There is an interesting article in New York Times entitled “Never Too Cool for a Hard Workout” which was written by John Branch. It features numerous athletes for ice sports such as snowboarding.

We always have assumption that exercise is not needed for sports. Anyhow it is already physically demanding activities which utilize your energy and improve your fitness level. However oftentimes we forgot the importance of conditioning our body to give optimum performance in any sports.

Regular exercise conditions your body muscles and enhances your stamina. If you are playing sports for leisure, then it is still best to exercise. Do not underestimate the benefits of exercise to your body. It avoids injuries and improves your sports performance.

Similar reasons are cited by the athletes in the article ‘Never Too Cool for a Hard Workout‘.  To read the full article, click it here.

Do you like to munch nuts? Is it favourable to your diet? The article “Once a Diet No-No, Nuts Are in Again” of MaryAnne Gragg will enlighten you about the nutrition benefits of including the nuts in your diet.

Although nuts are rich in fat and calories, its nutritional value cannot be underrated. This is the reason that nuts are good to be part in your diet however be careful also. Excessive consumption of nuts can also lead you to adding extra pounds in your weight.

It is important to remember the idea of moderation when considering nuts in your diet.

There are many ways to include nuts in your diet. Some of the suggestions in the article are tossing it in your dishes and salad, or sprinkle chopped nuts in your bowl of cereal. There are many creative ways to include nuts in your meals but just always remember - moderation and right serving – is important.

Read the full article ‘Once a diet no-no, nuts are in again‘ from CNN.com - Health.

Fitness Editorial Credits to MaryAnne Gragg, Health.com.

We all know that cutting 100 or 500 calories a day can definitely help us to lose weight. The article “Skinny Trimmings” featured in Yahoo Health can become a handy manual for us who are struggling to lose weight.

The article outlines various ways to cut out 100 or 300 calories a day. For coffee aficionados, beware of the artistry toppings of cream because it can spiral the calorie content of a plain coffee. The “Skinny Trimmings” article advises us to replace the white chocolate mocha in cappuccino with soy or fat free milk to reduce significantly the calories.

It is interesting to know the ways to trick calories in our meals and how it can be done easily by slightly amending the condiments in our dishes or beverages. We do not have to give up our favorite meal but we can be smart in cutting out the calories.

Remember that few calories out each day can lead to one digit down in the weighing scale.

Read the full article ‘Skinny Trimmings‘ from Yahoo! Health.

Fitness Editorial Credits to Women’sHealth.

There is an interesting article of Gina Kolata in New York Times entitled “Slimmer Doesn’t Always Mean Fitter”. In our current era, we always struggle to shed those extra pounds in our body however we oftentimes ignore the aspect of losing weight to be fitter.

We try all means of losing weight because we wanted to look good on our newly bought swim wear. It is oftentimes the vanity attached to being slimmer that overwhelms and drives us to lose weight. There is only a small percentage in the population that really aims to lose weight for health reasons.

This is the reason that the article “Slimmer Doesn’t Always Mean Fitter” hits most of us. Are we losing weight to look good or to be fitter? The author has also pointed out that most of the distinguished athletes in the field of running and tennis had also struggled to achieve the right weight.

As for them, the right weight means the ideal weight in which they are at their best performance level. Hence, it is always their desire to achieve the right weight to be fitter and to tap their optimum athletic abilities.

In our case, then perhaps it is about time to reframe our primary motivations to lose weight. It should be for better fitness level, healthier lifestyle and longer life. Feeling and looking good because of the newly trimmed weight is only a bonus.

Read the full article ‘Slimmer Doesn’t Always Mean Fitter’ from NYTimes.com

Do you hate housework? Well, most of us do but the article in HeathKey entitled “Housework is Good for Every Body!” will convince you not to hate housework. There are many demons within us that draw us away from our desire to exercise and to lose weight.

We enroll and pay hefty membership fees in the gym yet we do not utilize it regularly. We can always take a walk in our neighborhood for half an hour but we always have endless excuses to avoid it.

Now the good news is we can start considering housework as a form of exercise. The article “Housework is Good for Every Body!” outlines its effective role in our goal to lose weight or increase our fitness level.

Now we can look forward to carrying out our housework because of its benefits to our body. We can always have excuses not to exercise but we cannot put off the housework for so long. So it means we are keeping a tidy house while keeping our body in good shape. Doesn’t it sound very interesting?

Read the full article ‘Housework is Good for Every Body!’ from HealthKey.com

The equation for weight loss is simple. Eat less and exercise more. Though as simple as it seems, it is difficult to keep your weight from escalating. You can consume the same amount of food however engaging yourself to move can help you shed extra pounds faster.

The article “Motivation to Move” of Joan Westlake is very helpful to encourage you to keep on moving. The motivations are very practical but oftentimes taken for granted. Reading this motivational list regularly can boost (no doubt about it) your desire to exercise more.

If you are falling off from your track, try to read the article “Motivation to Move”. It will definitely ignite your commitment to lose weight and to continue exercising. So fortify your will power by remembering these motivations and you will certainly not hesitate to engage yourself to move.

Word of advice. Print it off and post it in a place where you see it every day. Make it a habit to read it on daily basis to reinforce your motivation to exercise.

Read the full article ‘Motivation to Move’ from HealthKey.com.

Isn’t it contradicting to know that there are now available healthy fast food options? Generally fast food menus are known to be rich in fat and high in calories. However, in the article of Abby Ellin in New York Times entitled “Forget Jenny Craig. Hit the Drive-Thru” relates how some fast food chains start to join the bandwagon of offering healthy options to customers.

Fast food becomes a convenient way to gratify a hungry stomach especially for busy individuals. Others do not have time to prepare and cook healthy food at home so opting for fast food is a better and ideal solution for a busy lifestyle.

In the article “Forget Jenny Craig. Hit the Drive-Thru”, it is interesting to know that you can choose now fast food meals without really feeling guilty about the calories though experts have various reactions regarding these reduced calorie fast food menus. Perhaps they question its nutrition content but the fact remains that it is good to have better and healthier option in the fast food restaurants.

In this era of fast pace lifestyle, a meal with less than 200 calories than your usual meal is better than consuming the typical high calorie content of fast food meal.

Read the full article ‘Forget Jenny Craig. Hit the Drive-Thru.’ from NYTimes.com - Fashion and Style.

Have you been eating healthy foods and still not losing weight? Then check your food portion. Perhaps you ordered grilled meat yesterday for your lunch but the portion was doubled than your ideal portion to help you lose weight.

The article of Phillip Rhodes entitled “Why Portion Control Matters” will enlighten you as why it is important to be mindful of the portion served in your plate. Also, Rhodes outlines an interesting explanation as why people generally overeat. It is always a battle between your rational mind and impulsive emotion.

It is also fascinating to know how your subconscious reacts on certain situations. According to study, people are more likely to order the “Triple-Chocolate Black Forest Volcano Cake” than for  a cake which is simply labeled as “chocolate cake”. Do you realize how many times you ordered because the description of the menu is just to appealing to your taste palate?

Let’s face it. Our conscious effort to live a healthy lifestyle is oftentimes sabotage because we are bombarded with striking marketing strategy about foods. Hence, there is always a battle between keeping your weight loss goal and caving in to the alluring ads of delicious rich fat foods.

Indeed people need to be mindful in their portion size when eating because it really matters to your goal to lose weight.

Read the full article ‘’Why Portion Control Matters’ from CNN.com - Health.

Fitness Editorial Credits to Phillip Rhodes, CookingLight.com.

By Julie Brealy

There is nothing more frustrating than to know that your diet and exercise, which used to keep you fit for years, are now less effective. The flabby arms and legs are still noticeable despite of intensive workout and stricter diet. This situation will start to puzzle you as why your exercise regimen and long-term diet programs are no longer effective.

Actually, there is nothing wrong in your workouts and diets. It has something to do with your age. Age is a vital factor that contributes to middle age weight gain. According to studies, the process of burning calories or also known as metabolism slows down as you age.

This is the rationale behind for that flabby arms though you workout religiously and keeps a stricter diet. However, there is good news! Middle age weight gain can be prevented. The only thing you have to remember is to start the prevention now and not to delay it further.

It is a known fact that there is no magic formula for long term weight loss and fitness. It is always a package of hard work and discipline. So to combat your body’s vulnerability to middle age weight gain, these are effective tips to remember.

Muscle burns more calories. To rev up your body metabolism, it is necessary to increase your muscle mass. This is best achieved by intensifying your strength trainings and engaging more into fat burning workout activities.

There are many options for fat burning exercises. It stretches from body combat, swimming, cycling, circuit training, aerobics, yoga and boxing. If you have been exercising, then try to increase your fitness level and to diversify your workout activities so as to boost your metabolism. However if you have sedentary lifestyle, then it is recommended to start slowly. The important step is to start now.

Be extra cautious with your food intake. Your metabolism declines with your age. If you are starting to climb the age of thirties, it is about time to cut back sweets and rich fat foods. Healthy foods such as vegetables, lean meat and fruits are good options.

However, not all of us have the ability to kick off a new healthy lifestyle. Leaving behind our old habits is a real challenge but there are ways to resolve this issue. You can always seek the expertise of nutritionists and gym instructors. To see fast result, it is recommended to enrol in fitness or weight loss boot camps.

You may oppose to this idea because of the fees involved but you have to consider its long term benefits to you. Your decision to join a fitness boot camp can be the key to a longer life and healthier you.

Fitness and weight loss boot camps are equipped with facilities and have the experts to guide and to ensure optimum result in your workouts and diet program.

So do not wait until losing weight becomes an arduous goal to achieve. Take the necessary steps now to prevent the middle age weight gain.

About the Author
Julie Brealy is the health manager at FitFarms, UK’s No. 1 Weight Loss Holiday and Fitness Boot Camp. She has been working for over 10 years in the weight loss industry advising companies in the US and the UK. Julie is also an experienced deep tissue massage therapist.

Don’t you love extra salt in your french-fries?  Of course you do because it tastes better, right? The salt content in our daily food intake is oftentimes ignored but the recent article of Pam Belluck in New York Times entitled ‘Big Benefits Are Seen from Eating Less Salt’ highlights the advantages of reducing your salt content intake.

Actually you are swarmed of food options with high content of sodium. Think about the processed foods?  Your cupboard and fridge in the kitchen are definitely stuffed with manufactured food items such as canned goods, processed meat, instant noodles and so on. The salt content of these items is very high.

According to the article, salt can be associated to blood pressure, heart illnesses and stroke. Hence, your decision to reduce the sodium in your food can significantly help you avoid these diseases.

The article gives a glimpse of the possible result across the nation if reduction of sodium is seriously taken by the people. It is indeed quite interesting to know how your health can benefit for lessening the salt in your everyday meals and snack.

So now, think again before you take that salt and pepper shaker in the dining table.
Read the full article, ‘Big Benefits Are Seen From Eating Less Salt‘ from NYTimes.com - Fitness and Nutrition.