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How to Achieve Good Nutrition by Eating a Plant Based Diet

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Vegetarianism and veganism are lifestyles that are defined by the eliminating of animal products from food and clothing, and opposing animal testing and cruelty. In vegetarianism and veganism, the diet is plant based and excludes meat.

While it may seem to be lacking to exclude meat in the diet, a plant based diet can actually provide all the essential nutrients a body needs to maintain good health and promote longevity.

Plant Based

A plant based diet consists of fruit, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Each of these contains all the essential nutrients that the human body needs to promote healthy digestion, cell function and repair, heart health, bone health, and even mental health. At the same time, they are low in calories, fat, and cholesterol. They help in maintaining weight while providing adequate amounts of fiber, vitamins, carbohydrates, and antioxidants.

The way to ensure there is an adequate supply of all the nutrients needed to have a healthy disposition is to vary up the plant based foods that are eaten. There are several to choose from so the possibilities for variety are better than one would expect. The diet does include salads and fresh fruit, but also consists of whole grain products, beans, oils, herbs and spices. All together, these items can be mixed and matched and prepared in various ways to get the amounts of nutrients needed for good health, without necessarily having to take supplements.

Plant based foods contain amino acids, various vitamins, protein, fiber and magnesium, an absolutely vital nutrient for good health, among others. They can be found in several foods. Some foods contain a lot of some nutrients and only a little of others, which is why variety is highly recommended for a plant based diet. Here are a few nutrients that need to be in adequate supply from food, and it is important to look out for and try to consume them at every meal.

Calcium is one nutrient the human body needs for strong teeth and bones, but it is not made or stored within the human body. To get an adequate supply of calcium, leafy greens must be a main staple of a plant based diet. These include spinach, kale, bok choy, collard, mustard and turnip greens. Almonds and hazelnuts can be added to a meal for a little extra calcium.

Iron is very important in the transport of oxygen to the organs in the body. Leafy greens are a good source of iron, but other items will provide the necessary iron as well. In order to consume enough iron on a plant based diet, foods like oatmeal, whole wheat breads, and lentils, along with several other foods. Iron rich foods should be consumed on a regular basis.

Vitamin B12 is one vitamin we need, but is not very abundant in plant based diets. B12 can be found in fortified foods and supplements. This essential vitamin plays a part in giving us energy, reduces the risk of several diseases, and helps with overall mental health, so it needs to be a regular part of the plant based diet.

The foods of the earth in their natural form are unaltered and therefore healthier for humans than animal based and cooked foods. With a bit of research and the implementation of variety, a person could successfully achieve great health and a well balanced lifestyle by adopting a plant based diet.

Personal Training Tips For Best Health and Fitness

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We all would like to be more fit and healthy, but at times it seems a difficult task. Trust, we at Wonderfully Fit, understand that better than anyone. So we compiled a quick list on tips to help you along the way.

15 Tips to help you reach you goal of better Health and Fitness

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  1. GOAL FOCUS – Have AND maintain a vision of what you want to achieve.

  2. WARM-UP – Always warm-up (with moderate exercise) before you go into intense efforts/exercise

  3. STRETCH – It is a good idea to stretch as you go. After warm-up, between sets and after exercise (give extra attention to tight muscles)

  4. CHECKS – There are two things you should check before you begin any exercise. 1st – you have the correct weight, 2nd= you have the correct seating adjustments and posture.

  5. USE PROPER TECHNIQUE – Maintain technique and control at all times!Proper technique will save injury and yield better results!

  6. BREATHE – Breathe out as you lift and in as you lower the weight. Keep your movements in rhythm with your breathing.

  7. BE CONSISTENT – “The hallmarks of successful training are long term consistency and progression!” Fred Hatfield

  8. MAKE TIME – There are 168 hours in a week – all you need is 3 or 4! There is always enough time for your priorities!

  9. EAT RIGHT – Nutrition is a major key to great health and fitness. “We should eat to live not live to eat!” Socrates

  10. BE DISCIPLINED – “There will often be times when you don’t feel like a workout! Rarely times you regret having had one!” Ryan Fraser

  11. ASK FOR HELP – Don’t be embarrassed to ask for help. We want to help.

  12. KEEP A RECORD – Track your success! You will progress better if you know what your progress is. Write it down.

  13. TRAIN PROGRESSIVELY – Through gradual and constant progress in your training – Your body must change to meet the new demands on it!

  14. VARY YOUR WORKOUTS – Your body will adapt to a routine. See your trainer regularly for new exercises and routines to ensure progression!

  15. HAVE FUN!!! – Enjoy your workouts by challenging yourself! Realize the awesome benefits that increased health and fitness has in all areas of your life! “Healthy Body, Healthy Mind!”

Exercise Tips For Older Adults

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Older adults need to stay active as they age in order to enjoy a fuller, happier and more active life. There are many good reasons to stay fit as you age and to continue exercising for the rest of your life. Healthy activity helps to keep your bones strong, dissipate depression that can be common among the elderly and fight various forms of illness such as diabetes or heart disease.

There is almost no end to the benefits reaped by those who continue to exercise no matter how old they become. Of course, the demands of healthy exercise changes as we age, but it’s always good to implement a good exercise program that is appropriate for older adults. Here are some helpful exercise tips for older adults that can help you stay fit.

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1. Aerobic Exercise

You should do some sort of aerobic exercise at least 4 times a week for 30 minutes a day. You can configure this base line suggestion by breaking up the 30 minutes into 10 minute segments if you need to throughout the week. Just make sure to complete at least 2 hours a week of exercise activity. Aerobic exercises can be anything like walking, swimming or tennis.

2. Muscle Resistance Activity

Not only do you need to do some form of aerobic exercise every week but you also need to add some muscle resistance activity to your schedule so that you can keep your muscles healthy as well as your joints and bones as strong as possible. Light weight lifting that includes all the muscle groups is important. You should weight lift at least 2 days a week. You can alternate muscle groups throughout the week so that you don’t over-stress any particular muscle group too much. For a more detailed plan, you can join a gym and hire a trainer who can set you up on an age appropriate weight lifting regimen.

These are some basic exercise tips that have proven extremely helpful to adults as they age. You can always increase the amount of minutes you exercise each week and add more weight lifting activities to your schedule for added benefits. If you have any concerns, be sure to check with your doctor before beginning any exercise or fitness program.

Following A Plant Based Diet Is Easy With Home Gardens

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Many people today are turning to a plant-based diet as an alternative to diets too rich in saturated meat products, junk food, and highly processed foods. In some cases, it involves spending more time in the produce section of your local grocery store, looking for fruits and vegetables that are grown organically and spending extra money on them.

You can follow a great plant-based diet in an even better way while growing your fruits and vegetables in your own home garden. If you live in an apartment, you can start a container garden in front of a sunny window. If you have a plot of land to turn into a garden you can go big with a garden filled with healthy fruits and vegetables. You can grow almost anything in a small garden so you have the spring, summer and fall to eat off your own land.

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Vegetables Easily Grown At Home

Tomatoes lend themselves well to container gardening and can grow like wild in the good earth of your back yard. They grow and ripen all season long so you can pick what you need for sandwiches, salads, snacks, fresh sauces and even for juicing.

You can grow your own peas or beans in a container or in your backyard garden. They are rich in phytonutrients that have their maximum potency if you simply pick what you need and eat them as soon as possible; you have the greatest amount of healthy phytonutrients and antioxidants in the food shortly after picking them.

Peppers, zucchini, carrots, broccoli, and greens like Kale are great options for a home garden and allow you to reach for healthy and super fresh produce all summer long and into the fall.

Your Home Garden

If you decide to have a back yard home garden, you need to decide if you want to grow organic foods or not. Organic gardening is the best possible choice because the food is grown without pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides. This means no harmful chemicals exist with the food you pick and you can even eat them straight out of the garden without having to wash them extensively.

Grow a wide variety of foods that become ripe at different times of the season:

Radishes, for example, take only a few weeks to become edible and, after pulling them up, you have room to grow a row of something else. Most people grow tomatoes and some people grow carrots, lettuce, and potatoes.

Both potatoes and squash need the entire summer to become available for eating so all you need to do is to keep them weed-free and watch them grow. In the early autumn or late summer, you can dig up the potatoes and harvest the squash. These types of produce can be kept at room temperature or in a cool place for many months so you have instant winter eating from vegetables you grew in the summer.

Lettuce and other greens can be grown and harvested all summer long for the best in salads that are high in phytonutrients and antioxidants. All you need to do is harvest some of the leaves, wash them, and enjoy them in a healthy salad with tomatoes, carrots, or radishes you grew yourself. This is the core of a plant-based diet that will give you benefits far beyond a meat-based diet.

Meat-based diets are low in antioxidants and high in saturated fats. You can get the nutrition you need from vegetables and fruits you grow yourself with a known reduction in fatty deposits in your arteries and a lesser chance for heart disease and stroke. There is a reduced risk of certain cancers with a low fat, plant-based diet.

Get Even Better Results With Composting

If you want an especially fruitful garden, consider starting a compost pile or box. All you need to do is put in vegetation and clippings from around your yard, add food scraps and paper, mixing everything with a little bit of soil. Worms thrive in the moist environment of a good compost heap so that you will soon have these things turned into rich soil that will make your organic garden thrive.

Get Started Today

There are millions of guides online for organic vegetable gardening, and many books on the topic. In reality, the best teacher is experience, so learn the initial steps, get the supplies and just do it! Remember to get the kids involved in the garden as well; it is a great learning experience, and a great opportunity to spend quality time together.

Top Personal Training Tips

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We live in a society that is suffering an obesity epidemic. Despite this statistic it is interesting to find that we continue to spend more money on gym memberships, fitness equipment and fitness dvd’s! So where are we all going wrong?

The first answer lies in the quantities of food we now consume. Portion sizes have increased dramatically over the last 10 years and we now consume far more saturated fat, salt and sugar than our predecessors. So our focus should be on making sustainable changes to our diets that will help us to see results without having to count calories or starve ourselves.exercise

Most of these changes are simple and involve cutting down on refined sugary foods, alcohol, and white processed flour. These changes can make such a world of difference to how you feel and to your waistline.

The second area where most people are going wrong is that they are not exercising correctly for their bodies. This may sound like an odd thing to say, but just having a gym membership is simply not enough. You must exercise in a way that will bring you results. This means working out at the correct intensity and finding exercises that will help you to see the best results for your investment of time. Studies show that most of us only spend an average of 45 minutes in the gym for each workout. This is not a great deal of time, so we must make the time we invest exercising really count.

Many people in gyms often do exercises that are either unproductive and just a waste of their time. Instead we should focus on compound exercises. These recruit the maximum number of muscles fibers and will not only burn more calories but will create a greater ‘after-burn’ enabling your body to carry on burning calories long after you have finished your workout.

Compound exercise include dead lifts and squats to name a few and can be performed by anyone regardless of fitness or strength. We should also make sure we pay close attention to correct form. This means ensuring that the exercise is being performed properly and with close attention to detail. By concentrating on super-slow protocol, a heavy weight isn’t even necessary.

The final factor is motivation with a capital ‘M.’ We’ve all been there, right? We start of with great enthusiasm to join a gym and we even attend for at least a few weeks and then something always happens to throw us a curved ball and we seem to lose the interest to keep attending. This is where motivation comes into it. Think of any supreme athlete. They have desire and motivation and this is why they remain so dedicated to their training.

These tips will help you to change the way that you body looks and with the right support from a personal trainer you can expect to see transformations quickly and safely.

Benefits of Exercise for Older Adults

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There is now no doubt about it. Exercise for older adults has many benefits. It was not too long ago (At least it does not seem that long ago!) back in the 1950’s when doctors felt strenuous exercise for older men and women would stress the heart and cause life threatening damage.

I even remember ads for Camel cigarettes that proudly proclaimed a majority of doctors smoked Camels and recommended them to their patients. A friend’s Mom smoked Kool cigarettes because her doctor said the menthol in the smoke would help her to breathe better when she had a cold!

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Well we have come a long way Baby!

For the purpose of this article I am going to focus on strength training benefits for us old folks. Whether you use soup cans, weights, machines, resistance bands (my favorite) or body weight exercises. Strength training for senior men and women is critical if we want to live a vibrant and active retirement. In fact strength training more than any other exercise can turn back the hands of time.

So here are some of the benefits:

These are just a few reasons why senior men and women absolutely should be doing strength training exercises. Along with the above there are improvements in weight loss, arthritis and other chronic diseases. Plus being stronger and healthier helps you to fight off and or recover from illness or accidents.

It really does not matter how old you are or whether you are confined to a wheel chair or bed. Studies in a nursing homes among elderly men showed marked improvements after six months on a strength training program. Those who were using a walker we able to walk with a cane and some even without any assistance. Those who were in wheel chairs now were able to use a walker or cane!

Now obviously these were individuals who aliments were such that strength training could be of benefit and not individuals with conditions that made it impossible to walk. Although I maintain that as we study the effects of strength training on the elderly even seniors with conditions that made them permanently disabled can dramatically improve they lives.

So what are you waiting for? Check with your doctor and work with him on beginning a strength training program. There is a lot of information out there to help you, including my blog aching back blues. You can of course sign up with a gym and get a personal trainer or check with you local senior center or YMCA. Whatever it takes just do it! I promise you a few months from now you will be glad you did!

Easy Weight Loss With Protein-Rich Diet

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Have you ever had a problem with your weight? There are thousands of people around the world who search for an answer to their weight loss solution, and few find it. The truth is, the procedure of losing weight is not difficult, but it is difficult to stick to the plan.

A lot of us think that a “little bit more” will not harm, but it actually does more damage than you seem to think. What you need to do is have a plan in your mind and stick to it too.

weight

This is the reason why you should make it a point to go for a diet that suits you. A lot of people go for a high-protein and fiber with low carbohydrates diet. The reason why they go for it is simple – they feel that this form of diet has the maximum chance of winning, as you are cutting out carbs from your diet. But, what they do not realize is that high-protein diets tend to come with their own set of problems, the most important one being liver and kidney problems.

The simple reason why people have them is the lack fluids in their bodies. When you go on a protein-rich diet, it is crucial to drink a lot of water, to make sure the body does not retain a lot of the urea and mercury that is gathered from the protein. Drinking water flushes out the extra toxins of the body and keeps the system clear, so you can go ahead and make sure you lose weight without the fear of doing damage to your health.

One of the essential proteins that doctors always recommend in a high-protein diet is eggs, which are rich in protein and Vitamin B, and quite low in calories. Also, proteins tend to keep your body feeling full for a longer period of time, making sure you do not eat much, so the emphasis on more proteins in your diet is given quite resolutely. Those who are vegan can also get protein from sources like tofu, pulses and beans.

A great source of quick-cooking, low-calorie and inexpensive plant proteins are from different kinds of pulses. A lot of people cook beans with low amounts of fat, and consume them, to make sure their body gets enough protein. You should ideally avoid more complex proteins, like red meat, which tend to come with a lot added complication, like fat and cholesterol, with it.

Personal Trainer Tips: Pre Workout Meals

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Working out can be a laborious and taxing exercise for anybody, regardless of how healthy or fit he or she may be. As well as dealing with muscle pains, pacing your body and the mental stress that is often associated with exercising, eating the right kinds and the right amount of food should also be taken into account. Often referred to as “pre workout meals”, a suitable, nutritious meal that is consumed before a workout can greatly help anyone aspiring to achieve a great shape and enhanced health.

Pre workout meals do not just provide you with the nutrition that your body needs, but they also help you maintain your energy levels, whilst ridding you of the hunger that can sometimes affect you during your training session. So whether you want to work out to lose weight, build up muscles or simply get healthier, pre workout meals are undeniably essential and worth learning more about.

workout

It is important to remember that whilst working out on an empty stomach may make you feel lighter and seemingly able to train more effectively, it can result in you having a lack of energy which can adversely affect your exercise (or worse, your well-being later on in the day). Before training or even simply going out in the morning, it is a must to get the nutrients and energy needed to help your body function properly; and you can start with simply drinking water for personal hydration.

Moving on to the food you take onboard, it is best that you have your meal at least 45 minutes before you begin exercising. Your meal should provide both protein (30 to 40 grams is recommended) and carbohydrates (low glycemic type to be exact), and anyone can have these by starting the day with a good combination of milk, cereal (specifically oat meal), whole wheat bread and fruit.

If you intend to exercise in the afternoon or perhaps later on in the evening, there are a number of ideal pre workout meals for those periods of the day too. For instance, a lunch could be a healthy combination of meatless soup, a portion of green salad, some thin crackers and around half a pint of water is one such recommendation. As long as you give your body that essential mix of protein and carbohydrates, you will be well on your way to preparing yourself properly for an effective workout.

Giving yourself an appropriate level of nutrition before any workout routine is just one small part of the many personal training tips that can help you achieve your health and fitness goals. But having the knowledge, guidance and specific consumption of the right foods can have a tremendous impact, not only with your workout plan but also with your personal discipline.

How to Keep Exercise and Strength Training Simple For Older Adults

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Fitness and weight training does not have to be that difficult. For the older adult, those of us over 50, we can make big strides in our overall health, appearance, and strength with a simple strength training program.

You do not need fancy machines to get the results you require. Though there is some good equipment out on the market today that has its place in strength training, using old fashioned barbells and dumbbells will in my estimation get you the best results. There are cases where a machine may be easier for you to use or easier on your joints, however the machine does the balance work for you and does not apply the stress on smaller stabilizing muscles.

exercises

The stabilizer muscles that we have through out our body get weak as we age and are pressed into action when you are weight training with either a barbell or dumbbell. The stabilizers have to do the balance work that the weight machines do. If you want to build true functional strength that you can take with you each day no matter what the environment is then free weights will be the way to go.

There are hundreds of exercises out there that can be done for the human body however, when it comes to keeping it simple and yet productive I would recommend that you concentrate on the bench press, the dead-lift and the squat. There of course may be instances where these exercises will have to be modified somehow due to your level of fitness, previous injuries or other disabilities.

Maintaining a simple exercise program is easier to keep in place instead of multiple exercises as this can be time consuming. if you are just starting out, the three basic exercises mentioned will develop a good sound base for you to build upon.

You can later inject more exercises and isolate other muscle groups as you gain experience, get stronger and are confident in your form and technique.

To start with simple is better. Build your foundation by keeping your program very simple and working the large muscle groups like the chest, back, and thighs.

You can start with a program where you lift three times a week. this gives your body time to recuperate and adjust and get stronger.

Before starting a weight training program check with your doctor to get your medical clearance first.

4 Benefits of a Plant-Based Diet

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It is imperative to understand that most if not all of the life forms on earth have emanated from plants. The healing arts and medicine were derived from plant life. Plants (trees) provide oxygen for our very existence. If they have done all of these things for us then consuming plants should be nothing less than top priority in each household around the world. Unfortunately, we live in a meat-eating society which preaches that the only way to consume protein is through meat. Nothing could be further from the truth. When we speak of plant-based diets we are referring to fruits and vegetables.

Below are 4 benefits of consuming a plant-based diet.

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1. Micronutrient Power

There are two forms of nutrients of which you should be concerned. The first category is known as macronutrients. The macronutrient group includes proteins, fats and carbohydrates. The body requires a certain amount of macronutrients to function correctly on a daily basis. The second category is known as micronutrients. The micronutrient group includes vitamins and minerals. Health experts emphatically state that micronutrients are the key to life longevity. Micronutrients are only found in plant life. These guys are packed with enzymes and provide what is known as phytochemicals which are cancer fighters or popularly termed antioxidants. Most importantly, micronutrients feed your body at the cellular level and aid your biological clock. For this reason you may notice many vegans who appear twenty years younger than their chronological age.

2. You Don’t Have to Cook

The fact of the matter is that we exist and work in a society where some people work twelve hours. If you don’t have to be bothered with cooking each day after or before work then you will be a happy individual. Preparing certain foods is a job in itself. Making a brown bag lunch with a few vitamin packed herbs and a few pieces of fruit and vegetables takes little to no effort at all.

3. Lowers Cholesterol Naturally

When you consume raw fruits and veggies you do not have to worry about high cholesterol. However, when you consume a diet rich in meat you have a great chance of contracting a case of high cholesterol. Here is why. Meats are high in fat and fat plays a major role in high cholesterol. Plants have little to no fat so you will merely glean nutrients. Some meat eaters switch to a low-fat diet and fail to see lower cholesterol results. They fail to understand that a low-fat diet is of no value unless the meat is eliminated or significantly reduced. Your liver loves plants because it does not have to work as hard to regulate the cholesterol.

4. They Cleanse The Body

Inside of every cleanse on the market you will find herbs. Herbs are the true healers in the plant life regime. Not only do herbs behave as medicine but they also have a sweeping effect on the body. To make their case concrete, herbs also contain certain vitamins and minerals. Herbs will get inside of the major organs in the body and dispel the most vicious toxins. Fiber which also stems from plant life is a cleanser. If you suffer from constipation you are normally instructed to consume fiber rich plants in an effort to cleanse your system.