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Thursday, January 28, 2010

Herbal Supplements

Herbal supplements are continuing to grow in popularity as each day more people talk about the benefits they are experiencing from taking these natural supplements. It is difficult if not impossible for most people with their busy and stressful lives to get all the nutrition their bodies need without taking some nutritional supplement.

Herbal supplements can often be the best choice as far as nutritional supplementation is concerned for many reasons we discuss below. Keep reading and discover how herbal supplements can benefit you in almost every aspect of your health. We hope you become and stay Superhealthy.

What are Herbal Supplements?

Herbal supplements are a type of nutritional supplement that is made from all natural herbal ingredients. Many regular nutritional supplements contain many artificial chemicals that could have harmful effects on your health. In addition, our bodies especially our digestive system has a tough time absorbing regular nutritional supplements so much of it simply goes to waste.

Many herbal supplements have much higher absorption rates so our bodies absorb the nutrients more easily and thus you get a much greater nutritional benefit. Some examples of common herbal supplements include ginseng, bee pollen, gingko biloba, aloe vera, green tea etc.

What are the side effects of herbal supplements?


Most herbal supplements are simply foods so unless you have allergies to that kind of food the side effects are minimal or non existent. However if you are taking prescription medications be sure to consult with a doctor or herbologist to make sure there will be no complications or negative reactions.

What are the benefits of herbal supplements?

We all know at some level that sticking to the most natural forms of foods are often the best choice. Many times just by consuming a food you can tell whether it is helping or hurting you simply by observing the way you feel after consuming that food. Learn to listen to your body as it will give you the signals of pain and pleasure and then make the necessary adjustments.

When you consume quality herbal supplements you may notice many positive effects like an almost immediate increase in energy and vitality. Learn more about specific herbal supplements below (please check back often as we add more supplements regularly)

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Acne

Acne is a common problem in our society today and its effects can be devastating for those that suffer from it. The challenge with this skin problem is that a solution has yet to be fully identified and thus finding a universal cure for everyone does not exist. This is why it is important to try different types of treatments and systems until you find something that can help to stop acne fast. It appears that acne is caused by many different things that include diet, exercise, stress and skin cleansing habits.

What you eat can have a direct impact on your acne condition. It is best to stick with a diet that is rich in natural foods rather than processed. Consuming lots of fruits and vegetables is often the best way to go as these foods tend to help in clearing acne as they have good detoxification properties. Many researchers believe that acne is partly caused by excessive toxins in our internal systems thus internal cleansing becomes important.

The best option is to live a lifestyle that does not pollute your body but rather cleanses and nourishes it. Sleep can also be an important factor in helping to get rid of acne. Make sure you are getting plenty of sleep and rest and do your best to sleep between the 10pm to 6am period as this is believed to be the best time to sleep. Exercise can also help in reducing acne.



There are basically two kinds of exercises and that is aerobic and strength training and both are important in helping to stop acne. Consider doing aerobics at least 3 to 5 times a week for thirty to sixty minutes each time. The deep breathing that takes place during aerobic exercise has been proven to have significant health benefits including the potential to help clear acne. Also make sure to add in a few strength training sessions each month maybe once a week to keep your muscles strong and help to fight your acne.

Minimizing stress is also an important part of an overall plan to clear your acne. There are several things you can do to help reduce stress. Perhaps one of the best ways is to learn meditation or yoga. Sign up for a local yoga class or learn some basic meditation exercises. A simple way to meditate is to concentrate on the breath.

The goal of meditation is to quiet the mind and attain a peaceful and low stress state of mind. Simply focus on your breathing as you breathe in and then out. Focus on thinking only of your breathing and avoid any external thoughts. If other thoughts enter your mind then gently return your focus back on the breath. Do this for five to ten minutes each time. Over time you will find that you experience less distractions and you will be able to slip into that peaceful state of mind more quickly.

Taking part in regular exercise has also been shown in many studies to be very effective at stress reduction. Consider taking up a new sport or recreational activity if you are not physically active like basketball, golf or tennis. Getting a pet can also be effective at reducing stress.

Dogs have been shown to be the best at reducing stress, of course make sure that you are ready for the financial and time commitments necessary to take care of a pet as it is almost like having a new member in the family however the rewards can be great. In addition consider using natural skin care products to clean and nourish your skin. Visit your local health food store and look for the most natural cleansers and moisturizers to keep your skin clean and nourished. There are many effective acne treatment products even on the internet that can help you to cure acne so keep an open mind and try something new if your current approaches are not working.

Friday, January 22, 2010

How To Quit Smoking

Each year over four hundred thousand deaths result in the U.S. alone from smoking related illnesses. Finding a way to stop smoking is very important if you want to maintain high levels of health and vitality. There are many approaches and strategies that smokers can use if they want to quit smoking. Perhaps the first and most important step is willpower and the strength of your desire to stop smoking.

As humans we tend to want to avoid pain and gain pleasure. For most people the reason they smoke is because the association of pleasure to smoking is far greater than the association they have in their minds of the potential pain that smoking can cause. Thus one of the keys may be to reverse these associations and make smoking far more painful than not smoking.

Focus on the positives of quitting:

This means that you will need to get in touch with the pain that smoking is currently causing in your life. Take some time and write down the pain that smoking has caused in your life and be honest with yourself and get emotional if you have to as this will make your resolve stronger.



It may be best to reduce the quantities you smoke each day instead of quitting completely as this may reduce the withdrawal symptoms. For instance you can reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke each day by 2 sticks until you smoke none at all. Also do not forget to write down the pleasure that not smoking might bring you like improved fitness levels or whatever it is that you feel you would gain if you stopped smoking.

There are also many hypnotic therapies you can take part in where the hypnotist will make positive suggestions about why you should not smoke and this again will help to associate more pleasure to not smoking and more pain to smoking so that you will eventually naturally not want to smoke. Make sure that the hypnotist you select is highly qualified and has a track record of getting positive results with their clients. Also you must be open to the suggestions made by the hypnotist otherwise this approach will not work.

Use the power of your will:

Remember that no one can force you to quit smoking but also keep in mind that the power to quit lies within you and there are many that have quit simply by making the decision to quit and focusing on the positive of aspects of living a life free of smoking. You must get in touch with the price you are paying right now for smoking and then focus on the rewards that you will get if you do quit. It is when you feel that the rewards of not smoking are greater than those when you do smoke that quitting will become a reality.

Smoking is primarily a behavioral problem however since nicotine is addictive quitting is often very difficult for most. Willpower and determination are critical because you will have cravings to smoke but in time the cravings will go away. Each time you get a craving remind yourself of some of the potential negative effects of smoking like the pain of getting sick from diseases like cancer, heart disease, asthma, arthritis, shortness of breath, depressed immune function leading to greater periods of sickness and leukemia.

Also remind yourself of the pleasure you might get from not smoking like increased energy levels and vitality, less sickness, improved breathing, better smelling breath and also saving money from not buying any more cigarettes. Remember that it is never too late to stop smoking so no matter how many times you have failed in the past, make a new commitment and reduce the amount you smoke each day until you no longer need to smoke ever again.

The Health Benefits of using Nutritional Supplements

Nutritional supplements are becoming more and more widely used today than ever before. Why is there such a sudden growth in the use of nutrional supplements? Well, I believe part of the reason is that we are advancing rapidly technologically and so the medical community is able to produce a variety of these nutritional supplements at very reasonable costs. There are many benefits to using nutritional supplements.

The Council for Responsible Nutrion(CRN) has documented that using nutritional supplements regularly such as multivitamins and other liquid vitamins have a positive effect on a person's overall health. They found that the immune system of these individuals is stronger and thus they are less prone to getting sick. According to them, there is an increasing awareness now of the positive effects that nutritional supplements such as the omega 3 fatty acid, vitamin d3, vitamin b12 etc have on a person's health.

A report from the CRN revealed many interesting facts. Some them include showing that women who used calcium nutritional supplements and vitamin D had a much lower chance of getting bone fractures. There is greater and greater evidence in the scientific community about the benefits of nutritional supplements. Since most peoples diets are well below the recommended dietary intake level and consist of essentially 'junk' foods that are poor in nutritional content, it is wise for most people to consider taking at least a multivitamin nutritional supplement of some sort to complement their existing diet.

In today's culture, it is important to note that with the widespread use of chemicals and artificial products, the quality of the nutrition found in today's food is less than that of what was found back in the 1950's for example. So again, nutrional supplements offer an important way to regain some of those critical elements back into our system for optimal health.

Keep in mind that nutritional supplements should not be taken as a substitute to a good diet. Always strive to consume a balanced diet that contains lots of green leafy vegetables, fruits and grains. Nutritional supplements cannot replace a healthy diet so do not underestimate the power of a balanced diet on your health.

Personal Development

Why would one consider personal development when it comes to getting healthier and being stronger? Well the fact is that there may be a real link between the various aspects of our lives and our overall health. Your finances and personal relationships can have an effect on the quality of your health. Obviously if you are broke or have little money then this can have an impact on the quality of health care you can afford for yourself and your family.

Making a commitment to personal development and improving every aspect of your life is an important step to getting healthier. The fact is that eating healthy and following a solid exercise program will require a strong mindset as there are many distractions so learning how to build a ‘power mindset or mentality’ can make a lasting difference to achieving your ideal weight, health and fitness targets.

Many people believe that the love of money is the root of all evil yet when we take an honest look at society it appears that the ‘lack’ of money leads to great evil and crimes. It is important to find a way to get your finances on track as the mental wellbeing offered by not being stressed out can make a big difference in your overall wellness. Mental stress can have a big influence on your health and many people experience great stress from constantly being under pressure to pay bills.



There are many things you can do to improve the various aspects of your life and it is beyond the scope of this article to tackle all of them. Seek out a professional life coach like Tony Robbins or Deepak Chopra and read their books and tapes and make it a habit to constantly seek to improve yourself. A basic concept to keep in mind is that the way you think affects a great deal of events in your life. It is important to focus on what you really want in your life rather than what you fear. If you want more money then see yourself making more money in the future.

Ask yourself empowering questions like ‘How can I make more money?’ or ‘How can I make things better?’ instead of ‘Why does this always happen to me?’ or ‘I can’t possibly do that.’ You are capable of more than you know so do not underestimate your abilities. The bottom line is that each day do something to improve yourself, take 15 minutes to read a self help book, listen to self help tapes in the car instead of the radio. Inevitably a commitment to personal development will lead to improved health and wellness. Tony Robbins Personal Power II program is a highly effective system to help you excel in every area of your life. Check out the Amazon link below for great deals on this product.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Organic Meat and Its Benefits

Meat is one of the most heavily consumed foods especially in North America, however many are not aware of the potential dangers of consuming too much meat. Normal meat may contain significant levels of toxins that can then end up in our bodies and create the potential for disease and illness. Organic meat is often a good alternative for meat lovers and it has many benefits over regular meat. Organic meat can be found for most animals, for instance you can now get organic chickens, organic beef, even organic cat food and so on as the demand for organic meats continues to rise.

Of course, one the challenges to overcome with organic meat is that it costs more than regular meat. However if you take into account the fact that you are getting a lot more nutrition, and that you do not need to consume as much then the cost may end up being the same as regular meat. Regular meat such as beef comes from cows that are injected with hormones and are fed foods that also contain various chemical additives. The idea is to get as much beef out of each cow as possible. The problem is that these hormones and synthetic chemicals end up in the beef which ends up in your body if you eat regular beef. Our bodies have a tough time dealing with these substances and this may result in many health problems.

- Less Toxins in Organic Meats

With organic meats, such as organic beef or organic chicken, the animals are fed chemical free foods and not injected with any hormones. Also the animals are allowed to roam freely as they would in nature. Regular cows or chickens are usually confined to one location usually for long periods of time. Thus, by supporting the organic meat industry, you are also supporting a more humane manner of treating animals in addition to consuming meat with less toxins in it.

Also regular meat has other additives in it such as nitrates which help to give the meat a nice color. The problem is that we do not know the long term effects of consuming these chemicals so turning to organic meat is a safer alternative. There are many strict standards in place to ensure that farmers produce truly organic meat. Some of them include:

1.The existence of the farmers paying attention to the greatest levels of animal welfare
2.The use of artificial pesticides, herbicides or artificial fertilizers is not permitted at any place in an organic farm
3.The use of genetically modified organisms are not permitted
4.No drugs, hormones, or other chemical additives are allowed to be given to the animals or their food in order to promote growth.


Organic meat farms are thoroughly inspected to ensure they meet standards and there is great documentation that must also take place at every inspection to ensure quality standards are being met. The reason organic meat often costs more than regular meat is because the organic farmers are not able to produce as much as regular meat farmers so they have to raise the price to remain competitive. Nowadays you can even buy organic meats online, just make sure you do your research on the organic meat farm thoroughly to make sure that they are of the highest quality. In fact many organic meat farms only sell through mail order or strictly via the internet as they have not expanded to the retail stores yet.

Some organic meat farms designate a nurse cow for every new calf, so the calves are raised in a truly natural manner and are treated very well indeed. Many that consume organic meat also say that the taste of the meat is far better than conventionally produced meat so that is yet another reason to consume organic meat. Also, keep in mind that by consuming organic meats, you are also supporting the environment since there are no pesticides or other chemicals used in the process.

A study published in the British Journal of medicine suggest that pregnant mothers who consume organic meats have a higher quality of breast milk. The breast milk was found to contain higher levels of conjugeic linoleic acid or CLA which is an important nutrient for our health. So for all the meat lovers out there, organic meat has many benefits for you to consider from the perspective of less synthetic chemicals to having a better taste so why not try it out for yourself and decide what you prefer.

Weight Training

Performing regular weight training exercises is very important for your overall health. The benefits of weight lifting are great and include increased energy and strength levels. Muscle building is one of the key goals of strength training workouts. Remember that muscle burns calories continuously thus if you are overweight, adding a few pounds of muscle can have a dramatic effect in helping you to lose weight fast.

There are many ways to get an effective weight training workout. If you have a very limited amount of time then there are only two exercises you can do to target the major muscle groups in your body and they are the bench press for the upper body and the squat or leg press for the lower body.



Of course you are more than welcome to do more targeted exercises like the dumbbell curl for the biceps and such but the above exercises are ideal to target the major muscle groups. It is important to keep in mind that it takes your body a lot of time to recover from strength training workouts. Unfortunately, most people that train with weight regularly tend to overdo it and end up in a state of overtraining. It is critical that you avoid this otherwise your immune system will become weakened and you will become susceptible to all kinds of illnesses.

The amount of time you need to rest depends on the intensity of your workouts. If you are a beginner and are lifting fairly light weights then taking a one week break between workouts can be sufficient. However if you lift significant amounts of weight then you may need to take three to six weeks between each workout session. A good way to tell if you are over trained is by checking the amount of the weights you are currently lifting.

If you are pushing more weight than your previous workout then you have given yourself enough rest. If you find yourself struggling to lift more weight than your last workout then you need to make sure to take more time off the next time. Consider joining a local gym and taking a few lessons from a personal fitness instructor on how to properly do the weight training exercises if you have never done them before. Take a friend with you if you can as this will make things more fun and you are more likely to stick with it long term if you enjoy your workouts.

There are also many quality home gyms you can purchase which can be ideal as it will allow you to get the exercise you need from the comfort of your own home. The fact is that it does not take much time to do an effective workout. As long as you are lifting weights that you find somewhat challenging is all it takes to reap the benefits. Make sure that you do not strain yourself too much during your workouts, if you feel any significant pain during an exercise be sure to stop and rest.



If your goal is to lose weight then remember that lifting weight alone is not enough. You will also need to make sure you are getting enough aerobics or cardiovascular exercise and also implementing effective dieting and nutritional habits. Check out our section on weight loss from the menu on the left to get further assistance in this area.

For many people, lack of time is the biggest reason they fail to engage in a regular exercise program. Static contraction training can help to solve this problem as this method of weight training takes very little time while still delivering great results. The concept of static contraction training (SCT) is to perform the exercises from the strongest range of motion and simply holding the weights for a few seconds. You will be able to lift much more weight using this method so be sure to use a spotter if necessary. Also you can purchase custom static contraction training equipment. Even though the cost is high, if your budget permits, it can be worth the money. You can visit http://www.precisiontraining.com/ to learn more.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Exercise And Fitness Tips

Regular exercise is critical to maintaining good health. There are essentially two types of exercise and they are strength training and aerobics. Both of these have their own benefits and are important to implement into your lifestyle in order to stay strong and fit. The first step is to take a look at how active you are currently based on the kind of job you do or any other activities you take part in.

If you work a job that requires you to be on your feet and moving around a lot then you probably do not need to add any more aerobic exercise into your life since your job provides that for you. Another fun way to get aerobic exercise is to take part in a sport like golf or tennis. The traditional way to add aerobic exercise to your life is to use some type of aerobic exercise equipment like a treadmill or stair climber.

Consider joining a local gym and take a friend with you if you can as this will help to make things more fun and will make it more likely that you will stick to your workouts. The benefits of aerobic exercise are significant as it helps to promote a healthy and strong heart and also offers many detoxification benefits.

There are also many quality home gyms you can purchase that can make it easy for you to get your exercise right from the comfort of your own home. Consider getting a recumbent exercise bike if you find working out to be too painful as this kind of aerobic exercise equipment is effective and comfortable to use as it has good back support and variable resistance. Even a simple walk each morning outside if the weather permits for 30 to 60 minutes can be a great way to get your aerobic exercise done 3 to 5 times a week.

Do not forget to also include training with weights even if you are a woman. Weight training helps to add and maintain muscle mass which is critical to maintain your strength levels and also offers many anti aging benefits. In addition, by adding more muscle to your body you automatically increase your metabolism and thus burning fat and staying thin becomes a lot easier. Remember that muscle burns calories continuously so it is a great way to maintain a healthy body weight combined with sensible dieting habits. Follow some of these exercise and fitness tips to help you get into better shape and stay that way

Aerobic Exercise – Learn Why You Need To Be Taking Part In Cardiovascular Programs

The term ‘aerobic’ means to exercise with air. Getting enough oxygen into our bloodstream on a regular basis is very important for many health reasons. The most obvious is to combat fatigue as when the cells receive enough oxygen then the energy levels in your body should improve.

Many people simply do not take part in enough aerobic exercise and the reason for this varies depending on the individual. For most people it is lack of time that seems to be the number one reason that they do not exercise regularly. A great way to get aerobic exercise is by buying a treadmill or stair climber for your home. This way you can exercise when it is most convenient for you. If you experience pain using regular exercise machines like a treadmill then you may want to consider something like a recumbent exercise bike. These are comfortable to use and offer great back support as well as variable resistance so you will not outgrow it
It is important to also evaluate how much aerobic exercise you get from your job. Many people work pretty physical jobs that require them to be standing and moving a lot. This is great since you probably do not need to do any more aerobic exercise as your job gives you the aerobic benefit you seek. Most people fail to stick with a consistent exercise program. The reason for this can be complicated however one way to help you stay focused is to set goals. If you are looking to lose weight then set a goal 2 weeks from now as to what weight you want to be at. Be reasonable and aim for a 2 to 5 pound weight loss. Write your goal on a piece of paper and remind yourself daily about it.

Also be sure to create an effective diet program as well otherwise weight loss will be difficult. Some simple tips to keep in mind about diet is to stick with smaller meals and only eat when you are hungry. In between meals you can have something healthy and nutritious like an apple or some other fruit. Make your goal to also become healthier and not just thin. Focus on the benefits of being healthy and strong like having more energy, clearer thinking and greater confidence levels which will help you in many other areas of your life.

The aerobic exercise sessions should not be too vigorous but should rather have your pulse around the 120 beats per minute range. Even a light walk for 30 to 60 minutes can be very beneficial to your health. If you are running then do not do it for more than 20 minutes a day otherwise you could burn yourself out and even become sick since your immune system will become depressed due the over exercising.

Aerobic exercise really is a key component to any healthy person’s lifestyle and is a very important part in helping you to lose weight fast. Also consider adding in once a week or so some strength training sessions to help build and maintain muscle as this will help you to burn calories much more easily. Remember that muscles burn calories all the time so make sure you add some muscle to your body in order to maintain a healthy weight. Take part in regular exercise and watch your nutrition carefully in order to maintain optimal health.