25 Simple Tips to Improve Your Health and Fitness

The quality of our lives is determined by the quality of our health. You can have all the money in the world but if you go through your day feeling tired, fatigued or weak, you can’t be living your life to the fullest. Here are 25 quick tips to increase your health and fitness:

1. Lifestyle Change

Because of their temporary nature, diets don’t work. The people who do lose weight end up gaining it back again once they come off the diet. Instead of dieting, try to change your lifestyle. The changes you make to the way you eat should be sustainable for the rest of your life.

2. Rid the cabinet of the junk food

The easiest way to ensure that you don’t eat the food you shouldn’t is to make sure it isn’t available. Go through your fridge and toss out all the junk food. Next time you go grocery shopping, make sure that you don’t buy more, and always eat before grocery shopping also read ask the Anytime Guys Grocery list

3. Make use of healthy snacks

Having a snack between your meals is a good idea – as long as they’re healthy. Stock up on fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds. Have them readily available for whenever you might feel hungry. This means both at home and at the office. Read Clean Eating

4. All Carbs are not created equal

While carbohydrates are a necessary part of your diet, there are some that do more damage than good. Avoid white carbs wherever possible and switch to the whole-grain alternatives, be sure to read "The Truth About Bread"

5. Kill the caffeine addiction

Whether it’s coffee or soft drinks, caffeine is a drug. It’s a legal drug but a drug nonetheless. If you feel the need for a warm drink, choose an herbal tea instead, caffeine can have a great fat burning effect with the proper dosage in combination with other natural herbs.

6. Don’t forget the fat

Although trans-fats and the like should be avoided, you need to consume sufficient essential fatty acids. Make sure you are getting your omega-3 and omega-6 fats. These can be found in flax oil, nuts, and seeds. Almonds, Walnuts, Pecans, Pumpkin Seeds, Flax seed

7. Water is your friend

Your body is made up mostly of water. The problem is most people walk around dehydrated, and don't have a clue that the water they are drinking will not hydrate them and is loaded with toxins. If you are feeling thirsty, it’s too late: you are already dehydrated, drink Kangen Water buy an Enagic SD501 and start giving this water to everyone you know.

8. Breathe deeply

Oxygen is more important than water for your health. You can survive days without water but only minutes without oxygen. Most people today have very shallow breathing and are not getting enough air. Breathe deeply from your diaphragm to ensure your cells are well oxygenated.

9. Eat your veggies

Vegetables are rich in micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) that are essential to your health. Plus they have a cleansing effect on your body because of their alkaline pH.

10. Buy organic

Much of the commercial produce available today is devoid of nutritional value due to the depleted soil used in the industrial farming process. Organic produce also has the benefit of tasting a lot better. It might be more expensive but the benefit is well worth it.

11. Get friends that live healthy

The ongoing interaction with people who have the health you desire will be a positive influence on you. It is far easier to make the transition to healthy living when you have the social support.

12. Find healthy foods you enjoy

Just because you are eating healthy does not mean you need to suffer eating foods you hate. Look for healthy foods you enjoy and eat them more often. Find recipes online that are both healthy and enjoyable.

13. Take your lunch to work

Not only will brown bagging your lunch save you some money, it will help you avoid eating unhealthy foods for lunch. Take the extra time to make your lunch in the morning or make extra for dinner and eat the leftovers.

14. Eat out intelligently

For the restaurants that you visit frequently, find out the menu choices that are healthy options. This way, you can enjoy going out without jeopardizing your health.

15. Give yourself a cheat meal

Every now and then, it’s okay to indulge in something you know that it is not good for you but you enjoy. You shouldn’t deprive yourself. Just make sure that this only happens from time to time.

16. Sleep deeply

Get a good night’s rest every evening. Sleep in a quiet room that is dark for the appropriate amount of time for you. Most people have heard that you need 8 hours of sleep for proper health. In my experience, the amount of sleep I need varies with my eating habits and exercise. When I am living in a healthy manner, I find I feel fully energized with about 6 hours of sleep. Find the amount of sleep that is right for you.

17. Schedule exercise

Make your workout an important appointment for yourself. Schedule it at a specific time and place. Make it as important to you as a business meeting or doctor’s appointment.

18. Get a workout buddy

Sometimes your motivation to exercise wanes. When you have a partner that pushes you, it is far easier to take action. Working out with a friend also tends to make it a lot more fun.

19. Exercise aerobically

Cardiovascular exercise helps to burn fat and raises your metabolism. It also strengthens your heart and lungs. Do at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise at least 3 times a week.

20. Don’t forget to stretch

Stretching is important for your flexibility and the recovery of your muscles. Don’t stretch a cold muscle – it’s a good way to injure yourself. If you stretch before your workout, only do so after warming up. It’s always a good idea to stretch after a workout where your muscles are already warm.

21. Train for strength

Building muscle not only increasing your strength but also increases your metabolism. Strength training also stimulates the release human growth hormone in your body which slows the aging process. It’s important to engage in strength training 2-4 times a week.

22. Make exercise a habit

The easiest way to follow through and make sure that you exercise is to make it automatic. Exercise at the same time every day if possible.

23. Get a trainer

Although a personal trainer is not necessary, having one while you start out exercising can be very helpful. They can show the proper form for exercises and help motivate you to really push yourself.

24. Make changes gradually

If you’ve been living an unhealthy lifestyle for a long time, the challenge of healthy living can seem daunting. Instead of trying to change everything at once and getting overwhelmed, make sustainable changes gradually.

25. Don’t give up

If you fall back into unhealthy patterns, there is no reason to beat yourself up about it. Identify why the lapse occurred and learn from your mistakes. Move forward with this knowledge and continue to move towards health.

Click Here to subscribe to e-Healthy News today!

 YOU SHOULD DRINK THE BEST WATER ON EARTH  Kangen Water™

 Follow The Anytime Guy:

7 Mistakes Beginners Make Starting A Fitness Program

1.Workout mistake: Expecting too much, too quickly

Look you didn't get outta shape in just a few months so don't expect to get in the shape of your life in that sort of time frame, set some short term goals 3-6 months and some 12-18 mo goals. Be realistic. Don’t get frustrated and embarrassed if you’re just starting out, says Anytime Guy, a fitness expert at Anytime Fitness Arkansas and author of Ask the Anytime Guy. “Struggling is part of the experience,” he says, “and when you no longer struggle, it’s time to take it up a notch.” Particularly in the beginning, forget what you can’t do and figure out what you can, and focus on those accomplishments no matter how small they seem.

2.Workout mistake: Not believing in yourself

It’s time to realize you really are stronger than you think. “Many women lack the confidence in themselves to take their workouts to the next level. Most are unsure of their capabilities, so they stay with the same old workouts. Change is essential to a workout to maximize the effects of the effort you put in it. When you lose the fear of doing something new, the potential for physical change is endless.”

3.Workout mistake: Going too hard-core

You made the decision to shape up and now you want to see results—fast. You know it takes effort, so you push yourself to your absolute limit during every workout. We get it; we’ve been there. But maxing out your heart rate, dripping in sweat and feeling like you want to die every time you work out may not be the best way to reach your goal. Dave Van Daff, senior director of education and development for  Bally Total Fitness, says overdoing it can make you hate exercise. “If you dread the workout, you’ll give up and not to do it, and eventually you’ll quit. Instead, the rule of thumb to use is to never increase your training by more than 10 percent at a time. Go up in slight increments to prevent injury and help you mentally,” he says.

4.Workout mistake: Doing only crunches for a flat stomach

Yes, you need to do ab work to get that toned tummy, but crunches alone won’t get you there. “What woman out there doesn’t want rock-hard abs?” says Van Daff. “Women come in to the gym and do ab exercises. They take yoga and Pilates classes to strengthen their core, thinking that by building up their abdominal muscles, they’ll poke through. But the bottom line is that most people already have ab muscles. It’s more of a matter of getting through the fat to let them shine through by doing cardio and reducing calorie intake.” That is where the importance of diet comes in, reducing and eventually cutting all processed foods from your lifestyle.

5.Workout mistake: Spending too much time at the gym

Good news: Clocking endless hours on the treadmill is not the key to losing weight or getting healthy. “Exercising smart is a lot more important than exercising more,” . Sit down with someone who knows what they are doing and map out a routine.” Need help getting started? Visit Anytime Fitness for healthy fitness tips.

6.Workout mistake: Putting too much emphasis on the scale or the mirror

Putting too much emphasis on the scale or the mirror oftentimes backfires, says Anytime Guy. “There are so many different things that can affect what your weight will be: time of day, water retention, clothing, etc. Our focus should really be on how we look and how our clothes fit.” And, he notes, if heaven forbid you step onto the scale one day and notice you’ve gained a pound or two, it’s not going to do much for you, motivationally speaking.

7.Workout mistake: Fearing strength training will cause you to bulk up

Strength training helps you burn more calories throughout each day (muscle burns more calories than fat) and gives your body curves,  but so many women don’t do it because they’re afraid of looking like a body builder. Almost every female I’ve ever dealt with at some point says, ‘I’m getting too big,’”  “But I have to tell you that in the 13 years I’ve been in the business, I’ve never had anyone prove to me that they really are by doing standard strength training alone.” Still concerned? Anytime Guy measures his clients when they begin their fitness program and any time they think they’re bulking up. “If you think your legs are getting bigger, the only way to know is to measure them,” he says.

Train Hard,

by Anytime Guy

Click Here to subscribe to e-Healthy News today!

 YOU SHOULD DRINK THE BEST WATER ON EARTH  Kangen Water™

 Follow The Anytime Guy:

Lose Weight The Chew Chew Way!

Lose Weight By Chewing More

'"Let your knife & fork do the work of your teeth and let your teeth do the work of your stomach""

When people think digestion they most often think of intestines and their stomach. The truth is that the digestion process actually begins in the mouth. The process of chewing is a vital component of the digestive process. The action of chewing mechanically breaks down very large amounts of food molecules into smaller particles. This results in food having increased in surface area, an important contributing factor to good digestion. 


Chewing your food well allows the food to be exposed to your saliva for a longer period of time. Food’s being in contact with saliva is not just important because it helps to lubricate the food, allowing for less stress on your esophagus, but because saliva contains enzymes that contribute to the chemical process of digestion. Carbohydrate digestion begins with enzymes in your saliva breaking down some of the chemical bonds that connect the simple sugars that comprise starches. Also, the first stage of fat digestion begins in your mouth with the secretion of enzymes by glands located under the tongue.

So what are some benefits to chewing your food thoroughly?

1. Aids in the proper transport of nutrients in your body.
2. Helps start the important digestive process which is important to being healthy.
3. You are more than likely to not eat as much by eating thoroughly. When you are eating slower, your brain can tell you that you are full, causing you to eat less.
4. Helps to prevent the heavy feeling that sometimes follows a meal and it also will help you lose body fat since you are not eating as much

What are some of the side effects of not chewing thoroughly?

1. Poorly digested food means poor absorption of the vitamins and nutrients that the foods you are eating provide.
2. Eating rapidly and swallowing large mouthfuls contributes to the reflux which can damage the lining of the throat and esophagus. About 44% of Americans experience reflux or heartburn at least once a month, 20% have it every week and 7% suffer from it daily.
3. Other side effects include flatulence, indigestion, heartburn, gas, IBS, and other discomforts. Chewing each bit thoroughly allows less air to enter in which decreases gas and burping. With an increasing number of individuals with IBS, constipation, abdominal spasms and bloating, chewing food could possibly prevent a number if these daily discomforts.

"There's real science to this chewing business; in his wonderful book, The Power Eating Program: You are how You Eat, Lino Stanchich talks about the enzyme ptylin which is released in the saliva after some vigorous chewing.  This enzyme, critical to the breakdown of carbohydrates, is released only in the mouth and without it, all the other digestive enzymes-which are secreted at different points in the G.I. tract-don't work so well.  So when it comes to eating carbohydrates-grains, vegetables, beans, fruits, bread, noodles-if you ain't chewing, you ain't really eating! 

When a complex carb is broken down in the mouth with ptylin, it converts to glucose-right there in your mouth! This glucose is then absorbed easily into the bloodstream to become blood sugar.  "Big deal" you say and, well, it is a big deal.  You see, your brain uses more sugar than any other organ in the body.  Because your brain is totally bathed in blood, the quality of that blood is vital to your mental health.  When your blood is low in sugar, your brain is like "I hate my life... what's on TV?" and when your brain is bathed in good-quality blood sugar, it's like "WHAT'S NEXT, BABY?" and gets all excited to play ball with life.  Low blood sugar has been associated with moodiness, depression, fatigue-even dizziness and the shakes. 

Even cravings for sweets-or food in general-are caused by low blood sugar because your brain is constantly yelling "FEED ME!!!!"  When you chew your food one hundreds times per mouthful, and those carbs become glucose, and your blood sugar rises and the brains gets bathed in the sweet, sweet stuff it says "AHH... I love you".  All nice like that.  And the cravings disappear. 

Well-chewed saliva is alkaline, and therefore reduces the acidity of any food you are eating.  That's unbelievably cool because if acidity isn't buffered in the mouth, it gets buffered by minerals in the blood and bones.  This can lead to weak blood and even bone loss.   

Finally, when you chew your food, your body doesn't have to work so hard.  It isn't sitting around processing big rocks and chunks of food.  Chewing is like mainlining food, and that makes for a very smooth ride.  I find that my thinking, my emotional life and even my general consciousness becomes very clear and un-neurotic when I chew.  Life gets simple.  So-called "problems" (usually just created in my mind) go "poof"!

Hunger signals tell us when to eat, what to eat, and when to stop. There are three types of hunger signals:

• Hunger is a sensation (stomach growling, feeling hunger pangs) that makes you want to eat. It is partly controlled by a region of your brain called the hypothalamus, your blood sugar level, how empty your stomach and intestines are, and certain hormone levels in your body.
• Fullness is also called satiety (say "suh-TY-uh-tee"). It's a feeling of satisfaction. Nerves in your stomach send signals to the brain that the stomach is filled. Increased blood sugar, the activity of the hypothalamus, and the presence of food in the intestines all lead to this feeling of fullness.
• Appetite is a desire for or an interest in food. It is linked with the sight, smell, or thought of food. Appetite can override hunger and satiety, such as when you continue to eat even after you feel full. You can also have no appetite for food even though you are hungry, which may happen in a stressful situation or during an illness.

Use a hunger scale

A hunger scale can help you learn how to tell the difference between true, physical hunger and hunger that's really just in your head. Psychological hunger is a feeling of hunger that is caused by emotions, like stress, boredom, sadness, or happiness.

When you feel hungry even though you recently ate, check to see if what you're feeling is really a craving brought on by something psychological.

When you start feeling like you want something to eat, rate your hunger on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being starving and 10 being so full you feel sick. A rating of 5 or 6 means you're comfortable—neither too hungry nor too full.

1—Starving, weak, dizzy

2—Very hungry, cranky, low energy, lots of stomach growling

3—Pretty hungry, stomach is growling a little

4—Starting to feel a little hungry

5—Satisfied, neither hungry nor full

6—A little full, pleasantly full

7—A little uncomfortable

8—Feeling stuffed

9—Very uncomfortable, stomach hurts

10—So full you feel sick

To eat naturally, the way a baby does, eat when your hunger is at 3 or 4. Don't wait until your hunger gets down to 1 or 2. Getting too hungry can lead to overeating. When you sit down to a scheduled meal, stop and think how hungry you are. If you feel less hungry than usual, make a conscious effort to eat less food than usual. Stop eating when you reach 5 or 6 on the scale.

When it's time to eat, make healthy choices

For your body to be truly satisfied, your meals need to be balanced. This means that each meal should contain:

• Carbohydrate. You get this from grains, fruits, and vegetables.
• Protein. You get this from meat, fish, eggs, milk, yogurt, cheese, dry beans, and nuts, or from protein powders
• Fat. You get the kinds of fat that help you stay healthy from:
  
  
  
  
  
  
  • Fish, walnuts, and flaxseeds and flaxseed oil. These have omega-3 fatty acids.
  • Olive, canola, and peanut oils; most nuts; avocados; and olives. These have monounsaturated fats.
  • Safflower, corn, sunflower, sesame, soybean, and cottonseed oils. These have polyunsaturated fats.
  
  
  
  
  

Your meals should contain tastes that you like and want. This also helps you feel satisfied.

Learn when to stop eating

Try to stop eating before you get too full. Too full is uncomfortable. It means you ate too much.

Get in touch with what "satisfied," or "pleasantly full," feels like for you.

• Relax before you start eating, and then eat slowly. Remember that it takes about 20 minutes for your stomach to tell your brain that you're full.
• Stop a quarter of the way through your meal, and check your hunger level. If you're still hungry, keep eating, but stop again at the halfway point. No matter what your parents taught you, you don't have to clean your plate.
• Learn what proper portions are. We're used to restaurant portions, but restaurant portions usually contain much more food than we need, when your waiter delivers your meal ask for a to-go bag and cut your meal in half and put it in the bag for take home. This will discourage you from overeating while socializing at dinner.

Click Here to subscribe to e-Healthy News today!

 YOU SHOULD DRINK THE BEST WATER ON EARTH  Kangen Water™

 Follow The Anytime Guy:

Top 100 Health Club in America; Anytime Fitness Arkansas & Ryan Parker

Vitamin D: The Sunshine Vitamin Why You Want to Tan It Could Keep You Healthier