get moving to manage stress

Exercise in almost any form can act as a stress reliever. Being active can boost your feel-good endorphins and distract you from daily worries.

You know that exercise does your body good, but you're too busy and stressed to fit it into your routine. Hold on a second — there's good news when it comes to exercise and stress.

Virtually any form of exercise, from aerobics to yoga, can act as a stress reliever. If you're not an athlete or even if you're downright out of shape, you can still make a little exercise go a long way toward stress management. Discover the connection between exercise and stress relief - and why exercise should be part of your stress management plan.

introverts

This profound comic strip explains exactly why introverts behave the way they do.

i ♥ sleep

A simple thing like not getting enough sleep could be a huge reason why you're not losing as much weight as you want.
Recent studies have shown that people who sleep six hours or less a night and more than nine hours are more likely to be obese or overweight.
Not only is sleep deprivation associated with a number of unhealthy conditions but the combination of these habits can lead to a state of being unable to sleep. The main benefits from giving your body enough rest and sleep are:
  -  Faster recovery    -  Quicker wound healing
-  Gives your organs time to rest     -  Boost energy levels
-  Improved weight loss

An interesting article on cycles of sleep for those who feel they don't necessarily fit in with the 'expected' sleep patterns that most of us live by  > http://sleepforall.com/sleep-patterns

benefits of personal training

It’s not just elite athletes who use personal trainers. People of all ages, body types, and levels of fitness benefit from training one on one or in smaller groups. Working with a personal trainer is one of the fastest, easiest, safest and most successful ways to improve your health and fitness.

How do you know if hiring a personal trainer is the right choice for you?

Personal trainers set goals
The benefit of a personal trainer is that they will listen to what you want to achieve and then devise a plan to get there. This usually involves setting small, specific goals so that you can see/feel progress on your way to achieving your ultimate goal.

craig harper

Among other things, commercial metabolism boosters (fat-burners) can increase blood pressure, resting heart rate, sweating, anxiety levels, stress hormone production, core body temperature and risk of heart attack, stroke and death. They’re also expensive.

Other than that, they’re brilliant.

~Craig Harper~

always telling it like it is! website

the china study

Principle #02 (from The China Study)
Vitamin supplements are not a panacea for good health.

Because nutrition operates as an infinitely complex biochemical system involving thousands of chemicals and thousands of effects on your health, it makes little or no sense that isolated nutrients taken as supplements can substitute for whole foods. Supplements will not lead to long lasting health and may ...cause unforeseen side effects. The dangers of a Western diet cannot be overcome by consuming nutrient pills.

you can’t change your life by sitting on the couch

Six Reasons to Wreck Your Life for Good

Life is often complicated and unpredictable; it’s impossible to control. But of course, that doesn’t stop us from trying. What we need, though, is less smooth sailing and more hardship.

Maybe fulfillment doesn’t come with trying to tame the wild parts of life. Maybe our tidy tales need to get a little unraveled in order to find a larger story. Maybe we need to learn to live more in the tension between what is and what should be.

everyday ways to burn calories

To burn calories we need to expend energy. And to expend energy we need to move! Here are ten every day ways you can burn calories ...

1. Take the stairs

At every opportunity, take the stairs over the lift or escalator. Next time you’re at the train station, a shopping mall, a friend’s apartment block or work, pick the stairs to get to your destination. You’ll be using big muscle groups of the lower body, which burn a higher amount of calories, so keep moving.

chia seeds

What are the top ten ways you benefit from eating chia seeds?
The top ten benefits of eating chia seeds seen here are in no particular order. Which one is most important to you?   

1. Lose Weight Without Starving
The Chia Seed is a dieter’s dream come true. The tiny, healthy seeds can be made to taste like whatever you want, and their unique gelling action keeps you feeling full for hours. Hunger is a main enemy of real weight loss, and you don’t want to fight it with jittery expensive pills. When a chia seed is exposed to water, it forms a coating of gel, increasing its size and weight.

2. Balance Blood Sugar
Keeping balanced levels of blood sugar is important for both health and energy. Blood sugar may spike after meals, especially if you eat high-starchy foods or sweets. This can lead to ‘slumps’ in your day where you feel tired and out of energy. By balancing your blood sugar, you not only lower your risk for type 2 diabetes, but you also ensure steady, constant energy throughout your day.

brrrrrrrrrrrrrilliant

(((((COLD))))) only showers awaken your pure potential! Every man and every woman is a star.

A COLD shower:
1. Strengthens immunity
2. Improves blood circulation
3. Regulates temperature
4. Promotes weight loss / increases metabolism
5. Alleviates depression

chlorella

(NaturalNews) With the quality of commercially-grown produce declining rapidly, obtaining nutritious fruits and vegetables is not an easy task. Few of us eat enough fruits and vegetables on a daily basis; it's a fact that grows more true with each generation. So how do we answer these issues, knowing the bounty of nutrients we're missing? One solution is chlorella, a green single-cell algae that packs a huge nutritious punch.

Chlorella is an astounding package of complete nutrition, considering it is such a simple life form, which is probably why it is often referred to as nature's multivitamin. The synergistic nature of chlorella's nutrients is undeniable. All of its natural properties function together in a way individual supplements can't touch. Chlorella is famous for providing a vast array of benefits while fighting numerous diseases and conditions.

alberts wisdom

10 Life Lessons From Albert Einstein

1. Follow Your Curiosity: “I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.”

2. Perseverance is Priceless: “It’s not that I’m so smart; it’s just that I stay with problems longer.”
 
3. Focus on the Present: “Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves.”

4. Imagination is Powerful: “Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions. Imagination is more important than knowledge.”

let's get real

Madonna ...

We're not that silly that we dont realise cover photos aren't photoshopped to perfection but let's get real ....

We're not perfect. And that's ok. Those that grace the covers of magazines are no different than us ...

Check out these before and after photos of male and female celebrities and models ...

adrenal stressors

A great guide to help you understand what can happen if you don't get good sleep, have poor nutrition and over train (just to name a few). Adrenal fatigue can take months and even years to come back from...

"What I finally learned after my exhaustion:
■ People who train hard and look lean are not always healthy.
■ Eating fat will not make me fat
■ Working out smarter, not harder is often the way to achieve performance and aesthetic goals.
■ Sleep is the cornerstone of being able to eat well, train well and to allow the body to re-set stress levels and lose body fat."
The Real Deal on Adrenal Fatigue article

waistline expansion

"WAISTLINES are expanding faster than production lines for plus-size clothing, with demand for extra large sizes ballooning by 70 per cent in just two years."

When our pants are getting tighter it should be a trigger for us to downsize our body, not upsize our clothes ...

Clothes stretch to cover our waistline - article

surprising causes of weight gain

There can be many factors in why or why not people can lose weight quicker or slower than others.
It's true that we gain weight when we eat more than we can burn off. But this conventional diet wisdom does not always hold true. there can be many reasons why some people have difficulty losing weight. Many of us know the obvious - prescription drugs, emotional eating, but here's a great article explaining a few other health conditions that can cause weight gain.

no excuses! #08

Just an inspiring story .... there really is, no excuses.

Joshua Sundquist

After I lost my left leg to cancer when I was 9 years old, my doctor told me I needed to strengthen my remaining leg. “If you don't build some muscle, your knee and hip will wear out in a few years,” she said. I tried doing squats, but it was hard to balance the barbell on my shoulders while squatting down on one leg.
Years passed and I entered college, where I ate more and started gaining weight. I didn't realize how much heavier I'd become until I ran into some friends from high school and they didn't even recognize me!

killing ourselves with sugar

This article, as apt in Australia.

"Obesity is obvious. Obesity levels are higher now than ever before. Eating a low fat diet only hurts your health. Our bodies need natural, good fats.

Obesity and overweight conditions usually lead to pre-diabetes and diabetes type 2, which can also cause kidney disease. If dietary habits remain the same, high blood pressure and artherosclerosis (clogged and hardened arteries) can occur, leading to heart attacks and strokes."

the sugar conspiracy

Of all the foods consumed today, refined sugar is considered to be one of the most harmful

"If you have any doubts as to the detriments of sugar (sucrose), try leaving it out of your diet for several weeks and see if it makes a difference! You may also notice you have acquired an addiction and experience some withdrawal symptoms.
Studies show that “sugar” is just as habit-forming as any narcotic; and its use, misuse, and abuse is our nation’s number one disaster.
It is no wonder when we consider all the products we consume daily which are loaded with sugar! The average healthy digestive system can digest and eliminate from two to four teaspoons of sugar daily, usually without noticeable problems, (that is if damage is not already present).
One 375ml coke contains 11 teaspoons of sugar, and that’s aside from the caffeine. It’s the sugar that gives you quick energy, but only for a brief time due to the rise of the blood sugar level. But the body quickly releases a rush of insulin, which rapidly lowers the blood sugar and causes a significant drop in energy and endurance."
article here

the effects of a good diet

One of the main chats I repeatedly have with people after good health, is about eliminating packaged foods and sugar from their diet. It falls on eager nods, yet unfortunately, deaf ears, but sometimes, some DO hear and follow what really is, such an easy concept, for our continual wellbeing. Those that start to eat for nutrition, and realise it is NOT hard work at all to fuel our bodies with the best they deserve, feel amazingly well, plus then are the ones that get fantastic results when they do so.

However, the most often question after that is without a doubt ... "What about the sugar in fruit?" Honestly... how much fruit do you really eat? ( most people anyway ) Compared to the processed sugar in almost all foods, are you really concerned about that one apple, orange and banana?
Unlike refined sugars, fruit contains the necessary enzymes required for your body to break them down. There is a big difference to added sweeteners as opposed to fruits and vegetables that are inherently sweet. It's the over abundance of added refined sugar in processed foods that is so detrimental to our health.
With cancer having affected my entire life through the loss of family members, and circumstances lately requiring I find out more and more about cancer and the benefits the correct diet and exercise has, I find myself becoming more and more vocal about the connection between the foods we consume and the effects that food, plus exercise has on good health and the prevention (or cure), of cancer and other diseases.
A fantastic read via Hardcore Nutrition for the Prevention of Cancer ... Cancer Diet - The Gerson Therapy Diet.
Its amazing what food can do to our health.