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| How to lose Fat and Quickly. |
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11/02/2008 |
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| We all have the odd occasion when we need to lose some weight and do so quickly. Here are some tips & hints to help you. |
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| First of all you need to be disciplined. Decide how much you need to lose and by when. Realistically a pound a week is the best way to do it as although slow it guarantees that you are removing fat from your body only and ensuring no long term weight gain. However for a 2 - 4 week period you can get results quickly and keep the weight off. First go for a 30 minute fast walk / run first thing in the morning before breakfast. 3 hours later have a piece of fruit. Then 4 - 6 hours after your run/walk do some more exercise - circuits, weights and intense activities are best (ie running mixed with some resistance work). Your metabolism is still high at this point so you will get extra benefits. Eat a lunch such as salad/vegetables and chicken or fish. In the afternoon - 4 hours after finishing your last exercise session do a 30 minute aerobic - walk/run/cycle/dance. Afterwards treat yourself to a small treat (but no chocolate, crisps or fizzy drinks) and later that evening have your meal with brown rice, vegetables & meat. The objective is to exericse more intensly, to exercise whilst your metabolism is still high from your previous session and to keep the fat you consume low. Do not starve yourself but instead bulk up with the natural grains BUT avoid bread. |
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| How to feel Fit & Healthy at any Age. |
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29/01/2008 |
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| A recent study has determined that leading a sedentary lifestyle could accelerate the ageing process. |
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| The study was carried out using twins and has a lot of credibility.We all know that leading an active lifestyle is going to help fight us diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardio and cancers. Exercise does boost the immune system and in my experience stress levels can be lowered with the right type of exercise. |
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| Do you buy a lot of products at health food shops? |
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18/01/2008 |
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| There has been a recent report on how much more you pay for food at a health food shop compared to a supermarket. Our you getting value for money? |
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| It is a very difficult question to answer specifically because all needs are different. Personally I find some of the products of a far higher standard than I would in my local supermarket and of course I value them enough to pay more for them. I prefer the brown rice, maize, unsalted nuts, dried fruit, the cereals & in particular the healthy omega oil (I purchase UDOs because any good omega oil will react with heat and become far less nutritious so finding these glass bottles residing in the fridge/cool cabinet is a very promising sign.) The meats on display are no different to my fantastically good value local farm shop nor our the fresh vegetables which still have the soil on them (marvelous.) There are some items that you can get anywhere as the open market ensures that suppliers provide for both large and small retail outlets then it is a choice that only you can make. My advice is if you get good value from your local health shop & the products make you feel good and you feel well and healthy then why change. Food does not have to be expensive to be good for you but nor does it need to be cheap. |
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| Your New Years Resolution. |
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13/01/2008 |
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| Have you any plans for this year? Any amazing feats that makes this year different to all the others. Or do you make the same resolutions every year? |
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| If you have some amazing things lined up we would love to hear about. Let us know and maybe we can feature you in our next challenges article. If you are still setting the same resolutions each year when are you going to make the major decision to actually do it? Why not this year? The best way you can do it is action - don't wait for tomorrow as it will be just as difficult to get going. I dare you to do it now, right this minute. The first step is the hardest and soon as you have made it you can be proud of yourself as most people spend so long deciding whether to do it or not that they never actually get going. Those who do take the first step make sure you have some really good visual aids to remind your senses every day why you are doing what you are doing. It keeps you focused on what you are trying to achieve and with your plan and mini targets you are going to succeed. |
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| Is your sweet tooth your downfall? |
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07/01/2008 |
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| Do you have a craving for sweets or puddings? What would happen if you went the whole day without your sugar fix? |
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| Do you get the shakes and find yourself reaching out for another sugar burst to give you some energy? If this is you then you need to give yourself a severe talking to. Harsh I know but this is the type of pattern that makes you susceptible to diabetes. Open your mouth pop in some sugary food and it starts to break down immediately as you are chewing. Swallow and it ends up in the stomach and pretty quickly into the blood stream as not too hard to break down. Once in your blood stream it gives you an instant hit. You see this best with kids when they have had too many sweets and biscuits as they bound around like demented monsters. Sadly it all comes to an end when the body takes steps to lower the amount of sugar in your blood stream because too much could leave your life in danger so it releases insulin. Blood sugar levels drop and like a battery on its last legs so does your energy. The problem is you get a little bit addicted to those few moments of madness so you do it again and again. Boring though the solution is it is actually much better for you and that is to steer clear of these simple carbohydrates and munch on the complex (you can learn all about these under Articles). It stabilises your energy so you can actually keep going for longer rather than having a mad dash followed by an almighty low. |
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| New Exercise Equipment Review. |
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04/01/2008 |
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| The T-Bow is an interesting piece of equipment that has come to the fore these last few months. If you like training from home it might be for you. |
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| The T-Bow is a curved rectangle of wood / plastic that you can use either flat side down or curve side down. The flat side down creates a seesaw effect whilst the curve side down can be used as a step or a substitute Fitness ball. If you are very much into training from home and traditionally use a step, fitball and resistance bands then it is a versatile piece of equipment to add. Having used it on myself and various clients I found that we worked hard for the first 3 sessions but then the results decreased as the techniques were mastered. I have never been a huge fan of step machines probably because in my experience they overload the thigh and calf muscles, ignore the hamstrings so you end up with a leg imbalance which can result in lower back pain. This felt like a step machine as the 'burn' was very similar. Unfortunately the 'burn' does not mean you are working incredibly hard but that you are targeting a muscle group that is rapidly tiring and the poor calf muscles are tiny so the overload and pain can be intense. I also used it on some rehabilitation patients to aid their proprioception - the body's ability to sense movement, adjust and stay balanced - but found it was just as useful as the towel, pillow, fitball & raised line I use which cost me little. I do continue to use the equipment but sparingly and gravitate more to the fitball because the core and resistance work is in my opinion far superior and the skipping rope which produces a far more intense workout for my clients. The resistance workouts with the dynabands are very good and if you are new to weight training it is an excellent tool to start with. Overall I would conclude that if you love new gadgets and can afford it (rrp £89) then go for it just so you can say you tried it. |
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