Food Groups

 

The healthy food groups consist of vegetables and fruits, grains, dairy, meat, good fats and water. The food groups can easily be broken down into further categories with respect to the calories and taste. Be comfortable that if you are eating from all the food groups you are surly to get all the necessary nutrients. The nutrients your body gets from catering all the groups are carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, fats, minerals and water.

You can increase the list of food groups with as per your taste buds – some days you can move towards the food that you love other days it can be only vegan food – but in a week you should be able to cater all of the groups; so that you don’t fall back in any of your nutritional values. Meaning that any one food group or anyone one food that you are eating is not completely enough to give your body all the nourishment it needs.

A balanced diet is the one, which is catering all the healthy food groups for providing the right quality of fuel for our body. The list of food groups that you design for yourself should be exciting and fun, so that the variety keeps you going. If you design yourself a single diet with the same food to eat for the next 4 weeks, catering all the nutrients, you won’t be able to. The fun in the food groups for your eyes, taste buds and digestives system is that the list of food groups are played with and tossed around; while remaining in the healthy food groups.

Food groups are the only healthy way to lose that extra fat off, gaining energy, feel good about you, feeling light and yet the calories will be decreasing with the increasing nutrition’s. so healthy food groups here we come!

Flexibility: The Key to Pain-Free Joints and Muscles at Any Age

 

Every day at my medical practice, I see several people for different aches and pains due to arthritis, stiffness of joints, tight muscles, and combinations of these. They can be young men or women in their twenties coming in for severe low back pain, or retirees in their sixties bothered by their shoulders, hips, or knees, with limited movement in these joints.

What most of these patients need to lessen or overcome their aches and stiffness is more flexibility. When your joints and muscles stay limber and flexible, you can avoid or delay aches, pains, and stiffness. Doing flexibility exercises on a regular basis is the best way to keep your joints and muscles pain free.

Flexibility training involves stretching muscles, ligaments, tendons, and other soft tissues that are involved in movement. It limbers up joints and makes your every move smoother and more comfortable. It helps you get the most from cardiovascular and strength-training exercises. It makes everyday activities more pleasurable.

You may not realize that your body is instinctively programmed to do flexibility exercises.

When was the last time you arched your back after sitting for a while? How about tilting your head to the sides or back after watching a movie or reading a book? When you are bored or fatigued, the big yawn that you let out stretches your mouth to gulp in the air, stretching the big muscle of your diaphragm. This gives you a boost of energy.

These are all examples of natural flexibility exercises.

Choosing Your Stretching Pleasure

There are at least four systems of stretching exercise that you may want to consider:

• Sets of individual stretches: Most of us grow up doing sets of individual stretches. They include leg stretches for hamstrings, thighs, calves, and groin as well as upper body stretches for back, shoulders, arms, and neck.
• Yoga: Practicing yoga is another outstanding way to stay flexible. There are many yoga postures that promote flexibility. If you are a beginner, start with the more gentle stretches and postures. There are also advanced forms of yoga for strength-training and/or cardiovascular exercise.
• Pilates: In the early 20th century, Joseph Pilates developed a form of physical therapy combining mat work and machine exercises. Pilates focuses on stretching and lengthening muscles and improving postures with six principles: breath, concentration, control, centering, precision, and flow. It is low impact yet can be so vigorous that it too can pass as strength-training exercise.
• Tai chi: Walk into a park in China or Taiwan early mornings, and you will see people doing tai chi. Tai chi was originally developed in China as a martial art combining slow, purposeful movements and hard, fast moves for self-defense. There are several styles of tai chi, and it is now practiced worldwide, mostly for its health benefits. It improves balance, relaxes the mind, and calms arthritic pains. All of us can benefit from doing the soft movements to start, advancing to the more difficult styles if so desired.

Practice at least one of the flexibility systems described above. You can learn them from books, videos, or taking classes. Stretch at least three times a week and, if possible, every day.

Getting Started with Some Easy Stretches

Here are some easy-to-do stretches that you can do almost anywhere, even at work. Do the stretches at least three times a week for 10 to 12 minutes. Whenever possible, it is best to stretch every day, especially after moderate or vigorous physical activities.

Stretch for 10 to 30 seconds and repeat up to five times. Do it slowly, never sprinting into positions. Pay attention to how different muscles move, some relaxing and some being stretched. Feel the tension in the stretched muscle, and hold it with a low level of force. Again, it may be uncomfortable, but you should never feel pain.

Try to stretch at the end of your physical activities while your tissues are still warm. You can also do some stretches in the shower or after showering, when the circulation to the muscles is enhanced. If you want to stretch without prior physical activities, such as after sitting at a desk for a while, do the first few stretches of the same set even slower than normal.

Upper Body Stretches

• Head tilt
• Back stretch
• Upper body twist
• Shoulder stretch/shoulder roll
• Wrist (prayer) stretch

Lower Body Stretches

• Hamstring stretch
• Groin stretch
• Thigh stretch
• Calf stretch

Always check with your doctor before doing stretches if you have osteoporosis or a musculo-skeletal disorder.

Don't miss your opportunity to discover the secrets to defusing ticking health bombs that could be lurking in your body. It is possible to live longer & better. Discover what you need to do NOW to keep you & your family disease-free. Click here to learn how.

Zen-Jay Chuang, MD, is a primary care physician and Chairman of the Whole Health Alerts advisory board. Visit http://www.wholehealthalerts.com/free-reports to find out how Dr. Zen-Jay's biodynamic, cutting edge approach to ancient and modern medicine can help you achieve the best health of your life.

RE Health, Inc. 781-878-7114 100 Weymouth St, Bldg D, Rockland, MA 02370

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr._Zen-Jay_Chuang

Take a Break! 10 Ways To Decompress for a Better You

  Remember that you're only one person. One person can only work so hard. Although work may be crazy, there has to be a time that you dedicate to your personal life.

Imagine this: you come home from a rough day at work, you have to make dinner for your family, clean the house, and get laundry ready for the next day. Just as you're about to go to bed you realize all you did all day was wake up, work, come home, and work some more. The drag of your current routine is really starting to get to you.

Trust me, I understand your concern. Nothing is more frustrating than feeling like your life revolves around your profession 24/7. The following ways to decompress are some of my favorites:

1. End your day with a glass of good wine. Red wine, in particular, has many antioxidants and is actually pretty good for your health. Don't over-do it on the alcohol, and make sure to drink water before and afterwards.

2. Take a kickboxing class. What better way to decompress than kicking a punching bag or another class member?! Local gyms tend to have discounts for new members, and Groupon is always a great place for discounts too!

3. Meditate in your bedroom and light some candles for ambiance. My favorite music for meditation is the yoga station on Pandora. I like turning this on, sitting on a pillow on my bedroom floor, and thinking about absolutely nothing.

4. Put on your favorite movie (or trashy reality TV show) and make some popcorn. My fiance hates when I turn on trashy reality shows, so when he's not home it's my guilty pleasure.

5. Worry about cleaning and doing chores another day. When you get home from a stressful day, try not to do too many chores right away. Take time for yourself and remember that the dirty dishes in the sink will still be there in an hour. You can get to them later.

6. Make a new iTunes playlist. I like checking out playlists on various music blogs to find new bands and local talent. New music is great for long drives as well!

7. Look for a new DIY project on Pinterest. Pinterest can be a dangerous place. On the other hand, if you have self control and don't get carried away with pinning for hours, you can find great DIY projects for cheap!

8. Create a vision board for your 2013 goals. Instead of using Pinterest (see above why), do it the old fashioned way. Get your scissors and clip some images and words from magazine! Tape these to a poster board or pin them to cardboard and place it in a special environment for extra motivation for your goals.

9. Give yourself a facial with at-home products. My favorite products are those that I can make using ingredients in my kitchen. Coffee grinds are a great natural exfoliant and milk is great for balancing skin tone!

10. Get to bed an hour earlier than normal. Sleep is important for a healthy lifestyle. Try turning off your tech devices an hour earlier than usual and climb into bed. Turn off your TV and just relax for a few minutes before shutting your eyes.

By following the suggestions above, you'll be able to decrease your stress level and decompress after a hard day of work! Now turn off your laptop and get to relaxing!

Nicole Kennedy is a healthy living blogger and public relations specialist living in the suburbs of Philadelphia. Nicole's blog, Simply Nicole, documents her daily life occurrences as she balances working full-time, blogging, training for races, practicing yoga, eating healthy and spending time with her boyfriend. You can connect with Nicole via Facebook and Twitter for real-time blog updates, tips and tricks to living a healthy lifestyle, and more!

The 3 Most Annoying Gym Behaviors

 

The new year always brings new clients to the gym. Some are already well into their fitness lifestyles. Others are just beginning their journey to becoming healthier versions of themselves. Either way, many will join a gym or fitness club this year. This is a guideline of sorts to prevent you from becoming "that guy" or "that girl" at the gym. If you follow these rules of etiquette, you will not only seem to know what you are doing, you will not draw undue attention to yourself or annoy other paying members. No one wants to be "that guy," so learn from the examples of some of my not so favorite members of all time.



Attire

So you decided that five years off and 50 pounds more have not complimented you well and you joined a gym. Maybe you are breaking out some workout clothes from that long ago, or longer. You may want to reconsider that one. One of the biggest complaints I get about both men and women is regarding gym attire. My suggestions are pretty simple: it should fit, you shouldn't have to cram, and you shouldn't be showing parts of your body that normally don't see the sun shine. That goes for plumber's cracks as well as cleavage. While it is okay to dress confidently, you shouldn't be full on exposing yourself to the masses. Secondly, tight or ill-fitting clothing is going to make your workout miserable. So try to find something that covers you up but is also loose and pliable enough to not prohibit you from performing exercises. You should also not wear the shoes you had on out in the slush, snow, mud, etc. That can damage equipment and make the managers/owners really, really not like you. I also recommend a moisture wicking material because...

Sweatiquette
Face it, you are at the gym to workout. You will probably sweat. That is a good thing. It means you are burning calories and doing work. However, finding a pool of sweat on a bench after someone else gets finished is a one-way ticket to gross out city. In addition, you know your body, so you know if you are a sweat-er. I am. There's nothing wrong with it. However, you should be courteous to other members and make sure to wipe down equipment after you are finished using it. In addition if you are a heavy sweat-er, make sure you either bring a towel with you or, if your club provides them, use it! I promise your fellow members will be grateful, and you won't have an oil-slick trail following you everywhere.

Gruuuuuuuunnnnnntttttttiiiiiiiinnnnnggggggg

The last, big pet peeve most people have is with grunting, loud noises, and swearing. I'm not going to lie, sometimes you are going to grunt if you lift. Sometimes a weight might bang, and an f-bomb can be dropped. If there's no one around or your club condones this behavior (every gym isn't an LA Fitness, there are still some "lifting" gyms around that are no frills), that's OK. But generally many types of gym client doesn't like this kind of behavior. And while grandma may only be doing sets of 12 with 5-pound weights, just because you did a 350 pound deadlift does not mean that you pay more for your membership than she does. Every club is going to be different, and some may be more acceptable of loud noises associated with working out. However, just be courteous of others. Remember that from 1st grade? Do unto others...

So don't be "that guy" or "that girl". Follow these simple guidelines, plus the rules that are posted in you club, and you will fit right in!

The 8 Best Fitness Hacks to Get the Most Out of Your Workout

  Workouts should be more than simply killing time at the gym. To make progress on a continual basis, exercise programs need to be tweaked regularly. Boost motivation and results with this action plan to hacking your exercise routine.

1. Strength with Cardio

For most, weight-training and cardio exercise are two separate events. However, mixing strength exercises with a cardio interval, like a 30 second sprint, will boost the metabolism and growth hormones.

2. Go Compound

Try multi-joint or compound exercises that engage multiple muscle groups at the same time. Replace isolated exercises, which only focus on one muscle group at a time, with movements like the squat or deadlift to burn more calories and increase your metabolic rate.

3. Train Like an Athlete

Huge biceps look great, but are unlikely to contribute to overall health. Instead of training like a bodybuilder try exercising like an athlete. Include plyometrics, kettlebell swings and sprints in your training plan to add intensity and variety to workouts while improving overall fitness.


4. Go Heavy

Lifting heavier weights for less repetitions helps to build strength and shed fat. Start with a weight that is manageable for 15 reps. Then add weight over time to find a weight that is doable for eight to ten repetitions. Remember, always practice perfect form, and try to work for an extra rep before calling it quits.

5. Bring a Friend

Working out with a partner improves results and makes the going-to-the-gym experience a more enjoyable one. Having a partner to provide encouragement during workouts can help you get the most out of a workout. And when you have someone relying on you to do the same, it makes you accountable and more likely to show up for workouts.

6. Don't Train, Compete

Turn workouts into a competition with yourself of a workout partner. Join a sports league, play pick-up basketball or sign-up for a 5K. Or create your own challenges in the gym by completing a circuit workout as fast as possible, pushing the pace and intensity.

7. Write it Down

Record the exercises, sets and repetitions performed during workouts. Keeping track of goals and progress will reveal what you have accomplished and where you can improve. With that knowledge on hand, it's then possible to structure workouts that play to your strengths and improve weaknesses.

8. Hydrate

Be sure to drink plenty of water during workouts and throughout the day. Heading into a workout dehydrated takes its toll on muscles, motivation and energy levels. Drink up and train hard, then don't forget to refuel with food and water after workouts to promote recovery.

Joe Vennare is an accomplished fitness entrepreneur who develops, instructs and writes about innovative fitness programs. He is the co-founder of Hybrid Athlete, Kettlebell Cardio, and Race Day Domination.

The Truth About Women and Strength Training

  One of the biggest misconceptions among women that I see in my gym surrounds strength training. The majority of female members are generally un- or mis-educated regarding the benefits, principles and use of effective strength training in a fitness regimen. Let's dispel some of these rumors and show why most women can and will benefit from adding strength training to their workout routines.

Fact or Fiction?

Of all the misconceptions regarding women and strength training, by far the biggest is that if a female client adds weight training to their fitness regimen, they will end up looking like some deep-bass voiced, no neck, meathead-lady hybrid. However, this just will not happen (unless you want it to). Since the majority of women who lift are lifting for lean muscle and tone, you have very little to worry about with regards to gaining huge amounts of muscle mass.

The female body doesn't produce testosterone in the amounts that the male body does so females are less likely to "bulk up" unless they really attempt to gain mass. There is, however, a word of caution. Extremely strenuous and continuous exercise has been shown to cause estrogen levels to decrease. So add weight training, just don't devote yourself to becoming a body builder.



Lost in the Weight Room

Now that you've decided that lifting weights won't turn you into some manly girl, the second biggest misconception about strength training is how to do it. The majority of my female clients are unsure about lifting principles for females. Too often they've heard or consulted with uneducated men in the gym about lifting. Most tell me they lift three sets of 10 reps. Then I want to cry.

Ideally, for the goals of most female gym clients, strength training goals are usually to add lean muscle and "tone" up. Three sets of 10 is not the ideal strategy to employ in this regards. I normally recommend a higher repetition, lower weight program. My general recommendation is to perform 12 to 15 repetitions per set, two to three sets, at a low to medium weight. Adding this regimen two to three times per week is a great way to get the benefits of weight lifting, including a higher metabolic rate as well as the maintenance of the necessary muscle mass the body needs to perform the daily tasks we all go through.

Another way that women can get benefit from strength training is lifting in a circuit-training format. This includes a low weight, high rep philosophy, moving on to the next exercise immediately after finishing the previous. This way the body is continually working and you can add an aspect of anaerobic conditioning to your strength training.

Big Benefits

The two biggest health issues most women face from middle age onwards are due to menopause: loss of muscle mass and a lower, slower metabolism. As we've discussed, strength training can not only help to maintain and grow muscle mass--which makes everyday activities easier as you age--but it can also help to boost your metabolism more than just walking on the treadmill or riding the stationary bike. As you get older, you may want to think about adding strength training. If you aren't quite there yet in the age department, be proactive and add weight training to your routine and help eliminate the risk of these problems that can and do affect a majority of women.

Ryan Barnhart, MS, PES, is a certified Performance Enhancement and Injury Prevention Specialist through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). He also holds a master's degree in exercise science, as well as a bachelor of sport management, both from California University of Pennsylvania. Ryan has worked with numerous collegiate and amateur athletes across many different fields. Ryan also has had the opportunity to work with several professional athletes. Recently he has worked with amateur and professional athletes within the emerging sport of Mixed Martial Arts.

Ryan is currently the director of fitness at a 700+ member gym near Pittsburgh, PA. He enjoys working with weekend warriors, athletes, and everyone in between. You can contact Ryan at rbbarnhart@gmail.com.

What's the Difference Between Mindful Eating and Intuitive Eating?

 

When it comes to the way we eat, specifically the way we try to control our eating habits to make sure we're being healthy, there are two terms that tend to pop up. Some people subscribe to "intuitive eating," while others swear by "mindful eating." These terms may cause confusion because they are often used interchangeably, even though they have slightly different meanings. What we consider normal eating is flexible, and can include both mindful eating and intuitive eating.



Mindful Eating

Mindful eating encompasses a variety of concepts, but at its core, it centers on how we eat rather than what we eat.

Pace - A key aspect of mindful eating is paying attention to the pace at which we eat our food. All too often, we rush through meals, eating more quickly than we should. This is often done out of habit, or because we are too distracted during meals or are rushing due to hectic, busy schedules. To eat mindfully, you would pause between taking bites, chew your food more thoroughly, and pay attention to your breathing and how full you feel.

Avoiding Distractions - Mindful eating involves staying away from life's many distractions, including your TV, radio, computer, phone or other mobile devices. You should also refrain from eating while you drive.

Assessing Level of Hunger - Think of your hunger as ranging from 1 to 10, with 1 being absolutely starving and 10 being completely stuffed. Assess your level of hunger before you start eating and gauge this level throughout your meal to know when to stop. With mindful eating, it's encouraged to veer away from a rigid eating strategy.

Enjoying & Appreciating Food - Learning to find pleasure in eating and fully recognizing all of the senses you're using simultaneously in the process is essential to mindful eating. Appreciate how food nourishes your body while savoring each bite. Also key is paying attention to your reactions to food without judging yourself.

Recognizing Mindless Eating Habits - Being cognizant of mindless eating behaviors (and their consequences), such as emotional eating and overeating, are crucial to mindful eating. Mindful eating also can incorporate meditation.

Intuitive Eating

The term "intuitive eating" originated in 1995 when two registered dietitians, Elyse Resch and Evelyn Tribole, wrote a book on the subject, appropriately titled Intuitive Eating. These authors explain that mindful eating and intuitive eating share the same philosophies. According to research, intuitive eating involves three main concepts (which are covered below), with the overarching goal being to achieve a healthy relationship with food and to throw out the notion of dieting. It aims to remove the feeling of guilt you may get when you give in to foods you've sworn off because no foods are "off limits" with intuitive eating.

Unrestricted Go-Ahead to Eat - Unconditional allowance to eat anything you want, at any time, as long as you are truly hungry. You are encouraged to remove any guilt associated with eating and to avoid any rigidity with your eating habits.

Eating Mainly by Physically-Driven Reasons - Avoiding using emotional motives to initiate eating is a key concept. Eat to nourish your body.

Trusting Innate Cues for Hunger & Satiety - Feed your body what it wants when it is truly hungry. The core idea here is to trust your own internal instincts about when you're hungry and full.

The research on intuitive and mindful eating is fairly new, but it's believed that they share similar main ideas that can help people achieve their wellness goals for a lifetime, rather than for a short-term period of time.


Kari Hartel, RD, LD is a Registered, Licensed Dietitian and freelance writer based out of St. Louis, MO. Kari is passionate about nutrition education and the prevention of chronic disease through a healthy diet and active lifestyle. Kari holds a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics from Southeast Missouri State University and is committed to helping people lead healthy lives. She completed a yearlong dietetic internship at OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria, IL, where she worked with a multitude of clients and patients with complicated diagnoses. She planned, marketed, and implemented nutrition education programs and cooking demonstrations for the general public as well as for special populations, including patients with cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, obesity, and school-aged children. If you would be interested in working with Kari one-on-one, sign-up for FitDay Dietitian.