A Roadmap to the New You
Summer is about to be in full swing, and it's that time when everyone wants to look impressive in their "lack" of clothing. While I can't promise you that you'll achieve a fitness model body, I can at least give you some simple but important tips in achieving a leaner physique. Listen up! Behavioral changes guarantee your success - not just knowledge alone. You may already have drawn out your road map with your nutritional plan and your workouts, so take that strategy and ACT on it. Stay motivated and consistently remind yourself of your fitness goal. Here are 11 basic tips to get you jumpstarted!
1. CUT THE SIMPLE CARBS. It's unfortunate that the majority of society is a "carb junkie." This especially applies to overweight individuals mainly because their bodies struggle with insulin sensitivity. Our body absolutely needs carbohydrates, but one has to learn to appropriately reverse the ratio of simple carbs (high glycemic) to complex carbs (low glycemic). Most importantly reducing total sugar intake. Having a positive ratio of complex to simple carbs will allow the body to regulate blood sugar levels, burn more fat as fuel, and ultimately lose more weight.
2. EAT SMALLER, MORE FREQUENT MEALS. Smaller, frequent feedings about every 3-4 hours prevents your blood sugar levels from spiking dramatically throughout the day. This helps your hormones stay in check, while regulating hunger as well. Ultimately, it helps elevate metabolism, it's easier on your digestive system, and it can eventually provide you with more energy throughout the day...
... Continued at the
large range of beauty fitness articles on our main site...
Can’t Lose Weight? Investigate Syndrome X
“I’ve put on 40 pounds in one year!” “It doesn’t matter how much I workout, I can’t lose weight.” “My doctor must think I’m eating pizzas in the closet.”
With nearly 4 million Americans weighing in at over 300 pounds, is it any wonder the above cries are heard each and every day by countless frustrated people who can’t lose weight? One such cause for the ever increasing need to buy larger pants is a disease known as Syndrome X.
Syndrome X is also referred to as Metabolic Syndrome, Metabolic Syndrome X and Insulin Resistance. It is a very common disease; however it is widely overlooked by many medical professionals. One statistic reveals 1 in 3 people suffer from it.
This syndrome is a precursor to developing Diabetes Type 2. Sufferers have a high level of insulin. Their bodies are unable to process all the insulin that is being made from their diet. As a result, they become insulin resistant.
Think of it like this: You knock on someone’s door because you want to come in. If they don’t answer, what normally happens? You knock again, right? Sometimes you may even knock a third time, trying to gain entry. Insulin works in the same manner. The pancreas produces insulin (knock). Some foods cause the body to produce even higher levels of insulin (knock again). Once you become insulin resistant, develop Syndrome X, the body is unable to properly process the glucose, therefore the pancreas tries to make up for it by producing even more insulin. It thinks “no one is home” and just keeps making more.
The main purpose of glucose is to be used as fuel for the cells in the body to produce energy. Unprocessed glucose translates into fat. If the body keeps making it and it’s not being processed, where does it go? Hips, thighs, stomach, and buttocks, that’s where!
In addition to hypertension and heart disease, elevated insulin may be associated with weight gain and difficulty with weight loss, other blood sugar problems such as hypoglycemia, and some menstrual related imbalances.
Genetics is partially responsible for causing this disease. More likely though is lifestyle. In many cases years of high starch, processed foods, simple sugars, lack of exercise, smoking, and increased stress may be the culprit for Metabolic Syndrome X.
Now what? For starters, start exercising today. Increase water intake and totally omit starches, sugars, processed foods from your diet. Limit or omit caffeine. Try to maintain at least one third of your daily food intake to vegetables. Ask your doctor to test your sugar levels. Change what you’re eating and get walking and you’ll be amazed at the pounds start to fall off. The fatigue and fuzziness will start to disappear and in turn you’ll feel much better.
And do check out our other informative articles at
Beauty Fitness Lifestyles.
Tae Kwon Do Exercise for Young and Old
Tae Kwon Do is Korean Karate. It means The Way of the Hand and
Foot (punching and kicking). There are basically four sections
to the art: Toning, Sparring, Forms and Self Defense.
It is a well rounded exercise program that encompasses muscle
toning, stretching and flexibility, increasing strength and
stamina through aerobic sparring and mental challenges through
becoming proficient at the patterns or forms.
Most classes start out with warm-ups. These exercises are the
calisthenics such as push ups, sit ups, jumping jacks, trunk
rotations, squat kicks and various leg stretches. For certain
you will tighten your abs and strengthen your arms just from
performing the warm-up exercises. Before you know it, you’ll be
doing fifty knuckle or triangle push-ups at rapid-fire pace and
will be able to lean up against a wall and have someone lift your
leg up so that your toes touch the wall behind your ear. Tae Kwon
Do will definitely help you to become or to stay limber.
Sparring is fighting in a controlled environment. It’s not
street fighting and all participants wear protective gear:
helmet, gloves, shin guards and feet guards, called kicks.
Usually you will spar in three minute rounds. It’s basically
kick boxing. Then a minute rest; switch partners, then spar
again and repeat. You will get extremely hot and sweaty. Jab,
punch, upper cut, side kick, reverse punch, round house, hammer
fist, bob and weave and repeat. It’s an excellent aerobic
exercise.
Learning the forms or patterns can really tax your brain. Many
of the forms have 26+ different movements. It’s your job to
remember them, in order, and learn them proficiently. In theory,
by learning the forms, it’ll help you to become a better fighter.
For example, one form might start out: high block, front kick
punch left; high block front kick punch right. Turn 90 degrees,
down the center, knife hand left, knife hand right, knife hand
left, spear hand. And so it goes. If you master these, when it
comes time to spar, you can implement some of these patterns into
your match.
Many people enjoy Tae Kwon Do, or any martial arts for that
matter, because it is an all inclusive exercise program. It’s
fun, it’s challenging, and it’s an excellent way to get in or to
stay in shape. As with any exercise program, start slowly and
consult your physician. If you haven’t participated in much
physical exercise in a while, your muscles will definitely be
very sore for the first few weeks. Don’t be intimidated by the
other students may appear to be in better shape that you are.
Everyone started out as a white belt. Just have fun; and get
moving!
Hair Loss a Touchy Subject
Hair loss is one of those very touchy topics.
For some reason, there seems to be an element of guilt mixed in with the concern that naturally arises when your pride and joy begins to show signs of wear and tear.
Perhaps that's the reason so many shoddy products and services find their way onto the market - the promoters feel fairly safe that defrauded customers will be too embarrassed to kick up much of a fuss.
If that's you - or it could be you - take note that an ounce of prevention is indeed worth a pound of cure.
Here's a game-plan for combating hair loss:
Step 1 - understand why
Step 2 - evaluate your situation
Step 3 - evaluate the treatments
Step 4 - enact the best treatment for you
Yes. It's a bit more complicated than striding into your local pharmacy and plucking a bottle or jar off the shelf.
But it's your hair, and your life.
Do the homework first, and you might just manage to slow the effects long enough for a real cure to come along.
