Cut Me In Half

By Jennifer Wasilewski

Yoga is quickly becoming one of the most popular fitness activities in the world and it’s not a surprise. Yoga is a great way to maintain your physical, mental, and spiritual health. While there are several types of yoga in existence today, western society generally focuses on three types. These types of yoga are generally the ones that you will find in wellness centers, gyms, and other places that focus on physical, mental, and spiritual well being. Below you will find these three types of yoga listed by degree of complexity, starting with the easiest and ending with the more complicated. Decide which type of best for you and start there. Eventually you will be able to work your way to more complicated yoga traditions.

• Hatha Yoga:The best place to start is obviously the beginning which makes Hatha yoga the most popular place to begin your yoga experience. Hatha yoga is the most basic form of yoga and acts as a foundation for the more complex types that you may encounter if you delve deeper into the world of yoga wellness. Hatha yoga incorporates postures or poses (Asanas), breathing regulation (Pranayama), and meditation (Dhyana and Dharana). The combination of these focus points results in an excellent way to maintain your physical health while working to eliminate or cope with everyday stress. As you progress through Hatha yoga your goal should be to execute positions in a slow, serious, graceful, and meaningful manner. The overall effect of this type of yoga should be to relax, therefore, it’s not necessary to overexert or physically exhaust yourself during your session.
• Ashtanga Yoga:Ashtanga Yoga is a more challenging type of yoga and is meant for those who are experienced in yoga practices. While Hatha yoga focuses on relaxing the body through a combination of poses, breathing, and reflection, Ashtanga yoga focuses on raising the heart rate and is ultimately more physically challenging. Ashtanga yoga is achieved by combining synchronized breathing with a succession of physically taxing poses or postures. These things combined raise the internal temperature of your body causing you to sweat. If is believe that this sweat cleanses your organs and muscles while improving your flexibility, circulation, and stamina.
• Power Yoga:Power yoga is basically the westernized version of Ashtanga Yoga. While the general concept is the same, the session is accompanied by physically demanding activities not generally associated with yoga practices. For example, it is very common to find push-ups, toe touches, and various other forms of aerobic movement during Power Yoga sessions. Because of the heavy influence of aerobics, power yoga is a lot similar to a well choreographed exercise routine with one movement leading into the next and so on. It the most simplistic terms, power yoga is a combination of yoga and aerobic exercises resulting in a form of yoga that is physically demanding workout more so than a relaxing slow paced experience.

What You Should Know

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By John Roland

Omega-3 fish oil, is fish oil that contains Omega-3 fatty acids. Fatty acids are a family of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Three of these fatty acids are of important nutritional value and are beneficial to our health. Who among us does not want to be healthy? Among other things Omega 3 is said to improve circulation, help with diabetes, arthritis and depression. Aid the immune system, help with learning and behavioural problems and improve memory in old age. Fish oil has recently also been shown to be beneficial during pregnancy. It is also now thought to be so beneficial to the development of unborn babies that it is being re-recommended that pregnant women eat a small amount of fish each week to assure a small minimum intake. It is believed the benefits outweigh the dangers of the presence of trace amounts of heavy metals such as mercury which until now have stopped most pregnant women from eating fish or seafood. Fish oil tablets offer a safe alternative as manufacturers of tablets and gel, process the oil to remove any base metals (not all manufacturers remove base metals be sure to check before buying). These are just a few of the potential health benefits being looked into. Perhaps one of the most interesting areas of research regarding Omega-3 fatty acids is the possibility that they are actually necessary to our mental health, and can help reduce the incidence of depression.

The supplements are processed from fish oils which are found naturally in some fatty fish. The fish do not make the omega-3, they collect it from algae they eat in the water. The most common source of omega-3 rich fish oils are from salmon, herring, anchovies, mackerel and sardines. Tuna also contains it but only in small amounts. By far the easiest way to include it in your diet is to take tablets or gel capsules.

It sounds great but is any of this hype true? As with all medical claims it can take some time to verify each individual claim and research into these areas of medicine and psychology can take years to release conclusive results. However, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration, USA) in 2006 recognized two types of Omega-3 fatty acids as having valid health merit, those were eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid. In short they admitted that Omega-3 fatty acids were shown to be beneficial in the treatment of coronary artery disease. More recently, as mentioned above, the FDA have reversed an older recommendation for pregnant women not to eat seafood for fear of heavy metals, claiming that the benefits outweigh the risk of harm from a small intake of fish.

Contrary to popular belief fish oil capsules and tablets do not taste like fish, they taste like any other natural vitamin supplement, so for those of you out there that don’t like the taste of fish you need not worry. There are several different sources of omega-3 fatty acids, the most common and readily available is in capsules and tablets, but you can also get it from regular dietary intake of fish, flax seeds or walnuts.

Omega-3 fatty acids can be easily damaged essentially voiding their nutritional value. They can go rancid on contact with air, heat or oxygen. That is why you should never cook with fish oil, flax seed oil or walnut oil. They are in-fact best consumed raw. Because of the sensitive nature of omega-3 fatty acids they need to be stored carefully in cool, dry and dark places such as the fridge or freezer. Purchasing omega-3 oil with added vitamin E is recommended if possible as vitamin E protects the omega-3 as it is an antioxidant.

Omega-3 Fish oils are easy to obtain and cheap, why not try some and see if they do infact make you feel a little better! For more information on Omega-3 fish oil please visit http://www.omega-3-fish-oil.info

By Rich Powers

[Editor’s note:  this isn’t exactly about weight loss, but I receive a many many email requests about building muscle (it is just as important as losing fat) so I thought I’d throw this out there. ]

The 8 Bodybuilding tips capture the essence of what is required to build muscle. There are far too many complex methods out there all claiming to be the answer to your prayers.

Between 1930 and 1950 the smart scientists had already worked out a process to build muscle. They may not have know the minutiae but they knew the process. Then technology came along and confused things for a while. With more and more focus on natural bodybuilding the old processes have become popular again. They also work quite well.

Here are the eight tips you need to keep in mind when bodybuilding:

1. Eat enough calories. You need to consume more that you use calorie wise. If you don’t you will simply lose weight and not gain any muscle. This follows the First Law of Thermodynamics. Basically if you want to gain weight you need to eat more, and if you want to lose weight you eat less than you body uses.

2. Consume the right foods. You need to eat a balanced diet. Your body needs proteins, carbohydrates and fats. So don’t go cutting any of them out. A balance of 40% protein, 40% carbohydrates and 20% fats is about right.

3. Drink loads of water. Your body is 80% water and you cannot live without it… make sure you drink loads and don’t ever be dehydrated. Being dehydrated will affect muscle growth.

4. Keep a detailed log of your workouts. The big secret to building muscle is progression. Ever tried to remember what weight you lifted last week?

5. Be prepared to train hard. Building muscle is hard work and not for the feint hearted. Its work so get to it already.

6. Avoid over training lest you wake the muscle eating monster. It is true. If you over train then the body needs to find quality energy to support the workout. And guess where the best energy is going to come from. Yes the proteins in those great muscles you are trying to build.

7. Don’t count on those magic supplements. There are a gazillion supplements out there. You simply don’t need them. If you want to supplement use whey protein and Creatine. Give the rest a miss. Check with your doctor first of course.

8. Inner drive and focus. This applies to everything you do in life. Focus and belief equal success.

So that concludes the all the bodybuilding tips you need to know to get started.

Get your Guide on the 8 Things you Must do in order to Build Muscle Now
Rich Powers is a Body Building Enthusiast and webmaster of http://www.iBuildMuscle.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rich_Powers

By Rajesh Karavadia

Getting enough daily exercise helps in maintaining a physically fit body. You can do your exercise workouts in your own home or in fitness gyms. If you’re getting tired of you’re old routine exercises, one great alternative to do is complicated running or walking exercises using a treadmill.

Treadmills can be quite expensive, true, but this is usually the case when you buy treadmills with luxurious features. There are also cheap treadmills that you can purchase if you’re on a tight budget. Treadmills are becoming more and more popular for many years now. The treadmill is a well-known effective device that burns calories.

Choosing the ‘best’ treadmill, if there really is one, can be a very challenging task. Different treadmills have different interactions with a person’s body. And there are many treadmill models out in the market.

Before shopping for a treadmill, it would be better if you get to use different models of treadmills. And a good place to start is the gym, or you can also try your friend’s treadmill. Getting a hands-on experience with two or more treadmill models will help you in assessing which treadmill model will work for you best. Take note of the one that you’re comfortable with, and one that is easy for your use.

Another important thing to do is to ask for opinions from people having treadmills of their own. A very good example is a fitness gym owner. You can also ask gym instructors, a friend or a colleague, and even family members that have experienced using treadmills.

Once you’ve decided to purchase, list down first the treadmill features that you like. Some treadmill features may include heart-rate monitors, displays that show the amount of burnt calories, step counters, and the treadmill’s ability to change the incline or speed.

Usually, features determine the price. The more luxurious the features are, the more expensive it is. But if you’re just a starter, you can go for basic models of treadmill which are more affordable.

Another important consideration is the noise. If you don’t want to be bothered with the noise coming from treadmills, check for the treadmill’s noise level. Cheaper treadmills have very loud motors. But the noise can be resolved easily if you put the treadmill near the television set. If you’re not doing anything, watch a TV show while exercising or you can listen to the radio. This can also kill the boredom when you’re doing your exercises. Using treadmill exercise videos will also take your attention away from the treadmill’s noise, and you get to perform your exercise the right way.

Choose a treadmill with a long-term performance and one that is easily maintained. There are services which offer consumer assistance and it is wise if you take part in these services and use it to your advantage. Treadmills with a long-term performance level go a long way and a good investment as well. Maintenance of the treadmill is equally important. Over time, some parts of the treadmill will wear out and will need to be replaced. Make sure that the treadmill’s parts are available at least within your locality.

Compatibility with the treadmill is the biggest consideration when buying the best treadmill of your choice. If you enjoy doing your daily exercise with your treadmill, then you have found the best treadmill that you’ve been looking for.

Rajesh Karavadia is the author of http://www.bargaintreadmillsguide.com, an informative website about treadmills. Different types of readmills are discussed including information on proform 525 ex treadmill and trotter treadmills. (Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rajesh_Karavadia)

By Dr Peter Lind

There are two primary types of energy production—one from carbohydrates and carbohydrate amino acids, the other from fats and fat amino acids.

The healthy person is able to produce energy throughout the day and night from both glucogenic and ketogenic sources. In a good state of health we have the ability to use either of those energy production pathways that is appropriate at the moment. However, in a poor state of health you have lost the ability to selectively use the most appropriate energy production pathway. If you have a carbohydrate-type imbalance you can’t use energy from fat sources very well so you depend mostly on carbohydrate energy production. If you have a fat-type imbalance you are deficient in getting energy from carbohydrates sources and depend on fat sources.

There are several ways we cleverly determine if you have either of these two imbalances. Two easy tests you can perform are respiratory rate and breath hold time. Decreased energy would mean decreased end products of energy production, right? That is the carbon dioxide output. It’s what you breathe. These two simple tests tell a little how well or how inefficient you make energy. Try it and see for yourself. What is your breathing rate and how long can you hold your breath? Both of these ratios need to be in balance.

The important point is this: by altering your diet you can bring in certain elements which improve your energy production and you can avoid certain foods that make it worse.

Energy production has everything to do with your metabolism. Your metabolism has everything to do with gaining or losing weight. Foods that overwhelmingly make your metabolism worse are:

• Sugars (all kinds, like honey, corn syrup, candies and desserts)
• Fruit Juices
• Meals that have carbohydrates out of proportion to proteins

Keep your metabolism balanced. Forget about the diet craze the country is going through because it has nothing to do with real health. Find out how your body is working first then you will know what to do and what not to. Surely your metabolism needs to be corrected.

Heard this before? Begin changing your metabolism by eating cruciferous vegetables like kale, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, radish, and kohlrabi have a powerful healing affect on the body organs of metabolism. Have you had any lately? Eaten raw, they should be a large part of your diet.

Dr Peter Lind is a practicing chiropractor utilizing newly developed procedures and protocols to remove the affects of stress on the body. He continues helping hundreds of people on his website http://www.stress-less-living.com.  (Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr_Peter_Lind)