Health and Fitness Oasis

Weightlifting is more than just bulking up and winning contests.  It’s about strength training and getting into the best possible shape you can.  Have you been contemplating weightlifting?  Then here are ten good reasons why weightlifting is a worthwhile activity.  As we get older, our bodies lose muscle mass.  It is that muscle that gives us strength when lifting, carrying and performing other activities.  Strength may even help you avoid dangerous falls.
 
1. Lifting weights burns fat.  Muscle burns more calories than fat.  To work and build muscle means that your body is still in the fat-burning zone long after the workout has finished.  To shed weight, the amount of fat that we already have has to be reduced.
 
2. Weights change the look of your body.  You may not be going for the muscle-bound look, but lifting weights results in a more sculpted shape to your body.  It is that definition that helps you to look fabulous in your clothes, especially the ones you thought that you’d never fit into again. Read the rest of this entry »

Exercise is very good for your health during pregnancy and can have many other benefits as well. Keep the exercise light, especially during your first few weeks of pregnancy while your body adjusts to the changes.

Any type of heavy exercise can divert the blood flow from crucial areas, and most women that exercise on a regular basis should tone down their workout regimen during pregnancy.

Swimming, walking, and yoga are two very popular exercise activities that are suitable for pregnant women.  There are other forms of exercise such as weight lifting that are acceptable as long as it isn’t too strenuous.  Most pecialists recommend exercise 3 – 4 times a week, unless you have a medical condition that prevents it.  If you are ever in doubt, you should consult a physician first.

Below, you’ll find some of the best reasons as to why you should exercise during pregnancy.

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Eating is a part of life.  Your body gets its nutrients from food.  Sometimes we can go overboard with our eating habits and it can result in gaining weight.  One issue with food is emotional eating. 

The problem of emotional eating may end with the scale but it begins in the mind.  Stress takes its toll on your life.  When your defenses are compromised your health takes a hit and so do your emotions. 

Everyone has good days and bad days.  How we deal with the bad ones brings emotional eating into play.  You look for comfort for your hurts.  People who turn to food for comfort find a coping mechanism that won’t judge them, hurt them or tell them “no.” To complicate the issue, eating pleasurable foods can stimulate the release of endorphins just like exercise.  So, after you eat, you feel better.

Emotional eaters use food to relieve stress.  They hide behind the food instead of seeking solutions to the problems.  This is not uncommon when the stressor is something horrible such as physical abuse or a death. Read the rest of this entry »

The Acai berry is making an appearance everywhere these days. Oprah has talked about it on her show. Rachel Ray has praised the Acai berry. You can find Acai berry products all over the Internet.

The Acai Berry is a fruit that is found in the Amazon rain forests of Brazil. This fruit grows on the Acai palm tree and is harvested by the natives of the Amazon rain forest.

The Acai berry is approximately the size of a grape, and it is dark purple in color. Ten percent of this berry is skin and pulp and the other ninety percent of the berry is seed. The skin and the pulp are edible and the seed is not.

This berry is rich in nutrients and is considered one of nature’s best super foods. If you were to eat the Acai berry straight from the tree it would taste like a mix between berries and chocolate.
Amazon natives have used this berry for centuries to maintain good health and to provide needed energy. The berry is now available in the United States. Researchers have been preforming studies on the acai berry and the results have been incredible.

Can Acai Berry help me reduce fat?

Acai berry helps with weight loss due to its high concentration of omega fatty acids and fibers. These help to suppress appetite and reduce the accumulation of body fat.
Another theory about the Acai berry and weight loss is that since the Acai berry contains fiber it will help you to feel full on less food and therefore, reduce the number of calories you take in.

This is a good theory because studies have shown that if a person eats a high fiber food before a meal, they will feel full and eat less.  Simply take acai berry supplements before breakfast and before you eat lunch. You will notice a reduction in your appetite and an increase  in metabolism.

The Acai berry promoters also claim that it will increase your energy levels. In fact, professional soccer teams in Brazil will take Acai before they have a match because it increases their stamina and energy levels. So in essence if you have more energy and are able to exercise longer you will notice weight loss.

If you combine Acai berry supplements with a great diet and exercise program you are going to lose weight quicker. The Acai berry can help you drop the pounds easier and  faster.

Acai Berry Research

The acai berry contains high levels of antioxidants and enough vitamins and nutrients to classify it as one of natures best super foods.

Studies have shown that acai pulp contains a remarkable amount of antioxidants that will help to fight  premature aging. In fact, the acai berry contains ten times more antioxidants than red grapes and ten to thirty times the anthocyanins of red wine. That is why it  promotes  healthier looking skin.

Research has also proven that the acai berry contains healthy fats and dietary fiber. These two components are very important when it comes to good cardiovascular health and a healthy digestive system.

The acai berry contains a blend of essential amino acids and vitamins and minerals that will help to maintain proper muscle contraction and regeneration. This is great for those that suffer from painful joints or inflammation.

The fatty acids found in the acai berry help the cell membranes to stay supple. When the cell membranes remain supple this allow for hormones, neurotransmitters and insulin receptors to function at maximum capacity.

The most amazing acai berry research has got to be the studies that took place at the University of Florida a few years ago. The effects of the acai berry were tested against cancer cells.

Research proved that extract from the acai berry triggered a self-destruct response in eighty-six percent of the leukemia cells that were tested. This study seems promising as new uses for the acai berry are coming to light. Does this mean that acai berries are the cure for cancer? No, it just means they can have an impact on cancer cells because of their high levels of antioxidants. But as research continues more uses for the acai berry may come to light. Read the rest of this entry »

Her name is Dr Suzanne Gudakunst and she’s marching to the beat of a different drum. Everybody thinks that the reason that people are overweight is because they over-eat and don’t exercise. While this may have been true several decades ago, it’s something else entirely today.

Dr Suzanne noticed a very peculiar pattern as she studied hard to become a doctor: The pattern she saw was very contradictory. People started the ‘aerobic craze’ and ‘fitness crazes’ back in the 1980’s more so than at any other time in modern history. Plus, “nutritional science” reached an amazing level from 1975 to the present.

Yet, statistics shot up first with just 5% of people in “civilized” countries (not just the United States) becoming labeled “OBESE.”

Then, “medicine” increased its knowledge considerably in the past 15 years alone by about 800%. Yet, just a few years later this Obesity stat jumped from 5% to 25% (which was unheard of and frightening to the general public)

Then most recently it was considered “accepted” that some 40% of people living in the United States are obese — and shockingly this stat was just recently revised with estimates suggesting between 55%-62% of Americans alone are now categorized as obese! Read the rest of this entry »

Many of the studies which the American Dairy Association rely on in their advertising have found a link between the amount of calcium and individual consumes during the day and the type of weight which is lost in the body.  This link appears to be in the amount of calcium being stored and the current weight of the individual.

Advertising campaigns have done research which showed a relationship between eating three to four servings of low-fat dairy products each day and a decrease in the amount of fat stores in the body.  This research suggested that calcium increases the amount of fat in the body which converts to energy by increasing the body’s core temperature.  The theory is that by increasing the core temperature the body will burn more calories at a faster rate.

The study also suggested that individuals who have the highest amount of stored fat will also show the lowest amount of calcium stored in the body.

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Recommendations made by the American Heart Association, the National Cholesterol Education Program, and the American Cancer Society suggest fewer calories are received from protein. This provides the body with nutrients deemed essential to building, maintenance, and repair of body tissue.

High-protein, low-carbohydrate diets are promoted in great lengths. Falling under names such as Atkins, Zone, Sonoma and South Beach, they are technically variations of the same trend. They recommend 30% to 50% of the dieters’ total calories be consumed in the form of protein, while stressing removal or drastic reduction of carbohydrate consumption.

How Do These Diets Work?

By restricting carbohydrates to a fraction of what Americans typically eat, the body goes into a metabolic state called ketosis. The body burns its own fat for fuel where it would normally burn carbohydrates instead. A person in a state of ketosis receives energy from ketones, which is the fuel created by the breakdown of small carbon fragments. This leads to the breakdown of fat stores. Bodies in ketosis tend to feel less hungry, resulting in eating less than you might otherwise. However, ketosis can also cause serious health problems.

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As you age, it is more important than ever to control your weight. If you are more than 20 pounds over your ideal weight your risk is greater for weight-related health problems and potentially deadly conditions, including diabetes, high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, endometrial cancer, obstructive sleep apnea, and breast cancer.

If, like most people who are overweight, you tend to avoid exercise, that avoidance just adds to the toll paid for extra pounds.

If you have a sedentary lifestyle and are overweight, you are at a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and other health problems. And, if you already have a medical condition such as high cholesterol, being overweight puts you at higher risk for complications.

The good news is that even modest amounts of weight loss can improve your health significantly. Loss of 10% of body weight can reduce blood pressure, high cholesterol, triglyceride, and high blood sugar levels.

Today, there are many procedures that can contribute and help people loss weight effectively. One of the known procedure in losing weight is through hypnosis. Read the rest of this entry »