Health and Nutrition That Is AboveNBeyond

Ok, there is a huge number of those who are NOT active.  Oh yes, they’ll say, not active?  Hey, I work, I do chores around the house, help the wife/girl friend, I do this, I do that and so fourth.  Well, then why are they loosing the battle of the bulge?  Yes, Weight Watchers does count some of this activity towards your efforts to loosing or managing weight.  So, what’s the problem?  The problem can be attributed to a number of things.  Either one is consuming some of the wrong foods & drinks or the activity is not enough to burn off the calories being consumed or both.

I tell you the truth, if I did not run and exercise and only relied on nutrition and weight management, it would be much harder for me to control my weight.  Having an active life (in addition to your “other stuff”) really takes a bite out of your weight!  So, if you are not active and am having issues controlling your weight, you need to realize what you are doing or not doing about it. If you are active enough and are still having issues, then activity isn’t your problem.

If activity isn’t the problem, then it’s likely that portion control is. Unless you are the type that subscribes to the theory “oh, I don’t haven any problems controlling what I eat, I can eat anytime”. Then that’s the problem. Recently, I have posted more articles on portion control. This is a topic that has a great impact on weight management efforts. Portion control doesn’t only apply to your meals, but, also other items such as drinks, candies, cakes etc.

I’m sure that you seen this, people who seem like they never gain weight. It can drive one nuts to wonder why this is. Well, one issue is metabolism, everyone’s is different. Some suggest smoking as a factor, once they quit, they gain weight. I can’t comment on that but, that’s what I’ve heard. Weight management can be a balancing act to keep it where you want it.

We all usually get the right start in school with having access to a physicall education class, i.e: Gym class. After one gets out of school, fitness becomes less of a reality for some. This is unfortunate since by adding a fitness / active life can really be fun too in addition to it’s impact on ones overall health.

See other articles on – portion control

Fruits and vegetables are packed with nutrients and can also help with weight loss by reducing energy density.  This is according to an article I recently read:

A recent study from the Department of Nutritional Sciences at Pennsylvania State University studied the relationship of energy density to dietary outcome. They found that lowering the energy density by increasing the volume without changing nutrient content can enhance s

It’s very hard to gain weight with vegetables unless you are eating potatoes or yams. Vegetables are not packed with a lot of calories. You can eat more fruits and vegetables and less of other foods that are higher in calories to make loosing weight easier. Thus, replacing foods that are higher in energy density with foods that are lower in energy density (fruits and vegetables) may help with weight loss.

Vegetables are a good source for Dietary Fiber and can provide extra energy.  The high fiber content helps us fill our stomach faster, thus putting a limit on the amount of food consumed.   Because of this, vegetables can help us control our weight.

At the risk of my sounding like I’m recommending your becoming a vegetarian, the more vegetables and fruits you can eat the better.  Forget the old 5 a day saying and think “More is Better” according to the CDC and Produce for Better Health Foundation.

A bonus with fruits and vegetables and the Weight Watchers point system, check these out:

Corn: 1 cup = 2 points
Peas: (Green) 1 cup = 2 points
Beans: (Green) 1 cup = 0 or FREE
Beets: 1 cup = 0 or FREE
Carrots: 1 cup = 1 point cooked, 0 or FREE uncooked
Banana: 1 (7-9″ long) = 2 points
Apples: 1 small (2 1/2′ diameter) = 1 point
Apples: 1 large (3 1/4′ diameter) = 2 points

See also:
1. Weight Watchers
2. Fruitsandveggiesmatter

Adding an active life can be as simple or as advanced as you want. Start out small and grow from there. Just 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week is enough to get you started until you build yourself up. Get up 30 minutes earlier on the days you choose to “get active”. After a while, you’ll start to know the difference. Once you find your focus, you’ll open a door that will rock your world. As for me, you know, I’m a runner and cannot live without it! There is an activity out there for everyone, find it, do it and you’ll see the difference. For those who say “Well, Tim, I don’t have the time!” I say, “20 minutes, and a DVD player and you can have a workout. There are plenty of workout videos available on DVD out there now and that’s just for starters. If something is important to you, you’ll make the time for it. Don’t wait until you reach the point where you wish you did do something, do it now! Even if you have to do a series of exercises in the morning just to get started. What ever it takes for you to get started and explore the world of fitness. If you still feel you don’t have time, perhaps there are those things you are doing that you should replace with fitness? How much time do you spend just watching TV?

Check out our section called NEWU, it may be what can help you get started.

A lot of the times when I am running, I am also training for my next race. So, if you feel that your activity is lacking something, perhaps, you should consider kicking it up a notch and add racing to your activity. Racing an be advantageous in many ways. You can make new friends, help with your fitness goals and more. You don’t have to be a runner, to take part in racing. Biking and kayaking are other ways to get involved in racing. Not sure what to do, just google it. By adding racing to your sport or activity, you make it more fun and worthwhile to do. It then becomes more of your life than just doing it for the sense of fitness. There is also Trail Running & Racing to add even more of a spice to racing. This adds more challenges to more than just running on the pavement. Now, you don’t have to jump right into marathons or huge races. Start small, like 5k’s for running or other small courses and then build yourself up. When I started racing, I only did 5k’s for a while until I got brave to advance to 10k’s.

If you’ve never raced before and in this case, for runners, after paying your entry free, you’ll get a FREE T-Shirt or other item as suggested by the event of your choice. Usually, those who placed by age group get an award for 1st, 2nd or 3rd place finishers. Some events even have door prizes. Some races have food and refreshments at the end of the race (usually water, fruit’s & bagels).

Racing adds competitiveness to your sport and makes it a fun and exciting workout to take part in. Who said fitness had to be boring? Oh, and by the way, how old is to old to race? I was in my mid 30’s when I was a newbie to running in races.

Well, for me, my preference is undoubtedly H30 Fitness Drink for more than just one reason. While I used to sell Herbalife, this is how I found this drink and when ever possible, I still use this drink. Now, I do have a second favorite fitness drink which is Poweraide Zero. When I don’t have H30, I use this. Now for those who have a head problem with “second best”, hey, they are both great drinks! Now for the facts on these two great drinks:

Poweraide Zero

Electrolytes:  55mg Sodium / 35mg Potassium

Advantage:  Zero Calories & available locally

H30 Fitness Drink

Electrolytes:  100mg Sodium / 100mg Potassium

Advantage:  Portable (Packettes or cannister)

Now, I admit that I am partial to both of these great fitness drinks, so of course, they are my top two favorites. If electrolytes are your main concern, then H30 is the way to go.  Whenever possible, I go with H30.  It’s rather neat, all I need is a bottle of water and a packet of H30.  This is cool especially if I am away somewhere.

Regardless which Fitness Drink is your favorite and it does not have to be these two, you need to make sure that you are getting enough electrolytes with your drink of choice.  If you are not, then your choice is not worth it.  Electrolytes are critical in your choice of fitness drinks to help guard against dehydration.

Before I “got active”, I always just grabbed a soda or any drink readily available.  As I got more active and learned more, I later changed my choices to fitness drinks or energy drinks, which ever applied to the given situation.

See also:  Dehydration, Realities, Do’s Don’ts and What you should know about soda

You don’t have to be a runner to get active. There are plenty of other activities to do in order to burn those calories. I’m a runner, and everything I do tends to gravitate to the sport of running. But, you don’t have to be like me, just be yourself! When trying to find something to do to get yourself active, you need to consider what you want and if others you know (or don’t know) are doing it. I chose running and none of my friends are into it. so, I end up running by myself all the time. If being by yourself is ok, then that is fine, but you need to think about that when making your choice. There are plenty of different types of activities or options to choose from ranging from joining a gym/health club, basketball, biking, racquetball , volleyball, swimming etc. The list is actually endless with the possibilities out there. If you are not sure what you want to do, just google it and find something that interests you.

Think you don’t have time? How long does it take to ride a bike, take a walk or go for a run? The answer is that it’s up to you! Just start out slow and easy and you may just surprise yourself. Don’t let the thief of time rob you of your passions. Excuses are just words and don’t have any weight unless you accept them.

In the last two posts, I’ve touched on how important nutrition is to the body and how fitness and nutrition can build a strong foundation for the immune system. If you don’t have a good immune system, then all your other efforts are a waste of time unless your immune system has been weakened for other reasons. I recently found an interesting article on the Immune System. Here is a brief excerpt on the article: You can read the full article – Diet, Stress and the Immune System This article is from the Cleveland Clinic website.

Under normal circumstances, the immune system is highly efficient, providing multiple defenses against the onslaught of outside invaders. These defenses include physical barriers (such as skin); the non-specific inflammatory response, which is brought about by changes in blood flow that bring chemical substances to the injured area; and specific immune responses, in which the body learns to recognize specific invaders and destroy them after subsequent exposures.

Ways to Boost your Immune System:

Two products (from Herbalife) called Roseguard and Best Defense, both of which provides immune system support. Roseguard aids in the defense of environmental toxins, and Best Defense helps boosts the immune system. Other ways to boost your immune system are:

1. Regular exercise
2. Get more Antioxidants
3. Adequate sleep, rest and/or relaxation
4. Be careful that you are not the problem – see below
5. Combat any developing ailments right away (cough, cold symptoms, soar throat etc)
6. Smile

Immune System negatives:

1. Lack of exercise
2. Overweight
3. Eating foods high in sugar
4. Eating foods high in fat
5. Experiencing lots of STRESS
6. Social Isolation – being lonely is not a good thing.

If you don’t venture down the road of fitness, you are missing out on a world that will blow your mind! So what if you are lazy. We all have those days, the secret is not to let every day be lazy. Not only that, you have the rest of the day to be lazy after your workout. A little bit of pain and lots to gain. Fitness if not taken advantage of is like a door that was never opened. You never know what awaits on the other side. It doesn’t matter if you are a teenager or past the age of 70, fitness rocks!

Having a life of fitness is a great way of lessening health issues as you get older. Granted, there are no guarantees, but, why ask for it. Having an active fitness life is another way of save guarding your health. Think of it this way, your computer has or should have anti-virus software to protect it from viruses. Well, having an active fitness life is like having your own anti-virus software for your life. Now, fitness is only one third of the dish, and one must not forget weight management and nutrition. For all 3 work together and does the body good!

By staying physically fit and getting proper nutrition, there can be those hidden values that add to your life. One benefit that I get is that I can walk really fast when I am in a hurry. Now, I know that that may not seem like much, but, while others take 5 minutes to walk from one side of Walmart to the other, it only takes me 2 minutes. Ok, laugh now, I am Before or after you start a new fitness endeavor, you may not always realize whats ahead or how things will be for you later on. In my case, I’m stronger, have an increased breathing capacity, can walk and run faster, and best of all, I hardly ever get sick. Not to mention that my weight is down. You see, there is a whole great package that comes along with fitness. The thing is, in order to benefit from it, you must first get started. It’s not all just about loosing weight or weight management. That is only one side of the dish. Consider the other side – nutrition and exercise. You see, you need all three to complete the puzzle of good health. If you are only concerned with weight loss or weight management, then you are missing the point. I do understand that for some, this can be a HUGE issue, but, in order to secure weight management, the other side of the dish must be considered as well. It’s a balancing act for all three peaces of the puzzle work together to accomplish a single objective called good health.

Picking up from the previous post – Secrets about getting active – It’s a good addiction. Along the way, you see yourself changing with the new activities you are getting involved with. You are getting out, getting active, quitting certain behaviors, and lessening the consumption of certain foods and drinks. Weight is coming off, you are feeling better and the tide of change is happening.
Sounds good doesn’t it? But, the truth is that nothing happens until you do 2 things. The first is the decision to be committed and get started. The second thing is to start getting active and making choices.
It won’t always be easy along the way. Some choices won’t happen overnight. It can take months before you see results and find yourself making additional choices.

I started blogging about Health and Fitness, not because I have learned a lot, but, it’s my passion. With my experiences, both as a runner, and also as one who works out and have had weight loss issues, I decided to be a source of inspiration to others.

You will find that while getting started isn’t an easy decision, it’s the first of many decisions to be made down this road. It doesn’t matter if it’s about weight loss, fitness, getting better nutrition, you’ll find a lot of different choices along the way.

Don’t put off until tomorrow, what you can get started today! Life Doesn’t Stand Still, Why Should You?

Always remember, it is best that you should see a doctor before starting any health regiment. You never know what could be happening beneath the skin?