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Healthy Snacks

Now days, snacks have become very common because of our busy schedules. Between activities, work, homework, and chores, we tend to munch on anything than we can get our hands on, which leads to a bad diet and an unhealthy lifestyle if you don’t choose your snacks wisely.
I recommend that you don’t stuff your bag with change so you can buy junk food from vending machines and rather, fill that bag up with nutritious and healthy snacks.
A few examples of good snacks you can pack:
• Apple: Apples are both nutritious and tasty. 180g of apple is approximately 96 calories.

• Bananas: Full of natural sugar and a great energy booster. 118g is approximately 105 calories.

• Baby Carrots: very convenient and stores sell them pre-packaged and washed. 170g of baby carrots is 60 calories.

• Dried peas: They come in various seasonings and taste great. 25g provides you with about 72 calories.

• Raw Mixed Nuts: Some people prefer this snack because it is filling for short periods of time so it is convenient for pre-dinner snacking. 30g are about 178 calories.

Snack healthy and lead a healthy lifestyle.

Post Workout Shake For Bigger Muscles

April 22, 2009 by Marko Dimitrov  
Filed under Diet & Exercise, Men's Health

Hard workouts, even easy ones, stress the body, especially the muscles. As a result muscle fibers are broken down during workout. In this stage they are more than ready to receive all the help they can get from food nutrients. Since muscle fibers are torn by the hard work, they use protein from food to recuperate and build new and stronger structures. Since muscles are not aware how big is the damage made to them they strive to build even more fibers than there were before, which in a nutshell is how the muscles grow. Ideal food after a workout is fast soluble protein powder which can be bought in any food supplements store. To increase utilization of protein by the muscles even more you can add some amount of simple sugars to that shake. Dextrose is one the best sugars for this occasion. Dextrose will cause insulin hormone to spike and transport all those proteins into the cell very fast. So, imperative is to take this shake as soon as possible because time is of value in this case.

Stop Adding Unwanted Fat - Avoid Simple Sugars

Simple carbohydrates are the ones that are easily digested in the liver and transported to the blood. Since these are easily digested they tend to overwhelm the blood sugar which increases the levels of insulin, which basically then tends to store all the extra calories from the food intake to you love handles and other “juicy” parts of your body. These carbohydrates are also known as sugars, and you can easily notice if they are present in some product when you look at the Nutritional Facts label. All carbohydrates posses what is known as a glycemic index. The higher the glycemic index the simpler the carbohydrate. Just Google “glycemic index” and see what food contains high glycemic index carbohydrates. Basically the equation goes like this:
Avoid simple carbohydrates (sugars) during large meals, because they will only work against you by giving you the unwanted fat. If you can’t avoid them, limit their intake to occasional small snack between meals or to after workout shakes.

When to Take Simple Sugars - Build Muscle

April 22, 2009 by Marko Dimitrov  
Filed under Diet & Exercise, Healthy Living

Simple carbohydrates, also popular as sugars, are usually not much useful in a diet of athletes or even an ordinary person. Taken without control, too much sugars causes insulin (body produced hormone) level to rise high and “glue” that extra taken calories from food to your fat. Not a pretty scenario, one would think, right? But apart from being evil in general, sugars are not that bad. When used properly they can give you some good results, depending on your goals. For instance, taking sugars immediately after a workout can replace wasted blood sugar that was used by the body for energy production. So, apart from replenishing your storage of energy what else can they do? Since insulin is very good transporter of food nutrients to cells, taking sugars together with protein immediately after workout increases recuperation and growth of your muscles. Remember that insulin stores extra calories in your fat, but in this case insulin is trying to transport protein to your muscles, so why not use this free insulin ride.

The Benifits of Running

Running is one of the most common means of exercise. Running is associated with numerous benefits that people tend to notice only after a first-class running session.
Here are only a few benefits of running:
• Improved cardiovascular health: Running helps maintain the elasticity of the arteries as well as sustaining a healthy and vibrant heart. In doing so, risks of heart disease and stroke are greatly decreased. Men are 80% more prone to heart disease than women. This also improves the efficiency at which your body functions.
• Slowing down the aging process: Running regularly reduces bone and muscle loss. Your bone matrix becomes denser due to the demanding physical strain you place on your body, thus preventing diseases such as osteoporosis.
• Many psychological benefits: A happier and less stressed lifestyle due to the neurotransmitters called endorphins that are naturally released by your body during your running sessions.
It is important that you maintain a healthy lifestyle, and to achieve this, you must put in an effort which you will be greatly rewarded for throughout your life.

You have to do Exercise!!!!

I am too busy to take out time for exercise, I will start doing exercise very soon, I will definitely loose weight with dieting…these all are excuse and nothing is more important than your health. Loosing fitness is painful and becomes extremely painful if your body is too sensitive towards changes and gaining weight. Don’t wait any more; just take out 30 minutes from your busy life style and run, walk, swim, do whatever you can to get into a good shape and maintain proper weight. Adhering to the right kind of diet should help you initially, but exercise does the body good in so many ways. Whether you like to walk, jog, run, bike, swim, go to the gym, or do exercise videos, exercise is critical to keeping your body in the kind of shape you crave. Fitness is good for your body, mind, and soul. Paired with the right kind of diet, a regular regimen of exercise can really work wonders on any body!

 

Everybody’s body is different. Something which will work for me may not work as well for you, and vice versa. Consult your physician before attempting any rigorous exercise routines or dietary supplements.

The Knees

You want to be able to keep your knees healthy so you can live life to the fullest. You can do this by some easy exercises that will keep your knees feeling like they are still in their teens. Here are some very simple steps and exercises you can do to help that.
Begin by walking to get your knees warmed up. Then you can start with the leg lifts. You can do this exercise on the floor if you wish. Sit with your legs out in front of you. Slowly lift your right leg an inch or so off the ground and hold for 5 seconds then lower back down. Do 10 reps then repeat on the other side. If you wish you can also sit in a chair.
The next exericse is one that I find harder. Place your back against the wall and then sit down in an imaginary chair. Hold for 5 seconds then come back up. Repeat 10 times.

Overweight?

March 29, 2009 by angie Schilling  
Filed under Diet & Exercise

If you are overweight, here are some options that you can do to help you loose weight. Try drinking more water to flush toxins out of your body and to make you feel more full.
Eat beans several times a week. The beans will help you feel full because they are full of fiber. They are also low in fat and calories.
Exercise everyday. You can do it in small increments if you need to . Try walking around the block or take the steps instead of the elevator. Any extra bit will help.
Add lots of fresh fruit and veggies to your diet. And make sure you have lots of color to your diet so your are getting lots of vitamins and nutirents that you need.
Do not deprive yourself. if you feel the need to have something sweet, go ahead and have a small piece. If you keep depriving yourself you will just end up eating more in the end.

Some Tips to Effectively Control Anxiety

Everyone suffers from anxiety of one type or the other. However, there is no permanent cure for anxiety. Everything is a play of the mind. Control your mind to control your anxiety.

It is easier to say but difficult to do. When mind is filled with problems, the final result is anxiety. But, some tips to control anxiety might help you.

As far as possible, try to lead a disciplined life. A disciplined life implies timely eating, taking healthy food, regular exercise, and following a proper sleep schedule. A regular sleep cycle in fact revitalizes your entire system.

Regular exercise and a routine sleep schedule are quite helpful in keeping anxiety at bay. While exercise improves the body’s overall condition and functioning. It is seen that regular exercise has a sobering effect on many individuals. At times, it is mood elevating too.

Apart from that, cultivate a good circle of friends. Always move with a group of people. Social interaction plays a vital role in improving our thinking and behaviour. It is a fact that increased social interaction is helpful in reducing anxiety. Never remain alone because anxiety could be due to social isolation.

Always keep yourself busy. Try to read mood elevating books like books on personal development or autobiographies of eminent personalities. Do something different. Keep looking forward to something new every day. That way you’ll remain fresh. You can ride a bike, play soccer, or whatever you enjoy.

Anxiety disorders are difficult to endure, but you can overcome anxiety with a positive frame of mind and thinking. Why not try bringing some fun back into your life. These tips will keep you in good stead and could effectively control anxiety.

Useful Tips for an Effective Weight Management Program

Are you suffering from overweight? Have you checked your BMI (Body Mass Index)? Do you want to reduce your weight? If you are convinced that you are overweight, it’s time to go for an effective weight management program.

Before we talk about weight management, it should be clearly understood that any effective weight management program that lasts for life time depends on three basic and fundamental requirements.

The three requirements include managing your food intake, light to moderate physical exercise and lastly nutritional and emotional support.

First and foremost, the food or calorie intake should be less than the calories expended. A normal individual approximately needs around 1500 calories per day. If the food intake is less than 1500 calories, this will have positive impact on your weight management program.

Similarly, physical exercise is a must. Try to go for a brisk for about 45 minutes to an hour and do some light physical excercise. This will burn your calories leaving a healthy impact on weight management program.

Lastly, go for nutritious diet consisting of vegetables and fruits. Finally, you also need emotional support from family, friends and relatives. Inform your near and dear ones that you you need their support for the success in your weight management program. These useful tips will keep you in good stead for an effective weight management program.

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