Aereobic and cardio improvement

Do you sometimes get bored with your aerobic exercise? Do You sometimes feel like you're not getting the results you should from your aerobic exercise? If so, then aerobic cross-training is for you.
Aerobic cross-training refers to using two to three different types of aerobic exercise during an exercise session. For example, if you plan to exercise for 60 minutes, you might start with 20 minutes of walking or jogging, followed by 20 minutes of biking, and finish with 20 minutes of rowing.
Now, please don't get the impression that you have to be in great shape to do this or that it has to be 60 minutes long. You can start with something as simple as a ten minute walk followed by ten minutes with an exercise video. This is cross-training too. You can gradually build up from there.
Here are some of the exercises you can use in your cross-training program; walking, jogging, biking, rowing, stair climbing, swimming, exercise videos, etc. Any combination of aerobic exercises will do. You simply go from one to the next with very little time between them.
Aerobic cross-training is beneficial to you in several ways:
1. It provides variety which eliminates the monotony often associated with doing the same exercise for a long period of time.
2. If your exercise sessions are less monotonous and more enjoyable, you are much more likely to exercise more often and for longer periods of time.
3. You are less prone to over-use injuries that sometimes occur from doing the same exercise movements over and over again.
4. You tone more muscles because you are using more muscles. For example, walking tones mostly the lower body muscles and rowing tones upper body muscles also. Even exercises like walking and biking that both tone lower body muscles, tone them at different angles and each tones some small muscles that the other doesn't.
5. Aerobic conditioning is very specific to the muscles being worked. For example, you can walk ten miles a day and still be somewhat breathless after climbing stairs because you haven't trained the muscles for that specific movement. Aerobic cross-training allows you to develop more comprehensive aerobic training.
6. Aerobic cross-training is effective for weight loss because your are toning and training the fat-burning systems of more of your muscles. It turns more of your muscles into 24-hour fat-burning machines! You are also more likely to exercise on a regular basis and for longer periods of time. this also promotes weight loss and fitness.
Author and exercise physiologist, Greg Landry, offers free weight loss and fitness success stories and targeted, highly affective weight loss programs for women, men, type 2 diabetics, and people with slow metabolisms and hypothyroidism. http://www.Landry.com

Junk food can kill

All of the following are health hazards.Fatty foodsHigh salt levelsSugar and most artificial sweeteners.Americans now consume roughly 25 times as much sugar and equivalents as was typical around 1900, which is not healthful. Refined sugar, high fructose syrup, and thethree major artificial "no calorie" sweeteners (aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose) release chemicals into the body,and high usage has been implicated in headaches, cancers, lupus, and multiple sclerosis.Anyone wanting to lose weight should not ingest any sweets that are not natural to foods, such as fresh or dried fruits.Instead of candy, try a handful of raisins and almonds, nuts which provide beneficial Omega-3 fatty acids like those found in fish.It is interesting that children taking drugs for "Attention Deficit Hyper Activity Disorder" (ADHD), such as Ritalin, often get better when all processed sugars are removed from their diets, and the drugs stopped.** Diet with FACTS, not MYTHS. ** About the author:Dr. Miller is author of ""Easy Health Diet"" http://easyhealthdiet.com/diet.htm""Exercise for Juniors to Seniors"

Perzonalisation is everything in Diets!!

For the best diet results, you need a personalized diet that you can stick to.People diet for lots of reasons, and with lots of aims in mind. No matter what your aims are, the most effective diet to achieve them is a personalized one. A personalized diet which suits you is what you need, whether you want to improve your health, or just lose weight.Once you've decided to make a change for the better in your diet the next step is to seek advice from an expert. There are a myriad of fitness and diet plans to suit you available from your local gym or fitness center. There will usually be someone there you can talk to and discover what the best diet for you is. Alternatively you can take join up to one of the many fitness programs offered by the major fitness companies, there is one to suit every taste!Everyones body is different and so different diets and fitness programs effect you diffently to the way they will effect others. Some people will lose weight and tone up more quickly on certain diets so its important to ensure the diet that you are on is just right for your body.Most diet programs are designed for people with no specific health problems. If you find you are changing your prescribed diet to suit a health problem you have it is essential to contact your doctor first for advice. They can advise you on what is best to eat or avoid eating with your illness.Of course your doctor knows as much as anyone about your health. They are in an excellent position to help you decide on the diet that will be most effective for you. They will also be able to spot any potential problems with a diet you are on, or are considering. For example if you are on medication to prevent blood clots then you shouldn't eat green vegetables (spinach in particular). Your doctor will spot issues like this and point them out to you.The major problem with standard diets (including the fad diets we all here about) is that they are just that - standard. They are designed to suit everyone to some degree but they will probably have an average effect on you. These diets are not designed for you - for your body, build, fitness level, health, or potential health problems. A good diet is one you can make your own - a diet you can tailor and personalize to suit yourself.Another problem is that depending on where you live, some diets might call for you to eat a particular food that is difficult or even impossible to find. They might also require you to eat foods that are out of season or more expensive to buy in your location than others. If this is the case, you should change your diet to include foods that are easier to come by, but that also work in your diet.Of course there is little point in beginning your diet with great determination only to find a week later you dont have the ability to stick with it. It is important that you ease yourself into your diet when possible. Phase out your old diet while gradually adopting your new personalised diet.That way you'll be able to stick with it and get the most out of your new diet.Avoid a diet that requires you to abruptly change your eating habits, forcing you to stop eating your favourite foods for example. Changes like that will cause temptation and make you cheta on your diet. A diet like this will rarely last long enough to have any meaningful effect on your health or weight.If your diet has an aim - like losing weight or lowering your blood pressure then you should consider making a progress chart. that way you can look at the chart and see how far you've come and how much closer to your goal you are. that kind of encouragement will give you a much needed boost in your confidence, and your resolve to work along the path of your new diet and achieve your goals.

Atkins and South Beach Diets Compared

Low-carb diets have been in the market for quite some time now. Two of the most common these days are the Atkins and South Beach Diet.BeginningsBoth were developed by medical doctors (cardiologists) who -- according to reports -- were trying to help Americans lose weight given their high carb diets.Atkins Diet was the first to be developed and is thus, the more popular. It was developed by the late Dr. Robert C. Atkins as early as the 1972 but became more widely popular -- despite the oppositions -- in the 1990s.Dr. Arthur Agatston, also a cardiologist but from Mount Sinai Cardiac Prevention Center in Miami Beach, Fla., is known as the father of the South Beach diet. His work came a lot later through his book: "The South Beach Diet: The Delicious, Doctor-Designed, Foolproof Plan for Fast and Healthy Weight Loss" published in 2003.SimilaritiesBoth popular diet plans advise dieters to avoid carbohydrates and follow stringent steps to ensure that the significant weight lost during the program does not come back. Both start with the so-called induction phase where the body of the dieter is "trained" for the routine. Both diet plans come with suggested food lists where dieters can mix and match foods to suit their tastes. Of course, like other diet plans, both plans advise dieters to stay away from food not included in the lists. Among the "dont's" in Dr. Atkins' list are fruit, bread, pasta, grains, starchy vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, and some dairy products except cheese, cream, and butter. Aside from fruit, bread, pasta and vegetables, South Beach dieters are also advised to stay away from potatoes, cereal, rice, and corn, especially for the first two weeks of the induction or introductory period. After this period, these can be slowly re-introduced into the body, albeit in smaller amounts. Both diet plans have a lifetime "maintenance" phase where hopefully dieters will be so accustomed to either plan that they hardly recognize that they are dieting at all. Differences While both diet plans restrict carbohydrate intake, the South Beach diet is said to be more forgiving by not totally eliminating carbs. It distinguishes between "good" and "bad" carbs and even "good" and "bad" fats. South Beach encourages intake of "good" carbs and fats.Low-sugar carbs with low glycemic index are "good" carbs under the South Beach plan. Food rich in fiber are also recommended. Atkins's diet routine helps the body to burn fat instead of carb. The goal is to help the dieter achieve good health. Atkins's diet plan involves four phases while the South Beach plan has three phases. In both plans, the introductory stage aims to condition the body for some changes to prepare for the program. In Atkins diet, the body is trained to burn fat instead of sugar to help curb the cravings for sugar and break addiction to some foods. In South Beach diet, the initial phase involves cutting on high-carb foods, which can be gradually re-introduced in small amounts in the next phase. In this case, South Beach debunks myths that this approach prevents dieters from getting healthy mix from all food groups. Atkins dieters go through the next following phases: ongoing weight loss, pre-maintenance and lifetime maintenance. The last two phases of South Beach diet are called re-introduce the carb and diet for life. What's key in the maintenance phase in Atkins is to keep portions of food at small amounts. Atkins diet guarantees no hunger deprivation because its long-term goal is healthy diet. South Beach's promise is a "change in the way of eating," with the dieter not recognizing at all that he is on a diet. Summarizing the DietsAtkins Diet Developed by cardiologist Dr. Robert C. Atkins in 1972, with his “Diet Revolution”, a high-protein, high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet.The program focuses on a low-carbohydrate diet.The Program has 4 phases:1. induction phase (train the body to burn fats instead of carb)2. ongoing weight loss3. pre-maintenance4. lifetime maintenanceSouth Beach DietDeveloped by cardiologist Dr. Arthur Agatston of Miami, Florida, who in 2003, published the book “The South Beach Diet: The Delicious, Doctor-Designed, Foolproof Plan for Fast and Healthy Weight Loss".The program distinguishes between “good” and “bad” carbohydrates, and “good” and “bad” fats. Take in “good” carbs and fats.The program has 3 phases:1. 2-week introductory or induction phase (strictly no carbs)2. re-introduce the carbs3. diet for lifePlease check http://www.OnlineDietReview.com for more information. About the author:David Teeth is a personal trainer, nutritionist and dietician with years of experience in dieting. David is a full time writer for http://www.onlinedietreview.com/

Be consistent in your Diet purposes

Following a diet program of any sort can sometimes be restricting depending on different circumstances. A Strict diet program can be hard to stick to and the best diet programs are the diet programs that you can definitely stick with for the rest of your life. The best advice for a diet program is a healthy balanced diet using all food groups, drink plenty of water and exercise very regularly. Sticking with this type of diet program is not restricting in any way and gives you a huge variety of foods to choose from. Watch your fat intake and really stop and think about what you are about to put into your mouth. You know if you are eating junk or eating a healthy diet. It’s up to you at the end of the day to educate yourself on what type of diet program is ridiculous and which are sensible and maintainable for a lifetime. The secret is exercise. Your diet program simply must include exercise if you want the best results in the shortest possible time.With so much confusing information in the market about exactly what a healthy diet is; it’s little wonder people fumble and end up so frustrated they don’t know what a healthy diet means anymore!Here’s some basic steps to a healthy diet that you start to implement right now.A healthy diet should be balanced and includes all food groups. This means lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole-grains, low fat dairy products and of course heaps of water! A healthy diet should be low in saturated fats, trans fat and cholesterol. Your daily fat intake should come mainly from nuts, fish, and vegetable oils. Try to keep your fat intake to 20-35% of your daily intake of calories for a healthy diet. Eat lots of different types of fruits and vegetables for the really healthy diet. At least 2 cups of fruit and 2-3 cups of vegetables. It’s easy! Limit the number of high processed foods such as biscuits, lollies, chips etc. For a truly healthy diet…it’s everything in moderation! Include a good variety of whole-grains each day for fibre. Keeps you clean on the inside! A healthy diet is not hard…if you keep it in moderation. Don’t overdo any of the food groups…just mix them and make sure you drink plenty of water. For a healthy diet…watch the intake of alcohol. One drink a day for women, two a day for men. For the overall best result in women’s fitness…a mix of both is best. Cardio-vascular training is great for fat burning and getting fit, but it doesn’t build muscle tissue/or prevent the loss of it. Women’s fitness training needs to focus on retaining as much muscle tissue as possible, as we lose it with age. Therefore, by lifting weights at least once a week, women will most definitely slow down loss of muscle tissue and the ageing process. There’s a huge range of different types of weight bearing exercises and cardio exercises available for Women’s fitness training. It’s best to be advised by a credited gym instructor or personal trainer.About the author:Matt Clarkson and his wife Amanda successfully ran a personal training studio specializing in mature and motivated people, helping thousands of people achieve their health & fitness goals. The Free Information Online website is designed to help people find unbiased advice and tips with out the worry of any high pressure selling. For more free and unbiased advice go to… http://www.freeinformationonline.com/Index2/index2.htm

What is South Beach diet?

Among the most popular forms of dieting is the South Beach diet, developed by cardiologist Arthur Agatston of Miami, Florida.The South Beach diet is always confused with Atkins Diet, which is a low-carbohydrate diet. The South Beach diet highlights the consumption of “good carbohydrates” (high in fiber) and low in glycemic index. The South Beach diet was developed for patients with heart problems to lose weight without risking ketosis. The weight loss was a side effect which turned out to be beneficial and this encouraged many people to try South Beach diet.According to the South Beach diet theory, highly processed carbohydrates are quickly digested which makes insulin level to shoot up. Once the carbohydrates are all used up, your high insulin level makes you crave more for carb-filled foods.The South Beach diet is based on the observation that Americans are carb crazy, which is also the reason for the induction phase. In the first two weeks, dieters attempt to eliminate bad carb such as grains or fruits. After this phase, grain-based foods and fruits are returned to the diet with the concentration on foods with low glycemic index.The South Beach diet also emphasizes the difference between good and bad carbohydrates, and good and bad fats. Good carbohydrates have low glycemic index which means that they are slowly digested and absorbed. The South Beach diet bans unhealthy fats such as saturated fat.Finally, the South Beach diet stresses a permanent change in one’s way of eating. The South Beach diet suggests whole grains along with large amounts of vegetables, with sufficient amounts of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, plus Omega-3 oils. The South Beach diet discourages eating of overly refined foods such as flour and sugar.According to experts, the South Beach diet met the criteria of healthy diet which is a good thing. The bad thing is the induction phase wherein dieters lose weight due to loss of water. Losing a large amount of water can disturb one’s electrolyte so if you’re following the South Beach diet, it would be better if you work closely with a doctor.According to Dr. Agatston, South Beach diet is neither a low carb nor low fat diet but the restrictions placed in the induction phase cut big time the carbohydrate and fat intake of dieters. The good thing about the South Beach diet is that it teaches people on the right foods to eat to cut the risk of heart problems and high cholesterol as well as help them lose weight. The South Beach diet is a long, tedious journey towards perhaps a drop dead gorgeous body. But more than phases of losing weight, the South Beach diet is a way of life. About the author:Charlene J. Nuble 2005. For up to date links and information about weight loss, please go to: http://weight-loss.besthealthlink.net/or for updated links and information on all health related topics,