Thursday, July 31, 2008

Weight Loss Transformations

Demetria (before) ()

Weight Loss Transformations

Demetria: Before

By ninth grade, Demetria already weighed 200 pounds. Her childhood nickname "Big D" stayed with her through high school and into adulthood.

Demetria (after)

Weight Loss Transformations

Demetria: After

Demetria decided she had to make a change when she gained so much weight that she didn't recognize herself in pictures. Click to read her story.

Brett (before)

Weight Loss Transformations

Brett: Before

A sedentary new job and a fast-food diet packed thirty pounds onto Brett's 5'7" frame.

Brett (after)

Weight Loss Transformations

Brett: After

A photo of Matthew McConaughey taped to the mirror kept Brett inspired to work out, eat right and meet his weight loss goal. Click to read Brett's story.

Laura (before)

Weight Loss Transformations

Laura: Before

Laura has waged a lifelong struggle against her weight, having battled bulimia as a teen only to gain 115 pounds after getting help.

Laura (after)

Weight Loss Transformations

Laura: After

A serious car accident made Laura appreciate how lucky she is to be alive. She decided to take steps to improve her lifestyle and achieve a healthy weight. Click to read her story.

David (before)

Weight Loss Transformations

David: Before

After leaving the Army, David continued eating like he was still on active duty and packed on 120 pounds.

David (after)

Weight Loss Transformations

David: After

Counting calories and working out helped David build muscle and drop 85 pounds. Click to read his story.

Suzanne (before)

Weight Loss Transformations

Suzanne: Before

Throughout childhood, Suzanne loved food so much that she ate enough for two people. Even diet drugs were no match for her love affair with food.

Suzanne (after)

Weight Loss Transformations

Suzanne: After

In the first six months on Weight Watchers, Suzanne dropped 35 pounds. Click to read her story.

From: MSN Health

Green Acne Recipe: How to Make an Aspirin Mask

One of the first homemade beauty products I’ve ever made was an aspirin mask. I think it’s the most powerful non-prescription and totally green solution you can find for problem skin.

Aspirin for acne? Why not? It’s the cleanest and most concentrated form of salicylic acid. It is made of acetylsalicylic acid. Since its market introduction under the trademark Aspirin® in the year 1899, acetylsalicylic acid has attained a strong reputation in the prescription-free therapy of pain and inflammations.

Aspirin works to inhibit the body’s production of prostaglandins. Prostaglandins are extremely effective, hormone-like substances that are produced by the body in miniscule quantities and are involved in the regulation of pain, fever and inflammation. Additional bonus: active ingredient in aspirin prevents infections and damage to blood vessels! That’s exactly what we are looking for – killing the inflammation and keeping blood vessels stable to avoid swelling and spreading the germs to nearby skin tissue.

When we use plain uncoated aspirin, we are completely sure that it doesn’t contain any additives, preservatives, colors, and other unnecessary fillers. Any chemical addition to salicylic acid reduces the effectiveness of this substance. When we use aspirin for a very short time and diluted with water, we are capable to avoid irritation and reduce chances of over-drying the skin.

Why buy 2% solution and pay for water and preservatives, if you can get 100% and use it sparingly and dilute it with something even more healing? Aspirin might be the cheapest treatment you ever put on your face, with a tube of generic Aspiring for a dollar or so!

Even though we plan to use aspirin topically, as a mask and a lotion, it’s necessary to read the leaflet carefully. As with all drugs, people who have asthma, persisting or recurring stomach problems (such as heartburn, upset stomach or stomach pain), ulcers or bleeding problems should not take acetylsalicylic acid unless directed by a doctor. Anyone taking a drug for anticoagulation (thinning of the blood), diabetes, gout or arthritis should not take acetylsalicylic acid unless directed by a doctor.

As with any drug, if you are pregnant or nursing a baby, seek the advice of a health care professional before using aspirin to fight your acne.

Drum roll…. Here’s my completely green acne buster recipe:

Aspirin Mask Recipe Step by Step

1) Get the uncoated tablet of aspirin out of the shell or bottle.

2) Soak the cotton disk with lukewarm water. Put the tablet on a wet cotton disk. Wait till it dissolves and disappears in moist cotton wool.

3) Wet skin of the acne-affected area thoroughly with warm water. If you plan to treat several acne areas, deal with each of them one by one. Pat skin dry with a clean towel.

4) Using circular motion, cover the affected area with aspirin solution. Make sure that you cover the entire area affected by acne, even if there are not red inflamed pimples. Prevention is the best weapon.

5) Repeat the process on other areas of your skin. Prepare the new cotton disk soaked in aspirin once the first one is dry. Disregard the sand-like particles – they act as a mild scrub, and the active ingredient remains on the skin anyway.

6) Leave the aspirin on your face for at least three minutes. The thin whitish crust will form.

7) Rinse the aspirin mask with lukewarm water and pat your face dry with clean paper napkin.

This mask will remove sebum clogging in your pores and calm down the inflammation. Acne-affected pores will be less swollen and ready to absorb the next treatment - why not try well-diluted tea tree oil?

Another tip: when you have a hideous pimple ripening, and you have an extra-important event coming up, cut a tablet of aspirin in half, so to release the white contents of the pill, wet an inner side, and locate it on the pimple. Then fix it on the face with a Band-Aid. Hold it in place for at least half an hour, to see the pimple reduced greatly.

You may also try mixing Aspirin with witch hazel gel, honey, plain yoghurt, egg whites or your favorite clay mask – they will all add their own good thing to fabulous action of aspirin. You may even add Aloe Vera juice or puree to the mix for added benefits. Plus, Aloe Vera helps Aspirin not to flake so easily off your face.

from thegreenbeautyguide.com

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

How Men Really Feel About Their Bodies

Oprah.com

Dressed only in my underwear, I'm eight years old and sitting on the pediatrician's exam table, waiting for my checkup. My mother points to the two mounds of fatty flesh between my chest and belly. She asks the doctor, "Could they be tumors?" "No," he says, "it's just fat." Since that day, my fat has absorbed more darts than the back wall of a bar.

At six feet two and 215 pounds, I'm not huge. I just carry my weight where women do—in my hips, butt and thighs. And I hate it. I hate the way clothes fit. I hate that friends say I use the "big-butt defense" in basketball.

I'm not the only man who wishes his body looked more like Michael Jordan's and less like a vat of pudding. A recent survey showed that only 18 percent of men are happy enough with their physiques that they wouldn't change them.

While women get there first, they don't have a monopoly on stressing over looks.

One: We have more body angst than you realize…

…but we'll never have a serious conversation with you about it. Look at the standards we have to measure up to: If we're fat, we're labeled as beer-guzzling couch potatoes. Too thin, and we're deemed wimpy. We can have too little hair on our heads or too much on our backs. And maybe worst of all, we can be too big in the backside of our pants yet too small in the front.

Now add the fact that our mental struggle has two layers.

"A man thinks, 'Not only does it bother me that I'm fat and my hair is thinning. It bothers me that it bothers me, because I'm not supposed to feel this way,'" says Thomas Cash, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. "The thinking is that it's like a woman to worry about looks."

Two: Instead, we'll joke about our bodies

We make fun of ourselves to cover up what we're really feeling—frustration, embarrassment and anger that we're not perfect.

But other people's jokes sting. Mark Meador, 37, of Westerville, Ohio, returned from a trip to Disney World with photos of himself.

"Man, you look like Big Pun," Meador's friend said, referring to the obese rapper who died of a heart attack. Meador laughed off the comment, not letting on that it hurt. That same weekend, his daughter said, "Dad, you look like you're having a baby." Fortunately for Meador, the gentle pokes inspired him to change. He dropped junk food, started Tae Bo, and lost more than 40 pounds.

Three: We're worried about our bodies because we're competing for you—and against you.

With more people both marrying later and getting divorced, it's a competitive environment for finding mates. And since this generation of women can support themselves, they're freer to pick a man for his cute butt. Lynne Luciano, Ph.D., who has researched body-image issues at California State University at Dominguez Hills, says women are tired of being objectified and have turned the tables on men. "They don't like a man to be overly vain," she says. "He shouldn't care too much about the way he looks, but on the other hand, he should look good."

At the same time, men are also shaping up because they're seeing that people who are fit are more successful at work. "Women are very good at using their looks for competition," Cash says. "So men think, 'I'd better clean up my act.'"

Four: We're not just checking you out

We're a visual gender. We like the way you look. A lot. But that doesn't mean we don't compare ourselves to other men the way women compare themselves to other women. I notice the way men look on the beach, at work, or simply walking by. Maybe it's male competitiveness or primal instincts, but we don't just want to have better bodies to attract you. We want better bodies to improve our position among ourselves.

A scary thought that proves the point: When Luciano interviewed doctors who perform penis enlargements, they reported that the main reason men undergo the surgery isn't to improve their relationships, but to be more impressive in the locker room.

Five: We want to look like we're 25

It used to be that our mythical heroes had wisdom, experience and maturity. Think Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones. Now our heroes are baby-faced with six-pack abs. Think Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man.

"The youth movement has been cruel to men," says Luciano. "The Cary Grants have fallen through the cracks. Today's ideal is younger, buffer, more muscular. A lot of men in their 40s and 50s have trouble trying to emulate that." So men, like women, are swimming against the age current. That might explain why from 1997 to 2001, the number of men who had cosmetic surgery increased 256 percent.

Six: Desperation makes us do desperate things

Delusion makes us do nothing. I can't remember the last pair of pants that fit me well. If I buy size 38s, they fit around the waist but suffocate my hips and butt. If I go to a 40, they're roomy where I need it but gaping in the waist.

Several years ago, I tried on my wife's post-pregnancy size-20 jeans to see if they were cut differently. The jeans fit me perfectly. I wore those jeans for six months, and I felt leaner every day I wore them. My wife asked me why I didn't just buy a big pair of men's jeans and have a tailor alter them. My answer: Why pay for alterations when I know that tomorrow I'm going to start an exercise routine that will change my body shape forever? It's been my mantra for two decades.

Seven: Men's body image problems can be just as dangerous as women's

For some men, poor body image can lead to anger, anxiety, depression, sexual dysfunction and steroid abuse. Doctors may fail to recognize eating disorders or muscle dysmorphia (the need to constantly bulk up), even though it's estimated that eating disorders affect one million men.

Roberto Olivardia, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist at Harvard Medical School and coauthor of The Adonis Complex, says secrecy reinforces the patients' sense of shame. "I've treated men who would tell people they were alcoholics, but they'd never admit they were bulimic," he says.

Eight: We Don't Blame Anyone

(Except maybe Tiger Woods and Taco Bell.) But we'll be grateful to anyone who makes us feel good about shaping up. We know what it's like to be bombarded with images of perfect bodies. We see the men in commercials and on magazine covers, the bigger-stronger-better mentality that dominates our culture.

"Look at Tiger Woods. The best golfer in the world has an outstanding physique. Golfers used to be everyday men," says J. Kevin Thompson, Ph.D., professor of psychology at the University of South Florida. "Basketball players used to be skinny. They're all muscular now." Hell, even our president runs sub-seven-minute miles.

Friday, July 25, 2008

Muscle strengthening with free weights

Content provided by Healthwise

In the following exercises, soup cans, water bottles, or books can be used in place of weights. Try to use a weight that makes your muscle feel tired when you have repeated the exercise 8 to 12 times.

Bench fly

Illustration of the bench fly exercise.

Illustrations copyright 2002 Nucleus Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. http://www.nucleusinc.com

  1. Lie on a bench and hold the weights straight up over your chest. Do not lock your elbows. You can keep them slightly bent if that is comfortable for you.
  2. Slowly lower your arms, keeping them extended, until the weights are level with your chest, or slightly lower.
  3. Slowly raise your arms until you are in the original position.
  4. Repeat 8 to 12 times.
  5. Rest for a minute and repeat the exercise.

Lateral raise

Illustration of the lateral raise exercise.

Illustrations copyright 2002 Nucleus Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. http://www.nucleusinc.com

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent.
  2. Hold the weights at your sides at thigh level.
  3. Slowly lift the weights out to the sides to shoulder level, keeping your elbows slightly bent. Keep your shoulders down and relaxed as you lift. If you find you are shrugging your shoulders up toward your ears, your weights may be too heavy.
  4. Slowly lower the weights back to your sides.
  5. Repeat 8 to 12 times.
  6. Rest for a minute and repeat the exercise.

Upright row

Illustration of the upright row exercise.

Illustrations copyright 2002 Nucleus Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. http://www.nucleusinc.com

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent.
  2. Hold the weights side by side at thigh level, keeping your palms toward your thighs.
  3. Slowly bring the weights up to your collarbone, until your elbows are about shoulder height. Keep your shoulders down and relaxed as you lift. If you find you are shrugging your shoulders up toward your ears, your weights may be too heavy.
  4. Slowly lower the weights to the original position.
  5. Repeat 8 to 12 times.
  6. Rest for a minute and repeat the exercise.

Curls

Illustration of the curls exercise.

Illustrations copyright 2002 Nucleus Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. http://www.nucleusinc.com

  1. Sit leaning forward with your legs slightly spread and your left hand on your left thigh.
  2. Hold the weight in your right hand and place your right elbow on your right thigh.
  3. Slowly curl the weight up and toward your chest.
  4. Repeat 8 to 12 times.
  5. Rest for a minute and repeat the exercise.
  6. Do the same exercise with your other arm.

Wacky beauty tips that work

Really, they do!

Wacky beauty tips that work

Toothpaste on a zit? Vinegar in your hair? Some of that ridiculous-sounding advice you’ve heard in passing is really right on.

You’ve been told this line before: “Okay, I know it’s weird but…” What follows is a surprising piece of advice- about anything from clearing up a zit to taming a flyaway- that totally does the trick. Call it word-of-mouth beauty. Sure, these tips might sound strange at first (“You put diaper cream where?!), but there’s a logic to them. We rounded up tons of such pointers (from pros as well as real girls) and tested them at Cosmo. Though a few clunkers had to be kicked to the curb, all the rest, presented here, are real gems.

1. Powder Your Roots
If your hairline starts to look greasy, dig up a big, fluffy makeup brush, and dip into a pot of loose powder. Tap it once on the back of your hand to remove excess, then dust it over your roots. It mops up oil and blends into your strands, so no one will know you didn’t shower.

2. Scent Strands With Perfume
Spray a light shot fragrance into the bristles. Run it through strands from roots to ends and your hair will smell amazing throughout the day.

3. Cure Calluses With Vaseline
Slather on the petroleum jelly, and put on socks before bed to dissolve tough calluses overnight.

4. Spot-Treat Smudges
Dip a cotton swab in eye-makeup remover, and trace it along your lids to erase any slip-ups or goofs when there’s not time to redo your whole look.

5. Fix a Flushed Face
If you turn red and stay that way after exercising (like seriously red for hours, even though you’re healthy and hydrated), take an antihistamine like Benadryl when you leave the gym to reduce redness.

6. Soften Your Bod With Avocado
Take a ripe avocado, remove the pit and skin, and mash it up in a bowl. Slather it all over your body, let it sit for 20 minutes, then rinse off. Your skin will be sooo soft- avocado is a natural moisturizer.

7. Super-Glue a Nail
Instead of tearing off your nail when it breaks, put a tiny dab of Super Glue over the split, and paint a generous layer of your favourite nail-polish shade over it. Go for an opaque option (like red, purple, or coral) to camouflage and seal the crack.

8. Use Makeup Remover on Stubborn Lipstick
Don’t try to rub red lipstick (which makes it smear across your mouth-not so sexy). Instead, take a cotton ball or tissue, dip it in makeup remover, and just dab to erase the dark stain fast.

9. Tame Brows With Eye Cream
Pat any kind of rich eye cream over brows to help keep them hydrated and banish those icky white specks that looks like dandruff.

10. Buff With Baking Soda
If you find yourself streaking (not glowing) after applying self-tanner, put some baking soda on a loofah, and scrub away the stripes.

11. Brush On Hair Spray
For the final step of your blow-dry, spray hair spray onto your brush, and run it through strands from roots to tips. This way, your do isn’t so plastered and stiff but still holds volume and shine.

12. Boost Body Lotion With Baby Oil
If you’re craving shiny legs that aren’t greasy, blend a drop of baby oil into your normal body lotion for extra luster.

13. Dab essential Oil on a Hangnail
Put apricot oil, the kind found in health-food stores, to protect cuticles from turning rough and raggedy.

14. Quell a Cold Sore With Cream
When a cold sore is coming on, dab a bit of thick moisturizer, like Aquaphor, over it to prevent it from getting worse.

15. Freeze Your Eyeliner
If the tip of your eyeliner pencil crumbles and smears on your lids, store the liner in the freezer for 15 minutes before use so the tip is firm and goes across your skin smoothly.

16. Use Toothpaste on a Zit
Use just a pea-size amount. Let sit for 15 minutes to absorb the oil so the pimple won’t get more clogged, then wash off.

17. Heat Up Your Curler
If you have stick-straight lashes, try blasting your metal eyelash curler with a hairdryer for a couple of seconds to heat it up so your lashes bend more easily. And use waterproof mascara. The formula dries faster than other mascaras, so it sets the curl more effectively.

18. Use Soap Without Water
You know those fancy bars that are actually too pretty to use? Toss them in your underwear or tee-shirt drawers to make skin smell delicious.

19. Groom Brows With a Toothbrush
Mist an (unused!) toothbrush or eyebrow comb with hair spray to help flatten and tame unruly brows.

20. Put Diaper-Rash Cream on Dry Spots
Slather on a thick layer of diaper-rash cream to heal cracked elbows and feet.

21. Lubricate Your Lashes
An easy way to draw attention to your eyes without putting on a pile of makeup is to comb petroleum jelly lightly through the tips of eyelashes to get sexy, subtle sparkle.

22. Steamroll Flyaways
Spray on hair spray, then roll the can over your strands. The round bottle fits the curved shape of your head, locks in the spray, and flattens out frizz.

23. Spike Lotion With Bronzer
If you don’t have time to book a self-tanning session, mix a few pumps of body bronzer with regular hand lotion and pat it on your legs for a gradual dose of sexy, beachy colour.

24. Air-Dry Your Curls
Let your hair dry indoors before going out in the cold. The curls will be really bouncy and piecey-perfect.

25. Press a Tea Bag on Splotches
If your skin is sensitive or just looking irritated and puffy for some reason, steep a bag of green tea for a minute or two, let it cool down, and dab it over your face. The antioxidants in the tea take down inflammation.

26. Shave With Conditioner
Ran out of shaving cream? Do double duty by coating your stems with a thick hair conditioner. It softens the hair so it’s easier to shave off and makes legs feel amazingly silky.

27. Amp Shine With Vinegar
Mix one part vinegar with four parts carbonated water and soak dry hair. Leave on for 15 minutes before you shampoo to lock in shine and combat dullness.

28. Exfoliate Your Pits
If your underarms start to look dry and flaky, an easy trick is to exfoliate them with a gentle face scrub to keep that skin pretty when going sleeveless.

29.Customize Your Body Lotion
Instead of shelling out for an expensive perfumed body product, you can make your own by pouring a few drops of fragrance into any scent-free lotion. Rub it on- the scent will last for hours.

30. “Brush” With Mouthwash
If you’re too wiped out after a late night of partying to clean your teeth, rinse with water and mouthwash, then use a dry toothbrush on the area where your teeth hit your gums.
31. Make an Egg White Mask
To revive tired, dull skin without hitting the spa table, try this: Crack open an egg in a bowl, separate the yolk, and use the egg whites to make a face mask. The proteins help to heal and restore skin’s moisture. Leave it on for five minutes, and rinse off.

32. Dry Sensitive Skin With T.P.
Instead of drying your face with a scratchy towel, pat with toilet paper- it’s ultra-soft on delicate skin (and bums!).

From: www.cosmopolitan.com.au

Flatten Your Abs Without Hurting Your Back

Which exercise can help without hurting?
By Martica Heaner, M.A., M.Ed., for MSN Health & Fitness
Martica


Q. I have a herniated disc. What is the best way to flatten and strengthen my upper and lower abdomen, but avoid straining my lower back?

A. A common misconception is that specific exercises will “flatten” the abdomen. Another common misconception is that different abdominal muscles need to be worked—upper vs. lower, for example. Here’s the truth:

If you wish to flatten your abdomen, this suggests that you have extra fat in the area. You can lie on your back and do zillions of ab crunches, V-sits, bicycle moves, reverse curls, curls on the ball, and so on—and not make a dent in the fat on your belly. Why? Because lying on your back and contracting your abdominal muscles burns very few calories. It burns about as many as lying on your back and watching TV (OK, maybe half a calorie per minute more).

To reduce body fat, you need to burn more calories—and a lot of them. This is best accomplished through a combination of eating fewer calories than you normally do, and burning up more calories with greater-than-normal amounts of exercise. The best calorie-burning activities are cardio or highly vigorous workouts such as walking, running, cycling, cardio machines, dancing, and vigorous, quick-paced heavy-weight-lifting circuit routines.

What’s deceptive about ab exercises is that they feel like something is happening. The more you lie on your back and pummel away at those muscles, the bigger the burn. But, don’t be fooled—that burn is not burning fat. It’s simply the result of the occlusion of blood flow and muscle fatigue from the repeated muscle contractions.

You can’t feel fat burning. When you walk for an hour, even at a slow pace, you are burning extra fat, but you can’t feel it being sizzled off your thighs or arms. When you eat less, you also burn extra fat. But again, you can’t feel this happening. What you might think is happening to your abs as you pound away at them with core exercise, is not. So what is happening? You’re strengthening the muscles, or developing increased muscle endurance. This is beneficial, as long as the type of ab training you do is not stressful to your back—especially if your back is already vulnerable from a previous injury or weakness.

To reduce your waistline, do more cardio. You can improve the strength and endurance of your core muscles by making sure that you have good posture during any cardio that you do. Stand up tall, lengthen your spine, and engage your abs—but don’t suck them in too deeply, because then you flex the lower back and increase the pressure on it.

I’ve written extensively about the best exercises for strengthening your lower back. Ab muscles work synergistically: When you work one, you work them all. Also, there are no separate upper and lower muscles. The rectus abdominis (your six-pack muscle), for example, is one long muscle that spans from your ribs to your pubis. When you do a reverse curl that targets the “lower” area, the upper area still contracts. When you do a curl and feel it more in the upper area, the lower area still contracts.

But these moves may not be the best way to help your spine. Instead, concentrate on exercises that stabilize, rather than mobilize (or move) your spine. Pushups, planks, and hands-and-knee ab-tightening exercises are best. Check out my columns Six-Pack Abs, As Seen On TV and Are Crunches The Wrong Move? And try these exercises in MSN’s Fit Zone: Build a Better Back Now and Flat, Sexy Abs in Five Moves.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Health Highlights: July 22, 2008

  • Plant-Based Cancer Vaccine Shows Promise
  • New Drug Seems Effective Against Aggressive Prostate Cancer
  • South Korea Begins Year-Round Bird Flu Monitoring
  • Deep Brain Stimulation Eases Depression: Study
  • Study Challenges Stereotypes About Obese Workers
  • Asian Nations Need to Act Against Drug-Resistant TB: WHO

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:

Plant-Based Cancer Vaccine Shows Promise

A plant-based cancer vaccine that kick-starts the immune system and can be tailored to target specific tumor types shows promise, according to U.S. researchers who tested the vaccine on 16 people with incurable follicular B-cell lymphoma.

More than 70 percent of the patients developed an immune response and none of them showed any significant side effects, Agence France-Presse reported. The study appears in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"The idea is to marshal the body's own immune system to fight cancer," said study senior author Ronald Levy of the Stanford Medical Center. "We know that if you get the immune system revved up, it can attack and kill cancer."

He and his colleagues are the first to test a plant-based cancer vaccine on people, AFP reported. It's not yet clear whether the immune response triggered by the vaccine is sufficient to destroy cancer.

-----

New Drug Seems Effective Against Aggressive Prostate Cancer

A new drug called abiraterone may prove to be a breakthrough treatment for aggressive prostate cancer. Scientists say the drug -- which blocks hormones that fuel the cancer -- could potentially treat up to 80 percent of patients with a deadly form of the disease that's resistant to chemotherapy, BBC News reported.

A study of 21 patients with advanced, aggressive prostate cancer treated with the drug found significant tumor shrinkage and a decline in levels of a key protein produced by the cancer. Many patients reported a significant improvement in their quality of life, and some were able to stop taking morphine to ease the pain caused by the spread of the cancer into their bones.

The findings appear in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

"We believe we have made a major step forward in the treatment of end-stage prostate cancer patients," according to lead researcher Dr. Johann de Bono, who was quoted by BBC News.

"These men have very aggressive prostate cancer which is exceptionally difficult to treat and almost always proves fatal. We hope that abiraterone will eventually offer them real hope of an effective way of managing their condition and prolonging their lives," de Bono said.

Currently, the drug is being assessed in an advanced clinical trial involving 1,200 patients around the world, BBC News reported.

-----

South Korea Begins Year-Round Bird Flu Monitoring

South Korea plans to establish about 23 teams to conduct year-round monitoring for bird flu, the agriculture ministry said Tuesday. The decision comes after the country experienced its worst bird flu outbreak, which led to the slaughter of more than 8 million domestic birds.

As part of the new program, migratory and resident wild birds will be monitored regularly and all chicken and duck farms will be inspected every other week for strains of bird flu, Agence France-Presse reported.

Until now, South Korea went on heightened bird flu alert from November to March, when migratory birds stay in the country and weather conditions can promote the spread of bird flu. But this year, an outbreak began in early April and spread through most of the country.

Even though the country has had three major bird flu outbreaks, no person in South Korea is known to have contracted the disease, AFP reported. Worldwide, the H5N1 bird flu virus has killed more than 240 people since 2003.

-----

Deep Brain Stimulation Eases Depression: Study

Deep brain stimulation can help many patients with tough-to-treat depression, says a Canadian study. In deep brain stimulation, electrical impulses are delivered through electrodes implanted in the brain.

The patients in the study had major depressive disorder, a severe form of depression that's unresponsive to other treatments. One month after the start of deep brain stimulation, 35 percent of patients responded well to the therapy, with 10 percent of them entering remission, CBC News reported. Six months after the start of treatment, 60 percent of patients showed a good response and 35 percent were in remission.

"Our research confirmed that 60 percent of patients have shown a clinically significant response to the surgery and the benefits were sustained for at least one year," Dr. Andres Lazano, a neurosurgeon at the Krembil Neurosciences Centre at Toronto Western Hospital, said in a news release.

Lozano and colleagues said there were few serious side effects and no patients suffered long-term harm from the surgery to implant the electrodes, CBC News reported.

The study was published in the journal Biological Psychiatry.

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Study Challenges Stereotypes About Obese Workers

Overweight workers aren't lazier, more emotionally unstable, or more difficult to get along with than other workers, say U.S. researchers who examined the relationship between body weight and personality traits among 3,500 adults.

The findings, which contradict widely held perceptions, mean that employers should not use weight as a predictor of personality traits when it comes to hiring, promoting or firing people, said study author Mark Roehling of Michigan State University, United Press International reported.

"Previous research has demonstrated that many employers hold negative stereotypes about obese workers and those beliefs contribute to discrimination against overweight workers at virtually every stage of the employment process, from hiring to promotion to firing," Roehling said in news release.

The study was published in the journal Group & Organization Management.

-----

Asian Nations Need to Act Against Drug-Resistant TB: WHO

The lack of action by Asian nations to combat the spread of dangerous multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) poses a threat to international public health, says the World Health Organization.

The WHO said each patient with untreated MDR-TB could infect five to 10 people a year, and that an uncontrolled local epidemic could spread across international borders, Agence France Presse reported.

Only 1 percent of the estimated 150,000 people with MDR-TB in East Asia and the Pacific are receiving appropriate treatment, the WHO said in a statement released Monday.

"We are more vulnerable than ever to the MDR-TB threat. Countries must act responsively to safeguard global health," the WHO said, AFP> reported.

The U.N. agency said MDR-TB is a "serious problem in China and the Philippines, and of concern in Mongolia, the Republic of Korea and Vietnam."

content by:
Healthday

Gonna Fly Now

Runners who listen to music know its motivating power, but what exactly does a great running song sound like?

By Jeff Pearlman, Runner's World

Jim Peterik still remembers the conversation. The year was 1982, and the songwriter was sitting in his Chicago home when Sylvester Stallone called with an intriguing request: "I'm making Rocky III," he said, "and I need a song for the kids." Soon thereafter, Peterik huddled with Frankie Sullivan, guitarist and fellow cofounder of the rock band Survivor, to watch a rough cut of the film. He was immediately inspired. "I started playing what became the beginning guitar riff of the song on a dead string [untuned] Les Paul," says Peterik, who runs three miles four times per week. "We added the drums, and it created a real energy. A real pulse. Then I was watching the movie and punches started being thrown. So on the keyboard I went bop, bop-bop-bop! — to emulate the punching. That created the tension."

The result was the Billboard number one hit "Eye of the Tiger," an anthem that some runners love, some runners loathe, and nearly every road race from 5-K to ultramarathon blasts at ear-splitting decibels along the course.

Even those who consider "Eye of the Tiger" the nadir of '80s pop acknowledge that it holds all the key elements of a standout running tune. "I understand the greatness of it," says Kenny Laguna, Joan Jett's longtime producer (and recreational runner). "In working out, there is nothing more dramatic, more intense than what a fighter does. So when you're running to it, you can picture Rocky Balboa waking up at 4 a.m. and taking a run and pounding the steps in Philadelphia. It's a simple, powerful message."

Maybe so — but let's be up-front for a moment. If you take the sport seriously, there's a 50-50 chance you consider the phrase "truly great running song" as disconcerting as coworkers who talk to you from the next bathroom stall. For many runners, bringing an iPod along for a jog is sacrilege. Running, they say, is about tuning in to your body; about living the moment; about not drowning out a trot through the woods with that 12,471st helping of Aretha Franklin's "Respect."

Fair enough.

But for the millions of us out there who enjoy training and even racing with music, the quest for ideal running songs is an endlessly fascinating pursuit. Hundreds of blogs and Web sites debate the subject. An ongoing Internet dispute — "Eye of the Tiger" versus Eminem's "Lose Yourself" — may well never be settled. Whereas many runners opt for the hip-hop sounds of a Talib Kweli or Public Enemy, an equal number seem drawn to rockers like Lenny Kravitz, Metallica, and Velvet Revolver; country crooners, such as Clint Black or Tanya Tucker; or even the latest techno beats.

Given such variety, does the perfect running music exist?

Definitely. So says Dr. Costas Karageorghis, a professor of psychology at West London's Brunel University. Based out of Brunel's School of Sport and Education, Karageorghis is a former collegiate sprinter who has spent two decades researching the correlation between music and athletic output. Not surprisingly, he discounts the impact music has on top-flight distance runners. "The elite choose to focus on regulating their bodies and efficiency," he says. "They focus inwardly, not on music." Yet for the rest of us, he sings a different tune. "With nonelite athletes, I've found that listening to the right songs before and during exercise will not simply reduce feelings of tiredness, it will also increase performance levels by up to 20 percent," he says. "That means the rhythmic component of music is almost an analog for movement and decreased energy expenditure. If runners pick the right songs, they can improve their efficiency."

So what are the right songs? Through research pinpointing the relationship between heart rate and musical preference, Karageorghis has found that fast-tempo songs — exceeding 120 beats per minute (BPM) — yield peak performance at high exercise intensities of 75 percent maximum heart rate (with slower music working better during recovery periods). Though Karageorghis has studied the impact of literally thousands of songs, he lists four that, because of the up-tempo arrangement, feisty lyrics, and speedy BPM, induce particularly powerful results for runners performing near maximum heart rate. Keep in mind, this list is from a guy who works in a laboratory, not a record store:

1. "The Heat Is On," by Glenn Frey

2. "Reach," by S Club 7

3. "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love," by The Blues Brothers

4. "William Tell Overture," by Rossini

"Our research has shown that you can select one musical track for a number of people from similar upbringings, and the impact will be profound," says Karageorghis, who is helping organize the Run to the Beat, an October 5 half-marathon in the London Borough of Greenwich that will be accompanied by meticulously selected musical acts. "There are some songs that serve as near-universal motivators. It's a proven fact."

Maybe. But "The Heat Is On"? The Blues Brothers featuring Dan Aykroyd?

"You've gotta be kidding," says Bev Oden, a former U.S. Olympic volleyball player who now runs four times a week. "Those songs don't psych people up to run. They psych people up to sleep."

Translation: Surely, we can do better.

If rocker-runners like Peterik and Laguna agree on one thing, it's that the effective workout songs — ranging from Kanye West's "Stronger" to AC/DC's "Back in Black" — share a common trait of simplicity. Simple beats, simple chords, simple messages. During a break in the filming of 8 Mile in 2001, Eminem revisited a song he had been working on for over a year. He wanted the track to capture the theme of the movie — the fight for respect and a better life. In less than two hours, he completed "Lose Yourself," which pairs a relatively basic beat with potent words of inspiration.

You better lose yourself in the music, the moment/You own it, you better never let it go/You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow/This opportunity comes once in a lifetime...

"It's just a perfect song for getting amped up to run," says Dan Browne, a member of the 2004 U.S. Olympic Marathon team. "There's nothing confusing about it — just a plain ol' go-get-'em message that you have to respond to."

Many runners, even those with exquisitely hip taste in music, seem to prefer working out to less sophisticated fare. For all their obvious gifts, performers like Bob Dylan, Billie Holliday, and Van Morrison appear on precious few running mixes — while across America thousands of pavement pounders bob up and down to the upbeat sounds of Madonna and the Black-Eyed Peas. "I just want something that's fast," says Brad Hudson, the former 2:13 marathoner who now coaches Olympian Dathan Ritzenhein. "It doesn't have to be deep."

Along with simplicity, an informal poll of runners and musicians shows that the best workout songs draw upon at least a few of the following five attributes.

A Relentless Rhythm

"When I'm exercising, I want to feel sort of angry and intense," says David Hodo, a recreational runner and a longtime member of the Village People (he's the construction worker). "I actually listen to a lot of Joan Jett, because there's a real emphasis in her music on the bam! bam! bam! bam! bam! power that gets you going. Joan's not messing around."

Equally important, the hard-driving sounds of artists from Led Zeppelin and The Strokes to Outkast and Queens of the Stone Age serve as a sort of heart-pumping metronome. Though one can surely knock out intervals to Barbra Streisand's "The Way We Were," there's a physical reaction to a pounding drum, a fierce guitar riff, a big-voiced singer screaming at the top of his lungs (wince and picture David Lee Roth here). There's a reason so many runners seem smitten by the relentless intensity of alt-rockers Rage Against the Machine eight years after the band's break-up: Drummer Brad Wilk's unparalleled speed behind the skins. "They make me want to run every time I hear 'em," says DJ Aaron (White Owl) Handelman, former MC of Bad Ronald, a 1990s hip-hop group. "Some beats you just can't stop."

Powerful Themes

"That's what I like about 'Lose Yourself,'" says country star Carolyn Dawn Johnson, who has run three half-marathons. "The song is about falling down and getting right back up off your butt. I can't imagine a runner not relating to it."

Most beloved running songs feature lyrics that inspire or inflame passions. "Eye of the Tiger" concerns getting tough in the face of despair. AC/DC's "Back in Black" is about returning from the dead stronger than ever (the song is a tribute to Scott, the band's lead singer who had died a few months earlier). Public Enemy's "Fight the Power" is an angry proclamation for social change. "The songs that get me angry get me pumped up," says Handelman. "And the songs that get me pumped up make me want to run faster."

A Trancelike Quality

Though Steve Boyett is loathe to admit it, he knows one of the reasons people listen to his running mixes is to forget they're listening to his running mixes. Boyett is the creator of and DJ for podrunner.com, a Web site and popular podcast of electronic dance music. Sure, he likes to think people will hear the different sounds blended together and conclude, "Wow, this guy's a genius." Yet he knows how runners think.

"At its best, the music acts as a mediator between the body and the mind," says Boyett. "It gives a runner something to focus on and occupies enough concentration that the athlete isn't bombarded by 'Jeez, just let this race be over.'"

Jen Rhines, a former Villanova standout who placed third in the 2004 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, agrees. A favorite for long runs: "Freefall," a techno track by the Dutch duo Jeckyll & Hyde. The song offers no lyrics, no stirring message, and no diversity of sound. "I don't need someone telling me I can do it," Rhines says. "I just like a repetitive sound that I can focus on."

An Aggressive Pace

Often without knowing it, runners use music as a pacer, timing their strides with a song's beats per minute. While this works wonders with a tune like White Zombie's fast-and-furious "More Human Than Human," it doesn't exactly lend itself to a day of up-tempo training with the airy melodies of the Carpenters.

"That's what's great about running to electronica — the BPM is almost always perfect for runners," says Boyett, whose site offers an array of mixes at various BPMs. "Musicians and producers don't go into a studio and think, 'Let's make a slow, laid-back electronica song. It's always fast and powerful — just what runners want. So when you're running and the music is coming at the perfect speed, you're on another level."

And yet, a high BPM does more than just pace. According to Boyett, it subliminally coerces a runner to literally speed up and make an effort to stay with the beat. While a five-hour marathoner can't keep time with the beats of, say, The Crystal Method's "Bad Stone," the music can push a runner, causing him to churn his arms a little more and lengthen his stride a bit as the impossibly fast beats infiltrate his eardrums.

Uplifting Arrangements

For every 10 runners craving the pace-pushing drive of The White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army," there will always be a few looking for expansive melodies and sweeping soundscapes that just hold them up for a while. Take Misha Dichter, the renowned classical pianist, who would sooner listen to a wood chipper than a Pantera album.

"Of all the things to exercise to, my favorite are Bruckner symphonies. They help me almost forget I'm doing something strenuous." This is also why so many races play Bill Conti's original Rocky theme near the finish line. The soaring optimism of the horn section combined with the chorus's cheesy chant of "gonna fly now," has an almost universal effect of sustaining the runners' energy when it's flagging the most.

Olympic marathoner Deena Kastor uses trance DJ Matt Darey's up-tempo remake of U2's "Beautiful Day" to a similar effect for her tempo runs. "My husband Andrew plays it from the car alongside me during the final mile of these hard-effort days," she says. Inspiring tunes like these can keep elites and midpackers going when a more fast and furious tune would beat them down. In other words, they run happy. "I'm slow enough that I'm not looking for music to give me a better time," says Dichter, a self-professed New York City plodder. "I'm listening to music to give me a pleasurable 45-minute experience."

For links to all the songs featured in this story and a collection of great running playlists, go to runnersworld.com/music.

Provided by Runner's World

Monday, July 21, 2008

The Dirty Dozen: 12 Hair Mistakes You May Be Making

By Sally Wadyka

It’s easy to have gorgeous-looking locks when you walk out of the salon, but it’s how you care for your hair on a daily basis that really makes a difference in the long run. “Even if you have a fantastic cut and you’re skilled at styling your hair, it’s not going to look its best if you mistreat it,” says Renee Cohen, senior stylist at Serge Normant at John Frieda, New York City. Here, the most common mistakes women make when it comes to their hair care—plus expert advice on how to fix them.
1. Washing your hair every day—or more.
While we’re not advocating the greasy grunge look circa 1992, it can be good for your hair to get a break from daily washing, drying and styling. If you color your hair, skipping the shampoo on occasion will help your shade stay rich longer since the sulfates in many shampoos fade away color. And for all but the oiliest heads, daily (or even twice daily if you hit the gym) washing can strip away too much of your natural oil, leaving hair dry, brittle and more susceptible to breakage. Try every-other-day washing, and if the roots look a little greasy on day two, sprinkle on some dry shampoo or hair powder and brush it out thoroughly.
2. Not getting regular haircuts.
If you’re trying to grow your hair out of a style you no longer like (or just desperately wanting to add inches to your strands), you might be tempted to avoid your stylist’s scissors for months on end. But you’re really not doing your hair any favors. Not only will you wind up with so many split ends that you will need to lose several precious inches anyway, but your hair will quickly start to look obviously overgrown. “Your hair can look good at every stage of transition between styles or while waiting for your bangs to grow out,” says Cohen. “By continuing to get trims, your hair will look fuller and healthier, and you’ll never have that ‘I’m growing my hair out’ look.”
3. Using too much conditioner.
It makes sense that fine hair will get weighed down by excessive conditioner, but even dry, coarse hair may not need as much as you think. “If you routinely use too much, the product can build up on your hair and leave a residue that makes hair appear dull and lifeless,” says Cohen. Try using the lightest formula your hair can handle (a detangling rinse is perfect for normal to fine hair), and doing an occasional deep treatment if hair needs it. And when you apply your conditioner, skip the areas closest to the scalp and concentrate the product more toward the ends of the hair.
4. Overheating your hair.
Chances are you blow dry your hair at least once a day for several minutes. And you might even follow that up with more hot stuff—like a curling or straightening iron. So it’s no wonder that your hair looks a little fried. “You might literally be burning your hair,” says Cohen. To protect it, she recommends using a product specifically made to protect hair from heat—it will help seal up the cuticle to keep the heat from damaging the strand. And ditch any brushes that have metal paddles or bristles—they will heat up as you blow dry and can singe fragile locks.
5. Fighting your hair’s natural texture.
There’s nothing technically wrong with trying to curl your straight hair or straighten your curly hair. But just know that you’re setting yourself up for spending a lot of time and energy—and possibly frustration—to achieve your desired style. And sometimes, all that effort may be for naught. If it’s a humid day, you are much better off letting your hair remain in its natural state—because the second you walk outside, it’s going to revert back to it anyway!
6. Choosing the wrong styling products for your hair type.
Just as you select your moisturizer and makeup to suit your skin type, you need to select the right kinds of styling products in order for your hair to look its best. Loading up your fine hair with a heavy styling cream or a silicone product will leave your locks limp. And trying to style your thick, coarse, curly hair with just a spritz of spray gel won’t tame your frizz or help hold your style all day long. For best results, look for a line of products that are designed specifically for your hair type and style.
7. Thinking that more is better.
Even if you’re using the correct styling product, you can still ruin your look by using too much or too little of it. Too little just means that you won’t get the most benefit from the product (i.e., not using enough frizz-taming serum will leave you still frizzy). But too much can cause several problems. “It can actually make your hair harder to style because as the product dries in your hair it can get so stiff that it‘s hard to get the brush through,” explains Cohen. Excess product can also flake after it’s dry—making you look as if you have dandruff. Surplus silicone-based serum will leave hair limp and greasy looking. How much to use? For silicone products, Cohen recommends starting with as little as possible (just rub a drop between your palms and run over hair) and adding more if needed. For styling cream or gel, an amount the size of a quarter should do the trick. And with mousse, a handful is about right.
8. Pulling back your ponytail with just any elastic.
Before you grab an elastic and use it to secure your hair, take a closer look at it. If it’s not covered (and ideally continuous, without any metal showing), you run the risk of damaging your hair. An uncovered elastic (like a plain rubber band from your desk drawer) will snag in your hair, causing breakage and possibly even pulling hair out at the root when you try to remove the elastic. A covered band—secured loosely at the nape of your neck—will protect hair from harm.
9. Getting stuck in a style rut.
Take a look at a photo of yourself from 10 years ago. Now look in the mirror. If the hairstyle you see in both places is the same, you are long overdue for an update. That doesn’t necessarily mean you have to go in for a complete style overhaul—the fix could be as simple as a few tweaks to keep your look current. “Changing the length or adding some layers or flattering bangs will keep you from looking like you’re stuck in a time warp,” says Cohen. Another reason to modernize your style: one that’s outdated may no longer be flattering and that can make you look older.
10. Brushing your hair too much.
The old advice about giving your hair one hundred strokes a night is not a recipe for healthy hair. While brushing once or twice a day is a great way to stimulate the scalp and distribute oil down the hair shaft, too much brushing could have the opposite effect—leaving hair more vulnerable to breakage. And brushing wet hair (which is more fragile than dry hair) is never a good idea. Cohen recommends instead using a wide-tooth comb when you get out of the shower.
11. Ignoring the health of your scalp.
The follicles in the scalp are the birthplace of every strand of hair on your head. And if those factories aren’t kept clean and healthy, they won’t produce full, strong, healthy hair. While there are many products on the market to cater to the health of your scalp, treating it well can be as simple as giving it a little extra massage every time you wash your hair to stimulate it. And be sure to rinse all product off your scalp before you leave the shower to ensure that there’s no residue left behind to clog hair follicles.
12. Yanking out your gray hairs.
No, it’s not true that two will grow back in place of every one you pull out. But you’re not really getting rid of them with this method either. “It will grow back, and when it does it may be more wiry, and because it’ll be shorter, it’ll stick straight up till it grows in,” say Cohen. While even she concedes that pulling out a couple isn’t going to kill you, if you find yourself harvesting several every day, it’s time to consider coloring your hair. As you start to go gray, hair can look a bit dull and washed out, so by getting your hair colored a rich, glossy shade, you’ll immediately take 10 years off your look.

Sally Wadyka is a freelance writer whose work appears regularly in Shape, Runner's World and Real Simple.

from msn health

Friday, July 18, 2008

Anti Cancer Power of Strawberries

Strawberries are a fragrant, red-coloured, ground-dwelling fruit. Their history dates back over 2,000 years with records showing a variety of breeds as a native in many parts of the world.

In the early eighteenth century a strawberry hybrid was created that took its size from a South American variety and its taste and fragrance from France. This created what it is known today as the common strawberry that is preferred throughout Europe.

The strawberry is often described as a luxury item, enjoyed by royalty. France's King Charles V had over 3000 planted at the Louvre in Paris, King Louis XIII ate them everyday; and both Louis XIII and Louis XIV the latter enjoyed the berries so much that they are recorded to have eaten them to the point of indigestion! It wasn’t until the mid-nineteenth century, when railways were built, that more than just the rich could enjoy the fragrant fruit.

Today, the United States, Canada, France, Japan, Italy, Australia and New Zealand are some of the largest commercial producers of strawberries. In California, on the west coast America, they have been grown since the early 1900s. More than 25,000 acres of strawberries are planted there each, since the state produces more than 80 percent of all the strawberries grown in the United States.

The use of strawberries and of the strawberry plant itself for therapeutic purposes dates back as long as they have been eaten. American Indians prepared infusions of strawberry plant leaves as a treatment for stomach pain and gastrointestinal ailments such as diarrhoea. Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus was convinced that strawberries had miraculously healed his severe attack of gout; and the French philosopher Bernard de Fontenelle, who died at the age of 100 attributed the secret of his longevity to strawberries. Strawberries also contain a large amount of antioxidant, anticancer, anti-neurodegenerative, and anti-inflammatory properties, making them, like many other berries, very useful as a natural alternative to western medicine.

Health Benefits of Strawberries

  • Nutrients
    Strawberries are an excellent source of dietary fiber and Vitamins C and K. They are a very good source of manganese, pantothenic acid, vitamin B1, and iodine. They are a good source of folic acid, biotin, and vitamin B6.
  • Glycemic Index (GI)
    In a study to determine the estimated GI of various foods, it was concluded that strawberries have a low GI of 40.
  • Antioxidants
    At a study at the Department of Food Science, at Cornell University, New York it was shown that strawberries contain high levels of antioxidants, which can decrease the risk of chronic disease. They were also shown to significantly reduce liver cancer cells. In addition to their known beneficial effects on cancer and heart disease, the antioxidant qualities of strawberries may also be beneficial in reversing the course of neuronal and behavioural aging.
  • Cancer
    Ellagic acid is present in many red fruits and berries, including raspberries, strawberries, blackberries and cranberries. Studies have shown that strawberry consumption can increase anti-cancer activity on cancer cells of the breast, oesophagus, skin, colon, prostate and pancreas. More specifically, ellagic acid prevents the destruction of P53 gene by cancer cells. Ellagic acid can also bind with cancer causing molecules, thereby making them inactive.
  • Alzheimer’s Disease
    Due to their positive effects against anti-neurodegenerative diseases, strawberries are helpful in slowing the onset and reduce the effects of Alzheimer’s disease.
  • Heart Health
    Strawberries have also been linked with effecting blood vessels, platelets and lipoproteins positively, which can reduce the risk of coronary heart diseases.
  • Anti Inflammatory
    Strawberry extracts have also been shown to inhibit COX enzymes in vitro, which inhibits the inflammatory process.

Nutrient Values of Strawberries per 100mg

Calories
32kcal
Energy Value
136kj
Total Fat
0.30g
Carbohydrates
7.68g
Sugars
4.89g
Dietary Fiber
2.0g
Protein
0.67g
Sodium
1mg
Zinc
0.14mg
Potassium
153mg
Iron
0.41mg
Magnesium
13mg
Copper
0.048mg
Calcium
16mg
Vitamin C
58.8mg
Vitamin E
0.29mg
Vit. B3 (Niacin)
0.386mg
Vitamin B6
0.047mg
Vit. B1 (Thiamin)
0.024mg
Vit. B2 (Riboflavin)
0.022mg

From: www.elements4health.com

Saturday, July 12, 2008

8 Easy Ways to Exercise Throughout the Day

If you are finding that you don’t have enough time to exercise due to a busy work or home life, there are techniques that you can use throughout the day that will accelerate your weight loss. Most of these can be done just about anywhere and only require a few extra minutes.

1. Take the stairs.

If you work in a building with an elevator, try taking the stairs at least once a day. It may take a little bit longer, but you’ll be burning fat while you walk. This of course may not always be feasible, but try to do it at least once a day. You’ll have even better results if you completely stop using the elevator.

2. Suck it in.

It sounds silly, but sucking in your stomach throughout the day can actually help tighten your abs and whittle your waist. No one even has to know you’re doing it. Just suck in your stomach for five minutes of time throughout the day. This can really help if your exercise options are limited and many women have managed to lose whole dress sizes after just a few weeks.

3. Start fidgeting.

Fidgeting actually does burn calories, particularly if you’re someone who always sits stills. We’re not advocating driving your co-workers insane with constant movement, but fidgeting with your feet under the desk can make a difference.

4. Use housework.

Housework can actually burn more calories than running and as an extra bonus, your house will be spic and span. Try to set aside thirty minutes a day to vacuum, dust and sweep. You’ll be getting a good workout and you’ll be getting your heart rate up.

5. Get creative.

If your options are pretty limited, try finding ways to exercise on your lunch break. Walk around outside or at a mall. You’ll burn more calories than you would simply sitting at a table.

6. Try leg bends.

You can really work on your lower body without anyone noticing by practicing leg bends under your desk. This is great if you’re frequently on the phone and bored out of your skull. Simply unbend your knees and raise up your legs - hold the position for a few seconds and lower them back down. Try several repetitions of this throughout the day.

7. Ask about a company gym.

If you work for a large company, they may be willing to put in a gym for employees. You can then exercise on your lunch break, before you come in for the day or before you leave. Since having fit employees generally means an increase in productivity, most will be willing to consider the addition.

8. Get a desk treadmill / pedal exerciser.

One of the latest innovations is a little treadmill that sits under your desk. You can work your legs all day long without making a sound and you’ll stay healthier. Most are quite small and operate on leg power only. This is a discrete way to get your exercise during working hours.

source: weightladder.com