The Power of Dairy

There has been a lot of controversy over the fact that milk may not be as good for you as you may think, as the cows are fed hormones and other chemicals. However scientific studies on such theories have come up inconclusive. It is safe to say however, that dairy products especially milk has been shown to be very beneficial in delivering certain vitamins and minerals that are essential to our bodies. There are still many reasons that you should not give up milk and other dairy products.

Beneficial Ingredients
Milk is known to be one of the top sources of Calcium, a mineral that is absolutely essential in helping prevent bone related conditions such as osteoporosis, and strengthening our teeth. Some of the nutrients in milk have also been known to help lower blood pressure and (ldl) cholesterol levels. These nutrients have also been known to have positive effects on different types of cancers as well as aid in weight loss.

Dairy Intake Lacking
According to the food pyramid, people are suppose to consume about 3 servings of dairy products per day. Despite this recommendation studies show that most individuals today only consume half of the recommended amount of dairy servings. An interesting study done by the department of agriculture shows that only about 10% of women get the recommended amount of dairy.

Vitamin Enriched
Milk these days are enriched and fortified with different vitamins needed by the body. This fortified milk is one of the few dairy products that contains vitamin D, which is a nutrient that helps your body to more easily absorb calcium. 1 cup of milk is noted as having 100 UI of vitamin D which is about half of the recommended amount for adults under the age of 50. Milk is also fortified with Vitamin A which has been known to help with vision as well as help to build a strong immune system
The question now becomes what kind of dairy foods are there and how much of it counts as a serving. Below is a list of dairy food servings.

-1cup of milk
-1cup of low fat yogurt
-1.5oz of cheese
-1/2cup cottage cheese

As you can see milk and other dairy products are beneficial to our health, despite the few inconclusive studies that state otherwise. Dairy products are very powerful foods and should not be left out of our diets.

Exercise; The key to more energy.

When most people come home from work they are tired and just feel like vegging in front of the television or computer. The problem is, is that the more inactive you are the more tired you'll be and the less energy you will have. For a lot of us the last thing we want to do is workout, or exercise because we are so tired but countless studies over the years have actually made the discovery that exercise actually brings your energy levels up, and revitalizes your body.

If you are used to being sedentary all day and find that you are tired all the time, then before you start reaching for medication or any other type of supplement, give exercise a try. It is recommended that you start out with a light type of exercise like walking, or riding a bike; exercising for about 20-30 minutes, 3 times a week. As your body becomes more and more used to this added exercise then you can start increasing the intensity, time spent exercising, and frequency of exercise.

The great part about exercising is that it not only works to build up your energy levels but it also helps to along with a balanced diet; control weight, reduce body fat, prevent heart related problems such as heart attack, and heart disease. Exercise depending on the kind of exercise can also help to improve muscle mass, flexibility, endurance, and overall health throughout your body.

Exercise also helps in a round about way to restore a person's self confidence, and self-esteem, and even their overall attitude and outlook on life, as it transforms their body and mind in a positive way. Exercise can be done by anybody as well; young or old, big or small, it doesn't matter. It is however; recommended that before starting any type of exercise that you do consult a doctor first, just to make sure that you know what your body is able to handle.

The next time you're feeling lethargic or tired, and need a pick me up that is going to give you energy and be beneficial to you as well, why not give exercise a try.

For more information on health and fitness visit my website: Health and Fitness Focus

New York City Restaurants Recieve New Calorie Rule

New York City officials passed a law on Wednesday April 16th, that will give them the authority to require restaurants having 15 or more establishments nationwide to display the caloric values of their meals.

This law that requires the disclosure of the caloric values of the restaurants meals was passed due to the governments interest in providing consumers with the nutritional information in the foods that they are consuming, dictated by U.S District Judge Richard Holwell. This new move to inform consumers about the nutritional value of the foods served in restaurants it to take effect on Tuesday April 22nd.

The New York State Restaurant Association filed a lawsuit, that would prevent the city from dictating the display size of the caloric information of the foods, making note that such a rule would be a violation of free speech.

The city requires that restaurants post caloric information about their meals on menus and menu displays in the same font size and format that is used to display the name or cost of the particular menu item. Richard Holwell noted that 56.1 % of New York City's population was either overweight or obese, and that restaurants play an increasing role in an individual's diet.

Developing Beach Worthy Abs

As summer approaches, the desire to get a well developed set of abs or a flat stomach increases. Unfortunately for a lot of us we have absolutely no idea as to where to start. Developing your stomach muscles are really split up into 2 parts, building muscle, and fat reduction. In order to get a well developed stomach that stands out you will need to incorporate both parts into your workout plan.

The reason most of us find it so hard to get a set of abs that stand out is because we leave out the fat reduction part. We go to the gym and spend countless hours doing sit-ups, crunches, leg raises, and many others, and at the end of it all see very little results. The truth is that you are building muscle; no doubt about that but in front of that muscle is a nice layer of fat that is blocking those muscles from showing . This is where the necessity of fat reduction comes into play.

Now before you start even getting the thought into your mind, let me crush it right now. You cannot spot reduce fat. Your body does not burn fat in specific places, when your body burns fat it burns it evenly over your entire body. This is one of the biggest myths floating out there, and if anybody has ever tried to reduce fat in just a certain area on their body, they soon begin to realize that it is completely useless.

So now that you know the basics of what you have to do in order to get that great set of abs for the beaches this summer, you are ahead of a lot of the crowd. If your still wondering how to come up with an effective workout plan that is going to lead you to those abs, I have created an example workout plan. Make note of the importance stressed on Cardio. It is that layer of fat that causes most to fail.

Workout Example

Monday:
-cardio(45 min)
-crunches 3 sets of 15
-cable crunch 3 sets of 15
-exercise ball crunch 3 sets of 15

Tuesday:
Rest

Wednesday:
-cardio(45 min)
-leg raises 3 sets of 15
-decline reverse crunch 3 sets of 15
-leg pull-ins 3 sets of 15

Thursday:
Rest

Friday:
-cardio(45 min)
-oblique crunches 3 sets of 15
-side bends 3 sets of 15
-plate twist 3 sets of 15

Saturday:
Cardio 45 min

Sunday:
Cardio 45 min

*Instructions on all these exercises can be found at:*
http://bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.php?MainMuscle=Abdominals

One of the most important parts of getting that well developed set of abs is going to be your diet. Nutrition plays a huge role in getting rid of body fat. When choosing foods make sure that your eating healthy whole grain breads, and other complex carbohydrates, eat vegetables and fruits, stay away from as much saturated fats as you possibly can.

During this time of chiseling out your abs it is important also to lay off the sweets, and foods with excessive amounts of refined sugars. It is also very important to portion your meals so that your not eating more than you burn in a day, this is how your body is going to burn up the fat. Finally make sure that your drinking about a gallon of water a day to replenish what is lost during exercise.

For more information on health and fitness visit my website: Health and Fitness Focus

Stuck wondering how to do an exercise?

If you have ever gone to a website and its talking about different exercises that you can do to lose weight or gain muscle or whatever, however; they fail to have a description or a sample of how to perform these exercises, it tends to leave you wondering how to perform them.

There are tons of great websites out there that have a section devoted to exercise instructions. Not only do they have great instruction but they also have pictures or movie clips showing you how to complete these different exercises.

This is a great way to learn proper form of a certain exercise, as well as increase your knowledge of different exercises that you can use and swap with. Below are a list of great sites that contain exercise instructions that will help you out a great deal.

1. http://bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.htm
2. http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html
3. http://www.global-fitness.com/strength/s_musclemap.php
4. http://www.fitness.com/exercises/
5. http://www.coopersguns.com/videos/exercise-encyclopedia/

Learn to breath properly when lifting weights

A lot of people who lift weights on a regular basis, are hurting themselves through injury, or gains by not breathing properly while lifting their weights. Most often this is not because they don't know what their doing, it is simply a bad habit that has formed over time.

Breathing is a very important part of lifting weights. In order for your muscles to be able to lift the weight your it is important that your are providing them with enough oxygen. The key is to breathe normally in through the nose out through the mouth. Breathing normally like this will help to supply the muscles with the much needed oxygen they crave.

Holding your breath, does help sometimes when you're tired and trying to press out those last reps, however; it is very easy to fall into a habit of holding your breath for nearly the entire set. This will cause more fatigue in the muscles and could also cause you to lose consciousness.

Breathing properly will also help to handle the weight better. The goal is to breath in on the negative portion of the rep, and then breathe out as you take the weight into the positive portion of the rep. This will give you more power, and a more explosive lift.

When your muscles are getting the oxygen they require, they will be able to work better and more efficiently, this will in the bigger picture mean being able to lift more weight, and lead to bigger gains.

Building muscle without machines or expensive weights

If your looking to build and strengthen your muscles, but don't have time to go to the gym, or don't have the money to invest in all kinds of expensive equipment and weights, then don't get discouraged or worry about it, there are exercises that you can do to strengthen and build muscle without weights.

Push-ups
These are great for strengthening and building the muscles of the chest. There are different variations that you can incorporate into this exercise. You could do push-ups with your feet higher up off the ground, or try adding a bit of weight onto your back for more intensity. You could also try putting your hands closer together, this will hit more of the inner pecs and your triceps.

Chin-Ups
These are great for strengthening and building the muscles of the back and shoulders. You could again include variations such as palms facing in or out, or to bump up the intensity try adding some weight to your ankles.

Dips
This exercise is great for hitting your triceps, you will need 2 sturdy chairs or other type of elevated platforms that wont tip. Variations of this exercise could include leaning forward a bit when performing this exercise, this would help to hit your chest muscles.

Step-ups
This is a great leg development exercise, To do these get a bench or a platform that is about 2.5 to 3 feet high. Step up onto the platform and then step back down, alternate between legs. You can increase the intensity by strapping some weight onto your waist.
. Remember to keep your back and head straight. Bend down until your thighs are parallel with the floor.

Sit-ups/Crunches
These are great for developing a strong set of abs, there are a lot of good variations to this exercise, for added intensity try doing V-crunches bringing your upper body up as well as your legs.

For more information on health and fitness visit my website: Health and Fitness Focus

The best time to workout

I'm asked all the time what is the best time to exercise, and I mean you hear all the time stories going back and forth about the best times to workout, whether it be in the morning, midday or night. Well in my opinion the best time to exercising is whatever time you enjoy exercising.

Think about it exercise is still exercise no matter what time of day you do it. I personally enjoy working out in the morning and midday because I find that my energy levels are highest at this point. But my advice to you is to exercise whenever the best time for you.

The Biggest Loser Reality Show

This is one of my all time favorite shows, because it shows people who are obese and think they have no chance of losing weight, losing dozens of pounds. It is also one of my favorite shows because it really goes to show that there is no easy way of losing weight, it is just through a great amount of exercise and proper nutrition, as well as motivation that weight will be lost both healthily and effectively.

Another good thing about this show is that it teaches these people what to eat and how to exercise to maximize their weight loss potential. Unlike most diets who have pre-made foods and written down exercise plans that don't really teach you about how it works. When you understand why it works then this makes it a whole lot easier when the "diet" or "plan" is over and you know have to fend for yourself so to speak.

Again I cannot say this enough there is no easy way or magic pill to make you lose weight in a healthy and effective way it is only through a proper nutritional diet and rigorous exercise that you can lose weight. For all of those who are wanting to lose weight, watching this show will help to give you the motivation you need.

go to the NBC WEBSITE

Dehydration

Dehydration can be a very serious issue if not taken care of in a timely fashion. Your body is made up of about 2/3 water. When your body loses a majority of this water whether it be through exercise, sickness, sweat or other activities, it begins to become dehydrated.

When your body becomes dehydrated it becomes unable to work and process things as efficiently, and if the dehydration is bad enough could cause your body to shut down and eventually lead to death(extreme case).

The best way to take care of dehydration is to prevent it from happening in the first place. Your body needs roughly about a quart/liter of water a day. This however will increase if you participate in any kind of exercise, if your sick and have diarrhea/vomiting, or if you sweat excessively throughout the day.

Some of the symptoms to watch out for that indicate dehydration include:
-dry mouth
-rapid loss in weight(15-20 lbs in 2-3 days)
-increased thirst
-weakness/ lightheadedness
-darkening of the urine

These symptoms can be very good indications that your body has lost a lot of water and is in need of water. If you find that you are quickly becoming or have already become dehydrated, and it is bad enough you may need to find your way to a hospital to receive intravenous hydration. However it is not too bad or you are out in the wilderness there is a drink that was invented to help maximize water retention by the body. To make this drink use the following:

3/4 tsp of table salt
1tsp baking powder
4 tbsp sugar
1cup orange juice
1liter/quart of water

This solution will help to restore your body with the much needed water it is craving. If you are sick and are vomiting this solution has been known to be kept down in the face of nausea and vomiting.

Green Tea - Miracle in a cup

Green tea has been in use for over 4000 years, and as more and more studies have been done on this drink, the realization of its benefits have been huge. There are many variations of green tea, however they all contain basically the same ingredients. Some of these ingredients include: caffeine, polyphenols, flavonols, saponins, essential oils, carotene, vitamin C, A, B1, B12, flouride, iron magnesium, calcium, strontium, copper, nickel, and zinc.

Green tea contains one of the most powerful types of antioxidants as well(polyphenols). These ingredients have been studied and have been found to fight many different ailments such as, many types of cancer's, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, helps to clear up acne, a powerful aid in weight loss, slows the aging process, aids in digestion and many more great health benefits.

Despite the fact that green tea is such a powerful health improvement tool, it is surprising that it is still very inexpensive, and is great tasting as well. If you are not a tea drinker, there are also green tea extract supplements as well that you can take with your morning vitamins, or on the go.

NOW Green Tea Extract, 100 Capsules
Green Tea Max

Ways to keep you motivated with your exercise program

There is no doubt about it; exercise is hard work and sometimes takes a toll on us. There are always those times that we just don't feel like working out or exercising because we're too tired or whatever the excuse may be. This tends to happen after a few months, a lot of people end up convincing themselves that they will never see any changes, or that they just can't do it, and so their motivation goes out the window. First of all I want to say that you need to think POSITIVELY, this is a huge part of any kind of success. Next you need to find ways of keeping yourself motivated. Below I have listed 5 ways that I keep myself motivated to keep exercising.

1.Success Stories
Reading success stories are a great way to motivate yourself. Looking at these normal people and their before and after pictures as well as their journey to success, leaves you thinking that if they can do it then so can I.

2.Forums/Online Communities
These are a great way to gain knowledge, talk to others who are going through the same things you are, and are a great place to ask questions about workouts or exercise. Talking with the members of forums and asking advice is a great motivation builder.

3.Goals/Picture Goals
This is by far what helps me out, the idea is to take a picture of somebody who you want to look like in terms of being physically fit. Also set up some short term goals that you want to accomplish. For example a short term goal could be losing 10 lbs in a month. By doing this you are setting and end point so to speak you are giving yourself something to reach and this will help to keep you motivated and reaching for your goal.

4.Workout Partner
Having a workout partner really helps as well. Having a partner or somebody that is going to encourage you to keep going, and not give up is going to greatly help keep you on track with your fitness goals.

5.Keep a Log
A lot of people lose motivation because they don't see any results after a few months. The problem is, is that results are happening but their happening slowly enough that you may not notice them very easily. Keeping a log of your weight, a before picture, and specific weight amounts, or running times/distances every month, will help you to track your progress.

Diet Plans that claim "NO exercise required"

I was just surfing the Internet the other day, and came across a weight loss advertisement that was advertising this new diet plan. So being a little curious I clicked on the link and was forwarded to one of those infomercial like pages, and I started to read. As I stared at the page I came across the words,"New diet plan, no exercise required".

Well let me tell you the first thing that came to my mind was "That's the stupidest thing I have ever heard" The second was "There is no way this diet is healthy for you" You see the problem with a diet stating that no exercise is required, is that a diet without exercise is lacking one of the KEY components of losing weight effectively and safely.

Exercise is very important when it comes to weight loss, exercise is what is going to help you burn off the stored fat in your body, and help to keep your metabolism running at high speed. Exercise is also used to strengthen your heart and lungs and other organs.

Weight Loss is essentially made up of 2 parts nutrition and exercise, when you take one away; then it basically reduces your chances for success. This of course is just my opinion, if you have any thoughts or opinions then feel free to post them.

Exercise- Wound Healing Catalyst

A study done at Ohio State shows that regular exercise helps to heal wounds in older men by as much as 25%. In this study 28 men were chosen ranging from about 55 to 77. All of the participants chosen had not participated in regular exercise for at least 6 months prior to this study. Of the 28 participants of this study 13 were chosen to start a regular exercise program, while the other 15 were asked to keep their current activity levels.

The participants who were chosen to begin an exercise program started so about a month before recieving a puncture wound in the back of their upper arms about 1/8in deep and wide, so that their bodies were used to a regular exercise program. The researchers then photographed the wounds 3 times a week until the wounds had healed.

The exercises that were done during these programs consisted of floor exercises, stretching, pedaling on a stationary bike, jogging/briskly walking on a treadmill, and a variety of strength exercises.

At the end of the study the results showed that the wounds of the participants that had been exercising regularly had healed an average of 10 days sooner.

The article can be found at:http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/exereld.htm

Dumbbells or Barbells?

There are all kinds of opinions out there about whether working out with dumbbells is better or worse than working out with barbells. The truth is, is that really it comes down to personal preference and what works for you. In my personal exerperience, they both have their places in the gym, however; I do like dumbbells a whole lot better and think they work better.

Dumbbells I have found are great for getting that extra range of motion that will stress your muscles more and cause more development withing that muscle.

I have also found that if you have any lagging muscle groups that working out with dumbbells helps to correct this as each muscle group has to handle the same amount of weight individually.

Dumbbells are also very versatile and you can do so many more exercises with them, as you are working with 2 individual weights instead of 1.

Finally the great thing about using dumbbells is that there is really no need for a spotter when doing exercises such as bench press, squats etc.

Barbells I have found work very well for putting on mass as you are able to handle more weight by using multiple muscle groups to handle the same weight.

Barbells can be used as well as a workout change up in order to keep your muscles guessing as to what they will need to handle next.

No matter what you choose to use, or which you prefer better, as long as you're lifting consistently and with good form you will see results.

Spinach- a Nutritional Powerhouse

Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A, iron, folate, Vitamin C, Calcium, Lutein, and Fiber. These vitamins and minerals help to keep you regular, and help to provide the body with nutrients that it needs to keep healthy.

Studies show that spinach helps to control cancers, especially colon, lung, and breast cancer. Folate which is found in this leafy green has also been known to lower the levels of homocystein in the blood; a protein that is damaging to the arteries.

Spinach also contains flavonoids which helps against memory loss. However; the lutein which is found in spinach has been known as a secret weapon against cataracts and muscular degeneration.

Spinach is not the only food that contains these vitamins and minerals, other leafy greens such as kale,Swiss Chard, Collards, and Bok Choy. With foods that offer so many healthy benefits, it's no wonder you were told to eat your veggies.

The importance of Healthy Nutritional Breakfast

If you're looking at losing weight, and plan to start skipping breakfast, or are already skipping breakfast, then you are basically setting yourself up for disaster. Breakfast believe it or not plays a huge role in weight loss, brain function, and general health.

For the sake of this post however I'm going to talk about the importance of breakfast and weight loss.

While you're asleep your body's metabolism slows down in order to conserve the food in your stomach so that it lasts the entire night. When you get up the next morning your metabolism is still in a slowed down state. Breakfast is needed in order to jump start your metabolism. When your metabolism speeds up you burn more calories, thus aiding in weight loss.

Skipping breakfast also leaves you feeling very hungry, and 99% of the time this leads to snacking. Don't get me wrong snacking is fine so long as your not taking in too many calories, and so long as the snacks you chose are healthy and nutritious. Unfortunately when most of us snack, we eat things like doughnuts, cookies, candy, soda, pastries, and other very fattening and sugary foods. This is what will promote weight gain especially since your metabolism is still slow.

There are a lot of people out there who skip breakfast as of now, and their excuse seems to be that they don't have time for breakfast. Well that may be what if feels like but I assure you that taking an extra 10 minutes out of your day to eat one of the most important meals of the day, is well worth the effort. Easy breakfasts could be a bowl of cereal, eggs and toast, oatmeal topped with fruit, or fruit smoothies.

Chicago police department raises fitness bar.

This is a very interesting story I read today. There have been talks of mandatory fitness testing as well as maximum body fat allowances to be implemented in the police force across Chicago. Nothing has been finalized up to this point, however; Jody P. Weis the superintendent,who is also a former F.B.I. agent, has vowed to clean up the nation’s second-largest police force. If you would like to read the actual news article it can be found here