Day Debt

Copyright 2006 Adam Waxler

In order to understand how to handle arthritis pain, you need to understand how the body works and how arthritis can impede the body from working properly. Once someone has a general understanding of the science behind arthritis, one can better understand how to handle arthritis pain and get some arthritis relief.

First of all, there are several different types of arthritis. The two most commonly known forms of arthritis are osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, there are three other major types of arthritis. These other forms of arthritis are systemic lupus erythematosis, ankylosing spondylitis and gout. Let’s take a look at each:

* Systemic Lupus Erythematosis (SLE) - This form of arthritis mainly affects women. It develops in the skin, internal organs and joints.

* Ankylosing Spondylitis - This form or arthritis affects the spine and can also affect the ankles, knees, lungs, heart, shoulders and eyes.

* Gout - This is a painful affliction mainly for men, about one million of them in the United States alone. Uric acid build up, due to an internal chemical malfunction, forms crystals that get stuck in a joint, generally the big toe, and become inflamed.

Where two bones meet, called joints, are covered with cartilage, also known as gristle. This cartilage is sturdy, elastic, and spongy or compressible, and keeps the bones from moving against each other at the joint. Healthy joints can handle some fairly heavy pressure. For example, when taking a walk a person’s knees handle a force of three to four times a person’s total body weight, while deep knee bends can increase to nine times the body’s weight. Unfortunately, arthritis effects how joints function properly in your body.

Surrounding the bones and cartilage is a strong, fibrous capsule lined with synovium, a thin membrane that lubricates the joint area with fluid. The end result is less friction or smoother rubbing together of the bones. This fluid also feeds the cartilage cells, keeping them healthy, and is “pumped” into them during joint movement. Therefore, lack of movement can be unhealthy. By understanding more about how joints work it is easy to see why exercise plays a crucial role in arthritis relief.

Arthritic joints can be affected with inflammation when bacteria or a virus (or other undesirable element) enters the joint area or when an injury occurs. What happens is when foreign matter enters this area or the area sustains injury, white blood cells, antibodies and other natural “fighting” mechanisms automatically kick in internally to help. These fighters cause swelling, redness and heat as the body fluid moves around. Symptoms of inflammation, one of the uncomfortable issues associated with arthritis pain, are redness, swelling and tender joints.

The exact science of what actually causes arthritis is still being researched. For most forms of arthritis, the causes are unknown. Injury, overuse of joints and mechanical issues with joints (like skeletal abnormalities, worn out joint muscles) can lead to arthritis. Many arthritis experts also point to issues relating to bacteria as one of the main culprits causing arthritis. Heredity, stress, drugs, food allergies and viruses have also been linked to some forms of arthritis. Likewise, diet, poor circulation, and lack of movement have also been connected to arthritis.

While it appears that arthritis may be caused by many factors, the good news is that at least some of these factors can be controlled. Clearly, a healthy diet and plenty of exercise will go along way towards arthritis relief.

Not many people are comfortable in knowing the difference
between creatine serum and creatine powder. In fact, ever since
creatine serum was introduced, there’s been a raging debate over
which should be used and which gets the best results.

At the present time, there is no cut and clear answer as to
which works best, or in fact, if either gets better results than
the other. It’s really up to the individual to decide which is
best for them. In this article, you will find information to
help you make the choice that is best for you, or whether you
should be taking creatine at all.

Creatine
Serum
Also known as Liquid Creatine, creatine serum is
the liquid form of creatine monohydrate. The only difference is
that instead of ingesting powder, you’re ingesting a liquid
source. Creatine serum works as follows:

• Boosts energy
  through ATP regeneration.
• Provides muscles with extra energy
  while working out.
• Helps the creatine user to gain strength
  and weight.

Important Facts
The body’s muscles
do not absorb creatine serum instantly even though it’s a
liquid. It’s claimed that creatine serum is easier to take than
creatine powder. There is no clear evidence that this is true.
Again, it depends on which type an individual prefers.

• Ignore claims of instant absorption. Both the powder and the
  liquid take time to be absorbed.
• Claims of not having to
  load with liquid creatine are false. The only benefit of
  creatine serum is that it’s liquid.
• Creatine serum can
  degrade to creatinine, which is useless to muscles.
• Both
  creatine serum and powder are equal; neither has special
  capabilities.
• Studies have concluded that creatine serum has
  higher levels of creatinine than creatine. The labels of
  creatine serum have been found to state creatine content much
  higher than what is actually in the product.

Creatine
Powder
Creatine
powder is, simply put, white powder. You can purchase a wide
variety of types and brands. In recent years, creatine powder
has become much more affordable. You can buy plain creatine
powder or creatine powder that has been mixed with other
supplements.

Side Effects
Side effects have
been documented that range from cramps to kidney disease. The
cases of kidney dysfunction all occurred in users who had a
pre-existing kidney condition or a family history of kidney
disease. However, use caution. You may not have access to all
family history.

Creatine aggravates pre-existing kidney
problems because of its high protein content. No cases of
vomiting or diarrhea have been recorded. Documented side effects
largely state rapid weight gain. However, use extreme caution
when taking creatine and report any changes in health to a
physician. Always take small doses of creatine in the off-season
or on off-days to begin. Again, consult your doctor if you
suffer any adverse effects.

Caution
Creatine
has been proven to be beneficial in some people. However, it
should be administered with extreme caution. Sports supplements
are not properly regulated. Research should be done by each
individual before starting this powerful supplement.

If you ever had the desire to buy a treadmill, you were probably hit by all sorts of questions: “What treadmill should I buy?”, “Where will I put it?”, “When will I have the time to use it?”, “What are the most important things to take into consideration when choosing a treadmill?” , “Which treadmills will help me look fit?” and so forth. This article will try to answer these questions and give you an insight of the most important factors that are to be taken into consideration when choosing a treadmill or jogging machine.

First thing you should do before choosing a treadmill is figure out how much free space you have inside your home, because treadmills come in different sizes and designs. Once you know approximately how much space you can free up, you can go look for a treadmill of that exact specific size. Don’t put yourself in the unnecessary, awkward position where you come home with your newly purchased treadmill and are forced to put it in the closet because of the lack of room.

When choosing a treadmill, apart from size and design, another important factor you should take into consideration will be its quality. A quality treadmill can last for years, while poor quality ones can break apart in a matter of weeks or months. What gives quality and longevity to a treadmill is its motor. The ones with a larger, heavier motor will have a smaller chance of breaking down, because of their solid configuration, but of course there will still be a small risk that it could brake down.

Still they are a great choice to make if you have the money and room for them. Also look for quality and time-tested brands and don’t let yourself attracted by the really small prices low-quality treadmills offer. You could pay half the price of a good, quality treadmill but you could end up with it breaking down in a matter of weeks.

Because when you decided to buy a treadmill you probably thought about your health first, it’s very important that the treadmill provides a healthy and effective way to work out. One of the most important factors in this matter is the thickness of the walking deck and the size of the walking track, both having a bad effect on your feet and ankles if they don’t respect a set of healthy measures.

Therefore if you plan to do both walking and jogging on your treadmill, its walking deck’s thickness needs to be at least 3 inches in order to provide a healthy solution. The walking track should be around 48 inches in length and 17-18 inches in width to provide the necessary space for you to work out in a comfortable position.

The next step you need to figure out when choosing a treadmill is what you want it to show you on its electronic board. The electronic board differs from treadmill to treadmill, although some of the basic parameters almost all of them offer are speed, distance, calorie burnout and maybe inclination degree.

Some of the newer treadmill models have an interesting extra feature that measures your heart rate and shows it on their monitor. A really important factor you should take into consideration when choosing a treadmill if you have heart problems.

The benefits of choosing a treadmill for home workout instead of going to a gym are immense. First off, it will save the precious time it takes you to go and come back from the local gym, not to mention you save the money it would take you to pay for the gym training session or monthly fee.

The second main advantage is that by having a treadmill in your home, all members of your family will have the chance to work out (which of course can turn into a disadvantage when everyone wants to work out at the same time, but that’s highly improbable if you make a precise time-schedule).

All Rights Reserved - Anthony Shelton

Anthony Shelton is a online marketer and exercise and nutrition consultant. He is also the webmaster of Discount Treadmills - For more information on treadmills visit Treadmill information directory

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Nutrition Basics for the Exercising Adult

Food is necessary for all humans to sustain life. For our bodies to properly function at rest, calories are needed from food to provide the energy needed to breathe, help our heart beat, allow our blood to flow and aid in hundreds of other functions that occur involuntarily and not necessarily at a conscious level. This energy requirement for basic human function is called Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). [For an excellent discussion on metabolism, please see the Lifestyle 30 reference manual.]

When you begin an exercise program, the caloric requirements (energy requirements) for your body increase. You must now begin to think of food as the fuel for your activities.

It is the fuel that powers you through your workouts. It is the fuel that promotes recovery at the cellular level. It is the fuel that allows the building of stronger muscles and connective tissues. Ensuring that you eat the proper amounts and types of food to fuel your exercise regimen is of paramount importance.

The Roles of Carbohydrates, Proteins, and Fats

No matter what the latest diet fads may promote, be assured that carbohydrates are an essential part of any diet for the exercising adult. At least 1/3 of your daily calories should come from carbohydrates and, as your activity level increases, the percentage of carbohydrates in your diet should also increase. Carbohydrates are stored as glycogen in the body, and when there is an increasing demand for energy, glycogen is what the muscles reach for first. It is converted rapidly and efficiently into the fuel that the body needs for activity.

Dietary protein for the active adult is essential for the repair and growth of muscle tissue and connective tissues such as ligaments and tendons. At the very minimum, 15-20% percent of your daily calories should come from protein. Research has shown that consuming a protein source within 30 minutes of completion of exercise helps speed repair and recovery of muscles and tissues. It is also beneficial to include a protein source at all meals and snacks throughout the day.

It may seem counterintuitive, but fat is actually an important fuel source that the body uses for energy. At least 20-30% of your daily caloric intake should be from fat. Fat does not burn as efficiently as glycogen, but it can be used for energy, nonetheless. This process is best described using the following analogy: Think of trying to set a log on fire. We all know that it is extremely difficult to light a log with a match.

If we put kindling around the log, however, and light the kindling, the kindling burns readily and eventually, the log will also burn. Think of fat as the log and carbohydrates as the kindling. Fat will burn, but not readily, and only in the presence of carbohydrates.

The “Fat-Burning” Zone

The body will use both fat and carbohydrates as fuel sources during low-level, sustained aerobic activity. If you maintain an intensity level between 60-85% of your maximum heart rate, you will stay in this aerobic, “fat-burning” zone. When you move to intensities higher than this, your muscles are working so hard that they need “fast” fuel - so they reach for glycogen (the “kindling”) almost exclusively. Protein is used by the body as an energy source only as a last resort when your glycogen stores have been depleted. When you run out of glycogen, this is often referred to as “the bonk.” You feel sluggish, your muscles feel heavy, and you are completely out of energy. It is a difficult and inefficient process for the body to convert protein to fuel for use in the muscles, so you would rather not reach this point of glycogen depletion.

Refueling DURING exercise

This brings us to refueling during exercise. Your body has enough glycogen stored in the muscle cells to last for approximately 90 minutes of continuous exercise. If you exercisefor longer than 90 minutes, you will need to take in nutrients (primarily carbohydrates) to sustain your activity. So, if you plan on exercising for over 60 minutes, plan on consuming 30-60 grams of carbohydrates per hour of exercise.

These carbohydrate calories can come from solid food (like an energy bar), liquid food (like a sports drink), or from one of many commercially available energy gels.

Refueling AFTER exercise

Refueling after exercise is just as important. Because you can only store enough glycogen for approximately 90 minutes of exercise, if you exercise for 60 minutes or even just 30 minutes, you can see the importance of eating after your workout to replenish your glycogen stores. Eating within the first 30 minutes following your workout is ideal.

Even if it is just an energy bar that contains both carbohydrates and some protein, taken with at least 8-ounces of water, this will set you on the right road to recovery. If eating within the first 30 minutes of completing your workout is not possible, then be sure to refuel within at least 2 hours of exercise. Research has shown that the sooner you can replace lost nutrients (within the 2-hour window following exercise), the faster your muscles will recover before the next workout.

Refueling BEFORE exercise

This comes last in this discussion on nutrition, but it comes first as you prepare to exercise every day. What should you eat and when should you eat it before exercise? In general, you will eat less the closer you are to your exercise session.

The following guidelines apply: Less than 1 hr before exercise Sports drink or energy bar* 1-4 hrs prior to exercise 150-300 calories 4 hrs prior to exercise 600+ calories These calories should consist of carbohydrates, protein, and fat in the ratios we spoke of above, if possible. With less than an hour before exercise, however, carbohydrates will be much more easily digested and managed in your system, so that is why a sports drink or energy bar is recommended.

Summary

To maintain a healthy lifestyle, eating and exercising appropriately go hand in hand. Be sure to fuel your body properly before, during, and after exercise to get the most out of your active life.

For more information on any of Forever’s other quality products, please visit http://foreverliving.com/. Click “Come in”,then- “shop” and use Distributor Id # 001002251915.

Attention! With Forever Company you have an excellent opportunity to have additional income or work at home, especially if you have your own web site! Pease contact: victoriazeltov@yahoo.com.

The statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the FDA. The products discussed are not intended to diagnose, mitigate, treat, cure or prevent a specific disease or class of diseases. You should consult your family physician if you are experiencing a medical problem.

This article is copyright protected.If you want to reproduce it on your web site please ask permission: victoriazeltov@yahoo.com

Copyright 2005 Ardmore Internet Marketing, Inc.

With all of the conflicting studies and fuzzy interpretation of information, it’s no wonder that confusion reigns when it comes to the value and safety of low-carb diets. It seems like heated debates are raging everywhere!

Whether it’s Atkins, the South Beach or some other low-carb plan, as many as 30 million Americans are following a low-carb diet.

Advocates contend that the high amount of carbohydrates in our diet has led to increasing problems with obesity, diabetes, and other health problems. Critics, on the other hand, attribute obesity and related health problems to over-consumption of calories from any source, and lack of physical activity. Critics also express concern that the lack of grains, fruits, and vegetables in low-carbohydrate diets may lead to deficiencies of some key nutrients, including fiber, vitamin C, folic acid, and several minerals.

Any diet, weather low or high in carbohydrate, can produce significant weight loss during the initial stages of the diet. But remember, the key to successful dieting is in being able to lose the weight permanently. Put another way, what does the scale show a year after going off the diet?

Let’s see if we can debunk some of the mystery about low-carb diets. Below, is a listing of some relevant points taken from recent studies and scientific literature. Please note there may be insufficient information available to answer all questions.

- Differences Between Low-Carb Diets

There are many popular diets designed to lower carbohydrate consumption. Reducing total carbohydrate in the diet means that protein and fat will represent a proportionately greater amount of the total caloric intake.

Atkins and Protein Power diets restrict carbohydrate to a point where the body becomes ketogenic. Other low-carb diets like the Zone and Life Without Bread are less restrictive. Some, like Sugar Busters claim to eliminate only sugars and foods that elevate blood sugar levels excessively.

- What We Know about Low-Carb Diets

Almost all of the studies to date have been small with a wide variety of research objectives. Carbohydrate, caloric intake, diet duration and participant characteristics varied greatly. Most of the studies to date have two things in common: None of the studies had participants with a mean age over 53 and none of the controlled studies lasted longer than 90 days.

Information on older adults and long-term results are scarce. Many diet studies fail to monitor the amount of exercise, and therefore caloric expenditure, while participants are dieting. This helps to explain discrepancies between studies.

The weight loss on low-carb diets is a function of caloric restriction and diet duration, and not with reduced carbohydrate intake. This finding suggests that if you want to lose weight, you should eat fewer calories and do so over a long time period.

Little evidence exists on the long-range safety of low-carb diets. Despite the medical community concerns, no short-term adverse effects have been found on cholesterol, glucose, insulin and blood-pressure levels among participants on the diets. But, adverse effects may not show up because of the short period of the studies. Researchers note that losing weight typically leads to an improvement in these levels anyway, and this may offset an increase caused by a high fat diet. The long range weight change for low-carb and other types of diets is similar.

Most low-carb diets cause ketosis. Some of the potential consequences are nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and confusion. During the initial phase of low-carb dieting some fatigue and constipation may be encountered. Generally, these symptoms dissipate quickly. Ketosis may also give the breath a fruity odor, somewhat like nail-polish remover (acetone).

Low-carb diets do not enable the consumption of more calories than other kinds of diets, as has been often reported. A calorie is a calorie and it doesn’t matter weather they come from carbohydrates or fat. Study discrepancies are likely the result of uncontrolled circumstances; i.e. diet participants that cheat on calorie consumption, calories burned during exercise, or any number of other factors. The drop-out rate for strict (i.e. less than 40 grams of CHO/day) low-carb diets is relatively high.

What Should You Do? - There are 3 important points I would like to re-emphasize:

- The long-range success rate for low-carb and other types of diets is similar.

- Despite their popularity, little information exists on the long-term efficacy and safety of low-carbohydrate diets.

- Strict low-carb diets are usually not sustainable as a normal way of eating. Boredom usually overcomes willpower.

It is obvious after reviewing the topic, that more, well-designed and controlled studies are needed. There just isn’t a lot of good information available, especially concerning long-range effects. Strict low-carb diets produce ketosis which is an abnormal and potentially stressful metabolic state. Under some circumstances this might cause health related complications.

The diet you choose should be a blueprint for a lifetime of better eating, not just a quick weight loss plan to reach your weight goal. If you can’t see yourself eating the prescribed foods longer than a few days or a week, then chances are it’s not the right diet. To this end, following a moderately low fat diet with a healthy balance of fat, protein, carbohydrate and other nutrients is beneficial.

If you do decide to follow a low-carb plan, remember that certain dietary fats are associated with reduction of disease. Foods high in unsaturated fats that are free of trans-fatty acids such as olive oil, fish, flaxseeds, and nuts are preferred to fats from animal origins.

Even promoters of the Atkins diet now say people on their plan should limit the amount of red meat and saturated fat they eat. Atkins representatives are telling health professionals that only 20 percent of a dieter’s calories should come from saturated fat (i.e. meat, cheese, butter). This change comes as Atkins faces competition from other popular low-carb diets that call for less saturated fat, such as the South Beach diet plan. Low-carb dieting should not be considered as a license to gorge on red meat!

Another alternative to “strict” low-carb dieting would be to give up some of the bad carbohydrate foods but not “throw out the baby with the bath water”. In other words, foods high in processed sugar, snacks, and white bread would be avoided, but foods high in complex carbohydrates such as fruit, potatoes and whole grains, retained.

Getting into any triathlon transition program may require buying a triathlon bike, or for those bargain shoppers, a used triathlon bike, or bikes.

Used triathlon bikes, like most other fitness training equipment, can probably be found at huge discounts, up to 50 percent off the original suggested retail price, at used bike stores who offer used triathlon bikes.

First off, it is important to defining a triathlon bike. A triathlon bike is not unlike any other road bike in that it is suitable for all long distance riding.

A triathlon bike is all about comfort and efficiency, and even looks like many ten-speed road bikes found in bike shops.

But the key to finding the best in used triathlon bikes is research.

There are a number of outfits on the Internet that sell used triathlon bikes. But it may be helpful for you to try out a few at your local bike shop first.

Getting a handle on the best used triathlon bikes for you first, before buying one on the Internet at a good price is a good way to go.

Knowing what you want and what you can afford are the keys to shopping for used triathlon bikes.

Used triathlon bikes can be completely refurbished and become a great tool for anyone making their triathlon transition.

On the other hand, there are some used triathlon bikes that may not be refurbished and could cause serious problems for the triathlon trainer.

Do your homework.

Talk to some who have purchased used triathlon bikes, try them out and look on line as well.

Tumescent liposuction involves the surgical removal of excess body fat using a combination of traditional liposuction techniques and tumescent anesthesia. The procedure is relatively new to the cosmetic surgery scene, having come into widespread use in the 1990’s. Tumescent liposuction offers significant benefits over traditional liposuction techniques for its ability to minimize post-operative discomfort, curtail surgical bleeding, and reduce bruising and swelling during the recovery period.

Tumescent liposuction is unique in that it uses large volumes of a dilute solution of lidocaine, paired with the drug epinephrine. The lidocaine serves as a local anesthetic, eliminating the need for patients to go under general anesthesia. The epinephrine serves to temporarily restrict capillaries, thereby reducing bleeding during the surgery. This combination allows surgeons to perform liposuction using minimal amounts of sedatives. The lidocaine is retained in the body for several hours after the procedure, giving the patient up to 12 to18+ hours of pain-free recovery. The use of tumescent anesthetic also eliminates the drunken feeling felt by many patients after going under general anesthesia, as well as the nausea felt by traditional liposuction patients.

At the start of the procedure, the surgeon anesthetizes the skin at select locations using tiny needles. Once the skin has been numbed, longer needles are used to anesthetize the subcutaneous fat with large quantities of the dilute lidocaine and epinephrine solution. Patients are frequently given a mild sedative, such as Valium to help relax them during the procedure. Once the areas to be treated are completely numb, the doctor begins the liposuction. Small holes, called adits, are made in the skin using round skin biopsy punches to form access sites for the liposuction microcannulas. A microcannula is a very small stainless steel tube, ranging from 1mm to 3mm in diameter, designed to effectively remove small amounts of fat. Fat is suctioned out of the body in small tunnels through the microcannula, leaving the fibrous strands attached to the skin and muscles intact. Once the desired fat has been suctioned out, the microcannulas are removed. Since the adits are such small holes, there is no need for sutures using this method. This actually serves to speed up the healing process since drainage can occur via the adits, greatly reducing the amount of swelling and bruising of the treated areas.

Tumescent liposuction, as with any other type of surgical procedure, does carry some risks. Patients should expect some side-effects from the procedure such as bruising, swelling, and temporary numbness of the treated areas. Significant drainage will occur in areas where adits were formed. Some skin irregularities may result from the procedure, though this side-effect is greatly reduced with the use of both the tumescent anesthesia and microcannulas. Other, more serious side-effects can include blood clots, infection, and allergic reactions to the anesthesia.

Copyright 2005 Ardmore Internet Marketing, Inc.

The math is pretty simple. One pound of fat equals 3500 calories. Want to lose a pound a week? Then you need to consume 3500 calories less per week than you use. That’s about 500 calories a day. By cutting out 500 calories a day from your normal daily diet, while keeping your activity level the same, you can lose approximately one pound a week.

All right - that doesn’t sound like much, especially if you’re more than 25 pounds overweight. Study after study has shown, though, that those people who lose weight gradually - at a rate of 1-2 pounds per week -are far more likely to keep the weight off and maintain a normal weight for a lifetime.

So how much exactly IS 500 calories? If you’re going to reduce your daily intake by 500 calories, it helps to know what you need to cut out, right? Here’s how easy it is to lose 500 calories a day:

Use milk instead of cream in your coffee. Savings? 50 calories per cup.

Skip the butter on your baked potato. Savings? 100 calories

Drink fruit-flavored water instead of a 16 ounce soda. Savings? 200 calories

Skip the Big Mac and have a salad instead. A Big Mac weighs in at a whopping 460 calories. A fresh salad with a light dressing? Less than 100! Savings? 360 calories

Pass by the bag of potato chips. An average snack size bag of chips has over 300 calories. Savings? 300 calories

Eat your corn on the ear. A 1 cup serving of canned corn has 165 calories. An ear of corn has 85. Savings? 80 calories.

Switch to low-fat cream cheese on your bagel. Savings? 90 calories per ounce.

Love those fries and can’t give them up? Swap the skinny fries out for thick steak-cut ones. Thin French fries absorb more oil than the thicker, meatier ones. Savings? 50 calories per 4 ounce serving

If you’d rather look at losing weight from an exercise perspective, you can also lose one pound a week by upping your activity level by 500 calories a day. How easy is that to do? Take a look:

Take a half-hour walk around the park. Aim for a pace that’s a little faster than a stroll, but not fast enough to be breathless. Burn: 160 calories.

Get out your bike and take a ride. Tackle a few moderate hills and aim for about five miles total. Burn: 250 calories

Go dancing - and really DANCE. The longer you’re out on the floor instead of at the table drinking up high-calorie drinks, the more you’ll get out of it. Dancing that makes you breathless and warms up your body will net you a nice calorie savings. Burn: 400 calories for one hour

Swimming is great for you, and a lot of fun, too. The water resistance means you burn more calories, and you avoid the stress impact on joints from aerobics, dancing or walking. Do a few laps at a slow crawl - if you can get up to an hour you’ll be doing great! Burn: 510 calories

Get out into your garden. An hour of gardening tasks that includes bending and stretching can burn up to as many calories as a brisk walk. Burn: 250 calories.

Play a game of tennis. Hook up with a friend for a weekly tennis game and you’ll be amazed at the difference. One hour of vigorous tennis is one of the best calorie burners around. Burn: 800 calories

It’s important to keep in mind that all exercise/calorie numbers are based on a woman weighing 130 pounds. If you weigh more, you’ll burn more. Want an added bonus to burning calories through exercise? When you exercise, you build muscle by converting it from fat. Three guesses which kind of body tissue burns more calories - even when you’re not exercising. You got it - your body uses more energy to maintain and feed muscle than it does fat.

For best results, mix and match food savings with exercises that burn calories. Do keep in mind that eating less than 1000 calories a day for more than a few days will convince your body that it’s starving and slow your metabolism. Keep calorie ranges reasonable, and consult a doctor if you want a quicker, more drastic weight loss.

As a kid, you hear a lot of things about acne. Everybody has their opinion on what causes it or how to stop it. My nana insisted that it came from a teenager having premarital sex. My papa said she was crazy. Everybody knew that acne was the result of eating too many sweets. My mamma didn’t care who was right or wrong as long as I didn’t make her a grandma before I was married and all of the Cannoli was eaten.

My family joked a lot about acne at my expense, but the reality is that most people really don’t understand what acne is and where it comes from. Everyone knows the myths about acne, but few know the truth.

Acne is the result of natural oil that your body produces becoming clogged in your pores. Once the pores or hair follicles are clogged, bacteria starts building up and mixes with the oil. This leads to the bumps, zits, pimples, blackheads, and whiteheads that we commonly refer to as acne.

Doctors know that this is the process by which acne takes place. >From this information, they have developed several treatment options to help clear up acne over a period of time. However, no one knows for sure how to prevent acne or completely stop it from occurring in the first place. Because of this, there are countless myths and old wives tales floating around.

I have heard it all and you probably have to. Acne comes from eating too much chocolate. If you have a huge zit, you obviously haven’t been drinking enough water. Pimples are simply a matter of cleanliness. If you wash your face more, then you won’t have bumps. Of course, my favorite myth is the one that says since acne occurs most often during the teenage years. It is a sign that teenagers are having premarital sex.

Hysterical right? I know. The truth is that these are myths and not scientific facts. Yes, if you change your diet, your acne may subside for a while. Sure, if you reduce your stress level and drink more water, you may see an improvement in the condition of your skin. However, what works for one may not work for another.

That is why it is so important to talk with your dermatologist about what treatment options and preventive steps can be taken based off of your unique skin composition. By understanding what acne is and what habits trigger acne in your skin, you can put an end to the myths and start regaining control over your appearance and self esteem.

Here we are, embarking on the holiday season, again. As you plan for the family gatherings and parties, you may also be starting to stress about what you’re going to do about the temptation to eat all those holiday goodies.

But there is something else at play here: For many people, the holiday season is a stressful and depressing time. Stressful because they’re lonely, stressful because they may start to think about what they are not accomplishing in their lives. Stressful because they have a growing to-do list. That stress can lead to holiday depression. Combine increased depression with increased occasions to overeat and the result is the average weight gain of 5-7 pounds we all hear about each year.

This would be the usual article on avoiding that holiday weight gain if I just gave you tips. However, if you do suffer from overeating and depression and stress during the holidays, I’d like to pose a new proposition to you in this article. I challenge you to not worry about your eating; you’re going to eat what you want, anyway. My challenge to you is to get some form of exercise in every single day between now and January 1.

You’ve just read the above challenge and are now laughing. But, can you seriously think of a reason why not?? Oh yea, everyone can give thousands of ‘excuses’ why they can’t fit exercise into their lives. I hear it all the time! First of all, if you are over 40 and have any health conditions, first consult with your physician. Second of all, put on your walking shoes and start walking. You can start at the mall! Wow; exercise and shopping at the same time! Imagine if you started now, before the holiday rush! Just 10 minutes per day for people who have not been doing any exercise can be a huge improvement. Or, if you have a membership to a health club and they’ve been just collecting your payments, and the staff doesn’t know you, brush that membership off and check out that gym! If you work, I bet you anything they are open before your work hours. If you have kids and a spouse, let the spouse take care of the kids while you run to the gym. Right now, just 10-20 minutes on a treadmill or stationary bike will be enough. Break a sweat. If you have exercise equipment at home, time to put away all the clothes and boxes that it’s hidden under and see if it still works.

As you get into your second week, I then challenge you to pick it up a notch. If you were walking 10 minutes each day, I challenge you to add a second 10 minutes to your exercise. Yes, now we can actually call it exercise. Why not? Imagine what you’re going to look like and feel like by the New Year! Let that motivate you. Every single person can find 10 minutes here and there in their day. Do you sit down and watch television at any time? What about the time you spend on the computer? If you’re reading this article, I bet you’ve spend spent more than 10 minutes at the computer, total, already. Turn off your computer, get up, put those shoes on, and walk outside. Take your watch. Walk away five minutes, then turn around and walk back for 5 minutes. Or, even easier if you have a treadmill sitting next to your TV. There is no greater escape than turning a fun, mindless TV show on and walking for 10-30 minutes. My favorite shows are the travel shows. I spend 30 minutes on my elliptical trainer while watching the secret get-aways in Hawaii for very little expense.

If you read this article in the middle of November, and December is almost upon you, you have now been exercising for at least three weeks. The parties have heated up and the stress of what the families are going to do or where you’re going to hold the business party is starting to weigh on your mind. Go sweat to relieve some of that stress. Maybe you’re really starting to feel alone and lonely. Take a walk and enjoy the sights and sounds around you. Get a walkman or iPod and listen to some soothing music while doing your exercise. But sweat out that stress and depression. Research does show that it really helps by increasing endorphins in the brain.

Then the middle of December is upon you. The parties are really hot and heavy now. You look at that yummy piece of chocolate brownie, but because you have been doing SO well with your exercise, remarkably that brownie just doesn’t seem worth it, now! There you go; the ultimate reward. Health. Health, Wealth and Wisdom, actually. Congratulations on the new you, and what a way to start the New Year!