Tag Archive for: Long Beach Nutritional Coach

4 Weight Loss Supplements for Fast Weight Loss Success

/in , ,

Weight loss supplements are always known to be able to provide a little boost to your weight loss campaign. Exercises and a proper balanced diet can help in losing weight but most of the time, you will need weight loss supplements to push you through a plateau.

In this article, you are going to learn about the four supplements that you can add to your weight loss plan. However, the results may vary from person to person. Also, you must consult your doctor about taking these supplements if you are underage, pregnant or taking other forms of medication.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Used by the ancient Egyptians and passed to us today after some long centuries, apple cider vinegar is popularly known for its weight loss effects. The most desirable benefits of taking apple cider vinegar as a weight loss supplement is that it does not bring along any negative side effects. Children and elders can even consume them for the health benefits.

Apart from being able to help you to lose weight, apple cider vinegar is also able to improve the condition of a person facing certain ailments or illnesses.

Hoodia

Hoodia gained popularity in the weight loss industry as a great and effective appetite suppressor over recent years. Imported from the Kalahari desert, it has been turned into weight loss pills and supplements. Although it can bring weight loss results within a short period of time, one is not recommended to use it for long term fitness maintenance plan.

Prescription Diet Pills

If you want the safest diet supplements in the market, then you should go for prescription diet pills. Regulated and tested by the FDA, prescription diet pills are known to have little to no side effects to human body. Fat burning, appetite suppression and carbohydrates blocking are some of the major functions of the pills.

These pills are normally inexpensive. Trial offers and test samples are also being given away to consumers by health companies manufacturing these pills. You should take advantage of these offers before spending any big money on them.

Propolene

Propolene is being used widely in supplements and pills for weight loss. Its common functions include suppressing our diet and fat burning. It forms a fiber mass once it reaches our stomach, stimulating our brains that there is no hunger since the stomach is filled. If you are looking forward to lose a large amount of weight or fat, propolene is the ingredient that you should be looking for when buying weight loss supplements.

Peak Pilates

How a Senior Workout Will Improve Your Health and Well-Being

/in , , ,

Regular exercise is a vital part of healthy living as a senior. It not only helps keep muscles in good condition, exercise also strengthens the body. Working out is also a fun way to meet new people, and a terrific method of weight loss.

Just like workouts designed for younger generations, senior workouts are beneficial to both the mind and the body.

senior

Senior workouts can be simple. There is no need for complex and difficult movements. There are some workout programs designed specifically for seniors, with slow-paced exercises that gently increase the heart rate and strengthen muscles gradually. Building and strengthening muscles makes the body stronger, and a strong body is the best protection against injuries from slips and falls.

There are a wide range of workout programs available for seniors. Most gyms and fitness centers offer senior exercise programs, as well as many senior centers. Home gym equipment can also be used, or one of the many exercise videos on the market. Some of the best exercises for seniors can be performed at home or at the park with no gym membership and little equipment.

Yoga and aerobics programs are excellent for seniors. These programs are offered at many gyms and fitness centers and are often designed just for seniors. There are also a number of videos available with senior yoga and aerobics workouts. Yoga is a great workout for stretching and extending the body, and is extremely relaxing as well. An aerobic workout, on the other hand, increases the heart rate and strengthens various muscles throughout the body.

Strength training workouts for seniors are equally beneficial and usually only require two to three days of working out each week. These workouts build and strengthen muscles, reducing the chance of injury from a fall, and improve balance. Some strength training programs focus on the entire body, while others target a specific set of muscles, like the arms or legs.

Walking is a terrific senior workout that can be done anytime and anywhere with no special equipment. Walking is a great way to spend time outdoors, it is also a wonderful workout for the heart. Brisk walking is the best way to strengthen muscles and raise the heart rate. To preserve energy, seniors may want to alternate between fast-paced, brisk walking and an easier stroll. Walking workouts can even be used by seniors who may have trouble walking by only going short distances, using a walker if needed, and by taking lots of breaks.

Not all senior workout programs involve exercise mats and stretching. There are many fun and enjoyable ways to stay active. Swimming, golfing, and even dancing are all ways for seniors to stay fit. There are many ways to make senior workouts exciting. Planning group fitness activities is a great way for seniors to interact socially as well as exercise.

Before beginning any type of senior workout program, always consult with a doctor first. Safety should be the primary concern, so follow the doctor’s orders and adhere to any necessary precautions he may recommend.

How to Use a Chair Like a Kettlebell

/in , ,

What does the recent popularity of the kettlebell teach us about training? For many, this may seem like nothing more than an interesting new tool for us to work out with. In reality though, the kettlebell simply sheds a light on a different approach to working out. By using tools other than dumbbells, you are not in fact cheapening your workouts – you’re actually making them that much richer and more powerful.

The less ‘conventional’ the type of tool you train with, the more you are able to keep your body guessing and the more you are able to keep developing new muscle control, new awareness and new power. The kettlebell’s effectively lies not in the fact that it is a kettlebell but in the fact that it is an unusual shape and size and this forces us to adapt.

kettlebell

So what else might you be able to use to train? Take a look around your home and you should find that practically anything can become a powerful training tool!

How to Turn Your Chair Into a Powerful Training Tool

Take a standard dining table chair for example. This has a shape and size that makes it quite unwieldy and very unbalanced – perfect for the type of training we’re interested in.

A simple way to use this, would be to grab the back of the chair at the top with two hands. Now, hold the chair over your head and proceed to press it. This is a simple shoulder press movement, with the added challenge of the awkward angle and weight that forces you to adapt.

Better yet, you can use this to perform something akin to a tricep extension mixed with a front raise and bicep curl. In this same starting position – legs pointing toward the ceiling and hands gripped onto the top of the backrest, allow the chair to drop down behind your back so that your arms are bent over your shoulders. Now extend using your triceps, so that the chair is back to the starting position. Then lower your elbows and extend your arms, so that they are pointing out straight in front of you.

To bring the chair back, curl it using your biceps and then pull your elbows up so that they are pointing to the ceiling and the chair is behind your back.

This is a highly complex movement that will train the shoulders, the triceps, the lats, the biceps and more, all while requiring forearm strength, balance and control in order to keep the weight steady.

And of course that’s just one potential move. How about swinging the chair around your head in a ‘halo’ motion?
And the chair is just one example. The point we’re making here is that any item in your home can be used for training. And actually, the more unconventional and awkward it looks, the better it’s going to be for your training goals!

Get creative and think outside the box. Your gains will thank you!

3 Ways a Good Weight Loss Supplement Can Help You

/in , ,

In the traditional way of thinking, a weight loss supplement was supposed to play a ‘supplementary’ role to diet and exercise in the loss of weight endeavor. A person who was looking to lose mass was usually advised to enlist the help of a supplement for loss of weight, of course in addition to a diet that was conducive to their mass loss goal, and, ideally, a good exercise regime. The combination of diet, exercise and weight loss supplement was in most cases guaranteed to deliver loss of mass.

Then came the age of instant gratification, and that approach to weight loss suddenly became unfashionable. People began to ask, in the spirit of instant gratification and avoidance of effort, whether it wouldn’t somehow be possible to lose mass with the help of the supplement for loss of weight alone.

supplement

This was to be expected, seeing that besides the supplement for loss of weight, the other mass loss aids (diet and exercise) were quite ‘unpleasant:’ calling as they did, for considerable exertion on the part of the person looking to lose weight.

All this led to a situation where people started looking to lose mass with the aid of mass loss supplements only. For the most part, they ended up being unsuccessful. And this led to frustration, which had the long term effect of making people to start questioning the efficacy of the weight loss supplement. Indeed, some went on to declare that mass loss supplements don’t work.

The truth of the matter, however, is that a good loss of weight supplement, properly used, can help you in three ways in your endeavor to lose mass. To be sure, it may be a tall order to lose weight with the help of loss of weight supplements exclusively. Indeed, many tend to come with a disclaimer to exactly this effect: which goes something like ‘this supplements works best when used alongside diet and exercise.’ Still, there are the three ways in which a good loss of mass supplement can help you in your endeavor to lose weight.

1. The first way through which the loss of mass supplement can help you in your endeavor to lose weight is making the mass loss faster. They call in expediting the process, and the effect, using the right way loss supplement can be rather considerable.

2. The second way through which the weight loss supplement can help you in endeavor to lose weight is by making the loss of mass less demanding in terms of efforts. This is where you may still have to make dietary modifications and exercise if you are to lose weight, but where a good weight loss supplement increases the ‘returns’ you get for your investments into the mass loss endeavor.

3. The third way through which a good supplement for loss of mass can help you in your weight loss endeavor is by keeping you motivated on the process. Many people who decide to ‘live with’ their mass problems tend to be people who attempted to lose weight and failed. A good mass loss supplement, by expediting your weight loss and ‘increasing the returns’ on your investments in that endeavor gives you at least some ‘initial results’ to celebrate, and keep you motivated to continue on your mass loss effort. Attempting to go about trying to lose weight without a mass loss supplement could mean that it may be months before you start seeing any results out of your effort, by which time you could have given up on the whole venture.

Physical Yoga Practice for Active Seniors

/in , , ,

An active lifestyle is one of the keys to a long life. In our elder years, it is important to keep moving in order to enjoy the wonderful essence of life. Yoga is a fantastic activity for seniors, as it is low impact, promotes overall wellness, and can be modified to suit the mobility of any practitioner.

If you have been practicing Yoga for many years, you will see your youth extended, and your ability to practice is mildly affected as you age. Even if you are well into your senior years, and have never stepped foot on Yoga mat, it is never too late to start a healthy habit (though it is important to follow your body’s own pace).

active

Yoga is especially beneficial for seniors because it caters to many of their special health needs. In some cases, Yoga is useful because it helps ease the pains caused by arthritis and limited mobility. It improves balance and stability, reducing the chance of falls.

When practiced regularly, Yoga also is known to lower blood pressure. Yoga classes, geared toward seniors, can also help them establish a sense of community with one another and adopt a better outlook on life.

If a senior is a beginner to Yoga, it is best to start off slow, and go at his or her own pace. There is no need to try to push the body to do something that it has not been trained to do before. Applying force in Yoga can cause problems, regardless of a student’s age. It is always wise to move through the poses slowly and gently. Adjust the intensity, and time, held in a pose, to meet the body’s unique demands. Some of the best poses for seniors to try are relaxing, restorative, and gentle stretching postures. The corpse pose (Savasana) is great because it promotes relaxation and healthy blood flow.

Table, Cat, and Cow poses connect one’s breathing to body movements and can be very beneficial to seniors, as well. Pose of a Child is another relaxing posture, which is good for everyone. If mobility is a big issue, Chair Yoga might be the right style to choose. With Yoga practice, at a studio or senior center, students will bring their practice home.

This is time to try some gentle postures, flows, meditation, and breathing exercises (pranayama). Each of us has different expectations from Yoga practice, and seniors are no different. Senior Yoga students tend to have a deep appreciation for being pain free, keeping the mind active, energizing the body, and experiencing complete wellbeing.

With a little help from Yoga, and a positive state of mind, each of us can get the best quality life out of our golden years. Remember, it is never too late to create a healthy lifestyle, stimulate the mind, and tone a healthier body. Yoga practice for active seniors is “the icing on the cake.”

How to Train Like an Old-Time Strongman

/in , ,

When setting out to get into a shape, a good starting point is to find role models. Who are your fitness heroes? Whose physique would you like to emulate? Whose training philosophy most closely resembles your own?

Get this right and you can find yourself with a blueprint to follow and ample amounts of inspiration and motivation. Get it wrong and you’re asking for disappointment and frustration.

fitness

An example of a ‘wrong’ fitness role model might often be found on YouTube. While there are some great personalities on YouTube in the fitness community, there are also some destructive forces that you must contend with. In particular are those who spout unhelpful training advice and use steroid-driven physiques in order to sell us on its merits.

They tell us we can look like them by training like them. What they leave out is the chemical assistance that helped them get there, or the crippling back pain that is the cost of developing all those ‘mirror muscles’ and approximately zero ‘functional strength’.

Why Old-Time Strongmen Are Great Fitness Heroes

So who might we choose to look up to instead? A good alternative might be one of the legendary ‘old time strongmen’. These are individuals who trained long before we had protein shakes – let alone steroids and yet they achieved physiques that are well beyond many of our modern YouTube stars!

What’s more, they could actually use that strength and would be able to do incredible things like bending iron bars and lifting huge amounts of weight. These strongmen trained using completely different tools and methods and the results more than speak for themselves.

So if you want muscle that’s not just for show and that has an amazing historical heritage, that is a much better way to train.

How to Train Like an Old Time Strongman

So with all that said, how do you go about training in such a manner? What tools and techniques did they use that you could replicate?

The first trick is to use functional tools that train your body from multiple angles and that require you to use supportive muscles and balance in conjunction with brute strength. These force us to use our bodies as intended: as a single unit, working in unison. This is how we are able to generate the most strength and actually use it in ways that are useful.

Some tools that you can use to train this way include kettlebells, Indian clubs, ropes and barbells with especially thick bars. Training with one handed movements is also a particularly useful exercise, as well using more unconventional lifts, like the Turkish get-up and ‘anyhow lift’.

Another tip is to make sure that you are training your grip. This is the secret weapon of any old-time strongman and anyone interested in building truly functional strength needs to give it serious consideration in order to ensure no energy is wasted and that all of it is directed at moving the wei
ghts.

Finally, combine this with a protein rich diet and if you want to go truly old-time: lots of raw eggs!

(Although maybe a little cooking to avoid a biotin deficiency… not everything was better back in the day!)

Safe Weight Loss Supplements

/in , ,

Many individuals are now becoming more and more watchful of their weight as the epidemic of obesity looms overhead. It is estimated that there are as many overweight individuals as the undernourished individuals in the world.

The surplus weight has been implicated on several factors; so many health-conscious individuals are looking for safe weight loss supplements available in the market. The increased awareness of lifestyle diseases attributed to obesity has also increased demand for such products.

supplements

It is normal to find and take diet supplements, as long as you are sure that they are safe. Remember that in the $30 billion dollar weight-loss industry, the market has been saturated with supplements. Some are effective and safe for public, others are little more than encapsulated powders with obscure origins, and the remaining niche contains unsafe habit-forming drugs that are packaged as safe and effective.

There are several factors that are needed to consider before being certain that a dietary supplement is safe. First thing to look is the label, check it has proper and clear label. Although weight-loss supplements classified differently from drugs, they must be treated as so because they still affect the body in regarding weight loss.

The label must include generic names, composition, manufactured and expiry dates, government safety approvals, unusual effects and allergy alerts. It must be genuine; it is wise to look in the internet about the drug and its contents to be sure that it does contain a weight-reducing supplement. In that way, you could prevent yourself from taking fake products that produce lot more harm than good.

Another thing to be certain that a weight-loss supplement is safe to use is to take a look at its ingredients. Many drugs derive their weight-loss properties from two sources; laboratory-produced drugs and herbal/plant sources, or a mix of both. Both are safe if approved safe to use by your local health department, and are clearly stated in the label.

The ideal weight-loss supplement must be clearly effective. The effectiveness must be proven by a scientific study done by medical professional and sanctioned by the health authorities. It would took some research in the internet but it is worth the try; there are a lot of supplements out there approved as safe and effective by the FDA that you might find.

All of weight-loss supplements acts on a part of the body that helps reduce weight; the hypothalamus of the brain, thyroid, intestines and liver that suppress appetite, increase metabolism, and inhibit fat absorption from food and bloodstream, respectively. A safe product can promote weight loss by using one or two of those pathways without harming or damaging the organs involved and the body as well. It should not have long-term undesirable effects to the user, and most of all, not habit-forming (notable was the drug Ephedra, which contains compounds similar to methamphetamines, and now banned by the FDA).

A popular idea that an herbal medicine has little or no side effects is not always the case. A lot of prescribed drugs in the market originate from plant sources. Some examples of these are Digoxin (from foxglove plant) that increases heart contractility, chemotherapeutic agents Vincristine and Vinblastine (from Madagascar periwinkle), and habit-forming drugs like Nicotine (Tobacco plant), Cocaine (Coca Plant) and Opium (Opium Poppies). These drugs have terrible side effects and they are derived from plants. All plant-derived supplements must be labeled with unexpected adverse effects.

The point is the consumer must be vigilant in choosing supplements because there are a lot of fake, unsafe, or improperly labeled brands that are highly-priced in the market that are ineffective, contains little or no active substance, or possibly dangerous adulterants. Unlike drugs, weight-loss supplements are not subject to rigorous testing, and they are only removed from the market once the health authorities receive large numbers of reports about adverse effects. In that case, consumers are likened as guinea pigs for tests. We must not easily believe advertisements telling their brands as safe and effective.

Being overweight is already a problem, and having unpleasant adverse effect presents additional problems; it wastes your time, hard-earned money and adds to the frustration of reducing weight. Anyone must be careful in choosing weight-loss supplements; it must be truly effective and safe to use.

Yoga | Wonderfully Fit

Beginning Yoga Classes for Seniors

/in , , ,

Over millions of seniors, age 60 and older, are practicing yoga today across the globe, according to a study conducted by yoga journal. This is not a surprise indeed as this exercising system has several benefits attached to it for people of all age groups.

Yoga is reckoned as the non-competitive and gentle method of meditation and exercise that is suitable for all age groups, even seniors can enjoy the benefits offered by this exercising system.

yoga

Features

The beginning yoga session for seniors is similar to the general beginning yoga for all. However, there are some differences in the classes offered to the seniors. The classes for seniors have modifications to postures that help the seniors to practice the postures easily and work within their physical abilities. The classes designed for seniors usually have less intense poses that focus on building strength in seniors. The classes for seniors comprise more time for warming up and additional time for mediation and breathing techniques are the prime focus on the classes for seniors.

Benefits

There are many benefits associated with this exercising system for seniors. This form of art can be practiced by anyone and at any level. The postures are modified for the seniors according to their health condition and physical ability. There are some postures that can improve flexibility in seniors and these special postures can be very helpful for seniors experiencing stiffness. There are many seniors who are suffering from depression and they find this exercising system quite helpful to alleviate the stress level and depression.

This exercising system is also very helpful for seniors who are suffering from the health conditions associated with aging including cholesterol levels, energy levels, blood pressure, bone weakness, blood sugar levels, and back pain. With regular practice of this exercising system seniors can also prevent diabetes, weight problems, strokes and heart diseases.

Types

According to Yoga Journal, there are some specific postures designed for senior practitioners and these postures focus on improving flexibility, strength and balance. Some of senior yoga classes also comprise backward and forward bends and twists. Corpse postures, Cross-legged Postures and Mountain Postures are the basic postures that are suggested to senior practitioners.

Warning

Although this exercising system is gentle in nature, but there are some postures that can be too intense for senior practitioners. So, it is always suggested to consult your doctor before starting any yoga program. The selection of postures must be done according to the body and physical condition. Some of the yoga studios make use of props to assist the senior practitioner in performing diverse postures. The studios make use of chair for seniors, instead of practicing on floor. So, you must enroll in yoga studio that specializes in offering yoga classes for seniors.

How to Lose Weight With a Kettlebell

/in

Kettlebell training has a large number of different advantages and lets you train your body from different angles and in a far more functional range of motion.

But what’s really great about the kettlebell is versatile it is as a tool and how it allows you develop your fitness and health in numerous different ways.

kettlebell

If you want to build bodybuilder-type muscle, then you can do so by using single joint isolation movements and heavy resistance. This will create muscle fiber tears, flood your muscles with metabolites and generally help you to encourage more growth.

At the same time though, you can also use a kettlebell to lose weight and it happens to be particularly well suited to that goal. Let’s look at how you might do that…

The Exercises

The great thing about the kettlebell is that it allows you to perform resistance cardio. This means you are using cardiovascular training that increases your heartrate and helps you to burn fat. At the same time though, you are also lifting weight, which protects your muscle from breakdown and increases the challenge, thereby increasing the amount of calories burned and the amount of effort involved.

Also useful, is that the kettlebell allows you to train in this manner on the spot and without a lot of tools. Unlike running, you can enjoy kettlebell training in any whether and in a short space of time.

And to get the very most of this, you can combine the kettlebell as a tool with the HIIT modality. HIIT is ‘high intensity interval training’ – a form of exercise that challenges you to alternate between brief bursts of high intensity exertion and shorter periods of relatively steady-state exercise.

In this case for example, you might perform the kettlebell swing for 1 minutes and then rest for 30 seconds before going again.

The kettlebell swing is an ideal movement for resistance cardio that involves swinging the kettlebell between your legs and then straight back up in the air using a slight hip thrust movement to provide the forward momentum.

The Diet

To lose weight, this training must be combined with the right type of diet.

That diet should be one that is relatively low in calories. The objective here is to burn more calories in a day than you consume. So if you normally burn 2,000 calories and consume 2,200 calories, you can increase that burn to 2,400 using HIIT training and you can then reduce the amount you eat to 2,100 calories. Now you’re losing 300 calories every day!

Try to eat more protein and you will support more muscle growth while reducing fat storage. Combine this with 4 workouts a week, lasting about 20 minutes each and you should start to see the results you’re looking for using just this one tool and one movement.

Remember though, weight loss is only achievable if you change your entire lifestyle and habits. It is not enough to simply add in an exercise and forget about it! Walk more, spend less time in front of the TV and reduce unhealthy snacks!

The Facts About Weight Loss Supplements

/in , ,

Weight loss supplements are all the rage, they are everywhere and sometimes hard to ignore. Obesity is a problem that faces 2/3 of the American and UK adult population and 15% of the teenagers. I lecture young adults 17-24 and I have witnessed this increase in obesity over the last 10 years.

This problem with weight gain has been growing over the past several decades and is creating medical and emotional problems. As people’s waistlines expand so does the number of weight loss supplements.

Weight loss supplements

Although the way to lose weight is relatively simple, the execution is for many people difficult. Often people will turn to weight loss supplements because changing their eating habits is just so difficult and using supplements and pills can sometimes help reduce that challenge and in theory make losing weight much less painless.

We also want fast progress and instant results. We want fast food, fast Internet, fast service and fast weight loss. We want it all and we want it quickly and painlessly.

So let’s look at weight loss supplements. They fall into two large categories; over the counter and prescription medications. Prescription supplements are only available from your doctor and a pharmacist.

Prescription medications will have undergone severe testing by the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The manufacturing of these products will also be regulated.

Over the counter weight loss supplements are not regulated by the FDA and are not classified as drugs. As they are not classified as drugs there will be no regulation on their distribution or on the manufacturing process. Usually there are no stringently performed scientific research studies that evaluate their efficacy and possible side effects of the weight loss supplement.

An example of a weight loss supplement is Ephedra. This supplement has shown a good success rate with weight loss but also has many serious side effects. These side effects include blood pressure problems, cardiac issues and even death. The media eventually got to Ephedra and this made a huge dent in the sales volume of the supplement. This improved the health of those who thought that taking it would be an easy route to lose weight.

Hoodia Gordonii is another supplement that has some medical consequences. There is a credible weight loss in the small studies that have been done but only one type of the Hoodia has the P57 component that is the appetite suppressant. There is some pure Hoodia but there are in fact very few manufacturers that guarantee the authenticity and quality of the product. There have also been some research studies that have indicated significant side effects in the liver.

Many of the over the counter weight loss supplements also use caffeine as their active ingredient. Caffeine dehydrates the body and the client will feels an initial ‘thinness’. This feeling is followed by rebound bloating when the body attempts to retain as much fluid as possible for survival. It’s all part of Homeostasis where the body keeps the fluid balance constant and if too much water is lost it will readjust and retain more.

When you choose a weight loss supplement always look at the ingredients – both the active and inactive ones. Pills often will have inactive ingredients that can affect you adversely, sometimes even as much as the active ingredients. Check with the pharmacist if you are taking any other medications to ensure there are no known drug interactions between the tablets you already take and these over-the-counter ones you are considering.

Just remember this – anything you purchase and put into your body should be treated just like a medication or drug. Just because it has a label calling it a supplement, or all natural or herbal does not mean that it will not have side effects or will not interact with medications you are already taking. It also does not mean that it will not interfere with any underlying medical conditions.

Keep in mind that weight loss supplements should only be used together with eating habit changes. if you do not change your eating habits then once you stop taking the supplements and go back to old ways your weight will pile on again and you’ll gain even more weight than you originally lost.

Weight loss supplements are only a tool in the battle of the bulge. If they are Used correctly and with care then they will help you to develop good eating habits that you can continue when you no longer take the supplements