Health tip # 46


Having a good sob is reputed to be good for you. So is laughter, which has been shown to help heal bodies, as well as broken hearts. Studies in Japan indicate that laughter boosts the immune system and helps the body shake off allergic reactions.

Health tip # 45


We need at least 90 mg of vitamin C per day and the best way to get this is by eating at least five servings of fresh fruit and vegetables every day. So hit the oranges and guavas!

Health tip # 35


Get close with nature : take a walk in the park. Walk barefoot on the lawn, and feel the softness of the grass. There’s a difference between walking on a treadmill and walking in the fresh air among trees.

Health tip # 29


Benefits Of Exercise - Exercise is the best medicine for preventing illness and prolonging active life .

Health tip # 28

Try drinkin more tea instead of coffee to help protect ur body from damaging effects of free radicals & plays big role in protecting cancers

Love Your Body

Ask any woman you know how she feels about her body—no matter what her weight, and get ready for an earful. Odds are, she'll launch into a laundry list of what she doesn't like about her looks. For some the big problem is the tummy pooch from her second pregnancy. They say  it's been two years and the bulge still don’t  go away. "My belly is so embarrassing,It makes me feel sloppy and uncomfortable with myself." Sometimes they  rather just stay home in baggy sweats than go out. And their self-consciousness is also taking a toll in the bedroom. "It's very hard for me to feel at ease getting intimate with my husband because of how I look," they admit.

Whether it's occasional or constant, nearly every woman struggles with the way she feels about her body. A Cornell University study found that 87% of normal-weight women wish they were a size smaller. The vast majority of women have what's called normative discontent—dissatisfaction with the size and or  shape of their bodies, even if it's just a wish for flatter abs or a rounder butt.

In fact, tummy, hips and thighs top our most-hated list—and that's true whether we're 25 or 65, according to research published in the journal The New School Psychology Bulletin. What else is on that list of dislikes? Everything from the bump on your nose to your size 10 feet.

One thing all these complaints have in common: They can do a real number on your self-esteem. When you hate such an integral part of who you are, it can have a profound effect on your confidence, even leading to depression and eating disorders. In effect, you start to believe what you think you see in the mirror. You begin to like yourself less, which makes you feel uncomfortable in social situations, ill at ease sexually and a lot less assertive.

Why is Exercise Important?

Have you ever heard the expression "use it or lose it"? It's true! If you don't use your body, you will surely lose it. Your muscles will become flabby and weak. Your heart and lungs won't function efficiently. And your joints will be stiff and easily injured. Inactivity is as much of a health risk as smoking!

Helps Prevent Diseases 
Our bodies were meant to move -- they actually crave exercise. Regular exercise is necessary for physical fitness and good health. It reduces the risk of heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes and other diseases. It can improve your appearance and delay the aging process.

Improves Stamina 
When you exercise, your body uses energy to keep going. Aerobic exercise involves continuous and rhythmic physical motion, such as walking and bicycling. It improves your stamina by training your body to become more efficient and use less energy for the same amount of work. As your conditioning level improves, your heart rate and breathing rate return to resting levels much sooner from strenuous activity.

Strengthens and Tones 
Exercising with weights and other forms of resistance training develops your muscles, bones and ligaments for increased strength and endurance. Your posture can be improved, and your muscles become more firm and toned. You not only feel better, but you look better, too!

Enhances Flexibility 
Stretching exercises are also important for good posture. They keep your body limber so that you can bend, reach and twist. Improving your flexibility through exercise reduces the chance of injury and improves balance and coordination. If you have stiff, tense areas, such as the upper back or neck, performing specific stretches can help "loosen" those muscles, helping you feel more relaxed.

Controls Weight 
Exercise is also a key to weight control because it burns calories. If you burn off more calories than you take in, you lose weight. It's as simple as that.

Improves Quality of Life 
Once you begin to exercise regularly, you will discover many more reasons why exercise is so important to improving the quality of your life. Exercise reduces stress, lifts moods, and helps you sleep better. It can keep you looking and feeling younger throughout your entire life.

How Often Should I Exercise?

The benefits of any exercise program will diminish if it's disrupted too frequently. A "stop-start" routine is not only ineffective, but can cause injuries. Being consistent with exercise, therefore, is probably the most important factor in achieving desired results.

People often assume that more is better. Wrong! Doing too much too soon or performing intense exercises on a daily basis will have deleterious effects, such as muscle/tendon strains, loss of lean tissue, and fitness-level plateaus.

If you are a beginner, start off slower than you think you should. Three days per week is realistic, safe and effective. If you are experienced, do cardiovascular (aerobic) exercises such as walking, jogging and bicycling for no more than 200 minutes per week with no more than 60 minutes per session.

Weight training should be done no more than three times per week targeting the same muscle groups. Exercise the same muscle groups on non-consecutive days because muscles need adequate time to recover and cannot be effectively trained if they are tired or sore.

Many people forget to stretch or make the excuse that they don't have the time. Flexibility is important, so make the time! Stretching can be done every day, but stick to a minimum of three times per week in order to reap the benefits. When the body is warmed up, such as after a workout session, perform five to 10 stretches that target the major muscle groups. Hold each stretch for 10-30 seconds.

10 Steps To Help You Avoid Losing The Thrill


What's your excuse for not making it to the gym on a consistent basis? Locker room too smelly? Music volume making your ears bleed? Feeling intimidated by buff bodies crowding the free-weight area?

Most people start off strong with an exercise program, and then within a few weeks they've got an excuse for not being there.

The majority of people will stop participating in a new workout program within the first 90 days which is why health clubs that are packed in January can seem virtually empty by March.

Which brings us to you.

If you're starting a new exercise program, you're probably very excited about it, which is great. But that excitement is going to wear off, at which point you'll begin to notice how much time and effort a workout plan really requires.

And that's the point where you may be tempted to start pulling back, or even to quit entirely. But we're not about to let that happen. Follow these steps from the very beginning, and you'll be one of those dedicated gym members who really get their money's worth.\

1. Make workouts a key part of your schedule. Many people see exercise merely as recreation, not a necessity, which means it's the first thing to go when daily schedules get crunched. YOU NEED TO DECIDE that working out is as important as ANYTHING in your life, even as important as LIFE ITSELF.

If you don't, as soon as the initial excitement of a new program is over, everything else will get in the way; business appointments, family obligations, TV, sitting on your duff. Write your workout times into your calendar and stick to them just as you would a vital business meeting.

2. Keep it mellow. You're a lot more likely to keep your program for the long term if you avoid letting going to the gym become a hassle. Choose a gym you can get to in a reasonable amount of time at the time of day you're going to train.

If you're fighting gym traffic, you'll be a lot less motivated. Find a place where you won't have to line up to use the equipment you want. And unless you'll be going at the end of the day and can wash up at home, make sure it has clean showers and a comfortable changing environment.

3. Don't bite off more than you can chew. Many people often start out too aggressively, going to a level that's higher than they're capable of. As a result, they injure their muscle fibers, so for 48 hours they're walking around like a mummy. Then they stop going to the gym because they find themselves dreading the pain.

Many people don't realize that long, drawn out workouts is NOT better. You're not giving your body enough time to recover between workouts. 60 minutes TOPS (if you're doing a strength and aerobic workout), or about 30 minutes of a strength OR aerobic workout. Make those minutes COUNT! You can still workout daily as long as you keep your workouts short.

4. Set achievable goals. It's inevitable that as you start a new program, you picture yourself looking like the models on TV or in the magazines. But if you set your sights too high, you may find yourself discounting the gains you are making. When you're starting out, go over your long-term goals with a trainer or coach, and decide what you can achieve based on your workout schedule.

Then, instead of looking far into the future, give yourself intermediate weekly and monthly goals, such as doing an extra rep or lifting 10 more pounds. If you always have new goals to shoot for, it stays interesting.

REMEMBER: You're not exercising to lose weight. You're exercising because of HOW YOU'LL FEEL as a RESULT of exercising regularly. You WILL get leaner, you WILL have more energy, you WILL have a higher self-esteem. If you don't achieve the goals in the time you first set, it's not the goal that's wrong. It's the time frame that was wrong. Keep focused on your goals.

5. Chart your progress. Gains from one workout to the next can be subtle, and the only way to know how well you're really doing is to write everything down. Keep a journal of your workouts, as well as what you eat. Even people who are diligent don't remember exactly how well things went if they keep everything in their head.

When you write it down, you can compare results, see what is and isn't working, and see that as time goes on YOU'RE REALLY MAKING PROGRESS.

6. Mix it up. Doing the same workout over and over again gets old fast, and your results won't be as good as if you try a variety of exercises. Instead of doing 40 minutes daily on the treadmill, try every darn aerobic machine in the gym and go on hiking, in-line skating and bicycling adventures whenever you get a chance.

Change your weight training routine regularly to keep things interesting and to help break through plateaus. A lack of variety leads to staleness. A good rule of thumb is to change your sets, reps, weight, and rest periods every 3-4 weeks. You'll have more fun if you learn new tools and keep doing different things.

7. Go one on one. One reason working out can seem less enjoyable than playing sports is that it lacks interplay with others. But there are lots of ways to have some spirited competition in the gym, whether it's racing on treadmills or competing with your weightlifting buddy. When two guys are on the same regimen, they can make things more fun by having "mini-contests."

Try going as many reps as you can on a certain weight. Or see who can lift the most weight for 4-5 reps. Just make sure the contest rules specify doing the exercise right, since sacrificing form to lift more weight can be dangerous.

8. Work with a trainer or coach. Workouts seem easier and are more effective with a professional prodding you on; plus, you're more likely to feel obligated to show up (especially if he's going to charge you anyway). When there's someone watching you and keeping an eye on your progress, there's incentive to keep going. If you can't afford to hire a trainer for every workout, just do it every couple of weeks or once a month and have him/her help you set goals for you to reach in between.

Also, consider getting a training partner - just make sure it's somebody who will show up every time, is dedicated as you are... in other words, a clone of you.

9. Force yourself to hang in there religiously for the first three months. Nothing sustains motivation better than results. However, whether you're a beginner or a competitive bodybuilder, your muscles must be given enough time to adapt to the growth and recovery periods that strength training requires.

Though you may see some results, like increases in strength, early on, noticeable changes in your physique can take up to three months. This doesn't mean that everyone will take this long to see results. I've had clients see results in the first couple of weeks; some waited a few months before things fell into place.

It also takes that long to establish a rhythm and discipline to your training schedule, but after three months of dedication, you'll be a lot less likely to fall off the training wagon.

10. As soon as you miss a workout, re-motivate yourself. This is the danger zone, the time when most people start giving up. You've missed one workout, so what's the big deal about skipping another, or all of them? Before you know it, your whole program could go down the tubes. If you miss a workout, you miss a workout. It's over. You can't bring it back. So it makes NO sense to beat you up about it.

Health tip # 18


The average women's health and fitness regime requires a workout of no more than an hour at a time. Spending too much time at the gym or doing the same exercises over extended periods can become tedious and boring. By focusing on the exercises and narrowing your time frame, your workout sessions will be more fun and more efficient

Health tip # 15 

Never ignore your sleep. The perfect sleep is an indication of perfect health condition. Develop the habit of early to bed and early to rise. A minimum 8 hours sleep is must for any one.

BODY MIND AND SPIRIT 

Many people who want to get into shape don't realize there is more to fitness than well-toned muscles. There's no shortage of exercise regimes that just promote the perfection of the body, or the idea of fitness as a part of a weight loss plan.

Centuries ago, Western culture lost its focus on the interconnectedness between the body and the mind or spirit, and how each has the power to affect the other. Cultivating a love of movement can help you get beyond the concept of physical fitness as separate from mental fitness - and toward a lifelong program of good health through mind and body fitness.

Whether you choose yoga or another form of movement for exercise, remember that our bodies are made to move to feel good. So when you incorporate regular activity in your life, you're moving closer to overall mind and body fitness. But if you are overweight, this can be more difficult. You can improve your mind-body connection for better mind and body fitness - it's just important to choose realistic fitness options.

You might consider redefining exercise as any activity that unites your mind and body and reduces your stress level. In fact, high levels of stress have been linked to weight gain, and certainly can lead to emotional eating. Finding activities that are both enjoyable and easy to do is important when developing any type of exercise plan.

It's important to be realistic about what we expect from ourselves. Consider your goals. Is 30 to 60 minutes on a treadmill a reasonable time frame at this point in your life? Are you setting yourself up for failure or success when you create this expectation for yourself? Would it be more enjoyable to you to do some stretching and a shorter period of time on the treadmill?

Developing an exercise plan that fits your lifestyle and your desires is critical. Surprisingly, long-term weight loss is linked more closely to whether a person sticks to their fitness routine than to what that routine actually consists of. A routine that is gentle and pleasurable is more likely to lead to the long-term gains you are seeking.

All-or-nothing thinking about exercise leads us to first bite off more than we can chew and then give up all together. Just walk into a gym in the month of January and try to get on a Stairmaster. There's a good chance you'll have to wait in line. But by March or April, there are usually plenty of free machines.

It is also important to tailor your fitness goals to your preferences. Some people like the idea of getting out of the house in the evening and going to the gym. Others prefer staying home and doing a quieter exercise routine after the demands of a stressful day. Either approach, or a combination of the two, can result in improved mind and body fitness.

What is critical is for you to come to know yourself and to take yourself seriously. If you like to be home in the evenings, find things to do in your home or consider an occasional walk with friends or family. If you crave the company of others, head for the gym. Think about what would please you most, and follow your inner voice.

Many people who are preoccupied with food and body issues tend to pay too much attention to the needs of others, while paying too little attention to their own needs. While you may intend to benefit your children with their countless activities, the added stress can cause an imbalance within your family. Can you take a look at your schedule (or your family's) and reschedule some time for yourself? What would it be like to say no?

Long-term weight loss can take time. And we can get demoralized when we don't see immediate results. But remember that maintaining an exercise routine is associated with physical as well as mental well-being. Where has our focus on the numbers on our scale gotten us? Some would say it has taken us to more harsh thoughts, more bingeing and grazing on food, and, ironically, less fitness rather than more.

It may be that the best exercise you can do right now is to throw your scale into the garbage. Focus on how you're feeling with your exercise routine. Is it something you enjoy and can maintain? Is it reducing your stress level and allowing a connection between your mind and body? If so, you'll probably keep it up, and fitness of mind and body and spirit will be yours.

Don't forget how important it is to see your physician before starting any type of exercise routine, and to following his or her recommendations. So try to be gentle with yourself and realistic about how to proceed.

There is tremendous confusion in our society about how to approach health and fitness. You may have tried losing weight before and failed. But consider the possibility that we as a society have not failed at dieting and weight loss. Rather, dieting has failed us as an effective tool for fitness.

Remember that fitness of mind and body belong together, and that exercise is very narrowly defined in our society. So redefine exercise as any activity that reduces stress and connects your mind and body. You'll be more likely to continue your exercise plan and achieve the outcome you're looking for.

Health tip # 14


You must drink lots of water. At least 8 -12 glasses of water consumption should be done by an adult women.

                     

                           Vitamin D : Key to your strength 

Vitamin D, also called the sunshine vitamin, is a fat-soluble vitamin. It is needed in the body in large quantities, as it is responsible for the health of our bones and teeth, helps in fighting off infections and even improves mental health. Not only is it a vitamin, it is also a hormone and helps regulate insulin and calcium levels in the blood.

The human body makes vitamin D when exposed to sunlight, or more specifically UVB rays. Plants have vitamin D in the form of ergosterol while cholesterol is the corresponding basic building block of vitamin D in humans. When a leaf of a plant is exposed to sunlight, it converts ergosterol into ergocalciferol or vitamin D2. In the same way, when human skin is exposed to sunlight, the body converts cholesterol into cholecalciferol, a form of vitamin D3. In humans, unlike in plants, this conversion is not the final step before vitamin D can be utilised by us. Cholecalciferol is converted into hydroxyl vitamin D in the liver, kidney, skin, brain and prostate. Next this is converted to dihydroxy vitamin D in the lungs, colon, spleen, liver, kidney, stomach and lymph nodes. This is the most active form of vitamin D required by humans and it lasts for a short time before it is eliminated so we constantly need vitamin D, much more than we thought was earlier required.

Sales of Vitamin D have continued to skyrocket for the past decade,  as scientific research demonstrates a wide array of Vitamin D benefits that also takes  care of our bones . In response to the overwhelming body of research, the Institute of Medicine recently boosted the recommended dietary intakes (RDI) of Vitamin D.

With the release of the new RDIs, sales of the sunshine vitamin are likely to soar even higher in 2011.Nutritionists believe that it will be difficult to meet the new RDIs for Vitamin D through diet alone, particularly if you eat only limited dairy products or do not regularly include fish in your diet. A dietitian in Boston, says "There's no way that people will satisfy those recommendations for vitamin D without supplements." Not many foods contain Vitamin D which is why most people will need to modify their diets to include Vitamin-D fortified foods and beverages along with an increased intake of milk, eggs and fish. Consuming 600 IUs a day of Vitamin D from a single food would require drinking 6 cups of milk or eating 15 servings of Vitamin-D fortified cereals.3

Some experts even believe the new RDIs for Vitamin D are still too low. In response, Dr for the Council for Responsible Nutrition said, "While an increase in the recommendations for vitamin D will benefit the public overall, such a conservative increase for the nutrient lags behind the mountain of research demonstrating a need for vitamin D intake at levels possibly as high as 2,000 IU/day for adults." Doctors who concur with this view may consider prescribing a higher daily dose of Vitamin D to their patients as the upper safety limit has been set at 4,000 IUs for those aged 9 and above. 

Exposing yourself to sunlight is the most important source of vitamin D because sunlight is far more likely to provide you with your vitamin D requirement than food is. Mushrooms that have been irradiated and yeast are vegetarian sources of this valuable vitamin. Other non vegetarian sources of vitamin d are Fish like salmon, mackerel, catfish, sardines and tuna, eggs, Fortified milk, cheese, butter, Oysters, Fortified breakfast cereals, soymilk and margarine.

Health tip # 13

A woman that loves to exercise or be physically active needs the proper shoes to do so. There are a number of jogging shoes for women available on the market. Some people may think that all types of jogging shoes are the same, but this is not the case. They are differences between male and female jogging shoes. As everyone is aware, men and women are shaped differently.

Health tip # 11

Breathing correctly while exercising helps ignite the burning of fat

  Difference between 'Being' and 'Doing'

one of those subtleties that make a world of difference is to distinguish between the concepts of "being" and "doing," When it comes to fitness, it makes a vast difference between people who are lean and healthy and people who want to be perfect.  There are people who do not actually exercise.

For many people being fit is a matter of choice. Just ask  anyone  you will say they would choose to be fit. Well, the next logical step would seem to be taking some kind of action toward fitness. In fact. Most people do think they must first DO something in order to BE fit. That is why people often start working toward fitness only to give up. To DO is always a struggle. Instead, to BE is when our actions are a natural extension of who we are and what we want to be.

Conventional thing is that first I DO something so, I can HAVE something, which enables me to BE something. It goes like this : Create a schedule of workout at the gym of five evenings per week The result will be a better body .Then, feel more healthy and attractive. 

Think about qualities or characteristics that people who are authentically fit possess. People whp are fit are usually consistent, creative, dedicated, knowledgeable, enthusiastic and motivated. You should have these qualities in yourself, in all areas of your life. Start to focus on them. When you get up in the morning, instead of saying, what do I need to do today; ask how can I BE those qualities. How am I going to be creative today? How am I going to be disciplined today? How am I going to be  fun today? There is a very different energetic response people have when their focus is on 'being' those things rather than 'doing' something. Use a journal if it would help you make the connections. 

It can be as going through your mind as you're reading, "But,if u feel that  I'm actually not very self-motivated." then what happens is you believe you have to do something to get self-motivated. The vision creates the action.Vision and action are interdependent. However, if you can start to see where you are being self- motivated - even in small ways - that can change  your ways. You'll recognize yourself as motivated in other areas as well, because as soon as you can see yourself 'being' self- motivated, the 'doing' follows naturally.  Select any one of the positive traits or factors  of the one who is fit.  Let's use enthusiasm. Look at yourself and see, "How am I good at being enthusiastic?" People usually pay attention to where they fall short, and so what they get is more falling short: where you begin is where you return. 

Everyone knows what it takes to be fit. Eat right, get plenty of exercise and rest, and they are 'doing' that. But the moment we  stop thinking of 'doing' it, or they don't want to DO it, or 'doing' it isn't fun anymore, they're going to stop because it's all focused on, "I have to DO this."These are the people who never saw themselves differently. They saw themselves as being unfit or fat, so they had to do something to get fit and thin - they never saw themselves as being healthy or being beautiful or anything like that. The people who actually make it and enjoy a life of fitness are the ones who have shifted the way they use to look at themselves. See yourself now as 'being' healthy, committed to health, as 'being' beautiful and attractive. Your vision creates your reality. So go conquer a new world where in there is no place for unhealthiness only place for health and fitness.

Health tip # 9


Regular physical activity can help lessen a diabetic's need for insulin and boost the level of "good" HDL cholesterol in the body. 

 Facts about Women’s health & fitness

1. Women can't get as strong. Not true. Women have a potential for developing muscular fitness (particularly in their upper bodies) that often remains untapped. In fact, the average woman gains strength at a slightly faster rate that the average man does.

2. Strength training de-feminizes women.  Fortunately, the wide array of potential benefits of strength training (functional, physical, mental, and health) is just as appropriate and available to women as they are to men. Tight, firm, muscles have nothing to do with the objectionable term "de-feminize."

3. Lifting weights will cause women to develop relatively large muscles.  In reality, women don't have the genetic potential to develop large muscles because, except in very rare instances, they don't have enough testosterone, which is needed for the development of muscle bulk.

4. Strength training will make a woman muscle-bound. Muscle-bound is a term that connotes lack of flexibility.  Not only will proper strength training not make a woman less flexible, in most cases, it will make her more flexible.

5.  A woman's muscles will turn to fat when she stops training.  Muscles cannot turn into fat.  Muscles simply don't have the physiological capacity to change from one type of tissue to another.  Muscles have the property of "use it or lose it."  If a woman doesn't use a particular muscle, that muscle will literally waste away (atrophy).

6. A woman can take protein supplements to enhance her physique.  A woman cannot enhance how her body looks by using protein supplements, because her body can't use the extra protein.  An excessive amount of protein is not used to build muscle tissue. Rather, it is converted to fat and stored in the body.

7. Rigorous strength training can help a woman rid her body of fat. Research shows that, although strength training can firm and tone muscles, it does not burn away fat.

8. Strength training increases a woman's need for vitamins.  The vitamin needs of a physically active woman are generally no greater than those of a sedentary one.  Because vitamins do not contribue significantly to a woman's body structure and do not provider her with a direct source of energy, a woman who engages in strength training receives no benefit from taking an excessive dose of vitamin supplements.  Eating a variety of healthful foods will ensure that a woman's intake of vitamins is adequate.

9. Strength training is for young women.  It's never too late for a woman to enhance the quality of her life by improving her level of muscular fitness.  Proper strength training offers numerous benefits to women of all ages and fitness levels, including the fact that it can help extend a woman's functional life span.

10. Strength training is expensive for a woman.  Not true. Muscles respond to the stress applied to them, not to the cost of the machine.  All other factors being equal, muscles can't discern 50 pounds of stress on an inexpensive barbell from 50 pounds of stress imposed by a high-tech machine costing thousands of dollars.

Health tip # 7 

Treadmills don’t get you anywhere – take a hike or walk around the city. The changing terrain under your feet will actually strengthen and tone different muscles as it’s forced to adapt. This could even be as simple as a couple of laps around the block in your lunch hour.

Remember to keep your head high, bottom tucked in and abdominal muscles pulled in towards the spine to increase the effectiveness of the walk and cushion the impact on your back.  

Health tip # 6 


HEART RATE: Scientists have found that people with faster resting heartbeats tend to experience more anxiety and stress and low mood.