A Diet for Your Blood ???

Should your eating habits be based on the red stuff running through your veins?

There's a diet if you're tall, a diet if you're short, a diet if you're fat, a diet if you're not too fat, and now, there's a diet based on your blood type. But is this bloody diet worth its weight in plasma or will it go the way of so many other overnight sensations?

Read on to get the inside scoop on the diet that will have you seeing red.

The Bloody Basics

At the heart of the Blood Type Diet is a belief that your blood holds the key to what you should eat. Created by Dr. Peter J. D'Adamo, the diet boils down to a few key eating habits, which are based on your blood type. Of course, like any smart diet, the Blood Type Diet also leans heavily on exercise and gives advice on which exercises suit your blood best.

If you've got Type A Blood, the Blood Type Diet insists your body will respond best to a vegetarian diet. Since you're more likely to wind up with cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, you'll want to take trips to the gym regularly, but try sticking with yoga, tai chi, and other slow-moving and relaxing exercises.

Type B Blood, on the other hand, can handle most any food that comes its way, as long as it is eaten in moderation. For some reason, Type B Blood resists most of the small and large diseases that plague other blood types, and a moderate exercise regiment with exercises such as cycling, tennis, and hiking will keep you healthy.

In the event you have Type AB Blood, you'll want to pick and choose your exercises from both of the groups mentioned above. As far as dietary guidance, you can enjoy vegetables and meats of nearly all kinds, but you may need to avoid chicken.

Type O Blood requires a regular ingestion of animal proteins. These are most easily obtained through eating meats. But you should be careful to avoid wheat, cabbage, and corn, as they can cause you to gain weight. If you have Type 0 blood, the Blood Type Diet also suggests you get plenty of intense physical exercise, such as running, karate, and participation in contact sports.

The Bloody Opinion

As intriguing as it may be to have a diet and exercise routine built around the kind of blood in your veins, there isn't a clear consensus in the medical community that the Blood Type Diet works. Quite the contrary. Many experts say it can put your body in harm's way.

According to the Mayo Clinic, there isn't a shred of scientific proof that backs up the claim that a Blood Type Diet helps people live healthier lives. If there is any weight loss achieved during the Blood Type Diet, it is likely due to you not getting enough of the nutrients that are necessary for optimal performance, while increasing your physical activity at the same time. So there may be some weight loss, but it isn't safe or long-lasting weight loss.

Better, Boring Choice

Now that the wind has been knocked out of your sails over the Blood Type Diet, you may be hungering for another great diet to come your way. Something that will invigorate you and keep you going strong, while helping you lose weight and look better every day.

Here's the best option. Instead of looking for another fad diet, eat a balanced diet full of fruits and vegetables and get plenty of exercise a few times a week. Want something a little more specific? Contact me for a personalized fitness plan.

Do These 8 Underrated Exercises

They may not be fancy, but these exercises do the body good. So why are you ignoring them?

You go the gym, do the same routine day in and day out, and go home But is your routine pushing your body to be its best or are you sticking by a certain set of exercises just because you're comfortable with them? Read on to find eight exercises that you - along with half the people in your gym - may be neglecting.

Bridges

They seem so basic, because they are. Resting on your forearms and toes, you hold your stomach tight in order to cause your body to levitate a few inches off the ground, keeping your back straight. Thanks to these stripped down, basic exercises, your body gets the basic results you want - a stronger, more supportive core.

Deadlifts

Though pictures of competitive body builders may leap in your head when thinking of deadlifts, you may be surprised that the average Joe or Jo should also be performing this underrated exercise. Why? Because you perform it one way or another almost every day. Whether picking up your child during playtime, grabbing a bag of 35-pound dog food from the bottom shelf, dead lifts are part of life. Getting better at them at the gym only makes sense.

Horizontal Pull-Ups

This one may be neglected because it's not as available as others. Or at least it doesn't seem to be available. To perform this, you have to find a bar relatively close to the ground. Hanging underneath it with your body extended out and feet resting on the floor, pull yourself up to the bar repeatedly. While essentially the same motion as push-ups or bench pressing, horizontal pull-ups push your body in slightly different ways and more closely mimic movements necessary for climbing and other activities.

Push-Ups

Always the underdog, push-ups are the essence of basic exercise, working out the chest, biceps, and triceps. In fact, if performed correctly, you'll be forced to tighten your core muscles during each repetition, which adds to the shape and strength of your six-pack abdominal muscles.

Running

You probably don't see a lot of body builders on the treadmill. That's because they run at home. One of the most vital pieces to a complete workout regimen, running consistently improves your cardiovascular health, increases your stamina, and helps tone and shape your muscles.

Squats

Toss some weight on a rack and bend at the knees until you lower yourself toward the ground as far as possible. Return to your starting position and repeat - but do it all with precision and proper mechanics. You'll feel the burn in your legs, but squats actually work quite a few other muscles and should therefore not be neglected in your routine.

Stretches

Often overlooked as an unnecessary part of working out, stretching is anything but unnecessary. In fact, if you want to get bigger and stronger and maintain your range of motion, the only way to do it is through stretching whatever body part you're planning to exercise. There are stretches for every muscle, from the thighs to the calves to the biceps to the neck. With a little stretching, you give your body a chance to warm up and prevent yourself from potential injury.

Swimming

It offers a full-body workout that tests your stamina and strength. You've known it for years, but you still don't take advantage of it. What kind of swimming should you get started with? Any kind of swimming will work, and swimming freestyle laps at a moderate pace is a great way to break your body into swimming shape.

And the Downside

Now that you know what exercises deserves a spot in your routine, you may be curious about some of the exercises out there that get too much credit.

The following are a few of the most overrated exercises that you may be doing with a little too much frequency:

• lunges: they're great in moderation, but it's not uncommon to overdo lunges and wind up with knee problems down the road
• bench press: very useful in defining the chest and arms, the bench press belongs in your routine; just be careful not to start and end every routine with it
• sit-ups: yes, they strengthen your abdominal muscles, but you'll never have a six-pack unless you eat right and get enough cardio to burn off the layer of fat covering up you abs

Amazing Health Benefits of Nuts

Why you should eat more of this crunchy food on a daily basis.

They taste great, are perfect for snacking on the road or for a quick snack, and come in such a variety of flavors that it's impossible to get bored with them. But did you know that nuts also offer an amazing array of health benefits as well?

If you've been looking for a way to boost and protect your good health for the long run, you just hit the jackpot.

Protein

One of the most touted benefits of nuts is the amazing amount of protein found in each and every nut. When your body has sufficient protein, it builds new body tissue and helps damaged tissue heal easier, regulates your body's functions, helps you fend off an array of diseases, and gives you an added boost of energy to get through the day with a pep in your step.

Keep 'Em Natural - Want to boost your overall health with nuts? Make sure you do it the right way. While you may reap some benefit from sugar-, salt-, or chocolate-covered nuts, the added flavors may do more harm than good.

Fats

As an educated, health-conscious individual, you know that all fats are not created equal. Take the fat found in nuts for example. Nearly 80 percent of some nuts are nothing but fat, but fear not, for the fat isn't the frightening saturated type. It's unsaturated and omega-3 fatty acids. In other words, it's the exact kind of fat you need to stay strong and healthy.

Hearty

In case you haven't heard, nuts are a great treat to improve your heart health. One of the main reasons is the power that unsaturated fat has to lower your overall cholesterol levels. At the same time it's lowering your bad cholesterol, that handful of nuts is also reducing your risk for a dangerous or deadly blood clot.

Fiber

Most often thought of in whole grains, fiber is also abundant in practically any nut you can find on the shelf. And fiber does more than just keep your bowels regular. Researchers also suspect that adequate fiber helps you avoid the potentially debilitating disease of diabetes. It is unknown how the connection works, but there seems to be a strong relationship between fiber and decreased diabetes.

Antioxidants

Found in a variety of foods, antioxidants help prevent runaway molecules from damaging cells, a process that can lead to various cancers and other diseases. Nuts that contain the highest levels of antioxidants include chestnuts, walnuts, and pecans. However, most types of nuts have some antioxidants, so feel free to eat whatever nuts you can get your hands on!

Vitamins

Nuts are also filled with all sorts of helpful vitamins and minerals. What can you pick up by picking up a handful of nuts today? How about folate, niacin, and riboflavin? Vitamins B and E? Selenium, iron, magnesium, and more? Not bad, eh? So instead of running away from nuts because they have a little fat, remember that the fat in a handful of nuts is healthy for you and comes with tons of other great health benefits!

Cream of the Crop

Any nut is a good nut. But some nuts are better than others. If you're in the market for the healthiest nuts out there, go for walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, macadamia nuts, or even peanuts, which are not actually nuts but are legumes. A handful a day should do the trick. Two handfuls will get you even better results.

And remember that even though it ends in the word "nut," coconut is not actually a nut and is jam-packed with that saturated fat that is suspected to be the cause of many a heart attack.

Lose Lots of Weight (Safely)

Need to shed 100 pounds? You don't have to go into the operating room.

Everybody has a different plan for losing weight. But no matter what diet pro you ask, they'll all agree on a few tips that will help you lose lots of weight without putting your health in jeopardy.
So if you're ready to transform your body into the sleek and slim shape you've been dreaming about, start reading and prepare to change your life.

Get Medical Before, During, and After

Losing lots of weight shouldn't be done alone. You'll need the support of your physician as you're on your journey. There are many reasons to stay in touch with your doctor throughout the weight-loss process. First, your physician can work with you to determine which weight-loss strategies will best meet your needs. Your doctor can also help you adjust to your new body. If you've been living with lots of extra weight for a long time, the weight-loss process can be shocking to your body. By keeping your doctor by your side, you'll be able to make sense of any unexpected reaction your body may have to thinning down.

Cut Back on Your Meal Plan

Being overweight or obese comes about for a number of reasons. One of the most common is overeating. To battle this obstacle to your thinner future self, you'll have to cut out some of the food you consume during the day. Start with a goal of reducing your caloric intake by 250 or 500 calories a day. If the thought of tracking calories is overwhelming, do something a little easier, like cutting out dessert after dinner. It may not add up to 250 calories, but it's a start. And every bite you don't take counts.

Listen to Your Body

Once you get used to eating fewer calories, you can begin to consider a more difficult step: listening to your stomach. While you may have grown accustomed to eating thousands of calories every day, your body doesn't need that extra food to function. Actually, those extra calories do nothing but slow your body down and put your entire body in danger of bad health. Begin paying attention to your body's signals and stop eating when your stomach says, "Full!"

Exercise with Fervor

In addition to cutting back on the amount of calories you eat, you'll have to beef up your exercise regimen to shed pounds quickly. Not currently in any kind of exercise program? Then you'll see dramatic results when you begin.

Regardless, you can expect to lose a lot of pounds in the blink of an eye if you have the time and dedication required. For the most rapid weight loss, get a personal trainer and spend a minimum of an hour every day working out intensely in the gym. For slower, more methodical weight loss, shoot for 30 minutes of moderate exercise five days a week.

Your Personal Trainer, will guide you through the process of workouts and creating new HEALTHY HABITS.

If You Crash, You'll Burn

Most overweight and obese individuals have tried multiple crash diets. Unfortunately, as you may know, crash diets usually have the same result: you get burned. When you're serious about losing lots of weight, a crash diet may be appealing. But beware: Diets that sound too good to be true usually are. And if you find a diet that doesn't require a lot of sacrifice on your part-careful watching over your calorie intake and plenty of exercise-it is, indeed, too good to be true.

Calorie Counting by the Pound

So you want to start counting calories, but you're not sure what a good goal should be. A great way to have a ballpark estimate of your ideal caloric intake is to take your weight in pounds and multiple it by seven. This number is the amount of calories you should eat every day.

Once you know this number, you can work with your physician or a dietitian to determine the best way to spend these calories.

Cold Weather Workouts

Should you get moving when the weather outside is frightening?

When the weather outside starts to get cold and foreboding, you may be tempted to stay inside by the fire with a warm cup of tea and some comfort food in your lap. However, you should know that heading out the door for some cold-weather workouts will reap great rewards if you take care to stay warm and safe.

Read on to learn how to pump up when the wind is biting and your nose is bright red.

Dress Right.

Running and playing in the cold requires you to be very thoughtful about your wardrobe. Obviously, you can't take off in a t-shirt and shorts. Instead, you'll want to wear layers of clothing. As you begin to sweat, remove a layer to keep your sweat from causing you to get cold later. Then put your outermost layers back on when you begin to grow cold. For best warmth, the layer against your body should be polypropylene or another synthetic material, followed by fleece and then something waterproof and breathable on top.

In addition to staying warm, you should remember to stay safe. As it is often darker during the cold months, take precaution to remain visible to oncoming traffic. Wearing clothing with reflective surfaces will help others see you, even from a distance. You should also make sure your shoes have good enough traction to keep you on your feet as you run across various surfaces. And if you're participating in skiing, snowboarding, or other winter sports, wear appropriate safety gear to avoid hurting your head, knees, and other body parts.

Work the Wind.

Blowing, freezing wind is one of the hardest parts to overcome if you're trying to force yourself to work out in the cold. Keep the wind beneath your wings by facing the blowing breeze during the beginning of your run or bicycle ride. This way, you'll be running with the wind on your way back home, making the return trip much more pleasant and making you more likely to want to do it again the next day.

Think Hot.

While you'll need to plan your wardrobe and your wind sprints with the weather in mind, you'll need to change your mindset to a warmer climate to ensure your overall good health during a winter workout. Wearing sunscreen in the cold may seem senseless, but the sun still has the power to burn your exposed skin during the winter. Actually, you may be at increased risk for sunburn if you're working out at a high altitude or in an area with a lot of snow. So be sure to lather up before you head out for your cold routine.

You'll also need to think hot weather with regards to your hydration. Becoming dehydrated may seem to be a concern only valid during the hot summer months, but you need plenty of liquids in your system year round to keep your system well watered. To avoid dehydration, drink plenty of water before, during, and after your workout - even if you don't feel thirsty yet. Because once you feel thirsty, your body is already dehydrated. Believe it or not, it is easier to get dehydrated in the winter than it is in the summer. We need to be mindful of this.

Get Back In

For the most part, you can exercise in the cold and reap only benefits from your routine. Sometimes, however, exercising in the cold isn't a good idea. If you exercise outside when you shouldn't, the results can be bone-chillingly bad. When should you get back inside? The following are signs that you need to get inside and stay there:

• The temperature is below 0 degrees Fahrenheit (or –17.8 degrees Celsius). At these temperatures, you're at risk for lowering your body temperature, which can have horrid results.
• You experience frostbite or hypothermia. The initial signs of frostbite include numbness, loss of feeling, paleness, or stinging in the fingers, face, and toes. Hypothermia is recognized by unstoppable shivering, fatigue, loss of coordination, and slurred speech. If these symptoms are present, seek emergency medical attention immediately.

Get More from Your Body

How you can improve your body's performance in four steps.

It seems everybody who knows how to exercise has a tip or two on how to get your body to operate at its maximum potential. Which ones should you use? The ones that work for you. Believe it or not, most tried-and-true ways to get more from your body work. At least they work for a certain group of people.

Trying these different techniques will help you determine what it takes to help your body get to the next level of fitness and provide you with a better, stronger self.

Strengthen Your Core:

Just the name of your core should be enough to convince you of your need to keep it strong and healthy. When your core is weak, the rest of your body is at a distinct disadvantage. Add some muscle to your core with sit-ups, double crunches, crunches while resting on an exercise ball, and other core-strengthening and core-stabilizing exercises. The end result will be more than a good-looking set of abdominal muscles. It will be a set of good-looking abdominal muscles that supports you properly and efficiently in all endeavors you undertake - whether walking briskly through the airport with two carry-on bags tossed across your shoulder or going for a gold medal in Greco-Roman wrestling.

Get Vitamin D:

You've known for a long time that vitamin D is important for strong bones, and strong bones are important if you want your body to do its job as well as possible. Did you know that vitamin D is also important for another reason? Recent research shows that vitamin D may play a great role in whether an athlete is able to take his or her performance to the next level. Runners who underwent rigorous training reduced their sprint times by 7.4 percent with the aid of vitamin D, while their counterparts who did not receive vitamin D increased their times by a meager 1.7 percent. So if you want to get the most from your body, take a vitamin D supplement or get out in the sun.

Kick Back:

Taking some time off to relax seems counterproductive when you want your body to be stronger and more efficient. But if you don't take time to relax and get proper amounts of sleep, your body won't be there for you when you need it most. Instead, it will be ready for naptime. In addition to getting plenty of sleep, you should also relax your body during the day. By forcing yourself to let your limbs hang loose and your fingers drop carelessly, you stretch out your entire body and reduce your stress levels immediately. Take this time to breathe, and breathe deeply. Deep, focused breathing is a great way to reinvigorate your muscles with oxygen-rich blood, and it's easy to do. So relax a little now and your body will be ready to help later.

Drink It Down:

Water is one of your body's main building blocks, making up nearly three-fourths of your body mass. Are you getting enough of it? If not, you're putting your body at a disadvantage that is difficult to overcome with energy bars and electrolyte-filled drinks. When in doubt, drink water. It will give your body what it needs to stay strong and healthy, keep you from growing weak and faint, and will help you feel fuller faster, all benefits that help your body operate at its peak all the time.

Slow It Down

There are countless ways to keep your body from reaching and operating at its potential all the time. What are a few of them? Let us count the ways...

One one-thousand...sugary sweets
Two one-thousand...focusing only on aerobic exercises
Three one-thousand...focusing only on strength exercises
Four one-thousand...a negative attitude
Five one-thousand...poor posture when standing and performing exercises

Kill Cholesterol in the Gym

How you can put high cholesterol to sleep by hitting the gym.

Cholesterol is produced naturally by the body and gets fed to your body through all sorts of food. While a certain level of cholesterol is necessary to keep your body functioning properly, too much can be dangerous, and if it leads to a heart attack, excessive cholesterol can be deadly.

Want to know about one of the best ways to fend off high cholesterol? You'll need to put on your exercise outfit and head directly to the gym. Keep reading to learn why your lower cholesterol levels may depend on exercise and what you'll need to do in the gym to keep your levels low.

Lower, Higher

Through the exercise process, your body does two amazing things. It reduces the amount of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in your body and increases the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol in your body. Why does this matter, and why do you want more of any kind of cholesterol?

Getting rid of LDL is obviously a good thing, especially if you consider all cholesterol to be bad cholesterol. But in the eyes of your physician, LDL truly is bad cholesterol, since it is responsible for the artery-clogging affects cholesterol is known for. HDL, on the other hand, is actually beneficial to your body. Though researchers are unsure exactly what makes HDL so helpful, it is thought that this kind of cholesterol pushes excess cholesterol out of the arteries, into the liver, and out of the body. Regardless of what makes HDL work, it has been proven to reduce your likelihood of heart attack.

But It Takes Lots

While exercise increases your HDL while lowering your LDL and helping you get better control over your overall cholesterol, it takes a good bit of exercise to really kill off cholesterol in the gym. So if you're accustomed to stopping by the gym when the mood hits you or when your schedule allows, you're going to have to change.

Instead of maintaining a rather lax exercise schedule, you're going to need to spend some time in the gym four or five days a week. Any kind of exercise is good, but spreading your exercise wings is best for fighting cholesterol. Therefore, spend time stretching out, getting plenty of aerobic exercise, and don't forget strength training. By going to the gym and working out most days of the week, your body will begin to get rid of unwanted cholesterol and create more of the good, heart-friendly cholesterol.

Better With Food

By itself, exercise will definitely have a positive impact on your cholesterol levels. But as great as exercise may be on improving your cholesterol levels, exercise alone will never be enough. For maximum cholesterol-killing ability, you're going to have to change how you eat.

An easy first step is to look at the labels on the foods you're eating. If there is a lot of cholesterol, toss it and grab something else. Prefer to not pay attention to food labels? There's an even better solution. Up your consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables and start making your own food instead of buying prepackaged goods that are more likely to be loaded with fat and cholesterol. You'll not only help your cholesterol levels, but you'll be better able to maintain your weight and will enjoy a sudden boost in energy that prepackaged foods simply can't offer.

Raising the Bar

Wondering what your exercise routine is fighting for? If you're unsure what healthy or high cholesterol levels are, use the chart below to find out just the goal you're trying to reach by pushing yourself in the gym.

Ideal Cholesterol Levels

Total Cholesterol: 200 mg/dL or lower
HDL Cholesterol: 60 mg/dL or higher
LDL Cholesterol: 100 mg/dL or lower

Dangerous Cholesterol Levels

Total Cholesterol: 240 mg/dL or higher
HDL Cholesterol: 40 mg/dL or lower (50 mg/dL or lower for women)
LDL Cholesterol: 160 mg/dL or higher

Natural Vs. Artificial Sugar

What's the difference and what's it matter to you?

You know that getting too much sugar isn't good for you. So when you find yourself in a situation that demands a sugary treat, you often go for the artificial stuff, expecting it to be healthier for you. But are artificial sweeteners all they're cracked up to be, or would you be better off with the natural choice?

Read on to learn what you can expect to get out of natural sugar compared to the manmade alternatives.

Artificial Packs More Punch

You may think you can use as much artificial sweetener as you want, but be careful. As sugar substitutes are much sweeter than sugar, adding the same amount of artificial sweetener as you would natural sugar can ruin the flavor of your drink or favorite dessert.

Real Is Fatter

Compared to artificial sweeteners, real sugar has more calories, making it easier to gain weight when consuming real sugar. But that doesn't mean artificial sugars are fat-free. In fact, many people who primarily consume artificial sweeteners wind up gaining more weight than their real-sugar-eating counterparts. Why? Because they think since artificial sweetener has fewer calories, they can eat more. This leads to the consumption of more cookies, cakes, and other foods filled with useless calories.

Did you know that many people eat nearly 20 teaspoons of sugar a day?

They're Not Carcinogenic

When sugar alternatives first hit the market, there was a big scare that artificial sweeteners were linked to cancer. However, after a number of careful studies, researchers disproved this idea, as they found no definitive link between cancer risk and use of artificial sweeteners.

All Are Considered Safe

In order to be on your grocer's shelf, natural and artificial sweeteners must meet approval by the appropriate regulating body. In America, this is the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the FDA has approved five artificial sweeteners: saccharin, sucralose, aspartame, D-tagatose, and acesulfame potassium. Another sweetener making big waves is stevia. Though it cannot be sold as an artificial sweetener in America, it is sold as a dietary supplement after more than 20 years of safe use in Japan.

Fake May Improve Your Health

While the jury is still out, early testing has found that use of aspartame may actually give your health the upper hand. In a study at Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, researchers found aspartame to be useful in providing pain relief to individuals suffering from sickle cell anemia, osteoarthritis, and multiple sclerosis. Only time will tell if these initial findings will hold up and artificial sweeteners will one day be used as a medical therapy.

You May Have Symptoms

Though artificial sweeteners haven't been found to bring about cancer or other dangerous and deadly diseases, they can have mild side effects on certain people. Some of the most common include an upset stomach and headaches. In the event you find yourself experiencing either of these symptoms, lay off the artificial to find out if that's the cause of your problems.

Moderation Is Key

For most people, eating natural sugar or using artificial sweeteners isn't going to cause big weight fluctuations or health problems. However, eating too much of any kind of sweetener - whether it is natural or manmade - is where trouble comes in. It is especially dangerous to consume excessive sugar if you're living with diabetes. Stay safe with your sweets by avoiding too much of any good thing.

How's It Get White?

If you've ever seen sugar right off the cane, you know that sugar isn't naturally white. Instead, it is yellow or brown. So how do they come up with that pure, white color for the sugar you may use every day? Through a bleaching process. In other words, the white sugar you use in your tea is essentially an artificial sweetener. Want nothing but nature? Better make sure your sugar is brown and yellow.

Jack Lalanne passes away

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Jack LaLanne, a one-time sugar-holic who became a television fitness guru preaching exercise and healthy diet to a generation of American housewives, died on Sunday at age 96, his daughter said.

LaLanne, who became U.S. television fixture in his close-fitting jumpsuit starting in 1959 and came to be regarded as the father of the modern fitness movement, succumbed to pneumonia following a brief illness at his home in Morro Bay, along the California's central coast.

"He was surrounded by his family and passed very peacefully and in no distress ... and with the football game on Sunday, so everything was normal," Yvonne LaLanne, 66, told Reuters.

She said her father had remained active until a few months ago, including the taping of a recent public TV special.

Well into his 90s, LaLanne exercised for two hours a day. A typical workout would be 90 minutes of weightlifting and 30 minutes of swimming, changing his routine every 30 days.

He preached the gospel of exercise, raw vegetables and clean living long after his contemporaries had traded in their bicycles for nursing home beds.

"I can't die," LaLanne would say. "It would ruin my image."

LaLanne was born Francois Henri LaLanne on September 26, 1914, in San Francisco, the son of French immigrants. He said he grew into a "sugar-holic" who suffered terrible headaches, mood swings and depression.

In desperation when he was 14, LaLanne's mother took him to hear health lecturer Paul Bragg, who urged followers to exercise and eat unprocessed foods.

The young LaLanne swore off white flour, most fat and sugar and began eating more fruits and vegetables. By age 15, he had built a backyard gym of climbing ropes, chin-up bars, sit-up machines and weights.

Soon, LaLanne, who was only 5 feet, 6 inches tall, was playing high school football. He added weight-lifting to recover from a football injury and was hooked.

LaLanne opened the nation's first modern health club in Oakland, California, in 1936. It had a gym, juice bar and health food store. Soon there were 100 gyms nationwide.

Without bothering with patents, LaLanne designed his own exercise equipment, which he had built by a blacksmith. In 1951, he started using television to get the first generation of couch potatoes to try jumpingjacks, push-ups and sit-ups.

"The Jack LaLanne Show," which went national in 1959, showed housewives how to work out and eat right, becoming a staple of U.S. daytime television during a 34-year run.

He also was known for a series of promotional fitness stunts. At age 45, in 1959, he did 1,000 push-ups and 1,000 chin-ups in 86 minutes. In 1984 a 70-year-old LaLanne had himself shackled and handcuffed and towed 70 boats 1.5 miles in Long Beach Harbor.

LaLanne said in 2007 his focus was always to help people the way Paul Bragg had helped him, adding, "Billy Graham is for the hereafter, I'm for the here and now!"

Recipe for awesome Chili

Recipe for Awesome Chili

4 lbs Ground Chuck

92 oz Tomato Juice

46 oz Veggie Juice Cocktail (spicy)( giggity)

7 lbs 8 oz (3 cans) Light Red Kidney Beans

1 whole Onion Diced

2.5 oz Tabasco Sauce

2 oz Mexene® Chili Powder

1 tsp   Salt

1 tbsp Pepper

Brown ground chuck to a medium well, salt and pepper while cooking (I cook 2 lbs at a time). While this is cooking pour in a large stew pan your tomato juice and cocktail juice (giggity). Add light red Kidney Beans, Tabasco sauce, chili powder and onion. Bring almost to boil add ground chuck bring down to a simmer (simmer down NOW) simmer for at min 1 ½ hours more is better, stir though out do not let burn on bottom. If the bottom gets burnt throw out and start over. 

Over training defeats purpose of exercise

Overtraining occurs when you exercise beyond your limits - in intensity, frequency or duration - and when you don't give your body enough time between workouts to recover.


The irony is that exercising too much actually leads to a decline in strength, power, speed and endurance - all of those things you wanted to build through exercise. Other symptoms include loss of appetite, sleeplessness, fatigue, and depression.
If you suspect you may be prone to overtraining, you may want to consult a personal trainer. He or she could help you understand your current fitness level, set realistic goals and create a balanced exercise program.


Another way to protect yourself against overtraining: cross train. By varying your activities and fitness routines regularly, you'll be less likely to stress or injure your muscles.

Best bet for toning a problem area

Do you use a stationary bike for the sake of toning your butt? A stair-climbing machine to define your leg muscles? Cardiovascular workouts do play a central role in every fitness regimen. But if toning a "problem area" is one of your goals, you shouldn't look solely to cardio machines. You'll need to target that area with weight-training exercises as well.
For improving muscle tone, both kinds of exercise are important. Regular cardio workouts help decrease body fat. (You can't expect to see muscle definition if the muscles are covered by a layer of fat.) And weight-training exercises that work specific muscle groups - such as leg presses for the buttocks or leg curls for the hamstrings - can bring shape and definition to the areas that bother you most.

Choosing your Personal Trainer

A personal trainer should hold a current certification accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) to give you the assurance that you are working with a professional who has the knowledge and skills to provide you with a safe and effective workout.

Ask for References
Ask the trainer for names, phone numbers and even testimonials of other clients he or she has worked with that share traits and goals that are similar to yours. It makes sense to select a trainer who has worked with clients similar to you or perhaps matches your physical traits (e.g., age and body type). This allows the trainer to empathize and understand your unique challenges and needs.

Call previous clients to see if they were satisfied with the workouts, results and experiences they had with the trainer. Inquire whether the trainer was professional, punctual and prepared, and whether each of them felt his or her individual needs were addressed. Ask fellow members of your health club or friends who are currently working with trainers for their recommendations.

Talk to the Trainer
Developing a personal, yet professional, relationship with your trainer is very important. Trust your instincts about the impressions the trainer makes upon you. The personal trainer you select should motivate you by positive, not negative, reinforcement. Even more important, that trainer should be someone you like. Ask yourself if you think you could get along well with the trainer and whether you think the trainer is genuinely interested in helping you. The personal trainer who best measures up is the one to hire, because that is the professional who will help you achieve the best results.

Working Experience and Area of Specialization
Inquire about the years of experience a trainer has working with clients. More importantly, ask about the trainer’s expertise working with individuals with your needs or limitations.

If you have a medical condition or a past injury, a personal trainer should design a session that accounts for this. If you are under a doctor’s care, a personal trainer should gain your consent to discuss exercise concerns with your doctor, and should ask the doctor for a medical clearance.

Find Out What the Trainer Charges
Rates vary depending on the session length, the trainer’s credentials, experience and expertise, and the geographic location of where he or she works and you live. For example, a personal trainer who works in a fitness club will probably charge less per hour than one who works independently and owns a studio.

Education
A college degree in the fields of exercise science or nutrition improves the knowledge and credibility that a trainer has in developing your program, though not having a degree certainly does not preclude a fitness professional from being effective.

Liability Insurance and Business Policies
Many personal trainers operate as independent contractors and are not employees of a fitness facility. You should find out if the trainer you want to hire carries professional liability insurance.

A reputable personal trainer should also make sure that you understand the cancellation policy and billing procedure. The best way to avoid confusion and protect your rights is to have those policies in writing.

Compatibility
Some people like to exercise in the morning, some in the evening. Will the personal trainer you’re talking to accommodate your schedule? What about the trainer’s gender? Some people do better working with a trainer of the same sex; others prefer the opposite sex. You should consider these and any other personal compatibility concerns you may have before beginning a working relationship with a trainer.

Do you have High Blood Pressure ?

You may have high blood pressure and not even know it. While 50 million Americans suffer from this affliction, 70 percent don’t have it under control. Another 45 million are at high risk of developing it. That’s a lot of people. 

Are you one of them? You don’t have to be. High blood pressure is easily detectable and usually controllable. 

What is Blood Pressure? 
Blood pressure is the force of blood against artery walls. It is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm HG) and recorded as two numbers—systolic (pressure on the arterial walls as the heart contracts) over diastolic (pressure on the arterial walls as the heart relaxes between beats). Both numbers are important. 

The following chart will help you recognize the differences between optimal and high blood pressure. 

  

Blood Pressure Categories for Adults Systolic Diastolic Optimal <120 mm Hg and <80 mm Hg Normal <130 mm Hg and <85 mm Hg High-Normal 130-139 mm Hg or 85-89 mm Hg High Stage 1 140-159 mm Hg or 90-99 mm Hg High Stage 2 160-179 mm Hg or  100-109 mm Hg  High Stage 3 >180 mm Hg or >110 mm Hg

Blood pressure rises and falls during the day. But when it stays elevated over time, then it is called high blood pressure (or hypertension). High blood pressure is dangerous because it makes the heart work too hard, and the force of the blood flow can harm your arteries. This is especially dangerous when coupled with other risks, such as high cholesterol. High blood pressure often has no warning signs or symptoms. If left uncontrolled, it can lead to heart and kidney disease, heart attack, and stroke. 

But reducing your blood pressure by just 12 to 13 points can lower your risk of heart attack by 20 percent; stroke by 37 percent and cardiovascular death by 25 percent. 

To lower your blood pressure, talk to your doctor first. Together you can start a treatment plan that will probably include lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise, stress reduction and possible medications.