Mind Over Body Revolution Blog

Avoid These 5 Fitness Disasters

2011-02-14T17:06:00.001-07:00

Avoid neglecting strength training just because you're a cardio buff. More lean muscle mass gained from weight lifting burns more calories.

Avoid holding your breath when lifting weights. It could strain your heart. Inhale as you release weight and exhale as you push out.

Avoid worrying about bulking up. Women don't produce enough testosterone to bulk up. Weight training will simply sculpt your body and boost your metabolism.

Avoid pigging out just because you're exercising. Exercise can increase your appetite, but don't let it give you a false sense of being able to chow down.

Avoid dehydration. Proper hydration can both increase your energy and help reduce your appetite. Don't mistake thirst for hunger!

This article or post is not intended to provide individual advice, which should be obtained directly from your health care professional.

Apply Your Resolve and Make it Automatic

2011-02-07T10:19:00.000-07:00

When I met Sarah at a dinner party several years ago, I saw right away that she was really quite beautiful, but at just over five feet tall and weighing well over two hundred pounds she was also dangerously obese. As we were talking that night, Sarah told me she was forty-one years old, divorced, and looking for a new man in her life.

I’m sure she was shocked and also probably initially offended when I replied that it appeared to me she was actually trying to kill herself, and if she wanted someone to love and care for her, she’d have to start loving and caring for herself first.

Sometimes it takes that kind of tough-love approach to help people shift their perspective and reframe their goals in terms of a true core desire. I was able to do that for Sarah by allowing her to understand that losing weight and becoming fit was not a goal to be sought in and of itself but rather as a way to fulfill her desire to have a loving companion in her life.

If I’d left it there, however, I’d have been doing Sarah a great disservice, because I knew that making such a big change in her life would not be easy. Not only would she have to shift her mental attitude toward herself and her lifestyle, but she’d be facing significant physical challenges as well. That very evening, I made Sarah a promise: If she was willing to give me four to six weeks, I would stick with her, and she would be able to turn her life around. Armed with her newfound power of intention, Sarah agreed, and the very next day we began to work together to develop an appropriate plan of action that would not be too ambitious, because we both knew that, at least in the beginning, doing any kind of exercise at all was going to be very difficult for her.

To find out how Sarah lost over 120 lbs on my program, buy my book Mind Over Body: The Key To Lasting Weight Lost is All in Your Head!

This article or post is not intended to provide individual advice, which should be obtained directly from your health care professional.

Look at the ingredients.

2011-02-03T20:32:00.000-07:00

All food labels list the product's ingredients in order by weight. The ingredient in the greatest amount is listed first. The ingredient in the least amount is listed last. So, to choose foods low in saturated fat or total fat, limit your use of products that list any fat or oil first--or that list many fat and oil ingredients. If you are watching your sodium intake, do the same for sodium or salt.

Total Lipid Calorie Diet: a low fat diet designed to lower Total Cholesterol. People who are overweight usually have higher blood cholesterol levels than people of desirable weight. When you cut the fat in your diet, you cut down on the richest source of calories as well as saturated fat and cholesterol. An eating pattern high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low fat or nonfat dairy products and a moderate amount of lean meat, skinless poultry, and fish is a good way to lose weight and improve your blood cholesterol.

Call me at 520-360-9214 or email me for your custom made nutritional plan today!

This article or post is not intended to provide individual advice, which should be obtained directly from your health care professional.

College freshmen’s stress levels intensifying, study finds - KansasCity.com

2011-01-27T23:12:00.000-07:00

College freshmen’s stress levels intensifying, study finds - KansasCity.com

Maximize Your Chances for Weight Loss Success

2011-01-27T11:39:00.000-07:00

Everything you see around you was first an idea in the mind of one individual who got his mind, body and spirit involved in the process of giving life to his idea. There are universal laws we must abide to in order to manifest whatever it is we want to do, have or be. Here are two things you must start doing to trigger the law of attraction. It's a matter of Mind Over Body.

Visualize Your Victory: If you can see it, you can have it!

Visualizing the way you want to look and feel is important for your success in shedding weight and building muscle tone.

Close your eyes and visualize yourself achieving your desired goals. You may not feel completely comfortable doing this at first and the images may not be entirely clear. That’s okay, because the more you practice the clearer they will become. Try to picture the same images every day, adding more detail as you become more familiar with the process. Think of yourself as the lead actor in a movie you are projecting on the screen of your mind. Make sure that when you are doing this, you give an Oscar-winning performance!

Affirmations: The more you say it, the more you see it!

Affirmations are simple and effective. They are you being in conscious control of your thoughts. They are short, powerful statements. When you say them or think them or even hear them, they become the thoughts that create your reality. They help you move closer to your goals.

Here are a few simple rules to remember when you’re creating positive affirmations for yourself.

Always use the present tense. You want your mind to know that what you affirm has already happened.
Be absolutely positive. Use as many positive verbs as you can.
Be emotionally involved with your affirmations.
Write them down so that you will remember them. Keep them short and specific.
Personalize them by using your name.
Repeat them as often as possible in order to imprint what you are affirming on your subconscious mind.
Create a habit by setting aside a specific time for doing your affirmations each day.
Believe that what you say is actually happening. The more you are able to believe, the stronger your affirmation will be.

Repeat each affirmation you choose three times with feeling, and trust that with practice everything in your life will gently fall into place for your highest good. Take a moment to let go of all your limitations and allow your heart’s desires to be created.

Here are some examples of Powerful Affirmations:

I have the power to control my health.
I deserve to be fit now.
I am ready, willing and deserving to be fit.
I adopt healthy behaviors.
I focus on my form while I exercise.
I respect and appreciate others who are fit.
I am guided by my true core desire.
I am strong, lean, and beautiful.
I am losing the unwanted weight surely and smoothly.
I am strong, intelligent, and handsome.
I am in control of my health and wellness.
I have abundant energy, vitality, and well-being.
Health and vitality flows into my veins.
I am healthy in all aspects of my being.
I am maintaining my ideal weight.
I am burning fat easily.
I am fit, healthy, and happy.

This article or post is not intended to provide individual advice, which should be obtained directly from your health care professional.

Reaching For The Fit Kid Within

2011-01-26T10:09:00.000-07:00

Remember when you were little and you "exercised" because it was fun? You never thought about how many calories you were burning in ballet class or how high you were getting your heart rate in the heat of a soccer game. That was never the point.

Now that you're out of grade school, exercise means something different. It's that thing you squeeze in after work or before dinner, feel guilty about skipping and therefore adding even more stress to your life. Somehow, the elliptical trainer or the treadmill doesn't inspire the anticipation and joy that the swimming pool once did.

So how do you reconnect with that long-lost sense of play? Going back to the activities you love. Just because you're an adult doesn't mean you can't do the things you enjoyed as a kid. After all, studies show that if you love the physical activity you're doing, you're likely to do it more often and for a longer period of time than if you don't. That's why I recommend getting in touch with your younger, fitter self as a way to recharge and reenergize yourself; I call it "Reaching for the Fit Kid Within". I ask people what they enjoyed during their childhood, early teen years and high school. Then I ask them if they would consider doing that again.

Starting with a 5 minutes meditation that would facilitate the connection between mind, body and soul, allowing yourself to reach within and accept the playful kid that you are.

Follow with 30 minutes high energy, fun drills and exercises that you use to enjoy when you were a kid. You can even involve your kids; they'll guide you, allow to be yourself, and allow them be the kids they are. I personally play soccer or simply chase my kids around the backyard. There is no limit to what we can actually do.

Finishing with a 5 minutes stretching program and cooling down with a 5 minutes relaxation techniques to come back to our adult world.

This article or post is not intended to provide individual advice, which should be obtained directly from your health care professional.

Your Willpower Muscle

2011-01-24T19:42:00.000-07:00

If you find yourself struggling with your commitment to exercising or to keeping a clean nutrition, don’t be too hard on yourself, according to neuroscientists having willpower is not a character flaw and it could all be down to the physical make up of the brain. Because the part of the brain called prefrontal cortex is the same part of the brain that records our working memory and is in charge of willpower, researchers showed that when the brain is overwhelmed with tasks willpower is very weak.

The solution , as I mention in my book, Mind Over Body: The Key To Lasting Weight Loss Is All In Your Head, is not hammering people with new habits but helping them bulk-up their willpower muscle by making them consciously aware of certain changes that need to take place before any physical habits are set in motion. In other words, you must outsmart the subconscious mind and make firm decisions to commit to your goals and be sure to keep your word with yourself. If you put exercising last on your daily “things to do”, you will fail! You will be so tired physically and emotionally that outsmarting your subconscious will be almost impossible. So make sure you make an appointment with yourself to exercise before work or in the middle of your day.

This article or post is not intended to provide individual advice, which should be obtained directly from your health care professional.

You Snooze, You Lose: More Weekend Sleep Cuts Kids' Obesity Risk

2011-01-24T13:03:00.000-07:00

You Snooze, You Lose: More Weekend Sleep Cuts Kids' Obesity Risk

A Time for Fitness

2011-01-19T10:24:00.001-07:00

A long term exercise program needs scheduling for success; here are a few important points to consider.

Does your exercise plan fit you?

Think about what kind of person you are, what you like and do not like, how you feel during different times of the day. If you are a night person, maybe exercising after will help to relieve stress from your job. If you are an early riser, perhaps exercise will help you to get a good start on your day.

Does the plan fit your family and friends?

If you want to exercise with a friend, you will have to find a time that is good for both of you. The same goes for team sports. Your family may have feelings about when you exercise. You spouse may not want the alarm going off an hour earlier in the morning. On the other hand, your spouse may like to exercise with you but can do that only in the evening.

How hungry are you?

Exercising right after eating can feel uncomfortable. But, if you have not eaten for hours, you may not have much energy for your exercises. Wait at least one hour after a meal to exercise. Try eating a little snack one to two hours before exercising.

What to do when you miss a day?

You may not always keep to a schedule. Most people cannot. There are interruptions and unexpected happenings. A friend may drop in. It may rain or snow. To become a part of your routine, exercise needs to adapt to such changes.

One common way to make your exercise program adaptable is to exercise every other day. If you miss a day, just do the exercises the next day and there will still be no more than two days between sessions.

Deciding now on your exercise strategy will increase your chances of long term success. By selecting what is going to work for you, you have made great strides toward a successful exercise program.

If you have not yet fit exercise into your life….STOP. Do not risk wasting another minute. Plan for success!

Need an exercise plan? Contact me via email or call me at 520-360-9214

This article or post is not intended to provide individual advice which should be obtained directly from your health care professional

Love is Life’s Greatest Source of Inspiration

2011-01-17T13:52:00.002-07:00

“The meeting of two persons is like the mixture of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed.”

When we list all the qualities we seek in a relationship we must make sure we possess those qualities ourselves in order to attract them! Far too many people think they are ready but find themselves frozen by fear. Fear of giving love and not receiving any in return and also fear of commitment. If you truly are not ready you need to either stop hurting g yourself and others or make space in your heart before you even contemplate the idea of dating. The later can take some times; the former is a matter of honesty, integrity and karma.

For many of us, relationships are the most rewarding and sometimes the most challenging and painful of human experiences. We must stir away from our past and move on to the new by erasing old tapes and choose to be courageous enough to love ourselves and therefore reigniting the flame in someone else’s heart. One must engage in a quest for finding the right person who is independent, smart, and honest and who can be a great partner, someone we can co-create not only new endeavors but co-create fun and discover life in its fullest sense of the term. There is no such a thing as comfort zone in life. We must keep envisioning our future partner to be kind and loving towards all and be rational but at the same time remain the dreamer she or he might be. It is important to surround our self with good and positive people, to love to have fun, do yoga and meditate on the beach and when the going gets tough turn to our partner and use love as a source of rejuvenation. We can only live a second a time and breathe one breath at a time. I like to spend quality time with someone who does not drain me but fulfill my passion for life’s most beautiful gift

Take It From Avtar: Losing Weight Should Not Equal Starvation

2011-01-14T09:23:00.000-07:00

Take It From Avtar: Losing Weight Should Not Equal Starvation

Healthy Eating Is Contagious

2011-01-11T19:19:00.001-07:00

The benefits of healthy eating are endless. You feel better about yourself, more gets accomplished, there’s less stress. But now study shows that just by changing your diet you can help your spouse loose weight.

Spouse cooperation can be difficult to achieve. They may be skeptical your diet will last and want to let you try it out first. They may not see their own need to diet.

The good news is when you eat right; your spouse will most likely start to follow –automatically.

In a recent study sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, when wives consumed less fat or less calories, so did the majority of their husbands – most cut their fat intake by as much as 10%.

However if the wife fixed a separate meal for the husband, one different from the low-cal one for herself, husbands actually ended up eating 10% more fat.

This can also be true for the rest of the family as obesity in America has quadrupled in less than three decades, parents must pave the way for their children to eat right.

This article or post is not intended to provide individual advice which should be obtained directly from your health care professional

Into those Golden Years

2011-01-10T13:54:00.000-07:00

An Associated Press survey found that more than 60 percent of Americans don't want to live to 100 for fear of bad health and insufficient finances. Don't be a fool; you can live to be 103! Studies have shown that stress management along with regular exercise and eating right improves ones health and can even slow the effects of aging. Start now, age gracefully and feel great!

This article or post is not intended to provide individual advice which should be obtained directly from your health care professional

Give yourself 3 hours

2011-01-09T10:21:00.000-07:00

Yes 3 hours before going to bed. Do not consume anymore calories. As I mentioned before, your body starts to slow down as the day goes on and gets ready for sleep. You do not want to consume a lot of calories right before you go to bed, because you will end of potentially storing those calories as FAT!!!

Your body sometimes give you a false sense of being hungry as you bedtime nears. You get those 9pm cravings... And a lot of people end up hitting the Refrigerator and over consuming right before bed time...

Not good for managing your weight and body fat %. If you just can't resist the munchies, then what I do is eat a few high good fat nuts. Like unsalted Almonds skin-on (good for fiber) or a couple spoonfuls of no sugar added all natural peanut butter. Eating a good quality fat food will satisfy your craving and will keep you from binging on something with lots of bad carbohydrates or simple sugars, like ice cream, cake or cookies.

This article or post is not intended to provide individual advice which should be obtained directly from your health care professional

Don't over indulge

2010-12-29T11:41:00.000-07:00

Life is about balance and when you do anything in excess, your body pays the price. So when it comes to drinking alcohol for New Years’ Eve or during any other circumstances, you need to be wise about your decision making process. Think of the effects of too much alcohol in your current and future fitness and health.

Adverse effects of too much alcohol:
a. Can Damage your liver
b. Shuts your metabolism so you can't burn food energy
c. Impairs your decision making process - especially with healthy food decisions
d. Adds tons of liquid NO quality Calories to your daily diet: Sugar & Fat

So next time you are ordering your favorite drink, do so with awareness and love for yourself and others. Oh, and another important detail, don’t drink and drive please! Get a designated driver or call a taxi if you are going out!

Don’t forget to email or call 520-360-9214 and book your next coaching session.

This article or post is not intended to provide individual advice which should be obtained directly from your health care professional

What’s Lifestyle Got To Do With It?

2010-12-27T13:31:00.000-07:00

It happens to everyone. That moment when you realize that it's time to do something about your weight.

It may happen when you're looking in the mirror or standing on the scale.

Your first thought is to go on a 'diet' but as quickly as that enters your mind the ghosts of a hundred diets past return...along with all the frustration.

Then you wonder, why bother?

The weight will come back, as it always has. Then you'll be back in front of the mirror as discouraged as ever.

The answer is not to go on another diet.

The answer is to change your lifestyle.

You've heard this before, and it makes sense, right? So why haven't you done it?

Your Lifestyle Obstacles. Most people resist changing their lifestyle for two reasons.

1. Change is scary. Whether you realize it or not, your life is in a constant state of change. Though you cling to the familiar, it's a futile struggle. Change always wins.

The most consistent thing in life is change. Since you'll never escape it, you might as well channel it. It's time to make the change in your life purposeful and positive.

2. Lifestyle misconception. How many times have you heard the term 'healthy lifestyle' only to picture a health nut with celery sticks in one hand and tofu in the other? The truth is that most people think that changing their lifestyle will be an extreme and unpleasant experience - and that's not true.

Improving your lifestyle does not mean swearing off chocolate or living in the gym. You don't have to eat wheat germ for lunch and you can still enjoy a nice plate of pasta. The key is moderation.

Making the Change. It's time to lose your 'all or nothing' mentality. Embrace simple, small changes that will add up to big improvements in your lifestyle. These are your main venues for change:What You Eat. Let's face it, most of the foods you eat aren't the healthiest. Some are downright terrible (the burger and fries you had last week). While others are simply excessive (the snacks you eat while watching TV).

The solution to cleaning up your daily diet is NOT to go back on a 'diet'. In fact, I never want you to go on a 'diet' again. (Yes, you heard me right!) Instead I want you to make permanent healthy changes to your eating habits.

Here are some practical examples: Choose salad over chips or fries Don't add butter to your food Eat fresh produce with every meal Purchase fat free dairy products Limit desserts to one or two per week Cut out mindless snacking Drink water, not soda
I don't expect you to eat a perfect diet every day of the week - that'd be ludicrous. You should, however, make MORE healthy choices every day than unhealthy ones. What You Do. Exercise is a huge component to a healthy lifestyle, and quite frankly you're not getting enough of it. How often does an entire week go by without you ever lacing up your tennis shoes? Don't disregard the importance and power of a good workout.

Your new healthy lifestyle means exercising on most days of the week. This may seem tough, but I have the perfect solution - my training programs were created for busy people just like you who only have so much time to dedicate to exercise.

I understand how hard it is to find the motivation to stay consistent and to push yourself. Make exercise a no-brainer - contact me to get started on a lifestyle enhancing program today.

Here are simple ways to move more: Watch less TV Stretch stiff muscles every day Play at the park with the kids Go for a jog Do some pushups every morning While none of the above are meant as substitutes for a solid exercise routine, they are great ways to become more active and to improve your lifestyle.
Your lifestyle is the balance of all the choices that you make regarding your body. Swing the balance in your favor - make a majority of your choices health conscious.

So the next time you're in front of the mirror you won't worry about your weight.

You'll relish it.

Do you have other weight loss beliefs that simply aren't delivering results? Call 520-360-9214 or contact me and I'll help you bust the myths, discover the truth, and create a fitness and fat loss program that will give you the body that you deserve. BUY 12 COACHHING SESSSIONS BY JANUARY 15TH 2011 AND RECEIVE SIX SESSIONS FREE!!!

This article or post is not intended to provide individual advice which should be obtained directly from your health care professional

The Five Most Outrageous Weight Loss Myths

2010-12-24T12:46:00.000-07:00

These days you can't go anywhere without hearing about a new weight loss breakthrough. A pill, a cream, or a new fad diet - you name it and it's going to solve all of your weight loss problems in 30 days or less. Or not.

The truth is that most of the things you hear about weight loss are hype. Plain and simple.

Here are the top 5 myths about weight loss:

Myth #1: You can spot reduce fat from specific areas of your body

This myth is as old as the hills, yet it persists. It must be that the thought of melting fat from any desired part of the body is so appealing, however untrue it may be.

In reality your body will lose weight wherever it wants to. It's safe to assume that you'll lose fat 'last place on, first place off'. So if you put on weight first in your thighs and then on your waist, then expect it to come off your waist first and then your thighs.

Myth #2: You have to count calories for weight loss

There are so many fad diets out there that paint the picture that weight loss is a complicated process. You have to eat certain foods at certain times and avoid other foods at all costs. Of course all of these popular diets conflict over which foods you should or shouldn't eat.

The truth is that you don't have to make weight loss such a science. Simply eat healthy fresh foods that haven't been processed, and eat smaller amounts than you're eating today.

No brain science there, just results.

Myth #3: You will bulk up with resistance training

I can't tell you how many times I've heard women tell me that they won't do resistance training because they don't want to bulk up. Each time I have to hide my smile.

You see, the process of bulking your muscles takes a lot of hard work. You have to consume high amounts of protein and you have to consistently tax your muscles to fatigue. And you have to have the male hormone testosterone coursing through your body. In short, there is no way to accidentally bulk up.

Myth #4: You can get a six pack from crunches

Just focusing on crunches will not make your midsection chiseled. Hey, ab crunches are great, and you should do them, but don't rely on them to get into great shape.

A trim midsection will only come as a result of proper nutrition, effective cardio and consistent resistance training.

Myth #5: Cardio is the most important exercise for fat loss

Most people think of cardiovascular activities when they think of working out. Going for a run, riding a stationary bike, or taking an aerobics class. Well, times have changed and so should your workout.

The benefits of resistance training now trump straight cardiovascular training. Resistance training strengthens your heart while toning muscles and increasing bone density.

Cardio workouts are not completely a thing of the past, they should fit into your overall plan for health and wellness. The benefits of resistance training, especially in fat loss, are astounding.

Do you have other weight loss beliefs that simply aren't delivering results? Call 520-360-9214 or email me today at avtar@avtarwellness.com and I'll help you bust the myths, discover the truth, and create a fitness and fat loss program that will give you the body that you deserve.

This article or post is not intended to provide individual advice which should be obtained directly from your health care professional

Eat Slowly

2010-12-22T10:37:00.002-07:00

If you read about the French Paradox, which discusses why the French eat a lot of fatty foods, but are a leaner society than that of the United States. They take their meals very seriously and it is one of the most important times of the day. You will get multiple benefits from this tip. Eating Slow will help your body absorb the food at the right level allowing you to fill up much quicker as it will not provide a tendency for you to OVEREAT!!! The other awesome benefit is that you can spend more time with your family so that you can share the important things in life with each other!!!

And the one I love the most is that you won’t need a shrink to share your problems with…J

Call me to set-up a coaching session at 520-360-9214 or email at avtar@avtarwellness.com .

Take advantage of the Holidays and get a package of 12 sessions and shed 30 pounds in 90 days for a fraction of the normal cost. (Space is very limited so hurry-up and call or email).

This article or post is not intended to provide individual advice which should be obtained directly from your health care professional

Stop Thinking and Start Appreciating

2010-12-19T13:28:00.000-07:00

If you are like me, you have great days and not so great days. I have bad hair days and great hair days. I can be grumpy and I can be cuddly. It all depends on the way I chose to think, feel and act, first thing in the morning.
One day, while I was having a grumpy day and was not looking forward to my heavy daily schedule, my little two-year-old, Isabella, came into the bathroom and wanted me to hold her as I was trying to shave. I can't tell you that I did what she wanted - instead I ignored her by saying "not now baby, I am busy!” sounds familiar to you? Are you also guilty of doing this?

Of course Isabella, as any innocent creature would react, sat down and started crying. I felt so horrible! I stopped shaving and with the shaving cream still on my face, I picked her up. While holding Isabella in my arms and while she was rubbing the shaving cream all over my face, I had an urging sensation to look into her eyes! There deep into those beautiful and innocent eyes, I saw something I never thought I'd see in my entire life. I saw MYSELF - but not an image of myself, I saw my soul!

I immediately felt a sensation of peace. My entire being was affected with a feeling of being able to let go and I become totally relaxed. That day I understood that no matter how bad your day or life may be unfolding, the illusion of your perception can be eradicated by a simple stare into the eyes of a loved one, a person or a pet or even your own self.

Our heart is what tells us the truth; it is the messenger of our soul. Our loved ones are often the ones that suffer the consequences of our neglects, so STOP thinking and start APPRECIATING. You are probably thinking “what does this has to with fitness?” Well, everything!!!! If you are not fit within, you are not fit without!

This article or post is not intended to provide individual advice which should be obtained directly from your health care professional

Surround yourself with winners

2010-12-17T12:34:00.000-07:00

One of the key qualities of all successful people is that they avoid negative people and they spend the majority of their time surrounded by those who have already achieved what they themselves seek to achieve. So if your goal is to weigh 135 pounds by eating healthy and living an energy full life - then seek out others who already live a healthy lifestyle and weigh 135 pounds. Hanging out with people who just talk about getting in shape but never take persistent action will ensure that you never reach your goal.

Want a routine that incorporates everything you need to reach your fitness goals? Call 520-360-9214 or email us today to set up a consultation and I'll show you how to get amazing results.

Take Advantage of our new Prices!!!

This article or post is not intended to provide individual advice which should be obtained directly from your health care professional

Zen and the art of fitness

2010-12-13T12:33:00.003-07:00

(Just on time for Christmas)

Not all civilian boot camps are about hard-core fitness. Take, for instance, The TotalBodyWork at the award-winning Miraval Spa in Tucson, Ariz. Featured in the January 2003 issue of O Magazine and on a March 2003 airing of the Oprah television show, Miraval helps participants, many of whom are just there for a relaxing and rejuvenating week or weekend, look inward and focus on their bodies and health to make lifelong changes. "Life in balance" is the motto, and Nordine Zouareg, former fitness director at Miraval, leads The TotalBodyWork participants through the traditional push-ups, sit-ups and jumping jacks -- with a twist.

In the warm-up, Zouareg asks participants to visualize their muscles, and shift their minds to their workout. Participants are encouraged to listen to their bodies, feel the blood moving to the working muscles and work on meditation. For many, the word meditation can be scary, so Zouareg instead uses words like concentration, and asks class participants to "be in the moment." "You can work 10 times harder if you really concentrate on your body," Zouareg explains. After the warm-up, participants are led through a strength training and aerobic class. At the end of the class, participants quietly sit or lie down and relax. It is Zouareg's hope that he will help participants take some of this concentration home with them.

Article: Spa Magazine

Filmed at the beautiful Miraval Spa surrounded by the amazing Catalina Mountains

The TotalBodyWork class is now available on DVD

BUY IT NOW FOR $9.95

Hire a personal trainer or fitness coach

2010-12-09T16:28:00.002-07:00

It is proven that having a motivating and positive support system will help you stay with your goals long term. How many times have you started and exercise program and stopped? Remember those New Year's Resolutions? How many have you kept? Was losing weight or eating healthier part of those resolutions that are now on a shelf collecting dust? Do you have multiple pieces of exercise equipment that you bought on an infomercial late at night that you now hang your clothes on collecting dust? Get motivated and use a Fitness Coach or Personal Trainer to help support you in your life long mission to Permanent Weight Loss and Better overall Body Perfect Fitness and Health.

To book a Session with Avtar , call 520-360-9214 or book online today!

This article or post is not intended to provide individual advice which should be obtained directly from your health care professional.

The New Year’s Resolution Trap

2010-12-06T12:10:00.002-07:00

New Year's day...it never fails to evoke feelings of hope and renewal, but is it really a trap?

You've been handed a proverbial clean slate - another chance to shrug off your bad habits and reach for your dreams.

In an attempt to bottle that New Year's vigor, you'll make a few New Year's Resolutions. But before you put pen to paper, you ought to know this:

It has been reported that 92 % of all New Year's Resolutions end in failure.

That means that less than 1 out of every 10 people will successfully accomplish their resolutions in 2011.

Ouch - those statistics are brutal. Who in their right mind would take the time to make resolutions when failure is that imminent?

As your trusted source for fitness advice, I'd like to coach you though this sticky situation. Yes, most people fail to achieve their New Year's Resolutions. However, I am going to clue you in on what the 92% do wrong and teach you what the 8% who succeed do right.

First up, the 92% who failed. These well meaning folks shared a common mistake that put the nail in their coffin before they'd even begun.

They bit off more than they could chew.

In all the excitement of becoming a better person and changing their life in the New Year they made the crucial mistake of committing to do too much. But reality set in, a few weeks or even days into their reformed life, and they gave up. They didn’t have the true core desire to succeed; fear got in the way.

The 92% gave themselves an easy way out and with no inner inquiry they went head on. They approached their resolution with an 'all or nothing' attitude. Once the 'all' became too tough they opted for 'nothing'. And just like that another resolution ended in failure - end of story.

Now let's examine the 8% who succeed with their resolutions year after year. The key to their success is quite simple (you may have even guessed it by now).

They set realistic goals based on facing their life challenges and desire to succeed.

I'll repeat that... they set REALISTIC goals based on INNER INQUIRY.

Instead of resolving to lose 50 pounds by June, they commit to exercise 3-4 times each week and commit to feel better.
Instead of resolving to give up all carbs, they commit to bring healthy snacks to work instead eating from the vending machine.
Instead of resolving to drop 3 sizes in 3 months, they commit to losing 1 pound each week until
they reach their desired size.
Instead of resolving to never eat out again, they commit to eating healthy all week and rewarding themselves with one meal out on the weekends.

Did you see the difference?

If you want your resolution to stick then think of something simple and realistic after identifying what it is you truly desire. Sure, it certainly won't sound as cool as the resolutions that the 92% make - but they aren't going to keep theirs anyway.

Remember that the whole point of making a New Year's Resolution is to become a healthier, happier and more successful person. Small changes done consistently will make a big difference.

If your New Year's Resolution has to do with losing weight and getting into great shape (and whose isn't?) then guarantee your success by working with a fitness expert who can show you the ropes and guide you to success.

Call now at 520-360-9214 or book your session today!

This article or post is not intended to provide individual advice which should be obtained directly from your health care professional.

Persistence!

2010-12-04T15:03:00.005-07:00

Violate this step and you'll never achieve permanent results. A recent study shows that persistence is the single most important aspect of any diet or exercise program. The study followed a group of people (group #1) who exercised and dieted very strictly, but sporadically and compared those results to a group of people (group #2) who exercised mildly and followed a very basic diet, but this group never varied from their routine. Even though group #2 exercised and dieted far less (but did so persistently) they got 68% better results than those who exercised and dieted VERY STRICTLY but only occasionally.

“With the holidays around the corner and the many thousands of calories waiting to metabolize to fat so they can stick to your thighs, buttocks, stomach and you know where else, I strongly suggest that you sign up for a session with me, I will show you how you can still eat and lose weight in an effective and safe manner. – Avtar “

Call now at 520-360-9214 or book your session today!

This article or post is not intended to provide individual advice which should be obtained directly from your health care professional.

Supplementation and your Meal Plan

2010-11-29T09:47:00.004-07:00

There are billions of dollars spent each year on meal and dietary supplements, from vitamins to protein bars and even those magic weight loss pills sold over the counter. The most important thing you need to understand, how is what you are taking really benefiting or supporting your overall fitness or health goals. Make sure you READ the labels and look for clean products that still support a healthy meal plan. Multivitamins are an excellent choice to fill in your nutrient holes from your eating plan and sometimes protein powders as well as protein supplements can help support, a busy lifestyle.

For more information on how to choose the right supplements for you, call 520-360-9214 or book a session today.

This article or post is not intended to provide individual advice which should be obtained directly from your health care professional.

Ponce De Leon – We Got It!

2010-11-22T15:34:00.000-07:00

Declining fitness was once expected at about age 35 – now we know it doesn’t have to.

Why grow old gracefully? Even though Ponce de Leon’s efforts to find the fountain of youth were futile, may individuals have continued his crusade.

Aging is a fact of life, and surprisingly, scientists do not know a great deal about this process. For most individuals, the celebration of their 35 birthday begins to mark the decline of physiological functions.

How your body changes

Increase in your fat storage with a reduction in muscle and bone mass results in an elevation in percentage of body fat. A large part of these changes can be accounted for by a less active lifestyle and a drop in basal metabolism. This means that fewer calories are required to maintain body weight, while at the same time, fewer calories are expended.

Decreases in reaction time can be observed under laboratory conditions, but you probably won’t notice this unless you are in your 50’s. This slowing is a result of decreases in nerve conduction velocities and an increase in the time required for the brain to process the information and to select the appropriate response.

The amount of blood your heart can pump per minute also declines along with an individual’s maximum breathing capacity. These factors explain why endurance capacity decreases.

Women are particularly prone to osteoporosis or the thinning of bones. This problem can begin as early as age 25, and speeds up as menopause is approached. It is during the first few years after menopause that the rate at which bone density is lost is tremendously accelerated.

Decreases in flexibility result from a loss of elasticity in the connective tissue. That’s one of the main reasons which explains why a person will experience initial joint stiffness after being idle ir remaining in a set position for a relatively short period of time.

The wearing away of the cartilage which attaches to the ends of the bones, will affect everyone sooner or later. Some evidence suggests that activities which demand repeated pounding, or those which require extremely heavy loads to be moved, place tremendous stress on the joints and ten to accelerate this process.

Exercise for youth

Before you give up all hope and flood the personnel department with requests information about early retirement, results of studies which compare sedentary and active people whose ages from 40-80 years old are encouraging.

The research suggests that you use it or lose it. Exercise strengthens the heart and reduces your risks of cardiovascular disease. Information does suggest that exercise can postpone the onset of normal age- related deterioration. Exercise improves blood flow to the brain.

Well-designed exercise programs are important for all individuals, but they take on even greater emphasis as one ages. The body is less forgiving when over-used and requires a longer period of time to fully recover from work.

Tailor your exercise program to meet your goals, make it fun!

If you need help with your exercise program, please call us at 520-360-9214 or book your coaching session today.

This article or post is not intended to provide individual advice which should be obtained directly from your health care professional

Iron Women

2010-11-21T10:48:00.000-07:00

Many women are not obtaining adequate iron from their diets. A recent study, The Nationwide Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, showed that about 95 percent of women ages 18-44 had iron intakes less than those recommended.

In addition, another study showed that 40 percent of women in their childbearing years exhibit some symptoms of iron deficiency. Why is this a problem in America where we have such an abundance and variety of food?

The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of iron for premenopausal women is 18 mg. This is approximately twice that needed for men, owing largely to women’s menstrual losses of iron. However it is more difficult for women to get adequate amounts of iron because they usually consume less food. This is particularly true if they are on a calorie-restricted.

Furthermore, pregnant women have higher needs for iron, and iron supplements are usually recommended for them. Women with a history of closely repeated pregnancy may be particularly susceptible to iron deficiency.

Foods that are good sources of iron include organ meats (such as liver); or meats such as beef, chicken and fish. Beans and dried fruits are also high in iron. However, only a small portion of iron is actually absorbed. Some foods can reduce iron absorption such as coffee, tea and bran. Vitamin C can increase iron absorption. Iron from animal sources such as meat, is absorbed better that from plant sources.

How can you be reasonably sure that you’re getting enough iron in your diet? You can select more iron-rich foods for your diet. In addition, you can consume meals that promote optimal iron absorption. According to the Food and Nutrition Board of the National research Council, those meals contain one of the following combinations:

1. At least 3 oz. meat, poultry or fish or

2. 75 milligrams of vitamins c or

3. 1 to 3 oz. of meat, poultry or fish plus 25-75 milligrams of vitamin C.

This article or post is not intended to provide individual advice which should be obtained directly from your health care professional.

I have heard if I stop Weight Training, All My Muscles Will Turn into Fat

2010-11-19T17:01:00.000-07:00

People still believe this myth. When you stop working out, your muscles start to atrophy or decrease in size. When muscles shrink, metabolism goes down and you are burning fewer calories in your resting state. If you've been used to eating 2.OOO calories a day while you lifted, continue the level without the calorie-burning of the muscles and you will need to do something with the excess calories. Bad news — the excess goes on the body as fat, which is placed around the atrophied muscle. The appearance is that your muscle has turned to flab. It is an illusion. Muscle can't turn into fat or vice versa any more than an apple can turn into an orange.

This article or post is not intended to provide individual advice which should be obtained directly from your health care professional.

The Culture of Overeating: A Survival Guide

2010-11-17T15:36:00.000-07:00

Certain foods are powerful.

They cast a spell over the most well-meaning dieter, and cause logical people to overeat until their sides hurt.

They occupy your thoughts to the point of obsession as you try to ignore a plate of cookies.

And when it's all said and done, they accumulate on your body in the most obtrusive way as a result of dozens of unused calories.

Why does food hold such power? And, most importantly, how can you control your eating?

The End of Overeating

David A. Kessler, MD set out to answer these pressing questions in his instant bestseller, The End of Overeating. Despite being a pediatrician, a former FDA commissioner, and former dean of the medical schools at Yale and the University of California, San Francisco, Dr. Kessler struggles with his weight.

Observing the current obesity epidemic, he knew that he wasn't alone.

Dr. Kessler, with the insight of some of the brightest minds in medicine and science, discovered the following three reasons that most of us are compelled to overeat.

An Irresistible Combination Rewires Your Brain: Think of your favorite treat - most likely it can be broken down into the basic building blocks of sugar, fat and salt. This combination is known of as the ‘three points of the compass', a combination that has been shown to literally alter the biological circuitry of your brain.

Sugar, fat and salt give food a high hedonic value which gives you pleasure. This pleasure reinforces you to return to your favorite foods time and time again.
The Food Industry Targets You: Everywhere you go you'll see the clever work of the food industry, tempting you with highly palatable creations. Food has become a science, and your taste preferences the guiding light.

The food industry has one goal - to get you hooked. By constructing food items that are high in sugar, fat and salt they know that you will come back time and time again.
Conditioned Hyper-eating Becomes a Way of Life: Humans are conditioned to seek more reward. When readily available, hyper palatable food become our reward a pattern of hyper-eating quickly emerges. Dr. Kessler describes the cycle:

"Foods high in sugar, fat, and salt, and the cues that signal them, promote more of everything: more arousal...more thoughts of food...more urge to pursue food...more dopamine-stimulated approach behavior...more consumption...more opioid-driven reward...more overeating to feel better...more delay in feeling full...more loss of control...more preoccupation with food...more habit-driven behavior...and ultimately, more and more weight gain."

Breaking the Cycle

The good news is that you don't have to remain trapped in a cycle of overeating. The following three tips will put you back in control.

Set Your Rules: In order to resist overeating in today's tempting food environment, you must eat by a set of self-imposed rules. Predetermined rules take away the need to make food decisions in vulnerable moments.

Dr. Kessler thinks these rules should be, "simple enough to fit with your busy life, but specific enough to remove uncertainty from the food equation."

For suggestions as to what rules you should adopt, let's turn to another authority on eating, bestselling author of ‘In Defense of Food', Michael Pollan:

Don't eat anything your great grandmother wouldn't recognize as food.
Pay more, eat less. Look for quality of food over quantity.
Eat meals. Cut out snacking, stick with structured meals.
Don't get your fuel from the same place your car does. Gas stations are great for fueling your car, but the foods they sell are not suited to fuel you.
Try not to eat alone. Eating can become mindless when alone, leading to overeating.
Eat slowly. Eat foods that have been prepared slowly – that mean no fast food.

Make Negative Associations: When was the last time you peeled a lemon and ate it whole? Probably never. That's because your taste buds have a negative association with the sour taste.

Our taste buds have traditionally been our guide when it comes to food selection, but this must change for you to successfully avoid overeating. Since the food industry purposely crafts food items to please your taste buds (not waistline) what tastes good can no longer dictate what you eat.

It's up to you to create negative associations with unhealthy food - despite their pleasing taste. Here are some negatives to focus on:

Those extra calories will accumulate around your waist.
Your health will suffer.
You will become more disappointed with your appearance.
You'll feel sluggish.

Give Yourself a Real Reward: The bottom line is that we eat unhealthy food as a reward, even though it causes more harm that good. It's time to give yourself a truly beneficial reward – exercise.

Exercise is a healthy reward that will not only release endorphins into your system, but will also give you the benefit of weight loss and improved health.

I truly believe that you can overcome your pattern of overeating with healthy eating and regular exercise. In my book Mind Over Body: The Key To Lasting Weight Loss Is All In Your Head! I outlined the four steps to go from Knowing to actually Doing and Being Fit. I also believe that although the physical aspect of losing weight is important, one could not sustain a healthy and fit lifestyle without a holistic and healthy balance of the three expressions of life, mind, body and spirit. Call 520-360-9214 or schedule a coaching session with me email today to get started on a program that will truly change your life.

This article or post is not intended to provide individual advice which should be obtained directly from your health care professional.

Should I Eat After of Before a Workout?

2010-11-16T13:09:00.002-07:00

Never sit down to a full meal immediately before or after a workout. That doesn't mean you should eat nothing, just make it light. You don't want a lot of food in your stomach when you are trying to work out. Afterwards, you want to give your body ample time to recover before you consume a full meal. If you are trying to digest a big meal, both your stomach and muscles will be fighting for blood supply. The end result is that your heart will be working twice as hard to send nutrients to the muscles and the stomach. If you eat too heavily before, you experience the unpleasant sensation of indigestion or may end up sick. You are better off training on a somewhat empty stomach. Try a piece of fruit or half a bagel for energy. Remember, it isn't what you ate an hour before that sustains your energy level. It's what and how you have been eating or drinking the previous few days.

This article or post is not intended to provide individual advice which should be obtained directly from your health care professional.

Holiday Pounds Loom on the Horizon

2010-11-12T16:45:00.002-07:00

It's here-just look at the seasonal shelves in your favorite store. Retailers refer to this time as the holiday season, but I like to be more accurate.

Weight Gain season starts now and runs straight through New Year's.

The next two months will bring ample opportunity for you to indulge, to enjoy and to expand your waistline. Of course the choice is yours.

Why do I bring this up now and not mid way through December? Quite frankly now is the time for you to plan for the weeks ahead. Once the whirlwind of holiday activities and obligations begins, you'll be too caught up to put a plan into action.

So in this moment of clarity, this calm before the storm, let's outline a plan that will save you from unwanted holiday pounds.

1) Put Your Feet to the Fire: Exercise is the first thing to go when people get busy, and the holiday season is notorious for deserted gyms. This year do something drastic-obligate yourself to exercise. Promising to yourself isn't enough; you need to promise to others so that you won't drop the ball.

Commit to working with a fitness expert – the perfect solution for consistent, challenging and effective workouts. You'll get the attention and assistance that you need to power through the holidays in better shape than ever – talk about motivating!
Join a class – we've determined that you simply won't be as effective on your own during the busy holiday season, so joining a class would lend accountability. Stick with something challenging that gets your heart rate elevated and incorporates strength training.
Find a serious exercise buddy – some friends can be the biggest help while others end up pulling you down. When looking for exercise buddies choose carefully and consider the following questions:
- Do they share your fitness goals?
- Are they typically encouraging?
- Do they stick with things?
- Are you at the same fitness level?
Get your spouse involved – what a great way to spend more time together during this busy season, and you'll be able to support each other in your shared quest for fitness. Decide on an exercise activity that you can both enjoy and set a schedule for your workout dates.

2) Cut the Fat: I mean this literally. I'm not going to imply that you shouldn't indulge in any seasonal treats, but think moderation. So often the holidays are used as an excuse to eat until the point of being uncomfortable – would you really miss that bloated feeling? Decide on a few fattening treats to cut out this year.

Do you really need to bring sweets for everyone in the office, especially since you know that you will end up with the leftovers? How about a fruit basket or flower arrangement?
At holiday parties load your plate first with greens, vegetables and lean meats before breads and heavier foods. Also drink water with your meal and keep alcoholic beverages to a minimum.
Watch what you drink, most beverages are filled to the brim with calories. Hot drinks from Starbucks, cocktails at parties and eggnog around a crackling fire-all very enjoyable and all filled with empty calories.
At no other time in the year are we faced with so many sweets. To avoid being a Scrooge, but without adding pounds to your frame, try the one treat rule. Each time you're in a social situation that involves sweets just eat one, and enjoy your treat slowly.

If you truly want to enjoy the coming festivities without dealing with added pounds it is all in your hands. The key is your mindset.

Most people approach the holidays with the mindset that says ‘I deserve to indulge and I shouldn't have to exercise since it's the holidays.' This is fine if you don't mind entering 2011 a few pounds heavier, a little less healthy, and with lower energy than ever before.

I believe that you deserve better. I believe that you should enter 2011 in better shape than you are today, healthier than you've been in a long time, and with more energy that you thought possible.

I'm always available to help – call + 1- 520-360-9214 or schedule a fitness coaching session.

This article or post is not intended to provide individual advice which should be obtained directly from your health care professional.

Don’t Believe Lies!

2010-11-11T10:26:00.000-07:00

Repetition does not transform a lie into a truth.

That bit of wisdom came from Franklin D. Roosevelt during a radio address in 1939, and though he wasn't talking about fitness, it certainly applies to the following fat loss myths.

Myth #1: Eating Late at Night Makes You Fat

The Facts: Your body doesn't have an internal timer that causes late night eats to be stored directly as fat. Weight gain happens when you eat too much and exercise too little - you could eat too much in the morning, the afternoon, or late at night and it would all result in weight gain.

Your Solution: Consider how many calories you eat and burn each day, rather than when you eat.

Myth #2: Snacking Promotes Weight Gain

The Facts: Eating snacks throughout the day is actually a great way to keep your metabolism up and to avoid overeating at meals. However, if you snack on junk food then be prepared to pack on pounds.

Your Solution: When it comes to snacking it's all about what you snack on.

Myth #3: You Can Lose Fat Without Exercise

The Facts: Exercise and healthy eating go hand-in-hand when it comes to permanent fat loss. Your body needs exercise just as it needs to be fed a diet filled with fresh produce, whole grains and lean protein.

Your Solution: Accept exercise as a part of your daily lifestyle.

Myth #4: Fat Free Means 'All-You-Can-Eat'

The Facts: It's time to close your eyes and mentally erase everything that the 90's taught about fat-free dieting. Fat-free foods are not the equivalent of flavored air – they contain plenty of calories and often lots of sugar.

Your Solution: Be mindful of calories when eating fat-free foods.

Myth #5: Eat as Little as Possible for Maximum Fat Loss

The Facts: Eating too little causes your metabolism to shut down and puts your body into starvation mode, and prone to store fat rather than burn it.

Your Solution: When it comes to fat loss think burn rather than starve.

Myth #6: Diet Pills Work for Fat Loss

The Facts: The only thing that diet pills are capable of burning is the extra cash in your wallet. Billions of diet pills are sold every year – all to no avail.

Your Solution: Healthy eating and exercise can never be replaced by a pill.

Myth #7: You Should Never Eat Fast Food

The Facts: It's all about what you order. Fried, processed and salty foods will cause weight gain - don't order them. Lean meat, salad, vegetables and beans, on the other hand, are available at many fast food chains - order these instead.

Your Solution: When eating fast food skip the fried items, stick with lean meats and salads.

Trying to lose weight is often a frustrating experience. In a world filled with quick fixes, lasting weight loss is not something that happens overnight. Remember that it took time to gain the weight, so it will also take some time to lose it.

Permanent weight loss happens as a result of a proper exercise and diet plan - my expertise.

This article or post is not intended to provide individual advice which should be obtained directly from your health care professional.

www.AvtarWellness.com

What Is The Best Aerobic Exercise For Beginners?

2010-11-09T10:20:00.000-07:00

There is no best for everyone. Fitness is very individualistic. While some exercises might burn more calories. It is most important to choose one that you enjoy. I usually suggest some form of walking or stationary recumbent bicycling to start. Even if you enjoy the activity, it must be something you are capable of handling. For example, you may love to walk, but if you have a knee problem, this won't be your best choice of aerobic exercise. Talk it over with a professional to find the activity that is enjoyable and safe.

Should I Do Cardio Before or After I lift Weight?

Aerobic activity should always be performed after weight training. There are three reasons. The first is that weight training will empty your sugar tanks (glycogen or stored carbohydrates) so you can immediately go to your fat reserves when you begin your aerobic activity. Short bursts of energy, such as resistance training, burn glycogen most efficiently while long endurance activities burn fat. If weight lifting has depleted your glycogen stores, then more fat will be burned during the aerobic portion. The second reason you want to lift first is so you are at full strength. You need the energy to lift enough weight, enough times for maximum strength gains.

This article or post is not intended to provide individual advice which should be obtained directly from your health care professional.

www.AvtarWellness.com

Always Be Ready To Workout

2010-11-05T11:49:00.000-07:00

As a professional athlete, competing and working out is always in the forefront of your mind. The rest of us have 28 million other things to think about, which means that we need to make exercising as convenient as possible. I joined a gym close to home, and being able to drive, run or bike there has proven effective in keeping me on a consistent schedule, regardless of the weather. For added motivation, I always keep a clean set of workout clothes in my car so I can head to the gym or the local park on a whim. (After all, if you don't go home first, you won't find excuses to stay home.) I also keep a stash of fitness gadgets in my closet, including a medicine ball, workout bands and a stability ball. These let me exercise my entire body and, because they're so different from what I usually do at the gym, I generally look forward to using them again. Plus, most of these items travel well, which allows me to work out when I'm on the road.

Because the issues of time and travels were big concerns for many of my clients, I had the opportunity to create a perfect, mind, body and spirit workout called the TotalBodyWork when I was the Fitness Director at Miraval Resort. The 45 minutes workout includes, power meditation, Kundalini yoga exercises, upper and lower body exercises, fun cardio-kicks, full body stretches and relaxation technique, all in one workout DVD you can perform in the comfort of your own home. What’s more, the entire DVD is filmed outdoor at the fabulous and famous Spa/Resort, Miraval Tucson. All you need is a medicine ball (between 4 to 10 lbs), a yoga mat, a Bodybar (anywhere between 2 to 8 lbs if you are a female and 6 to 15 lbs if you are a male), a pair of handweights (between 1 to 5 lbs if you are a female and 7 to 12 lbs if you are a male). The workout is very effective and will leave you totally rejuvenated in body, mind and spirit.

You can purchase a copy of the TotalBodyWork by clicking here.

This article or post is not intended to provide individual advice which should be obtained directly from your health care professional.

Make An Appointment With Your Body

2010-11-03T10:46:00.002-07:00

It's easy to put your body first when it's the source of your income. Still, as soon as I finished my training session, I started filling my calendar with private clients sessions. No wonder that at the end of most workdays, I was either too zonked or too preoccupied to go to the gym. So on Sunday nights, I began checking my calendar to determine my business and social obligations for the week, then penned in when I planned to work out each day, literally making appointments with my body to exercise. And just like I faithfully stuck to the rest of my schedule, I never once canceled a workout.

This article or post is not intended to provide individual advice which should be obtained directly from your health care professional.

Set Realistic Goals

2010-10-28T17:33:00.001-07:00

You aren't likely to hear some rookie say he plans to win the New York Marathon when he finished in last place the year before and he has yet to get off the bench. In other words, most athletes set realistic goals. So face it: You're not going to lose 30 pounds by your 10-year class reunion next weekend. (A more realistic goal is approximately two pounds per week.) Focus on taking one baby step at a time, keeping your ultimate goal in mind. It will be all the more rewarding when you finally get there.

This article or post is not intended to provide individual advice which should be obtained directly from your health care professional.

Check Your Fuel Gage

2010-10-25T10:34:00.000-07:00

While you'd never put sugar in your gas tank, many of us put junk into our bodies on a regular basis and then wonder why we don't have the energy to get through the day.

While training for the World Championships, I made myself eat healthfully because it was very obvious that my physical and my mental shape depended upon it. After I retired, however, I developed a weakness for junk food, despite the fact that it made me feel sluggish and fatter. I was stuck in a negative behavioral pattern only I could resolve.

Then, after consciously making myself aware of the issue I concluded that I'd only been addressing half of my fitness dilemma. Besides focusing on exercise, I also needed to eat more wisely accordingly to my daily activity expenditure and find a way to relax through meditation and relaxation techniques.

Now I give in to my junk food cravings only one day a week, and my body feels and looks much better. Eating to sustain life rather than living to eat our problems away is a much better solution to create harmony in life.

This article or post is not intended to provide individual advice which should be obtained directly from your health care professional.

Celebrate Your Success

2010-10-23T11:00:00.000-07:00

During my years as a pro-athlete, working out regularly and being in top shape was a given. These days, I feel an incredible sense of achievement whenever I complete an ordinary 60-minute workout. Sure, I use to push and pull over 15 tons of iron in a single session, but now I'm beside myself with joy when I break the ton or two.

Aiming to stay at the gym 60 minutes but can only stay 30 minutes? Celebrate anyway, because you're on your way. You can give yourself little rewards here and there — as long as it's not junk food. Instead, splurge on a smoothie or a low-fat yogurt.

Every 6 weeks of success for sticking to your training routine, celebrate big time by treating yourself for a big night out, dinner and popcorns at the movies. You will be able to have a cheat day on a weekly basis once you have reached your optimum weight and body composition.

Remember that taking care of yourself inwardly and outwardly is crucial to a life in balance; it will affect positively everything in all areas of your life. The opposite is also true.

This article or post is not intended to provide individual advice which should be obtained directly from your health care professional.

How To Determine Fat Calories of Food Products

2010-10-18T21:35:00.000-07:00

When on a nutritional plan that is low in fat, it’s always a good idea to determine how much of it you are actually consuming. I personally recommend not to exceed 20% of your daily calories requirements. Check the fat content of food products. To find what percentage of the total calories of a food are fat, use the following formula:

Read the label to discover:

1. Amount of fat per serving (in grams) ______________

2. Amount of fat per serving ______________

Multiply the number of grams of fat by 9 (the # of calories per gram) to determine the number of calories per serving derived from fat. _________ x 9 = _________

Divide the number of total calories of fat by the total calories. __________ ÷_________ = _________

Multiply by 100. ________ x 100 = __________%

This formula gives the percentage of calories derived from fat.

Example: Frozen Mexican Diner

25 grams of fat

350 calories per serving

25 x 9 = 225 calories per serving derived from fat.

225 ÷ 350 = 0.642

0.642 x 100 = 65% of the calories are from fat.

This article or post is not intended to provide individual advice which should be obtained directly from your health care professional

How to Eat Well While Traveling?

2010-10-17T20:15:00.001-07:00

You've heard it over and over again that you should eat five or six small meals a day to maintain a healthy weight and keep your energy levels high, particularly if you workout on a regular basis. But for many of you finding time to cook a meal a day can be a challenge, never mind five or six. When you're on the go and looking for a quick, healthy meal, it helps to be aware of your choice; because you have a choice. With airport regulations the choice is a little limited. Nevertheless, you can get a healthy and fast meal such as “healthy fast foods”, meal replacements, and protein bars. You will find below a few meal ideas:

Fast Food:

Try to drink 8 oz of water before consuming any of the following (you will eat less by doing so).

1- McDonald Chicken McGrill without mayonnaise 300 Calories, 4.5 gr. Fat, Carbohydrates 37gr, Protein 27 gr.).You also eat only half of the bun; this would reduce the total calories to 220 calories, hence reducing the carbohydrates and fat content.

2- McDonald Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken without Liquid Margarine: 300 Calories, 6 gr. Total Fat, Carbohydrates 12 gr., Protein 30 gr.

3- McDonald California Cobb Salad with Grilled Chicken without Liquid Margarine: 280 Calories, 11 gr. Fat, 12 gr. Carbohydrates, 35 gr. Protein).

4- (Burger King) BK Veggie® Burger Patty Without reduced fat mayonnaise: 310 Calories, 7 gr. Fat, 45 gr. Carbohydrates, 15 gr. Protein.

5- Starbucks: Roma Tomato & Mozzarella Sandwich: 380 calories. Ham & Swiss Sandwich: 360 calories. Chicken on Flatbread with Hummus Artisan Snack Plate: 250 calories. Farmer's Market Salad: 230 calories.

6- California Pizza Kitchen: Asparagus Soup: (vegetarian and creamless) 106 calories per cup, 213 for a bowl. Moroccan Chicken Salad (half): 421 calories. Chinese Chicken Salad (half): 376 calories. Frozen Lemonade: 70 calories

7- TCBY: Every soft-serve yogurt is under 120 calories per ½ cup serving, top with any berries for less than 10 calories extra. Have it on a sugar cone for 50 more calories

Easy Meal Replacement

· Protein Bars (not energy bars) :

When choosing a bar, you should consider a few factors. Avoid bars with too much sugar. Look for products that have at least 3 grams of fiber. And scan the label for high quality ingredients like whole grains. Generally I would rather see a whole grain as the first ingredient, rather than high fructose corn syrup. Get 10-20 grams protein per bar if you are a woman and 20-30 grams if you are a man.

· Whey or Soy Protein Shake:

You can also prepare your own protein shake and drink it before crossing security (at home), it will fill you up for a couple of hours and will keep you from giving in to junk foods, or prepare it at your hotel. Try my recipe, the “Nordine’s Power Punch” (Featured on Oprah Winfrey’s Showhttp://www.oprah.com/food/Nordines-Power-Punch.

Servings: Makes 1 serving

Ingredients

Nordine's Power Punch

· 2 tablespoons soy or whey protein powder

· 1/2 cup fat-free milk

· 1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt

· 1/2 cup strawberries

· 1/2 medium banana

· 1 1/2 cups ice cubes

Directions

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Serve in a tall glass.

Nutritional Information

260 calories, 1.5 grams fat, 0 grams saturated fat, 5 mg of cholesterol, 190 mg sodium, 51 grams carbohydrate, 5 grams fiber, 16 grams protein

This article or post is not intended to provide individual advice which should be obtained directly from your health care professional.

Do You Really Want to Change?

2010-10-15T10:08:00.000-07:00

No one can “make” another person change his or her behavior. Only the person himself can control his choices and create that change. All I can do for you in this book is what I do when I’m sitting in a room with a client—that is help you to determine what your goals are and what you truly want for yourself, help you to identify your current negative and positive behaviors, and help you to create a plan of action that will facilitate the changes you want to make. Doing all that is a process—one I go through with my clients every day and that I will be going through with you.

Change doesn’t happen in an instant. In fact most of us, at least initially, are afraid of change. If you don’t believe me, just think how many people remain for years in dead end jobs or moribund marriages. Why? Because they may not be happy with the result of their current behavior, but at least they know what that result is. And they’re afraid that if they change their behavior, the result may be worse rather than better than what they know. Even our bodies hate to change. All our systems and our organs work constantly, every day, to keep things the same. What our bodies seek is homeostasis—the maintenance of internal stability. That’s a biological fact.

So how do we bring about change for ourselves, mentally and physically? It is, as I’ve said, a process. We move from not thinking about change at all to thinking about it, planning it, and then testing various means of creating it.

Excerpt from my book Mind Over Body: The Key To Lasting Weight Loss Is All In Your Head!

How Do You React to Failure?

2010-10-14T10:36:00.000-07:00

When failure arises, how do you react to it? Do you blame yourself or others for your failure? Do you swallow the deal and learn from it, adapt to it and keep moving forward or do you give up and look for an easier way? Most people love to blame when things don’t go their way and deny any “personal responsibility” even at a great cost. To be responsible for your actions is to accept the consequences or rewards of those actions and therefore acknowledge, accept and let go of all blames and negative feelings if things don’t really go as you’ve planed. Try again, and again! After all, Thomas Edison tried 9999 times before he invented the light bulb. His motivator: ‘there is no such thing as failure, just another opportunity to get closer to success?” He was right!!!

Don't Believe Lies: It's All Lies!

2010-10-11T10:49:00.004-07:00

Your Solution: Consider how many calories you eat and burn each day, rather than when you eat.

Your Solution: When it comes to snacking it's all about what you snack on.

Your Solution: Accept exercise as a part of your daily lifestyle.

Your Solution: Be mindful of calories when eating fat-free foods.

Your Solution: When it comes to fat loss think burn rather than starve.

Your Solution: Healthy eating and exercise can never be replaced by a pill.

Your Solution: When eating fast food skip the fried items, stick with lean meats and salads.

This article or post is not intended to provide individual advice which should be obtained directly from your health care professional.

Matter Of The Spirit - How Meditation and Prayer Can Work For You

2010-10-04T12:28:00.000-07:00

Your mind and body are connected, you can connect with your spirit and begin contemplating how it can help you achieve the transformations you desire.

I've already defined spirit as the authentic essence that gives you your individuality; your life force. You are born with it; it is yours to treasure; no one can damage it or take it away.

Everyone defines spirituality in his or her own terms. I define spirituality as an individual's relationship with oneself, other people and their actions, the natural world and the fabricated, technological world. Just as the Creation is a mystery and our universe is largely uncharted, there is also something miraculous and ultimately unknowable about spirit and spirituality.

I choose to embrace the mystery, however, because I know my spirit is my greatest ally, even if I can't explain why. After all, it's worked for me pretty well so far in my journey! I simply tap into the power of my spirit so I can live life to the fullest and help my clients accomplish their goals.

Because spirituality cannot be defined or quantified, there are no large-scale medical studies that provide evidence of a direct connection between spirituality and health. But you should know that there are many compelling studies in the medical literature suggesting that religious faith and frequent prayer as well as meditation help promote stress management, alleviate depression, increase purpose in life, and promote participation in self-help recovery.

Dale Matthews, M.D. discusses this research in his 1999 book, "The Faith Factor;" Herbert Benson, M.D. also devotes part of his book, "Timeless Healing," (1996) to what science says about how prayer works. Another physician who has investigated prayer, health and healing and personal growth is Larry Dossey, M.D. In his 1995 book, "Healing Words," Dossey discusses over 100 scientific studies, many conducted under strict laboratory conditions. Over half of these showed that prayer brings about significant physiological and psychological changes in humans and other living beings.

By praying and meditating for health, strength, transformation, courage, love, compassion, patience or other desirable outcomes, you have everything to gain, and nothing to lose. Use prayer and meditation to connect with your deepest aspirations for wholeness, and increased self-esteem will be one the many benefits you'll enjoy.

Definition of a Workout

2010-09-30T09:52:00.000-07:00

A Workout is 25% perspiration and 75% determination,

Stated another way, it is one part physical exertion and three parts self-discipline,

Doing it easy once you get started.

A Workout makes you feel better today than you were yesterday,

It strengthens the body, relaxes the mind, and toughens the spirit,

When you workout regularly, your problems diminish and your confidence grows.

A Workout is a personal triumph over laziness and procrastination.

It is the badge of a winner, the mark of an organized, goal-oriented person who has taken charge of his or her destiny.

A Workout is a wise use of time and an investment in excellence.

It is a way of preparing for life’s challenges and proving to yourself that you have what it takes to do what is necessary.

A Workout is a key to help unlock the door to opportunity and success,

Hidden within each of us, is an extraordinary force, physical and mental fitness is the triggers that can release it.

A Workout is a form of rebirth,

When you finish a good workout, you don’t simply feel better,

You feel well about yourself.

George Allen

Visualize the Body Using Your Inner Power

2010-09-23T16:10:00.003-07:00

Many professional athletes practice visualization, which means picturing themselves going through the motions to achieve a certain goal — complete with sounds, colors, tastes and smells — and have seen it pay off big time. It really works. What you can conceive in your soul and create in your mind, you WILL EXPERIENCE with your body! During my years as a professional athlete, I spent 10 minutes a day visualizing and looking at my body the way I wanted it to look and feel, the result that I mentally conceived in the visualization were experienced in my training sessions, making them tremendously intensive and effective. Now, whenever I work out, I close my eyes and visualize whatever I wish to accomplish in my workouts.

How to Visualize

Close your eyes and visualize your body being fit, beautiful, full of energy and strength, see yourself looking and feeling as you want your body to feel and look. Make the picture as detailed and vivid as you possibly can. What do you look like? How does it feel? The more vivid you’re able to make your visualization, the more powerful it will be.

It may take a while for you to feel completely comfortable doing this. At first the images may not be entirely clear. That’s okay, because the more you practice the clearer they will become. Try to picture the same images every day, adding more detail as you become more familiar with the process. Think of yourself as the lead actor in a movie you are projecting on the screen of your mind. Make sure that when you are doing this, you give an Oscar-winning performance!

This article or post is not intended to provide individual advice which should be obtained directly from your health care professional.

Visualize the Body Using Your Inner Power

2010-09-23T16:10:00.001-07:00

How to Visualize

This article or post is not intended to provide individual advice which should be obtained directly from your health care professional.

Expressing Anger

2010-09-23T11:56:00.000-07:00

Anger is neither good nor bad; anger is just another one of our human emotions, alongside sadness, love, fear, hurt, etc. We have often convinced ourselves however, that anger is a big no-no, that if we feel anger then we are doing something “wrong.” But it is not wrong to feel anger – it let us know when we (or those we love) are being mistreated or when needs are not being met. It can, however, be hurtful to ourselves to not let go of the anger – unexpressed anger can lead to resentments or depression and might block our lives with feelings from the past that don’t apply to the present. When I am living in the present, though, anger is the radar that helps me recognize more fully when my needs are not being met. Although anger may still be uncomfortable, I am now open to the message it brings.

This article or post is not intended to provide individual advice which should be obtained directly from your health care professional.

Flexibility

2010-09-22T12:00:00.000-07:00

Never assume that a healthy heart, strong and toned muscles are all you needed to keep your body looking good and be fit. But without flexible muscles, range of motion is weakened, which can ultimately lead to inefficient muscle functionality and injury.

Flexibility is essential for limber muscles and healthy joints; unfortunately it is the most neglected pillar of fitness. Each muscle-building exercise is followed by a corresponding stretch designed to promote flexible muscles and connective tissue.

Stretching is where you get the most benefit from your workout because it maintains muscles healthy, long, and lean. The exercise should always take place after a workout, when you’ve raised the heart rate and warmed the body; otherwise, it can lead to muscle strain and injury. Work into the stretch slowly but never bounce, holding it for 15 seconds to allow your muscles to let loosen-up.

Stretching is a good synergy to strength training because it increases blood flow to the muscles and breaks down lactic acid, which can cause stiff, sore muscles. Incorporating slow and deep breathing optimizes the outcome of the stretch by nourishing your muscles with abundance of oxygen. Breath through the nose, exhale at the end of a stretch to allow your breath to take you deeper into complete freedom of motion. The following are the benefits of stretching:

· Improves muscles flexibly.

· Healthier joints

· Improves range of motion

· Prevents injury

· Increases Oxygen into the muscles.

· Reduces muscle soreness by breaking down lactic acid.

This article or post is not intended to provide individual advice which should be obtained directly from your health care professional

Email’s Dark Side

2010-09-20T09:38:00.001-07:00

Email is a fantastic tool, but these ten psychology studies remind us of its dark side. Like the telephone or the TV, email is a technology so embedded in our lives, we think nothing of it. Both help and hindrance, on one hand it's the Internets original 'killer application' and on the other it's a spam-spewing slave-driver.

We're used to hearing about the negative side of the balance-sheet, about email's addictive nature and the unnecessary stress it injects into the modern worker's life, but we downplay these problems because it's so incredibly useful.

Now that email is well into middle age (the first emails were sent in 1965), let's take stock of what we know about the darker side of email.

1. 59 per cent check email from the bathroom

You don't need to be an expert on Pavlov's drooling dogs to work out why email is so habit-forming. Most of it is humdrum, but occasionally we get something exciting and that's what we're hoping for when we check our email. In psychological terms email is a 'variable-interval reinforcement': we don't know exactly when the good stuff is coming so we have to keep checking.

It's no wonder, according to AOL's 2010 survey, 47% claim to be hooked on it, 25% of people can't go without email for more than 3 days, 60% check email on vacation and 59% check email from the bathroom.

2. You check more often than you think

Participants in a study claimed to check their email, on average, once an hour. However when the researchers spied on them, it turned out they checked their email every five minutes.

Despite the small sample size of the study, further research has suggested people do set their email program to check their email every 5 minutes as well as significantly underestimating how often they check their email. As a consequence we also underestimate how disruptive it can be.

3. Email eats a quarter of the working day

When a diary study of people in various different occupations was carried out, they found that on average people spent 23% of their working day dealing with email.

This is because people are not just using email to communicate; they are also using it as a way of tracking tasks-one study has found that workers are managing an average of 65 tasks in 10 different spheres at any one time.

4. It takes 64 seconds to recover from an email

We often react quickly to incoming email, almost like the phone ringing. One workplace study found that 70% of emails were reacted to within 6 seconds of their arrival, and 85% within 2 minutes.

The problem is that it took participants in the same study 64 seconds to recover their train of thought after an email interruption.

Add this to the fact that people spend an average of only 3 minutes on each task before they switch to another, and it's difficult to see how anyone can achieve the psychological state of 'flow' necessary for complex tasks.

5. Stressed emailers

Given the effort we put into email and the entire task switching that's going on, it's unsurprising that it generates stress. Of course we each deal with email in different ways, Three types of emailers were identified:

1. Relaxed responders treat email almost like snail mail. They refuse to let it control them and get back to people when they feel like it.

2. Driven responders try to reply instantly to email and expect others to do the same.

3. Stressed responders don't find email useful; to them it is mostly an irritation. My survey revealed 57% of people consider themselves relaxed, 32% driven and 11% stressed emailers, but this may well underestimate the actual number of stressed emailers.

6. Email kills sarcasm (and emotional communication)

People consistently overestimate their ability to communicate effectively with email. A series of studies found that both senders and receivers don't realize how poor email is for communicating things like sarcasm.

In one study participants thought that their sarcasm would be communicated 80% of the time. Face-to-face this was accurate, but over email the actual figure was 56%.

This overconfidence was also seen when people tried to communicate anger, sadness, seriousness and humor in an email. Without body language cues, it's hard to communicate more than literal meanings. Sorry, emoticons don't cut it :-(

7. People feel less co-operative

Email negotiations often feel difficult, especially with people we don't know well. When emailing was compared with face-to-face negotiations, it was found that people were less co-operative over email and even felt more justified in being less co-operative.

Part of the reason negotiations are difficult is that people tend to be more negative on email. For example, it was found that when people evaluated each other in performance appraisals using both pen-and-paper and email, they were consistently more negative about their colleagues when using email.

8. Low rapport on email

Another reason negotiations can be difficult over email is that when negotiating with a stranger, because email is so short and to-the-point, there is little or no rapport to fall back on. So if negotiations hit a problem, they can quickly fall apart.

I have found that even a single telephone call can create enough good feeling between the parties to bridge the rapport gap.

9. Lying feels more justified

People will lie in any medium, but compared with pen-and-paper, they lie more over email and feel that lying is more justified. In a recent study participants lied 50% more when they negotiated over email compared with pen-and-paper. They propose three reasons:

1. Emails are less permanent: it feels closer to chatting than writing a letter.

2. Less restrained: people feel freer online because of the online dis-inhibition effect.

3. Lower personal connection: over email we feel psychologically distant, resulting in low trust and rapport.

10. Irritating emailers

A fluffy AOL survey has classified the most irritating types of emailers by the type of emails they send.

In order of how irritating, from most to least:

1. The cryptic: rated the most irritating type of emailer, this person fills their emails with unexplained acronyms, mostly to try and impress the boss.

2. The author: thinks they are writing a novel not an email.

3. The forwarder: sends on every idiotic chain letter and joke they receive, apparently without exercising their judgment.

4. The player: claims not to have received your email. Quite irritating; but in these days of spam filters, hard to prove.

5. The smiley: emoticon users were amongst the least irritating types of emailer.

6. The succinct: the least irritating type of emailer keeps it short and to the point.

Email cold turkey

The practical up shots of this research are nothing you won't have heard before: check your email less, remember the costs of task switching, and keep email succinct.

Finally, remember it can be difficult to maintain relationships online because people feel psychologically distant from one another, so make a call every now and then. Because email isn't the all-powerful application it once was, with the advent of texting, Facebook, Twitter and the rest, we tend to forget both how useful email is and how dangerous it can be. I've avoided overblown talk of addiction, but given this research there's certainly a case for going email cold turkey every now and then.

Article by: http://www.spring.org.uk

Meditation as a Strong Wellness Tool

2010-09-17T21:28:00.000-07:00

“The experience which you gain during meditation should offer some help while you’re working or being involved in your job. There is no point in separating these things.”

- His Excellency the Dalai Lama

I was introduced to meditation about 10 years ago by who I call my spiritual mentor; Dr. Dharma Singh Khalsa, author of seven successful books. It is a fact that my own parents knew meditation in a more traditional way such as prayer, so I was somehow meditating since I was a little boy. My connection with God has always been a constant meditative way to manifest everything I’ve experienced. Dr. Dharma has never tried to force me into meditation, what he did instead is educate and teach me the benefits of mediation and in turn I taught him how to workout, a fair bargain don’t you think. Here I am now after truly practicing and teaching meditation as it pertains to fitness, which is why I included it in my book Mind Over Body: The Key To Lasting Weight Loss Is All In your Head! It is my responsibility and duty to tell you what my perception of meditation has been and still are today. Meditation has allowed me to move away from the material world and the body image obsession. It allowed me to identify the channel in which I was connected to the Universe. It allowed my state of awareness to develop and to accept and live one heart beat at a time. When people ask me to describe meditation, I just give them the following explanation: “Meditation is like the Champs Elise Avenue in Paris, France. Twenty years ago the avenue was so narrow that it was a nightmare for traffic, (if you’ve seen the movie National Lampoon: European Vacation with Chevy Chase you probably know what I mean) then the government decide to rebuild the avenue by making it wider so traffic would be more flowing; that is exactly what meditation does; it widen your state of awareness so your own “thought” process is less jammed and allow you to think more clearly and therefore deal more efficiently with every day life’s challenges. Meditation as a pillar of wellness has made it easier, for thousands of my clients, to access their inner self, accept who they are, how they wanted to feel and achieve extraordinary results.

Benefits of meditation:

Allows the connection between body and mind
Widen your state of awareness
Reduces cortisol level by reducing stress
Reduces blood pressure
Reduces anxiety
Helps with depression
Helps with focus

This article or post is not intended to provide individual advice which should be obtained directly from your health care professional.

DEFINITIONS OF COMMON NUTRITRIONAL TERMS

2010-09-16T17:16:00.003-07:00

FAT FREE - Product has less than 1/2 (0.5) grams of fat per serving. This value will be rounded to zero.

99 FAT FREE - Every 100 grams of food will have 1 gram or less of fat.

LOW FAT - Product has 3 grams of fat or less per serving.

REDUCED FAT - Fat has been reduced by at least 25 percent (compared to a similar food).

LIGHT (LITE) - Product has 33 fewer calories or 50 less fat per serving than a comparable product.

LEAN - For meat and poultry only. Product has less than 10 grams fat, less than 4 grams saturated fat, and less than 95 milligrams cholesterol per serving.

LOW CALORIE - Product has 40 calories or less per serving.

SATURATED FAT FREE - Product has less than 0.5 grams saturated fat per serving. This value will be rounded to zero.

LOW IN SATURATED FAT - Product has one gram or less saturated fat per serving.

CHOLESTEROL FREE - Product has less than 2 milligrams of cholesterol per serving. This value will be rounded to zero.

LOW CHOLESTEROL - Product has 20 milligrams or less cholesterol and two grams or less of saturated fat per serving.

SODIUM FREE - Product has less than 5 milligrams of sodium per serving. This value will be rounded to zero.

VERY LOW SODIUM - Product has 35 milligrams or less of sodium per serving.

LOW SODIUM - Product has 140 milligrams or less of sodium per serving.

GOOD SOURCE - Used for fiber, protein, vitamins, or minerals. Product has at least 10 of the Daily Value for the particular nutrient.

HIGH IN (EXCELLENT SOURCE) - Used for fiber, protein, vitamins, or minerals. Product has at least 20 of the Daily Value for the particular nutrient.

This article or post is not intended to provide individual advice which should be obtained directly from your health care professional.

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2010-08-10T16:13:00.000-07:00

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2010-08-06T20:12:00.000-07:00

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2010-08-04T16:52:00.000-07:00

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Nordine's Power Punch on Oprah

2010-08-04T11:34:00.000-07:00

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Acupuncture May Trigger Natural Painkiller - US News and World Report

2010-05-30T21:16:00.000-07:00

Acupuncture May Trigger Natural Painkiller - US News and World Report

Group Warns of 'Extreme' Restaurant Meals

2010-05-25T17:13:00.000-07:00

Group Warns of 'Extreme' Restaurant Meals

Cut Back on Sodas to Lower Blood Pressure

2010-05-24T16:29:00.000-07:00

Cut Back on Sodas to Lower Blood Pressure

Roller-Coaster Ride Could Affect Your Ears

2010-05-01T09:37:00.000-07:00

Roller-Coaster Ride Could Affect Your Ears

SaveJapanDolphins.org | Ending dolphin slaughter in Taiji

2010-04-25T13:16:00.000-07:00

SaveJapanDolphins.org | Ending dolphin slaughter in Taiji

Experts Urge FDA to Mandate Salt Reduction

2010-04-21T17:21:00.000-07:00

Experts Urge FDA to Mandate Salt Reduction

Study: Too Much Sugar Increases Heart Risks

2010-04-21T09:47:00.000-07:00

Study: Too Much Sugar Increases Heart Risks

Reducing Weight Should Not Equal Starvation

2010-04-15T12:14:00.000-07:00

Have you started yet another diet so that you will be a slimmer and trimmer you by the end of this calendar year? Are you just a few weeks into the new diet and you are already starving and dreaming of that fast food burger and fries? If so, chances are you are not going about things in the best way. Reducing weight isn’t about starving yourself. If you are starving yourself you are actually making reducing weight more difficult than it needs to be.

Starvation is Not the Ticket to Weight Loss

We’ve all tried it, even if we don’t want to admit it. We have all starved ourselves, even if just a little bit, in an attempt to reduce weight. The fact is that our bodies need fuel to function and complete even the simplest tasks and if you aren’t eating you aren’t going to be able to function. When you don’t eat you communicate to your body that it needs to slow down its metabolism. When you are trying to reduce weight you need to do everything you can to boost your metabolism and when you are starving yourself you are working against that plan!

Weight Reducing is all about getting right in your mind before you even think about how you will eat or what activities you will do. The first thing you need to do is decide that you want to reduce weight. When you have decided this in your mind and you are committed to weight reducing you can then move forward and consider how you will eat and what sort of activities you will do to try to burn more calories that will ultimately result in weight loss. Simply taking food out of the equation is not the answer for weight loss that can be maintained long term. Once the commitment is made mentally and emotionally then an activity such as strength training combined with cardiovascular exercise and a balanced nutritional plan should be enough to help you reduce weight, feel better and function at optimum level. Make the decision and you’ll be half way there.

Night Binging: What’s Happening

2010-03-26T09:50:00.000-07:00

Binge eating mostly happens in the evening and you become someone else. In the evening you are probably tired and stressed, and that is why you should use your rational hours of the day planning your evenings in order to eat moderately. When you eat supper, you gorge yourself with everything you have at home such as sandwiches, ice cream, etc.

Try not to keep sandwiches, ice cream or other fattening, unhealthy food at home.

Be sure to buy in advance the ingredients you need to prepare a large, tasty salad, so that you can have a big meal that is not fattening and unwholesome for your body.

The main goal here is to get healthy, wholesome and reasonable eating habits. If you do this in the first place, your body weight will go down to a level that fits your physical constitution.

The alternative to escaping the anguish by binge-eating is feeling the anguish. This can provide useful information that you might need for accurate estimates in life. Be curious about what can come out of your feelings and ideas if you desist from gorging yourself with food.

Lie down and focus your attention inside of yourself. Be brave! What you feel may not be pleasant. But these unpleasant feelings usually die away after a while and afterwards you are enriched with a new understanding of your inner feelings and you will feel generally better.

It takes about 10 to 15 minutes of deep breathing exercise for the cravings to dissipates if it is still there get-up and prepare a large salad.

Think About All Of The Steps Involved:

The thought enters your mind that you want to cheat. (REFRAME NOW! THINK ABOUT THE NEW YOU) Ask why and make a better decision.
You decide to take action on the thought. (IT’S STILL NOT TOO LATE!)
You stand up. (YOU ARE ABOUT TO MESS UP ALL YOUR EFFORTS!)
You walk over to the fridge, door (to go to the store), or phone (to order food). (THINK AGAIN!!!)
You open the fridge door, grab your keys and unlock the door, or dial the phone (after looking through your pile of menus and picking one out). (POINT OF NO RETURN!!!)
You reach into the fridge and start searching around, walk out your door to the store or sit and wait the fast food delivery man.
YOU JUST LET YOURSELF DOWN.

These are definitely a lot of steps! And there are many in between I have probably missed as well. So as we see here, there are 7 opportunities to reason with your own mind, and think "ok, do I really want to kill all my hard work in the gym by eating something that will only award me temporary satisfaction, and make me look/feel worse?" In the heat of the moment, the binge eater is sometimes likened to an animal that cannot control itself, acting on instinct only, without regard to what is going on.

He consumes simply for the sake of consumption, and receives his satiety from this fact, and this fact only: he will not stop until he is absolutely stuffed and will award his palate with a plethora of different tastes to fit his liking.

The body you want is already there, it's maybe just a little covered up...remove that cover by respecting and loving yourself. Use your mind. Without a light what good is a temple.

My book Mind Over Body will help you do just that, order a copy today!