Health

Many weightloss pills are marketed as dietary supplements with the claim that they use only natural or herbal ingredients. In addition, many have proprietary blends listed on their labels that make it very difficult to know exactly how much of a particular substance you are getting. This is especially concerning since the United States Food and Drug Administration does not regulate dietary supplements. All the manufacturers have to write on the label is “this statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug administration.

With Spring here and swimsuit season fast approaching it may be time to do some “Spring cleaning” for your body. You have probably heard the buzz about detox diets and their plethora of supposed benefits. Maybe you have even considered doing one yourself. Before jumping on the bandwagon of crazy concoctions or week long fasting, there are a few things you should know about detoxing.

What is a detox anyways?

When I look in the mirror first thing in the morning, I see someone who has gained confidence over the years. I see someone who has continued to train hard in the gym and have been able to have the opportunity to change myself physically as well as mentally into a stronger person. I have recently taken a mental break from personal matters and focused just on staying physically active and the changes I’ve made have made me pleasantly surprised.

As theoretical physicist Albert Einstein once said, “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.”

You don’t have to receive the Noble Prize to relate to this statement. I think we’ve all caught ourselves, at one time or other, in the vicious circle of insanity Einstein was speaking of.

Do You Really Know What Your Drinking?

New You Resolutions
Success tips for reaching fitness goals in 2010.

“Life will show us the way towards achievement if we only allow ourselves to remain focused on that which we want to see manifest in our lives.” – Josh Hinds

Savage Skin! How to Detect & Deal with Basal Cell Skin Cancer

Ah! What I wouldn’t give to be lying on a beach with a drink in my hand, the hot sun warming my bones, and my soul. And just how great am I going to look at dinner tonight? Freshly showered with sun-kissed glowing skin!

We always look sexier with a great tan, right?

It’s almost that time of the year again. With all of the parties and social events during the winter holiday season, it’s no wonder so many of us gain weight. According to a study conducted by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), most Americans put on a little over a pound, on average, during the winter holiday season. This doesn’t seem like a lot, but the bad news is that most people keep this weight on!

I want you to do a little experiment. Get an ice pack, and get a watch with a timer. Put the ice pack on your thigh, and start the timer. After 1 minute has elapsed, remove the ice pack.

Now take a look at your skin. What color is your skin where the ice pack was laying? For most, the skin will look white / blanched.

Now put the ice pack on your other thigh and leave it there for 5 minutes. After the 5 minutes have elapsed, remove the ice pack.

What color is your skin now? Most people will find that their skin will be red. And if your skin turns red after only 5 minutes, you’ll probably find that it turns really red after 20 minutes.

When your skin begins to cool, the initial reaction is constriction (shrinking of the diameter) of blood vessels. This happens after a short period of time (1-2 minutes for most people). The result of constriction of the blood vessels is that “whiteness” or blanching.

As theoretical physicist Albert Einstein once said, “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.”

You don’t have to receive the Noble Prize to relate to this statement. I think we’ve all caught ourselves, at one time or other, in the vicious circle of insanity Einstein was speaking of.

As a fitness professional, I often feel like a Priest at confession. Over the years, I’ve heard it all. As people lose weight they begin confessing past ‘sins’. One of the most popular confessions is what people choose to avoid because of their weight.

What does it take to improve the quality of your life? Not near as much as you might think.

I once read a study that showed by reaching a moderate level of fitness, an individual could reduce his or her chance of dying from a sickness by almost 60 percent. Studies also show that a moderate level of fitness can significantly reduce the risk of heart failure (the No. 1 killer of Americans).

The average American knows there are many benefits to exercise. We know that exercise can help fight heart disease, but can it help fight depression?

Studies have found exercise to have both physiological and psychological benefits. A Harvard study once found that ten weeks of strength training reduced clinical depression symptoms more successfully than counseling. This is particularly important for women since women are more than twice as likely to experience depression and only one out of three actually seek care.

As many of you probably know, Apple released the highly anticipated iPhone 3G on July 11th. Being a gadget fanatic myself, I was one of those excited customers dying to get my hands on one. Though I wait for my new 3G to come in, I still get to enjoy all the wonderful perks that came with the new iPhone 2.0 software update released upon the 3G’s arrival. With this update came many new features and applications.

The new iPhone software not only offers better email management, maps and customization, the new applications are taking the whole mobile phone experience to an entirely new level.

You see, iPhone offers a new “applications section” where you can pick and choose easy to use programs. From the long list of “apps”, as they call it, you can choose from a large variety of programs that help you get the latest sports scores, find the nearest gas station, or even calculate a tip when dining out.

Some people just can’t stay away from the scale. Others are convinced there is a magnetic force that draws them to the wicked device. No matter how hard they try to avoid it, all of a sudden they are standing on the evil machine staring down at the display waiting for the verdict. For some it is an addiction and for others, just a curiosity. The problem arises when the results begin to dictate our mood, our diet, and our self-esteem.

Sometimes I think the person who invented the scale should be shot. It’s amazing how those little numbers representing your weight can absolutely ruin your day.