Posted by on 20 December 2009 | 0 Comments
1. Drink no calories
About 22 percent of calories consumed by Americans are from liquids. Switching to water, tea or calorie-free soft drinks could save hundreds of calories a day. This may be the easiest way to lose weight if you are currently getting many of your calories from liquids. Every day switch one drink that has calories with one that doesn't. If you drink 3 soft drinks a day, make one a tea on the first day. If you drink orange juice each morning, switch to tea or water. Keep making these switches until you are drinking no calories. Try this for one week. You may reduce your daily calories without even changing your food intake.
2. Pre-decide your food
The average person makes about 200 food decisions a day. Thinking about food constantly and deciding what we want to eat makes us hungry. Plan your daily meals, drinks and snacks ahead of time. If you spend less time thinking about food, you will make fewer bad decisions. Make a point to make all your food decisions in advance. Don't let yourself wander through the cafe, pantry or menu asking, "What tastes good?" For one week, make all the decisions at least a day ahead and stick to them.
3. Avoid diets
Ninety five percent of people who diet regain the weight when they stop. It's not only discouraging, but bad for your health. Instead of starting a diet that requires you to alter what, how much and how you eat all at once, make small (but permanent) change everyday. Ask yourself each morning, "What is one thing I can do today to be healthier?" and then do it. Some goals will stick and others won't, but you'll see progress.
4. Don't snack
If you can see it, you'll eat it. Do not leave snacks out on the counter. Do not have clear biscuit jars or storage containers. Store all food in the pantry, refrigerator or freezer. Make your house visually "food free." Avoid buying the items that you know are calorie intense or not as healthy.
5. Stop when you are no longer hungry.
Don't eat until you are full. If you get to 'full,' you have eaten at least 20% too many calories. Stop eating when you are no longer hungry. You can always come back and eat more later. You will have to practice this, so start by eating less for one meal a day.
6. Eat 20% more vegetables
Whenever you serve vegetables, put about 20% more on your plate than normal. You will eat these, fill up and get some extra nutrition. Note: This tip does not apply to vegetables covered in cheese sauce. Sorry!
7. Keep the serving dishes in the kitchen
Serve food away from the table and leave the serving dishes in the kitchen. Having serving dishes on the table makes it too easy to take seconds. That "one more little scoop" adds up. Make yourself get up and go to the kitchen for more and you'll find yourself going back for seconds less often.
8. Avoid bags and bowls
Always eat from a plate. First, put the crisps or other finger food from the bowl or bag onto a plate. This way you have a better sense of how much you have eaten and won't mindlessly munch crisps. Once you put your snack on a plate, put the bag away. Don't leave the bag sitting on the counter for a quick refill. If you are determined to get more, make yourself get up, go to the pantry, refill your plate and return the bag to its cupboard.
9. Eat first, then drink
We can mindlessly drink 2 or 3 soft drinks, beers or glasses of wine or juice over the course of a meal. This adds hundreds of calories to your daily intake. Drink about a cup of water during a meal and enjoy your other beverage before or after your meals. Now you'll be more aware of how much you are actually drinking.
10. Chew more
Researchers have found that feeling full is a complex equation of time, thinking about food, number of chews, number of swallows, and a visual estimate of how much you have eaten. Feel full on less food by chewing more, thinking about the food as you eat it and taking longer to eat.
11. Make it difficult to get to food
Make it challenging to get to the biscuit jar. Store it in a high place using a stool. Make it hard to find those snacks. Don't buy it so that if you want it you have to leave the house to get it. Every obstacle you place between you and food gives you time to reconsider your cravings.
12. Avoid using food as a reward, punishment or comfort.
Respect food. Use it to nourish your body. Do not reward yourself with chocolate bars, chips or anything else. Find other ways to reward and relax yourself.
13. Taste your craving, then pause
Saying 'no' to cravings just makes you want them more. The trick is to learn to stop after a few bites. Next time you get a craving, allow yourself a certain small number of bites of the food that you desire. This is your 'pause point.' Once your reach your 'pause point,' stop eating and assess whether you are still craving the food or are just mindlessly eating it. Take this time to put the snack away and see if you can stop the impulse.
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Posted by on 10 December 2009 | 0 Comments
The average adult has two to three upper respiratory infections each year. We are exposed to viruses all day long, but some people seem more susceptible to catching colds or the flu. The following factors have all been associated with impaired immune function and increased risk of catching colds:
* old age
* cigarette smoking
* stress
* poor nutrition
* fatigue and lack of sleep
* over-training
However, there are some things that seem to protect us from picking up colds. One of those things appears to be moderate, consistent exercise. More and more research is finding a link between moderate, regular exercise and a strong immune system.
Early studies reported that recreational exercisers reported fewer colds once they began running. Moderate exercise has been linked to a positive immune system response and a temporary boost in the production of macrophages, the cells that attack bacteria. It is believed that regular, consistent exercise can lead to substantial benefits in immune system health over the long-term.
More recent studies have shown that there are physiological changes in the immune system as a response to exercise. During moderate exercise immune cells circulate through the body more quickly and are better able to kill bacteria and viruses. After exercise ends, the immune system generally returns to normal within a few hours, but consistent, regular exercise seems to make these changes a bit more long-lasting.
According to professor David Nieman, Dr. PH., of Appalachian State University, when moderate exercise is repeated on a near-daily basis there is a cumulative effect that leads to a long-term immune response. His research showed that those who walk at 70-75 percent of their VO2 Max for 40 minutes per day had half as many sick days due to colds or sore throats as those who don't exercise.
Psychological Stress Also Reduces Immunity. It's not only physical stress that increases the release of cortisol and adrenaline. Psychological stress can also impair immunity and lead to an increase of cold and flu infections.
Researchers at Ohio State followed people who had the stress of caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's disease and found that they experienced twice as many colds as non-caregivers. For such individuals, there is clearly a physical benefit to moderate, regular exercise.
Sources:
Acute exercise stimulates macrophage function: possible role of NF-kappaB pathways. Cell Biochemistry and Function. 2006 Aug 14;
MedLine Plus Exercise and Immunity.
Nieman DC, Henson DA, Austin MD, Brown VA. The immune response to a 30-minute walk. Med Sci Sports Exerc 37:57-62, 2005. David Nieman, of Appalachian State University
Nieman DC. Risk of Upper Respiratory Tract Infection in Athletes: An Epidemiologic and Immunologic Perspective. Journal of Athletic Training 1997 Oct.
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Posted by on 10 December 2009 | 0 Comments
The average adult has two to three upper respiratory infections each year. We are exposed to viruses all day long, but some people seem more susceptible to catching colds or the flu. The following factors have all been associated with impaired immune function and increased risk of catching colds:
* old age
* cigarette smoking
* stress
* poor nutrition
* fatigue and lack of sleep
* over-training
However, there are some things that seem to protect us from picking up colds. One of those things appears to be moderate, consistent exercise. More and more research is finding a link between moderate, regular exercise and a strong immune system.
Early studies reported that recreational exercisers reported fewer colds once they began running. Moderate exercise has been linked to a positive immune system response and a temporary boost in the production of macrophages, the cells that attack bacteria. It is believed that regular, consistent exercise can lead to substantial benefits in immune system health over the long-term.
More recent studies have shown that there are physiological changes in the immune system as a response to exercise. During moderate exercise immune cells circulate through the body more quickly and are better able to kill bacteria and viruses. After exercise ends, the immune system generally returns to normal within a few hours, but consistent, regular exercise seems to make these changes a bit more long-lasting.
According to professor David Nieman, Dr. PH., of Appalachian State University, when moderate exercise is repeated on a near-daily basis there is a cumulative effect that leads to a long-term immune response. His research showed that those who walk at 70-75 percent of their VO2 Max for 40 minutes per day had half as many sick days due to colds or sore throats as those who don't exercise.
Psychological Stress Also Reduces Immunity. It's not only physical stress that increases the release of cortisol and adrenaline. Psychological stress can also impair immunity and lead to an increase of cold and flu infections.
Researchers at Ohio State followed people who had the stress of caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's disease and found that they experienced twice as many colds as non-caregivers. For such individuals, there is clearly a physical benefit to moderate, regular exercise.
Sources:
Acute exercise stimulates macrophage function: possible role of NF-kappaB pathways. Cell Biochemistry and Function. 2006 Aug 14;
MedLine Plus Exercise and Immunity.
Nieman DC, Henson DA, Austin MD, Brown VA. The immune response to a 30-minute walk. Med Sci Sports Exerc 37:57-62, 2005. David Nieman, of Appalachian State University
Nieman DC. Risk of Upper Respiratory Tract Infection in Athletes: An Epidemiologic and Immunologic Perspective. Journal of Athletic Training 1997 Oct.
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Posted by on 6 December 2009 | 0 Comments
Every personal trainer should be registered with Fitness NSW and hold a current personal indemnity and public liability insurance. If you are not training with a PT that has these certifications, then you may be at risk.
In order to stay registered every trainer must undergo self managed education and achieve Continuing Education Credits (CEC's) every 2 years in order to re-register.
The Fitness Council has introduced new levels of registration (applicable to all) based on education, qualification held and years of registration. This will initially be Provisional, then Introductory, then Intermediate with Advanced being the highest level. A typical Cert 4 graduate (qualified to train outdoors) will come in at intermediate, but will need CECs to progress to Advanced for example.
CECs will also change, in that you will now need 20 (up from the current level of 18) over a 2 year period. The activities you can obtain CECs from will be expanded to encompass seminars, professional reading, conferences and journal/magazine subscriptions. Many personal trainers attend Filex which is the largest fitness industry conference in the April/May timeframe each year. This three day event provides many informative sessions to keep trainers up to date with the latest industry information.
Fitness Australia proposes many benefits of these changes - to the fitness professional, to the consumer, to the potential employer and to the health and medical community. It also hopes it will prove a clear path for development and progression and hence improve the professionalism of the industry.
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Posted by on 1 December 2009 | 0 Comments
US research has added credence to the school of thought that says the practise of yoga can help to alleviate back pain.
Between 20 per cent and 25 per cent of medical claims in the US – exceeding $34 billion in medical costs – are related to lower back pain.
Researchers from West Virginia University, funded by the US National Institutes of Health, placed 90 participants with mild to moderate functional disability as a result of back pain into one of two groups.
The first group undertook 90-minute Iyengar yoga sessions twice weekly for six months, while the participants in the second group continued their existing form of medical therapy or treatment.
Through the use of questionnaires which asked about pain levels, medications and difficulty of task performance, a higher proportion of the yoga group reported decreased pain and improvements in functioning at both the three-month and six-month stages.
Study author Kimberly Williams, a research assistant professor in the department of community medicine at West Virginia University, said, ‘The yoga group had less pain, less functional disability and less depression, compared with the control group. These were statistically significant and clinically important changes that were maintained six months after the intervention’.
Dr Todd Albert, chairman of the department of orthopaedics at Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals, praised the design of the study and said, ‘I have found yoga and Pilates are great for chronic low back pain. There is so much concentration on core strengthening, which is critical for people who have been de-conditioned’.
Source: Spine
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