Addiction to Exercise??

It may seem impossible that anyone who is defined as perfectly “normal” could ever be classified as an exercise addict. This peculiar concept may never have crossed the minds of beginning exercisers or dieters, but just may possibly exist.

Throughout high school, I was actively involved in sports, and never once thought about having to watch my weight or diet. But during my senior year, I decided to take a break from sports and focus on my studies. To my extreme dislike, I found myself slowly falling out of shape and gaining extra weight in places I never thought possible. It was after I couldn’t fit into my favorite pair of jeans about a year later that I knew I had to make a change. This was not the type of thing I wanted to see myself struggling with.

A few weeks later I began running on the treadmill after school each day, and started looking and feeling much more like my old self again after just 3 weeks. I had slowly eased into it, running 2 days a week, to now running about 5 days a week…and I think I have begun to get addicted.

Throughout those months of new found happiness, I found running to be my escape from stress and feeling of ease after a long day. To me running isn’t just a chore, but an indulgence into something that is completely and utterly beneficial. It helps me regain my old figure, and at the same time relieves certain anxieties I may be feeling throughout the week. When I don’t run, I feel lazy and unresponsive, and it’s almost harder to get through the day.

So instead of coffee, video games, or sleep, running is my addiction. Maybe it’s not yours, but if you're interested in becoming fit, my advice is to find some addiction, some other active addiction. Then use this addiction to alleviate your stress and you will find yourself wanting and needing to exercise. It may take a while to find that one addiction that suits your everyday needs, but once you find it, milk it for all its worth.

The Number

They say that weight is just a number. So why is that number so important to us? I can feel great about myself one day, my outfits just right, I’m getting along with my friends, everything is wonderful. Then, I happen to get on the scales, just to check it out. And bam! My day is ruined because of three little number flashing up at me from the digital screen beneath my feet. I’m not quite sure why we’re so invested in what the scales read or why we let ourselves be defined by our weight. If you’ve listened to me blab before, you know that I feel a lot of the pressure we place on ourselves to be thin is caused by the media and society as a whole. But, I’m not going to talk about that this time. No matter what the cause, we all care somewhat about our weight. And as wonderful as it would be to live a world where we all just loved our bodies, it is unrealistic to expect anyone to just forget about their weight completely ands never step foot on another scale again. What I am going to talk about is healthy, smart ways to use the scales to your benefit.

1. Make sure that your weight loss goal is manageable. Use a scientific height weight chart to calculate what your medically ideal weight is. Do not attempt to weigh something under that range. It is unrealistic and unhealthy.


2. Remember that muscle weighs more than fat. If you are working out to maintain a healthy lifestyle, the number you see on the scale may not be representative of the progress you are making.


3. Do not weight yourself everyday! This is important because the body’s weight naturally fluctuates slightly from day to day. The change you see on the scale may simply be a slight change in water weight. Weight yourself no more than once a week to get an accurate gage of your progress.


4. Remember, that you are not a number. Stay motivated and try not to let the scales define you. Rather, use other factors to measure your self worth. Your intelligences, your physical strength, your perseverance, and your personality are all things that define you much better than a scale ever could.

Soccer Vs Jogging

Jogging this days has become American culture.Each and every one of us makes jogging our daily routine for most part. Scientifically, it’s proven that jogging has both mental and physical benefits.It helps to fight disease and aging in addition to giving confidences. And noting is good as us jogging to a avoid stress, by giving you the time to solve it or a avoid it. Also when you are angry speed run is the best medicine you could ever find to cool you off.

On the other hand the Danish Dr.Pete Kuruistrup in his new scientific experiment found that, playing soccer is more efficient than jogging.According to science daily news latter, the sports scientist in his research found that, after 12 weeks, participant who played soccer lost 3.5 kilos of body fat compared to 2 kilos for joggers, In addition to a 2 kilos incensement of muscle mass. The joggers didn’t show any significant increase in muscle mass.

But the question is why is it playing soccer more efficient than jogging?

The reason seems to be many. For instances when you are playing soccer you are always in constant motion, so both your mind and body are always working. But according to the study the main reasons are:

Soccer involves bursts of an intense activity. This is the reason for the great cardiovascular work out. According to Dr.Peter Krustrupr there where times during the soccer game, when the players cardiovascular was working to its full capacity.

Also the sport scientist point out that for something to be genuinely good for our health we have to take pleasure in it. “This is where [soccer] has an enormous advantage.” playing any sport is more fun than jogging, there for the players didn't notices the pain and the exhaustion.

“The soccer players where having more fun, so they where more focused on scoring goals and helping the team, rater than the feeling of muscle pain.” said Krustrupr.

Soccer is an all-round form of practice. when you play soccer you are running ,jumping ,sprinting, and tackling your opponent ,so the pulse are up and you use all the fibers in your muscles. But when “you jog you only use the slow fibers.”

“…Soccer is extremely valuable in helping us maintain our health,” Dr.Krustrupr summarizes his finding. So here is what I am saying Soccer is a “total body exercise “provides more overall health and fitness than a “partial body"fitness such as jogging. So which is for you the“ total body” exercise or jogging ?

Motivation in a Friend

Going along with my last post about exercising early in the morning, I realized that it gets harder and harder to stay motivated to actually get up. Although I do love getting up in the morning, I just feel exhausted by the end of the week! I needed some serious motivation.

Luckily I have a friend, Mandi, who is as crazy as I am! She actually wanted to run with me in the morning. I was so exited to have someone to push me and challenge me in my workout.

We began running around campus earlier this week. What an exhilarating feeling to run in the cool brisk air in the early morning. It felt like I could just keep running and running! Then, 20 minutes into the run, I suddenly hit that point. You know that point where your legs begin to tighten and you start breathing a little harder. But my friend kept running. How did she do it?! Uh oh, it’s jello time, when your legs feel like jello sloshing around on pavement.

I didn’t think I was going to make it back to my dorm, but I didn’t want to be a loser. Seriously, here is Mandi running like a champion, and I’m dying! So I kept going, telling myself I could do it.

10 minutes later, I saw it. That beacon of light I had been waiting for, the destination that brought this run to its end. My dorm! We slowed up, and I could begin to feel my legs again.

I asked Mandi how far she thought we had run. She said about 2 ½ miles. Ok, so I know that’s really not a whole lot, but for me, that’s great! On the treadmill I had just worked up to running 1 ½ miles. I was so tired but so happy! I couldn’t believe the distance and that I was actually still standing after it all.

Thanks to my friend, I accomplished more that I thought I could. Now I definitely believe in working out with a friend! Not only does she keep me accountable in my workouts, but she pushes me and challenges me in everything I do. We even started lifting together! It’s so good to know that we can encourage each other and help each other accomplish our goals.

I can’t help but often times feel tired of seeing the same old weight loss advertisements displayed on billboards, commercials, radio stations, you name it. I’m talking about the ones that practically shout out to you in their attempts to reel you in to their products. Many weight loss advertisers make such a strong effort to reach out to the majority that they’re starting to sound like used car salesmen looking to offer you the best diet solution for their lowest qualified price. They’ll hit you with something like:

“Are you tired of looking at yourself in the mirror, only to see that same old flabby body of yours? Are you searching for a certain specialized treatment that will give you the figure you’ve always craved?? Then you want ‘(insert flashy word here) TOTAL BODY MAKEOVER’!!!

It’ll offer you some miracle diet plan that is ‘guaranteed’ to just drop the pounds right off of you, no sweat. All it takes is the swipe of a credit card, and the rest’s as easy as 1-2-3.

But why then, with all these phenomenal solutions, is the rate of overweight citizens continuing to escalate year by year? How come we can still mentally picture that one sickly uncle or neighbor whenever we hear the words ‘obese’ or ‘heart failure’? Perhaps these so-called solutions are causing the very same problems they were originally set out to resolve.

Maybe, just maybe, it does take work to get the things you want. The work isn’t easy, but it’s well worthwhile. In today’s economy businesses looking to make the big bucks are more often than not concerned with profit rather than the well-being and satisfaction of their clients. This is almost always true when it comes to weight loss programs. So maybe it’s not the people we should be calling lazy, but the weight loss companies. All that they seem to leave buyers with are empty hopes and empty pockets.

It's My Time To Get Real With It!

Exercise is great isn’t it? But when do you find the time, and what time of day is your body up to a serious workout?

I really do enjoy exercising, and I always have great goals of getting in shape and toning up. Over this past summer (like every other past summer), I was really going to do it! No really! But once again, in the craziness of life, I just couldn’t find the time in my busy schedule to workout at all.

Getting back to school, I new that I would be running on my own schedule so I took up exercising again. Here’s where the tricky part comes in though. When should I workout? Nights are ok, but usually I like to be in the workout room by myself, and it’s always packed at night. Afternoon? Sure, if I actually had free time during the day. Like that would ever happen. Morning? Oh the dreaded time that no one wants to hear about. Seriously, I should be staring at my eye lids until I absolutely have to get up, right?

This year, I decided to try working out in the morning. Who needs sleep? I’m in college so no one even does that.

I actually did it one morning and got up early! I was so proud of myself. Now I love it! I discovered some things that motivate me, and I developed a well rounded workout just for me. I know that I need music to stimulate my brain, and I need to be looking at something to keep my focus. Turning the TV on and turning it all the way down allows me to look at something interesting all the time while the radio plays my favorite songs! It’s perfect. This way, I don’t think about how tired I am during my exercises.

As the music starts bumping, I carefully stretch and hop on the treadmill. First it was my goal to run a mile, and now I have worked my way up to a mile and a half. That’s definitely something that I am proud of! After I run, I begin lifting. Some of the exercises I normally do are lap pulls, chest press ( I don’t know for sure if that’s what it is called), and single weights. On each exercise, I complete 3 rounds of 12 reps, gradually increasing the weight to challenge my muscles. After the weights, I do sit ups and crunches. I’m no trainer, but to me, this definitely feels like a total body workout!

When I’m done with everything, I get in the shower and go on to the rest of my day. The best part is that I feel more awake and have more energy through the entire day. It’s great to feel so good and to feel like I actually accomplish something for myself each day! It is difficult to get up some days, but I know that it’s worth it.

I’m not saying the morning is the best time for everyone. You all have to find the best time for you and your body, but it definitely works for me! Try it. You might be glad you did!

Tired = Fat ??

I don’t know about you… but with the pressure of exams and classes really starting to kick in, I find myself getting less and less sleep every night. Sure every professor will tell you that managing your time and getting a good night’s sleep will help you perform better in class. But if that’s not reason enough for you, listen to this. Not getting enough sleep could be causing you to gain weight!

Scientists have speculated for a long time that there may be a link between poor sleep habits and obesity. However, recent studies have finally proven that not getting enough sleep could be part of the reason for those few extra pounds… or at least why eating healthy seems so hard. Here’s how it works. When you don’t get enough sleep, the hormones in your body that regulate your hunger level get confused. The hormone that suppresses your appetite when food is not needed drastically decreases, and the hormone that tells you to eat, eat, eat rises rapidly. Meaning, you feel starving even when you’re not. You may also crave more salty, starchy, and sweet foods than normal. Furthermore, without enough sleep, the body losses the ability to process insulin, similar to diabetes, and increases the production of cortisol, the hormone that leads to dreaded belly fat.

It’s important to remember that one small change does not make for a healthy lifestyle. Although good sleep habits may help you lose some weight, it’s not the “cure all.” To live a healthy life, it’s important to get adequate sleep, eat nutritiously, and incorporate exercise into your daily life. So, get a good night’s sleep tonight. You may wake up a little happier and a little healthier too.

Another Bend

Have you ever gone to the fair and looked in the funny glass mirrors? Some of them make you appear tall and thin and some of them make you look short and fat, but it’s all just an illusion. I feel like we all carry around a funny glass mirror in our brains. The way we see ourselves and the world around us is all relative. The way I view myself may be completely different from the way that you see me. And who can truly say who’s right? Our worlds are shaped by our environments. As Sam said, in her country being thin is seen as a sign of poverty, something no girl would want to be. Yet, here we live in a country where skinny is what we aspire to. It’s just another bend in the funny glass mirror, a different way of seeing the world around us. I recently posted my declaration of self love, my quest to find peace with my own body. Reading over that post, I realized I was a bit idealistic. Have you ever tried accepting all of yourself; body, mind and soul? I feel I’m safe in saying that it’s almost impossible. I can tell myself over and over again that no matter what the judges on America’s Next Top Model say, 5’11’ and 110 pounds is not the ideal weight. Somehow, however, the message that “thin is in” finds its way into my thoughts, pushing me to live up to the “ideal standards.” It’s everywhere, from the airbrushed cover girls to the anorexic celebutants that grace the cover of every tabloid staring back at you from the grocery store checkout. The message is implanted so deep inside of us, that hating your body has almost become a social activity. Girls will compare their fat, grasping at every last pinch of overhang, claiming to be the fattest, but secretly hoping to be the thinnest. So you see, the funny glass mirrors are all around us, constantly reshaping the image of what we thought was our world. No wonder it’s so hard to love our own bodies when the image we see reflected back is so distorted no one really knows how to get it back to normal.

the path of desire

Oprah says she’s been struggling with her weight since age 22, reaching her highest weight in 1992 at 237lbs. Since then she has taken the initiative to reform her body, as well as provide a solution for millions of other Americans to follow. During a recently aired episode, Oprah selected 10 obese American men and women to take part in a 2 month physical transformation, similar to the one she had undergone. Oprah asked one of the chosen woman in particular to explain why she never took the initiative to work out each day, even with her countless complaints about personal weight and enormous desire to moderate her body. The woman responded by telling Oprah that the one thing she wanted most for herself was to enhance her body image and live a healthier lifestyle, but she simply did not have enough time in the day to do so. Oprah then countered the woman’s response by stating “If you are not willing to put in the effort, then you don’t want it”. Apparently the woman did not care to be healthy.

It seems as though desire plays a significant role in the way we treat our bodies. As Oprah pointed out, we can reach a goal if and only if we truly desire it. Perhaps the people who maintain healthy lifestyles are the ones who will never allow themselves to stoop to a lifestyle they detest. I believe this is true, and that if you genuinely aspire a healthy physique, you will wake up before sunrise to get in a quick jog, grab the apple instead of the chips for that midnight snack, and just simply supervise the maintenance of your body. Time, sleep, or pleasure should take no toll on what you desire. They may be slight bumps in the road, but cannot be the detours that steer you from your destination.

drinkin' the gatorade

I could extoll endlessly on the virtues of sports drinks. After being completely wiped after practice, I'd come home, literally dragging myself, white, exhausted, and covered with salt from sweating. I used to have a hard time remembering to stay hydrated, which is pretty important for a competitive athlete. Gatorade was my salvation. It didn't take me long to figure out that Gatorade was better at reviving me to a near- human state than water ever could. I didn't know why, much beyond that electrolytes (whatever those are) sent fluid through my system and sodium kept the fluids in my system. Whatever. Gatorade was an acceptable drink for a runner, and that's all I thought I needed to know. I know runners that swear by it, so I went with the flow and chugged my gatorade.
Then my faith in gatorade was really shaken. I had entered a road race, where a bunch of runners race around on the streets. It wasn't my first race, but it was my first 10k, which is about 6 miles long. The trouble started around mile 4, when I hit my wall and started slowing down. Luckily there was a water station just up ahead. and more luckily (or so I thought) they had Gatorade. I grabbed 2 cups and kept going. The story ends with me being sick less than a mile later and the friends I was running with laughing at me for being stupid enough to drink gatorade during a workout. Apparently, everyone (except me, of course) knows that Gatorade is bad during a workout, but oh-so-good afterward. Well, things you never knew...
This inspired me to investigate the official Gatorade website (www.gatorade.com). Supposedly, Gatorade boosts performance "through rapid fluid absorption, assures rapid rehydration, provides carbohydrate energy to working muscles, and encourages you to drink more." Nowhere does it mention that it can make you sick if drinken (drank? drunk?) during a workout, much less why. In fact, with that whole "rapid rehydration," it sounds like they encourage it. Craziness. Most people who have tried drinking Gatorade during an intense practice swear that they never will again. Whenever I've brought this topic up among a group of athletes, it always gets that reaction. It affects most people that way, but nowhere on the whole world wide web do I find an official reason for it. I repeat, craziness. If I were paranoid and had more time to waste, I'd develop a conspiracy on this phenomenon on how the Gatorade corporation is plotting to take over the world, but I think I'll leave that to your own imagination.

change

I find that the key to long-lasting commitment to exercise rests upon this one central factor called change. Change is what keeps the mind and body constantly wanting more and always feeling satisfied after surviving a new experience. It is change, and change alone, that allows us as individuals to feel accomplished.

Time and time again, we hear of those attempted exercisers who were once set upon living a physically healthy lifestyle, but ultimately failed after becoming “burnt out”. This is simply the result of the wrong approach. They whole-heartedly dove into something completely blind, and as a result, sunk to their final resting place of their original life-style, never to take the slightest dip back in again. Life is change and change is what we need to sustain ourselves. We as people feed off of change in our lives, whether it be a new job promotion, knowledge of a baby to come, or the death of a close loved one. The lives we have come to know are constantly evolving. We have no solitary mindset as we continually adapt to the transformation that is our lives. And so we must apply this to our ambitions as well.

If your ambition is to become fit, then the only means of obtaining that goal is to operate through change. You really can work out every day if you choose to, but you must change it up. Get in half an hour of cardio on the elliptical on Monday, take an aerobics class on Tuesday, play tennis with a friend on Wednesday...just don’t limit yourself to the same relentless activity day after day. Keep up with your life’s continuous changes and you will find your mind and body making alterations to this change, but never relaxing upon a single one. Each day will be different, and a new sense of satisfaction will arise within its completion. Change is not a simple thing, but if we try, we can make it one.

Healthy Goodness Again!

In my last post, I said that smoothies were healthy. Well, that’s great, but then I wondered what else could be added to them to make them healthier. Brainstorming, I came up with some ideas like adding more fruit juice or real fruit. Using low fat yogurt or skim milk instead of ice cream would also be a great idea to lower the calories. Reading online about smoothies, I discovered that vitamins and other nutrients can be added to give you energy and supplement your body.

There are a ton of different types of smoothies with specific benefits or uses. People are so creative! While reading, I discovered some healthy non-dairy and low fat alternatives and tips to improve your homemade smoothies. There are many recipes for low carb smoothies which are great for those of us who can’t give up real dairy products like milk and yogurt. That’s definitely me! There are also some good non-dairy recipes that use soy milk and tofu. Another great way to improve smoothies is to add protein to them. For those of you who weight lift or work out a lot, adding protein powder is the way to drink something that actually tastes good (unless you really like those protein shakes….yuck!), and it is healthier for you.

Seriously, I love smoothies. I actually bought a smoothie maker that I could take to college with me. Awesome! If you are really into smoothies or you just want to try them out, I definitely recommend buying one. I got mine at Wal-Mart, and it is completely amazing. It is kind of a pain to clean, but it’s definitely worth it. Trying to crush ice in a blender really isn’t the best, and yes, I’m talking from personal experience. I had to tell my parents that I burned up our blender. Not fun!

In all of my smoothie making experiences and by getting tips from other people, I’ve discovered a few things that make homemade smoothies even better. If you freeze the fruit before you add it into the mixture, the smoothie is a lot thicker, and I think that that just makes it taste better. One really easy way to freeze the fruit is to cut it up in 1in. pieces or so, put it on a cookies sheet, and stick it in the freezer. This makes a great cold snack when you are making the smoothie too!

Tip number two is when the recipe calls for ice, try to crush it before you put it in the mixer. This just makes it easier on the mixer to chop the ice. It will definitely save some wear and tear on the motor.

The third thing that is important is the order that the ingredients are added in. First, try to add the cold liquids, then the frozen fruit and yogurt or ice cream, and finally, the ice. I haven’t figured out why, but this order of ingredients seems to blend faster and easier.

And tada! You now have an amazing smoothie! So check out these sweet recipes and tips. Send me some too if you have other ideas. I’m always interested in making a better smoothie!

What I would call a Social Embarrassment

As I gaze around on the web, looking to what people are talking about these days; I came a crosses Linn’s post “true beauty. “It is not the title that straicke me the most, I mean no offences it is an excellent title but the thing that grabs my attention is the rhetorical question she raise “what is this obsession we have with weight?”I don’t know how many of you read it or how many of you set back and think about it.

It is very interesting you know, well not the question but the fact that that majority of American women are so concerned about there weight. Some times I wander how it starts, who started it and how it gets to this point. Basically as Linn raise the question why are we obsession with our weight?

I am reading this book called “The cult of thinness and the commercialization of identity” by Sharlene Hesse-Biber. It is a good book I would say read it if you have the time. To get to the point Hesse-Biber in this book present us a little mirror to see “why we are so obsessed with our weight?” well “we” as in American.

He said “young girls face an endless barrage of massages from beauty magazines, and TV, from classmates and parents and, doctors, that thinness is valued and obesity is liability.” Yes, here you have it, which is why we are obsessed with it. Have you look around you, thinness gives women access to a number of important things ;feelings of power, self confidences, male attraction or what they call it protection etc. So because we see how thin body being awarded we care to follow that standard, we whish to have the right body the 5 feet 10 inches tall and 110 pound.

Where I come from thinness is always viewed as terrible thing. Not only where I come from actually in Asia and in South America too. In the culture I grew up thinness is always associated with disease or discomfort. Will body weight increases is associated with wealth, comfort or health. As funny as it sounds, they say if you are obese you are wealthy enough not only to buy the food but also to cover for medical treatment. So thinness is feared, no body wants to be thin and if you are and someone notices he or she would say “you are skinny? What happen to you?” which is completely opposite to what I see here. Obviously I am not saying we should value obesity. Rather what I am saying is let’s be logical to what we value and do.

George Lakofe on his book Don’t Think of an Elephant! Stated that “America is the best and the most powerful country” so what I am not sure of is, why this powerful society never realized what it is doing to its women by valuing there “thin body over there mind” what a social Embarrassment!!

Just a little longer...

I’ve just finished my first week with my personal trainer. Starting out this program, I thought seven weeks sounded like a very long time. Now, I’m wish I had longer. Getting into shape is hard work and I’ve got a long way to go; it’s nice to have someone there to encourage you and push you to do the work. If you are working on getting into shape on your own, however, I encourage you to set concrete goals for yourself. Saying you want to get into shape is a start, but setting goals like running a mile in 7 minutes or working out for an hour every single day forces you to be responsible for your own progress. Pushing your body to the limit may not sound like fun, but the feeling of accomplishment you get when you meet your goal is well worth the work. Not only should you set long term goals for yourself, but you should also push yourself even further and set small goals for yourself every time you work out. The other day during training, we held a pose to work our abs for a minute. It doesn’t sound like much, but after about twenty seconds you really start to feel the burn. We were allowed to drop the pose once for ten seconds if we needed to, but I set the goal for myself that I was going to hold it the full minute. Working out can sometimes be frustrating because the results do not show up immediately, but accomplishing small goals like that can make a workout much more rewarding.

The Ultimate Refresher

Whew! Is anyone else dying from this heat kick? Indiana weather is crazy, and I think I’m suffering from heat exhaustion. Today, after walking around outside most of the day, I was craving something cold and refreshing, something that would give me energy and stamina to get through the rest of the day.

Ice cream…..nah, it’s too fattening. Iced coffee…..sugar and caffeine, well that would give me energy, but not in a very healthy way. Suddenly, on went the light bulb, a smoothie! Yes, that’s it. I could already taste the cold fruity treat on my parched taste buds, but what flavor do I want?

Don’t you just love that about smoothies? Just about any combination you could ever dream of is available. Fruits danced in my head and began to swirl as I thought of different fruity combinations. Usually, I’m a berry person, but today, something inside me screamed banana and peach. Yum! Check out this sweet recipe for yourself.

Peach Smoothie Refresher

2 cups peach nectar or apple juice

1 cup vanilla frozen yogurt

1/2 banana

1 cup peach yogurt

1 1/2 cups frozen peach slices



Pour all liquid ingredients into the blender. Add all frozen ingredients. Blend at MIX

Not only do smoothies taste refreshingly terrific, they are good for you too! It a complete meal, it’s filling, and it’s healthy.

True Beauty

What is this obsession we have with weight? I know I talk a lot about the importance of exercise and nutrition for a healthy lifestyle, and my main goal when I decided to get a personal trainer was to get into shape. But maybe, just maybe, a tiny little piece of me was doing it just to look good in a swim suit. I can blab all I want about health and nutrition but it always come back to the same place; everyone wants to look good and feel good about their body.

Research shows that stress plays a major role in weight gain. So, to test this theory I’m going to try something no 18 year old college girl has ever tried. I’m going to stopping stressing about my body! If being a biology major has taught me anything, it’s that your body shape is largely due to genetics. Meaning there is nothing you can do about your big butt if it’s in your genes. (Note: I saw the opportunity for a bad joke there and resisted. You can thank me later.) So why worry about what you can’t change? In the words of the zen, I’m going to treat my body like a temple. By focusing on getting into shape and accepting the body I have, I’ll be able to enjoy the benefits of good health without the stress of obsessing about the “perfect body.”

Throw away your scales, stand naked in the streets and declare you love for your own body! Ok, so maybe don’t go that far. But it is important to remember that you are not a number and there is not one definition of beauty. My favorite ad ever is the dove campaign for real beauty. So, let’s all take a lesson from the women who stood proud in front of America in their skivvies. Love who you are!

You want me to do what??

I think I’m dead. It hurts to type.
Today was my first day with my personal trainer and let me tell you… it was intense. My roommate and I are working together with a trainer to try and get into shape. For the next seven weeks we will be meeting with Jordan two times a week for an hour long session in strength training, and then working out on our own three days a week with hour of cardio.

Here are some things I learned tonight:

10. I have a long way to go.

9. Working with a partner is more motivating and way more fun.

8. There are lots of exercises you can do without going to the gym.

7. Being “busy” is no excuse for not fitting in a small work out.

6. Eating 5-6 small meals a day is better for your metabolism and will help you lose more weight.

5. You don’t have to be pretty in the gym, sweating is what gets results.

4. Keeping a food log will help you understand your eating habits and motivate you to eat healthier.

3. It is important to do exercises that you can gradually make harder to see yourself progress.

2. Working hard can create big results.

1. Having a hot trainer makes going to the gym a lot more fun!

Have you done your home work?

You are unhappy with your weight; you are thinking to loose some of it. Or may be you are granted to loose up to 20 pound in a few days. Well you are not alone 65% of American adults are on your side too.

As they say desperate needs leads to desperate measures. The need of losing weight quickly with over –the –counter weight loss supplements is usually hard to pass. Let’s face it; weight losses pills are popular because they can help people to loss weight. To day there are more than 300 weight loss products available on the market according to consumers health digest. So it is very difficult to choose the right one. Mostly when all of them granted you for “y” amount of weight lose over “x” amount of time.

The truth is most of them do not rich to there claim. This means before choosing a weight loss product consumer has to do a care full research. If you are one of those consumers my question to you is “have you done you home work?”

One of the most popular diet pill that is advertised widely is “Lipocerin.” According to the web site, this diet pill increase metabolism and energy level using a bland of natural ingredients. On the other hand the web site did not list all the ingredients which lead to question the product.


Lipocerin is a non prescription weight loss pill and one of the money pills that claims to contain the herbal ingredient Hoodia Gordonii. The manufactures state that this ingredient helps “to think less and less about food and trick [brain] in to thinking that you are not hungry.” Although to day there is no scientific proof for this claim. Moreover real Hoodia is listed as one of endangered species almost to the point it is hard to get. Then isn’t surprising when an inexpensive over-the -counter pill to contain this endangered species.


In addition, the other ingredient that is advertised to be present is chromium picolinate. This product helps to boost metabolism. Which means it can help the body to handle sugar and fat according to the web site.


A study from Dartmouth collage found that this substance could damage the genetic material in hamster cell. Also in a study done by university of Alabama in 1999, a research found that when this substances is taken in combination with ascorbic aid in vitamin c, the chromium picolinate may cause DNA damage, and possibly lead to cancer.


On contrary many people has testified that chromium picolinate works good. (www.lipocerin.com) But even if there is a luck of strong evidences to support the risks associated with chromium picolinate the willingness to talk the risk is up to you!!!

Honey-licious

There is more to honey than meets the eye. Yes, it is yellow, and it tastes great. And yes, it is healthy for you, but what’s in it that makes it healthy?

Honey is made up of sugars such as glucose and fructose and contains small amounts of magnesium, potassium, calcium, sodium and many other minerals. It also contains vitamins B1, B2, B3, C, B5, and B6. Each drop of honey is just waiting to benefit your body.

Honey is also a great source of antioxidants. Antioxidants are molecules that provide defense against free radicals which create damaged cells in the body. By preventing the formation of free radicals, cancer, strokes, heart disease, and other diseases can be inhibited. The antioxidants in honey can also be used to preserve food and cosmetics. As you can see, antioxidants are very important in our world and in our bodies. In a study at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, scientists discovered that honey contains as many antioxidants as spinach, apples, oranges, or strawberries. In this same study, individuals were asked to eat 4 to10 tablespoons of honey a day for 1 month. Scientists ran blood tests and found that it contained much higher amounts of antioxidants than it previously had. Also, none of the tested individuals showed weight gain, and some stated that honey, when eaten for breakfast, made them feel full. It seems like such a great idea to eat honey for breakfast. All of those vitamins and minerals are available to your body at the start of the day!

Not only is honey beneficial to the inside of your body, but it also works wonders for the skin. Honey acts as an antifungal and antibacterial agent. I was completely amazed by this fact! I didn’t know that honey kills bacteria and helps heal wounds, scrapes, and burns. Facially, honey can be used in cleansing scrubs and masks where it moisturizes and firms the skin. When used on chapped lips and acne, the moisturizing and antibacterial qualities work together to heal the skin and protect it.

When you are sick, honey can be used to sooth the throat when it is sore. A tablespoon of honey mixed with warm water provides a warm solution that coats the throat and keeps it moist which allows the throat tissue to begin to heal. This remedy definitely works, and I can attest to that.

The benefits of honey are truly amazing! I knew it was good for you, but I thought it was just something that was probably a good idea. Now I know that I should eat a lot more of it if I want to keep my body going for years to come. The next time I eat a peanut butter and honey sandwich, I will look at it through different eyes.

links between mental and physical health

It has been scientifically proven (and by researchers at Duke University) that exercise can be an effective antidepressant.

Other research has shown that exercise can improve the brain functioning of the elderly, and may even protect against dementia.

But how, you might ask, does exercise improve mental health?

One theory of how exercise links to brain operation is the fact that exercise triggers the production of endorphins, similar to the way morphine reacts with the brain. These endorphins may be produced as natural pain-relievers in response to the shock that the body receives during exercise. It is still in question, but figured to be likely, whether these substances improve mood.

So say they do improve mood. Does that mean that when you’ve had a terrible day, where nothing seems to go as planned, that you can just exercise all your worries away? Well actually, studies show that endorphins do not cross the blood-brain barrier easily. What this means is that their ability to relieve pain probably occurs at the level of the spinal cord, leaving some other mechanism responsible for the mental health effects of exercise. This “other mechanism” may be purely psychological, and something of the exercisee (the person enduring the physical activity) to determine.

In a sense it is like hopping a fence. A typical fence hopper will have a strong companion to give him or her a lift before he or she proceeds to hop the fence. The endorphins act as the companion, who provides the little, but essential, boost needed to begin the process of jumping the fence. The rest is left to the fence climber who must conquer the fence him/herself, or in this case, feel the mental effects of a solid exercise.

Recent studies have also found that exercise boosts activity in the brain's hippocampus (hippowhat?), the part of the brain that is associated with memory. It has been shown to help brain cells survive longer, which would explain its useful effects on the elder.

The bottom line is that exercise truly does reap positive benefits both mentally and physically. It is suggested that anyone who is capable of exercise should take part in some sort of regular physical activity because the effects of exercise are life lasting.

that one moment

They say that laughter is the best medicine. My cure to life’s many conditions, however, is running.

I was feeling tremendously hassled this past week what with approaching college exams, excessive homework, and consistent nights of less than needed amounts of slumber. One night last week, when in the midst of my attempts to study, I could no longer handle the stress, and feeling overwhelmed, I decided to just stop. I needed to put it off for a while and just take my mind elsewhere. That’s when I impulsively put on my sneakers, walked out the door, and ran away. I had no arrangements of how long or far to run, but I didn’t care, I just kept running, and I have to tell you, it was the most blissful relief I have felt in a long time.

My mind was clear of everything. I can’t say that I had even a trickle of thought in operation throughout the whole five mile excursion. It was wonderful. All I could feel was the fresh breeze hitting my face and my feet pattering the ground as they just seemed to keep moving without me telling them to. They were abandoning all priority, strain, and comprehension of worry. My mind simply took a brief meltdown until it was ready to restart and reboot into action once more. It’s what I like to call “the ultimate study break”.

So finally I came back to my functioning world again and felt that the significant release I just encountered was exactly what I needed to help me finish with the rest of that night, week, and whole month for that matter. I happen to be an avid runner, so running is not something new to me. That run was just one of those runs that took me beyond my actual self, where there are no limitations or deprivations. I hope everyone at one point in their life can experience the HIGH…because let me tell you, it really is something.

I'll never finish that!

Sometimes I ask myself, how did I get to this point? When did my eating habits get so bad and why are so many other people in the same boat I am? So, I did a little research to find out how we got so unhealthy.

Easy Eating
We are a just plain busy and sometimes the drive thru at McDonalds just looks so good. We love the convenience of it and most of us can’t imagine life without our early morning egg mcmuffin.

Larger Portions
Not only are we eating out more than ever, but the size of what we are eating is getting out of control. 20 years ago if you ordered a cheeseburger and soda you would be eating around 420 calories; today you would ingest about 840 calories. That’s twice the calories!! How many times do you go through the drive thru and see a sign advertising 49 cents to super size? The problem is that these huge portions fit for two have become what we expect.

Technology
Not only are we eating more, but we’re getting less and less physical activity every day. Most of the things we do for fun involve sitting or eating and our lives revolve around technology. We drive instead of walk, we take elevators over stairs, we use snow blowers instead of shoveling our drives. In short modern technology has eliminated the daily physical activity that used to keep of fit.

So the question is what can we do to fix this problem? It’s all about choices.

1. If you have to go through the drive thru, pick one of the new healthy food choices most fast food chains are offering.
2. When you’re eating out take half of it home.
3. Park in the back of the parking lot and walk the few extra steps or take the stairs.

Simple choices make a big difference.

The Odyssey.. or is it just my life?

And so it begins… my epic journey to the ends of the earth. Well, actually it’s only seven weeks and I’m just going to the gym across the street. Tonight, however, I’m feeling a little like Odysseus. I’m staring down one of the greatest challenges of my life, and I’m still not sure if I can accomplish it. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle has always been a goal of mine. I look at runners and I admire their commitment; I study nutritionist and I crave the benefits of the latest health food craze. I’ve even tried a few diet and exercise plans on my own. In the end, however, it all comes down to this: I love the adrenaline rush after a good hard workout but I hate dragging my butt to the gym, I love chocolate and I hate vegetables. I’m a picky eater and I just plain hate running. But I’m at college now, and it’s time for a new start. So, to help me overcome this love hate relationship I have with the gym. I’ve hired a personal trainer. For the next seven weeks, I’ll be learning how to work out for my body. Hopefully, the results I see and feel will be enough to motivate me to “feel the burn.” I have a feeling I might need a little more encouragement than that, though, so I’ve convinced two of my friends to sign up with me. Monday night, we go to get our personal assessments and set our individual goals. I’m feeling excited and nervous all at the same time. It’s a life changing experience and goal I’m really looking forward to accomplishing.

A Healthier Bite of Bliss

Who doesn’t love the rich taste and moist, fluffy texture of a homemade cake? I certainly do! But cakes are difficult to make, and although they are one of my favorite desserts, they don’t usually come to mind when I am thinking “eat healthy.”

While browsing through online recipes, I came across an intriguing cake recipe at Baking Bites, Honey Cake with Lemon Glaze. Honey is good for you, right? Of course it is! Honey is the ultimate natural sweetener. I thought I would try this recipe out. After all, it would allow me to indulge in my selfish cake desires, and it’s a little healthier since honey is used instead of all that sugar. The ingredients looked normal, but I was still hesitant. I do enjoy baking but cakes really aren’t my forte.

Oh what the heck. I gave it a whirl. The cake was easy to make, and it only took 30 minutes to bake, which means I can clean up the kitchen when it’s in the oven. Yes! The baking cake filled my kitchen with the smell of sweet natural goodness. I definitely had an “ah” moment.

The glaze isn’t difficult either, and it smells fantastic. I don’t think there is a fresher smelling scent than lemon. The lemon zest in the glaze gives texture to the surface of the cake which increases the elegant look of the entire dessert.

I love the fact that I can tell myself this cake is healthy for me because it contains honey and lemon zest. It sweeps away any feelings of guilt I have about indulgence, but I also have to realize that everything should be eaten in moderation. Just because it is better for me does not mean that I can have a larger piece. However, I still find complete bliss in every bite!

health and nutrition

Why are health and nutrition always grouped together? Seriously, just look at this blog: the health and nutrition blog. I can be healthy without ever worrying about nutrition. Or at least, that's what I used to think.
I loved being an athlete. I loved being in shape. I loved being able to run as fast and far as I like. I liked pushing my body to the extreme. But what I loved most about being an athlete was the food. The sheer massive amounts of food. I wasn't inspired to eat nutritious food, I never counted calories, and all I know about the food pyramid is that the bad stuff is on top and the good stuff is on the bottom (I'm pretty sure that's right.) The best part of being an athlete was the huge quantities of food. It seemed like I was always hungry, and I ate whatever I felt like eating. My body was even kind enough not to show it. Didn't matter what it was, it was food and I was hungry. In retrospect, I wonder if I really did myself a favor.
Exercising and good nutrition do make a difference when paired together. I know, I know, what a clever little genius I am for that last sentence. However, like I said, exercising results in an enormous appetite, and not necessarily an appetite to eat healthy. It took me a while to figure out that when I had practice in a couple of hours, peanut butter-and-jelly sandwich was probably a lot better than pizza. Water, although not as tasty, is better than Mountain Dew. Dummy nutrition, yes, but it still took me while to figure it out. It wasn't until I started to eat healthier that I noticed what a difference it made. While I was still performing well with my crappy eating habits, I felt a lot better with healthier eating habits. I wasn't as sluggish or weighed down. It was easier to get moving and into the workout. I wasn't as completely wiped out after practice. After a while, it wasn't hard to conscientiously eat healthy...it was just habit.
So the reason health and nutrition are always found side by side is because nutrition is health and health is nutrition. You can't really be healthy without good nutrition, and good nutrition is aimed at being healthy. They make a difference together, trust me.

Biggest Loser is a Winner

My mom is huge fan of the TV show The Biggest Loser. I always thought the premises for the show was stupid. I thought it was just a typical American reality TV show based on some pointless competition to ultimately win big money (not that I’m not guilty of getting sucked into a few of those “pointless” TV shows). That is until my mom finally convinced me to watch last season. This show is inspiring. The people who get accepted for this life-changing challenge are real people like you and my just trying to make it through our fast-paced, fast food worshiping world. Furthermore, they're on the show for the right reasons. They are there to make a change in their lives: mothers trying to become a better role model for their daughters or fathers hoping to live long enough to play with their grandchildren. They want to lose weight for the right reasons.
If you've never seen the show here's the basic concept. The contestants are chosen and then broken into two teams. Each team is then paired with a personal trainer. The teams compete in challenges and at the end of the week the team that loses the least amount of weight (percent body fat) has to vote a member off. The competition continues until only one is left: The Biggest Loser.
I really like this show because it's not all about the money and it's not all about the weight loss. It's about helping the people on the show to create a better life for themselves and their families. Their trainers push their bodies to the max, enforcing the importance of exercise, not just dieting, for a healthy lifestyle. Nutritionists help the losers learn what to eat and how to cook healthy meals, not only for themselves but also for their families. I feel like this is such an important message because the health problems we are seeing in America due to childhood obesity are increasing at an alarming rate.

The Biggest Loser provides contestants with an amazing opportunity to change their lives backed by a strong support group of some of America’s best trainers and nutritionists. But even without the professional boost provided by Hollywood producers the show provides the basic formula for a healthy lifestyle that even the most frazzled, frustrated housewife could follow.

1. Working out with a friend provides a support group that will help you through the mornings when all you want to do is skip your morning run and eat chocolate cake for breakfast.
2. Exercise is crucial to weight loss and a healthy lifestyle. It helps fight against cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, and provides your body with a boost of endorphins that will make you feel great for the rest of the day.
3. Diets don’t work! Lifetime healthy eating habits need to be created. Most importantly weight loss is a journey. It’s a long road and a life time commitment, but trust me it’s worth it. The changes you will see will improve your quality of life more than you could ever imagine.

If you don’t believe me, however, just watch the show. The new season’s on now!

Say “No” to weight loss pills.

Why do we want to loss weight? I am not going to say I know why. I don’t expect you to know ether .But my guess is because we all want to fit in to the ideal image; the image that has been displayed over and over throughout the media, the image that make us ashamed of our body, the image that leads us to hate our own, the image that has been accepted as beautiful and healthy.

Don’t get me wrong. There is no Problem with wanting to be like that. After all that seems to be our confidences and self-esteem for most of us. Besides who don’t want to be called beautiful or handsome?Then what happens when we don’t match the magazine image? Do we loss our sense of self and individuality or do we strive to look like one? The answer is both. Some people just give up and continue there life but others would look and search for easy, efficient and quick solution.

Unfortunately for majority of them the solution turns out to be a substance, which improves a chemical process in the body otherwise known as diet pill.
I thought the purpose of the solution was to become beautiful which is being healthy. Then how does disordering an organ system makes us beautiful or healthy? Well I know all us has some say to this. But can we all say “No” to weight loss pills.

Heriloom Tomato Salad with Grilled Red Onions and Pesto Vinaigrette

To go along with the post about heirloom tomatoes, I thought I would relay to you one of my favorite salad recipes. This salad has a burst of tomato and onion flavor that can only be enhanced by the fresh flavors of garlic and basil in the Vinaigrette. If you enjoy these fresh flavors, you will love this salad. It's filling, healthful, and it tastes wonderful! Enjoy and let me know what you think!

Salad:
2 red onions, peeled, cut into half moons and thinly sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound various heirloom tomatoes (approximately 4 to 6 tomatoes)
kosher salt or course sea salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup pesto vinaigrette
1 head of Romane lettuce or as desired
basil leaves for garnish

Pesto Vinaigrette:
1 clove garlic, peeled
kosher salt, to taste
1/4 cup toasted walnuts nuts (optional)
2 cups fresh basil leaves, stems removed
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
cracked black pepper, to taste

1. Preheat a grill.
2. Toss the onions in a bowl with the oil and season with salt and pepper.
3. Remove the cores from the tomatoes and cut them in various shapes and sizes (wedges, round slices, half-moons, etc.) and reserve.
4. Place onions on the grill over medium heat and grill until the onions are tender and caramelized, about 10 minutes.
5. To make vinaigrette, in the bowl of a food processor, purée garlic and salt until a paste is formed. Add walnuts nuts and basil and process until a fine paste formed. With motor running, add vinegar and then slowly add oil in a thin stream until the mixture is emulsified. Taste and adjust seasoning.
6. Place romane lettuce as desired on the plates. Arrange the tomatoes over lettuce. Season with salt and pepper. Place several slices of grilled onions on top of the tomatoes and drizzle with pesto vinaigrette. Arrange several basil leaves on and around tomatoes and sprinkle with additional cracked black pepper if desired.

I found this recipe at online, but I decided to change it a little bit to my liking. If you would like to check out the original recipe, just click on the link.
seasonalchef

Heirloom Tomatoes: Beauty or Beast?

A first glance at this tomato and your brain screams “YUCK!” At least that’s what mind did when I saw it at the farmer’s market in my hometown. I had to ask myself what happened to that beautifully smooth, red, plump tomato I had grown so accustomed to see in my garden. Why this sudden invasion of a bumpy, uneven colored, and just plain ugly vegetable. Heirlooms can’t possible that great. Can they?

To curb my curiosity, I decided to break out of my comfort zone and buy a few. To tell you the truth, I couldn’t wait to get home and conduct a taste test! I’m sure glad I did too. The flavor was fantastic! I couldn’t believe that all these years, I had been missing out on a sweeter taste and a more meaty texture. I also discovered that heirlooms are not genetically modified, are grown organically, and are much tenderer than other tomatoes. They are also allowed to ripen on the vine which gives them a softer skin and packs them with vitamins and nutrients, even more so than their relatives! What a great low calorie summer treat that helps keep your body running on all cylinders.

Heirloom varieties come in all different shapes, sizes, and colors which adds texture to any type of food dish you use them in. They are great in salads and a food dish that calls for fresh tomatoes. So, first impressions aside, this bumpy tomato really is a beauty. It just goes to show you that you can’t judge a tomato by its skin.

oooh...buns of steel!

So...what is excercise?

Well I’ll tell you what it isn’t. It isn’t eating, sleeping, talking, drinking, itching, bathing, yawning, typing, or picking your nose. It is, to say the least, simply torture.

According to Sir Webster, exercise is defined as regular or repeated use of a faculty or bodily organ. Why the hell would I want to do that? Good God, that seems dangerous. And 'repeatedly'??

Ok, so now back to reality. In reality, we all know that exercise is ‘good for you’. You know it, I know it, physicians across the globe have pondered upon this thing called 'exercise'. So I’m not going to devise a list of the top ten reasons to exercise or anything, because we all, as people, can identify exercise as healthful and stimulating to our mind, body, soul, whatever.

What I do want to discuss is how exercise relates to the mind in particular. I mean not just exercise in itself, but everything about exercise. I feel as though exercise can be linked to anything psychological, truly anything. Let’s use early 1500 philosophy, for example. Take the famous humanist scholar Thomas More, and his philosophies exhibited in the novel “Utopia”. More’s novel depicts what the narrator claims to be an ideal human society, the island of Utopia. Now let’s say this “Utopia” is like your own perception of the perfect body, maybe slender, toned thighs, or buns of steel. This Utopia may be a yearning, or perhaps a mere fantasy, but it ultimately cannot exist. It is in complete contrast with what is actual, and the thought of Utopia is so powerful that it obscures the perfection of Utopia itself. It proves that man cannot be perfect, and if he himself cannot be perfect, how can he have a perfect society? How can he have a perfect physique?

This is just one of an infinite amount of connections interlinking exercise and psychology.

Contrary to the opening paragraphs, I myself, love to exercise. Perhaps in future blogs I can make you—yes you!—learn to love or understand exercise and its unique link to the psychological world.

So there you have it….my first blog entry. Thanks for tuning in!

The ever-changing image

Occasionally you read something that really makes you think. For me, it was the other day in the bathroom. In a room full of mirrors in which college co-eds scrutinize ever inch of their bodies, was a flyer discussing the ever-changing definition of the “perfect body.” In the 1880’s every woman craved a voluptuous figure and 1920’s women wore breast flatteners. Now, women are expected to be tall and thin with big boobs and a tiny waist. Body image is continually changing. One thing that remains constant, however, is the drive to live up to these often unrealistic standards. Especially in today’s world of digital photography, airbrushed cover girls, and emaciated models, women are taught unhealthy habits and a hatred of the bodies they have. On a daily basis, we are exposed to an unhealthy standard of what society expects us to be. On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, the United States is the ranked No. 9 on the list of countries with the greatest percentage of overweight people according Forbes.com. The medical ramifications that come with being obese are alarming. I believe somewhere in the middle of all this is the true meaning of health. Webster’s defines health as the condition of being sound in body, mind, or spirit. It truly is a balance of internal happiness and external conditions. This is my story of the struggle to find that balance.

"Lets get physical..."

What is health? Health can be a lot of different things to a lot of different people. In this blog, we will try to focus on all aspects of health and fitness. Our main areas of concentration will be: general fitness through the eyes of a non-athlete, fitness for competitive athletes, the effects of external supplications on the body, nutrition and healthy diet choices, and the physiological effects of health and fitness on the individual. Readers can meet Linn, a self-proclaimed chocoholic and exercise phobic. She will attempt to get into shape and learn more about the true meaning of fitness through the help of a personal trainer. A strong believer in the power of hard work and a strong mindset, Linn will follow the path to fitness taking no shortcuts or unhealthy means to an end. Also in this blog, from a former athlete’s point of view, Pylon will explore the health and nutrition habits of competitive athletes. Competitors push their bodies to the limit and health and fitness is one of their main concerns. Furthermore, if you think diet pills help you lose weight you are wrong. The only thing you will be losing is your money. Sam will explore diet pills and their negative effects on the body. Amelia will be informing readers about nutrition and healthy diet choices. Her entries will include scientific research studies, ideas on how to eat healthfully in a busy world, and easy recipes that taste great! Finally, Nasus’s blog will cover the psychological aspects of exercise and how several mental techniques can improve self -disciple, self -drive, and overall enjoyment of exercise. Readers will follow Nasus’s experiences with exercise and her connection with its mental effects. Whatever health is to you, it should not be about external image. We, at this blog, will try to promote health and fitness rather than “skinny”. Health is a lifestyle and we are Total Body Fitness.