March 23, 2008

So you want to lose your beer belly?

Photo from CommandZed

The problem with good beer isn’t just the occasional hangover, it’s something your partner (or mother) would have warned you about - more calories. It’s been revealed by studies that those who binge drink are more likely to get overweight and form a “beer belly” than those who may drink the same thing but spread it over long periods of time.

In any case, these extra calories are unwanted no matter why and for what reason you drink beer.

Also, if you didn’t know, belly fat is more dangerous than ordinary fat and so along with that comes with a number of serious risks including heart disease, forms of cancer and high blood pressure. For better productivity, and for better life, here are some steps to follow if you want to begin to lose your beer belly.

Cut down (completely if possible) your alcohol intake.

The most important, and more obvious first step. To get a flatter stomach and get rid of some of that belly fat, cut down or completely stop taking in alcohol. If this is really important to you, you’ll get onto a strict regime and avoid certain things.

Work on full body workouts.

Most people who do exercise to lose their beer belly usually only work on belly exercises. The fact is, those kind of exercises are wrong. If you want to lose your beer belly, then you’ll need to work on full body workouts. Cut down on overall body fat. If you just work the abs, you’ll soon reach a plateau and won’t be able to make any more fat loss. If you invest in your entire body, your stomach will naturally take course, and much easily.

If you’re working on just your stomach, you miss out your core muscles such as abs, lower back and midsection and they lose their strength. Work on your core muscles and body workout, and your stomach will even itself out.

The best exercises to focus on are those which will help you burn overall body fat. Focus on cardiovascular exercises such as biking, brisk walking, jogging, etc and weight training sessions such as those in the gym. If you haven’t got lots of time to work at the gym, you don’t have to worry. Even just 3 sessions of intense 45 minutes each is enough a week.

Get a buddy.

Most people do better when they’ve got someone to work with or to be accountable to rather than working on your own. Ask a friend or family member to invest some time in working with you. In return, offer them something. That could even be working with another beer belly friend to both get rid of your beer bellies!

Consistency is key.

This article can’t go without saying that consistency is key. You probably won’t see results immediately. Stick it out for a few months and you’ll see transformations. That’s near enough guaranteed. Remain consistent and you will see results.

Are you on the path to losing your beer belly? What have you done so far? Please share…

Popularity: 9% [?]

March 12, 2008

The popular liver cleanse

This is part five of the detox series.

Photo from one thousand new ways  

The liver is the largest gland in the human body and is responsible for producing bile, metabolizing and performing other functions that keep us in good health. Other functions of the liver include glycogen storage, red blood cells decomposition and some protein synthesis.

The liver cleanse is all about cleaning up the site of major body detoxification so that it can perform its functions as best as possible. Eating healthy foods, drinking lots of water and eating water-rich foods is the best way for keeping your liver healthy. Unfortunately most people don’t do this and so a liver cleanse is a great way to remove as many toxins as possible from the body.

Although there are many programs, supplements and items to help you in your cleanse, you can also do it naturally and author Arvind Devalia writes about how he followed a plan from a book called “Sunfood Diet Success System” by David Wolfe.

I’ve taken his points and reproduced the five steps here:

• Freshly squeezed apple juice 3 or 4 times a day, using slightly sour green apples.

• Cassia bark sticks – to be sucked on in the evening of day 3 and 4. There is often confusion between cinnamon and cassia with even their packaging getting their names switched. Cinnamon is normally sold in powered form or in cigar like stems. Cassia bark is just that - it looks like the bark of a tree which is just what it is.

• On the 4th afternoon, at least 2 hours since the previous apple juice drink, drink 250ml of olive oil (organic, cold-pressed and stone pressed) followed by 250ml freshly squeezed juice made from fresh organic lemons. This sounds like quite a concoction but is key to the detoxing process. Sip slowly if it helps.

• After taking the olive oil and lemon juice, rest for the remainder of the day. Lie down on your right side with a hot water bottle against your belly just under the rib cage where the liver is.

• On the 5th day, resume “normal” eating but very gently and lightly. Continue to rest as much possible.

You can read Arvind’s learnings here.

This isn’t the only way to do a liver cleanse but it’s also how I do mine.

If you are interested in doing a liver cleanse, the best way is to select a method that works for you. Read a few books and find out the best one to suit you. If you have done a liver cleanse before, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comment box below.

 

Popularity: 9% [?]

March 8, 2008

How to prepare for a detox

This is part three of the detox series.

Photo from djloche

Although a great process for your health and wellness, a detox process can be extremely inspiring to yourself and the people around you, and makes you feel good about yourself. To enhance the experience for yourself and to get the best out of it, it’s important that you prepare yourself a few days prior to the detox. Here are five tips:

1. Observe your body

To me, a detox is all about observation and being able to observe how your body reacts to the progress you make as you work your way through your detox plan. 

There’s no specific guidelines as to how your body should react to your detox so endless reading of articles and journals can sometimes be frustrating when you can’t find when you’re looking for because its not there in the first place.  

The only guide is your body’s reaction and whenever you go on a detox, regardless of whether you’re doing it for the first time or the hundredth time, you’re body is different to mine so we may (or may not) have similar reactions.

If your detox involves making a dramatic change in your nutrition, this can sometimes trigger reactions within you. The simple advice here is to observe your body and the best time to start is before your detox begins so you can actually notice what happens.

2. Don’t binge before your detox

The common thinking with first-time detoxes is that “If I’m going on a detox next week, I must eat as much as possible these few days so I’m full next week!”

Unfortunately, the body doesn’t work that way and even if you binge and become full today, you’ll still be hungry next week. The point of a detox is to clean your body as it would normally be and so eating could be considered as doubling the work of your detox. As you get closer to your detox, take the time to be careful on what you eat.

3. Hydrate yourself continuously

It’s obvious that when you go on a detox you’re going to be limiting what you eat and for different types of detoxes the amount you eat can be lots to nothing so it’s likely you will feel dehydrated. Don’t wait till your thirsty to drink a glass of water.

Aim to drink a glass or two of water every hour your awake. If that’s not enough, drink more. The fact is, I don’t believe there’s a maximum amount of water you should drink. Simply drink to be hydrated and not the opposite. In fact, never let yourself get to a state of dehydration. Drinking water also makes you feel more fuller so it can help to put away your hunger or cravings. 

4. Simplify your foods before your detox

Your detox is going to be a really limited amount of foods than you’re normally accustomed to. For that reason, the best way to get ready for your detox is to simplify your food intake and the amount you eat a few days before your detox officially starts. Limit the number of ingredients you use in a meal. Limit the amount you make. Limit the amount you eat. Get ready to detox.

5. Avoid eating late at night

As humans we should have never learnt to eat late at night. It simply doesn’t aid digestion and body comfort as you go to sleep and during the night, but unfortunately we lose control of our body and let our cravings get the better of us.

The majority of time, people mistake hunger for fatigue and instead of getting some rest by going to sleep, they take out the snacks and start nibbling only to find that it goes on for way longer than they wanted it to. Then they go to sleep and are really uncomfortable.

As you prepare for your detox, avoid eating late at night. Instead, drink lots of water and get some rest. You’ll wake up feeling more refreshed, more hydrated.

6. Journal your journey

Journalling is one of the best techniques when it comes to cleansing - both your mind and your body. Get yourself a diary or notebook and daily keep track of your detox. Note down what you eat or drink and what time, how you’re waking up feeling and how you feel throughout the day. Also write down how your body is reacting and what emotions its triggering within you. It’s a great way to release emotions and feelings from your body that the detox can stir up.

 

Popularity: 10% [?]

March 6, 2008

How will you feel after a detox?

This is part two of the detox series.

Photo from leslieduss    

One of the biggest confusions in the natural health movement is the lack of understanding of the benefits of a nutrition or detox program and so I’d like to clear some of that confusion up by explaining here what you may feel after a body detox.

Remember, every body is different and so reacts differently to a detox but some of the things you will feel are similar and here I will explain them.

A detox is simply a cleansing program that cleans up a particular aspect of your body. A liver detox for example cleans up the toxins in the liver so that the liver can function properly and do a better job.

During the detox it is likely that you will feel tired and may exhibit other symptoms such as heightened body odor, headaches, increased urine coloration amongst other things and this will usually happen in the initial few days simply because your body is cleansing.

Remarkable things happen in your body (as well as your mind) once this initial period is over. The amazing intelligence present in every cell of the body and the wisdom of the body in its operation immediately becomes manifest.

After a detox, you will feel cleaner both physically and mentally. You may also feel more alert and energetic and you will feel better after digestion of food because the process has been better than when you’re insides were clogged. 

It’s important that you kick-start life after the detox with healthy and conscious eating. Choose your food wisely and try to adapt new simple habits to keep you healthy. For example, commit to drinking more water, eat a big salad with every meal, eat fruit at least 30 to 60 minutes before a meal and avoid fizzy drinks, snacking and junk food.

The real excitement and test of your body begins after your detox and after the cleanse is complete. But a simple detox doesn’t completely cleanse the body, it’s how you eat after that defines your body’s new path. 

Put simply, when the quality of the food coming into the body is of higher quality than the tissues which the body is made of, the body begins to discard the lower grade materials and tissues to make room for the superior materials which it uses to make new and healthier tissue.

Popularity: 8% [?]

March 4, 2008

The basics of a detox

This is part one of the detox series

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Photo from bethanyking   

Detoxification is the process of taking yourself on a program designed to purge the body of intoxicating or addictive substances and used as a first step in overcoming physiology or psychological addiction.

The human body is magical in its abilities to detoxify itself. When you stop taking a particular type of substance whether it’s smoking, alcohol or just junk or processed foods, your body will naturally get rid of it so long as the damage is not lethal.

There’s no doubt that detoxification can cause some side effects in the preliminary stages for some people. These may include things like becoming really sleepy or groggy, needing to excrete more than often, starting to get a fever or rash, etc. 

More often than not, these develop because the body is working to get rid of all the toxic in the body and need a way to get rid of them. The side effects usually last a very short period of time and once over, as long as you observe what you take in your body thereafter, will be likely to not happen again. 

We live in a society that is susceptible daily to hundreds of man made chemicals and processed foods and for this reason it is very easy for our body to get intoxicated with such substances which if not cleaned up within ourselves can produce symptoms within us that lead to illness. 

The bottom line is that a natural detox is great for boosting one’s well-being and you will be surprised at how in touch you are with your body and how you feel. 

Popular detoxification processes usually last from 3 days to 30 days. Anything under 3 days although helpful is not sufficient to help detoxify the body. To find the right time length of your detox, it is important to follow a detox plan that is already created or work to create your own with a health care professional. 

Your detox should fit into your daily routine without affecting your work and lifestyle, so plan it in advance and pick a period of ti me when you don’t have any social commitments or distractions that will interfere with your regimen. Starting on a weekend can be beneficial as you will have two days alone to plan your recipes and stock up on the right food for the week ahead.

Popularity: 8% [?]

March 2, 2008

New Series: Detox 101

 

Photo from Sauri   

Why do many people go on a detox?

Is there some underlying threat of becoming unhealthy?

Or do they do it because it’s a feel-good trend?

This is the introduction for a 6 part series on detoxification and cleansing.

Each person goes on a detox program for their own motivations and reasons. Some do it just to “clear the clutter” and start a new chapter. Others do it because they’re feeling unhealthy and looking for another option.

One of the underlying motivations for many (if not most) people going on a detox is that they want change in their body and their health. The forthcoming series on detox will look at the following things:

• The basics of a detox
• How will you feel after a detox?
• How to prepare for a detox
• Five types of natural detoxes you can do
• The popular liver cleanse
• How to do a three-day juice fast
• My experiences on a three-day juice fast
• How to break a fast and what to do after a detox

Keep an eye out on the next few posts, read them and participate in the comments section by sharing your thoughts. Feel free to stumble the posts and digg or delicious them too. 

Popularity: 10% [?]

February 26, 2008

Five Foods That Will Rejuvenate Your Body

Photo from threelayercake

You are what you eat is a common saying and it is very true. Eating unhealthy food will lead to low energy, lack of good health and illness. People get into unhealthy habits and then turn to fad diets that will lead to more despair in their lives. They don’t stick to their plan because they don’t see instant results and they return to unhealthy habits.

What you need is a plan that will keep you eating and drinking healthy. You need to follow that plan. You can still eat foods you like, but you need to begin to mix it up with what I like to call “rejuvenating foods” that will keep you at top health, keep your cells energised and prevent cell death.

Here are five foods that will rejuvenate your body:

- Avocados. These delicious fruits contain oleic acid which has shown to help in lowering cholesterol. Avocados are also a good source of potassium which is a mineral that helps regulate blood pressure.

- Ginger. Known to relieve digestive symptoms, ginger is great to take either as supplements or in your daily juice. I take a healthy portion of ginger in my daily apple, carrot and ginger juice.

- Berries. Berries are rich in vitamin C and anti-oxidants amongst other things. Vitamin C is used in blood circulation and anti-oxidants are important in neutralizing harmful free radicals in the body.

- Melons. I specifically like water melons and eat at least two bowls a day when they’re in season. Water melons, as well as obviously being water-rich, give us a lot of fluids that our cells need to perform.

- Garlic. Garlic has long been considered a herbal “wonder drug”, with a reputation in folklore for preventing everything from the common cold and flu to the plague!

Eating healthy and using these rejuvenating foods in your daily diet is also a great way to look younger than your age. 

Popularity: 26% [?]

February 18, 2008

How to define your reachable health and wellness goal

Photo from dominikgolenia

Our health is something that can be measured when we’re striving to go from where we are to where we want to be. To first go through the process of achieving your goal, it’s important to define exactly what it is so you can be clear.

Firstly, what exactly is a goal? A goal is defined as a result to which you direct your energy for a period of time until the result is achieved. Goals can be either short term, intermediate term or long term and the timescale for your goal will be determined by how much change you want to make in your life. For example, a goal to become a body builder may be short or intermediate depending on where you currently are however a goal to have played 1,000 tennis games may take a few years and is a long term goal.

Setting a goal gives you direction, clarity and a result to look forward to. Think of it as dangling a carrot in front of you - and for that reason, goals are extremely important for any plan you set and any health change or improvement you wish to make.  In learning to define a health goal, I want to focus on ensuring the goal is clear, reachable, focused and exciting. If it meets these four things, I believe you will be able to move towards your goal successfully. Let’s look at these individually:

- Your health goal must be clear. State your goal clearly. If your goal is to lose weight, in which part of your body do you want to lose weight and how many pounds/stones do you want to lose? Clarity prods you on your path to create a strategy.

- Your goal must be reachable. Our goals also have to feel and be reachable for us because if we don’t meet up, we run the risk of tripping up and beating ourselves up. And we lose momentum, could end up as couch potatoes and run far from the goal.

- Your goal has to be focused. Be clearly focused on the goal you want to achieve. Lack of focus or too many choices leads to indecision and poor results.

- Your goal must be exciting. If the goal doesn’t motivate you to get up, energise you to get into action and get into momentum, then I don’t think it will take you a long way. Make sure your goal is exciting. 

Now you know this, go out and set your goal. Write it down. Stick it on your wall, put it on your computer. Be reminded of your goal and most importantly, take action on the strategy to achieve your goal.

Popularity: 4% [?]

February 10, 2008

10 reasons you should drink wheatgrass juice

Many health mavens swear by wheatgrass as a super food. A few months ago, I searched for real scientific proof to see whether it works and although there is little study, wheatgrass itself has proven itself with many health benefits.

Wheatgrass has antibiotic properties and is packed with chlorophyll as it is a plant. Chlorophyll in wheatgrass is about 70%, and will bring toxins stored in the cells into the bloodstream so they can be washed out of your system. Chlorophyll will arrest the growth and proliferation of the unfriendly bacteria. It produce an unfavorable environment for bacterial growth.

Here are ten reasons why you should drink wheatgrass juice.

1. Wheat grass only contains around 10-15 calories per teaspoon. It has no fat or cholesterol.

2. Wheatgrass is a highly nutritious whole food containing trace elements of every vitamin, mineral and amino acid for human nutrition.

3. Drinking Wheatgrass juice is a great way for you to increase your intake of leafy green vegetables.

4. The chlorophyll in wheatgrass also helps to purify the liver.

5. Wheatgrass is useful in treating constipation and keeping the bowels open.

6. Wheatgrass helps in rebuilding the blood stream so it can handle toxins going out of the body.

7. Wheatgrass is high in oxygen like all green plants that contain chlorophyll. The brain & all body tissues function at an optimal level in a highly oxygenated environment.

8. Wheatgrass helps with skin problems such as eczema or psoriasis.

9. Wheatgrass is an energiser for body and mind.

10. Wheatgrass is great for constipation and keeping the bowels open.

The fact is: A lot of people use wheatgrass and have improved body results. Whether it’s proven or not, I believe that it can do no harm and I am yet to come across any fatalities from wheatgrass side effects. So for now, it’s a winner!

 

Popularity: 7% [?]

February 8, 2008

5 reasons to go RAW!

Photo from yoshimov

There is a global consciousness around raw food and health that has been growing over the last 5 years in the West. It is something that has already been there in the East. For example, a lot of raw food is made in India, although the use of ground spices are used to add more flavour.

Even if you look in your own networks - you may know of at least one person who is on a raw food and health plan.  Here are five reasons why you may want to consider going raw:

1. Water-rich content is the best component in any diet. Water makes up a large part of our world, and so to in our body. Therefore it naturally makes sense that we should take in as much water as we can, and one of the best ways to do so is to eat a lot of fruit and vegetables. It’

s also good because it is much more better than processed and highly cooked foods.

2. Eat much more than you would of processed foods. The benefits of raw foods far outweigh that of processed foods and what you get out of it (which is very little). Raw food is pretty much all good for you so you won’t have to worry of loading your body with junk.

3. Eating raw has been shown to slow down the aging process. You’

ll feel better, have more energy and need less sleep. Bad breath and body odor go away. Eyes become brighter, voices more clear.

4. Spiritual.Eating raw helps one better tune in to the universal plan, and experience lots of synchronicity. Living food promotes clarity and higher consciousness.

5. Save time. Eating raw food and the creativity it brings out in you will over time lessen the amount of time you spend in the kitchen.

There you have five awesome reasons to consider going raw. If you’

re already eating raw foods, what are you learning? What made you go raw? Please share your thoughts…

Popularity: 7% [?]