Is Eating Healthy a Key to Living a Long Time?

How to Develop Healthy Eating Habits

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit
We all realize that we have to eat to live, but too little of the right kinds of food can lead to poor health. Here are some tips to help develop more healthy eating habits:

Steps

1. Schedule three meals a day into your routine. It's important to be nourished adequately throughout the day to prevent fatigue and to perform at an optimal level.
2. Eat a healthy breakfast. Include grains and fruits. Try a high-fiber cereal with low fat milk and sliced bananas.
3. Eating small frequent meals can be less taxing on your digestive system.
4. Snack between meals to curb your appetite and provide a little energy. Try a piece of fruit or a few crackers with peanut butter.
5. Do not let yourself become so hungry as to overeat at mealtime. Overeating burdens your digestive system.
6. Drinking water or having a small bowl of soup before meals may keep you from overeating at your meal.
7. Eat slowly and chew your food thoroughly to aid in your digestion. Take time to savor your food.
8. Obtain protein from a less complicated source, such as nuts, legumes, grains and sprouts.
9. Choose low fat dairy products, lean white meats or wild fish if animal products are desired.
10. Combine vegetables and grains with a small amount of protein for a synergistic effect.
11. Choose a variety of whole grain products to include millet, barley and buckwheat.
12. Choose a variety of fruits and vegetables that are deep in color, such as the dark orange of a carrot or the deep green of spinach. They contain more nutrients.
13. Choose organic products to eliminate chemical exposure. Chemicals are harmful to overall health.
14. Avoid processed food as it contains ingredients that have been changed from their natural state. These unnatural foods are difficult for your body to assimilate.
15. Choose sea salt as it is equivalent in nature to the salt within your body. It is very cleansing. Refined salt causes fluid retention and increased blood pressure.
16. Eliminate sugars or choose an unrefined sugar, such as turbinado or honey.
17. Drink plenty of clean water to aid in flushing toxins and the waste products of natural cell metabolism.
18. Gradually wean from large portions to achieve a healthy weight.
19. Eat less in the evening if you are no longer exercising throughout the remainder of the day.
20. Use moderation when developing new eating habits. The important thing is to develop a plan that you'll find easy to accomplish and easy to maintain.
21. Keep a positive attitude focusing on long term results.
22. Eat at least one nutritious meal per day with your family to encourage their good eating habits.

Video

Tips

• Research several different kinds of diets focusing on the health and longevity of other cultures.
• If you are eating sensibly, but unable to maintain your health, see a physician for further testing.
• A personal trainer can determine a more appropriate diet and exercise plan based upon your body type and future goals.
• Take your time losing weight. Work to maintain your weight loss as well as your health.
• A steady exercise program can speed weight loss, but be sure it is reasonable to maintain.
• It may be healthier to be overweight than to have constant fluctuations in weight.
• Treat yourself to an occasional descretion, such as a piece of chocolate.
• Restaurants are known to carry refined salt and processed foods.
• The FDA recommends 0-2 servings of meat per day.
• Eat a gram of protein for every pound you weigh to maintain your weight.

Related wikiHows

• How to Choose a Pre Workout Meal
• How to Stay Fit at Home
• How to Get Around Doing Basic Sit Ups
• How to Eat Healthy for Life
• How to Establish a Diet Plan
• How to Lose Weight Safely
• How to Eat out and Lose Weight
• How to Eat Healthy
• How to Eat Slowly to Avoid Overeating

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Develop Healthy Eating Habits. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

The Correct Way To Build Muscle.

How to Build Muscle

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit
Your body builds muscle naturally in response to strenuous activity. But if your daily routine doesn't involve challenging your muscles to grow, how do you trigger the muscle-building process? It doesn't happen overnight (as any bodybuilder can tell you) but you'll be well on your way to "bulking up" if you follow these steps consistently.

Steps

1. Make time to exercise. Decide which exercises you'll do on which days. Some exercises focus on a specific muscle (e.g. bicep curl) while other exercises call upon several muscles at once (e.g. squat). The important thing is to make sure each muscle gets a chance to rest for at least a full day before using it again. For example, you can do a full-body weight training routine every other day (with cardio in between, if you want) or you can alternate muscle groups (arms on Monday, legs on Tuesday, upper back and chest on Wednesday, etc.).[1]
   • Do Calisthenics or Compound Exercises. Push-ups, Pull-ups, Dips, Pistols, Reverse Crunches, etc. These exercises are functional and encourage your body to use primary muscle groups, secondary muscle groups, stabilizing muscles as well as your core. Add weight when these exercises get easy.
   • Muscles grow during rest, not during training. If you don't give a muscle adequate time to recover, then you'll actually interfere with the muscle building process and can end up injuring yourself. When you lift weight, you're supposed to stress the muscle to the extent that it breaks down at the cellular level, resulting in increased protein synthesis, which produces thicker muscle fibers. This process begins 2-4 hours after the workout and lasts 24 hours[2] (although some researchers suggest that muscles worked to exhaustion need 36-48 hours to rebuild[3]). If you stress the muscle again before the process is complete, you'll break down the muscle fibers before they've had a chance to rebuild.[2]
   • To build volume rather than strength, design your program around lots of repetitions (8 to 12), three to five sets, and short (30- to 90-second) rest periods between sets. Athletes looking for power and strength, on the other hand, will favor a program with reps that max out at around six and sets ranging from two to six, with a long rest period (two to five minutes) to promote better recovery between sets.[2]
2. Practice good form. Learn how to do each exercise properly (full extension of movement, proper stance and posture, etc.) or else you'll not only reduce the effectiveness of the movement, but you'll also be increasing the risk of injury. To master each exercise, learn to do it slowly with light weight. Your form will improve with practice. Even though you might feel more accomplished when you move quickly, you're depending on momentum to do some of the work for you, instead of your muscles. Do each rep slowly, in a controlled and steady fashion.[1] More advanced lifters are able to benefit to a significant extent through explosive repetitions, but since this also compounds the risk of injury in novice athletes, it is solely recommended for more advanced athletes.[4]
3. Lift to fatigue. As mentioned earlier, in order to trigger the muscle building process, you need to stress the muscle. By the final rep of your final set, your muscle should be exhausted.[2] That should be the last rep you can do with perfect form. If you start losing form before then because your muscles are too tired, you're using too much weight. If you find that you can add in one or more reps in good form, you need to add on some weight.
   • Ask someone to "spot" you, so that you can safely push your muscles to the point where they fail. Your spotter can then help you with the weight just enough so that you can complete the motion. Having a spotter for exercises like bench press is normal and expected, so don't be shy to ask someone. And if you can't find a spotter, don't lift to failure on any exercise where a dropped weight could injure you.
4. Change your eating habits. You can't build muscle unless you give your body the proper building blocks to do so (and stop giving it junk). There are also plenty of supplements which can give you energy and aid in muscle recovery and repair, but remember, they are supplements, which means they only work in conjunction with a good, consistently followed exercise regimen and a proper diet.
   • Incorporate complex carbs and protein into your diet. Focus on lean protein like egg whites and low fat yogurt, and whole grain carbs like oatmeal and whole-wheat toast. Avoid sugary, white processed foods; they interfere with your glucose levels and immune system.[1]
   • Eat small meals throughout the day. This gives your body a steady supply of fuel to build muscle. Eating in "spurts" (2-3 large meals per day) should be avoided because it hinders muscle growth during the stretches between meals.[1] You should eat 5 to 6 small meals a day.
5. Look for products that pair creatine with carbs, as this combination increases the rate at which the creatine is absorbed by your muscles. Consuming creatine with a glass of juice will have the same effect.[5]
   • Drink sports drinks during your workout. Look for drinks that contain carbs and protein. This combination reduces muscle damage and hastens recovery.[5]
   • Get a carb-loaded drink or snack (1.5g of carbs for each 2.2 lbs that you weigh) within 30 minutes of your workout to stimulate an enzyme that helps the body produce glycogen.[3]
   • Have a whey protein drink within 30 minutes of your workout to help your body repair and rebuild lean muscle tissue.[5]
6. Change your routine every four to six weeks. As your body adapts to stress, you'll hit a plateau where the benefits of weight training will begin to diminish. The only way to prevent this from happening is to change things up, such as by increasing weight and changing exercises.[6]
7. Focus more on the lowering part of the lift. So many people are so concerned with trying to get the weight where they want it to go, that they seem to completely forget why they’re actually lifting: To get bigger muscles!! The more you use momentum to help you get the weight up, the less muscle you are using. Furthermore, lifting heavier weights with bad form is not nearly as good as lifting lighter weights, the weights you should be using, with proper form. Also, the eccentric (lowering) portion of the exercise is actually more important than the concentric (contracting) portion. For example, the eccentric movement in benching is when the weight is being lowered and in lat pull downs it is when the bar is moving up. It is during the lowering part that your muscle fibers actually rip, thereby allowing them to be healed and grow even more. When you lift you want to make sure that you can feel the targeted muscle(s) burning; if you can’t, then you might need to adjust your form a bit. Common examples of this are abdominal exercises. Many people tend to bend their waist instead of their midsection and end up working their hip flexors more than their abs.[7]
8. Get an Electronic Muscle Stimulator (EMS). It helps train muscles to perform at peak performance by engaging muscle fibers. Be sure to consult your doctor first and do not use if you have heart problems.
9. Kettlebell workouts are intense and also activate multiple muscle groups.

Video

This video describes the principles of lifting weights to build muscle, with focus on classic free weight lifts like bench press, upright rows, bicep curls and more.

Tips

• While doing cardio will help burn fat so your emerging musculature is more evident, doing it for more than 90 minutes will favor a lean physique, rather than bulk.[1] Most bodybuilders greatly limit their cardio while they're "bulking" (building muscle), then add more cardio when they're "cutting" (shedding fat).
• Remember that your ability to build muscle can be limited by genetics and sex.[2] Some people are genetically predisposed to build muscle easily. Other people may need to experiment with different eating habits and training routines to find what works for them.
• Get enough sleep. Sleep is a critical element of rest. Avoid caffeine and alcohol for deeper sleep.
• Eating correctly costs a lot of money. If you have a limited budget, spend your money on your needed weekly food before spending it on supplements. Creatine works for many people but is a waste if you are not eating enough of the proper food to build muscle.
• To continue building more and more muscle, increase the difficulty of your exercise routine.
• Train to complete failure. This means you should do as many repetitions as physically possible on each set. This will ensure the most muscle tearing, and allow them to grow back bigger.
• Choose a weight that will allow you to do about 8-12 reps per set.
• Always take off or reduce your intensity/volume by at least 50% every 5 weeks to avoid over training, and to keep making gains.

Warnings

• Many people you will encounter in a gym have misguided ideas about physiology and proper athletic programming. There's a lot of "gym mythology" floating around. Take others' suggestions with a grain of salt, and always ask for sources (like the ones provided below).
• Know your limit for exercise. Trying to be macho and doing too much can hurt you.
• Don't be intimidated or make assumptions when you see someone using a different amount of weight than you. They may be on a program in which they are doing fewer reps with more weight, or vice versa.
• Intensity is key. However, doing 1 rep of the most weight you can manage is not going to do much, if anything. You should work at a weight in which you can do 5 reps, but it must be physically exerting.
• A good muscle building and strength training program is called 5x5. Used by Reg Park, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Glenn Pendlay and many more. A free information source for this program is StrongLifts. You only need to have access to the equipment, no magic potions or books are on sale and so this is not a scam.

Related wikiHows

• How to Build Your Lower Body Strength
• How to Gain Weight
• How to Start Your Own Exercise Regimen and Stick to It
• How to Hypnotize Yourself Using the Best Me Technique
• How to Do a Deadlift
• How to Do a Squat
• How to Avoid Overtraining
• How to Train Your Body
• How to Gain Weight

Sources and Citations

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,341928,00.html?sPage=fnc/health/fitness
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 http://www2.canada.com/theprovince/news/liveit/story.html?id=2730f92c-5090-4836-aec9-66b328961bd7
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/health/184337_condor02.html
4. ↑ See Dr. Hatfield's work in Hardcore Bodybuilding for more information.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 http://www.forbes.com/2007/09/18/health-supplements-muscle-forbeslife-cx_avd_0919health.html
6. ↑ http://www.forbes.com/2007/08/10/health-fitness-muscle-forbeslife-cx_avd_0813health.html
7. ↑ http://buildingaleanbody.com/2010/07/7-things-to-do-to-keep-building-muscle/

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Build Muscle. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Are People Stepping Back While You Talk To Them?

How to Fix Bad Breath on the Spot

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit
You are sitting at the dinner table with your new boss or with a potential new client and suddenly you realize your breath has an odor. It might have been the garlic dip at lunch, or just from an upset stomach, but at this moment you know you can't get rid of bad breath for good - you just need to temporarily fix it right now. Here are some ideas for sweetening your breath, and maybe saving the deal!

Steps

1. Keep your mouth moist. Bad breath is often related to dry mouth.
   • Drink water and ask for a bowl of lemon or lime to be included. Squeeze as much of the lemon/lime into the water as possible, as it will help cover up the odor.
   • Chew some gum: Sugar-less gum will help to stimulate saliva production. This will help wash out some of the bacteria and food particles and to keep the mouth moist.
2. Ask for a dish that comes accompanied by ginger, basil, mint leaves or parsley. Chew on any of these for instant refreshment. Excuse yourself and visit the bathroom to check for flecks of herb on your teeth.
3. Order a Waldorf salad and request additional apple. Apples freshen and remove any pieces of stuck food in your teeth that may be causing the stale breath.
4. Use salt (it'll be sitting on the table), if you can take it without raising suspicious glances. As an alternative, leave for the bathroom and ask the waiter to kindly bring you a little bit of salt for medicinal purposes. Gargle it to neutralize some of the odor. It is more effective if combined with baking soda.
5. Note that, if you like whiskey and it befits the occasion, having a glass can help get rid of the odor. Whiskey will help kill the germs on teeth causing smells and will mask the bad odor in small amounts. Don't overdo it though - besides creating a bad impression, breath worsens the more alcohol consumed.
6. Ask for strong, "black" coffee. That can cover odors rather well with its on own odor. But, cream and sugar can increase bacteria and odor.
7. Sneak a spoon into the bathroom. Check to make sure you're alone. Look into the mirror, stick out your tongue and check for a pasty white goo on it. Turn the spoon upside down and use it to scrape your tongue, using a back to front motion. Try to relax or you will gag. Rinse your mouth and the spoon and sneak it back to the table. Make sure you rinse the gunk off! This most likely indicates a thrush thrush cure infection.
8. Remember that, if you can't manage to sneak off with a spoon, you should head to the restroom, wash your hands, use your fingernails to scrape your tongue, then wash hands a second time to get rid of the foul-smelling goo. It might seem nasty, but if you wash your hands, it's not as bad as it seems.
9. Rinse your mouth with water. Then use dry paper towel to rub each of your teeth. You can also use the inside of your shirt. This will make your teeth super smooth, like you just brushed your teeth. Then rinse your mouth again. If you have the rough brown type of paper towel, you can rub it on your tongue outwards and get some plaque coating off. Just be sure that the towel and your shirt is clean, otherwise it might make your breath worse.

Tips

• Don't lean in too closely towards your dinner partners. Keep a civil distance and smile a lot. If you feel the need to cough, sneeze or exhale deeply, use a tissue or handkerchief or quickly excuse yourself. Otherwise you risk allowing your mouth's odor to travel across the table.
• Brush your teeth twice per day. It is most important to brush before going to bed as the bacteria that cause bad breath are most active while you sleep by multiplying. Flossing at bedtime is not optional. The bacteria in your mouth will use the food bits between your teeth to stink up your mouth and make cavities in your teeth! Also consider getting a tongue scraper and mouthwash (from the toothbrush aisle at the grocery store) for a truly fresh mouth.
• Carry a small travel toothpaste and brush kit. You can use a flat, slip-over-the-finger toothbrush that goes nicely in a wallet or purse. These come small enough to fit in a purse or bag and will take care of the problem without risking sugary snacks or chemicals. You can find these in travel and camping stores.
• Always carry a sachet of baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) in your carry bag. This will allow you to discreetly visit the bathroom and rub it into your teeth, gums and over your tongue.
• Other useful breath fresheners to have in your bag or pocket include mints, a candy cane during the holidays (bite off a slice and dissolve it on your tongue for kids), ginger candy, ginger cookies, Listerine Pocket strips, chewing gum (but not during dinner, only before arrival or you'll look unprofessional) and cinnamon chews.
• You can use scent but be careful not to be overpowering - many people don't like heavy scents and this could be off-putting at a business dinner. It'll also be far worse if they get a whiff of the bad breath and the scent all rolled into one!
• Brush your tongue as part of your daily dental care routine. You don't need a special tongue cleaner: a toothbrush and some toothpaste will do. A large percentage of people with bad breath apparently do not realize that food particles and bacteria lodge into lines and grooves of the tongue and stay there until the tongue is cleaned properly. When brushing your tongue, get as far back on the tongue as possible (yes, food gathers there, too) but don't jam the toothbrush so far back into your mouth that you induce vomiting: Few things will give worse breath than an instance of vomiting!
• There are some lip glosses that taste like mint , you may apply and then discreetly lick your lips.

Warnings

• If bad oral hygiene is the cause of bad breath rather than a bad choice at lunchtime, use the embarrassment of worrying about bad breath to motivate you to floss, brush and mouthwash properly from now on. It's easier than having to find a quick solution!
• If bad breath is a frequent problem, consider how long it has been since your last trip to the dentist. Bad breath can be caused by periodontitis (gum disease).
• Bad breath can also be caused by a candida (yeast infection), you may have a constant white furry tongue. Look at cutting down your intake of sugars and processed foods, as well as those containing yeast. - Search for Anti-Candida diet on a search engine for more info.
• Also make sure you don't excuse yourself too much. They will think you're weird.
• Drinking too much whiskey(or any alcoholic drink)can be a bad idea for obvious reasons. Although being drunk might get rid of your worrying about bad breath, be advised that most will notice strange behavior more than bad breath.

Related wikiHows

• How to Get Rid of Bad Breath
• How to Quickly Get Rid of Onion/garlic Bad Breath
• How to Smell Nice
• How to Get Rid of Bad Breath
• How to Remove Onion Smell From Hands

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Fix Bad Breath on the Spot. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Can you actually lose weigh with vitamins?

How to Lose Weight with Vitamins

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit
Vitamins are essential to good health. Not only do they supplement your nutritional input when following a low-calorie diet, but they can also increase your metabolism and actively increase your weight loss! It's nice to lose weight, but what's the point if you look washed-out and unhealthy? That's where the vitamins come in.

Steps

1. Take Choline to metabolize fat. This vitamin is very important! If your levels of Choline are too low, fat tends to get blocked in the liver. Good sources include egg yolks, wheat germ and peanuts. Choline is the main ingredient in Lethicin.
2. Add Iodine to your diet to stimulate the thyroid and promote a healthier, faster metabolism. The best source of Iodine is in Sea-Kelp, which is commonly available.
3. Take Inositol.This vitamin works with Choline to metabolize fat. Good sources are soy, eggs and nuts.
4. Supplement your diet with Chromium. It processes carbohydrates and reduces hunger pangs. Studies have shown it to increase weight loss when dieting.
5. Make sure you consume enough of vitamins B2, B3, B5, and B6. All these B-vitamins keep your metabolism running (very important for weight loss) and ensure a healthy thyroid. Good sources include wheat bran, eggs and oats.
6. Increase your dosage of Vitamin C. This helps the body to convert glucose into energy, and stops it from being stored in your body! Good sources include blackcurrants, broccoli, oranges and strawberries.
7. The best weight loss supplements are multivitamins and multi-minerals. In addition to this, certain essential fatty acid supplements that contain omega 3 and omega 6. For convenience purposes, you can also use some protein powders, when you can’t eat real food. Everything else, from our experience, only works in the short term, and should be avoided.
8. Try Coq10. Coenzyme Q10 is required for the proper functioning of enzymes in the mitochondria which directly effect the mitochondria's ability to produce ATP[1]. CoQ10 and ATP go hand in hand. Low CoQ10 equals low ATP production and low cellular energy. Higher ATP means a higher metabolism, as your body turns more food to energy rather than fat!

Video

Tips

• Vitamins should be used in combination with a suitable diet and exercise plan
• Excellent vitamin supplements can be found online or in specialist shops

Warnings

• Some of these vitamins can be harmful, so even though it is a vitamin on the shelf, be careful. If you have a thyroid problem, see your doctor. Taking Iodine can be extremely harmful especially if you already are taking thyroid medicine.
• Too much of a good thing can be bad as well. Taking excess amounts of certain vitamins can cause health problems as well. Know where to limit foods that can cause excess vitamin intake with certain vitamins. An example of this would be taking large amounts of vitamin A, which causes hypervitaminosis A.

Related wikiHows

• How to Lose Weight With Thyroid Disease
• How to Lose Weight Like a Model
• How to Choose a Diet That Suits You
• How to Enjoy Sweets on a Diet

Sources and Citations

• ModelDietPlan.com - vitamins
• Phentramin-D - vitamins
• vitamins for weight loss -vitamins

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Lose Weight with Vitamins. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Eating Unhealthy? Dont know what to do about it?

How to Avoid the Temptation to Eat Unhealthy Foods

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit
Are you trying to avoid eating unhealthy foods but can't fight the cravings? Its just that some foods are just addictions, so breaking them are difficult. Here is a good starting place to put you on the yellow brick road to healthy eating This article may be able to help.

Steps

1. Identify your cravings. A particular food craving might point to something lacking in your diet. Find your favorite cravings below in Bold, and then note the possible item(s) missing from your present diet.
   • Chocolate Magnesium Women should be cautious during menstruation, as magnesium levels do drop. Instead, try snacking on natural fruits, nuts, or take a vitamin/mineral supplement.
   • Sugar or Simple Carbohydrates Protein & Complex Carbohydrates. A quick science lesson: Carbohydrates break down into sugars. Since sugar metabolizes very quickly, it is not a good source of long term energy. The best source of energy includes protein and complex carbohydrates, which break down much slower. Good examples include brown or wild long-grain rice; and pasta or bread made from wholewheat flour. It is called "wholewheat" because it includes the "whole" kernel, of which the outer shell contains the germ, bran and nutrients of the grain. White rice (Minute Rice) and white flour have been stripped of this goodness, leaving only the inner starch (simple carbohydrates).
   • Fried foods Calcium & OMEGA 3 Fatty Acids OMEGA 3's are good fat! Try eating more fish, or check your grocery store for milk, cheese, or eggs containing theses essential oils plus calcium (it will state such on the label).
   • Salt Hydration, Vitamin B, Chloride When you desire something salty, try to drink water instead. Also, stress can lead to a Vitamin B deficiency, so if your experiencing hardship, take a second Vit B supplement half way through your day.
2. Remove temptation. Just get rid of it, and remove all temptation from your home. To keep yourself from buying more, never go to the grocery store while hungry. When you have only healthy foods to eat, you'll make healthy choices. When you do get a craving, it'll be too much bother to hunt down a candy bar, when you have a healthy substitute at home.
3. When you go to the store, force yourself to buy good foods. Avoid ice-cream, frozen dinners, white bread, sweets and snacks. If you do this, you will find it harder and harder to eat the wrong type of foods at home.
4. Replace the rituals. You don't need dessert after dinner. You don't need candy at the movies. You don't need a donut with your coffee. To break such habits, provide a healthy alternative beforehand, such as a piece of fruit. You can take fruit into a theater with a little white lie, by explaining your diabetic and it's doctor recommended, should anyone ask. Keep an assortment of healthy choices around, such as a crisp vegetable salad you can garnish with lemon or vinegar or peppers, various fruit (remember citrus fruits can be very high in calories), apples, water melon, rice cakes, raisins, dates, and other healthy snacks.
5. Avoid Boredom. Keep yourself active and busy, so you're not always thinking about just food. There is a lot more to do than eat.
6. Drink plenty of water! The water intake recommended does NOT include the water you receive from food or coffee. If you feel thirsty, this means you are already dehydrated - and dehydration can often be confused with hunger. Keep a large jug of lemon favored water, chilled herbal tea, or Crystal Lite on hand if you don't like plain water. Another trick is to keep a drinking glass and jug of water always in sight. If it's in front of you, you'll drink it.
7. Most people need to lower cholesterol levels to either remain or become healthy. In addition to how food affects cholesterol, we also need to understand how one's weight, exercise, and genetics all factor into our overall health.
8. Reward Yourself! Permit yourself a treat from time to time, as you establish new habits. Just be sure a treat is exactly that, just a small taste! One or two cookies, not an entire bag. If you lack the will power in the beginning, purchase a small prepackaged goodie, so that is all there is. A "cheat-day" is a day in which you are permitted to have such a treat. It does not mean you can cheat all day long!

Video

Tips

• Eat your meals slowly, with other people, and at a table made to hold a plate and have chairs around it.
• There are many other things you can do instead of snacking. A short list includes: read the paper, watch a ball game, draw a picture, cut the lawn, plant some flowers, drink a cup of tea, call a friend, take a walk, groom your dog, watch a sitcom, learn a foreign language, do a dance routine, read a book, or research something. So get up off your lazy rear!
• "Nothing tastes as good as being healthy feels"
• Start slowly. It is easier to stick to a new routine if you gradually work up to it.
• Eating healthy is a lifestyle, not a quick fix to a problem
• Try these healthy alternatives to unhealthy snacks: a handful of toasted/salted almonds, granola bar (try Kashi!), GoRaw gluten free snacks, rice cakes/soy chips, clementines,cereal.

Warnings

• Eating disorders affect 15% of young woman and men. This number is on the increase. They are very harmful. The most common are Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa. Anorexia Nervosa is when you do not allow yourself to eat or when you induce vomiting, take laxatives or exercise excessively in order to lose weight, causing the body to starve. Bulimia is characterized by binge-purge behavior- you consume large amounts of food seemingly uncontrollably, but force yourself to vomit or take laxatives, exercise or fast (purge) in order not to gain weight from binges. Both can kill you, so always consume food sensibly. If you really want to stay healthy, the best thing to do is eat good food with nutritional value. If you suspect you have an eating disorder, seek professional help immediately.
• "In Moderation" does not work for everyone. Some foods trigger people, and just like an alcoholic cannot have just one glass of wine, a sugarholic cannot have just one piece of candy. It is better to eliminate the foods you binge on or find a good substitute for them. That way you can eat normal portions of healthy food, instead of craving and eating bad junk.

Related wikiHows

• How to Be a Health Nut
• How to Choose the Best Diet
• How to Stick to Your Diet During the Holidays
• How to Make Low Carb Dieting Simple and Easy
• How to Get Started on a Low Carb Diet
• How to Add Fruit to Your Diet

Sources and Citations

• http://www.greenfacts.org/en/aspartame/aspertame-sweetener/index.htm
• http://www.naturopathyworks.com/pages/cravings.php
• Virtue, Doreen. Constant Craving: What Your Food Cravings Mean and How to Overcome Them

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Avoid the Temptation to Eat Unhealthy Foods. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Crosstrainer- A Personal Trainer On Your Computer

Serious about getting fit? Crosstrainer is the most comprehensive fitness program available—a perfect balance of exercise and nutrition. Crosstrainer was designed by the Canadian Amateur Wrestling Association and is backed by members of the armed forces, police and fire departments. The program is popular with fitness experts throughout Canada and the United States for good reason.

Fitness is all about you and Crosstrainer incorporates more personal factors and provides more exercise and training options than any other program. If you have the commitment, Crosstrainer has the capacity to help you meet your fitness goal.

Crosstrainer Screenshots. Click to Enlarge



Fitness Features:

Personal Information

Start with five easy to complete forms including Heart Rate and Training Zones. Use the convenient on-screen timer to measure your heart rate at rest, Crosstrainer calculates target heart rate ranges at increasing levels of activity.

Exercise

Fitness experts recommend a combination of aerobic and strength training activities for maximum fitness. Crosstrainer includes both training modules with specific recommended activities and detailed tracking mechanisms.

Strength Training Module: Crosstrainer offers a list of workouts. Choose your category and then choose your workout type. For example, select Strength, and then pick from a long list of workouts targeting specific areas of your body or just try Get Huge. Crosstrainer displays a list of specific exercises in the main screen complete with muscle group, set, reps, and weight if applicable. Not sure about an exercise? Click on its name to see a photo showing proper form and written instructions.

Cardio (Aerobic) Module: Look at these as activities. Start by selecting your category just as you did in the Strength Training Module. And, everything counts: from playing with children around the house to surfing, soccer and scuba diving. Enter a wealth of details for each activity. Crosstrainer will calculate your pace and calories burned.

Nutrition

Move on to Nutrition and set up your diet. You can customize the number of meals and snacks to reflect your eating schedule. You’ll find an exhaustive list of foods and corresponding nutrients to easily record and track your consumption.

Bonus Features

• Adapt popular diets into your nutrition plan: Select Atkins, Carbohydrate Addicts, Macrobiotics, Protein Power, Weight Watchers or The Zone.
• Recipe book with a selection of recipes including diabetic, low carb, and low sugar. Add your own too.
• Water Bar in the Nutrition module lets you track water consumption and measure against your goal.
• Strength training workouts to complement specific sports like football, golf and skiing.
• Find the perfect workout? Share with other Crosstrainer users by clicking the web button. Others can easily download it directly into their Crosstrainer program.

Exercise & Nutrition:

Ease of Use:

Crosstrainer is well designed to make navigation easy and intuitive. See your monthly calendar, activities, goals, personal watches and wellness alerts all on one page. Each module is consistent and thorough. Use the summary function to generate reports and graphs to better analyze your progress and easily compare results when you modify your regime.

Help/Support:

Crosstrainer has several help resources available. The Help section is adequate, but not searchable. The glossary defines common fitness terms, but doesn’t include terms specific to Crosstrainer. The support for this program could be improved, but don’t let this deter you. If you have a question, use the online form. Crosstrainer support is responsive and helpful. Also, share your progress with other Crosstrainer users in the online user forum. There is a helpful FAQs section and the user forum is searchable.

Summary:

Crosstrainer is the definitive program for athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and those who just need some support for their newfound resolve. Designed by experts, it offers a solid, tested approach to fitness with the right balance of nutrition, exercise and motivational tools. Take your fitness to the next level with this well designed program.

Want to build muscle?

How to Build Muscle

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit
Your body builds muscle naturally in response to strenuous activity. But if your daily routine doesn't involve challenging your muscles to grow, how do you trigger the muscle-building process? It doesn't happen overnight (as any bodybuilder can tell you) but you'll be well on your way to "bulking up" if you follow these steps consistently.

Steps

1. Make time to exercise. Decide which exercises you'll do on which days. Some exercises focus on a specific muscle (e.g. bicep curl) while other exercises call upon several muscles at once (e.g. squat). The important thing is to make sure each muscle gets a chance to rest for at least a full day before using it again. For example, you can do a full-body weight training routine every other day (with cardio in between, if you want) or you can alternate muscle groups (arms on Monday, legs on Tuesday, upper back and chest on Wednesday, etc.).[1]
   • Do Calisthenics or Compound Exercises. Push-ups, Pull-ups, Dips, Pistols, Reverse Crunches, etc. These exercises are functional and encourage your body to use primary muscle groups, secondary muscle groups, stabilizing muscles as well as your core. Add weight when these exercises get easy.
   • Muscles grow during rest, not during training. If you don't give a muscle adequate time to recover, then you'll actually interfere with the muscle building process and can end up injuring yourself. When you lift weight, you're supposed to stress the muscle to the extent that it breaks down at the cellular level, resulting in increased protein synthesis, which produces thicker muscle fibers. This process begins 2-4 hours after the workout and lasts 24 hours[2] (although some researchers suggest that muscles worked to exhaustion need 36-48 hours to rebuild[3]). If you stress the muscle again before the process is complete, you'll break down the muscle fibers before they've had a chance to rebuild.[2]
   • To build volume rather than strength, design your program around lots of repetitions (8 to 12), three to five sets, and short (30- to 90-second) rest periods between sets. Athletes looking for power and strength, on the other hand, will favor a program with reps that max out at around six and sets ranging from two to six, with a long rest period (two to five minutes) to promote better recovery between sets.[2]
2. Practice good form. Learn how to do each exercise properly (full extension of movement, proper stance and posture, etc.) or else you'll not only reduce the effectiveness of the movement, but you'll also be increasing the risk of injury. To master each exercise, learn to do it slowly with light weight. Your form will improve with practice. Even though you might feel more accomplished when you move quickly, you're depending on momentum to do some of the work for you, instead of your muscles. Do each rep slowly, in a controlled and steady fashion.[1] More advanced lifters are able to benefit to a significant extent through explosive repetitions, but since this also compounds the risk of injury in novice athletes, it is solely recommended for more advanced athletes.[4]
3. Lift to fatigue. As mentioned earlier, in order to trigger the muscle building process, you need to stress the muscle. By the final rep of your final set, your muscle should be exhausted.[2] That should be the last rep you can do with perfect form. If you start losing form before then because your muscles are too tired, you're using too much weight. If you find that you can add in one or more reps in good form, you need to add on some weight.
   • Ask someone to "spot" you, so that you can safely push your muscles to the point where they fail. Your spotter can then help you with the weight just enough so that you can complete the motion. Having a spotter for exercises like bench press is normal and expected, so don't be shy to ask someone. And if you can't find a spotter, don't lift to failure on any exercise where a dropped weight could injure you.
4. Change your eating habits. You can't build muscle unless you give your body the proper building blocks to do so (and stop giving it junk). There are also plenty of supplements which can give you energy and aid in muscle recovery and repair, but remember, they are supplements, which means they only work in conjunction with a good, consistently followed exercise regimen and a proper diet.
   • Incorporate complex carbs and protein into your diet. Focus on lean protein like egg whites and low fat yogurt, and whole grain carbs like oatmeal and whole-wheat toast. Avoid sugary, white processed foods; they interfere with your glucose levels and immune system.[1]
   • Eat small meals throughout the day. This gives your body a steady supply of fuel to build muscle. Eating in "spurts" (2-3 large meals per day) should be avoided because it hinders muscle growth during the stretches between meals.[1] You should eat 5 to 6 small meals a day.
5. Look for products that pair creatine with carbs, as this combination increases the rate at which the creatine is absorbed by your muscles. Consuming creatine with a glass of juice will have the same effect.[5]
   • Drink sports drinks during your workout. Look for drinks that contain carbs and protein. This combination reduces muscle damage and hastens recovery.[5]
   • Get a carb-loaded drink or snack (1.5g of carbs for each 2.2 lbs that you weigh) within 30 minutes of your workout to stimulate an enzyme that helps the body produce glycogen.[3]
   • Have a whey protein drink within 30 minutes of your workout to help your body repair and rebuild lean muscle tissue.[5]
6. Change your routine every four to six weeks. As your body adapts to stress, you'll hit a plateau where the benefits of weight training will begin to diminish. The only way to prevent this from happening is to change things up, such as by increasing weight and changing exercises.[6]
7. Focus more on the lowering part of the lift. So many people are so concerned with trying to get the weight where they want it to go, that they seem to completely forget why they’re actually lifting: To get bigger muscles!! The more you use momentum to help you get the weight up, the less muscle you are using. Furthermore, lifting heavier weights with bad form is not nearly as good as lifting lighter weights, the weights you should be using, with proper form. Also, the eccentric (lowering) portion of the exercise is actually more important than the concentric (contracting) portion. For example, the eccentric movement in benching is when the weight is being lowered and in lat pull downs it is when the bar is moving up. It is during the lowering part that your muscle fibers actually rip, thereby allowing them to be healed and grow even more. When you lift you want to make sure that you can feel the targeted muscle(s) burning; if you can’t, then you might need to adjust your form a bit. Common examples of this are abdominal exercises. Many people tend to bend their waist instead of their midsection and end up working their hip flexors more than their abs.[7]
8. Get an Electronic Muscle Stimulator (EMS). It helps train muscles to perform at peak performance by engaging muscle fibers. Be sure to consult your doctor first and do not use if you have heart problems.
9. Kettlebell workouts are intense and also activate multiple muscle groups.

Video

This video describes the principles of lifting weights to build muscle, with focus on classic free weight lifts like bench press, upright rows, bicep curls and more.

Tips

• While doing cardio will help burn fat so your emerging musculature is more evident, doing it for more than 90 minutes will favor a lean physique, rather than bulk.[1] Most bodybuilders greatly limit their cardio while they're "bulking" (building muscle), then add more cardio when they're "cutting" (shedding fat).
• Remember that your ability to build muscle can be limited by genetics and sex.[2] Some people are genetically predisposed to build muscle easily. Other people may need to experiment with different eating habits and training routines to find what works for them.
• Get enough sleep. Sleep is a critical element of rest. Avoid caffeine and alcohol for deeper sleep.
• Eating correctly costs a lot of money. If you have a limited budget, spend your money on your needed weekly food before spending it on supplements. Creatine works for many people but is a waste if you are not eating enough of the proper food to build muscle.
• To continue building more and more muscle, increase the difficulty of your exercise routine.
• Train to complete failure. This means you should do as many repetitions as physically possible on each set. This will ensure the most muscle tearing, and allow them to grow back bigger.
• Choose a weight that will allow you to do about 8-12 reps per set.
• Always take off or reduce your intensity/volume by at least 50% every 5 weeks to avoid over training, and to keep making gains.

Warnings

• Many people you will encounter in a gym have misguided ideas about physiology and proper athletic programming. There's a lot of "gym mythology" floating around. Take others' suggestions with a grain of salt, and always ask for sources (like the ones provided below).
• Know your limit for exercise. Trying to be macho and doing too much can hurt you.
• Don't be intimidated or make assumptions when you see someone using a different amount of weight than you. They may be on a program in which they are doing fewer reps with more weight, or vice versa.
• Intensity is key. However, doing 1 rep of the most weight you can manage is not going to do much, if anything. You should work at a weight in which you can do 5 reps, but it must be physically exerting.
• A good muscle building and strength training program is called 5x5. Used by Reg Park, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Glenn Pendlay and many more. A free information source for this program is StrongLifts. You only need to have access to the equipment, no magic potions or books are on sale and so this is not a scam.

Related wikiHows

• How to Build Your Lower Body Strength
• How to Gain Weight
• How to Start Your Own Exercise Regimen and Stick to It
• How to Hypnotize Yourself Using the Best Me Technique
• How to Do a Deadlift
• How to Do a Squat
• How to Avoid Overtraining
• How to Train Your Body
• How to Gain Weight

Sources and Citations

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,341928,00.html?sPage=fnc/health/fitness
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 http://www2.canada.com/theprovince/news/liveit/story.html?id=2730f92c-5090-4836-aec9-66b328961bd7
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/health/184337_condor02.html
4. ↑ See Dr. Hatfield's work in Hardcore Bodybuilding for more information.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 http://www.forbes.com/2007/09/18/health-supplements-muscle-forbeslife-cx_avd_0919health.html
6. ↑ http://www.forbes.com/2007/08/10/health-fitness-muscle-forbeslife-cx_avd_0813health.html
7. ↑ http://buildingaleanbody.com/2010/07/7-things-to-do-to-keep-building-muscle/

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Build Muscle. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Be Happy with yourself! You Look Good!

How to Enjoy Being Above Average Weight

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Are you fat and feeling guilty? Do you love food but eat secretly? Are there reasons for your piggishness? This short guide is designed to help you enjoy being yourself. With 25% of UK adults clinically obese,fat is the new thin! Why not shed the guilt, luxuriate in your obsession, double up the portions and spit in the face of what was current acceptability?
Of course it would generally be considered unethical to advocate gluttony as some kind of life choice - it is after all, one of the Seven Deadly Sins. But perhaps there are times in an individual's life when total excess, whether in terms of food, drink, sex, drugs or indeed any other kind of over the top activity, may be satisfying or calming or therapeutic in some way. Wikipedia defines Hedonism as, 'A school of thought which argues that pleasure is the only intrinsic good...a hedonist strives to maximize this net pleasure (pleasure minus pain).' So the hedonistic food-lover would certainly over eat until the detrimental effects impacted to such an extent that some restraint is self imposed.
But how can we overcome those entrenched tremors of guilt that our upbringing dictates we should feel every time we pig out? Obviously, we do need to lose these feelings of guilt because such feelings are not conducive to enjoyment. Or perhaps not? Maybe for you,the challenge of successfully hiding your gluttony is a challenge you enjoy? Why not look over my personal tips below?

Steps

1. Don't feel guilty. Feeling guilty is not healthy, so perhaps you can rationalise your gluttony by thinking about its root cause. Is it a reaction to something which happened many years ago? Is it attention-seeking? is it because you have little self respect - if so, why? Did a relationship break down? Did you suffer ill health or an injury? Knowing why you love eating three times more than the average person, should free up the guilt and allow you to really savour those piggy moments.
   
2. Prepare good food. You may have cravings to gorge until the stretch marks strain around your sagging girth, but what you eat is the sum of who you are. Try to avoid the usual bad things and eat better quality food when possible. Of course, there are numerous lapses. But taking the time to gather ingredients and prepare a nutritious meal does add a sense of achievement to the eating process.
   
3. Plan to make some improvement in the future. This may just take the form of saying to yourself that there will come a time when you will feel better able to start exercising more. When you have the right state of mind, you will be able to walk, swim, cycle or do whatever activity you prefer. But it is some time in the future, and you will know when that time has arrived. Meanwhile, enjoy yourself!
   
4. Weigh yourself less. Think about the heaviest you have ever been - then add 10%. That number, in kilograms is your expectation every time you get on the scales. If you actually weigh less, pat yourself on the back. Defeating a high weight expectation leads to a happier soul.
   
5. Buy clothes which are larger than you need. My wife mistakenly bought a suit for me which was 2 sizes too big. It gathered dust and for years I thought how big it was. How could anyone be so pig-like to allow themselves to get that big? Then I literally fulfilled my destiny. I put on weight and now it fits perfectly. I feel happy about that! If by any unimaginable phenomenon you fail to big up and wear the outsize clothes you buy, then just marvel, with a smug smile, your amazing restraint. Pat yourself on the back.
   
6. Think temporary! Nobody desires to be fleshy and wobbly, or suffer ill health through gluttony and bad eating habits. But we know inside the whale-like shell we inhabit there is a nice person, often misunderstood, who has a plan - a master plan for improvement! The state is temporary, a work in progress.
   
7. Accept that, just like alcoholism, gluttony is with you for life. What may change is how you handle the journey. If you are at this stage in your life, accept it, relax about it, enjoy it when you can. It is part of you.
   

Warnings

• Please take medical advice before implementing any suggestions
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Enjoy Being Above Average Weight. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

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I need help! I cannot stop eating junkfood!

How to Cut Down on Junk Food

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit


Junk food may taste delicious, amazing, but have you actually thought of what it it doing to your insides? If you desperately need to cut down, but you just can't do it, read on.

Steps

1. Eat more fruit and vegetables. The more plants you fill up on, the less hungry you will be.
   
2. Get busy. Keeping busy keeps your mind off food.
   
3. Taking a multivitamin will help cut down on cravings.
   
4. Avoid burger joints, even if it means taking a different route home.
   
5. Cut down on the fizzy drinks too. Drink more water. It's important to keep hydrated.
   
6. Take note of the times when you slipped up or have given in to a craving; this may help you to understand why you gave in, and help you to avoid doing it again.
   
7. Write down what you have eaten; if it was healthy, it will make you feel good about yourself.
   
8. Fill the refrigerator with only healthy food and snacks. Have lots of fruit and vegetables at hand to nibble on.
   
9. Do cut right down on sweets and cakes. Don't deny yourself completely but decide when and where you will allow yourself a small treat of some sweets or a cake.
   
10. Make a list of all the junk food you plan to cut right down on, and begin to cut them out one at a time. This will stop you from feeling hard done by and sorry for yourself.
    

Tips

• It's a really good idea to keep all food away from the television because when you sit down to watch television, this is when you will want to get some food and subconsciously eat more than you planned.
  
• In order to avoid becoming obsessed with junk food you could perhaps treat yourself occasionally - say once a month.
  
• Have someone hide (or eat) all your junk food so you won't be tempted to eat it.
  
• Watch "Supersize me" - it might help!
  

Warnings

• If you ignore your gut warning and continue to eat junk food, you will put on weight. It is easier to keep the weight off than it is to work at losing it.
  
• If you're near food it will temp you, stay away!
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Pair Food and Wine
  
• How to Save Money on Food
  
• How to Read Nutrition Facts on Food Labels
  
• How to Choose the Right Food for You
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Cut Down on Junk Food. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Are Herbal Supplements the way to go?

How to Use Herbal Supplements Safely

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Herbal supplements are a type of dietary supplement that contains herbs. A plant or part of a plant used for its flavor, scent, or potential therapeutic properties. Includes flowers, leaves, bark, fruit, seeds, stems, and roots., either singly or in mixtures. An herb (also called a botanical) is a plant or plant part used for its scent, flavor, and/or therapeutic properties.
Many herbs have a long history of use and of claimed health benefits. However, some herbs have caused health problems for users. This article contains points you should consider for your safety if you use, or are thinking about using, herbs for health purposes. It does not discuss whether herbs work for specific diseases and conditions.

Steps

1. Understand that "natural" doesn't necessarily mean safe. It's important to know that just because an herbal supplement is labeled "natural" does not mean it is safe or without any harmful effects. For example, the herbs kava and comfrey have been linked to serious liver damage.
   
2. Be aware that herbal supplements are drugs. This means that they can cause medical problems if not used correctly or if taken in large amounts. In some cases, people have experienced negative effects even though they followed the instructions on a supplement label.
   
3. Be very cautious if you are pregnant or nursing. Women who are pregnant or nursing should be especially cautious about using herbal supplements, since these products can act like drugs. This caution also applies to treating children with herbal supplements.
   
4. Get proper advice. It is important to consult your health care provider before using an herbal supplement, especially if you are taking any medications (whether prescription or over-the-counter). Some herbal supplements are known to interact with medications in ways that cause health problems. Even if your provider does not know about a particular supplement, he can access the latest medical guidance on its uses, risks, and interactions.
   
5. Follow your health professional's instructions. If you use herbal supplements, it is best to do so under the guidance of a medical professional who has been properly trained in herbal medicine. This is especially important for herbs that are part of a whole medical system, such as traditional Chinese medicine or Ayurvedic medicine.
   
6. Note any different regulation issues. In the United States, for example, herbal and other dietary supplements are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as foods. This means that they do not have to meet the same standards as drugs and over-the-counter medications for proof of safety, effectiveness, and what the FDA calls Good Manufacturing Practices.
   
7. Keep informed of studies. The active ingredient(s) in many herbs and herbal supplements are not known. There may be dozens, even hundreds, of such compounds in an herbal supplement. Scientists are currently working to identify these ingredients and analyze products, using sophisticated technology. Identifying the active ingredients in herbs and understanding how herbs affect the body are important research areas for such government bodies as the US National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM).
   
8. Be cautious of the contents. Published analyses of herbal supplements have found differences between what's listed on the label and what's in the bottle. This means that you may be taking less - or more - of the supplement than what the label indicates. Also, the word "standardized" on a product label is no guarantee of higher product quality; for instance, in the United States, there is no legal definition of "standardized" (or "certified" or "verified") for supplements. Some herbal supplements have been found to be contaminated with metals, unlabeled prescription drugs, microorganisms, or other substances.
   
9. Treat miraculous claims on websites with care. There has been an increase in the number of websites that sell and promote herbal supplements on the Internet. The US Federal Government has taken legal action against a number of company sites because they have been shown to contain incorrect statements and to be deceptive to consumers; this has also happened in other jurisdictions, such as Australia. It is important to know how to evaluate the claims that are made for supplements.
   

Tips

• About dietary supplements. Dietary supplements were defined in a law passed by Congress in 1994. A dietary supplement must meet all of the following conditions:
  
  • It is a product (other than tobacco) intended to supplement the diet, which contains one or more of the following: vitamins; minerals; herbs or other botanicals; amino acids; or any combination of the above ingredients.
    
  • It is intended to be taken in tablet, capsule, powder, soft gel, gelcap, or liquid form.
    
  • It is not represented for use as a conventional food or as a sole item of a meal or the diet.
    
  • It is labeled as being a dietary supplement.
    

Things You'll Need

• Good information sources
  
• Professional health advice
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Use Diet Pills Safely
  
• How to Lose Weight With Vitamins
  
• How to Swallow Vitamins
  
• How to Decide Which Multivitamins Are Right for You
  
• How to Swallow a Pill
  

Sources and Citations

• Entire article initiated from NCCAM, Herbal Supplements:Consider Safety Too, public domain resource for sharing.
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Use Herbal Supplements Safely. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Try this weight loss Plan

The weight loss plan I will like to introduce to you, is call Fat loss 4 idiots. Check out the the link and see, what I am talking about. http://idelink.com/b03c70. Cheers

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Crosstrainer will help you lose your unwanted fat..

Serious about getting fit? Crosstrainer is the most comprehensive fitness program available—a perfect balance of exercise and nutrition. Crosstrainer was designed by the Canadian Amateur Wrestling Association and is backed by members of the armed forces, police and fire departments. The program is popular with fitness experts throughout Canada and the United States for good reason.

Fitness is all about you and Crosstrainer incorporates more personal factors and provides more exercise and training options than any other program. If you have the commitment, Crosstrainer has the capacity to help you meet your fitness goal.

Crosstrainer Screenshots. Click to Enlarge









Fitness Features:

Personal Information

Start with five easy to complete forms including Heart Rate and Training Zones. Use the convenient on-screen timer to measure your heart rate at rest, Crosstrainer calculates target heart rate ranges at increasing levels of activity.

Exercise

Fitness experts recommend a combination of aerobic and strength training activities for maximum fitness. Crosstrainer includes both training modules with specific recommended activities and detailed tracking mechanisms.

Strength Training Module: Crosstrainer offers a list of workouts. Choose your category and then choose your workout type. For example, select Strength, and then pick from a long list of workouts targeting specific areas of your body or just try Get Huge. Crosstrainer displays a list of specific exercises in the main screen complete with muscle group, set, reps, and weight if applicable. Not sure about an exercise? Click on its name to see a photo showing proper form and written instructions.

Cardio (Aerobic) Module: Look at these as activities. Start by selecting your category just as you did in the Strength Training Module. And, everything counts: from playing with children around the house to surfing, soccer and scuba diving. Enter a wealth of details for each activity. Crosstrainer will calculate your pace and calories burned.

Nutrition

Move on to Nutrition and set up your diet. You can customize the number of meals and snacks to reflect your eating schedule. You’ll find an exhaustive list of foods and corresponding nutrients to easily record and track your consumption.

Bonus Features

• Adapt popular diets into your nutrition plan: Select Atkins, Carbohydrate Addicts, Macrobiotics, Protein Power, Weight Watchers or The Zone.
• Recipe book with a selection of recipes including diabetic, low carb, and low sugar. Add your own too.
• Water Bar in the Nutrition module lets you track water consumption and measure against your goal.
• Strength training workouts to complement specific sports like football, golf and skiing.
• Find the perfect workout? Share with other Crosstrainer users by clicking the web button. Others can easily download it directly into their Crosstrainer program.

Exercise & Nutrition:

Ease of Use:

Crosstrainer is well designed to make navigation easy and intuitive. See your monthly calendar, activities, goals, personal watches and wellness alerts all on one page. Each module is consistent and thorough. Use the summary function to generate reports and graphs to better analyze your progress and easily compare results when you modify your regime.

Help/Support:

Crosstrainer has several help resources available. The Help section is adequate, but not searchable. The glossary defines common fitness terms, but doesn’t include terms specific to Crosstrainer. The support for this program could be improved, but don’t let this deter you. If you have a question, use the online form. Crosstrainer support is responsive and helpful. Also, share your progress with other Crosstrainer users in the online user forum. There is a helpful FAQs section and the user forum is searchable.

Summary:

Crosstrainer is the definitive program for athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and those who just need some support for their newfound resolve. Designed by experts, it offers a solid, tested approach to fitness with the right balance of nutrition, exercise and motivational tools. Take your fitness to the next level with this well designed program.

Crosstrainer Fitness and Training Software

The Best Solution for getting fit! Crosstrainer Personal for Windows, our PC based training and nutrition log is designed to help you achieve your health and fitness goals. Install Crosstrainer at home and at work and stay in sync with your daily progress.

Identify your goals and monitor your progress. Lose Weight, Build Muscle, Train for an Event whatever your goals, there is no better motivation than your progress.

Manage any workout, diet or health issue. Crosstrainer's comprehensive food and workout databases are fully customizable to your preferences.

Schedule your training and meals to your personal Calendar. Copy, edit or delete as needed. Schedule nutrition, exercises, and workouts to days, weeks or even months. Set goals and check them off as you complete them.

See how your health & mood is affecting your fitness progress. Monitor your Sleep, Medications, Psychology & more.

Discover the methods that work for your body & adjust your program to give you the best results. Crosstrainer's extensive graphing & reporting tools illustrate the effectiveness of each area of your schedule.

Share your workouts, foods and recipes with others.

Sync your data to the Web version of Crosstrainer.

What do you when you have loss hope?

The big question is what do you do when you have loss hope in losing weight. The discouragement is second nature in your mind. You have tried this diet and failed, that diet and failed. You have dam near starved yourself to lose weight, but no success. Exercising hurts too bad. What is really the problem? I believe we procrastinate on losing weight so long that when we get to the point of saying enough is enough. The reality is it is multiple pounds gained later. Then as we go forth in putting forth an effort to lose weight, in our mind we want to put some work in and then we want all the weight to drop off suddenly, instantly. Losing weight is not an overnight thing. It is easy to put on the weight, but it is hard as hell to take it back off. If you looking for a plan that will meet you right were  you are at, and then guide you on a consistent journey of losing weight. Check out my link to a system that will rock your world and allow you to be happy again. The link is  

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Lose Weight Fast - wikiHow

Lose Weight Fast - wikiHow