Wednesday Video - What If You Stopped Drinking Water?

We all know that drinking clean water is important for health and overall well-being.  A few weeks ago we looked at whether you can drink too much water and would happen if you did.

Today we look at the question of what would happen to you if you stopped drinking water? What would happen if you became de-hydrated? 

Wednesday Video - Can You Drink Too Much Water?

We know the importance of water - our bodies are literally made of it (approximately 70%). It is needed to keep us alive and healthy.

But can you actually drink too much of it? Is water intoxication a real thing?

This short video looks at this question

Monday Muscle - The Best All Natural Sports Drink

Those of you who exercise consistently (hopefully most of you) or are involved in activities like marathon running or cycling are probably not strangers to sports drinks. It’s important to replenish the body of the vitamins and electrolytes it loses during intense activity, which is why sports drinks are so popular. But are they the right thing to be putting in your body after exercise…or is there a better alternative? Let’s find out.

The Dark Side of Sports Drinks

It’s true that most sports drinks are fortified with vitamins like the B vitamins and electrolytes like potassium and sodium, which the body needs after sweating. However, the cons of these beverages vastly outweigh the pros:

Sports drinks

Packed with simple sugars – If one of your exercise goals is to lose weight, downing a sports drink can undo all of the calorie-burning benefits you just worked so hard for. Many commercial sports drinks contain processed sugars that can end up right back on your waistline. They also spike your blood sugar, making you prone to diseases like diabetes. Contain artificial colours – Do you really want to drink some strange bright blue concoction that your body doesn’t even recognise? I don’t see much point in saturating your insides with food colouring. Have unpronounceable cocktails of chemicals – A few years ago it was discovered that Gatorade and Powerade included an ingredient called BVO – a chemical also used as an industrial flame retardant. They have since been removed, but it makes you wonder what else is in there.

What’s The Alternative?

Ditching the sports drinks is a good first step, but what’s a healthy replacement then? That’s where coconut water comes in. It has all of the good qualities of commercial sports drinks and none of the bad—plus an extra set of goodness all its own.

Sports drinks

Naturally contains an ideal electrolyte balance of potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium, and phosphorus to maintain healthy bones, muscles, and cells Helps improve circulation and regulate blood pressure Has anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties Is the richest known source of anti-aging phytohormones called “cytokinins” Improves immune system functioning Contains a variety of vitamins and minerals, and is especially rich in B vitamins Contains none of the artificial colours, preservatives and chemicals found in regular sports drinks.

Coconut water has a light, sweet taste, without all the added refined sugar you’ll encounter in sports drinks. Drinking it can also help to alkalise the body, so it can help you combat the harmful effects created by the acidic food and drink many of us consume every day.

As you should try to do with as many fruits and vegetables as possible, go organic with your coconut water if possible, to minimise the risks of being exposed to toxic pesticides sometimes used on commercially grown plants. You can buy pre-harvested coconut water in bottles, or drink it straight from the coconut!

If you choose the second option, don’t forget about the other parts of the coconut, which can also be beneficial to include in your diet. Coconut oil is widely recognised as a healthy fat, and coconut milk contains the same fat plus a dose of protein.

Article source: Thomas cho http://www.amazines.com/Fitness/article_detail.cfm/6188828?articleid=6188828

Monday Muscle - 5 Things You Can Do Before Training

Are you getting the most out of your workout session, even if you're not training with a personal trainer? Your time is precious, and you have to know that what you do at the gym is effective and is optimizing that time and effort you invest. Work smarter, not harder, to achieve the stronger, leaner and more flexible body you want. And you can only do this by completing these 5 things before you work out. Each tip is designed to get you burning more calories, increase your capacity to build muscle and improve cardiovascular fitness.

1. Be hydrated. Drink sufficient water at 2-3 hours before you exercise.

Of course you should always keep your body well-hydrated no matter if you exercise or not, but consume a little more a couple of hours before hitting the gym. This will help your body improve the circulation of nutrients, which can have a positive affect on your ability to maximize your physical state and decrease your recovery.

2. Eat well the day before, specifically if you have low blood pressure. The last thing you need to happen is to experience that crash during your work out. You know, when you just hit that brick wall and simply cannot move any longer. Eating well prevents this from happening, so you can remain at peak performance.

3. Don't eat right before your workout. Food that's just been delivered to your stomach needs energy to digest, meaning you'll be diverting precious energy to your stomach instead of your game. It's bad for gastro-intestinal health and makes it harder to workout, plus the valsalva maneuver is compromised. If you eat anything, keep it to a light snack (e.g. banana) and eat it an hour minimum beforehand.

4. De-stress and mentally get yourself ready. Take time to relax, particularly if you're emerging from a busy or stressful environment. A positive frame of mind is crucial, especially because a negative one can tap energy from your nerves-- it should be used on your workout!

5. A little coffee won't hurt, and it may even help you to perform better. Charles Poliquin, an Olympic Strength Trainer,

recommends taking a caffeine supplement about 45 minutes before you start exercising. Research has found that it may also help you burn fat better.

While every one has their things they do to get driven to work out, these tips have all been provided as a way to optimize the results you achieve from your workout.

Now what are you waiting for? Get your sweats on and hit the gym!

Article by Mike Landon.
Article source: http://www.articlewheel.com/article/139/5-things-you-can-do-before-training.html

Wednesday Video - 2 week challenge to Burn Body Fat and Lose Weight Fast

Good things happen when you have a low body fat percentage: you look better, you feel better, and you're healthier. But there's information overload about how to reduce body fat.

In this video men's style, grooming and fitness expert, Aaron Marino, shares with you his best fat burning tip to lose body fat, belly fat and lose weight with this simple lifestyle modification.

Monday Muscle - Five tips that help you find time for exercise

Only about 30 percent of adult Americans report that they have regular physical activity during their leisure time; and about 40 percent of Americans say that they dont have leisure-time at all, to do the physical activities.

All in common agree on the fact that regular exercises help the person in terms of health and long life. But, most of the people do not focus on exercise. The most common reason people give for this is that they, do not have the time.

Lack of awareness also puts regular exercise at a lower priority. This article may help you change your priorities and find time for exercise.

Tips to find time for exercise
1. Wake up early

If you wake up early, you will be adding more time to your day. This provides you the opportunity to find time to do exercise. It's not really hard to wake up a little early that you are used to. It is little bit hard until you get habituated. Afterwards once you feel the difference and the gain you will have more of a reason to continue waking early and doing exercise. There are many benefits in waking up early and doing exercise - you will feel more energetic and fresh for sure.

2. Limit your time spent on TV & Online
Track the time you spend on TV, online & mobile games for a few days. Then you will come to know how much time you are spending on those things.

Then, try to limit the time you are spending on TV & online, for example: if you are spending 3 hours, reduce by 1 hour and assign that to exercise. You don't really need to sacrifice your joy anyway.

3. Cut down low priority things from daily routine and allot that time for exercise
For most people who cannot find time, it is not really about time, it's about the priority they are giving to exercise. If you feel that exercise is more important and shouldn't be avoided, then you can adjust the time for it. Make the list of things you do daily. Divide the items into following 2 categories:

Important things that are highly essential to you (Job, Family)

Enjoyment/Less Important Activities (Movies, Parties)

Try to include exercise in the list of important things. Then, you will automatically find time for exercise.

4. Stay motivated by the benefits
Motivation is the best way to find time to do something. You might know that exercise has many benefits. Always keep in mind that the exercise will protect you from many health issues, keeps your body in shape and boost your brain power. Once you start doing exercise regularly, you will get motivated by the changes in the body. All you have to do is, go to gym regularly and maintain the motivation and fitness cycle.

5. Socialize at the Gym

This is one of the best passive motivation to find time for exercise. We don't need any motivation to spend time with friends. Find some friends at gym. As you do workouts with friends, you can enjoy the workouts without feeling it as hard. This also motivates you to go to gym regularly, to meet friends.

Hope the above tips will help you manage time to do exercise. If you still do not get motivation to find time to exercise, read the following quote by Edward Stanley, a British statesman - Those who think they have no time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness. Take this quote and paste it somewhere in your room, for sometimes fear motivates better than anything else.

http://www.articlesnatch.com/blog/Five-Tips-That-Help-You-Find-Time-For-Exercise/6600859

25 Ways To Cut 250 Calories - parts 11 to 25

11. Bowl With It

Take the girls out bowling tonight! Just 90 minutes will incinerate almost 300 calories, plus it'll do wonders for your arms.

12. Discontinue Your Membership To the Clean Plate Club

Go halfsies with your friend when eating out, and you'll save at least 250 calories, Schapiro says.

13. Skip The Treadmill And Elliptical

Mix up your cardio while working muscles from head to toe by hopping on a rowing machine: Thirty seconds at high intensity alternated with 30 seconds at moderate speed for 30 minutes total will torch 250 calories, Paris says.

14. BYO Popcorn

A small movie theater popcorn can contain 500 calories -- or more. Bring your own bag of light microwave popcorn (pop it at home and put it in your purse, we won't tell!) to eliminate 250 calories, says nutritionist Rania Batayneh, M.P.H., author of the forthcoming The One One One Diet. Better yet, go the air-popped route for 31 calories per cup.

15. Have An Active Dessert

Give your body a post-dinner calorie-burning boost by taking a walk around your neighborhood or in a local park, Wessel recommends. Walking at a moderate pace for an hour burns 277 calories, plus being out in nature helps relieve stress that's built up during the day much better than a sundae can.

16. Pick The Right Party Foods

Turn down three mozzarella sticks with dipping sauce and pick up two 1-inch cubes of cheddar instead. Then forget about mixing a vodka-cranberry (most of us tend to pour generously at parties) and ask for a small (4-ounce) flute of champagne.

17. Cram In Some Cardio 

When you're crunched for time at the gym, give yourself 25 minutes and perform this circuit as many times as you can -- bonus if you don't take breaks, Wessel says. Do each exercise for 1 minute, performing as many reps as possible and running as fast as possible:

· Pushups

· Squat jumps

· Burpees

· Split squats

· 1/4-mile treadmill run

18. Use Your Noodle

You can do better than whole-wheat pasta. Really. Swap 1 1/2 cups cooked whole-wheat spaghetti for the same amount of cooked spaghetti squash. Top with marinara as usual, but pick shrimp as your protein instead of chicken breast to cut 42 calories. And you can still have cheese, just downside your sprinkle of parm from 1 tablespoon to 1/2 tablespoon. Mangia!

19. Lace Up

Tell your boyfriend or husband to meet you at the skating rink for a date. Thirty-five minutes of light ice-skating burns 213 calories. To warm up after, nix the premixed cocoa (and the artificial sugars in diet mixes) and make a light hot chocolate by combining 2 teaspoons of cocoa and 4 teaspoons of sugar in a mug. Warm up 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk and whisk into the cocoa-sugar combo. You can even add 5 mini marshmallows, if you desire.

20. Skinny Your Stir-Fry

Saute vegetables in low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth instead of one tablespoon of oil, and you'll cut 117 calories, Batayneh says. Hit the 250-calorie mark by replacing beef with tofu and serving on top of soba noodles rather than rice.

21. Free-Wheel It

Two wheels are better than four, at least when it comes to running errands or commuting to work. A half-hour bike ride burns 277 calories, Wessel says.

22. Make Over Mexican Night

No reason to skip the tacos and margarita, just tweak your menu: Wrap up your filling in two corn tortillas rather than flour ones, then top off each with a tablespoon of non-fat plain Greek yogurt and salsa, not sour cream and cheddar cheese, for a total savings of 150 calories. Downsize your margarita from five or six ounces to a reasonable three to slash another 100 cals.

23. Tidy Up To Tone Up

If you've been putting off cleaning your house or apartment, perhaps this will motivate you: Eighty minutes of nonstop work -- moving furniture to vacuum, cleaning corners (including ceiling crevices), scrubbing hard, you get the picture -- will negate about 250 calories, Paris says.

24. Break Your Bread Basket Habit

The fresh baguette offered by many Italian restaurants may make your mouth water, but one portion dipped in a tablespoon of olive oil equals 300 calories. Ask your waiter to bring a small bowl of olives instead and nibble on five while you wait for your entree to save 280 calories, says celeb nutritionist Christine Avanti, author of Skinny Chicks Eat Real Food.

25. Hold The Butter

There's nothing wrong with a steakhouse dinner, but restaurants often top your meat, veggies, and potato with butter -- and that's before adding sauce. Schapiro always asks for her food to be prepared sans butter and sauce, and with cooking spray instead -- most places will be happy to accommodate you.

By Jessica Girdwain for Shape.com

Ten Most Frequently Asked Questions About Weight Loss - Part 2

2. What steps should I take to lose weight?

Aside from regimented diet and exercise, a few adjustments in how you live your life can create a great impact on your weight loss efforts. Try the following:

• Walk to work. 
• Use fat free milk over whole milk. 
• Drink water before a meal.
  
   
• Eat leaner red meat & poultry. 
• Eat half your dessert. 
• Avoid food portions larger than your fist. 
• Mow lawn with push mower. 
• Increase the fiber in your diet. 
• Do yard work. 
• Eat off smaller plates. 
• Don't eat late at night. 
• Skip seconds. 
• Work around the house. 
• Grill, steam or bake instead of frying. 
  
• Go for a half-hour walk instead of watching TV. 
• Use vegetable oils over solid fats. 
• Sit up straight at work. 
• Wash the car by hand. 
• Don't skip meals. 
• Pace the sidelines at kids' athletic games. 
• Take wheels off luggage. 
• Choose an activity that fits into your daily life. 
• Make time in your day for physical activity. 
• Exercise with a video if the weather is bad. 
• Keep to a regular eating schedule. 
• Take a walk or do desk exercises instead of a cigarette or coffee break. 
• Perform gardening or home repair activities. 
• Avoid laborsaving devices. 
• Take small trips on foot to get your body moving. 
• Play with your kids 30 minutes a day. 
• Dance to music. 
• Keep a pair of comfortable walking or running shoes in your car and office. 
• Walk briskly in the mall. 
  
• Choose activities you enjoy & you'll be more likely to stick with them. 
• Take the long way to the water cooler. 
• Vary your activities, for interest and to broaden the range of benefits. 
• Choose fruit for dessert. 
• Consume alcoholic beverages in moderation, if at all. 
• Take stairs instead of the escalator. 
• Conduct an inventory of your meal/snack and physical activity patterns. 
• Share an entree with a friend. 
• Grill fruits or vegetables. 
• Eat before grocery shopping. 
• Buy 100% fruit juices over soda and sugary drinks. 
  
• Stay active in winter. 
• Flavor foods with herbs, spices, and other low fat seasonings. 
• Remove skin from poultry before cooking to lower fat content. 
• Eat before you get too hungry. 
• Stop eating when you are full. 
• Snack on fruits and vegetables. 
• Top your favorite cereal with apples or bananas. 
• Try brown rice or whole-wheat pasta. 
• Include several servings of whole grain food daily. 
• If main dishes are too big, choose an appetizer or a side dish instead. 
• Park farther from destination and walk.

Fun and Easy Exercise

Everyone knows that regular exercise is good for your health. Without regular physical activity, we increase the risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and even heart attacks. We can put on weight, which can make it even harder to exercise. But who has time for boring exercise? I mean, do you really want to walk on the treadmill for 30 minutes every day? How boring!

The good news is that there are fun and easy ways to exercise. There are daily activities you can easily integrate into your life so you won't feel like you're exercising at all. However you will still be getting that physical activity your body needs.

The best thing about fun physical activities is that if you find activities you enjoy doing, you will keep doing them. Instead of starting something and in a week deciding you don't want to do it any more, you'll look forward to doing it. That's the key to regular exercise!

So, what kind of “exercise” is fun and easy? That can be a personal choice. After all, what you find fun may not be fun to someone else. Easy depends on your current level of physical fitness. To stick with an exercise plan, it's extremely important to find out what works best for you. You know what you like and how your body feels after you do certain types of activities. Listen to what it's telling you and you'll find the exercise that's perfect for you.

To get you started, here are some fun and easy ways to increase your physical activity.

· Turn on your favorite music and dance around to your favorite tunes

· Go for a walk around your neighborhood

· Play tag with your kids

· Join an activity group

· Play charades

· Fly a kite

· Play miniature golf

· Walk on the beach

· Tour a museum

· Go for a hike in the forest or mountains

· Go for a bike ride

· Play Frisbee

· Visit your local historical attractions

· Play a music instrument

· Housework (OK, this may not be “fun,” but 15 minutes a day will get you 15 minutes of extra exercise!)

As you can see, there are plenty of things that you can do that aren't too strenuous, but are fun! Find enough of these activities that you can fit into your week and you'll have no problem staying physically fit. Having fun while exercising...it doesn't get better than that!

Article source: Expert Articles

By: Mary L Duval