Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 entries.

Refresh Yourself Quickly

  • Posted on August 16, 2011 at 12:33 am

How to Quickly Refresh Yourself


Some days the tedium of everyday pressures and repetitions plus the stress from balancing family and work can make you feel worn out. You may feel exhausted, and tired and want to do nothing more than crawl into bed.

 

Do you need a quick way to rejuvenate yourself? There are quite a few different ways that you can get a quickly refresh yourself. Remember that situations are temporary. Live only one day at a time, yesterday is gone and tomorrow isn’t here. Let past battles die and don’t try to fight future battles that don’t even exist yet.

 

 

Use as many tips as seem adaptable to your lifestyle.

 

  • Take a brisk walk for 10-15 minutes
  • Eat a healthy snack choose fruit or nuts
  • Do deep breathing for a few minutes: breathe in deeply in through your nose and out through your mouth
  • Do a few slow stretches
  • Give yourself the gift of a massage
  • Give yourself permission to be you
  • Take a break from reality, stop whatever you are doing and connect with yourself, acknowledge what you are feeling, how and why at this particular moment
  • Focus on the positive and walk away from the negative
  • Drive to work or any other destination following a different route
  • Give yourself a day with no plans
  • Disconnect yourself from all electronic devices
  • Enjoy your lunch by going to a totally different atmosphere; skip the fast food for a day
  • Take a break for 10 minutes-close your eyes and relax.
  • Look at a photo of a beautiful place, focus on the it and imagine you there
  • Write a letter to yourself or anybody else let it all out. Shred the letter.
  • Wash your face
  • Stimulate your mind: get involved with a puzzle, read a book
  • Remember that you can-and should tell people no
  • Snuggle with a loved one
  • Be open and honest; ask for help if you need it
  • Do what you can to improve your situation
  • Exercise
  • Call a friend or relative you enjoy talking to and have a chat
  • Experience the sound of silence
  • Shop to a fun, bright, colorful outfit, buy it and leave the store. Wear your outfit and enjoy yourself
  • Empower yourself with the knowledge that you can do whatever you need to do
  • Meditate
  • Pray

It often does not take much of a change to rejuvenate.  It is surprising how little things can make a huge difference in how you feel, and how you handle situations

 
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Eating Less with Portion Control

  • Posted on August 16, 2011 at 12:31 am


We have grown just as our portion sizes have grown. The more food that we are offered the more we eat. We have super-sized ourselves to the point of being unhealthy, and uncomfortable in our own skins.

Restaurant portions have grown to ridiculous sizes. Our health needs have been pushed aside in favor of more and bigger.

The first step that you must take is to get in touch with what a healthy portion size looks like.  Caution: they are probably much smaller than you expect.

Basic Guidelines:

1 cup = baseball

½ cup= light bulb

1 oz or 2 Tablespoons = golf ball

1 Tablespoons = poker chip

3 oz chicken or meat = deck of cards

Don’t confuse a serving size with a portion. A serving of pasta is one-half cup; a woman who is not very active should eat six servings of grains daily. But a restaurant serving of pasta and bread might equal eight to ten servings.  This is far more than is needed for an entire day.

According to the USDA food pyramid the following amounts of foods should be consumed daily by adults.

Fats, Oils, & Sweets Use sparingly; 5-7 teaspoons oil

Discretionary calories (sugars, fats, alcohol) range from 195-360 daily depending on total calorie level.

Milk, Yogurt, & Cheese 3 cups

Meat, Poultry, Fish, Beans, Eggs, & Nuts 5-6 1/2 ounces

Vegetables 2 1/2-3 cups

Fruits 1 1/2-2cups

Grains 5-8 ounces

 

Using the food pyramid as a guide for the total amount of food to be consumed daily and the basic guidelines you will be able to “eyeball” the right amount of each food you eat daily.
Use a smaller plate, it will seem like you have more food. Do not take second helpings. Load your plate up with vegetables first; there will be less room for higher calorie foods.

 

When eating out, take the smallest size available, order off of the kid’s menu if possible. If this isn’t feasible ask for a take out container and put half of your dinner in it at the start of the meal. Take the saved half home for another meal.

 

You will soon get comfortable with the smaller portions and you will see the results of your efforts as the number on the scale gets smaller.

We have grown just as our portion sizes have grown. The more food that we are offered the more we eat. We have super-sized ourselves to the point of being unhealthy, and uncomfortable in our own skins.

 

Restaurant portions have grown to ridiculous sizes. Our health needs have been pushed aside in favor of more and bigger.

 

The first step that you must take is to get in touch with what a healthy portion size looks like.  Caution: they are probably much smaller than you expect.

Basic Guidelines:

1 cup = baseball

½ cup= light bulb

1 oz or 2 Tablespoons = golf ball

1 Tablespoons = poker chip

3 oz chicken or meat = deck of cards

 

Don’t confuse a serving size with a portion. A serving of pasta is one-half cup; a woman who is not very active should eat six servings of grains daily. But a restaurant serving of pasta and bread might equal eight to ten servings.  This is far more than is needed for an entire day.

 

According to the USDA food pyramid the following amounts of foods should be consumed daily by adults.

 

Fats, Oils, & Sweets Use sparingly; 5-7 teaspoons oil

Discretionary calories (sugars, fats, alcohol) range from 195-360 daily depending on total calorie level.

Milk, Yogurt, & Cheese 3 cups

Meat, Poultry, Fish, Beans, Eggs, & Nuts 5-6 1/2 ounces

Vegetables 2 1/2-3 cups

Fruits 1 1/2-2cups

Grains 5-8 ounces

Using the food pyramid as a guide for the total amount of food to be consumed daily and the basic guidelines you will be able to “eyeball” the right amount of each food you eat daily.

 

Use a smaller plate, it will seem like you have more food. Do not take second helpings. Load your plate up with vegetables first; there will be less room for higher calorie foods.

When eating out, take the smallest size available, order off of the kid’s menu if possible. If this isn’t feasible ask for a take out container and put half of your dinner in it at the start of the meal. Take the saved half home for another meal.

You will soon get comfortable with the smaller portions and you will see the results of your efforts as the number on the scale gets smaller.

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How Much Fiber Should I Eat

  • Posted on August 16, 2011 at 12:30 am

25 to 40 grams of fiber daily is the daily recommended amount for healthy adults. After realizing exactly how much you actually eat, you need to gradually increase your intake over a period of weeks.Add 2 to 4 grams per week to prevent flatulence (gas), bloating or diarrhea. Along with increasing your fiber intake, increase the amount of water or other no- calorie beverages to at least 8 glasses daily.

Okay, you know you need to increase your daily intake, but how? There are many really simple steps to increase your daily fiber intake without upsetting your life or having to make many, major lifestyle changes.

Ten Quick and Easy ways to add fiber to your diet:

  1. Eat a fresh orange instead of a glass of orange juice in the morning
  2. Eat the skins of your potatoes, instead of peeling away most of the nutrition
  3. Add fresh berries to your morning cereal and/or yogurt
  4. Add more vegetables to your soup or stew
  5. Chose bran muffins over chocolate chip muffins
  6. Substitute whole wheat flour for half of the white flour called for in recipes
  7. Eat the skins of your apples and pears
  8. Add a tasty fruit salad to your meal
  9. Skip the white bread and choose a 100% whole grain bread
  10. Eats beans a few times each week

Although some of these changes are difficult at first, repetition will make the changes part of your routine. Personally, I found giving up the nice soft, gooey white bread the hardest. Some of the 100% whole grain breads are soft, and the delicious nutty flavor is great. It is truly a matter of training your taste buds.

Strive for several servings every day. Include a vegetable or fruit for lunch; have raw veggies as an afternoon snack, have a hand-full of almonds or walnuts for a snack, grab a piece of fruit for a quick pick-me-up, enjoy a large helping of vegetables with dinner. Enjoy vegetarian meals at least twice a week.

At first making these changes may prove challenging, but in time they will become the norm for you. You will be receiving the healthful benefits of increased fiber. Some things you may notice is that you feel full faster and therefore consume fewer calories. Your gastrointestinal system will thank you. You should suffer less from constipation, hemorrhoids become less bothersome, Irritable bowel syndrome may become a thing of the past.

Other benefits you might not notice right away are lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

Remember that your goal is 25-40 grams daily, but be careful to gradually increase your fiber intake to prevent uncomfortable symptoms such as gas, and bloating.

 

 

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Is Wii Exercise Real?

  • Posted on August 16, 2011 at 12:29 am

As a basic foundation for answering this question I will start with some basic definitions of three words:

Exercise: Physical activity that is planned, structured, and repetitive for the purpose of conditioning any part of the body.

Real: Being or occurring in fact or actuality-true and actual

Beneficial: Advantageous, producing or promoting a favorable result.

Strictly on the basis of the definitions of the above words Wii exercise is real exercise. It meets the requirement of planned, structured and repetitive activity to condition any part of the body. It is real because exercise performed on the Wii is actual, not virtual. I added the third word; beneficial, because it is often referred to when discussing the Wii and exercise. Wii exercise is advantageous, producing a favorable result.

The value of the exercise derived from the Wii is probably what is being questioned the most. The answer varies entirely on who you are asking, and what their expectation and definition of exercise is.

I will answer the question from my personal point of point, because I have been using the Wii Fit and Games as a method of exercise for over one year now.

The main reason I bought the Wii was for the accountability built into the Wii Fit. My schedule of using it regularly, the time spent, my weight and BMI were recorded for me. It didn’t allow me to say that I exercised on a day that I didn’t, and if I missed a few days, the game informed me that I missed the days and actually wanted to if I knew the reason why I gained weight.

Before getting the Wii I was almost completely sedentary, having no desire to work out or go to a gym, but realizing that I HAD to do something to get ME MOVING.  I was obese, not able to walk any distance at all and had very rigid muscles due to Parkinson’s disease.

I started with the balance exercises. I know many people do not consider being able to keep one’s balance as a part of a fitness routine. But since I lacked balance I was greatly hindered in doing any type of exercise movement. Within the first week of doing the very simple balance exercises I noticed that I had better balance, and I “toppled” over less.

I spent 20-30 minutes a day standing up, and wiggling around to keep my balance. For me that was a great accomplishment. Standing is better for me than sitting. Being able to keep my balance and get little balls to go through holes, and eventually be able to avoid hitting every flag on the ski course were skills that I developed.

It was exercise because it was planned, structured, and repetitive for the purpose of conditioning my body.  When I first started I had to place my walker around the balance board to grab when I lost my balance. Within two weeks I no longer needed the walker to be able to do the exercises.  I was more conscious of my weight and worked harder to eat right. I started to lose weight.

So the question still is would I have been better off spending the two weeks at a gym with a personal trainer? Perhaps, except that I would not do that, but I did do the Wii Fit.  The fact that I am still using the Wii and the fifty pounds I have lost to date has to count for something.

Within a month I was trying the aerobic and strength exercises. I found them to be hard, and exhausting. I kept at them and have now opened up all the levels of the game. I am now able to do the advanced dance and the freestyle run. It opened up the world of exercise to me.  I use a heart rate monitor and indeed my heart rate does get up to the aerobic exercise range, I run  or dance long enough for it to count as aerobic exercise. Would it do this for a fit person, perhaps not, but it works for me.

Many of the games that are played on the Wii are more energetic than some of the exercises on the Wii Fit. There are many new fitness games that provide exercise, fun and activity that I can do in the privacy of my living room. This alone, is very important to me.

Because of the Wii Fit I purchased a pedometer and found that days I didn’t use the Wii I walked many step fewer than the days that I used it. In time I added some walking DVD’s to my routine.

Some of the newer games such as “The Biggest Loser” I go 88 different exercises and I have extensive control over customizing my workout to what works best for me.

The Wii Fit has made exercise and movement available to people for whom it wouldn’t otherwise be available.

Although I agree that the Wii wouldn’t give a gym enthusiast to even break a sweat, but me and other people like me it is empowering. It definitely opened up doors that I would have never even attempted opening before.  I look forward to getting my Wii Fit Balance Board out and seeing my weight and BMI go down. I know that I am in better physical shape now than I was before using it. Therefore, I have to answer that yes, the Wii exercise is real exercise.

 

 

 

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What are the health consequences of overweight and obesity for adults?

  • Posted on August 16, 2011 at 12:26 am

The BMI ranges are based on the relationship between body weight and disease and death.5Overweight and obese individuals are at increased risk for many diseases and health conditions, including the following: 6

  • Hypertension
  • Dyslipidemia (for example, high LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, or high levels of triglycerides)
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Coronary heart disease
  • Stroke
  • Gallbladder disease
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Sleep apnea and respiratory problems
  • Some cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon)

 

 

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Why Is Obesity a Problem

  • Posted on August 16, 2011 at 12:25 am

Obesity is a word that we don’t like to hear or talk about, especially if it applies to us.

Obesity has many definitions, but is generally accepted term of a person whose weight is more than 20% expected for their age, gender, height, and build.

There are many factors that lead to obesity. Overeating and improper eating are always the first to come to mind. There are, however, other contributing factors:

Genetics: Some people are genetically prone to weight-gain.

Environment: Many people are face with sedentary work conditions, lack of support from family and friends, and poor diet.

Inactivity: A large contributor to the obesity pandemic worldwide. Sparse inactivity combined with poor diet contributes to about 300,000 premature deaths in the US yearly. (Cited from “Overweight and Obesity”, 2004)

You know what obesity is and some of the contributing factors but, the question remains. “Why is obesity a problem?”

 

Why obesity is a problem:

Physical Health Reasons:

Arthritis: carrying extra weight cause wear and tear on the joints.

Asthma: Obesity is associated with breathing problems that can make it harder to keep up with the demands of daily activities.

Sleep Apnea: (condition where a person temporarily stops breathing during sleep). It not only interrupts sleep, sleep apnea leaves people feeling tires and affects their ability to concentrate and learn. It also leads to heart disease.

High Blood Pressure: High blood pressure causes the heart to pump harder and the arteries are forced to carry blood that is moving under greater pressure.

High cholesterol: Abnormal blood lipid levels increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Gallstones: Bile accumulations harden in the gallbladder forming gallstones. These may be painful and often require surgery.

Fatty Liver: Fat accumulated in the liver can cause inflammation, scarring, and permanent liver damage.

Insulin resistance and diabetes: Insulin is less effective at getting the body’s main source of energy, glucose into the cells. More insulin is needed to maintain a normal blood sugar.

Non-health reason why obesity is a problem:

Stigma: Obesity carries a stigma of lacking willpower and poor character.

Larger furniture needs to be purchased: Obese people often are unable to sit on a normal sized chair, neither is the chair able to hold the weight of some individuals.

Health aids are needed for things such as getting up out of a chair or bed, putting on socks, and even personal hygiene.

Medical costs are skyrocketing due to the illness and disability of many obese people.

Coffins need to be larger to accommodate the extra width and weight.

Scales need to hold more weight.

Towels need to be supersized.

Larger vehicles which are less fuel efficient are needed and fuel consumption increases with more weight in the car.

Obese people are less likely to buckle up because the seat belts may not fit properly.

Loss in labor-force participation due to increased health problems and the need for larger work spaces, and sturdier furniture costs industries much money.

Jet Fuel: The extra poundage packed on by the average American in the last decade required airplanes to use an extra 350 million gallons of fuel, according to an analysis by researchers at Cornell University.

In summary, obesity is a problem for people’s health, life-span, ability to work, and the economy.

 

 

 

 

 

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Why You Need to Eat Your Vegetables

  • Posted on August 16, 2011 at 12:23 am

Why You Need to Eat Your Vegetables


Vegetables are nutritious, colorful and flavorful. They are naturally low in calories, fat and sodium, but are loaded with vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber.There is no cholesterol in vegetables. By increasing your vegetable consumption you will replace foods higher in calories and fat.

Vitamins A and C are abundant in vegetables. Vitamin A is in the following vegetables: carrots, green leafy vegetables and sweet potatoes. Vitamin C is found in peppers, and tomatoes as well as potatoes. Other vitamins that are in vegetables include folic aid, niacin, thiamine, vitamin B-6, calcium, potassium and fiber. Overcooking will destroy color, crispness and some nutrients of the vegetable. To keep up the best food value of your vegetables follow the three R’s for cooking vegetables:

  1. Reduce the amount of water used.
  2. Reduce the cooking time
  3. Reduce the amount of exposed surface by limiting cutting, paring and shredding

Vegetables serve a number of purposes, they help lower cholesterol, prevent diseases like cancer and heart diseases,aid in digestion and help you stay full longer. Because vegetables are so filling, they are great for losing weight, while still being able to have plenty to eat.

Sneaky Ways to Include Vegetables in your Diet

  • Add peas or broccoli heads to macaroni and cheese, even though they are visible, most people don’t mind having them added
  • Make spaghetti and meatballs, use your food processor to mix in all types of veggies in the sauce
  • Pizza can be made the same way, purée veggies into the sauce
  • Add cooked cauliflower to your mashed potatoes
  • Use vegetable broth in place of beef or chicken broth in your recipes.
  • Cook rice, boxed stuffing mixes, macaroni or even potatoes in vegetable broth instead of water
  • Add zucchini to baked goods such as, bread, muffins, brownies and cakes.
  • Apple sauce can be substituted for oil in cake mixes
  • Pumpkin is a vegetable and a delicious dessert
  • Casseroles that include meat and whole wheat pasta or brown rice can easily handle chopped vegetables added to them
  • Chicken and broccoli with cheese and mushroom soup is very popular

Vegetables are a very important part of a well balanced, healthy food plan. The fiber, vitamins and nutrients they give are invaluable. Supplements are available, but do not offer the same quality of nutrition that eating the actual vegetable does. Vegetables can be hidden in many foods, but not all vegetables should be hidden. Adults as well as children need to learn that vegetables are healthy and taste good also.

Patricia M. Hines invites you to visit her blog at http://www.weightloss4healthnow.com
A blog documenting healthful weightloss and my personal journey to improve my health and in the process help as many other people as possible.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Patricia_M_Hines

 

 

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Hello world!

  • Posted on August 15, 2011 at 5:52 pm

Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

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