Many times we are not able to make it to a gym to get exercise. It’s not that we don’t want to take time, it is just that the time is not there due to work, kids, activities, family, etc. Just because you can’t make it to a gym doesn’t mean you can’t get a good workout and stay in shape. There are many exercises you can do in the comfort of your own home and you don’t even need to purchase expensive fitness equipment. Some of these exercises include:

• push ups – If you are having trouble doing full push ups try doing them from your knees
• jumping jacks – A great cardio exercise that works a lot of muscles
• crunches – Make sure not to lock your hands behind your head when doing these. If you do you can put extra strain on your back and neck.
• leg lifts
• stretching
• yoga
• burpees
• jump rope

If you can take 20-30 minutes out of your day to do a few of these exercises you will be surprised at the results you can achieve!

There is no reason for an expecting yoga practitioner to give up yoga for, at least, the next nine months. There is also no reason for any pregnant woman not to try yoga for the first time. Yoga is generally safe to do during pregnancy both for long- and first-time practitioners. There are, of course, modifications in yoga exercises to accommodate the changes and ability of a pregnant woman’s body and rev it up for the demands of pregnancy. These prenatal yoga exercises specifically teach pregnant women birthing breath skill, relax their mind and body, provide emotional relief, and stretch their muscles, all for setting the stage for easier labor and childbirth.

What should you keep in mind?
Pregnancy is a delicate condition, so if you’re regularly attending a class not specifically for pregnant women, inform your teacher of your condition at once to incorporate modifications and assist you during classes. If, however, you are a home practitioner, make sure to consult prenatal yoga materials such as videos and books. This is not the time for overdoing and pushing your body. Yoga is supposed to keep you in shape and help feel better and not the other way around.

Avoid Bikram or hot yoga classes during pregnancy. The hot temperature, usually 90 degrees or higher, during these classes puts danger to the health of a growing fetus.

Mind which trimester you are in. Modifications vary according to trimesters since your body also undergoes changes as you progress from one trimester to another.

In your first trimester, morning sickness and nausea are common and may present challenges. If you do have them, it is best to tone down or skip classes. Avoid exercises that require breath retention and rapid breathing; instead start practicing birthing breath, one that allows you to inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth. Poses that aimed at strengthening the abdominal muscles should also be avoided, as your muscles are more prone to tear this time. On the contrary, poses that have you lying on your belly are allowed since the fetus during this stage is relatively small. You can, however, stop doing them any time you feel uncomfortable.

Your sense of balance begins to change during your second trimester. Therefore, be extra careful when doing standing positions. For support, you can stand with your heel pressed to the wall or use a chair. This time, do not attempt to lie on your belly to avoid compressing the uterus. Also, start avoiding poses that require you to lie on your back for a long time since they may affect your blood flow and cause dizziness, nausea, and shortness of breath. Your doctor, however, may advise you to lie on your side, so make necessary adjustments with your teacher when doing lying positions.

The third trimester is probably the hardest time to practice yoga as your tummy now is larger and heavier and your body can’t perform as well as before. But don’t push; relax with your poses now, while applying further modifications to fit you in. Just remember to avoid inversion poses and those other that do not feel comfortable. As your due date nears, you don’t necessarily have to stop doing yoga, but be extra careful.

Listen to your body and take heed if it calls you to stop. Experiencing pain and discomfort is its most common signal, so listen well. Don’t take chances and force yourself into doing a prenatal yoga pose. Remember to ALWAYS ask for modifications or alternative poses.

Gaining or losing weight does not have any direct connection with the metabolism of your body. Your weight is determined by the total calories consumption against the total calories burned. Weight loss takes place when you consume fewer calories.

Metabolism refers to the ability of the body to convert food into energy. During the metabolic stage, calories combine with oxygen in order to emit the energy your body requires to function effectively.

The amount of calories your body is required to burn each day is known as total energy expenditure. It consists of the following three factors:
* Although your body is at rest, it demands energy for basic needs such as fuel for organs, blood circulation, breathing, hormone level adjustment, and cell repair and growth. The basal metabolic rate (BMR) refers to the calories consumed to perform these functions. It represents 2/3 to 3/4 of daily calories burned on a daily basis.

* Calories are likewise required for performing other tasks such as digestion, transfer, and storage of food. It makes up 10 percent of daily calories consumed. Majority of the body’s energy needs for food processing remains steady and constant.

* Physical tasks such as sports, walking to the store, chasing dogs, and any other activity makes up the remaining calories used. You regulate the amount of calories being burned depending on the duration, intensity, and frequency of your activities.

At first, there is logic to believe that a considerable gain in weight or being overweight has something to do with low metabolism or with a condition known as underactive thyroid gland or hypothyroidism. The truth of the matter is that it is quite unusual for excess weight to be associated with low metabolism.

Majority of people who are not overweight do not have an underlying condition called hypothyroidism. But with a medical diagnosis it is possible to determine whether weight has something to do with a medical condition.

It is more likely for weight gain to consume more calories than what your body burns. In order to lose weight, you need to generate an energy deficit by consuming lesser calories and increasing the amount of calories burned by performing physical activity, or both if possible.

If you have identical physical and functional characteristics, it would be easier to calculate for the standard energy needs. However, there are several factors that have an impact on calorie requirements:
* For proper functioning of the body, you need to have more calories for bigger body mass compared to a smaller body composition. Likewise, muscles require more burning of calories than fat. Thus, more muscles in association with fat means a higher metabolic rate.

* As you become older, the number of muscles decrease and fat makes up most of your weight. At the same time, your metabolism rate naturally slows down. These developments contribute to the reduction of your calorie needs.
* On the aspect of sex, men usually have less body fat and muscles compared to women with a similar age and weight. This is the reason for a higher basal metabolic rate in men than women. This also explains why they burn more calories.

When considering weight loss, you need to bear in mind the factors mentioned above. Making drastic changes in your diet will not do the trick but will make you susceptible to complications in your body.

Yoga is often portrayed in the media using visuals of people standing on their heads or lying on the floor in some twisted position. No wonder, people get the impression that one has to be really into it to practice yoga. What they don’t know is that yoga can be practiced by anyone, even by handicapped and old people. One type of yoga such people can pursue is called chair yoga, one of the least physically straining practice of yoga.

What is chair yoga?

It is not really some type of yoga, which came from the Indian culture. It is called such simply because the practitioner uses a chair as support to practice yoga positions. Those who practice chair yoga don’t need to lie on the floor or stand for a long time or do some contortionist positions. With a chair as props, certain yoga positions become easier to do for practitioners. That is because chair yoga is designed for those who are not so capable of doing those things. They are the elderly, the disabled, and the injured.

Aside from the disabled and elderly, who else can engage in chair yoga?

If chair yoga is designed for the disabled and the elderly, why can’t younger and more physically able people do it? It can be done by practically anybody. Pregnant women can do it as well as people who have health problems. They just have to make sure that their yoga instructors know everything about their condition.

Parents can also do chair yoga with their kids; that way, they get to exercise as well as spend time with each other. And who else can practice chair yoga more often than those who are virtually glued to chairs? They are the office workers who stair at the computer all day, the commuters and frequent travellers who spend significant time in transportation vehicles, and of course, students who have to wait for their professors in class.

What are the benefits of chair yoga?

Like the practitioners of regular yoga exercise, those who have practiced chair yoga can attest to the good physical effects of chair yoga. Because of its meditative practices, chair yoga reduces stress levels, helps you concentrate more easily, and gives you a more balanced mental state. By relieving stress, this type of yoga also removes one of the factors that induce over-eating; thus, it also helps one reduce weight. It can increase one’s flexibility and endurance. Chair yoga can also prevent or slow down the progress of cardiovascular and bone diseases such as osteopenia, osteoporosis, and scoliosis. Plus, it is proven to improve the health conditions of people with asthma, high blood pressure, fatigue, anxiety, carpal tunnel syndrome, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, diabetes, and vertigo, among others.

What basic chair yoga exercises can one practice?

Chair yoga exercises are easy to do because they are commonly breathing, meditation, and stretching exercises. One basic technique is deep breathing: You place your hands on your ribs. Slowly inhale while feeling your rib cages expand, then slowly exhale while slightly pulling your abdominal muscles in. Another is the neck stretch combined with deep breathing: Take a deep breath as you tilt your head back to the fullest but comfortable degree you can, then exhale as you tip your head forward and down until your chin touches your chest. And there’s the twist where you hold the back rest of the chair with your right hand, while you sit on the chair’s front edge. Put your left hand on your right knee. Inhale deeply and then exhale as you slowly twist your torso as far as you can comfortably.

According to a research (Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, December, 2003), drinking two cups of water increases metabolic rate by 30 percent in just 30 to 40 minutes. This is because water arouses the sympathetic nervous system which causes increase in metabolic rate. Researchers concluded that an average of eight cups of water a day would increase caloric expenditure by 100 calories which is an excellent weight loss solution.

Experts’ advice is to drink half your weight in ounces daily. For example, if you weigh 140 pounds, you should drink at least seventy ounces or approximately nine cups of water daily. This amount of water is the standard amount your body needed for normal daily hydration. For those who also exercise, additional amount of water is needed aside from the mentioned amount. To prevent hydration, it is advised to drink one and a half cups of water thirty minutes before exercise. The best source of water is portable bottled water or tap water. Make sure to stay away from caffeine whenever possible because it speeds up your metabolism and dehydrate you.

There are also researchers that proved the advantage of drinking your water cold. This is because cold water could burn up more calories heating up the body temperature. Many successful dieters found water as their key component to weight loss by using it as an effective appetite suppressant. Renowned psychologist Kelly Brownell, Ph.D., who had been making studies on weight loss developed a behavioral-modification program for weight loss which includes drinking water as one of effective strategies.

Aside from making you feel full, water as a healthy, non-caloric beverage provides a great alternative to cans of soda. Soda is one delicious culprit of weight gains. It’s one of the best thirst quencher but come with hundreds of calories. Filling up your body with water instead of soda is a great way to cut down calories. Switching from a regular 12-ounce of Coke to water can make a big difference, calorie-wise. An average of 1,000 calories can be eliminated by switching to drinking water from a Coke drinker in a week (that is for somone who drinks 5 regulars and 5 diets). It’s a one-third of a pound already and for a weight loss program, it matters BIG.

Water also flushes out your internal systems. Fat soluble are environmental contaminants that enters the human body and can be there to stay unless you find a way to flush them away. However, during weight loss diet, these fats are mobilized and instigated to get out from your system. Fat soluble are dangerous to your bloodstream as they usually remain sitting dormant for decades or more. When these happen it can slow down your metabolism, leading to health complications. Water like soluble fibers (fruits and vegetables) is one key of flushing these toxins out of your body.

A well hydrated body helps our kidneys and liver to function well. Water helps to eliminate fat and other toxins from our body. On the other hand, a dehydrated body causes our liver and kidney to work overtime – because our body has less ability of removing fat fast. Thus, it is essential to drink plenty of water to keep your cells well hydrated and healthy. Drinking plenty of water to maintain good health for our liver is often called “promote more-effecient and more-effective protein metabolism. Since one of your goals while your on a weight loss program is to build muscles, the last thing you want to do is slow down protein metabolism. Drinking enough water will help you achieve this.

Don’t drink too much! Drinking too much water can dilute the salt content in your blood and tissue, especially during dieting. Athletes have even died from drinking too much water. You need to find a balance between the amount of water you drink and your intake of salts and electrolytes. And remember water alone is not going to help you lose weight, you need to exercise as well.

Here’s a good video about water and weight loss:

Everyone knows staying in shape and keeping off extra weight during the holidays is tough. Here’s a great video with 3 yoga poses to do for the holidays to keep your body in shape when you may not have access to your normal yoga helpers. These are very easy to remember poses, so you won’t even need to watch the video if you are away from your computer.

If you got a chubby kid, he or she probably often gets pinched in the cheeks by older people or even by other children, because “you are so cute!” and, er, “so chubby!” While your kid may take these as compliments, your kid may also take these as confidence crushers. Not only is it made clearer to your kid that he or she is indeed chubby and fat, it is also emphasized that he or she is not like other “normal” kids. So what better thing to do than to encourage your kid to go on a weight loss plan?

But, you may ask, if weight loss schemes are already hard for adults, how much more would they be for your kid? Well, at least one good thing about your child having to shed off extra weight is that they got a parent to encourage and support him or her.

Now, how do you know that the tummy flab that peeks under your kid’s shirt is just “baby fat”? You can start by determining your kid’s ideal weight, then, measure his / her weight. If your kid weighs more than children of his/her age should, your kid is overweight. And if his / her weight is 20 percent beyond the ideal, your kid is obese, which is something that needs more attention. To be sure, however, just go to the nearest health center and have a health practitioner take his weight and body mass index to determine his/her actual condition.

If you confirm that your kid indeed needs to lose weight, then you start your “parental project.” Tell your kid outright that he/she needs to lose weight for his/her own health. You can use a matter-of-factly but conversational tone, so that your kid would take you seriously without being offended. Explain the benefits of weight loss—he/she would be able to do more activities, wear regular size of clothes, have more resistance and endurance, etc. Just be sure, however, that your kid gets the proper motivation to lose weight: that he/she should lose extra pounds, not to be “normal” like other kids, not to get the approval and praise of other people, but to be fitter and healthier.

Of course, don’t force a weight loss plan on your kid. It’s better to do it subtly. This way he/she wouldn’t be pressured and stressed, which might even cause depression, one of the common reasons people binge eat and put on extra weight.

Start your kid’s diet at home. Cook less fatty foods, but make sure that your kid would still get a balanced amount of vitamins, minerals, carbs, and protein. Junk the junk foods from your pantry and fridge. If your kid loves junk foods, make him/her homemade ones—minus the fats and artificial ingredients, of course. Use real lean meat for burger patties, real sliced potatoes for chips, and low-sugar dough for cookies.

Encourage your child to take on more physical activities. Reduce the time he/she spends in front of the TV or computer. Take your family for regular walks every evening even just for 10-30 minutes. Or go on weekend camping or hiking outings every weekend. This way you don’t only get to bond as a family, you also make your whole family healthier.

Strike a deal with your kid. Make him/her do house chores in exchange for a little hike in allowance. You can also buy him/her a pet, which he/she can take regular walks with.

The holidays can be a very stressful time of year for some people. Yoga can be a very effective way to reduce and relieve your stress level.

More than 5,000 years ago, yoga was considered as the oldest form of self-development. This practice involves ethical disciplines, physical postures, breathing techniques, and meditation.
Although first practiced in the East, it is now gaining popularity in the West. In Britain, for example, it is being used to relax workers and make them healthier and more creative.

Over the years, the practice has been regarded as a reliever of stress. It is a combination of stress reduction techniques, which includes exercise, breathing control, and body relaxation. The increasing popularity of yoga has allowed more people to realize the benefits of this practice to reducing stress.

Yoga originated from the word “yoke” meaning to bring together or unite. This Indian practice is the union of the mind, body, and spirit. Whether its for managing stress or improving physical health, there are various benefits that you can obtain from this form of exercise.

Practicing this ancient form of exercise provides several benefits such as reduced stress, lower blood pressure, decreased heart rate, to name just a few. Its benefits are so plenty that it has a high payoff for the amount of effort you exert.

This form of exercise involves stretching some parts of the body and performing various poses, while maintaining slow and controlled breathing. At the same time, it provides relaxation and energy. There are various styles that have been developed and the movements may vary depending on the style.

In addition, some of the styles focus on the spiritual aspect. The other styles are purely designed as an exercise.

Not only does this form of exercise present physical benefits but also psychological benefits. Regularly indulging in this practice aids in reducing stress and develops your sense of well being. Likewise, it promotes spiritual benefits and makes you feel connected with God or Spirit.

Specific poses can be conducted in any location or venue and a single program can last for hours or minutes that will be determined by your schedule.

While it has its advantages, the practice also has its drawbacks. First, you need to commit some of your time to the practice. Second, for some people with physical disability, the various moves can be difficult.
Another drawback of the activity is that you can be self-conscious when performing some of the poses. Attending a class can be costly on your part but learning from an e-book or video can be more daunting.

When compared with other methods of stress reduction, the practice combines the benefits of breathing techniques, stretching, fitness programs, meditation, and guided imagery in a single technique. For the physically handicapped, basic breathing exercises, meditation, or guided imagery might be the best option offering the same benefits.

Instead of taking pills or herbs, you should instead commit your time and effort to the practice. Every time a class ends, you will be required to perform a corpse pose-savasana for relaxation.

At first, forcing yourself to do this exercise can be difficult but eventually you will feel relaxed in your body or mind. A savasana pose will help you resume your normal routine feeling refreshed knowing that you can now battle the stress that you experienced in your life.

If you have not discovered the benefits of yoga yet, then this is the opportune time to try it out.

September was National Cholesterol Education Month. And although we hear a lot about it, many of us may not understand the basics of cholesterol or what can be done to help manage it. Unfortunately, there are no outward signs if you are having a cholesterol problem, making it even more important to get the facts.

What is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a fatty substance that cannot be dissolved in your blood stream. It must be transported out. Cholesterol moves through your blood stream via proteins called, lipoproteins. Too much of the “bad” cholesterol or Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL), can lead to clogging, while High Density Lipoproteins (HDL), or “good” cholesterol, carries cholesterol away from your arteries to keep you healthy. As you can see, you want less of the bad stuff – LDL – and more of the good stuff – HDL.

Where does cholesterol come from?
I’m sure you’ve seen the same TV commercials I have about the two sources of cholesterol -your body and your diet. It’s true. The cholesterol created in your body is made naturally in your liver as a protective agent to combat the bad cholesterol. Meats, whole milk, cheese, butter, eggs, and convenience foods inject additional amounts of cholesterol into your diet, which is why it’s recommended you limit your consumption of these foods. But that’s not always easy to do.

With today’s on-the-go lifestyle, many of us eat at fast food restaurants or heat up a pre-packaged dinner in the microwave. These foods are often laden with unhealthy oils and fats that cause your cholesterol intake to go through the roof.

Natural solutions to clobber cholesterol
Here are a few food, lifestyle, and supplement options to consider to you help clobber cholesterol naturally:

Foods

Oatmeal and oat bran

Walnuts and almonds

Fish and Omega 3 fatty acids

Pears and oranges

Brussels sprouts, carrots, dried peas and beans

Lifestyle

It’s recommended you get 30 minutes of regular physical activity most if not all, days.

Your diet should include lean meats, fish, skinless poultry, whole grain foods and fruits and vegetables

Herbs and Natural Nutrients

Policosanol. This is a naturally occurring substance found in rice bran, sugar and beeswax. It blocks cholesterol’s production at the earliest stages, helps maintain normal cholesterol production in your liver, and fosters normal LDL cholesterol excretion by your body.

Green tea. Research suggests that the polyphenols found in green tea combine with bile and cholesterol to form a substance that cannot be absorbed by your intestines, so it’s eliminated.

Garlic. Supports your heart muscle so it pumps strong and healthy and promotes your heart’s ability to utilize oxygen.

Hawthorn Berry. Helps keep cholesterol from getting stuck on your arteries.

Coenzyme Q-10. CoQ-10 is a fat-soluble compound that provides energy for every cell, and is especially important for your heart. As you age, your ability to produce CoQ-10 declines. And, if you take cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, it lowers your CoQ-10 levels even further.

In addition to the above, I recommend Cholest-Ex^TM from Botanic Choice because it combines many of these nutrients into a single formula.

Regardless of your approach, I suggest you know your numbers and work with your health care provider to help monitor your cholesterol before it’s too late.

by Gary Gendron, D.C., C.C.S.P., C.C.N., D.A.C.B.N.
Bio: Dr. Gary Gendron is a Clinical Director of the Integrated Medical Center in Bonita Springs, Florida and a specialist in nutritional health and vitamin therapy. He serves as advisor to Botanic Choice.

Thanksgiving is almost upon us and that marks the beginning of the holiday eating season and those dreaded extra pounds that usually accompany it. The holiday eating season is what drives quite a few people to choose Weight Loss, Diet or Fitness related New Year’s Resolutions. Well here are a few tips to keep those extra pounds off and will maybe allow you to choose a different type of New Year’s Resolution this year!

The most important tip I can give is to use moderation. The holidays bring lots of temptations when it comes to food and trying to keep from gaining unwanted pounds doesn’t mean you can’t partake in the goodies, you just need to make sure you don’t over eat. I know we are all guilty of over eating and Thanksgiving is the first test. Thanksgiving usually brings turkey, sweet potatoes, dressing, cranberries, pumpkin pie and all the fixings and usually in large quantities. The large quantities tempt you to eat more then you should, just because it is there. If you can restrain yourself and only eat a normal portion it can save you big time.

This same rule can be used when it comes to cookies, candies and all the sweets that come with Christmas. It is very unrealistic to think that you will be able to not eat any treats, so go ahead and try them, but eat just one (or a reasonable quantity). There’s no reason you need to be the one that finishes off that plate of cookies that someone brought in to work!

The second tip I can give you is to make sure to not forget about exercise. The holidays can be stressful and busy, but getting in your exercise is a great way to keep those extra pounds off and keep your body burning calories. It’s also a great way to relieve some of that extra stress! Keeping up your exercise routine will also help you out later on if you need to increase the amount of exercise after the New Year, in the case that you do pack on a couple extra unwanted pounds.

The last tip I will give is a pretty obvious one. Eat healthy. There are usually tons of choices of what to eat and some of them are obviously much more healthy and better for your diet then others. That being said if you are really craving something eat some in a moderate amount or it will come back to haunt you, as you will probably gorge yourself on it later and eat WAY too much.

Have a great holiday and use these tips to stick to your diet over the holidays and avoid those dreaded holiday pounds!