For years now it’s been the same routine- get up; go to work; drive straight to the gym and follow simple, mundane weight lifting instructions on a notepad. This was up until about a year ago, when I discovered that this habitual practice was demoralizing and ultimately making me miserable. Sure, life can be routine, but it’s in that routine that we can exercise our creativity to conjure up new ways to make fitness exciting.

For some people, this could mean simple tweaks in their written/routine free-weight exercises, starting with chest and ending the week with arms. For others, it’s about hopping on that bike and/or treadmill and running that extra five miles a day. It’s my strong recommendation that you immerse yourself in a solid mix of cardio and free weight exercises as not to create boredom, or lack of will. BUT, don’t make your schedule the same each week; spontaneity is key! Sure, there are those who say they’ve come to learn to love what they do, charming the same weight-lifting regimen weekly while avoiding anything irregular as not to “tarnish” their workout. Learning to love however, is different from naturally engaging in something that’s enjoyable.

Routines can be easy, and not very strenuous; but after all, they are just routines. So it’s with my dear advice that as practitioners of exercise and fitness we teach ourselves new things, while also teaching our body the same. This is inherently true with things like dance. More specifically, Zumba is an excellent example of something different, fun, and unique. The ability to genuinely enhance cardiovascular function and endurance, while practicing muscle memory routines effectively exercises the whole body. And simply put, it’s fun.

The most practical and enjoyable way to stay in shape undoubtedly is by playing sports. Joining a soccer league on Sundays or perhaps playing something as simple as intramural dodge ball or kickball can successfully burn thousands of calories in just one day. The sheer competitive nature of these athletic activities drives the body further and beyond, and although strenuous at times, people crave the struggle and willingness to become better. There comes a certain rush that comes with fast paced activities, which brings me to my next point.

These could include anything from dance to karate and MMA (Mixed Martial Arts). Again, most of these practices are very difficult to mimic at an ordinary Gym. You can certainly find out more from top trainers/classes at pristine establishments like MMA Industries.

Things like mountain climbing, biking, quad-racing, fishing, golfing, etc… – These are all great ways to actively stay in shape, and they’re quite enjoyable as well! A sudden increase in endorphins will surely make anybody’s day brighter. Also, almost all of these activities take place outdoors, which captures much needed vitamins from the sun, further enhancing the overall experience. Keep in mind however, it is important to get your heart rate up every now and then, so switching on and off amongst these and cardiovascular exercises (i.e. – treadmills) will keep your body guessing while enhancing overall fitness.

Sports and Dance are both a leisurely and/or competitive practice, but can also be the most effective way to exercise. Treadmills and Ellipticals will shed weight and enhance muscle strength/endurance, but will never capture the soul and rhythm that dance makes so enjoyable. Meanwhile, the competitive nature and drive that comes with playing sports will always be an important part of everybody’s lives. But again, it’s important to diversify your fitness, and be able to incorporate pleasure and strain. Attempt to pull one’s self away from everyday fitness equipment and home gyms; pick up a class of zumba and/or sign up for an intramural softball league and you’ll be on your way to a healthier, more enjoyable lifestyle.

Jim Rollince is a representative from the web relations department of Gym Source. He currently oversees all creative writing efforts and is an expert in http://www.gymsource.com/.

One of the most nutritious and healthy things you can eat is sprouts. I don’t mean Brussel sprouts – but bean sprouts.

Eating well and eating healthy food is all part of getting the life you love. It is crucial that you begin to assess what you eat and how you eat.

Sprouting seeds is something you can easily start doing from today. In the picture above, you can see the bean sprouts I made only yesterday. The whole process took just two days using my method below:-

Sprouts are considered a “super food” as they contain a lot of enzymes and high levels of anti-oxidants. Sprouts are also packed with proteins, vitamins, minerals and are easily digestible. Also, as you eat them raw, you will not be destroying all the goodness.

As the sprouts are a “living” food, by eating them raw you will be able to absorb the healthy enzymes and amino acids created in the germination process.

If you aren’t quite ready to take on an allotment or turn your ornamental garden over to vegetables, you could still become a home micro-gardener and dramatically improve your digestion, immunity and general health into the bargain!

Any seed, grain or legume can be sprouted – my favourite is Mung beans, now widely available in most supermarkets and ethnic stores. You can also sprout millet, quinoa, and almost any lentil / bean.

You can buy various home kits to make your sprouts, but here is my method for making bean sprouts from mung beans.

1. Wash the beans and soak in luke warm water overnight or for 6 – 8 hours, until the beans have fluffed up.

2. Check for any beans that have not softened at the bottom of the container. Discard these.

3. Place the soaked beans in a colander.

4. Get a pot into which the colander will fit easily. Put some warm water in this pot – only about half an inch. This is to create a damp atmosphere for the beans.

5. Put the colander in the pot and cover.

6. Place pot and colander next to your warm boiler. (If boiler not possible, then find a warm place in the kitchen or place next to a radiator).

7. Check 24 hours later – all being well, beans will have sprouted half an inch to one inch. If not quite ready, wash, drain and put back in warm area for another 24 hours.

8. Once ready, wash, drain and store in air-tight container in fridge. They will keep for 2 -3 days if not more. (Do wash and drain them every couple of days to keep them fresh and longer lasting).

You can have them for breakfast too. Delicious with some olive oil, black pepper, quinoa, nuts. And so good for you

Happy sprouting!

Photo from hfb

In my last Wellness Junction article I discussed four food groups that can help you boost your metabolic rate. Diet is a very important aspect of keeping your metabolism high and eating the right food is a big step in the right direction. However, you also have to make sure that you are avoiding foods which may hinder your success. In this article I will be discussing five food groups that can seriously slow down your metabolic rate.

1) SUGAR:- Eating too much sugar overloads your body and causes your blood sugar levels to rise rapidly. This in turn makes your body go into conservation mode meaning that you will store extra fat and burn less calories. To make sure this does not happen you need to reduce your intake of refined sugars as much as possible. That means cutting down on the candy, chocolate, cakes and cookies as much as possible. If you still want something sweet try eating some fruit. Unlike refined sugars, most fruits contain fructose which does not cause your blood sugar levels to rise.

2) WHITE BREAD:- White bread is made from wheat flour which then has the bran and germ removed. White bread is bleached to remove any yellow colour which destroys many of the vitamins contained in the wheat plus it is full of sugar. This means that it is very easily digested, has a low nutritional value and is low in dietary fiber. When processing white bread your body burns very few calories and it also causes your blood sugar levels to rise. I know you have probably heard it many times before but by substituting white bread for a wholemeal variety you can really boost your metabolic rate. Wholemeal bread is harder to digest (so burns more calories whilst being processed), has a greater nutritional value and most importantly does not cause your blood sugar levels to rise in an uncontrolled way.

3) FRIED FOODS:- Like white bread, fried foods are very low in nutritional value and easy to digest. They are also very high in calories and full of saturated fats. Saturated fats are solid at room temperature, generally come from an animal source, make your body produce more cholesterol and slow down your metabolic rate. You really need to avoid fried foods for the sake of both your metabolism and your health. Next time you are craving fried food such as a beef burger why not replace this with a slice of grilled, lean beef on brown bread? Not only will it be better for you but I think it tastes a lot nicer too.

4) PROCESSED FOODS:- Processed foods include ready meals, crisps and chocolate bars. They are very popular because they are quick and convenient but guess what? The vast majority are also lacking in nutritional value, contain dangerous trans fats and are high in chemical preservatives. Again this combination of factors in processed foods means that they reduce your metabolic rate. I know that it can be very tempting to opt for processed foods when you want something to eat after a long, hard day but your body will really thank you if you take the time to cook something healthier. If time really is an issue then why not try cooking in large batches and freezing the leftovers? This will mean that you will still have access to quick, convenient foods when you are in a rush BUT they will be healthy.

5) ALCOHOL:- Alcohol is full of sugar and calories which (as you probably know by now) restrict your metabolic rate. Alcohol is also known to have a dehydrating effect and as I discussed in my last article, if you are not fully hydrated your metabolism does not work as effectively. Moderate consumption of alcohol is not going to have a huge effect on your hydration levels but excessive consumption will. For most of us there are going to be times when we over indulge on alcohol so I am not going to advise you to give up alcoholic beverages. However, you should make an effort to reduce the amount you are drinking.

Diet is a double edged sword when it comes to metabolism – it can be both a help and a hindrance. However, if you follow my suggestions in this article and my previous article you should be well on your way to formulating a diet that keeps your metabolism high.

I hope you enjoyed this article. Do you know of any further foods which slow down your metabolism? If so please share.

We’ve been added to the lovely Alltop website’s health category by Guy Kawasaki and co. Go check it out. It’s your place to catch up on everything that’s going on around the web – and world.

Photo from 

Harris Graber

Many people claim that they struggle to lose weight because they have a slow metabolism. Others are always looking for ways to boost their metabolic rate. But what do these people mean when they refer to metabolism and their metabolic rate?

In simple terms your metabolism or metabolic rate is the number of calories required by your body to maintain itself. The general calculation for working out your metabolism is to multiply your weight in pounds by 10 or your weight in kilograms by 22. So if you weigh 250 pounds then your metabolic rate will be around 2500 calories per day. However, this figure can be affected by a number of factors including age, genetics and lifestyle.

In this article I will be discussing how you can increase your metabolic rate by incorporating four different food groups into your diet.

1) SUPER FOODS:- Super foods are foods which are deemed highly beneficial to your health. They offer protection against a number of diseases, provide you with energy, are full of anti-oxidants and guess what? They can also help boost your metabolism. Some of the most popular super foods are blueberries, grapefruit, oranges, tomatoes and yoghurt. You can view a more detailed article on super foods and their benefits by clicking here.

Whilst super foods are a great way to raise your metabolic rate it is important to make sure that they are only a supplement to your diet. Eating only super foods will not do you much good in the long run. In fact it could even cause long term damage as you will be missing out on other vital nutrients. For the best metabolism boosting results make sure you introduce super foods to your existing healthy diet and you will notice the benefits. For example, you could add a few blueberries to your morning bowl of cereal, have a portion of grapefruit as a mid-morning snack or add some tomato to one of your favourite pasta dishes.

2) SPICY FOODS:- Most spicy foods have a mild thermogenic effect which means that they can help activate your body’s fat burning process. This article also suggests that spicy foods can help boost your metabolism by as much as 50% for three hours after you eat them. Therefore, spicy foods are another great option for you to consider if you want to increase your metabolic rate. Some great types of spicy foods you can try include Indian, Mexican and Thai. You can also spice up your daily dishes by adding peppers such as jalapeños.

Just like super foods you should not over indulge on spicy foods. Eating excessive spicy foods can really irritate your stomach and lead to acid reflux, heart burn and stomach ulcers. In the worst cases it can also damage your taste buds and digestive tract. Perhaps try having an extra curry for dinner once a week or adding some spices to your favourite dishes.

3) PROTEIN:- Protein has a number of metabolism boosting benefits. This study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that protein has a satiating effect meaning that by adding a little more protein to your diet you should feel less hungry. More interestingly, this article from the Journal of the American College of Nutrition states that “convincing evidence exists that protein exerts an increased thermic effect when compared to fat and carbohydrate” which in simple terms means that your body uses more calories when processing protein than carbohydrates or fats. So by increasing the amount of protein you eat each day you can suppress your appetite and burn the amounts of calories you burn.

As with the foods I have recommended above, I am not suggesting that you switch to an excessively high protein diet. Evidence suggests that this can cause damage to your kidneys and deprive your body of vital nutrients. Instead I am suggesting that you replace some of the carbohydrates and fats in your diet with proteins. For example, you could try having a slightly smaller breakfast but accompany it with a protein shake or try increasing the proportion of lean meats in your main meals.

4) WATER:- I know this is not technically a food group but it is a part of your diet which can make or break your metabolism. If you are not properly hydrated then your metabolism does not work as effectively and ultimately you burn less calories when resting. It is therefore really important to stay hydrated at all times if you want to maximise your metabolism.

To stay hydrated you need to make a concious effort to be drinking water regularly. Keep a water bottle with you at all times and top it up regularly. Also, try to limit your intake of caffeine and alcohol. Excessive consumption of either of these products will have a dehydrating effect and inhibit your metabolic rate. I am not suggesting that you give up caffeine or alcohol but perhaps try to substitute one of your daily cups of coffee or one of your glasses of wine with a drink of water instead.

I hope this article shows you that by making a few small changes to your diet can really help your body burn calories at an increased rate.  Try eating more super foods, consuming more protein, enjoying some spicy foods and filing up on water.  As long as you don’t overdo it you should notice a positive improvement in your metabolic rate.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic.  Have you found any of these suggestions work particularly well for you?  Do you have any further tips for people wanting to boost their metabolism?  If so please leave a comment.

For more articles from Tom Parker, visit his Free Fitness Tips blog.

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Photo by ginamig276

You started a fitness program which includes cardio and weight training exercises.  Your goal is to lose weight and tone your body, the problem is that after several weeks of tireless exercise you feel stronger but still weigh the same or maybe even a little more.  Looking at the scale at this point can be depressing and send you into a feeding frenzy.  There are a couple of reasons this could be happening such as the fact that muscle weighs more than fat and you may be building muscle faster than you are burning fat.  

I am going to focus on something a little different, nutrition.   You cannot do a 60 minute Spin class, burn 600 calories and then run to the nearest fast food restaurant for a 600 calorie lunch – it just doesn’t work that way.  Keep in mind that it takes 3500 calories to lose one pound of fat—yes, one pound, which means that you need a deficit of 500 calories per day for seven days to lose one pound per week.  That sounds like a lot and it is but it’s not difficult to do.

Here are few key points to consider:

Your meals are not errands or chores – sit, eat and enjoy what you eat.

Balance your meals throughout the day: Eat a light, balanced breakfast (1% or fat free milk with whole grain cereal; yogurt with granola or fruit; cottage cheese with fruit; egg whites with piece of toast, tea or coffee), followed by a lunch filled with raw foods, lean protein, and healthy carbs, and an equally healthy, balanced dinner.

Fuel your body with healthy carbs and protein before and after exercise: Healthy carbs such as fruits, whole grain foods, legumes; protein from lean meat, fish, poultry, and eggs; for the vegetarian this means protein from soy, legumes, nuts and dairy.

Stay away from fast food and specialty coffee shops — at least for a while: A frozen coffee can has as many as 350 calories, a burger with fries=over 1000 calories easy

Include lots of raw foods and whole grain in your diet: if you need a snack between meals or need that 3:00 pm lift you want to look at all fruits and vegetables (except potato) but including sweet potato; whole grain breads, brown rice, whole grain cereals, and low fat dairy products.

Log what you eat each day: Helps you stay on top of your nutrition goals.  Log every bite, every candy, every potato chip and every drink.  Do this for a couple of days just to see where your calories are going.

Read the food labels: Very important that you become familiar with food labels—how else will you avoid eating something you shouldn’t.

Avoid foods high in sugar and sodium:  Aim for balance.  Some foods are low fat but have a huge amount of sugar and sodium to make up for the lack of taste and nutrition.  These foods will not fill you up for long. 

Drink plenty of clear water before during and after exercise:  Sip it throughout the day, sometimes you’re just thirsty, not hungry.

Keep healthy snacks handy at all times for days when you have to eat on the go:  Granola bars that are high in protein and fiber; home-made trail mix (granola, dried fruit, nuts, whole grain cereal in zip lock bags or plastic containers); portable fruits such as apples, pears, bananas, oranges.

Your body will react based on what you put in it, regardless of how hard you exercise; losing weight requires that you provide your body with well balanced nutrition and exercise.  It doesn’t have to be a chore and it doesn’t have to be difficult for you or your family.  Change the way you eat and your family will follow.  When you eat healthy together you are more likely to make this a part of your family’s healthy living style and everyone will benefit in the long run. 

Eat Well, Stay Well - Spin Diva!

For more articles from SpinDiva, visit her Family In Shape blog. 

What is it?

Food combining is eating foods together that require the same enzymes for digestion. From a scientific standpoint, we know that in order for meats to be broken down, an acidic environment in the stomach is needed. If you drink milk with your meal, which is alkaline, that neutralizes the stomach environment and can hinder proper digestion of the meat.

Think about all of the people that experience indigestion. It is now so common that it is seen as a normal fact of life. We spend in excess of 2 billion dollars a year on antacids (substances which counter stomach acidity). Wouldn’t it be better if instead of having to choke down an antacid all you needed to do was eat foods the right way? Eating the correct food combinations can help end indigestion and improve health and vitality because you will be getting the proper nutrients out of your food.

A Brief History of Food Combining

The idea of food combining for optimal nutrition was introduced in 1911 by William Howard Hay. Food combining was based on the current ideas of that time as far as the requirement of alkalinity to digest food the proper way in the stomach whilst taking into consideration the pH of the food you are eating.

This then lead to a need for a classification system of foods, and this was created by Herbert M Shelton. His classification system looked at food and grouped it together by the nutrients that each food produced. This broke foods up into three groups, those that are considered “neutral”, those that are carbohydrates and those that are proteins. Herbert M. Shelton went as far as to recommend that you eat proteins and carbohydrates at different meals.

How It Works

Each type of food is digested differently. They each require different enzymes and different environments to be digested properly. It is equally important that different foods digest at different rates. Combining food incorrectly can cancel out the specific needs of those foods for proper digestion.

For example, it has already been stated that meats/flesh foods or more appropriately proteins require an acidic environment. As stated enjoying a glass of milk with your steak dinner has just cancelled out the acidic environment due to the neutralizing effects of milk. The same goes for fruits as they produce an alkaline secretion when digested which will also neutralize the acidic environment needed for digestion of proteins.

Noting the rate of digestion of food is also important. Take the example of fruits, which digest quickly and combining them with foods that take longer to digest, such as the proteins can cause the fruits to ferment. So when you are eating fruits you will want to combine those with starches or carbohydrates, both of which digest quickly. Vegetables and fruits both require different enzymes for digestion and these enzymes also tend to cancel each other out.

Proper combination of like foods or compatible foods will aid in proper digestion and optimal health. Do not go over board though and focus on eating only one food or one type of food because that is just as bad for the digestive system. Variety and proper combination is key.

What Have Results Shown?

The results show that proper food combining does help decrease indigestion and improve overall health. Your body is getting the nutrients that it is meant to get from the food that you are consuming. You will notice that you feel “lighter” and have more energy. Food combining has also been shown to help those recovering from eating disorders. The proper combination of foods is easier on the stomach.

As with any theory, the food combination theory and practice has its share of critics. The complaints aren’t due to science, but due more to the fact that they consider food combining to be a boring way to eat after awhile.

How to Get Started with Food Combining

Pay attention to your food. Know what category each food that you eat falls into, protein, carbohydrate or neutral. Once you know what food falls in what category you can easily follow the following simple steps:

• Make sure that you eat all kinds of citrus fruits, leafy veggies, eggs, fish and meats so that you can safely avoid any nutrient deficiencies. Notice there is no mention of carbohydrates, they are an “eat only if you have to” food.

• You do not want to combine any pure fats with high starches in one meal. In other words, that baked potato with butter and sour cream is out the window.

• Avoid combining acids such as citrus, vinegar and buttermilk with any high starch at one meal.

• High starches should also not be combined with any high proteins.

• Fats can be eaten with proteins and acids.

• Foods such as meat, fish, fowl and eggs should be eaten one serving of each per day or two servings of one per day with a fat.

• Eat buttermilk, cheese and other dairy: Having two glasses of organic milk or two and half ounces of cheese per day.

• Have two servings a day of raw, low starch fruits and raw green and yellow vegetables a day.

Photo from lalla-ali

Exercise is something we all need to do. But it may not go correctly all the time. We might start – feel we’re getting nowhere and then just give up. When that happens, what we need is a bit of remotivation.

We need to do something that’ll make us get up and get back on the exercise path. Sometimes remotivation happens spontaneously when we just have the urge to exercise. Sometimes the worst needs to happen to us – we put on weight and no longer look like our ideal weight. Sometimes we just have to have some near-death experience to start rebuilding our ideal life. Sometimes a simple stock take on our life and ideal look is all it takes.

Here are three steps:-

1. Take stock of where you are. Answer questions such as how do you look now and is it how you wish to look? Where do you want to lose weight? Where do you want to gain weight? Where do you want to build muscles? What have you done so far and how do you look?

2. Devise some realistic goals. Within 4-6 months, where do you want to see yourself? Where do you see the muscles and what do you look like? How healthy are you and what does it feel like?

3. Come up with creative ways to achieve those goals. Make a list of things you could do, have or be in order to get remotivated with your health and fitness goals. 

Here are three ideas to pick yourself up again:

• Set up a reward system. Come up with BIG rewards – rewards that will literally blow you away like a big vacation, a shopping spree, a weekend away, a spa retreat, whatever it is that takes your fancy. Give yourself these rewards once you reach a particular milestone that you set.

• WHY. Answer the why for your goals and you’ll have bigger emotional wants to get up and take action. That’s what Tony Robbins says: come up with as many reasons as you can for wanting to achieve your goals.

• Create your fitness playlist. I like how iTunes have created fitness playlists so you could download them and listen through them when you’re exercising.

Congratulations to James. 

Photo from kecko

The workplace and busy lifestyle of employees isn’t the easiest way to live if you want to eat healthy… but it has to be done if you want to earn a decent living, right? 

So what can you do at work to eat more healthier? Grab a sheet of paper and jot down some things you could do during the day to improve your work. Here are five ways to get you started:

• Keep a bowl of nuts on your table. Eat a handful of nuts daily around 3-4 pm to boost afternoon productivity.

• A bowl of fruit. Keep a bowl of fruit on or near your desk and reach out to have one every few hours. Try to get through at least 3-4 fruits a day. Have your favorite ones and put them on your shopping list for each week.

• Keep a water bottle or filter system near your desk. Reach over to your bottle very often, at least every half hour to have a big sip. Keep hydrated and your cells will flourish.

• Take a walk during lunch. Don’t drive to the shop – walk. Do the same if you’re going to the post office or bank if it’s local. Keep your blood pumping.

• Cut down on caffeine. You can actually ban the coffee from your cubicle. Get rid of the bottle. Settle for juices or water instead.

Share your ideas too…