Thursday, October 18, 2012

Understanding Pilates Exercises

Pilates exercises are one of the most popular workouts today. This is an exercise that was developed by Joseph Pilates in the 1920's and has been growing in popularity ever since. The amazing thing about pilates exercises is they can be done by anyone. This includes everyone from athletes, to senior citizens, to women trying to get their pre-pregnancy body back. Pilates focuses on six core principles which are: centering, control, breathing, precision, concentration and flow. In the subsequent paragraphs, each principle will be discussed, respectively.

The founders of pilates believe that all of the body's energy comes from the center, so that is where the exercises are focused. Control is another principle that is important for this method of working out. People who perform pilates are supposed to have complete control of their movements and the muscles that are being worked.

Breathing is also important to this practice. Joseph Pilates thought that it was very important for people to have good breath control. He encouraged people to synchronize their exercises with their breathing because he believed that is how people get the best results.

Precision is another major theme in this method of exercising. Practitioners have to be aware of their every move and make sure that they are doing it correctly. They also have to make sure that the body's alignment is right. Concentration is something that must occur when someone is performing pilates. A person has to divert his or her full attention to the movement that he or she is doing. If a person is fully concentrating on the move that he or she is doing, the best results will be obtained.

Flow is also very important to have while performing these exercises. Flow describes how well each part of the body is working together. In order for the person to get the most out of his or her workout, every movement must flow together.

There are many health and fitness benefits that come along with performing pilates exercises. One of the benefits is a total body workout. The problem with many exercises is they only target one or two major muscle groups; pilates targets the muscles of the entire body. Another benefit of doing pilates is it can help a person lose weight or maintain a healthy body weight. This method of exercising has been applauded because it can help create a longer and leaner look. Pilates also helps a person have more energy throughout the day. It helps the body create more energy by improving circulation and stimulating the muscles.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Weight Loss Shakes For Your Diet

If you're used to swinging by a fast food restaurant on the way to work, it can be a burden to begin a program that requires you to make an elaborate breakfast. When people say they don't have time to get in shape, they mean this kind of situation as much as they mean going to the gym. When you drink a couple of meals instead, it can reduce quite a bit of that burden.

Theory

The primary reasoning behind using weight loss shakes in place of your regular meals is that you take a great deal of the guesswork out of your diet. Counting calories is an essential aspect of making the number on that bathroom scale go down. But, it can be a hassle, to say the least. You have to get a food scale, if you want to be accurate, and you have to hope for nutrition facts to be found on the package. If it isn't there or you bought your food from a restaurant, you have to go online and see if you can find the stats. While calorie counting can be done, when it is already done for you, it is a convenient blessing.

Considerations

Weight loss shakes are only as effective as caloric science proposes. That is to say, if you drink a couple of your favorite brand of shake in addition to eating your typical diet of cheeseburgers and cake, they are not going to do a thing to help you lose fat. If you use them in addition to a sensible meal plan (in other words, following the program that often comes with the drinks), they can be very effective as a means of making your life easier. Some experts advise augmenting the drink with some fiber to keep your glucose levels stable and help you feel full longer.

Exercise Caution

People in a hurry to lose fat often make the mistake of cutting too many calories out of their diet. While this isn't particular to those who use weight loss shakes exclusively, they can add to the temptation to cut your calories drastically. There are a couple of problems with this. One, it may be difficult to stick with a very low calorie plan for any length of time. Two, when you cut too many calories, your body will start eating muscle as well as fat. While the scale will go down, your body may not look the way you want it to in the mirror. Stick with a healthy caloric reduction. Weight loss shakes can be a very effective part of your diet plan.

Monday, October 1, 2012

Mushrooms - A Healthy Food

Mushrooms are valuable health food - low in calories, high in vegetable proteins, chitin, iron, zinc, fiber, essential amino acids, vitamins & minerals. Mushrooms also have a long history of use in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Their legendary effects on promoting good health and vitality and increasing your body's adaptive abilities have been supported by recent studies. These studies suggest that Mushrooms are probiotic - they help our body strengthen itself and fight off illness by maintaining physiological homeostasis - restoring our bodies balance and natural resistance to disease.

Agaricus Mushroom
Agaricus is the most widely consumed mushroom in many countries, where it is regarded as a health food, due to its medicinal properties. Agaricus is traditionally known as "God’s Mushroom" because of its near miraculous curative benefits to a wide range of disorders. People have used it to overcome numerous diseases and disorders relating to the immune system, cardiovascular system, digestion, and for weight management, diabetes, chronic and acute allergies, cataracts, hearing difficulties, stress syndrome, chronic fatigue, diarrhea, constipation, and disorders of the liver.

Cordyceps Mushroom
Cordyceps can be a powerful stimulant for macrophage activity, strengthening your immune system’s ability to fight against bacterial and viral infection. Human clinical studies indicate that Cordyceps can be effective for treatment of high cholesterol, poor libido/impotence, arrhythmia, lung cancer, and chronic kidney failure. It is also reported that Cordyceps causes smooth muscle relaxation. This can make it especially helpful for treating chronic coughs, asthma, and other bronchial conditions.

Maitake Mushroom
Maitake is also known by the name Dancing Mushroom, famous for its taste and health benefits. In Japan, Maitake Mushroom is called "King of Mushroom". The fruiting body and the mycelium of Maitake are used medicinally. In China and Japan, Maitake Mushrooms have been consumed for 3000 years. Years ago in Japan, the Maitake had monetary value and was worth its weight in silver. Historically, Maitake has been used as a tonic and adaptogen. It was used as a food to help promote wellness and vitality. Traditionally, consumption of the mushroom was thought to prevent high blood pressure and cancer - two applications that have been the focal point of modern research. Clinical research with Maitake Mushroom has increased dramatically in the past several years. Laboratory studies have shown that Maitake Mushroom extract can inhibit the growth of tumors and stimulate the immune system of cancerous mice.

Reishi Mushroom
Reishi has been called an “immune potentiator.” Recent studies have indicated that Reishi can have a number of other effects: Analgesic, Anti-inflammatory, Antioxidant, Antiviral through inducing interferon production, Lowers blood pressure, Cardiotonic action through lowering serum cholesterol, Expectorant & Antitussive, Liver (Hepatitis)-protecting and detoxifying, protection against ionizing radiation, Antibacterial, and Anti-HIV activity. Reishi contains calcium, iron and phosphorus as well as vitamins C, D, and B - including pantothenic acid, which is essential to nerve function and the adrenal glands.

Shiitake Mushroom
Shiitake (for centuries called "Elixir of Life" ) has been licensed as a anti-cancer drug by the Japanese FDA. Lentinan has shown some effect on bowel cancer, liver cancer, stomach cancer, ovarian cancer and lung cancer. Lentinan stimulates the production of T lymphocytes and natural killer cells and can potentiate the effect of AZT in the anti-viral treatment of A.I.D.S. Shiitake is rich in several anti-oxidants (Selenium, Uric acid & Vitamin A, E, & C) as well as Vitamin D. Shiitake mushrooms may also lower blood pressure in those with hypertension, lower serum cholesterol levels, increase libido, stimulate the production of Interferon which has anti-viral effects, and has proven effective against Hepatitis in some cases.

Yun Zhi Mushroom
Yun Zhi, or the Cloud Mushroom, has been used to dispel dampness, reduce phlegm, treat pulmonary infections, to strengthen the tendons and bones, for vital energy, and to support liver health.

Benefits
• assists with immune function
• high in vegetable proteins
• promotes good health and vitality