Are you aware that you are the owner of a most amazing tool? The health benefits of walking are varied. This tool will not only give you a healthier heart, but it will create a trimmer and slimmer you. It will give you greater endurance and will put more pep in your step. In fact, that is exactly what this tool is – your feet! You do not need to go to an expensive gym, need a dance class or spend lot of money on fancy equipment to get healthy. All you need is your two feet. Check out a few simple walking for fitness tips.

The most complete form of exercise there is, is walking. You can do it no matter if you are at home, on vacation or at work. It provides a complete cardio workout and is not hard on your joints. Even if you have not exercised in years, you can take up walking. Heart surgery patients are encouraged to walk to completely recover their health.

If exercising seems intimidating to you, and you will use any excuse in the book to keep from doing it, then maybe you should consider a walking routine. Start with a small routine of about 10 minutes for about two weeks. All you are trying to do right now is to establish a habit. Later on you can improve on style, time and speed.

If a person makes changes in his or her diet and exercise, this can lead to a dramatic drop in his or her risk for chronic illnesses in just six short weeks. The concept that proper exercise and nutrition is not anything new, but it is very important that people recognize that major health benefits of walking can come very quickly. Read more »

Share This

This News will affect you weather you are dieting or not. I think it affects all consumers, so I saw it fit to post here.

The FDA approved cloned meat and deem it safe for eating today. The Food and Drug Administration has hesitated for several years to approve commercial sales to companies that have been researching and developing cloned meat. Last year, in 2007 these companies have been compiling evidence to support the case that cloned meat is safe to eat.

While the genetics can be different with cloned and natural-born animals, the cloning companies argue that the meat from these animals have no major differences and are safe to eat.

Because of the high cost too cloning it will probably be years before this meat or milk will be on our grocery shelf, but it is of great concern to many consumers and protection groups are leery.

The FDA notes that it is unlikely that the meat and milk from cloned animals will be available for sale in any significant amount; instead, it will likely come from the offspring of those animals. That’s because clones would be used for breeding, while their sexually reproduced offspring would be used for producing meat and milk for the consumer.

The FDA notes that the food from the clone meats will not require special labeling because they are just as safe to eat as the natural born animals.

As a consumer I think that since cloning is not a natural process of conception we should be allowed to choice between eating the cloned animal or the natural-born animal.

In 1996 the first cloned mammal Dolly the sheep, was born, she died six years later. The life expectancy of sheep can be 11-12 years, Dolly died of a lung infection commonly seen in much older sheep.

I love meat and I am by no means an activist of any kind, but this news has upset me so much.

I would love to hear you thoughts on this, please leave a comment if you like.

Share This

Americans are getting fatter and fatter in fact more than two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designed a new food pyramid to keep us on track. One of the biggest noticeable changes is the incorporation of physical activity, it is an important component that must be practice daily. You will notice that the new food pyramid guide excludes serving size, this was done intentionally because no two people are a like and there is “no one size fits all” when it come to diet and  nutrition.

On the new food guide pyramid each food group is represented by a specific color.

• Orange: Grains
• Green: vegetables
• Red: fruits
• Blue: dairy and calcium-rich foods
• Purple: proteins (meats, beans, and fish)
• Yellow: fats and oils

Grains

Half of the grains you eat should be whole. Whole grain cereals, brown rice, whole wheat pasta and crackers are highly recommended.

Vegetables

Eat more dark green and leafy vegetables. Broccoli, spinach, kale are good examples of these. These vegetables are low in sodium and sugar and are a great source of nutrients and vitamins.

Fruits

Fruits are highly recommended rather than fruit juice, because of it’s high sugar content. Fruit should be eaten fresh, frozen, canned and dried.

Milk and Diary

Having 3 servings a day of low-fat dairy as part of a reduced calorie diet is highly recommended

Meat and Beans

When it comes to meats you should always go lean. Meats should be prepared baked, broiled or grilled instead of fried. Meats are a great source of protein. Fish, peas, nuts, seeds and beans are also great source of protein.

Fats, Oils and Sweets

Fats and Oils should be eaten in small amounts

Please keep in mind that the new food guide pyramid is based on you specific calorie requirements. This is a good guide follow if you are on Weight Watchers or if you are on a weight loss diet plan For more information, visit www.mypyramid.gov.

Share This

Next to air, water is most essential to life. The human body is made up of about 70% water. Almost every cell in the body requires water to function properly. If you really think about this fact it is amazing that so many people do not drink enough water. Your body can survive without food for about a couple of weeks but without water you could only survive a couple of days. If you are trying to lose weight an important fact to remember is to drink enough water so that the body can metabolize fat adequately.

Benefits to drinking water while losing weight: Read more »

Share This

What is your BMI?

As the new year approaches and you make a resolution to join a gym and begin exercising this could be one of the questions posed to you on your fitness evaluation. Understanding what BMI is, and what the calculations mean to you can be a big step in determining whether you need to make major changes to your diet plan.

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a relationship between weight and height that is associated with body fat and health risk. Body mass Index or (BMI) is a well known measure utilized by doctors, dietitians and nurses to determine whether you are underweight, overweight or within a healthy weight range.

The higher your BMI, the greater your risk for diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, and certain cancers.

How to Calculate your Body Mass Index Read more »

Share This