Friday, August 11, 2017
Sunday, January 29, 2017
Herbs as medicines
Herbs or medicinal plants have a long history in treating disease. In traditional Chinese medicine, for example, the written history of herbal medicine goes back over 2000 years and herbalists in the West have used “weeds” equally long to treat that which ails us. We are all familiar with the virtues of Garlic, Chamomile, Peppermint, Lavender, and other common herbs.
Interest in medicinal herbs is on the rise again and the interest is primarily from the pharmaceutical industry, which is always looking for ‘new drugs’ and more effective substances to treat diseases, for which there may be no or very few drugs available.
The A-Z Guide to Food as Medicine
Considering the very long traditional use of herbal medicines and the large body of evidence of their effectiveness, why is it that we are not generally encouraged to use traditional herbal medicine, instead of synthetic, incomplete copies of herbs, called drugs, considering the millions of dollars being spent looking for these seemingly elusive substances?
Herbs are considered treasures when it comes to ancient cultures and herbalists, and many so-called weeds are worth their weight in gold. Dandelion, Comfrey, Digitalis (Foxglove), the Poppy, Milk Thistle, Stinging nettle, and many others, have well-researched and established medicinal qualities that have few if any rivals in the pharmaceutical industry. Many of them in fact, form the bases of pharmaceutical drugs.
Research into the medicinal properties of such herbs as the humble Dandelion is currently being undertaken by scientists at the Royal Botanical Gardens, in Kew, west London, who believe it could be the source of a life-saving drug for cancer patients.
Early tests suggest that it could hold the key to warding off cancer, which kills tens of thousands of people every year.
Their work on the cancer-beating properties of the dandelion, which also has a history of being used to treat warts, is part of a much larger project to examine the natural medicinal properties of scores of British plants and flowers.
Professor Monique Simmonds, head of the Sustainable Uses of Plants Group at Kew, said: "We aren't randomly screening plants for their potential medicinal properties, we are looking at plants which we know have a long history of being used to treat certain medical problems.”
“We will be examining them to find out what active compounds they contain which can treat the illness.”
Unfortunately, as is so often the case, this group of scientists appears to be looking for active ingredients, which can later be synthesised and then made into pharmaceutical drugs. This is not the way herbs are used traditionally and their functions inevitably change when the active ingredients are used in isolation. That’s like saying that the only important part of a car is the engine – nothing else needs to be included…
So, why is there this need for isolating the ‘active ingredients’?
As a scientist, I can understand the need for the scientific process of establishing the fact that a particular herb works on a particular disease, pathogen or what ever, and the need to know why and how it does so. But, and this is a BIG but, as a doctor of Chinese medicine
I also understand the process of choosing and prescribing COMBINATIONS of herbs, which have a synergistic effect to treat not just the disease, but any underlying condition as well as the person with the disease – That is a big difference and not one that is easily tested using standard scientific methodologies.
Using anecdotal evidence, which after all has a history of thousands of years, seems to escape my esteemed colleagues all together. Rather than trying to isolate the active ingredient(s), why not test these herbs, utilising the knowledge of professional herbalists, on patients in vivo, using the myriad of technology available to researchers and medical diagnosticians to see how and why these herbs work in living, breathing patients, rather than in a test tube or on laboratory rats and mice (which, by the way, are not humans and have a different, although some what similar, physiology to us…).
I suspect, that among the reasons for not following the above procedure is that the pharmaceutical companies are not really interested in the effects of the medicinal plants as a whole, but rather in whether they can isolate a therapeutic substance which can then be manufactured cheaply and marketed as a new drug - and of course that’s where the money is…
The problem with this approach is however, that medicinal plants like Comfrey, Dandelion and other herbs usually contain hundreds if not thousands of chemical compounds that interact, yet many of which are not yet understood and cannot be manufactured. This is why the manufactured drugs, based on so-called active ingredients, often do not work or produce side effects.
Aspirin is a classic case in point. Salicylic acid is the active ingredient in Aspirin tablets, and was first isolated from the bark of the White Willow tree. It is a relatively simple compound to make synthetically, however, Aspirin is known for its ability to cause stomach irritation and in some cases ulceration of the stomach wall.
The herbal extract from the bark of the White Willow tree generally does not cause stomach irritation due to other, so called ‘non-active ingredients’ contained in the bark, which function to protect the lining of the stomach thereby preventing ulceration of the stomach wall.
Ask yourself, which would I choose – Side effects, or no site effects? – It’s a very simple answer.
Isn’t it?
So why then are herbal medicines not used more commonly and why do we have pharmaceutical impostors stuffed down our throats? The answer is, that there’s little or no money in herbs for the pharmaceutical companies. They, the herbs, have already been invented, they grow easily, they multiply readily and for the most part, they’re freely available.
Further more, correctly prescribed and formulated herbal compounds generally resolve the health problem of the patient over a period of time, leaving no requirement to keep taking the preparation – that means no repeat sales… no ongoing prescriptions… no ongoing problem.
Pharmaceuticals on the other hand primarily aim to relieve symptoms – that means: ongoing consultations, ongoing sales, ongoing health problems – which do you think is a more profitable proposition…?
Don’t get me wrong, this is not to say that all drugs are impostors or that none of the pharmaceutical drugs cure diseases or maladies – they do and some are life-preserving preparations and are without doubt invaluable. However, herbal extracts can be similarly effective, but are not promoted and are highly under-utilised.
The daily news is full of ‘discoveries’ of herbs found to be a possible cure of this or that, as in the example of Dandelion and its possible anti-cancer properties. The point is, that these herbs need to be investigated in the correct way. They are not just ‘an active ingredient’.
They mostly have hundreds of ingredients and taking one or two in isolation is not what makes medicinal plants work. In addition, rarely are herbal extracts prescribed by herbalists as singles (a preparation which utilises only one herb). Usually herbalists mix a variety of medicinal plants to make a mixture, which addresses more than just the major symptoms.
In Chinese medicine for example there is a strict order of hierarchy in any herbal prescription, which requires considerable depth of knowledge and experience on the physicians part. The fact that the primary or principle herb has active ingredients, which has a specific physiological effect, does not mean the other herbs are not necessary in the preparation.
This is a fact seemingly ignored by the pharmaceutical industry in its need to manufacture new drugs that can control disease.
Knowing that medicinal plants are so effective, that these plants potentially hold the key to many diseases, are inexpensive and have proven their worth time and time again over millennia, why is it that herbal medicine is still not in the forefront of medical treatments, and is considered by many orthodox medical professionals and pharmaceutical companies as hocus-pocus…. hmmm.
The A-Z Guide to Food as Medicine
Interest in medicinal herbs is on the rise again and the interest is primarily from the pharmaceutical industry, which is always looking for ‘new drugs’ and more effective substances to treat diseases, for which there may be no or very few drugs available.
The A-Z Guide to Food as Medicine
Considering the very long traditional use of herbal medicines and the large body of evidence of their effectiveness, why is it that we are not generally encouraged to use traditional herbal medicine, instead of synthetic, incomplete copies of herbs, called drugs, considering the millions of dollars being spent looking for these seemingly elusive substances?
Herbs are considered treasures when it comes to ancient cultures and herbalists, and many so-called weeds are worth their weight in gold. Dandelion, Comfrey, Digitalis (Foxglove), the Poppy, Milk Thistle, Stinging nettle, and many others, have well-researched and established medicinal qualities that have few if any rivals in the pharmaceutical industry. Many of them in fact, form the bases of pharmaceutical drugs.
Research into the medicinal properties of such herbs as the humble Dandelion is currently being undertaken by scientists at the Royal Botanical Gardens, in Kew, west London, who believe it could be the source of a life-saving drug for cancer patients.
Early tests suggest that it could hold the key to warding off cancer, which kills tens of thousands of people every year.
Their work on the cancer-beating properties of the dandelion, which also has a history of being used to treat warts, is part of a much larger project to examine the natural medicinal properties of scores of British plants and flowers.
Professor Monique Simmonds, head of the Sustainable Uses of Plants Group at Kew, said: "We aren't randomly screening plants for their potential medicinal properties, we are looking at plants which we know have a long history of being used to treat certain medical problems.”
“We will be examining them to find out what active compounds they contain which can treat the illness.”
Unfortunately, as is so often the case, this group of scientists appears to be looking for active ingredients, which can later be synthesised and then made into pharmaceutical drugs. This is not the way herbs are used traditionally and their functions inevitably change when the active ingredients are used in isolation. That’s like saying that the only important part of a car is the engine – nothing else needs to be included…
So, why is there this need for isolating the ‘active ingredients’?
As a scientist, I can understand the need for the scientific process of establishing the fact that a particular herb works on a particular disease, pathogen or what ever, and the need to know why and how it does so. But, and this is a BIG but, as a doctor of Chinese medicine
I also understand the process of choosing and prescribing COMBINATIONS of herbs, which have a synergistic effect to treat not just the disease, but any underlying condition as well as the person with the disease – That is a big difference and not one that is easily tested using standard scientific methodologies.
Using anecdotal evidence, which after all has a history of thousands of years, seems to escape my esteemed colleagues all together. Rather than trying to isolate the active ingredient(s), why not test these herbs, utilising the knowledge of professional herbalists, on patients in vivo, using the myriad of technology available to researchers and medical diagnosticians to see how and why these herbs work in living, breathing patients, rather than in a test tube or on laboratory rats and mice (which, by the way, are not humans and have a different, although some what similar, physiology to us…).
I suspect, that among the reasons for not following the above procedure is that the pharmaceutical companies are not really interested in the effects of the medicinal plants as a whole, but rather in whether they can isolate a therapeutic substance which can then be manufactured cheaply and marketed as a new drug - and of course that’s where the money is…
The problem with this approach is however, that medicinal plants like Comfrey, Dandelion and other herbs usually contain hundreds if not thousands of chemical compounds that interact, yet many of which are not yet understood and cannot be manufactured. This is why the manufactured drugs, based on so-called active ingredients, often do not work or produce side effects.
Aspirin is a classic case in point. Salicylic acid is the active ingredient in Aspirin tablets, and was first isolated from the bark of the White Willow tree. It is a relatively simple compound to make synthetically, however, Aspirin is known for its ability to cause stomach irritation and in some cases ulceration of the stomach wall.
The herbal extract from the bark of the White Willow tree generally does not cause stomach irritation due to other, so called ‘non-active ingredients’ contained in the bark, which function to protect the lining of the stomach thereby preventing ulceration of the stomach wall.
Ask yourself, which would I choose – Side effects, or no site effects? – It’s a very simple answer.
Isn’t it?
So why then are herbal medicines not used more commonly and why do we have pharmaceutical impostors stuffed down our throats? The answer is, that there’s little or no money in herbs for the pharmaceutical companies. They, the herbs, have already been invented, they grow easily, they multiply readily and for the most part, they’re freely available.
Further more, correctly prescribed and formulated herbal compounds generally resolve the health problem of the patient over a period of time, leaving no requirement to keep taking the preparation – that means no repeat sales… no ongoing prescriptions… no ongoing problem.
Pharmaceuticals on the other hand primarily aim to relieve symptoms – that means: ongoing consultations, ongoing sales, ongoing health problems – which do you think is a more profitable proposition…?
Don’t get me wrong, this is not to say that all drugs are impostors or that none of the pharmaceutical drugs cure diseases or maladies – they do and some are life-preserving preparations and are without doubt invaluable. However, herbal extracts can be similarly effective, but are not promoted and are highly under-utilised.
The daily news is full of ‘discoveries’ of herbs found to be a possible cure of this or that, as in the example of Dandelion and its possible anti-cancer properties. The point is, that these herbs need to be investigated in the correct way. They are not just ‘an active ingredient’.
They mostly have hundreds of ingredients and taking one or two in isolation is not what makes medicinal plants work. In addition, rarely are herbal extracts prescribed by herbalists as singles (a preparation which utilises only one herb). Usually herbalists mix a variety of medicinal plants to make a mixture, which addresses more than just the major symptoms.
In Chinese medicine for example there is a strict order of hierarchy in any herbal prescription, which requires considerable depth of knowledge and experience on the physicians part. The fact that the primary or principle herb has active ingredients, which has a specific physiological effect, does not mean the other herbs are not necessary in the preparation.
This is a fact seemingly ignored by the pharmaceutical industry in its need to manufacture new drugs that can control disease.
Knowing that medicinal plants are so effective, that these plants potentially hold the key to many diseases, are inexpensive and have proven their worth time and time again over millennia, why is it that herbal medicine is still not in the forefront of medical treatments, and is considered by many orthodox medical professionals and pharmaceutical companies as hocus-pocus…. hmmm.
The A-Z Guide to Food as Medicine
Sunday, January 22, 2017
"Getting Around The Weight Loss Plateau"
The typical human form is capable of achieving a number of incredible feats that seem to suspend or defy the way science tells us things work. Athletes, through sheer willpower, can end up lifting something that their bodies should not be able to without suffering anything worse than muscle spasms. People can adapt to extreme physical trauma caused by a car accident and defy predictions that they'll never walk again. While, in general, these amazing feats are useful in a number of situations, there are physical reactions that some people look upon with quite a bit of disfavor. Among these “disfavored reactions” is something known as a “weight loss plateau.”
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Essentially, the “plateau” is a term used to describe a situation where the body has become incapable of losing any further weight, usually due to developing a tolerance for the weight loss pills and methods being used. Essentially, the plateau is hit when the body develops tolerance for the regimen's limitations and practices, thus allowing the metabolic rate of the body to adjust to whatever weight loss pills or techniques were being used. Most diet books decidedly ignore the existence of the plateau, primarily because it can be seen as negating the purpose of the diet and is, therefore, bad for marketing. There are, however, ways to counteract the human body building a tolerance for training regimens and weight loss pills.
The human metabolism, when presented with a pattern, will eventually adapt to that pattern. It is this natural adaptability of the human body that can cause the weight loss plateau, particularly if the person's diet and eating habits have been altered for weight loss. As such, changing the pattern will, once a sufficient amount of time has passed, allow your diet plan or weight loss pills to become effective again. This trick essentially involves confusing the human metabolism, and is often taken as a rather drastic way to get the body back in “diet mode.” There are, of course, several ways to effectively alter that pattern without causing the body permanent harm.
Adding strength and weight training and modifying one's exercise program can also help someone get past the plateau, in most cases. The body will still burn through nutrients during physical activity, though the digestive system's metabolic rate can adapt such that more weight is retained rather than burned during exercise. Increasing the difficulty of the exercises, or changing the movements to target less-developed muscle areas, can effectively force the body to re-adapt. While the body is busy adapting to the changes, it can also start losing weight again. This method is best used with alterations to the person's diet, however, to maximize the effectiveness.
Another trick used to circumvent the problem of the plateau is to make changes to the time frame between meals. The internal clock that the human body's digestive system operates on can be altered to suit one's purposes, provided one executes the proper alterations to one's diet and eating habits. A simple action like altering the schedule of the meals, such as adding more meals but reducing the bulk of each, can have an appreciable effect on altering the metabolic rate. The key concept of this method is to fool the body into burning the food faster, thus getting one's weight loss program and diet back on track.
When considering the options, it is helpful to keep in mind that what works for one person may not work for another person. Some slower metabolisms may require combination of diet program and exercise regimen modifications, while others can get by with merely shortening the break between meals. The critical point is to find a method that works and is effective for a specific metabolism, which can be a time-consuming process.
Leptigen Weight Loss Starter Kit - Highest Rated Fat Burner With Measuring Tool To Help You Lose Weight Faster
Leptigen Weight Loss Starter Kit - Highest Rated Fat Burner With Measuring Tool To Help You Lose Weight FasterEssentially, the “plateau” is a term used to describe a situation where the body has become incapable of losing any further weight, usually due to developing a tolerance for the weight loss pills and methods being used. Essentially, the plateau is hit when the body develops tolerance for the regimen's limitations and practices, thus allowing the metabolic rate of the body to adjust to whatever weight loss pills or techniques were being used. Most diet books decidedly ignore the existence of the plateau, primarily because it can be seen as negating the purpose of the diet and is, therefore, bad for marketing. There are, however, ways to counteract the human body building a tolerance for training regimens and weight loss pills.
The human metabolism, when presented with a pattern, will eventually adapt to that pattern. It is this natural adaptability of the human body that can cause the weight loss plateau, particularly if the person's diet and eating habits have been altered for weight loss. As such, changing the pattern will, once a sufficient amount of time has passed, allow your diet plan or weight loss pills to become effective again. This trick essentially involves confusing the human metabolism, and is often taken as a rather drastic way to get the body back in “diet mode.” There are, of course, several ways to effectively alter that pattern without causing the body permanent harm.
Adding strength and weight training and modifying one's exercise program can also help someone get past the plateau, in most cases. The body will still burn through nutrients during physical activity, though the digestive system's metabolic rate can adapt such that more weight is retained rather than burned during exercise. Increasing the difficulty of the exercises, or changing the movements to target less-developed muscle areas, can effectively force the body to re-adapt. While the body is busy adapting to the changes, it can also start losing weight again. This method is best used with alterations to the person's diet, however, to maximize the effectiveness.
Another trick used to circumvent the problem of the plateau is to make changes to the time frame between meals. The internal clock that the human body's digestive system operates on can be altered to suit one's purposes, provided one executes the proper alterations to one's diet and eating habits. A simple action like altering the schedule of the meals, such as adding more meals but reducing the bulk of each, can have an appreciable effect on altering the metabolic rate. The key concept of this method is to fool the body into burning the food faster, thus getting one's weight loss program and diet back on track.
When considering the options, it is helpful to keep in mind that what works for one person may not work for another person. Some slower metabolisms may require combination of diet program and exercise regimen modifications, while others can get by with merely shortening the break between meals. The critical point is to find a method that works and is effective for a specific metabolism, which can be a time-consuming process.
Leptigen Weight Loss Starter Kit - Highest Rated Fat Burner With Measuring Tool To Help You Lose Weight Faster
Sunday, January 15, 2017
"Get on the Ball: Core Stability"
Have you heard the term, focus on the core? No, we’re not talking about the inside of a golf ball; we’re talking about the inner muscles that make up the abdominal region, hips and lower back. Most people focus their attention on the muscles that are more visible and easy to train, such as biceps, pecs and back, however, the most important muscles that act as our foundation are often over looked. So what is core training, or better yet core stability, and how does an individual increase their core stability?
Core training is best done when the body is placed in an unstable environment. One way to accomplish an unstable environment is with the use of those big colorful balls, depending who you talk to, are commonly known as Swiss balls, Resist-A-Ball or stability balls. Once used as a tool for rehabilitation has now become a hot item for healthy individuals to use to core and stability training.
Swiss balls can be used in a variety of settings; use with body weight only, integrated with selected machines and free weights, or can be used with free weight or tubing exercises.
We have all seen Swiss balls in fitness facilities, but the question many people ask is what makes Swiss ball training so great? How can sitting, rolling, moving or performing an exercise on a ball be beneficial? Believe it or not but there are numerous benefits to Swiss ball training, some of them are listed here.
Improved Posture. It takes more energy to move the body when you have poor posture not to mention an increase of stress to the joints and stabilizer muscles. An athlete is always searching for the edge over the competition and simply improving posture will help the body function more effectively and efficiently.
Swiss ball training is an excellent form of posture training. Postural muscles have to work in the unstable environment, unlike supported exercises such as machine training.
Improved Balance/Stability. The human body moves in three planes or a combination of planes and for improved balance and stability, an individual needs to perform exercises that allow them to train in these multiple planes. Traditional machine weight training takes the balance out of the picture and the machine actually becomes your stabilizer.
Swiss ball training places you in an unstable environment forcing you to utilize your neutralizer and stabilizer muscles to stay balanced in a given position or through a particular motion. The result is improved sports performance since you are able to apply more power and strength to any situation, especially out on the golf course, when you need to balance and stabilize your body on a hill or unstable position.
Core Workout: A Definitive Guide to Swiss Ball Training for Athletes, Coaches & Fitness Professionals
Improved Nervous System Activation. The benefit of improving your nervous system activation is that you are able to transform the strength you developed from your training program to real life situations, whether they are sport related or everyday activities.
Strengthen The Core & Extremities. Swiss ball exercises require constant activation of the core muscles, which translates to a more functional core as well as sculpted abdominal and back muscles.
Using the Swiss ball with free weight exercises will help develop the extremities while training the core at the same time.
As you will quickly learn, you just don’t get on the Swiss ball and begin your exercises; there are several rules to follow in order to perform the exercises correctly and safely. Seeking the help of a qualified personal trainer experienced in stability training will be beneficial.
For starters, using the Swiss balls is not just about getting on one and trying not to fall off – you must maintain proper positioning throughout the exercises. Tucking in the pelvis and pressing the belly button into the spine are some cues that you will need to focus on through the exercises.
In order to improve your athletic performance, have better balance/stability or improve your posture, you will need to train in an environment that places a demand on the core muscles. You will notice that after training on a Swiss ball, you will become more confident in your ability to move effectively and efficiently from the golf course to everyday activities.
Swiss ball training is only one aspect of training in an unstable environment, the use of core boards, wobble boards, foam roller and discs all play a vital role in improving your athletic performance and training in such a way that really translates to real life activities.
No matter what you are trying to accomplish, keeping a balance in your training program is important. Components of fitness that should always be included are: muscle strength & endurance, cardiovascular, flexibility, stability/balance and coordination.
Athletes will need to incorporate speed and agility to the list. Looking at the all the components that one needs to integrate, it seems as though there is not enough time in the day to complete it all in a training program.
This is where the professional assistance of a personal trainer comes into play. A personal trainer will be able to set up your program that is customized to your needs, wants and lifestyle, so that you don’t spend hours in the gym.
After all, we workout so that our life is more enjoyable. Once you start adding stability training into your program, you will quickly see how it will improve other activities in your life as well as your performance on the golf course. No matter what your fitness level may be, anyone can utilize a Swiss ball due to the vast variety of exercises from beginner to advanced level.
Core Workout: A Definitive Guide to Swiss Ball Training for Athletes, Coaches & Fitness Professionals
Core training is best done when the body is placed in an unstable environment. One way to accomplish an unstable environment is with the use of those big colorful balls, depending who you talk to, are commonly known as Swiss balls, Resist-A-Ball or stability balls. Once used as a tool for rehabilitation has now become a hot item for healthy individuals to use to core and stability training.
Swiss balls can be used in a variety of settings; use with body weight only, integrated with selected machines and free weights, or can be used with free weight or tubing exercises.
We have all seen Swiss balls in fitness facilities, but the question many people ask is what makes Swiss ball training so great? How can sitting, rolling, moving or performing an exercise on a ball be beneficial? Believe it or not but there are numerous benefits to Swiss ball training, some of them are listed here.
Improved Posture. It takes more energy to move the body when you have poor posture not to mention an increase of stress to the joints and stabilizer muscles. An athlete is always searching for the edge over the competition and simply improving posture will help the body function more effectively and efficiently.
Swiss ball training is an excellent form of posture training. Postural muscles have to work in the unstable environment, unlike supported exercises such as machine training.
Improved Balance/Stability. The human body moves in three planes or a combination of planes and for improved balance and stability, an individual needs to perform exercises that allow them to train in these multiple planes. Traditional machine weight training takes the balance out of the picture and the machine actually becomes your stabilizer.
Swiss ball training places you in an unstable environment forcing you to utilize your neutralizer and stabilizer muscles to stay balanced in a given position or through a particular motion. The result is improved sports performance since you are able to apply more power and strength to any situation, especially out on the golf course, when you need to balance and stabilize your body on a hill or unstable position.
Core Workout: A Definitive Guide to Swiss Ball Training for Athletes, Coaches & Fitness Professionals
Improved Nervous System Activation. The benefit of improving your nervous system activation is that you are able to transform the strength you developed from your training program to real life situations, whether they are sport related or everyday activities.
Strengthen The Core & Extremities. Swiss ball exercises require constant activation of the core muscles, which translates to a more functional core as well as sculpted abdominal and back muscles.
Using the Swiss ball with free weight exercises will help develop the extremities while training the core at the same time.
As you will quickly learn, you just don’t get on the Swiss ball and begin your exercises; there are several rules to follow in order to perform the exercises correctly and safely. Seeking the help of a qualified personal trainer experienced in stability training will be beneficial.
For starters, using the Swiss balls is not just about getting on one and trying not to fall off – you must maintain proper positioning throughout the exercises. Tucking in the pelvis and pressing the belly button into the spine are some cues that you will need to focus on through the exercises.
In order to improve your athletic performance, have better balance/stability or improve your posture, you will need to train in an environment that places a demand on the core muscles. You will notice that after training on a Swiss ball, you will become more confident in your ability to move effectively and efficiently from the golf course to everyday activities.
Swiss ball training is only one aspect of training in an unstable environment, the use of core boards, wobble boards, foam roller and discs all play a vital role in improving your athletic performance and training in such a way that really translates to real life activities.
No matter what you are trying to accomplish, keeping a balance in your training program is important. Components of fitness that should always be included are: muscle strength & endurance, cardiovascular, flexibility, stability/balance and coordination.
Athletes will need to incorporate speed and agility to the list. Looking at the all the components that one needs to integrate, it seems as though there is not enough time in the day to complete it all in a training program.
This is where the professional assistance of a personal trainer comes into play. A personal trainer will be able to set up your program that is customized to your needs, wants and lifestyle, so that you don’t spend hours in the gym.
After all, we workout so that our life is more enjoyable. Once you start adding stability training into your program, you will quickly see how it will improve other activities in your life as well as your performance on the golf course. No matter what your fitness level may be, anyone can utilize a Swiss ball due to the vast variety of exercises from beginner to advanced level.
Friday, January 13, 2017
Thursday, January 12, 2017
Sunday, January 8, 2017
"DNA Diets" : Junk Science?
Dieting and weight loss products and programs are such a big budget, big profit business today.
We've all heard dozens of sales pitches for diet and weight loss products, plans, books, and other items that will supposedly help us miraculously lose that extra weight we've gained with the least amount of effort possible.
Each of these programs, books and products also usually tout themselves as being based "unique" and strongly backed science and technology.
These hyped diet aids range anywhere from diet supplements that claim to burn fat and/or blast calories away, help to suppress the appetite, or even help to block carbs and fat from even entering the blood stream and being stored as fat or extra weight. But how do we as consumers really know that any of this will actually work?
One of these so called scientifically based diet fads, which costs a fairly lofty sum of money, called the DNA Diet, has recently been in the news for allegedly preying on customers for astronomical sums of money. The company which sells this idea is currently under government investigation for misleading consumers.
The DNA "kits" the company sells online are for swabbing the inside of your mouth and sending it in for "DNA analysis", along with an accompanying recommendation for your personally tailored diet.
The cost may be anywhere from $499 to $1,000, and a full year of this diet advice and accompanying diet supplements can cost you upwards of $1,800.
Investigators say there is not even any scientific proof that this method of diet advice and supplementation or anyalysis works, further casting doubt on the companies that offer this service.
This particular company also offers expensive diet supplements which are mostly made of concentrated vitamins, some of which analysts claim may actually cause more harm than good due to their high dosages.
Not only that, analysis done on the supplements showed there was no difference in the formula even when different DNA was sent in, so the idea that the supplements themselves are "custom tailored" genetically is assumed to be false.
The investigators created fourteen fake customers and purchased the DNA analysis kits from four different websites. They filled out the questionnaires with varied client information, such as different lifestyles, age brackets, etc,. All questionnaires were paired with the DNA sample of an infant girl and a grown male.
The advice varied greatly, the first sign this was an unreliable or simply fake analysis, and many of the pieces of advice received contained generalities such as smoking leads to heart disease and other already well known facts.
The investigation is ongoing, and there has been no announcement whether the company will be forced to close or change their methods and practices.
This is a perfect example of why a consumer must be vigilant when purchasing or researching any claims of diet products, or any other self improvement products for that matter. You never know when the next phony product might come along.
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We've all heard dozens of sales pitches for diet and weight loss products, plans, books, and other items that will supposedly help us miraculously lose that extra weight we've gained with the least amount of effort possible.
Each of these programs, books and products also usually tout themselves as being based "unique" and strongly backed science and technology.
These hyped diet aids range anywhere from diet supplements that claim to burn fat and/or blast calories away, help to suppress the appetite, or even help to block carbs and fat from even entering the blood stream and being stored as fat or extra weight. But how do we as consumers really know that any of this will actually work?
One of these so called scientifically based diet fads, which costs a fairly lofty sum of money, called the DNA Diet, has recently been in the news for allegedly preying on customers for astronomical sums of money. The company which sells this idea is currently under government investigation for misleading consumers.
The DNA "kits" the company sells online are for swabbing the inside of your mouth and sending it in for "DNA analysis", along with an accompanying recommendation for your personally tailored diet.
The cost may be anywhere from $499 to $1,000, and a full year of this diet advice and accompanying diet supplements can cost you upwards of $1,800.
Investigators say there is not even any scientific proof that this method of diet advice and supplementation or anyalysis works, further casting doubt on the companies that offer this service.
This particular company also offers expensive diet supplements which are mostly made of concentrated vitamins, some of which analysts claim may actually cause more harm than good due to their high dosages.
Not only that, analysis done on the supplements showed there was no difference in the formula even when different DNA was sent in, so the idea that the supplements themselves are "custom tailored" genetically is assumed to be false.
The investigators created fourteen fake customers and purchased the DNA analysis kits from four different websites. They filled out the questionnaires with varied client information, such as different lifestyles, age brackets, etc,. All questionnaires were paired with the DNA sample of an infant girl and a grown male.
The advice varied greatly, the first sign this was an unreliable or simply fake analysis, and many of the pieces of advice received contained generalities such as smoking leads to heart disease and other already well known facts.
The investigation is ongoing, and there has been no announcement whether the company will be forced to close or change their methods and practices.
This is a perfect example of why a consumer must be vigilant when purchasing or researching any claims of diet products, or any other self improvement products for that matter. You never know when the next phony product might come along.
Product Features Genetic assessment designed to help you understand how your body responds to nutrition. DNA collection kit includes simple instructions, cheek swab and prepaid return envelope.
Receive a personalized, in-depth report about your unique nutrition profile approximately 4 weeks after lab receives your sample. Gain insights in four categories, including food sensitivity, vitamins, hunger and weight, and more.
Product Description
The FUEL assessment decodes information in your unique DNA, giving you unprecedented insights into the way your body processes different foods and nutrients. Once you understand your nutrition-related DNA, you can tailor your eating habits to support a new diet, avoid adverse food reactions, and maximize the impact of vitamins
DNA Test - LIFEPROFILE FUEL Personal Genetic Nutrition Assessment
Sunday, January 1, 2017
"Dieting" Toture By Another Name, It Doesn't Need To Be That Way
I have tried many “diets” here in the USA and in England and to me they all felt like self inflicted torture. They were boring, tasteless, and restrictive. Like many of you I work hard, I don’t ask for much in the way of pleasures when I get home at night. The one thing that does give me enormous pleasure is eating, I love food and yes, I like the odd drink too.
I was not and never have been a very large person, 186 lb at 5’8” tall. Not huge but always feeling bloated, I had the “carry on luggage” hanging over the belt and always felt tired and lethargic. Then one day my wife and I heard about the Atkins torture,
I mean, diet. I thought what the heck; I might as well give it a go. Well, to my surprise I lost weight and I lost it quite quickly, I still lacked energy but nevertheless I was very impressed. It was like every man’s dream come true, meat, meat, and more meat, and losing weight.
I was doing well but yes you probably guessed it, I got bored, bored, bored. The weight went back on far quicker than it came off. I have learned that most if not all diets will help you lose weight. The trick is being able to stick to it.
Like all the other diets I had tried, Atkins was restrictive, repetitive and after a while tasteless. To be fair to the other diets I had tried, including Atkins, there are recipes that can help to ease the pain but who wants to start experimenting with their culinary talents when they get in from a hard day at the office.
I can tell you now, I do not. I know it sounds great having steak every day but we have all heard the saying “too much of a good thing” and very quickly that “good thing” can turn into a very bad thing. Atkins almost put me off steak for life!
Clean Eating: 365 Days of Clean Eating Recipes (Clean Eating, Clean Eating Cookbook, Clean Eating Recipes, Clean Eating Diet, Healthy Recipes, For Living Wellness and Weigh loss, Eat Clean Diet Book
Now I am losing weight again and I am down to 172 lb, I know it’s only 14 lb or a “stone” as we say in England but I am not bored, I feel great, and when I get in from work at night I eat what I want. How I hear you all cry, well I will tell you; I found a way of giving my body the nutrition it needs to stay healthy and I have been able to lose weight at the same time.
I started using and then marketing an all natural nutritional program that incorporates weight loss for those that need it, weight gain for those that want it and many other beneficial products for skin health, major organ health and male and female personal health solutions.
Many people get stuck in the boom and bust cycle. We have all tried many diets but most of us have failed. Ask yourselves a question and answer honestly. What caused you to fail? If you are being honest you must answer “will power” All of the diets I have tried have caused me to lose weight.
I cannot say they were not effective at achieving this. I can say however that they were boring and restrictive and that the boredom probably did not help my chances of sticking to the diet. I am not without some will power but as they say “Variety is the spice of life”.
As I said earlier I love food and the thing I like most about it is the sheer variety of foods available. I do not want to have to pick and choose what I am and am not allowed to eat. Since myself and my family moved to the USA we have been able to eat out more times in the last five years than I was able to do in England in the previous thirty. the cost of eating out here is so much more affordable. I am like a kid in the candy store, I love it. Unfortunately that makes putting on weight very easy, and so the diet cycle begins.
Of course any sensible attempt at weight loss has to have an element of sacrifice, we have to eat a sensible amount of food while at the same time supplying our bodies with all of the vitamins and nutrients that it needs but the goals that we set ourselves must be attainable otherwise we doom ourselves to failure. Do we need to eat meat and nothing else? Do we have to eat salad and nothing else? Does anyone out there honestly think that microwave meals are satisfying?
Being overweight is now being linked with many health problems, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, the list goes on. It is also well documented that obesity is the fastest growing health problem on the planet. It is crucial that overweight people who wish to lose weight are encouraged and helped to break the vicious cycle of eating and dieting. Let me say this “you are not alone”.
I often see overweight people who are obviously desperate to lose weight forcing themselves to jog around the streets in a desperate attempt to burn calories. If they understood what harm they are doing to their joints and heart they probably would not attempt this form of exercise. I am not saying do not exercise but we must make sure we are fit enough for exercise.
If you are carrying far too much excess weight then you will do yourself more harm than good. Start by getting the food and nutrient intake under control and incorporate some light exercise such as walking then as you begin to lose weight you can start to gradually increase the amount and intensity of the workout.
Most of the overweight people I have seen jogging are probably doomed to failure because they cannot possibly be enjoying the torture of forcing their bodies to do something that, lets face it, has been totally alien to it for years. Start slowly, that is the key. Do not expect instant results, the quick fix does not exist. It took time to get out of shape it will take time to get back in shape.
Be patient.
If overweight people are ever to be able to lose weight and keep the weight off they must look for a more scientific way of maintaining healthy, nutritional eating patterns. Help is out there, there is an army of very dedicated people, who were all customers once, just like me, that are now helping thousands of people lose weight and become healthier, happier people.
These people understand that proper nutrition is the key to a healthier life. They understand that the never ending cycle of torturous dieting or joint busting exercise simply does not work for most of us and are nearly always doomed to failure. Some people are very strong willed and can stick to even the most demanding of diets to achieve their goals. I am afraid that like many people out their, I am not one of those people.
If you are like me and do not possess a will of iron, get help. It will change your life as it has changed mine.
Do yourself and your loved ones a huge service. Choose a nutritional program you can stick to without destroying your taste buds.
You won’t regret it. Oh and by the way, it definitely is not boring!
Clean Eating: 365 Days of Clean Eating Recipes (Clean Eating, Clean Eating Cookbook, Clean Eating Recipes, Clean Eating Diet, Healthy Recipes, For Living Wellness and Weigh loss, Eat Clean Diet Book
I was not and never have been a very large person, 186 lb at 5’8” tall. Not huge but always feeling bloated, I had the “carry on luggage” hanging over the belt and always felt tired and lethargic. Then one day my wife and I heard about the Atkins torture,
I mean, diet. I thought what the heck; I might as well give it a go. Well, to my surprise I lost weight and I lost it quite quickly, I still lacked energy but nevertheless I was very impressed. It was like every man’s dream come true, meat, meat, and more meat, and losing weight.
I was doing well but yes you probably guessed it, I got bored, bored, bored. The weight went back on far quicker than it came off. I have learned that most if not all diets will help you lose weight. The trick is being able to stick to it.
Like all the other diets I had tried, Atkins was restrictive, repetitive and after a while tasteless. To be fair to the other diets I had tried, including Atkins, there are recipes that can help to ease the pain but who wants to start experimenting with their culinary talents when they get in from a hard day at the office.
I can tell you now, I do not. I know it sounds great having steak every day but we have all heard the saying “too much of a good thing” and very quickly that “good thing” can turn into a very bad thing. Atkins almost put me off steak for life!
Clean Eating: 365 Days of Clean Eating Recipes (Clean Eating, Clean Eating Cookbook, Clean Eating Recipes, Clean Eating Diet, Healthy Recipes, For Living Wellness and Weigh loss, Eat Clean Diet Book
Now I am losing weight again and I am down to 172 lb, I know it’s only 14 lb or a “stone” as we say in England but I am not bored, I feel great, and when I get in from work at night I eat what I want. How I hear you all cry, well I will tell you; I found a way of giving my body the nutrition it needs to stay healthy and I have been able to lose weight at the same time.
I started using and then marketing an all natural nutritional program that incorporates weight loss for those that need it, weight gain for those that want it and many other beneficial products for skin health, major organ health and male and female personal health solutions.
Many people get stuck in the boom and bust cycle. We have all tried many diets but most of us have failed. Ask yourselves a question and answer honestly. What caused you to fail? If you are being honest you must answer “will power” All of the diets I have tried have caused me to lose weight.
I cannot say they were not effective at achieving this. I can say however that they were boring and restrictive and that the boredom probably did not help my chances of sticking to the diet. I am not without some will power but as they say “Variety is the spice of life”.
As I said earlier I love food and the thing I like most about it is the sheer variety of foods available. I do not want to have to pick and choose what I am and am not allowed to eat. Since myself and my family moved to the USA we have been able to eat out more times in the last five years than I was able to do in England in the previous thirty. the cost of eating out here is so much more affordable. I am like a kid in the candy store, I love it. Unfortunately that makes putting on weight very easy, and so the diet cycle begins.
Of course any sensible attempt at weight loss has to have an element of sacrifice, we have to eat a sensible amount of food while at the same time supplying our bodies with all of the vitamins and nutrients that it needs but the goals that we set ourselves must be attainable otherwise we doom ourselves to failure. Do we need to eat meat and nothing else? Do we have to eat salad and nothing else? Does anyone out there honestly think that microwave meals are satisfying?
Being overweight is now being linked with many health problems, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, the list goes on. It is also well documented that obesity is the fastest growing health problem on the planet. It is crucial that overweight people who wish to lose weight are encouraged and helped to break the vicious cycle of eating and dieting. Let me say this “you are not alone”.
I often see overweight people who are obviously desperate to lose weight forcing themselves to jog around the streets in a desperate attempt to burn calories. If they understood what harm they are doing to their joints and heart they probably would not attempt this form of exercise. I am not saying do not exercise but we must make sure we are fit enough for exercise.
If you are carrying far too much excess weight then you will do yourself more harm than good. Start by getting the food and nutrient intake under control and incorporate some light exercise such as walking then as you begin to lose weight you can start to gradually increase the amount and intensity of the workout.
Most of the overweight people I have seen jogging are probably doomed to failure because they cannot possibly be enjoying the torture of forcing their bodies to do something that, lets face it, has been totally alien to it for years. Start slowly, that is the key. Do not expect instant results, the quick fix does not exist. It took time to get out of shape it will take time to get back in shape.
Be patient.
If overweight people are ever to be able to lose weight and keep the weight off they must look for a more scientific way of maintaining healthy, nutritional eating patterns. Help is out there, there is an army of very dedicated people, who were all customers once, just like me, that are now helping thousands of people lose weight and become healthier, happier people.
These people understand that proper nutrition is the key to a healthier life. They understand that the never ending cycle of torturous dieting or joint busting exercise simply does not work for most of us and are nearly always doomed to failure. Some people are very strong willed and can stick to even the most demanding of diets to achieve their goals. I am afraid that like many people out their, I am not one of those people.
If you are like me and do not possess a will of iron, get help. It will change your life as it has changed mine.
Do yourself and your loved ones a huge service. Choose a nutritional program you can stick to without destroying your taste buds.
You won’t regret it. Oh and by the way, it definitely is not boring!
Clean Eating: 365 Days of Clean Eating Recipes (Clean Eating, Clean Eating Cookbook, Clean Eating Recipes, Clean Eating Diet, Healthy Recipes, For Living Wellness and Weigh loss, Eat Clean Diet Book
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