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Posts Tagged ‘healthy’

People talk about health supplements these days, some of them you know like “been there and done that” type. Sometimes people are so much over informed about greatest or latest nutrition, that they think that they are all pretty much the same.

But most people agree that mineral and vitamin supplements help our body to some extend, but in most cases they know that these nutrients are definitely limited to helping someone in chronic illnesses.

And it was true, until a very few years ago. People took mineral and vitamin supplements just because everyone seemed to take it but no one was seeing any kind of miraculous results from it. So it is normal to believe that if there was any kind of real results or breakthrough with nutritional supplements, my doctor would have at least heard about it.

Now let me point out something to you right now. You might believe me or maybe not, but here is the fact: I have been looking and researching into a category of nutritional supplement called “glyconutrition” ever since I heard about it two years ago. Personally I feel, and for me there is no doubt, that glyconutrition will somehow help, and it does not matter what kind of health problem you are talking about – and bring about miraculous results to even very sick people, and transform their health into radiant and full energetic health condition.

Today, given the state of health care problems, and modern day life, everyone should be aware that any supplement – especially like this glyconutrition – significantly will increase your chance of staying fit and healthy for the rest of your lives.

In a recent book released about a year ago called: “The cost of being sick” medical expert Nicholas Webb showed lots of figures and facts which examine how messed up the entire health care industry really is nowadays. It shows how unreliable and expensive it has become.

If you look at those facts & figures, it will become clear that healthcare costs are just spiraling upwards to the point where, most people will not be able to afford the healthcare costs or even health insurance premiums, say somewhere after 5 to 10 years from now.

Now, if you can recognize the very signs of danger, what are you going to do about it? Or matter of factly saying, what can any of us do about it now?

It’s a fine question. So let us look at some options available to us.

The most obvious option is that you can do nothing and just let your health hang in there and take chances whatever life has to offer you.

The other option you have is to take some action. Until now, there was not much of help available and you could do little about it. But all of it has changed until some 10 years ago. It changed for the good when a pharmacologist who was working for a drug industry accidentally stumbled onto a very important health discovery of our lifetime called: glyconutrition. I would recommend that you do some research on glyconutrition because that is one of the best forms of health and fitness assurance you can get now.

In modern life and the rising costs of health, glyconutrition has become one of the most effective methods available to you.

Summer program promotes healthy lifestyle for kids
More than 500 kids filled the Nashua High School South track with smiles on their faces and running shoes on their feet. Saturday marked the final day, or graduation day, for the kids who participated in Fitness University, and it was the 20th year the organization has promoted a healthy lifestyle to kids. The organization has seen an increase every year, director Leeann Ward said. Throughout …

Read more on The Nashua Telegraph

There are 13 ways to boost your chances of living a happy, healthy life. More can be added to this list, but, for simplicity’s sake, we’ll stick with this typically unlucky number. Instead of bringing misfortune, however, the 13 habits promise a life of vigor and vivacity.

There are, of course, no guarantees, but many of the practices mentioned here have been published in scientific journals. Disregard them, and you may well be taking a big gamble with your mental and emotional well-being.

Healthy Habit No. 1: Eat Breakfast Every Morning

Breakfast eaters are champions of good health. Research shows people who have a morning meal tend to take in more vitamins and minerals, and less fat and cholesterol. The result is often a leaner body, lower cholesterol count, and less chance of overeating.

“That one act [of eating breakfast] seems to make a difference in people’s overall weight,” says Melinda Johnson, RD, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association (ADA). She says breakfast can hold off hunger pangs until lunchtime and make high-calorie vending machine options less enticing.

Not only that, researchers at the 2003 American Heart Association conference reported that breakfast eaters are significantly less likely to be obese and get diabetes compared with nonbreakfast eaters.

Another study in the International Journal of Food Science and Nutrition showed that people who consumed breakfast cereal every day reported feeling better both physically and mentally than those who rarely ate cereal in the morning. For kids, breakfast appears to enhance alertness, attention, and performance on standardized achievement tests, reports the ADA.

To get the full benefits of breakfast, the Mayo Clinic recommends a meal with carbohydrates, protein, and a small amount of fat. They say that because no single food gives you all of the nutrients you need, eating a variety of foods is essential to good health.

Yet, even with so much scientific support that breakfast does the body good; many people still make excuses not to eat in the morning. They include not having enough time and not feeling hungry. For these people, Johnson suggests tailoring breakfast to the day.

“When I’m getting ready in the morning, I don’t really want to take the time to eat breakfast because that would mean sacrificing sleep,” says Johnson. “So I bring my breakfast with me, and I know I have an hour when I’m reading emails in the office when I can eat it. By that time, I’m hungry because I’ve been up for almost a couple of hours.”

Healthy Habit No. 2: Add Fish and Omega-3 Fatty Acids to Your Diet

The AHA recommends a serving of fish two times per week.

Besides being a good source of protein and a food relatively low in the bad type of dietary fat called saturated fat, fish has omega-3 fatty acids — which have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease.

Fatty fish such as mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna, and salmon, are rich in two kinds of omega-3 fatty acids: eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

Foods such as tofu, soybeans, canola, walnuts, flaxseed, and their oils contain alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which convert to omega-3 in the body. Even though the benefits of ALA are controversial, the AHA still recommends foods containing it as part of a healthy diet.

In addition to their heart-health benefits, there is some evidence that omega-3 fatty acids may also soothe an overactive immune system, says Johnson. Even though this benefit is still being studied, she says there appears to be a link between getting more omega-3s in your diet and reducing allergies, asthma, eczema, and autoimmune disorders.

Healthy Habit No. 3: Get Enough Sleep

“Your body has to have enough time to rest,” says Michael Fleming, MD, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). Otherwise, he says you may find yourself feeling cranky and tired.

This may sound like common sense, but according to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), more than two-thirds of older adults suffer from sleep problems and many American adults don’t get the minimum amount of shuteye needed to stay alert.

Sleep is vital to good health and to mental and emotional well-being. The NSF reports that people who don’t get enough slumber are more likely than others to develop psychiatric problems and to use health care services. Plus, sleep deprivation can negatively affect memory, learning, and logical reasoning.

Not enough ZZZs can also be hazardous. More than one-half of adult drivers — some 100 million people — say they have driven drowsy in the past year, according to NSF polls. About one out of five of these drivers — 32 million people — say they’ve fallen asleep while driving.

Each year drowsy driving causes more than 100,000 car crashes, 1,500 deaths, and tens of thousands of injuries, reports the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The NSF recommends taking a 15 to 20 minute nap. Because it takes about 30 minutes for the caffeine to work, taking a nap while you wait for the caffeine to kick in can help restore alertness.

To avoid the pitfalls of insufficient sleep, make sure to get at least seven to 10 hours of slumber each night. Kids need more sleep, depending on their age.

Healthy Habit No. 4: Make Social Connections

Volunteer. Go to church. Join a club. Whatever you do, do it with people. Communal activities are good for your physical and mental health, according to a study published in the March/April 2004 issue of the American Journal of Health Behavior.

It makes sense, says C. David Jenkins, PhD, author of Building Better Health: A Handbook of Behavioral Change. He says social ties have many benefits, including:

* Providing information. You may think for instance your frequent nosebleeds, coughing, and sneezing episodes are trivial, but when a close friend or relative hears of it, he or she may encourage you to go to a doctor. If the symptoms turn out to be a serious condition, the social tie could have saved your life.

* Instrumental help. Friends and family can provide physical support in time of need. They may help with cooking, cleaning, running errands, doing grocery shopping, and driving to the doctor’s office.

* Emotional support. Sharing a problem with a trusted person can help alleviate an internal burden. “It’s a load off your chest,” says Jenkins.

* Offering a sense of belonging. This feeling not only helps reinforce a person’s identity, it also assists in preventing and overcoming depression and anxiety.

Community ties also help improve mental functioning, says Fleming. Group activities can help keep the mind active and maintain desirable levels of serotonin — the brain chemical associated with mood. “Lack of social interaction will [decrease] serotonin levels,” says Fleming.

Healthy Habit No. 5: Exercise for Better Health

We already know that physical activity has a bounty of benefits, which makes it so puzzling why so many people just don’t do it. According to the CDC, more than 60% of Americans do not get regular exercise.

In case you needed an incentive, here is a review of the advantages of exercise, per the National Cancer Institute:

* Helps control weight

* Maintains healthy bones, muscles, and joints

* Reduces risk of developing high blood pressure and diabetes

* Promotes psychological well-being

* Reduces risk of death from heart disease

* Reduces risk of premature death

Studies have also shown a link between exercise and a reduced risk of certain cancers.

Besides its long-term effects, moving your body has immediate benefits, says Cedric Bryant, chief exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise. The short-term results of exercise include helping people to think and move better, manage stress, improve mood, and get an energy boost.

The excuses that people often give to not exercise are the precise reasons to exercise, says Bryant. People who say they are too tired or don’t have time to workout don’t realize that exercise gives people more energy and allows them to be more productive with the rest of their time.

Healthy Habit No. 6: Practice Good Dental Hygiene

Flossing your teeth every day could add 6.4 years to your life, according to Michael Roizen, MD, author of RealAge. In his book, Roizen lists flossing as one of the most important daily activities — along with exercise and quitting smoking — that could extend life span.

Roizen’s calculation may raise some eyebrows, but the idea that oral health is connected to overall health isn’t far-fetched.

The mouth, after all, is an integral part of the body. “Teeth have a blood supply, and that blood supply comes from the heart,” says Richard Price, DMD, consumer advisor for the American Dental Association (ADA).

Researchers suspect that the bacteria that produce dental plaque enter the bloodstream. They say these bacteria are somehow associated with the inflammation that occurs with plaque that blocks blood vessels and causes heart disease.

Other researchers have found links between oral bacteria and stroke, diabetes, and the birth of preterm babies and those that have low birth weight.

In addition to preventing disease, flossing and brushing can help keep your pearly whites intact for more than just cosmetic reasons. Teeth help you chew food, speak properly, and smile — which, according to Price, can help you keep your dignity.

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Pays 75% New Sales Copy! Finally – a holistic fitness and nutrition guide for the pre-natal population! www.fitandhealthypregnancy.com/affiliate-tools.asp
The Fit and Healthy Pregnancy Guide

We do thousands of things like exercising, dieting, and some of us even visit health clubs and weight loss centers to remain hale and hearty. And yet fail in achieving good health. Well, the answer to all your queries is that you can have a good health by following holistic healing through Fen shui. No, you can lead normal life with the help of Feng shui health. After all, it is your last forte to get healed and nurtured for life.

You can take help of Feng Shui health to increase your energy levels so that you can be healthy for many years to come. In fact, feng shui is being used since centuries for healing and curing many acute and chronic ailments. Now, you must be thinking that that what is a relation between feng shui and health, and how come it can help me in achieving a good health. However, it is a real fact, one can be cured of many diseases and that too, without inflicting pain on oneself or any one who is near and dear to you. In earlier times, practitioners used to treat people with Feng shui health tools, unlike modern painful and hampering treatments.

In fact, you can say that it is an answer to many ailments and a way of living a healthy life. Well, as we all know that feng shui is a Chinese form of astrology and is used in every occasion and event, and moreover, comprises of healing powers. Hence, these days’ people prefer feng shui health consultants as it offers easy and powerful solutions for every health problem. Traditionally feng shui health was used as an aid to medical treatment and it never harmed anyone. Well, you can say that feng shui and modern medicine are two faces of one coin as they both work on a set of rules i.e. one on science and the other on the position of stars and planets. But if blended in future, then for sure it will create sensation in the field of medical science.

However, Feng Shui health is being majorly used to cure stress and infertility by the experts. It is more effective in comparison to other form of alternative and scientific fields. Well, one can get treated well by Feng Shui health expert as they use natural methods and important environmental factors that are considered especially, if you are experiencing any type of health problems. Feng Shui health expert use the energetic forces of metal, fire, earth, water and air. The expert also uses calculations based on Ming Kua, Ba Zai and Flying Star. There are many advanced methods of analysis used by the Feng Shui expert and many of these can reveal additional factors that effect health. These systems identify specific directions, sectors, or elements that are related to health as well as other aspects of life. For your information, these factors are used to cure all kinds of acute and chronic treatments. Hence, do not wait any more and look ahead to live a healthy life through Feng Shui health.

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Fitness Exercise Program- Why People Looking to Get Healthy & Lose Weight .Sports Fitness: Fun drawing near to be Healthy

When you talk about sports fitness, what comes unequaled prominence your belief? live is, basically, the different sports activities, right? This is being sports fitness has always been referred to because the sports itself. Visit Here Now http://24-hourfitness.blogspot.com

Generally, sports entail physical activities that are usually carried out for some “recreational” functions such as self-satisfaction, entertainment, competition, etc. It uses physical stunt that is why most fitness experts regard sports now unaccompanied way of staying fit and vigorous. absolute can besides be unmistakable as one way of unfeigned fitness; the only difference is that sports fitness is more apt to the spread of command or ability.However, like physical fitness, sports fitness is also capable of toning renounced the frame fats of a person. owing to of its rigid also strict health program, a sports enthusiast is able to maintain a well-balanced lifestyle in order to cope up with the galling demands of sports.In sports, people should learn how to concernment their health. Otherwise, they contract never survive the genial of bustle that is required when playing sports activities.Therefore, considering people whoa re into sports fitness, here are some tips that you could use in edict to go on hale and be active on whatever sports you want to pursue:

1. Drinks lots of water Humans liability survive days, or even months without food, but they can never last a ticks without water.Water is, indeed, the mightily important element needed by the body. extended perspiration, without lump means of replenishing the lost fluids bequeath result to chancy health problems, and even death.Therefore, for connections who are relaxation hard exercises and trainings, it is best to always drink lots of water.However, for sports enthusiasts, water may not be enough to replace the kind of fluid lost. Hence, it would epitomize better if they would have sports drinks instead. Aside from the fluid, sports drinks have tow additional important ingredients foremost by a fellow who is into sports fitness: carbohydrates and electrolytes.Electrolytes are usually lost during strenuous physical activity, and this can idiosyncratic mean replaced through sports drinks. Carbohydrates, on the individual hand, are also needed by the body during rigid workouts to provide more vitality thereupon that the body importance cope perfecting to the demands of the activity.

2. more veggies! People who are into sports fitness require more intakes of vegetables and fruits. This is because the figure is craving for more vitamins besides mineral supplements. undoubted makes the body stronger also healthier enabling it to cope unfolding lie low demands of the activity.

3. Calcium intake People who are into sports fitness should accept calcium present on their diet. This is to provide stronger bones to the body.Since the body is supplementary exposed to greater physical activities, it is important to credit stronger bones in order to avoid fractures or certain bone diseases like “osteoporosis.”Calcium can be found in different vitamin and mineral supplements. They are also abundant in foods savvy sardines, tofu, dairy products, etc.

4. Warm exercises are always important before articulation kind of stiff activities.This amiable of activity is needed in command not to work the body. Hence, before playing the sports that you have always love, it is best to do some warm-up exercises first.Indeed, engaging excitement sports activities is unequaled great way of because physically fit. The outstanding establishment about true is that sway sports, you close to appreciate the best of both worlds. Visit Here Now http://24-hourfitness.blogspot.com

Along with the internet, Online Fitness Equipments has become a booming industry over the past few decades. There are several benefits for purchasing fitness equipment online. The two biggest benefits on the online stores is the prices on the best exercise equipment are much lower than what you’ll find in your local exercise equipment store, plus you can pick and choose your own options using your computer.

Fitzz.com is your ultimate stop for anything health and fitness related. Not only does Fitzz.com focus on the importance of exercise and fitness, they emphasize all aspects health. This includes products for Nutrition, Air and Water purification, Massage and Relaxation, Sexual health, Sleep aids, Allergy relief, jogging strollers, even electronics (like pedometers, body fat analyzers, and iPod accessories), and loads more! Whatever your goals are, Fitzz.com has got the perfect products and tools to help keep you motivated you get where you want to be! Some exciting new products on the site are:

Kangoo Jumps

If you want a more unique fitness experience, this is what you’re looking for. A fun rebound shoe (if you can call it that) that will have you hopping from point A to B with enthusiasm! They are the lowest impact shoe available on the market and are safe, effective, and very fun! Available in sizes US men’s 4-15/women’s 5-12 and US boys sizes 1-6 /girls 2-7

Xtreme biking

Say goodbye to traditional stationary bicycles. Xtreme Biking is quickly gaining recognition as the ultimate full body workout. This bike moves from side to side, as well as using the pedals to mimic the balance needed and workout you would get from outdoor mountain biking.

Inversion Tables

By gently being tilted upside down, your own body weight acts as a natural form of traction to elongate the spine and increase the space between the vertebrae, relieving the pressure on discs, ligaments and nerve roots. Less pressure means less: back pain, stress, muscle tension, affects of ageing and better: posture, flexibility, circulation, and more! Inversion tables are quickly gaining recognition by Doctors, physical therapists, and sports trainers.

The Perfect Push-up tool

Makeover your push up routine with this simple – yet highly effective push up tool – just like the Navy Seals! The strategically placed handles provide optimal precision in toning and strengthening key upper body and abdominal muscles.

As some companies grow, they lose touch with the customer, but Fitzz.com is dedicated to maintaining a close contact with customers and offers a FREE Delivery for most orders over $99. You will know the products are worth buying just by the fact that they are on the site because each item is tried and tested by a full panel of members before it is even considered for retailing. This means that Fitzz.com is completely confident in what they sell and offer an impressive 100% guarantee on all merchandise. Check out Fitzz online fitness equipments and home gyms website today and discover the healthier you!

Longevity is an invaluable gift of nature if utilized to the maximum and can yield fruitful results, if we pay attention to it ‘now’. How long you live, how youthful and elegant you look, and how great you feel depends on you. Growing old gracefully is the masterwork of wisdom, and one of the most difficult chapters in the ‘great art of living’. Getting old does not necessarily point to bad news. If you discover the secrets of wise and healthy living, you can grow old with your self-esteem, confidence and a sense of adventure. Today’s centenarians are simply living a healthy and an active, natural life span for the human body is created to live a long, healthy life if nurtured with care but also keeping in mind predictable factors like disease and death. The fear of getting old and infirm is what keeps us from being hale and hearty. Life should be determined much by its content rather than its length. Therefore, life should be led purposefully and fervently till the last breath.

Aging is part of our natural growth process. Aging is the buildup of experiences and changes in our entire life. It begins at the outset and concludes at death. It is another stage in our development. We are all in the process of aging and must learn ways of dealing with changes that occur all through our lives. Aging and illness are not identical, and the idea that senility is a natural sign of aging is wrong. By understanding the normal aging process, you can determine better what changes are normal and what may be indication of illness. And, by recognizing the normal changes in the body, you will be able to take steps to minimize or delay them and achieve better health. Thus, you are taking control of your life and becoming responsible for your well-being. We, as a society, are striving not just to live longer, but to live better. We seek a way to avoid chronic diseases, encroaching fatigue, and degrading changes that seem to characterize old age. As a nation, we are searching to find what we can do to make our lives better, extend our most healthy, vibrant, active years, and shorten the time of limitation and failing health.

Science has made great strides forward in understanding of just what aging is, how it works, and most important of all — what we can do about it. We can reduce diseases of aging and prolong our health and vital years. In short, we will be able to look younger and live longer naturally. Over 85% of the incapacitating diseases of old age result from only a handful of diseases — cancer, coronary artery disease, stroke, diabetes, kidney failure, obstructive lung disease, pneumonia and influenza. Heart disease, by itself, accounts for fully one out of every two deaths of older Americans, and high blood pressure directly causes or contributes to 15% of all deaths. We now can control even these pathologies by our lifestyle. By the simple act of knowing what to eat, exercise, and live your life, you can lower your risk for these diseases of aging and incorporate this knowledge into your lifestyle, thus avoiding the causes of premature aging, weakness and death.

Most of us know how to live a healthy life. You may have your own definition of a healthy life. Here’s our definition:

(1) Exercise at least a half hour every day

(2) Get a good night’s sleep

(3) Avoid smoking and secondhand smoke

(4) Drink only occasionally

(5) Enjoy your work

(6) Enjoy the people in your life

(7) Eat fresh fruits, fresh vegetables and whole grains

(8) Eat fish two to three times a week

(9) Eat primarily organic food

(10) Eat meat and poultry occasionally, if at all

(11) Indulge yourself once in a while

(12) Laugh

Your definition of the healthy life may vary. You may not agree with eating an organic diet; you may entirely avoid meat; you may have fish once a week; you may eat meat every day. Whether or not your definition for a healthy life coincides with ours is not the focus on this article. Our focus is whether or not you live in accordance with your image of the healthy life. If you do not, we would like to suggest taking small steps to move you closer to your definition of the healthy life.

If you do live in accordance with your image of the healthy life, terrific. Good for you. We are glad for you.

If, however, you’ve defined a healthy life for yourself but do not live in accordance with your image of the healthy life, we hope you will read on.

You may know the changes you need to make to bring reality closer to your healthy life image. Still, you simply don’t make those changes. You continue to do what you do, and you say tomorrow. You say that you’ll make the changes tomorrow. The question is why we don’t make changes. Even if we think we should, we may not change. Are we slackers? Are we simply incapable of change? These are not the true reasons.

Let’s stop for a minute. I’d like a two-minute thought break. I’d like you to take a piece of paper. On the piece of paper, suppose you list six changes you want to make.

Why six ? That seems like a doable number.

You have a list of changes you want to make. Let’s talk about how to start making changes. Which of the six changes is where you want to start? And how do you want to start? You know yourself better than anyone. You know how you operate. The questions are what you have tried, what has worked and what has not worked. Suppose you want to stop eating meat. Suppose now you eat meat almost every day. One approach would be taking small steps. That is, starting this very minute no meat on Tuesdays. Next month, no meat on Tuesdays and Sundays.

The question is whether that would that work for you. The key to changes is one change at a time. Each change can be broken into small steps.

What works for us is a plan on a piece of paper. You don’t need to sketch out your entire plan if you, for example, want to stop eating meat. Suppose you just write down the first two steps you’re going to take. Your first step is no meat on Tuesday. Your second step may be no meat on Sunday. When you accomplish your first step, you will want to move on to your second step. Then you’ll want to think about step three.

Step three may be another small step. Suppose you’re not ready to move to three meatless days each week. You could decide that step three will be small pieces of beef instead of a sirloin steak. You could have small pieces on top of pasta or rice rather than a steak with pasta or rice on the side.

Suppose you want to lose fifteen pounds. You’ve tried dieting; you’ve tried fasting; you’ve tried groups. You could think in terms of small steps for losing those fifteen pounds. You could simply start with Wednesday night. Your small step could be a lighter dinner on Wednesdays. You could eat a salad with oil and vinegar, chili and a bowl of fruit with raisins, nuts and yogurt on top. After dinner on Wednesday you can have an apple or banana but no non-fruit snacks. Wednesday dinner and snack might be more than you could handle as a small step. You might just want to start with the after dinner snack and skip the modest dinner.

Changing patterns is not easy. Our small step approach may help you to get closer to what you want to achieve. We hope so.

How many times have you gone to sleep at night, swearing you’ll go to the gym in the morning, and then changing your mind just eight hours later because when you get up, you don’t feel like exercising?

While this can happen to the best of us, it doesn’t mean you should drop the ball altogether when it comes to staying fit. What people need to realize is that staying active and eating right are critical for long-term health and wellness — and that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The more you know about how your body responds to your lifestyle choices, the better you can customize a nutrition and exercise plan that is right for you. When you eat well, increase your level of physical activity, and exercise at the proper intensity, you are informing your body that you want to burn a substantial amount of fuel. This translates to burning fat more efficiently for energy.

In other words, proper eating habits plus exercise equals fast metabolism, which, in turn gives you more energy throughout the day and allows you to do more physical work with less effort.

The true purpose of exercise is to send a repetitive message to the body asking for improvement in metabolism, strength, aerobic capacity and overall fitness and health. Each time you exercise, your body responds by upgrading its capabilities to burn fat throughout the day and night, Exercise doesn’t have to be intense to work for you, but it does need to be consistent.

I recommend engaging in regular cardiovascular exercise four times per week for 20 to 30 minutes per session, and resistance training four times per week for 20 to 25 minutes per session. This balanced approach provides a one-two punch, incorporating aerobic exercise to burn fat and deliver more oxygen, and resistance training to increase lean body mass and burn more calories around the block.

Here’s a sample exercise program that may work for you:

* Warm Up — seven to eight minutes of light aerobic activity intended to increase blood flow and lubricate and warm-up your tendons and joints.

* Resistance Training — Train all major muscle groups. One to two sets of each exercise. Rest 45 seconds between sets.

* Aerobic Exercise — Pick two favorite activities, they could be jogging, rowing, biking or cross-country skiing, whatever fits your lifestyle. Perform 12 to 15 minutes of the first activity and continue with 10 minutes of the second activity. Cool down during the last five minutes.

* Stretching — Wrap up your exercise session by stretching, breathing deeply, relaxing and meditating.

When starting an exercise program, it is important to have realistic expectations. Depending on your initial fitness level, you should expect the following changes early on.

* From one to eight weeks — Feel better and have more energy.

* From two to six months — Lose size and inches while becoming leaner. Clothes begin to fit more loosely. You are gaining muscle and losing fat.

* After six months — Start losing weight quite rapidly.

Once you make the commitment to exercise several times a week, don’t stop there. You should also change your diet and/or eating habits,’ says Zwiefel. Counting calories or calculating grams and percentages for certain nutrients is impractical. Instead, I suggest these easy-to-follow guidelines:

* Eat several small meals (optimally four) and a couple of small snacks throughout the day

* Make sure every meal is balanced — incorporate palm-sized proteins like lean meats, fish, egg whites and dairy products, fist-sized portions of complex carbohydrates like whole-wheat bread and pasta, wild rice, multigrain cereal and potatoes, and fist-sized portions of vegetable and fruits

* Limit your fat intake to only what’s necessary for adequate flavor

* Drink at least eight 8-oz. glasses of water throughout the day

* I also recommend that you take a multi-vitamin each day to ensure you are getting all the vitamins and minerals your body needs.

I suppose that’s all I can think of for now. I should extend my thanks to a doctor friend of mine. Without him, I wouldn’t be able to write this article, or keep my sanity.

Enjoy life, we all deserve it.

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