Food And Fitness

Instead of crash dieting or over-exercising, it makes sense to see your diet and exercise routine as part of an overall health routine. When you get the right diet, and the right exercise routine for you, you’ll give yourself the best chance of getting healthy and staying healthy.

Some people think that they can eat any unhealthy food and then just burn it off at the gym, but in reality this is not the best way to lose weight. Your body needs proper fuel to function, especially with the quite strenuous workouts that are necessary for weight reduction.

It’s simply pointless to work out when you’re feeding yourself junk food. What’s the point of trying to get fit on an unhealthy diet.

In fact exercising in this way can be bad for your health. If your body does not have adequate nutrition you will find exercising difficult and experience quite a bit of discomfort. This can be a large factor in your giving up and abandoning your goals of weight loss.

Others rely solely on diets to reduce weight, but this will not be truly effective in the long run.

It is true that diets do help you lose weight initially, but when you have lost those pounds and return to a normal diet, what happens? That’s right… the weight come back… with a vengeance. It will be a waste of your hard work, and you’ll end up feeling worse than ever. This can lead to added stress and affect your mental and physical health.

In the real world, it’s a combination of diet and exercise that will help you achieve your fitness goals. Here is how they work. A diet takes care of fuelling your body the right way.

In that when you diet you will cut out junk food and reduce fats, sugars, and carbohydrates. These last 3 categories of foods are the ones that are high in calories and when eaten in excess these foods will often lead to weight increase. Cutting down these foods will help you lose weight. Regular exercise will help you burn calories and also help you to reduce weight.

When you use both methods, you’ll lose weight more quickly. Here comes the main issue… maintaining your weight and fitness. The question to ask yourself is.

.. what happens to your weight when you stop your get-thin-fast diet? An exercise routine helps to burn calories and maintain an optimal weight. As you can see exercise is a double-edged weapon against obesity. It helps in both reduction and maintenance.

As you can see diet and exercise are both a vital part of your weight loss plan. When you use both diet and exercise you will be setting yourself up for success. Once you utilize these two powerful weapons against obesity, you will be successful in your weight loss program and feel better both mentally, food and fitness, and physically.

I am going to tell you why you need to behave more like a cave man in order to stay healthier and happier. Read on cave people……
Over aeons of time, our bodies have adapted to cope with survival in a harsh environment. Although we achieved civilization thousands of years ago, our bodies have not evolved to adapt to this change. If we imagine ourselves back in the distant past we would have eaten less sugar, salt and fat in a year or more than we now eat in a week or less. We would have eaten a diet of meat and fish, mostly vegetable matter, fruit, berries, nuts, seeds and roots.

We would only have drunk water, and may have sampled the splendour of honey. Foods would be rich in fibre, some protein, essential fats, vitamins and minerals, but low in sugar, salt and saturated fats. We would have been in almost constant motion; playing, working, foraging, preparing food, but rarely staying still. (I think that it is important to remind ourselves that our body is designed to be active, but that we often think of exercise as formal, vigorous, structured pursuits. It can be easy to persuade ourselves that going swimming or playing football twice a week is enough [and so we have an excuse for driving to work and to the local shops].

And although it is great to do these things, we can stay fit and healthy without a gym membership, just by doing everyday movements; walking, cleaning the house, and gardening, and yes I shall say that well-worn phrase- leaving the car at home.)
Don’t think that our person from the past would have been feasting on jumbo mammoth steaks Flintstone-style all day long either. Meat may have been in scant supply for much of the time (have you ever tried to catch a rabbit?) and women and children spent a large amount of time foraging for nuts, roots, berries and vegetable matter.

Everyone would have been involved in acquiring food, and all methods of obtaining food would have used large amounts of energy; you have to cover wide areas to provide enough food for a family. Even when farming became a way of life huge amounts of energy would have to be invested in producing the fruits, vegetables and animal products. Animals too would have been reared on a diet of more complex foods rather than modern high-energy processed feeds. It is thought that their meat would have been much less rich in saturated fats and so healthier for the people consuming it.

Food production would have been part of every day life, unlike today where food arrives pre-packed, smothered in cellophane, produced days, weeks or months ago in a factory hundreds of miles away, glazed with wax, identical in size and colour to its neighbour, lacking any aroma, and likely to be lacking in nutrition. Our imaginary person would have experienced real, largely unprocessed food, and a varied seasonal diet (no strawberries at Christmas for Ms Caveperson). It is likely that they would have a relationship with what they had produced.

If you ever grow your own fruit and veg you will understand how exciting it is, food and fitness, to watch things grow, then how good it feels to harvest and prepare them. People would have wasted nothing- all parts of every fruit, vegetable or animal would be used for something, almost nothing was unusable; today in the UK one third of our food is thrown away and wasted, out of every 2 bagged salads purchased today, one will go in the bin (sounds familiar?).
Another aspect of our imaginary person’s relationship to food is the social aspect.

People would have produced and processed the food together, celebrated harvests and abundant times, and eaten together as a family or group. Children would help the adults, and learnt how to grow and prepare food ensuring that they would be able to look after themselves as adults. Meal times may have been the only time when the extended family would be gathered together to swap the day’s news, gossip and stories. This way people eat more slowly, and eat less allowing their body to feel full and satisfied.

Food would have produced social bonding and been a central and essential part of social life.
Life would have been hard, and still is for many people today who have to provide their own food, and so I don’t want to over-romanticise this imaginary person. However, I think that this person from the past is a useful tool for understanding what our eating and activity profile should be more like if we wish to be healthier and happier. There would have been no slouching on a sofa in front of the TV, no Chicken Dippas, micro-chips, and definitely (and thankfully) no Pringles.

Our imaginary person may not even recognise these things as food.
Underneath it all we are still cave people, our bodies and brains have evolved to take nutrition from simple whole foods, we thrive on human contact and still feel the need to eat together and share food, and our bodies are healthier if we exercise consistently. We need a diet rich in whole foods, in raw foods, and home cooked foods. We should pick foods which are low in sugar, salt and saturated fat. If you are doubtful about the validity of a food, ask yourself how far-removed it is from its natural state, could you make it yourself, would it have existed a hundred years ago or more? If the answer is no then the chances are that it is not very healthy.

We need to explore the excitement of foraging for food, growing it and preparing it, we need to rediscover the simple pleasures of podding peas, chopping fresh herbs, picking blackberries, and making pickles and jams.
We can support our ‘tribe’ by walking down to the local fruit and veg shop, and visiting the local butcher or fishmonger, by using our farmers markets, and supporting local growers. (For each ฃ10 spent in the UK ฃ6 goes into the pocket of Mr Tesco*; local shops are closing, and farmers are making little money due to the pressure placed upon them by supermarkets).

We need to get back to the camp-fire and share family food times together, making eating a natural and loving social event where family and friends can interact and bond.
I am not suggesting that you go out and jump on a rabbit and sink your teeth into it, but try to think about the true importance of good food and exercise, and the way that we can improve our health and fitness, enrich our lives and support our community and the environment at the same time. Take a step back in time this week; walk down to the farmers market or the local shops, buy some local produce, take it home and cook it carefully for some people that you love.

Unplug the TV and have a good long dinner by candlelight, taking time to talk and enjoy the food. I guarantee that you will feel healthier and happier, and Mr Tesco is hardly going to starve without you!
I hope that this gives you some food for thought,
Vikki
*Tesco is a vast supermarket chain in the UK.
Vikki Scovell BA(hons) PG DIP is a fully qualified Personal Trainer and Fitness Coach. She is a qualified Nutrition Adviser and runs successful Community Exercise classes. Vikki is a consultant in Healthy Eating and Exercise initiatives to schools in the independent sector and publishes School and General Healthy Living newsletters.

If you wish to find out more or receive her weekly newsletter visit http://www.getfitter.net

And as far as energy is concerned, what are the very best food sources for fuel and energy?
Believe it or not, protein is NOT nature’s most efficient source of fuel and energy for our bodies.
Without question, carbohydrates are the most efficient sources of fuel and energy for the human body.
Contrary to common belief and the doctrines of so many loudly touted and very lucrative weight loss programs and diets, carbohydrates are not always the bad guys, even though they have certainly gotten a bum rap in the last while.

Unrefined plant sources of carbohydrates in the form of whole, fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains and beans are our best sources of fuel and energy. They are also the best sources of nutrition for human health and fitness.
However, refined carbohydrates, made from white sugar and/or white flour, are the bad guys. It is best to eliminate these refined foods from our diets altogether. You know what they are: refined breads, cookies, cakes, desserts, baked goods, candy or anything at all made with white sugar and white flour.

Because human beings get their most efficient fuel, or energy, from carbohydrates, unrefined plant sources, if enough unrefined carbohydrates are not consumed, you will, among many other problems, feel tired.
Those people who go on high protein diets, after a while, have a common complaint—they get very tired. Why? Because they load up on animal protein, a poor source of fuel and energy, and they cut way back on the best food sources for energy—carbohydrates from unrefined plant foods (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans).

Furthermore, high-protein dieters often crave and binge on refined carbohydrate goodies.
These cravings are the body’s way of telling them that they are not getting something they need through the foods they are eating. In this case, it is the unrefined carbohydrates.
However, rather than grabbing for a few pieces of fresh fruit or a big, green-leafy vegetable salad, these people typically grab for the goodies that are so very accessible, edible, and dearly loved.
What is the percentage of carbohydrates in plant foods?
Sweet potatoes consist of 92% carbohydrates

Grapefruit 90%

Oranges 88%
Brown Rice 87%
Wheat flour 76%
Oatmeal 69%

Carrots 36%

On the contrary, what is the percentage of carbohydrates in animal foods?
Beef has 0% carbohydrates

, food and fitness, Chicken 0%

Pork 0%
Turkey 0%

That’s right.

Animal foods contain protein and fat, not to mention the cholesterol and chemicals, but no carbohydrates.
Knowing what you know now, what foods provide the most efficient sources of energy?
Plant foods or animal foods? That’s right. Plant foods.
Compare your body to a car. The protein, which makes up the structure of the cells, can be compared to the engine in a car. The carbohydrates can be compared to the gas you put into the engine.
Want to get your engine, or your body, running faster and more efficiently? Fill up with plant foods.

Plant foods give us all the nutrients we need to enhance and maintain our bodies and our health.
Plant foods are the keys to preventing diseases and promoting health and fitness and longevity.
If you don’t believe me, just ask the elephants.
Dr. Leslie Van Romer is a health motivational speaker, writer, and lifestyle coach. Visit http://www.DrLeslieVanRomer.com for more inspiration.

It is not a big list of diet foods, graphics, and a calendar of size will dietitian. Only simple thumb rules for a fit and healthy.

We are all aware of the five health risks well known that the claim many lives each year. And for those who fortunately did not suffer fatal consequences, simply ruin your health.

Think about it. You are in the prime of his life. Want to throw it all away just because you did not care enough? Or why not explore some simple fitness tips and a better life?

Why is Daily Exercise Required?

For better health, preventive, food and fitness, measures or to get in shape, a number of things can be done to stay fit despite your busy routine.

Let’s focus on fitness tips that focus on nutrition and running.

How to Maintain Fitness

If you reduce your training time a couple of weeks, do not worry, you can return to the current level of physics that their statements more quickly to normal schedule. But stop exercising at all.

Studies have shown that they can prevent the decline in cardiovascular health in just three weeks to achieve a higher intensity (70-75 percent of maximum heart rate) for less than two days a week.

How to Stay Away from Unhealthy Food?

Keep tabs on your vitals.

Get regular health and fitness check so that companies control their cholesterol and blood pressure. As a general rule for the maximum blood pressure is 120/80.

As part of their fitness regime, stay away from fatty foods and fat. Yes, this is to cut most of the junk food and why not a healthy chicken sandwich or a tossed green salad is as attractive as a hamburger, right? Also, make sure you get enough calories each day, along with lean proteins, vegetables, fruits and whole grains.

Through public service campaigns and governments increasingly into the act, the number of smokers has declined in recent years.

But just because their children are less likely to become smokers does not mean you should be smoking. There are many ways to quit smoking and reduce cancer risk. Choose whichever method suits you best, but most experts say to stop abruptly, instead of treating gradually, is the most effective of all.

And finally, keep a cool head. How so? Manage your emotions – even if it means enrollment in a kind of anger management or get some training on personality development – that keep blood pressure under control.

If you keep anxiety or stress away, which helps prevent overeating, smoking and drinking, people usually use to counter stress. Makes sense, right? So you’re thinking this doesn’t sound like an “official” doctor’s prescription

Are you tired of looking in the mirror and not liking what you see?
Are you tired of too much weight, too little energy, and too many aches and pains?
Are you tired of yet another weight loss program that gives too many promises and too little substance, once again proving that diets just don’t work?
Are you long on frustration and short on hope?
Are you ready to transform you, your body, your health and your life—forever?
You, too, can transform your body to one which you are proud of. You too can lose that extra weight, recharge your energy battery, move better, and feel better than you have in years.

You, too, can regain hope and feel good about yourself and your life—for the rest of your life.
How do I know that? Because I am traveling on this very same journey with you. I was raised with the same foods that you were raised with. I love many of the same foods that you love. I have just learned along the way to retrain my thinking, my taste buds, and my priorities, and I pick and choose carefully what I put into my body.
I constantly ask myself this question: Does this food serve me with health and life-giving nutrition or does this food compromise my health and, ultimately, my life—the quality and the length of it?
Try asking yourself this question the next time you eat something: “Does this food nourish me or does it deplete me?”
If you are confused and just don’t know, then take the time to read the books and listen to the tapes that will help you discover which foods provide the best nutrition for maximum, lifelong health and fitness.

The bottom line for me is: I choose health and fitness. I choose life, not premature disability, disease, and early death.
What do you choose for yourself? Premature disability, disease, and early death, or a long life filled with mobility, activity, energy, joy, and purpose?
Most of us are very attached to our old ways of eating and living. And we like the foods that we eat.
But I assure you, because I myself have experienced it, that if you follow the basic principles for the best nutrition for human health, you will gifted with great rewards far beyond what you can even imagine.

Not only will your body transform closer to your ideal weight, fitness, and health, you will gain better mental clarity and emotional stability. You will be better connected in to who you are as a person and why you are on this planet.
Eating the most life-supporting foods, fresh whole fruits and vegetables, is not just about the, food and fitness, food; eating correctly opens our awareness and catalyzes the uncovering and the discovering of our inner cores and how we can impact the world around us.

Although some may never suspect, there is amazing power in all that fruit and green-leafy vegetable salad that you choose to eat and the power is there for the taking.
All you need to do is wash, open your mouth, bite down, and chew.
Dr. Leslie Van Romer is a health motivational speaker, writer, and lifestyle coach. Visit http://www.DrLeslieVanRomer.com for more inspiration.

A door stands before you. The door may be a book on health and fitness, women’s health issues, diet and nutrition, health food, or a weight loss program. The door may be a motivational health public speaking event. The door may be a friend sharing her enthusiasm about her fast weight loss by just eating common sense healthy foods and exercising every day. The door may be a doctor’s recent diagnosis.
No matter which door it is, you take a deep breath and open it up, not knowing what lies beyond it.

All you know is that you are ready for a change. You feel that if you do not do something, and do something now, your body, your health, and, therefore, your very life will spiral downward.
To your delight, you step over the threshold into a bright, new world. You discover what you are made of and what promotes your physical health and, food and fitness, fitness. With determination and self-discipline, you gather the knowledge and change your thinking. With the change of thinking, you change your food habits.

Your daily diet now includes lots of whole, fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, raw nuts and seeds, and legumes. You gradually gravitated away from all animal and dairy products. You no longer crave or eat chocolate or sugar and white flour goodies. You lose your desire to eat processed foods, refined foods, fast foods, junk foods and all drinks with the exception of water and homemade fruit and vegetable juices.
You exercise every day. You get adequate sleep, rest, and relaxation. You avoid coffee, alcohol, and other toxins.

You lose that extra weight. You take fewer, if any, pills. You have higher energy. Your days are filled with fun and purposeful activities of your choosing. You feel better than ever, and you glow with health and vibrancy.
You had no idea that walking through that first door would lead to a total transformation of your physical body. You also had no idea that the transformation of your physical body would lead you to a second door.
And now a second door stands before you, and you open it up.

Because your physical health and fitness, the “what” part of your health, have reached an optimum level, you now have the emotional stability and mental clarity and self-insight to discover the “who” part of your health.
Because you are no longer bogged down with aches, pains, conditions, lack of mobility, extra weight, and loss of energy, you are able to explore who you are. What are your values? What are your priorities? What are your philosophies? Where is your life going? Who do you want to spend your time with? What is important to you? What is not important to you?
And as you explore the “who?” part of you, you come upon a third door.

“What could lie behind that third door?” you wonder.
Find out in Part 2 of this 2-part article: “Doors of Awareness to Optimal Health and Fitness”
Dr. Leslie Van Romer is a health motivational speaker, writer, and lifestyle coach. Visit http://www.DrLeslieVanRomer.com for more inspiration.

Today more than ever it is harder to maintain a healthy lifestyle with sedentary pastimes such as watching television, playing video games and surfing the Internet competing for our kid’s time and replacing more physical activities.

Combined with the easy availability and low cost of unhealthy processed foods or ‘junk food’, then this can have an impact on children’s health, not only throughout their childhood but leading into adulthood causing serious health problems at a later date.

It is therefore important to make a concerted effort to ensure children lead a healthy lifestyle and maintain overall fitness.

However it can be difficult to make a start and to inspire your kids to follow your lead, so we have compiled a list of ten tips to help you along the road to health and happiness.

1) Involve the Whole Family – Sometimes kids can be reluctant to take part in sports and games, especially if they think that they are being ‘forced’ to do them against their will. Children take their lead from their parents so if they see their parents taking part in sports and fitness then they are more than likely to want to copy.

Ensuring that the whole family stay fit and healthy can provide the right motivation for the less reluctant child to get involved. Embracing a healthier lifestyle yourself can help teach a child that they need to do the same.

It doesn’t have to be all about playing ‘football’. For instance a family outing to the zoo, theme park or local attraction such as a ruined castle will keep kids on their feet, give them something interesting to see and do whilst keeping them fit at the same time. Making an effort to have days out where the whole family joins in can lead to a child having an overall healthier lifestyle.

2) Use ‘Active’ Transport – Ditching the car when possible and either walking or cycling instead can help keep the whole family fit and healthy. Perhaps this means walking to school instead of taking the car or maybe a trip to the local park or shops can be accomplished by cycling there instead.

Although it may not be possible for everyone to ditch the car so easily due to distance or time constraints the occasional journey can still perhaps be substituted. Not only is walking or cycling better for your health, it can save you money and help the environment- all great examples to set your kids!

3) Regular Exercise – The key to staying fit and healthy for both adults and children alike is to exercise regularly.

Try to schedule exercise activities (whatever they might be) at regular intervals but do let your kids set the pace. As soon as a child feels they are being forced to take part in a ‘fitness’ regime then you may start to get some resistance and refusal to join in.

Pushing your kids beyond their limits may have a negative impact on them wanting to do anything at all. Forcing them to train to become better at a sport or activity can seem like the right think to do if they appear to have a talent for something, but it is important to ensure that your kids are happy and not resenting the activity,, food and fitness, as long term this will end up becoming a problem.

4) Keep Fit Through Daily Chores – Lets be honest, no kid enjoys having to do their weekly and daily chores, but chores are a good thing to implement as they help teach a child responsibilities whilst helping them to ‘earn their keep’.

If your child isn’t that keen on sports and outdoor activities then a subtle way for them to get some additional exercise is by combining their chores with physical activities. For example washing the car, mowing the lawn or vacuuming the house all are great ways to burn some extra calories and to get your kid moving and keeping fit without them even realising it!

5) Keep it New and Fun!

Many of us can recall sports lessons at school when we were forced to do sports we didn’t enjoy, more often than not in the freezing cold, without proper clothes.

These horrible moments cement a negative impression on sports and fitness in a child’s psyche. This negativity needs to be avoided so the buzz word to remember is ‘fun’. If you ensure that any activity you take part in is fun for your child then fitness doesn’t become a burden or a chore and soon becomes a normal, everyday part of their life.

Kids can bore easily so an activity they have enjoyed in the past may quickly loose its shine from one week to the next. Unless you are intent on turning your kid into the next sporting superstar then whatever activities they do to stay fit is unimportant as long as they enjoy it.

Introduce new sports and activities into a child’s routine can be a great way of finding new active hobbies so it’s worth experimenting and trying different things. How about crazy golf, trampolining, horse riding or kayaking? There are plenty of things to try!

6) Turn the TV Off – When you live a busy life and have a full time job to contend with then it’s easy to let your kids entertain themselves in front of the television. Years ago kids TV was limited to a few hours in the afternoon and morning, but now with the advent of cable and satellite channels, children have dedicated stations that they can watch all day.

There’s nothing wrong with watching TV, it can be fun and educational, but it’s a very inactive pastime.

Try to limit screen time and turn off the TV after a few hours. There may be arguments to start with but your child will start to get into a routine and will also look for other things to do whilst the TV is switched off- ideally more active things to do!

Kids also love playing computer games which are traditionally thought of as being very inactive. Lately things have changed a little- with the release of games such as Dance Dance Revolution and Wii Sports, you can now get a workout in front of the TV.

Where possible steer your child towards these ‘active’ games and then they’ll get the benefit of keeping fit and healthy, whilst doing something they really enjoy.

7) Try the Scouts & Guides – Not all kids are the outdoors types so may not suit absolutely everyone, but getting your kids involved with the Scouts, Guides or similar well organised groups can be a great way of ensuring your child lives an active lifestyle. For example the Scouts in the UK are open to young people from the ages of 6 to 25 and they take part in a wide range of activities from rock climbing, camping to sailing and hiking.

Also there are a lot of creative and educational pastimes that these groups get up to making it a completely rounded experience.

Nutrition & Healthy Eating – To maintain a healthy lifestyle, exercise needs to be combined with healthy eating and good nutrition. Good nutrition doesn’t always have to be about boring foods that your child doesn’t like, so try to introduce a wide range of cuisines and styles to your child’s diet. You never know what they might enjoy eating.

Moderation is the buzzword for eating healthily.

Minimise unhealthy snacks such as crisps, chocolate, biscuits and sweets and perhaps introduce them only as treats or for special occasions. Your child will not get used to having these ‘treats’ all the time and will appreciate them much more when they do have them. Unhealthy foods as listed above do not provide much if any nutritional benefit and can contain unhealthy additives which most nutritionists agree are not great for long term health.

Be wary of processed foods, they can sometimes contain unhealthy amounts of salt, sugar or other additives.

Try to cook meals using raw ingredients, that way you’ll always know what goes into your food. It can be more expensive and time consuming to do this but the long term benefits to the whole family can be immense.

9) Team Games – If your child is showing signs that they enjoy sports such as: football, hockey or netball, then getting them involved in a local youth squad is a great way for a child to get all the exercise they need. Not only will they have fun and get fit, they may make friends with other kids on the team providing additional reason to go to team practice sessions.

Adults can also get involved, perhaps by helping out with coaching or lifts to and from training sessions.

Again, having fun is key- if your kid stops wanting to go to practice, initially some light coaxing or persuasion may be necessary to get them back in the mood. However if this reluctance persists, long term you are better off letting your child dictate what they enjoy doing. As mentioned previously in this article, kids can get bored easily and can soon go off any activity, no matter how much they previously liked it.

10) Activity Holidays – Looking to kick start a new healthy lifestyle for the whole family? Taking an activity holiday where your child can get to try a wide range of sports and activities can be a great way of getting fit and finding new and interesting things to do. Venue’s such as Center Parcs offer the perfect weekend break escapes with a wide range of activities that suit all ages and they also run special offers such as ‘kids eat free’, which can save you money. Finding activities that inspire your children to become more active is the best way to ensure that they keep fit and healthy.

Activity holidays are a great way on ‘hitting the bullseye’ and finding things that your child enjoys, that you may not have ever considered before.

Tell me, does this describe you? ‘I tried a zillion diets in
fits and starts and was never successful.’ Just going on a diet
will not give you a complete healthy persona. I finally paid
attention to what everybody was saying, but I was too lazy to
do.
I added exercise and fitness to the equation. We also need to
stay fit as well as diet to lose weight. Our true wealth is our
health. Isn’t it worth your time bring it into peak condition
and maintain it? Diet fitness is all about an accurate mix of
diet and an appropriate fitness program.

This basically includes three levels of consideration:
1. Balance-A balanced diet must contain carbohydrate, protein,
fat, vitamin, mineral salts and fiber in well proportionate
quantity. Carbohydrates are the source of energy so these play
an important role in balanced diet. Intentional inclusion of all
foods from fruits to vegetables and meats to grains.
2. Moderation- portion control, small quantity at regular
intervals. I had to laugh when I heard the results of a 5-year
study costing millions of dollars the government ran to find out
why the population of the US is getting heavier.

The
results…they determined we eat larger quantities! ‘Super Size
it!’
3. Variation – wide variety in foods,means higher chances of
complete nutrition. And variety in your workout routine means a
greter chance of sustaining it.
It is a well-known fact that poor diet leads to diseases, like
obesity, even cancer and heart disease. The link between diet
and physical fitness has well been established and recognized as
a science in itself. It’s the basis of dynamic and creative
intellectual activity.

How do you balance diet and fitness?
What changes in your diet and fitness regimes will prove to be
the most beneficial ones?
These questions may have been on your mind for a long time but
you didn’t know where to start. I let the paralysis of analysis
prevent me from getting started for a long time. I wanted the
‘perfect’ fitness plan. My advice? Just get started anywhere,
but get started. There are the solutions at your doorstep. First
and foremost, you need to ensure that the diet you are on,
supplies you enough strength and energy to carry out the fitness
training which means:
The basic fitness diet should:
1.

Have a wide variety of foods– wholegrain breads and cereals
for vitamins and minerals, leafy green vegetables for iron
fueling, fruit for adequate fiber, lean meat and Fish (lowers
cholesterol and helps prevent cancer) and low fat dairy
products.
2. Enable you to have optimal weight and energy to carry out
daily activities with ease.
3. Enhance quick and complete recovery during exercise.
4. Supply enough fluids to have maximum hydration. 5. Provide
both short and long term benefits and ease of maintenance.

When the above criterion is satisfied, you can confirm that you
are on a diet that is not starving you or running you the risk
of malnutrition and weakness. Fitness programs can include not
only basic gymnasium but modern techniques like dancing,
aerobics and yoga for variety and fun. If it is enjoyable it
will be easier to maintain.
Make no mistake about it, fitness regimes help you speed up the
process of loosing weight along with the diet. That is the key,
the magic diet accelerator. So eat healthy, exercise and be wise!
Bill Urell reviews only the best diet and fitness plans, tips, and articles that promote healthier lifestyles.

Visit us by clicking: Weight Loss and Diet Plans and claim your FREE E-Cookbook, as a welcome gift.
http://www, food and fitness, .online-weight-loss-resources.com

Lets discuss Muscle and Fitness — The Second Key To Successfully Achieving Your Fitness Goals. But just before that, I’d like to remind you about what the previous article discussed.
In a previous article called: “Muscle and Fitness — The First Key To Achieving Your Goals”, you were given ten steps to follow. If you haven’t received this article, I suggest you read that before this one here, as it will make what I’m talking a little clearer.
You can access that article here:
Muscle and Fitness — The First Key
In summary, that article discussed the first key — the ‘HAVE’ key.

This is where you identify your muscle and fitness goals. There are still the ‘BE’ and ‘DO’ keys to go.
Which brings me to the second key:
The ‘DO’ Key

This is the action key. The one that gets you to do what is necessary to make things happen.
So what you need to do is first identify what your goals are. Decide exactly what you want to achieve and then choose the necessary actionable steps to achieve those goals.
In the first key, the HAVE key, you went through a process that helped (or will help) you in deciding what you want.

Maybe it was to lose weight or gain mass muscle, or, food and fitness, whatever.
The point is that you know what you want to get out of your training routine before commencing the routine that suits your goals.
Assuming you have gone through the HAVE key, it’s time to go through the DO key and structure your bodybuilding workout routine, or fitness routine, around your goals.
So lets do that, shall we?
1. Review the work you did in the HAVE key. In other words, look at the index card (postcard) you created that identified your exact goals.

2. Read them. As you do so, feel them. Imagine performing a specific exercise that would be most beneficial for that particular goal. See it happen, as if it is actually happening. What exercise would be the most effective one in helping you achieve that specific goal?
Once you have decided which exercise to use, write it down.
3. Now move onto the next goal on that card. Go through the motions that you just did in number two above. Feel it. See it. How good do you feel?
Now, which exercise will be most effective for that specific goal? Write it down just below the first one.

4. Now move onto the next goal on your card and repeat steps two and three above. Do this until you’ve decided on your specific routine.
Again, write the exercises down.
5. How many repetitions do you need to do?
How many sets should you perform?
This depends on your goals. If it’s to lose weight, then keep the weights light, but heavy enough to provide adequate resistance. If you choose to build muscle, then decide how much muscle you want to build. Then you would choose heavier weights and fewer reps.

If you’re not sure how much weight to use, reps to do or sets to perform… then seek the advice of a professional.
6. Time to choose how often you need to train. If you building bigger muscle, you may need to break your training regime into two to three parts. In other words…
You may decide to work the chest, back and legs on day 1. Then shoulders, biceps and triceps on day 2. Then rest on day 3.
Or are you looking to lose weight?
Then you may choose to perform a total body workout on day 1 and rest on day 2.

You may wish to add in some aerobical workout routine as this will help burn off the excessive calories much more quickly.
Just make sure that it’s appropriate for your goal.
7. What about your diet?
Decide what foods are right for you and your goals. Are you looking to lose weight?
Then eat less, but consume more healthy food with low fat and calories. Decide how often to eat.
Looking to gain weight?
Then eat more. Also choose better foods that can help with weight gain, while they are healthy at the same time.

Look for decent whole foods. Decide if supplements are necessary.
8. Make sure that you’ve written everything down. Review it and see if you’ve left anything out.
Now you have the DO key done. You are at the point where you have structured your training program to help you get your goals. In other words…
You now have two of the three keys:
‘DO – HAVE’.
All that’s left is the ‘BE’ key. But, that’s enough for today. Just review this article and take action on the steps above. Follow these steps until complete.

Once you follow these steps, you are set up for the final key… the BE key.
Keep an eye out for it.
Tony Farrell of provides valuable insight into the world of health, fitness and bodybuilding. Through his unique approach, he truly helps people to succeed and reach their goals. To subscribe to his ezine, just visit:
http://www.how-to-build-muscle-and-fitness.com

Health and fitness is most of the time associated with physical appearance-especially weight. And why not? It is the weight of the person can tell whether he or she is living a healthy lifestyle due to the foods and habits that he or she has.

For those who think that their weight greatly affects their self-esteem because of physical appearance, health, emotional stability, physical abilities and the overall quality of their life in general, then it is about time that they contemplate on losing weight.

When does losing should start : People who have finally decided to lose weight should know where to begin. First, he or she must determine the real reason or reasons why they would want to lose weight. By determining and establishing the reason[s] why one would want to lose weight, this can help him or her because they can these as motivations during the weight loss phases they are about to face.

Next, they must know it within themselves if they can truly and whole-heartedly commit in doing the things necessary for them to lose weight.

By asking one’s self if he or she is ready to permanently change what they eat, how they eat, their behavior and their activity levels, the possibility is greater that they would lose weight faster and safes.

Third, they must look for a back up support system in case they can no longer manage weight control on their own. And last but not the least, they must make sure that they are strong enough to deal with possibility of failing if they do not achieve their desired weight or result.

One of the most important things to remember before losing weight is that the person should seek professional help.

This is a must that one chooses a responsible and safe weight loss program or plan carefully. One must also make sure that he or she is willing to undergo for a trial period before investing time, money, and effort in enrolling to a specific weight loss class.

Tips in losing weight : Experts say that two of the most crucial factors that affect weight loss are food-or calorie-intake and the frequency of physical activities such as exercise. Although it may seem easy to monitor calorie intake and exercise regularly, it is not always effective especially if the person doing it is not determined and disciplined enough.

For a person to achieve their weight loss goals here are some tips that they can use:

1. Don’t ever skip regular meals. You must not forget that food nourishes the body. Although dieting or cutting down on food intake can help one lose weight, this cannot assure permanent weight loss because they will tend to eat more the next meal and the meals after that.

2. Regulate, food and fitness, the food intake. Eating in smaller amounts or food portions will help one cut down on calorie and fat intake.

3. Monitor gradual weight loss of about 1 to 2 pounds weekly without irritability, fatigue, or weakness. This will allow your body to regain the loss water and fats.

4. Selecting healthy food choices. Choosing the foods that a person can eat from the food pyramid would help him or her develop a well-balanced diet as well as good eating habits.

5. Cut down on calories properly. If one is losing weight to achieve health and fitness, he or she must make sure that they know their body’s required calorie-intake because cutting too many calories can slow down metabolism.

This will also make it difficult for the body to consume the necessary nutrients it needs to perform well.