Posted by mic510 on Tuesday Nov 24, 2009
Filed under :Fitness, Health and Fitness, Health and Wellness, Weight Loss, Weight Loss Resources
For thousands of years, the people of the Sonoran Desert have tapped into the power of its native healing plants. And now, with Nopalea, you can too.
The power of Nopal cactus
Nopalea (Nō-pah lay’ uh) blends antioxidant-rich Nopal cactus superfruit with naturally sweet Agave nectar to bring you a deliciously unique concentrated wellness drink. Harnessing the power of betalains, a rare and powerful class of antioxidants that flourishes in the Nopal fruit, Nopalea delivers scientifically proven health benefits.
Learn more about betalains.
The purity of premium fruit
Nopalea uses only the freshest Nopal cactus fruit and preserves its antioxidant potency in our state-of-the-art facility. We carefully harvest the fruit using sustainable wildcrafting techniques that have been practiced in the Sonoran Desert for thousands of years.
Learn more about the Sonoran Harvest.
The strength to heal and thrive
Nopalea is a natural, low-calorie concentrated wellness drink that helps you live a healthier life. Drink Nopalea daily to help:
- Protect against premature aging
- Reduce inflammation
- Promote optimal cellular health
- Detoxify the body
Explore the health benefits.
CLICK HERE TO LEARN ABOUT NOPALEA AND MANY OTHER GREAT PRODUCTS
Excerpt from: http://weightlossexerciseplan.com/trivita/
Posted by mic510 on Wednesday Sep 30, 2009
Filed under :Fitness, Health and Fitness, Health and Wellness, Weight Loss, Weight Loss Resources
In an increasingly polluted environment, where healthy-living is an enormous challenge, you may be looking for something or the other to keep diseases at bay and maintain your fitness levels. If that is the case then the Acai berry may seem a God-send to you. The Acai berry is credited with being able to cause weight loss, keep away heart ailments and also cancer! So naturally, the next question you will ask is ‘Where to buy Acai?’
This is indeed a very important question because the this type of berry is not your conventional supermarket product. So you must know where to buy Acai in its authentic form or you may end up paying money for some inferior products.
These products may claim to have the full benefits of the Acai berry but may actually have only a few characteristics of the real thing because of poor processing. As is the case with juice-based products, there might be an overkill of additives.
So you must keep in mind the following pointers before you zoom in on where to buy Acai berry products.
* The berry must be available in an unadulterated form, with all the benefits intact.
* If it’s processed then the highest standards of processing should have been conformed to.
Processing is important because the conventional processing methods that involve the use of heat and pressure can make the active biological ingredients of the berry turn inert. Thus it loses its power as an anti-oxidant.
Another factor contributing to the rarity of Acai is that it grows only in the Brazilian rainforests and nowhere else. It is also a delicate fruit and can spoil easily. That is why you can get Acai berries only in some processed form or the other.
So if you have found a store from where to buy Acai berry products, make sure you are buying only those with superior processing background. This would be a freeze-dried process. In this process, the berries are frozen soon after they are harvested from their place of growth. Freezing allows the berry to retain its natural taste, color and, most importantly, the much sought after medicinal value.
So whether it is the Acai berries or some other by-product you are purchasing (like pills or juices), make sure to look for those having undergone freeze dried processing. The best thing about this form of processing is that the frozen berries can regain their original constitution if you just add water!
One very critical reason why you may be struggling to find Acai berry products is that Acai is not allowed to be imported in most countries. This is because fruits with seeds are not allowed to enter the borders of a majority of nations.
And because of the easily perishable nature of the Acai, you are not guaranteed a fresh quality of berries even if your country allows the import of the berry. But, before the problem of where to buy Acai products makes you start to look for a house in the Amazon rainforests, you may want to try the internet! That’s the place where you can get authentic Acai products at great rates too!
Fortunately, you dont have to search all over the internet either. Avoid scams and inferior products by purchasing pure, freeze-dried Acai Berry right here: http://AcaiBerriesSite.info.
Posted by mic510 on Tuesday Sep 29, 2009
Filed under :Health and Fitness, Health and Wellness, Weight Loss, Weight Loss Resources
You may have heard a lot about it but are still not sure about how good the acai berry really is. Read on to find out about this amazing berry and maybe then you will know whether Acai weight loss is a myth or a reality.
The acai berry may be mistaken for a grape in terms of looks. Even in content it is pulpy with a small seed at the center. But unlike grapes, it grows only in the tropical rainforests of the Amazon basin in South America. The main reason why the world is going gaga over this tiny berry is its high levels of antioxidants.
Thus, when used together with a balanced diet and proper levels of exercise, Acai berries can help you in losing weight. So now that you know that acai weight loss is possible to achieve, maybe you want to find out how it works.
Acai berries enhances the rate at which your body burns calories. This is actually quite the opposite of what your regular weight loss products do. So while those products tend to suppress your appetite, acai works in a way that ensures your body consumes more calories in the course of your day to day activities. What you get as a result is a healthy and natural way to lose weight.
But the problem is that acai weight loss can only be achieved if you can lay your hands on the right products. This is because unless you live in Brazil, chances of getting fresh Acai berries are next to nothing! What you get are mostly processed forms of the acai berry. So the challenge is to make sure that the great health benefits of the berry are not diluted, or lost due, to the processing that it has to undergo.
So you may look to purchase a liquid acai extract that is commercially available. The nutrients will be in a concentrated form, and this is pretty much as fresh a form of the berry as you can get. That is of course true, only if you can’t get hold of a pack of frozen acai berries.
Frozen acai berries have almost the same nutritional benefit levels of the fresh berries. You can add these berries to your daily food items and enjoy the positive effects.
But as we have already discussed, acai weight loss can only be achieved with proper exercise. Acai contains amino acids and fatty acids. So while amino acids increase the build up of muscle tissue and your body’s resistance to disease and infections, fatty acids help in speeding up your metabolic rates for faster absorption of nutrients.
With proper workout, you can make use of both these facets of the acai berry and get yourself in shape. You must also be careful not to have food items which can lead to the intake of excess fat. So now that you know how the acai weight loss system works, you may be raring to go and give it a try. All the best for your efforts!
Don’t settle for inferior acai products. You can benefit from Acai weight loss by purchasing pure, freeze-dried Acai berry right here: http://AcaiBerriesSite.info.
Posted by mic510 on Wednesday Aug 26, 2009
Filed under :Fitness, Health and Fitness, Health and Wellness, Weight Loss, Weight Loss Resources
It took almost 50 years, but there actually is 1 Health & Wellness Network Marketing business that has FINALLY figured it out!
ALL of the problems people have ever had with network marketing – MLM absolutely do NOT exist here!
SIMPLE things like “where do I find a constant source of people hungry for the products?” -or- “I don’t like talking to friends & family about my businesses” -or- “I can’t figure out how to recruit anyone… or don’t like recruiting period” -or- “I don’t want to stock products at home” -or- “I never see long term residual income because 95% of my downline quits every year” -or- … (fill in the blank with what you hate most about MLM)
This business is called TriVita…
Watch this video summarizing the business here:
==> http://myownbizniz.com/lastbiz
With Trivita, you can build a consistent, reliable & huge RESIDUAL income entirely from home WITHOUT having to bug friends and family or have any sales or marketing skills whatsoever.
Not only is this a legitimate, highly profitable home based Internet business, but it is now my #1 recommended business opportunity… and the ONLY network marketing business that I currently recommend… and will probably EVER recommend again!
Click here to Get Started:
==> http://myownbizniz.com/lastbiz
TriVita Highlights:
*Very good high quality products. I’ve tried them and they are excellent! You may just want to be a customer for the great products if youre not interested in building a business. But once you try the products, you’ll be recommending them to everyone you know so you might as well build a business too…
* Extremely High Downline Retention Rates – The drop out rate in Trivita is less than 10% per year. My sponsor has been involved with Trivita for 1 month and already has 7 Members with many customers. His sponsor has been involved for 10 months now (as of this writing) and has not lost a single one of his 200 “Business Affiliates” (downline members)… and His sponsor has been in for 20 months and he also has not lost a single member yet. If your downline members are making money every month, they don’t quit!
* NO Need to Recruit to Make Money – You can receive up to 100 product buying Customers per month directly from Trivita marketing on your behalf. You get life-time commission rights to all your customers. Trivita constantly markets to your customers on your behalf to get them to buy other products and to upgrade to become an “Affiliate” or “Business Affiliate” (downline member).
* Excellent Marketing and Training Support – Between Trivita and our Team, you will get the best support in the industry!
* Best Compensation Plan in the Industry – Trivita has the best compensation plan I have ever seen… period!
* Best Products in the Industry – Granted that this is only my personal opinion, but when a company has 2 million customers and only 5,000 sales reps, you’re doing something very right!
* Excellent Sales Rep to Customer Ratio – This one is HUGE! The average MLM business has 400+ sales reps to every 1 customer. That’s absurd! Trivita has 400 pure customers to every 1 sales rep!
* Satisfactory Better Business Bureau Rating.
This is absolutely the best home based business network marketing company I have EVER seen… and that’s saying a lot!
Do yourself a huge favor and watch the ENTIRE video made available below:
==> http://myownbizniz.com/lastbiz
Posted by mic510 on Saturday Jul 18, 2009
Filed under :Exercise, Fitness, Health and Fitness, Health and Wellness, Weight Loss
My Personal Weight Loss Plan
When you begin your (healthy weight loss program) whatever you are doing you become more observant. You first pay attention to yourself. You pay attention to what you eat, your exercise program, the (natural nutritional supplements) you are using and especially the results you are or are not getting. Many people weigh themselves everyday in hopes of seeing the results of their hard work day by day. I want to caution against that even though it is natural. To constantly weigh yourself is not good. Quite often we anticipate daily weight loss and truly there will be fluctuation. If you want to weigh yourself do it once a week and at the same time of day. But the reason for this article is observation. Not observation of what I am doing, though that is important to stay on task. Observation as to what everyone else is doing.
I find myself observing the world around me and saying to myself, man they should be doing what I am doing. look at all the food on their plate. See all the salt they are adding to that meal. That’s too much creamy dressing on that salad and they do not have the right kind of vegetables on it to be healthy. These thoughts and more are only natural and they are a part of our judgmental nature. Everyone does not have that judgmental problem some people are empathetic. That is what I really see.
My Observations.
Sunday was a great day in our house. We officially became Empty Nester’s as the last of the prodigy graduated from high school. So my observant antenna went up as we were at the venue with about 4,000 friends, family, students and faculty to celebrate this great right of passage. Our baby was graduating! Sure the memories were flowing. The childhood triumphs and challenges. The health problems that God brought us through. The many band events, PTA meetings, teacher conferences, football, basketball, math club meetings and games. Sure they all passed through my mind. The thing that stuck though was how obese the crowd was. I say this with great empathy, not being critical or cynical but I began to worry about our society. I would look at someone and not care the that short dress was just too tight and she should not be in it. But, I worried that she was a heart attack waiting to happen. I looked at the crowd and saw cancer, diabetes, heart disease and so many medical problems because most people in the crowd did not live a healthy lifestyle.
I could tell there were very few people with a (healthy weight loss program) and in my heart I wanted to share what i was doing with so many people there. Unfortunately, the world does not care. People take their health for granted until there is a problem. Our society promotes a unhealthy lifestyle. There are overwhelming temptation and very little motivation to eat healthy and exercise. Yet we wonder why the health care system is failing. If we treated our cars the way we treat our bodies very few people would have cars to drive. Does anyone live healthy lifestyles. Are anybody taking (natural herbal nutritional supplements)? Does anyone have a (healthy weight loss program). Am I the only one trying to live healthy? Then I am motivated to stick to my (healthy weight loss program). I stay focused and I know why I am doing what I do.
So I can only say wake up world. We are killing ourselves. God gave us a special diet that would keep us in optimal health. Yet we choose to destroy our temples. Wake up get on a path to health and fitness. Develop your own (healthy weight loss program) and begin to live a healthy lifestyle we were meant to live.
I pray for you daily.
Want to know an easy and natural way to lose weight fast that really works? Visit this blog!
Posted by mic510 on Friday Jul 10, 2009
Filed under :Exercise, Fitness, Health and Wellness, Weight Loss
Most people probably want to know which diet is the best, after they have decided, again, to cut some of their daily food intake. Eventhough we are all different, we all share the same goal: wanting a diet that can make us thinner in no time at all. We all want some kind of miracle pill or eating program that makes fat go away and never ever return. That’s actually the second part of the big dream: how to make the weight that was lost by dieting, stay lost through the years going forward.
The more diets that are published in magazines and on the Internet, the more people are confused about what dieting really means and about the right way of bringing your body back into shape. The ever increasing number of overweight and obese people has turned weight loss into a lucrative industry like never before and the market is still growing every year. It seems that nowadays all one needs is a fashionable idea and a flair for marketing in order to make a lot of money or garner a lot of attention by proposing some sort of weird diet, despite the lack of professional expertise in this field. That just goes to show you how many people think about dieting. What the number 1 New Year’s resolution that people make every year? Take a wild guess. Thats right: to lose weight!

So let’s start with one of the latest fads of the dieting world: the Atkins diet. Pretty much everybody’s heard of the Atkins diet, largely due to the flood of articles praising the extraordinary results, not to mention the loads of good mail from satisfied customers. The biggest thing in favor of this diet is that it lets you eat high fat dairy products, like cheese and butter. However, the Atkins diet has fallen from its lofty perch over suspicions of increasing the risk of heart diseases, not to mention the proved fact that a larger number of followers now complain of diarrhea, weakness, muscle cramps and rashes. The debate over the scientific fundamentals of this diet is still raging.
Next comes the Zone diet; another well-known eating plan. This diet is the brainchild of Barry Sears and it’s all about eating the right mix of foods in order to reach the proper hormonal balance. This state of balance, which is called the “Zone”, lets the body take in calories and use them throughout the day without putting anything aside as fat. Unfortunately, this diet does some serious discrimination among foods without any scientific basis. Starchy vegetables, whole grains and beans are banned, although these foods are not in conflict with the principles of a healthy diet. The American Heart Association says the Zone diet lacks essential nutrients while promoting high-protein foods.
The Jenny Craig diet is next on the list. One of the longest running diets, Jenny Craig started this business in the early 1980s and it’s still around. The basic idea of this diet is a trade off: you don’t have to choose recipes, do the shopping and the cooking, but you have to buy the Jenny Craig prepackaged food. And that runs to some $100 per week, plus the membership costs. Then you have to add the vegetables and fruits, which are not included in the prepackaged food. If you can afford it and if you can stick to it, the diet is pretty good. However, similar low-calorie foods can be bought at the grocery store and you don’t have to discuss this with a Jenny Craig expert that insists on your eating the prepackaged food because he gets a percentage of the sale price.
From sunny Florida comes the South Beach diet. This one has the right idea and the wrong approach combination down pat. Don’t get me wrong, a lot of people have managed to lose weight with this diet and it actually works. But the question is: can you really stick to it? Sticking to any diet is a pretty important part of your success, wouldn’t you agree? The first phase of this diet will eliminate most foods containing carbohydrates from your daily consumption. Fortunately, this phase lasts two weeks. Unfortunately, the second phase focuses on a half-hearted return of whole grains and fruits and lasts… as long as necessary. If reaching the desired weight takes you one year, then that’s exactly how long this phase is going to last. And if you don’t like the foods allowed by this diet then you’re out of luck. There are no alternatives.
And who can leave out the old veterans of dieting, Weight Watchers. This is actually one of the best diets around because it puts all the management tools in the hands of the user. If you are really committed to losing weight, you have all the information you need to do it. And a lot of people who are going through the same thing are going to be there to help you. If having company during difficult times helps your willpower, then you are probably going to lose all that extra weight. If, on the other hand, you don’t like the idea of being constantly under peer pressure, then this diet is not for you.
There are many more diets out there, of course. Too many to be able to cover in this short review but you can get an idea of what youre going to find. The greatest suggestion I can give you is to do your homework and research as much as you can about what diet offers what. You can start here at the Achieve Fitness website. See what people who tried it have to say. Then see what doctors and dietitians have to say about any diet your interested in. Between those singing praises and those trying to prove the diet wrong you can probably get to the truth yourself. The truth usually lies somewhere in the middle. Through it all, pay special attention to what the doctors have to say. Go see your own doctor. If they tell you a that certain diet will put your body at risk then think twice before trying it. Here’s to successful dieting.
Posted by mic510 on Tuesday Jun 30, 2009
Filed under :Fitness, Health and Wellness, Weight Loss
Most of our attention is drawn towards fat these days. Its all we hear about. I’m fat, your fat, our kids are fat. Experts say that you are obese if your BMI is over a certain amount. Since we are kids, we are told that fat is bad. Some people think they should be more worried about calories than fat. The truth is that you should be worried about both of these. Your diet should not be full of junk food. You should not be getting empty calories. You should be getting calories that are good for you from good, healthy foods. These calories actually help the body where as junk food calories are a drain on it. If all your calories come from junk food, who cares about not eating any fat? Don’t be so sure that fat is as bad as you’ve heard. I’m starting to believe that carbohydrates are the real bad guys. The Darth Vader of diets. I do think this is why so many people are overweight, really.
Think about it this way. How many cultures in the world eat bread? Most of them eat some sort of bread. Bread for some people is the focus of the meal. In ancient times, women spent the day making breads. This is also true with pasta in some places. A lot of places eat some sort of pasta with every meal. And rice? The same thing. The Irish and potatoes? Same thing. These are all sources of carbs.
Most people eat these every day of their lives. I think we are addicted to carbs. I know I am. I love bread, especially potato bread. I eat so much bread and other carbs that I don’t know what I would do without them. That adds a spare tire around the waistline. I’m not saying that carbs are worse than fat, per se, because fat has its problems too. If you eat too much fat, you are getting yourself ready for a heart attack. Your body can only handle so much of that. Isn’t it amazing how much the body can handle though? Thats why people abuse it. We have all seen young men get heart attacks at an early age. So, we know that fat is bad.
Not all fat is the same, though. Some fat is worse than others. Let’s talk about these different kinds of fats. We have items that are lower in saturated fat. These would include cheeses and meats. They don’t have as much fat as the items we will be talking about next. On the other hand, you have items that are more saturated than cheese and meat. These tend to be anything that is deep fried. They will include french fries, donuts, and potato chips.
French fries is what you really need to stay away from. These are high in calories and fat. They also will clog your arteries. I hate to say it, but most of what we consider to be the good stuff in life all have risks involved. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t ever eat these items, but eat them in moderation. That is the key. Don’t eat them every day, but try once per week. Don’t go crazy on a whole bag of chips. Instead, get a small bag that is enough for one or two servings. That way, you won’t be tempted to eat the whole bag.
Oils such as olive oil and canola oil are low in saturated fats. You should use these when ever you can. Keep in mind though, you should only use a little of oil. Make sure to always use non stick cookware. This is a must and a great investment for your health. By using non stick cookware you won’t have to use as much oil when cooking. If you get good, quality non-stick cookware, you might not have to use any at all. I think that you should watch your caloric intake as well as your fat. I would say that the two go hand in hand. I would pay close attention to how many carbs you are eating every day too. I know I keep harping on it, but I think that people are too dependent on them. They are a good source of energy, but you will feel burnt out if you eat too much of them. Remember, moderation is key.
There are also health risks involved with a diet high in fat. You are at higher risk of having sugar level problems (diabetes) and heart disease. Plus a whole host of cancers that most people don’t have a risk for. People who eat diets high in fat also have skin problems. I think people who eat too much fat have very bad complexions. Their skin almost looks like leather that was baked in the sun.
I hope that, when you finish reading this, you don’t think that you should cut all of the fat out of your diet. That isn’t my purpose for you. Instead, just look at the big picture. You can eat some fat, just don’t go snapping up french fries as your daily summertime snack. And if you must eat this kind of fat, you can take a product like Proactol to help your body naturally cut up to 28% of the fat you choose to eat. It’ll serve you well.
Posted by mic510 on Sunday Jun 28, 2009
Filed under :Exercise, Fitness, Health and Wellness, Weight Loss
Often, a simple work out can make you feel much better in a small amount of time. You can squeeze in these exercises during your lunch break, or even right before a date. The best part is that these exercises aren’t too demanding, so there won’t be much perspiration involved. Keep in mind that these exercises are not meant for those looking for serious muscle growth. They are designed to maintain a healthy and good-looking physique within approximately one hour. Make sure that you have a healthy snack at least one hour before the workout, and a full meal afterwards.
Cardiovascular and Lower Body
Your cardiovascular work out should consist of a half-hour daily walk. Simply lace up your quality walking shoes and go for a stroll around the block. Go out regardless of the weather; just make sure to dress adequately. An effective alternative to going outside is walking up and down a building staircase. This option is excellent for your heart, as well as maintaining leg muscles. To maintain a constant progression, try to increase your pace on a weekly basis. Set goals and gradually increase your distances. If possible, change up your cardiovascular sessions for an even more effective work out: use the staircase one day, and walk around the block on other days. You get the picture.
|
Upper Body
After your cardiovascular exercises, begin your upper body work out with a few exercises. Do these steps three times a week for best results.
Basic Push-ups
Basic pushups will work your chest area, triceps and rear deltoids. Aim for 3 sets of 10 to 15 repetitions (depending on your fitness level), and gradually increase the repetitions as the movement becomes easier. Once the movement becomes too easy, you can increase the workout by elevating your feet on a chair to increase resistance.
Lay face down on the floor with your legs extended behind you and your hands directly beneath your shoulders. Your fingertips should be pointed straight ahead, and make sure you keep your back flat and your head in natural alignment with your spine. Get into the starting position by extending your arms straight from your shoulders, which lifts your entire body off the floor. While keeping your body stable, go down until your nose almost touches the floor. Exhale as you push back to the starting position with your chest and triceps. Try not to lock your elbows in order to keep constant tension on your muscles.
Close-Grip Pushups
Close-grip pushups mostly work the tricep muscles, the inner chest and the trunk muscles. Once again, carry out 3 sets of 10 to 15 repetitions (according to your fitness level), and gradually increase the repetitions as the movement becomes easier. · Use the same starting position and breathing pattern as the basic pushup. Bring your hands together and form a triangle with your index fingers and thumbs. As you go down to the floor, your elbows should go to the side, which incidentally puts more stress on your triceps and inner chest. Close-grip pushups also require more balance. By stabilizing your body, your trunk muscles will work throughout the entire movement. At first, close-grip pushups might strain your wrists, so make sure you stretch appropriately and start off slowly.
Wide-Grip Pushups
Wide-grip pushups will work your chest, rear shoulders and parts of your back muscles. Carry out the same sets and reps as aforementioned and gradually increase the reps as the movement becomes easier. · Use the same starting position and breathing pattern as the basic pushup. Your hands should be positioned beyond shoulder width, with your fingers pointing frontward. The wider position emphasizes the tension on your shoulders and lengthens your pectorals. Wide-grip pushups are more demanding, so you will tire more quickly than with other pushups. The above pushup variations will help keep your upper body muscles strong and fit. For additional exercises, try these simple moves. All you require are either 8 or 15 kg dumb bells, and a few minutes.
Legs
These repetitions will build up muscles in the thigh and buttocks. First, spread your legs to hip length and keep your legs fully extended. Holding dumb bells in each hand and maintaining a straight back, slowly bend your knees until your thighs are level to the floor. Then, slowly return to your original position. Continue this exercise until your legs can’t handle anymore.
Chest
In order to work out the pectorals, lie on a bed (stomach up) and hold a weight in each hand above your chest. Keep your arms fully extended with the palms facing each other. Then, lower the dumb bells outwards and down until parallel with your shoulders. Exhale, and return the weights to starting position. Aim for eight sets of 8 to 12 repetitions.
Arms
These exercises will make your biceps stronger. Sit on the edge of a chair with your feet placed hip width apart. Make sure the chair is secure. Hold the weights with palms facing inwards in front of your body. Extend your arm, and curl one dumb bell up at a time in a small arc towards your shoulder. At the top of the movement, rotate your forearm so your palm faces your shoulder at the top of the movement. Then repeat.
Aim for three sets of 8 to 12 repetitions.
Posted by mic510 on Friday Jun 26, 2009
Filed under :Health and Wellness, Weight Loss
If you work for a living, you know how important lunch is. You just can’t function without a good lunch. A good lunch is the difference between feeling great during the afternoon and feeling worn out. Many times we skip lunch. We either don’t eat the right things, or don’t eat at all. Especially women, who think they can skip this meal and not have to worry about it. I’m the type of person who can’t skip lunch. I need to take my lunch break.If I don’t eat, I can feel it. Nothing will make you feel like shit quicker than skipping a meal. We all know what it feels like. The only thing I dont like about taking my lunch is that I always feel tired afterwards and want to go home.
What do you do? You don’t have time to fix a real lunch before you go to work. Or do you? Of course you do. If you are in a relationship, you have more than enough time. One thing I would suggest is that you alternate fixing each others lunch. One day you fix both of your lunches, while the next day have her fix both of them. This will give you time to do the other things that you need to do.
You can also fix your lunch before you go to bed at night. By doing this, you don’t have to rush yourself in the morning. This alone will make your day that much better. I hate having to rush in the morning. What kinds of things should you prepare? We will go into some simple things to make.
Tuna and Bell Pepper Pocket
3 (6-ounce) cans drained, solid white tuna (in water), ½ cup chopped bell peppers, ¼ cup chopped celery, ¼ cup sliced onions, 8-12 lettuce leaves (preferably green), 2 medium-size sliced tomatoes (8-12 slices total), 3 tbsp. fat-free Italian dressing, 1 tbsp. dried oregano, 1 tbsp. black pepper, 4 (6-inch) pita breads. Combine tuna, green peppers, celery and onions in a bowl. In another bowl, combine dressing, black pepper and oregano, then pour it over the tuna mix and stir. Refrigerate for a few hours. When ready to serve, put 2-3 tomato slices and 2-3 lettuce leaves in each pita bread. Add the tuna mix to the pitas. There’s enough for 4 servings.
I love this one. I don’t think there is a better, easier lunch item than this.
Black Bean Salad
½ (8-ounce) can drained black beans, 1 (15-ounce) can drained whole kernel corn, 4 chopped green onions, ½ chopped green bell pepper, 3 diced tomatoes, ½ avocado peeled, pitted and diced ½ (2-ounce) jar pimentos, 2 tbsp. lemon juice, 3 ounces fat-free Italian salad dressing, ¼ tsp. garlic salt. Combine Italian dressing, black beans, green onions, corn, bell pepper, avocado, pimento, tomatoes, and lemon juice in a bowl. Add and toss pepper, salt and garlic. Store in Tupperware and refrigerate. Offers up three delicious servings for that hearty appetite of yours.
This is another great one.
Smoked Chicken Sandwich
½ (8-ounce) loaf sourdough bread, ¼ tbsp. vinegar, 2 tbsp. chopped parsley, 1/8 cup low-fat mayonnaise or fat-free salad dressing, ¼ cup chopped bell peppers (you can’t go wrong with bell peppers), ½ small onion thinly sliced, ½ medium sized tomato sliced, 8 (1-ounce) slices low-fat mozzarella cheese, 2 cloves minced garlic, 8 (1-ounce) slices lean chicken, 1 tbsp. black pepper.
Slice the loaf of bread horizontally. Remove some soft bread from inside each half. Mix mayonnaise and vinegar together. Add parsley, bell peppers, black peppers, and garlic to the mix. Let stand for 15 minutes. Layer the bottom of the loaf with 4 slices of chicken and cheese, then layer with half of the onions and half of the tomatoes. Spread half of the mayonnaise mixture and repeat the entire process from the top with the remaining ingredients. Close the sandwich with the second bread shell and chill until it’s ready to serve. When serving, cut loaf into 3 wedges (secure loaf with wooden sticks for a better cut). Makes 3 servings. There you have some quick, easy lunch ideas. Try these out. You are sure to love them.
Posted by mic510 on Wednesday Jun 24, 2009
Filed under :Health and Wellness, Weight Loss
Opuntia ficus indica, also known as Indian or Barbary Fig, is a very interesting kind of cactus plant which is grown mainly for its fruit. It’s also referred to as “prickly pear” in culinary circles due to its green color and little barbed hairs that they have all over them. No one really knows where this plant hails from since it has been widely cultivated for a long time. The main growing regions include Mexico, Sicily, Chile, N. Africa, Brazil, Algeria, and Ethiopia. It is believed that Columbus carried this, and it is known that the Maya of Mexico used it as well as the Nazca of Peru as early as the 15th century. Since it is a type of cactus, it thrives in dry, arid places with lots of sunshine and can tolerate drought well. I found out that humans have used it as food as early as 12,000 years ago. The more I learned about this plant, the more I became interested in writing about it.
Opuntia Ficus Indica is mainly grown for its fruits, which are called tunas, and it is available in commercial markets worldwide, though I’ve never heard of it before, so I know I can’t march down to my local supermarket and pick some up. Anyhow, Lets talk about what it can do for us humans, and later, how we can get this in our diets.
Uses of Opuntia Ficus-Indica.
This plant is known to be a good binding and waterproofing agent when those old Indians were building adobes and such. With that waxy cacti material, this makes sense. One of the things I like about it is that its also a remedy for symptoms of hangovers. According to the National Institute of Health over at PubMed.gov, Opuntia Ficus Indica seems to be able to reduce inflammation which causes the hangovers. A double blind, placebo-controlled study was done on it with binge drinking college students and verified it. Good news for you drinkers out there, huh? It’s also used as an astringent that reduces bleeding. That’s amazing because its binding properties do well for us. It binds other things too but we’ll get to that in a bit. In addition, opuntia ficus indica treats gastro-intestinal problems like diarreah and irritable bowel syndrome, and its good for enlarged prostate gland conditions.
One of the most valuable properties is its ability to bind fat. This plant is wonderful for weight loss and weight management. And guess what? A controlled study was done on this fat binding process too. It turns out that the cactus fibers do some interesting things when it comes into contact with excess fat. It binds it up immediately and makes the molecules too big for the body to absorb. Then it gets excreted naturally. This process also helps to reduce cholesterol levels in the bloodstream. Pretty cool, huh? Here is a picture of how it basically works.
This reaction also leads to a feeling of being full for a longer period of time since it now takes longer for your food intake to digest. This is truly an amazing plant, like a lot of other out there, but one of the few that has been clinically proven. So, as you can see, like milk, it does the body good! You can see some studies below:
Do you want to know where you can get some of this wonderful Opuntia Ficus Indica plant?
It is found in a product called Proactol. It consists of a 100% natural and organic fiber complex made from Opuntia Ficus Indica and will help you to lose excess body fat, bind up to 28% of fat intake, and help you to reduce food cravings. It is medically backed, clinically proven, and highly recommended by highly regarded professionals. Click here for your Opuntia Ficus Indica complex.
Posted by mic510 on Tuesday Jun 23, 2009
Filed under :Fitness, Health and Wellness, Weight Loss
Ahhhh…Fast food. Whether it’s fried chicken, tacos or burgers, we all love it just the same. Fast food has become a way of life for some people. Unbelieveably, that’s what they eat for their 3 square meals a day. There is no difference between a Big Mac and a steak, to some people, anymore. When I was growing up, I hardly ever ate any fast food. My parents limited the fast food intake, thankfully. A lot of parent dont though. Sure, I love a bucket of fried chicken like the rest of you, but there is more to eating than fast food. We have come too dependent on quick, processed, ready to eat meals. I don’t care if it’s fast food or a meal in a frozen box. There should be no need for it, but I can see why it is appealing to many people.
I have to admit, I have eaten my fair share of fast food,a nd even still indulge in it once in awhile, albeit sparingly. I used to spend a good amount of time away from home and it wasn’t easy to grab a good meal. Most of us today live a fast lifestyle like this. For one reason or another, we don’t have time to prepare a decent meal.
Here we will talk about some things you can get at your local fast food joints that are suprisingly healthy. I’m not going to tell you that they are better for you than a meal that you would cook on your own, but you already know that. If you are ordering a burger, get it without the mayo and the cheese. It might not sound like it, but you will cut a lot of fat out just by doing this simple thing. If the sandwich is too dry for you without the mayo, use mustard or ketchup. This will help it slide down easier.
The cheese that is used is the processed garbage type, loaded with oil and trans fat. You think that cheese is made of milk, but not all of it is. Some of it is made from hydrogenated cooking oil. If you love cheese as much as I do, you can tell just by looking at it. Cheese that is made from oil will have a different look. It will look orange and oily. Avoid anything with bacon on it. Now I love bacon myself, but I find that the bacon in fast food joints is very bad. They really don’t cook it, they just put it under lights until it gets hot. Avoid this at all costs. You will save calories and you will be happy you did. Since I still love bacon, again, sparingly so, I like to cook the lowest fat content of bacon I can find and then add my own to the sandwich.
A good rule of thumb is to stay away from sandwiches that are deep fried. You know the ones. The ones that have deep fried fish or chicken in them. The process of frying them in fat like this, makes them worse for your health. I would suggest that you go with chicken any time that you can. Generally chicken items will be lower in fat content. Don’t get a chicken sandwich loaded with mayo or that has been deep fried. If the only chicken items they have are deep fried, look at the burger selections instead.
I would also suggest that you substitute french fries for a side salad. I know, what fun is fast food without fries? Well, from time to time they are okay. But, if you make a habit of eating fast food regularly, then you should stay away from them most of the time. Key words to remember is that I said most of the time. If you eat them occasionally, they won’t hurt you. But if you are eating so many french fries that you can slick back your hair with the access grease on your hands, then you need to cut down on the fries a bit.
There seems to be a trend of meatless burgers that some fast food joints are carrying. I’m not sure if this is because there is a jump in the percent of people who don’t eat meat. That could be, but if you live near a college, that might have something to do with it too. It is a big phase with college kids to be ‘animal friendly’. This is of course until they get older and realize how much more tasty meat is compared to tofu.
At any rate, if they have meatless burgers at your local fast food joint, you can try them. Sometimes they will be less in fat than normal burgers. They might take a while to get used to. I can’t say that I care much for these. I can’t stand how rubbery they feel when you chew them. Keep in mind that just because its meatless, doesn’t mean you can add one the cheese and mayo. Some of these burgers aren’t THAT lower in fat. My favorite place to go is Subway. Well, any good sub shop will work just fine. You can load up your sandwich with tasty veggies instead of fatty stuff like mayo. I would still suggest that you go with chicken, though, and at most of these places, you can find turkey as well.
The great thing about Subway is that the fat content and the calorie information are visible for all to see.
They advertise it all over the store how much the sandwiches contain. You can load up on all kinds of veggies and not even worry about missing cheese or mayo. One way that you can keep the calories low is by drinking water or diet sodas. Personally I hate diet soda, so I just drink water instead. There are some zero calorie sodas and carbonated water that I really like though fast food joints don’t normally sell these. You’ll have to bring your own or ask for lemon that you can squirt into your water. That will give it a crisp taste that you will love and it will keep your mind off of the sodas.
There you have it. An easy guide to fast food. The next time you go out to the burger joint, keep this article in mind.
Posted by mic510 on Monday Jun 22, 2009
Filed under :Exercise, Fitness, Health and Fitness, Health and Wellness, Weight Loss
Perish the thought, but we all must think about our bodies at some point in our lives. I know for many years I either pushed it aside or felt uncomfortable thinking about it. It isn’t always an easy thing. I have never been uncomfortable with my appearance generally. I guess you could say the problem was that thinking about it, meant I had some responsibilities. Not only that, but sometimes things go wrong. When we live in a fast paced world, the last thing we can afford is to have something go wrong with our bodies. The car breaking down is one thing, but our bodies possibly breaking down is quite another. I don’t know at what age that I started to think about my body as being important.
I would say that it was probably later on in life than when most people think about it. I have never really been a very active type of person. Sure, I loved to go hiking and stuff like that, but I would never hit the gym, except here and there. And, well, some things never change.
Maybe it’s because of age or maybe it’s because of all the fat people around me.
Maybe it was a combination of those two things that made me start to think of my diet and my health. When you are young, you can eat fast food three meals a day and not feel it. When you start to get older, you begin to feel it more. I would like to think that my progression towards a healthy lifestyle was to make myself more healthy. On the other hand, I think it was because I was tired of feeling like shit. I am sure that you know exactly what I am talking about.
When your diet goes down hill, the rest of you goes along with it. Your sleeping patterns go to hell, your hair doesn’t look as good, and your skin looks like leather. I had always wondered why some people’s skin looked like a pair of old combat boots. Now I know why.
So, What to do?
You are starting to feel over the hill but yet you don’t know how to change things. Change is the hardest thing to do in life. You should know that it’s not impossible, though. If you are a married man or have been in a long term relationship this will be easy for you. Chances are, the old lady would like to shed a few pounds and firm up that once tight heart shaped ass that she once had.
You will be more successful if both of you do it. I’m not saying that you should expect perfection in this venture. Though if both of you are doing it, there won’t be those tubs of ice cream laying around to tempt you.
Where do you start?
First I would suggest that you go to your doctor for a physical. Have some blood work taken and see how you are. If you haven’t done anything like this before, it is a good thing to do. He will check your cholesterol and all that stuff. Also if you have a health condition, you will want to talk about your diet and exercise plans with him before you do anything. You want to do this so that you don’t screw yourself up. If you have diabetes and you start a new diet, if not done right you can cause a lot of problems.
So, after you have things squared away with the doctor. I would suggest that you figure out what kind of diet you want to go on. I would suggest that you focus on a diet that is high in veggies and fruit. Cut back on the meat and the carbs and stick with as many fresh items as you can. This will help you lose weight. I would also suggest that you look into some type of exercise program. I would start out with walking or jogging and work your way up from there. You and your spouse can do this together. Get a dog, they love to go on walks. This will give you motivation when it comes to going on your walks.
After you get used to walking, I would hit the gym. If you can afford a personal trainer, I would go that route. If you can’t, then I would start off by doing some swimming and doing the exercise bikes. You can also start out with the treadmill as well. I would continue to do your walks. Not only is this good exercise, but this is quality time with your significant other and/or your dog. You will come to enjoy the talks that you have during your walks. If you are over 40, I’m not sure how much I would push doing weight lifting unless it is with light weights. It might be something that you might want to look into as it is very good exercise. On the other hand, it will take your body some time to get used to lifting weights. For the first few weeks, you will feel like someone beat you to a pulp.
Personally, I hate lifting weights. I think it is a bit boring. I think it is boring to stand or sit and just lift things for hours on end. If there is some hot chicks doing squats or something in front of me, that is another story all together.
The main points to understand is, change your diet, get more exercise, and listen to your doctor.
If he gives you the green light to go ahead, then go ahead. If he gives any warnings, make sure that you heed them.