The Role of Anti-Oxidants in Your Body Detox

July 11th, 2010

Numerous health troubles can be ascribed to exposure to toxicity. Toxicity from dietary and environmental sources , known as exotoxins, can do harm to most every part of the body. Personal care products, cleaning products, air pollutants and the food we eat are typically the most implicated source of toxins. There are literally thousands of chemicals used by commercial farmers. There are tens of thousands of chemicals employed in packaged foods. Pesticides and herbacides have been found in most of the food we eat every day.

Our bodies also deal with internally created toxins, referred to as endotoxins. These toxins are the typical by-products of immune system function, the digestive process, food sensitivities, leaky gut syndrome, candida, bacterial infections, sluggish colon or hormonal activity.

The liver is one of the basic detoxification organs in our body. Its ability to perform its detoxification roles is influenced by the presence of several nutrients and enzymes. The liver detoxes the bodies in two stages. The first stage involves the transformation of toxins into waste matter. This process produces free radicals as a by-product. In order to ease the side effects of free radicals, your body needs plentiful quantities of antioxidants to detox with minimal side effects.

To detox your body from toxicity, begin by withdrawing identified toxins. If you’re new to detoxing, start with a gentle diet detox. Then you can begin in earnest the actual detox program. This includes cleansing the colon, inducing the liver’s innate filtering processes and excreting the toxic waste material that have accumulated in your tissues, organs and fat cells for elimination from the body.

Cardio Interval Training Help Tips

May 10th, 2010

A lot of researches have been made to see the connection between population and heightened risk of developing heart problems. It took time for this study to finish owing to the nature of the elements being studied. However, important statistic findings came out from these studies. It has been found out that males, cigarette smokers, with high levels of blood fats, have hypertension and older than 35 are commonly affected by heart illnesses. Other factors that contribute to fast heart disease development include hard-driving, being anxious and compulsive.

There are two kinds of cardiovascular threats. The first group belongs t those threats that are out of our bounds to control. When we age, our sex, and our genetics are among those. The second group is those that are within our reigns. Examples of these are what cardiologists have termed as the triple threat, high levels of cholesterol in the blood, high blood pressure and cigarettes smoking. These we can avoid and even control. An example would be the big discrepancy in terms of the level of risk between somebody who does not smoke and somebody who smokes around a pack of cigarette in one day. Another would be the risk difference between a person whose diet is rich in fat and a person who takes the normal daily fat intake.

The heart is the primary concern of cardiovascular health. Having a strong heart follows having a strong cardio. The question now is how do you achieve this?

Quite obviously, control those factors that might add to cardiovascular risks. Do away from things that make your heart weak, like cigarettes and fat diet. Another is to give your heart what it needs and that is plenty of exercise and training that improve cardiovascular strength. The muscles in the heart are made of muscles that make up our legs and our arms. If we can train the muscles in our arms and legs to become much stronger, then the same goes for those in our heart. People who do not exercise at all have forty-nine percent higher risk of experiencing heart attack.

It is much better to do moderate but regular exercises than less frequent and strenuous ones. Exercising can tremendously increase cardio strength and your well-being. Just remember to frequently do exercises of manageable intensity.

Exercising gives you a lot of benefits. It can help you burn calories and loose weight in the process. It also increases one’s metabolism and improves your lungs. Since exercising is also a very good way to have fun, it helps you eliminate stress. It helps your heart become much stronger and helps avoid heart problems.

Cardiovascular training helps you in a lot of ways. It reduces your risk of getting any cardiovascular problems, keep you in shape and help you maintain a healthy body.

Australian Institute of Personal Trainers understands that being a personal trainer is all about making a positive difference, a difference in your own life, and in the lives of others. That is why they offer nothing but the best personal training courses, fitness courses and personal trainer certification. If you want to know more, just go to www.aipt.com.au.

The Fulvic Minerals Secret

January 27th, 2010

Fulvic Ionic Minerals might be one of nature?s strongest kept enigmas. Users of Fulvic Ionic Minerals have accounted feeling vitality, loss of extreme appetite, a better immune system and numerous other benefits. At Long Last, like any non-pharmaceutical product you must make a determination on your own about the effectiveness of such a product. This is simply because the Food and Drug Administration doesn’t sanction nutraceuticals.

You might be wondering how an acid can help you feel better, specially when you may have also seen that alkaline materials may be advisable for your body. Firstly, Fulvic Ionic Minerals is not really acid at all, it was named this because in early pioneering days acids were used to extract organic fulvic matter from substances such as fossilized peat moss. Since that time, better methods to extract fulvic have been discovered. It is always best to find a Fulvic acid product that has not been processed with excessive heat, chemicals or acids. You are much better off with an all natural, organically processed Fulvic Ionic Minerals product.


True Fulvic Minerals should contain no less than 72 minerals in their ionic form and should contain the 8 essential amino acids. It is very important to note that you should be looking for fulvic that has no minerals in their molecular form as it is likely to have heavy metals in it. There are only a couple of Fulvic Minerals sources that have been found to have 0 heavy metals and only one hundred percent ionic form minerals.

Know All about “Power Push Ups”

January 11th, 2010

Push ups are the most convenient way to build up your
chest, shoulders, arms and upper back. It can be performed
at any place, and you don’t need to carry your gym with you
wherever you go.

Do you know that most of the men who train with weights
cannot do single handstand pushups? When I first found this
out I was stunned.

A few Things to keep in mind:

Always keep your hands slightly wider than shoulder width
apart, with fingers together and pointing straight ahead.

If you have ever had any shoulder pain, stick to the
90-degree limit. Deeper push ups can stretch the shoulder
capsule and put strain on the joint. This can cause pain.

Start in the upper position with your arms straight.

Inhale as you lower yourself towards the floor.

Don’t go lower than forming a 90-degree bend with your
elbows.

Exhale as you push yourself up from the floor.

Don’t lock your elbows at the top.

Your back should be straight. Don’t let it sag and don’t
stick your butt up in the air.

Venkata Ramana is a Fitness Enthusiast and a Professional
Body Builder. Visit his Body Building and Cancer websites and gain maximum Information to stay fit and healthy.

Europe, the Nutritional Supplement Industry Is Frightened

December 6th, 2009

According to a previous article new regulations governing the manufacturer of nutritional supplements in the United states. These new ordinances look to be ingratiating to makers. Unfortunately, the aforementioned is not true with regard to their European counterparts. In Europe, the nutritional supplement industry is frightened of governing bodies overreaching and becoming a barrier to permitting masses to bask in beneficial products.

While United States producers regard the new good manufacturing practice regulations and the enlarged role of the FDA as a positive development that will weed out the rift raft manufactures of suspicious nutritional supplements, Europeans believe the regulations could lead to the European Food Safety Authority turning away closely 4,ooo supplements due to having to meet unrealistic demands.

The difficulty here, of course, is that many nutritional supplement producers simply find creative methods to dodge the ordinances. In all honesty, this writer trusts that the FDA has lately staked into arenas that are not deserving of regulations, a problematic point, I know. Still, the idea of holding manufactures to standards is good. Manufacturers should clearly state their ingredients so that consumer can make educated decisions.

In 2009, advisories were issued concerning muscle building supplements incorporating steroids and steroid-like constituents. These are sometimes referred to as pro-steroids and are popular amongst even the most casual of bodybuilding aficionados. In general, regulators learned these musclebuilding supplements contained unapproved or banned drugs.

The moral of the story is that people need to buy products from authentic manufacturers and read the ingredients. Ordinances assist, but individuals must do their share to become an educated consumer.

The Perricone Oprah Green Tea Diet

December 5th, 2009

The Oprah green tea diet has made a big splash on the dieting scene. Dr. Perricone and Oprah unknowingly let loose another fad diet waiting to happen. The internet has seen a meteoric rise in green tea weight loss products, similar in intensity to the acai berry diet sensation. Fad diets should be viewed with circumspection, especially when costly products featuring quick results are being tendered. Fad diets can be hazardous to the consumer not only by their high cost and inspirational promises, but also by being stressful on the body. Rapid weight loss programs and crash diets are generally unstainable (the weight loss will eventually come back) and can put the body into any number of nutritional imbalances that can do the dieter far more damage than good.

The Oprah green tea diet is not a weight loss miracle as the green tea weight loss industry would have you believe. Notwithstanding, this in no way lessens the fact that green tea can be a beneficial addition to your weight loss diet program. Dr. Perricone’s advice to exchange coffee with green tea is a good piece of health wisdom. His assertion, however, that a green tea diet itself can effect dramatic weight loss is, unfortunately, a disservice to the millions of dieters who are searching for a magic bullet.

Bottom line: Yes, go get some green tea or green tea extract. Look for low cost bagged tea products or bottled green tea extract ($8 per bottle). Drink or drop your green tea every day. It has relatively low levels of caffeine, so it is safe to drink (diluted) throughout the day. If you are looking to lose weight, don’t fall for the idea that the green tea will do it for you. Real, lasting and safe weight loss only results from dietary changes and regular exercises.

Oprah green tea diet

Aerobics - Let Me See You Sweat

November 29th, 2009

Don’t you remember, it was the 80s and lots of people were doing it. Even those that weren’t doing it, were talking about doing it. There were shows all over television. These people were standing in formation, wearing leotards and leg warmers. They were doing what looked like exercise, but this wasn’t called exercise, it was called aerobics. It looked like a combination of dance and exercise. But what was this new form of sweating?

The age of aerobics can be credited to Dr. Kenneth Cooper. Dr. Cooper was an exercise physiologist for the US Air Force and he couldn’t understand how some people, who seemed in great physical condition, were not able to perform at a high level when they were swimming, long distance running and bicycling. He began testing people’s performance, using a bicycle ergometer and focusing on the human body’s ability to utilize oxygen. In 1969, Dr. Cooper published a book called Aerobics, which documented what he had learned through his testing.

The word aerobic means, with oxygen. Aerobics are supposed to increase the amount of oxygen in the blood and then have this blood flow to the muscles. Aerobic exercise can produce many benefits; it burns calories and increases the body’s metabolism, both of which help in losing weight. Those people that went through Dr. Cooper’s testing, discovered even more benefits of aerobic exercise. These included; toning muscles all over the body, making the heart muscle stronger, improving the respiratory muscles and increasing the number of red blood cells in the body. Regular aerobics can also help reduce cardiovascular problems.

The 1980s saw the television air waves and media in general flock to the aerobic craze. Hollywood stars were knocking each other over, in their quest to be the next star with an aerobic video on the market. Funny thing is, none of these stars were widely known in the exercise industry, until aerobics came around. I guess that maybe the inside joke of the aerobics era was that so many people purchased videos from people who weren’t even experts in the field of aerobics. Maybe that’s what star power is all about, being able to sell a product that you have very little knowledge of.

Even though aerobics was an overwhelming success, it had its doubters. Many felt that aerobics wasn’t a balanced exercise program. This was mainly due to the fact that aerobics didn’t require the use of weights. Light weights could be added to the aerobic exercise, but not the kind that would build muscle strength. Many people saw this as a flaw in the aerobic program. The problem with this specific complaint is that Dr. Cooper never set out to build up the body mass of the individual. His main concern was to see if the body could perform at a higher level, by increasing its oxygen intake.

The 90s saw a decrease in the star power of aerobics and brought more professionalism to the industry. Organizations like Aerobics and Fitness Association of America created certification programs for instructors. Aerobic athletes also competed in national and international competitions.

Michael Russell - EzineArticles Expert Author

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Aerobics

Cardio Queen Syndrome

November 3rd, 2009

By now you are well aware that increased activity burns calories and fat. Exercise is essential to your health and well being, but could you be taking part in too much of a good thing? The old adage, more is not always better, is a good rule to live by.

When it comes to fat loss, you need to be in tune with your body and learn how to listen to it. The idea behind fat loss is to manipulate the body often. As long as you are a step ahead of your body’s actions, you will be on top of the fat loss game.

What exactly does that mean? How do you stay a step ahead of your body? Let’s explore this concept a little further.

Megan is an e-client of mine. When she began her fat loss endeavor she started cardio six days a week for forty-five minutes and saw great results in a matter of weeks. Her new cardio program was exhilarating. It pumped her up mentally and physically and gave her a newfound energy she hadn’t felt in years.

It wasn’t long before she extended her forty-five minute ritual to an entire hour for six days a week. With the extended time, she saw even more results. She was delighted.

Eventually, the daily hour cardio chore was wearing on her. Her changes ceased, she was constantly fatigued, and began to hate cardio with an intense passion.

To combat the plateau, she added yet…more cardio on top of fatigue and hatred for exercise. Her grueling hour sessions turned into an hour and fifteen minutes to even longer, an hour and a half.

Nothing is more aggravating than putting all your time and effort into something that takes you no where.

Her fat loss results stalled dead in their tracks and even seemed to reverse. How could something once so productive now be destroying her weight loss efforts?

What may surprise you is that excess cardio can be counterproductive. Any cardio or weight training session lasting over a continuous hour does more harm than good.

Keep Cardio Productive
Cardio is heart healthy and it’s a great exercise, but if your goal with cardio is to burn fat, you need to take it with a stride and make it fat burning productive.

I come across many ladies who are quite active. This is all fine and dandy, but when they are active and top that with teaching spinning classes, kickboxing, high energy videos, and general cardio machines, this can be a recipe for disaster, setting your further back than when you started.

Don’t go overboard with cardio. Keep it simple, yet effective.

Cardio Intensity
Cardio intensity is a factor to keep fat burning beneficial. This does not mean to do an all out killer cardio routine that leaves you crawling from the gym in a near death status, but to simply shake things up a bit to force the body to respond.

A good way to master cardio is with HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). There are many variations of HIIT and my favorite is the 2/2 ratio.

Example of 2/2 Ratio HIIT

Minutes 1-2 - Warm up

Minutes 3-4 - Low intensity

Minutes 5-6 - High intensity

Minutes 7-8 - Low intensity

Minutes 9-10 - High Intensity

Minutes 11-12 - Low intensity

Minutes 13-14 - High intensity

Minutes 15-16 - Low intensity

Minutes 17-18 - High Intensity

Minutes 19-20 - Low intensity

Minutes 21-22 - Cool down

With HIIT, your body never falls in a rut because you are constantly changing the intensity to prevent cardio adaptation.

Progressive Cardio

Another successful cardio tactic to use is Progressive Cardio. Your body can adapt to anything in a short amount of time and Progressive Cardio can stop adaptation before it occurs. Progressive Cardio is simply increasing your cardio each week by either the numbers of day or the amount of time to invite change and prevent staleness, provided you don’t overdo it.

Example of Progressive Cardio

Week 1 - 4 times a week for 20 minutes

Week 2 - 4 times a week for 25 minutes

Week 3 - 5 times a week for 25 minutes

Week 4 - 5 times a week for 30 minutes

You will notice how each week is a step advanced from the previous. This is how you make cardio work in your favor to burn fat.

Adopt Weight Training
Have you even seen someone in the gym doing endless hours of cardio and still look soft and unfit? That is because she is lacking lean muscle, which is built from weight training and excessive cardio burns muscle.

Weight training builds lean muscle mass. The more muscle you add to your frame, the less you need to rely on cardio. Muscle is metabolically active and allows you to burn more calories at rest and at play. Of course, this does not mean to kick cardio to the curve, but having a balance of both in your program will keep things interesting and will give much better body transformation results.

Summary

Once you understand how you can manipulate cardio, you will be able to master the fat burning game. Realize that you don’t need three or four different cardio methods stacked on top of one another. Just use cardio wisely and you will have the advantage. Remember, cardio is a fat loss tool, not the determining factor.

Karen Sessions has been in the fitness industry since 1988. She embarked on weight training to overcome an eating disorder, Anorexia Nervosa in its early stages. She overcame the eating disorder, received her personal training certificate, competed in many local bodybuilding contests, and qualified for Nationals. Since then she’s went on to write six e-books (weight loss, female bodybuilding, contest preparation, leg training, figure/fitness secrets, and cellulite removal). She writes articles for several fitness websites, as well as her own, www.theelitephysique.com, and also distributes a monthly e-newsletter. She has a very active and lively forum, filled with positive and supportive people with informative content. Karen’s sole goal is to educate others and help them apply that knowledge.

An Alternate Fitness Tool

November 2nd, 2009

Any competitive or recreational athlete will use a variety of cross-training methods or tools to complement their particular sport or to meet their fitness needs. One such tool that is becoming increasing popular is the Kickbike. The Kickbike is a high end adult version of a scooter. Although new to North America, the Kickbike has been around for about 20 years in Europe and the Netherlands where national and international Eurocups are held yearly establishing national and world records for distances ranging from 200m to 30km.

How does one train on a Kickbike?

The Kickbike is propelled forward by kicking back as you would on any scooter. The only new skill needed is learning how to switch kicking legs. There are two techniques that can be used for switching kicking legs. One is called the “Heel Roll” and the second the “Hop- Step” technique. How often you switch kicking legs is dependant on the person but usually a cadence of 3 to 10 kicks before you switch is normal. When attacking hills your cadence will increase. When descending hills you are best to just stop kicking and enjoy the ride. For those who would like to see both techniques you are invited to visit Kickbike Ontario’s website at www.kickbikeontario.ca were a short 36 second video clip is available.

What muscle groups are utilized?

Training on a Kickbike utilizes the large muscle groups that are used in running as well as cycling. When riding a Kickbike the standing or support leg uses primarily the quadricep and lower leg muscles, (tibialis, gastrocnemius, (calf), and soleus). Most of the load while riding is handled by this support leg which is constantly flexing thoughout the kicking cycle. The kicking
leg itself makes use of a pendulum type of kickback beginning at the hip which draws in the glutes, hamstring and calf muscle groups. As the kicking leg is brought forward and up the abdominals come into play. With a little practice a pushing motion can be added with the arms that will involve the pecs and forearm muscles.

Who will benefit from using a Kickbike?

The Kickbike can be used by those who are interested in light exercise while cruising the harbor front or bike paths though out the city or as a means of commuting to work. The Kickbike can also be used by those who have a more intense interest in cardio fitness and would like to avoid the high impact nature of running. Because it is low impact the Kickbike has become a popular tool with those mature athletes who have had to give up running due to knee or hip problems. The Kickbike is very light weight at 13 kg. making it ideal for just about any age group from 10 to 60 years of age. When you factor in the cardio and its low impact nature along with the utilization of the muscle groups discussed above the Kickbike is an excellent cross-training tool for any walker, runner, cyclist or for those who are recuperating from an injury. It is truly a fun and unique way to exercise.

Rodger Knight
Mathematics teacher, Basketball and Track Coach
at George S. Henry Academy in Toronto, Ontario

Also owner of Kickbike Ontario - website http://www.kickbikeontario.ca

Look for Home Gyms that Will Last

April 25th, 2009

With so many darn home gyms available and permeating advertizing on TV how in the world is somebody suppose to adjudicate what home gym to purchase. If you are anything like me you’ve in all probability purchased a couple of all the rage products believing that you will utilize them, simply to recognize that you really just bought a machine to perch your dirty clothes on. I have observed the hard way that I should look for particular characteristics. The first one I will speak about in this series is durability.

It’s true that the selection as well as variety in home gyms is almost too much to handle. I can for certain understand why individuals might just think to purchase whatsoever piece of home gym equipment is publicized or appears hot. Surely, esthetics is part of how we may select a home gym. Nevertheless, looks ought to be the least criteria to use.

Home gyms come varied sizes. Nevertheless, when looking at home gyms I think the number 1 criteria should be durability. Lack of durability, of course, you will find yourself in the market place for a another home gym soon after buying the original. However, even worse is the fact that psychologically when you are working out you recognise the gym is flimsy and unknowingly ease up on workouts with intensity. Intensity is a essential ingredient in having a good workout.

So, the essential criteria to look at when picking out home gym equipment is durability. There are umteen home gyms that are intentionally produced not to last. The price might be luring, but if it fails after just a few workouts then it is money wasted.