nicotine can lead to several withdrawal symptoms, like anxiety, nervousness, stress, irritability, mood swings and so on.

Many people may find it difficult to quit the habit in spite of undergoing treatment and therefore, it is important to find the right combination. However, studies indicate that most people first prefer to try out natural ways to quit smoking. People can choose a quit smoking home remedies from the list given below:

. Take 200 mg. twice a day of coenzyme Q10 this is a powerful antioxidant that protects the lungs, the heart and increases oxygen to the brain.

. Drink grape juice every time you feel like you need a cigarette. This will help the need for a cigarette disappear.

. Smoking breaks down vitamin C therefore it is very important to take 5,000-20,000 mg. of vitamin C a day.

. Vitamin E is a very important antioxidant needed to repair cell damage cause by smoke.

. Vitamin A helps repair the mucus membranes which are damaged by smoking.

. For cravings take cayenne desensitizes the respiratory linings to tobacco and chemical irritants. It's an antioxidant that stabilizes lung membranes preventing damage. The warm peppery taste reduces cigarette cravings.

. Ginger and lobelia prevent nausea and helps quitting reduces anxiety ginger produces perspiration which helps to shed toxins generated from smoking.

. Oats reduce or eliminate tobacco cravings, also, they reduce number of cigarettes desired even in those people not trying to quit.

. Every time you want to smoke,chew 1-2 slices of dried pineapple with half teaspoon of honey.

. Lick a little salt with the tip of your tongue whenever you feel the urge to smoke. This is said to break the habit within one month.

. Mix grated fresh radish with 2 tsps. of honey and drink it like juice.

. Chewing licorice sticks is safe to break the smoking habit. The licorice stick is a safe substitute for a cigarette.

. Add a teaspoon of baking soda to a glass of water. Drink this concoction with every meal in an attempt to lessen your urge to light up a cigarette after eating.

. You should also consume a cup of grape seed extract on an empty stomach every morning. This would not only help you quit smoking, but it can also provide cure for damaged lungs.

. Drinking orange juice twice a day can also prevent addiction to smoking. This vitamin C rich food is considered and accepted to be halting for addictions to tobacco and cigarettes.

. Chew on sugarcane stubs as a substitute for cigarettes. Sugarcane stubs are very harmless, and their sweet taste helps to reduce the urge for smoking.

. When you have an urge, sit down in a calm place. Take ten slow and deep breaths. By doing so, you are stimulating your respiratory system. This will slowly help your urge for smoking to subside.

. You may also sip a small cup of peppermint tea every time you feel like smoking.

. Consuming a tablespoon of honey twice every day also helps you resist the temptation to smoke.

. You may drink jasmine tea or green tea to help you stop smoking. These teas are also considered detoxification teas that can help remove many of the toxins that contribute to your cravings for tobacco.

. Taking valerian root can help ease the nervousness associated with quitting smoking. Valerian root has a mild sedative effect, which can help make the withdrawal process easier.

. Consuming a mixture of honey, with limejuice and gooseberry is another beneficial natural home remedy for smoking.

. Take two teaspoons of fenugreek seeds into a cup of boiling water;steep,strain and drink.

. Add 3 drops of black pepper oil to a tissue and inhale it to stop cravings.

. Drink at least ten glasses of water a day the first week. Taking a drink helps to reduce the craving for tobacco. This is an effective home remedy for smoking.



~source:possumsal.com~

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Seed Oils and Body Fatness-- A Problematic Revisit

Anthony Colpo recently posted a discussion of one of my older posts on seed oils and body fat gain (1), which reminded me that I need to revisit the idea. As my knowledge of obesity and metabolism has expanded, I feel the evidence behind the hypothesis that seed oils (corn, soybean, etc.) promote obesity due to their linoleic acid (omega-6 fat) content has largely collapsed.

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Thursday, August 18, 2011

Food Palatability and Body Fatness: Clues from Alliesthesia

Part I: Is there a Ponderostat?

Some of the most important experiments for understanding the role of food palatability/reward in body fatness were performed by Dr. Michel Cabanac and collaborators in the 1970s (hat tip to Dr. Seth Roberts for the references). In my recent food reward series (1), I referenced but did not discuss Dr. Cabanac's work because I felt it would have taken too long to describe. However, I included two of his studies in my Ancestral Health Symposium talk, and I think they're worth discussing in more detail here.

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Wednesday, August 17, 2011

The Truth About Fitness and Needs to be Done and is Prohibited

Everyone wants the body-conscious suits to the modern fitness equipment health, do to keep your body in shape. In modern life, people eat fast food, so I'll do some work. Now fitness equipment that is most suitable for the present life. In the gym, exercise is prescribed to people for their weight and physical condition of the person, and also show their age. Some use a wide range of fitness equipment and will soon violated and suffer great pain. You should be careful while doing this exercise because it is important to human health. Satisfaction obtained after training. People go to the gym or those who want to go to the gym, they know and do not do fitness.

Warm-up exercises:
People are starting to warm up for training only. While people need to exercise to warm up to people to avoid warm-up exercises. People can warm up your muscles. Make sure your muscles, you have to walk several steps, the size of muscles and exercises you can do with fitness equipment.

If the muscles stretching:
Stretching is an art. Stretch your muscles can help provide flexibility. Keeps muscles and tense muscles, but damaged. Person to stretch the muscles after training was completed.

Take a water bottle at the gym:
After exercise, thirst, and my throat is dry. So people should be wise to bring a water bottle. After exercise, drink water often thirsty after exercise.

Try to certain habits of fitness equipment (not supplied) to avoid:

The lifting of the load:
People need to find the fitness plan perfect. This should eliminate the coach must train the person. If you're lifting weights, would be to manage stress. You can easily lift the load from 12 to 15 times. This is another way to keep the body fit to make. After this step, you can use a little weight. If you lift weights that fatigue and provides exposure for the body and take care of his body exposed.

People should take over the machine:
People will think of fitness. The host clock, such as elliptical trainers, treadmills, fitness equipment elliptical trainers is different, it is used for the body lean and fit to open it. So that's the truth about the controls and prohibitions.
People should take over the machine:
People will think of fitness. The host clock, such as elliptical trainers, treadmills, fitness equipment elliptical trainers is different, it is used for the body lean and fit to open it. So that's the truth about the controls and prohibitions.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Physical Exercise and Diabetes Type 2

One of the most difficult of the amount of blood and feasible to reduce the sugar, eliminating the risk of heart disease, make health and general well-being and exercise. In addition, today's world, where almost every line of work required, you can make the ergonomic chair in front of a machine to the computer line, fax or mail can sometimes be difficult subject to win.

Weight training
.
Everyone should exercise, but health experts tell us that only 30% of the population of the United States proposed to thirty minutes of exercise per day and 25% work at all. In fact, inaction is considered a major reason for the increase in diabetes type 2 in the United States, where inactivity and obesity promote insulin resistance. The good news is that it is never too late to move, and sports one of the easiest ways to start controlling your diabetes. For people with type 2 diabetes, in particular, exercise can improve insulin sensitivity reduces the risk of heart disease, and promote weight loss.


Diabetes Type 2.
Diabetes increases. The number of people diagnosed with diabetes each year has increased by 48% between 1980 and 1994. Almost all new cases of type 2 diabetes or adult onset diabetes, the kind that moves in the middle of the century. The symptoms of type 2 diabetes are thirst, loss of appetite and urination, abnormal fatigue, anxiety, stomach pain, vision, tingling or numbness in hands.
The cause of type 2 diabetes are complex and still poorly understood, although research to find new clues at a rapid pace.

There is evidence that the reason for the increase in type 2 diabetes to expand the band and the trend towards the office of lifestyle related to inactivity and the United States and other developed countries. In America, the movement has been involved in 1990 alone, 61% increase in obesity and diagnosed diabetes by 49%. For this reason, to encourage health professionals who have diabetes type 2 to start with the wonders that can be applied to them. Without exercise, people tend to be
overweight. Once they are obese have a greater chance of accumulating diabetes type 2.

Today, the Department of Health and Human Services, over 80% of people with type 2 diabetes are clinically overweight. It's time to protect people, whether due to type 2 diabetes or not, began to take the plunge and stretching activities.

Get Start.
The first order of business training program, especially if you are "dyed-in-the-wool" sluggish, consult your doctor. If you have cardiac risk factors, providers of health care for a stress test levels safe exercise for you. Some difficulties also determine what type of exercise program you can. Can activities such as weight, high impact aerobics or jogging may pose the risk for people with diabetic retinopathy because of the risk of blood vessel damage and possible additional separation of the retina.

Were you involved in sports or work regularly, continue to enjoy your life to talk with your doctor. If you use insulin, you must take special precautions to prevent hypoglycemia during exercise.

Start Slow
.
For those with type 2 diabetes, your exercise routine as simple as changing the night. If you are not active for some time slow start "and work your way up. Walking the dog or the yard and rake. Take the stairs instead of elevators. Park in the lot and back. There is every little thing helps so much. A minimum of 15 to 30 minutes a day for exercise, the heart pumps large differences in glycemic control and risk of diabetes complications. One of the easiest and it is free to move to start a running program. All you need is a good pair of good shoes assembly, and guide one another

In fact, it costs too much to spend on membership in a spa, or a medical device to start pumping grease to date. All it takes is the will and determination to start exercise for health, diabetes type 2 without life. The result is a sweet fruit of the efforts that are unique.