Weight Training

For those that would like a more vigorous workout plan, weight
training is a viable option that can combine building muscle
tone and working the cardiovascular system. Weight training
tones your muscles and raises your metabolism, which helps your
body burn more calories not only when exercising, but also while
you sleep. Weight training reverses the natural decline in your
metabolism, which begins around age 30; therefore this is
something to think about for all those who have reached that
age. Working with weights can produce a great deal of energy,
and a full workout works almost all of the 650 muscles in your
body. Looking toward long-term benefits, weight training
strengthens bones, which can reduce your risk of developing
osteoporosis. This of course is of very big concern amongst
women, since osteoporosis afflicts women much more than men.

Many women worry that weight training will make them muscular
and bulky like a man's yet you must keep in mind that men and
women have different muscular structures, therefore weight
training will not develop big muscles on women, just toned
muscles. Not only is weight training a routine that makes you
strong, it is a routine that trains the body to build muscle
instead of fat, takes stress off key areas of the body such as
the lower back, making you less prone to injury in that area.
Since high blood pressure or hypertension is a big concern with
those who are obese, it is welcome news that weight training
decreases your resting blood pressure. Weight training has also
been proven to increase your blood level of HDL cholesterol,
which is commonly referred to as good cholesterol. Overall
health is definitely improved through weight training.

It is best to start with a plan, which may be joining a gym
where you can regularly go to get a full workout, or purchasing
a home workout system that uses resistance instead of weights
but produces similar results. You must assess what type of
person you are, and make the appropriate decision from there.
If you like the idea of going out somewhere daily for your
workout, welcoming the change of scenery and benefiting from
the comradery of others who are also training, then you may
want to opt for a gym membership. However, if you know you are
the type that enjoys working alone and will not work out unless
its in the convenience of your home where you do not have to get
dressed and go out, then the home gym system option is for you.
Only you can make this assessment of yourself. Some popular
home gym systems include CrossBarTM and BowFlexTM. Many quality
home workout systems exist, but of course none work when not
used, so be sure that you remain focused and dedicated to your
plan.

Whatever exercise plan you choose, it is best to exercise first
thing in the morning, every morning. Our bodies were made to be
active daily, and when exercise is performed in the morning,
people are more successful at exercising consistently. Make
your exercise as enjoyable as possible. Consider utilizing
music, a book on tape, or watching television during your
workout, depending on the type and location of your workout. If
you're a walker for example, you may want to get a good CD
player to listen to music or books on tape. If you're
exercising inside, you may want to setup a television set or a
stereo so that you can watch or listen while exercising.
Whatever you do, make your exercise experience one you look
forward to each day.


About The Author: Kirsten Hawkins is a nutrition and health
expert from Nashville, TN. Visit Popular Dietsfor more great nutrition, well-being, and vitamin tips as well as reviews and comments on popular diets.

Treat Memory Loss and Forget About It... Post 1.

The Lowdown on Memory Loss

Forgetting familiar people and things can be a painful and baffling aspect of old age. Memory loss will probably affect all of us, sooner or later as we grow older. There comes a time in all of our lives when our recollection of people and events may seem to be just slipping away.

It is a helpless feeling, trying to hold on to familiar names, faces, people and places. Suddenly you forget the name of the man who has been serving you coffee at the neighborhood coffee shop for decades. You forget where you keep your glasses and find it impossible to recall phone numbers of good friends you have known.

This is a symptom of the normal aging process but the question remains: is memory loss treatable? Is there a way to figuratively “turn back the clock” and reclaim what has been lost? Can we go back to remembering small things like names of people, faces, places and important appointments? We will explore these questions in our next post.

Slim Down for Summer with Five Super Soups

A magazine that caters to low carb lifestyles, the Spring 2006 SheKnows LowCarb magazine (on sale now) offers five super, low carb soup recipes that will help people slim down for the summer months ahead.

Scottsdale, AZ (PRWEB) February 16, 2006 -- This time of year, many people start to wonder if last year’s swimsuit will fit, or if the new swim fashions will look good on them this summer. For many, the answer may be that they need to drop a few pounds. And that means dieting.

Low carbohydrate and healthy carbohydrate diets are some of the most popular around and include such well-known names as the Atkins Diet, the South Beach Diet, Carbohydrate Addict Diet and The Zone Diet. For the most part, all these programs encourage people to eat foods lower in carbs. High carbohydrate foods turn into sugar in the body, which the body either burns or stores as fat. Too many carbs, too much sugar and boom, on pour the pounds.

The magazine that caters to low carb lifestyles, the Spring 2006 SheKnows LowCarb magazine (on sale now) offers five super, low carb soup recipes that will help people slim down for the summer months ahead. SheKnowsLowCarb.com

So whether you need information on child-raising, pregnancy, cooking smart, finances or fitness, SheKnows wants to be there to help — to develop a relationship with you as a one-stop place to find the information you need!

Philadelphia Woman Receives a Kidney Transplant from a Philadelphia Man Found On MatchingDonors.com; Both the Patient and Donor Met on the Website

MathchingDonors.com's 20th Surgery will take place on Valentines Day at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Site endorsed by various health officials, ethicists and doctors across the country.

Canton, MA (PRWEB) February 14, 2006 -- On the morning of Valentine’s Day in the ‘City of Brotherly Love’, when most people present their loved ones flowers, candy or some other token of affection, Paul Wagner has other plans for Gail Tomas. Wagner will give a total stranger, Gail Tomas one of his kidneys. They will check into Thomas Jefferson University Hospital on February 14, which also happens to be National Donor Day on that day, surgeons will transplant a kidney from Wagner to Tomas, who spends most her time on a dialysis machine. For the next few weeks both will be recuperating, first in the hospital and then at home. It’s hardly the most conventional Valentines Day celebration, but the couple has few complaints.

“Most people on Valentine’s Day, exchange cards, flowers, or maybe a box of candy. Very few people actually exchange bodily organs,” said Paul Wagner.

February 14, 2006, National Donor Day, honors those who have donated organs, tissues, marrow and blood to save the lives of others. It also honors the families of donors who have made the decision to allow organs of loved ones to give new life to recipients. In 2005 a total of 12,118 living and deceased donors gave organs and tissue for 23,520 transplantations.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania resident Gail Tomas wrote on MatchingDonors.com; “I am a vital 65 year old grandmother who loves her family more than life itself. I neither look nor feel my age and if it wasn't for my kidney problem, I believe that I would have at least 20 more years to live a productive life. When I was a child, they didn't have antibiotics, so my kidneys had to overwork in order to rid my body of infection. This ended up causing one of my kidneys to stop functioning; it became really small. With only one good kidney functioning most of my adult life, I got type 2 diabetes in my late 40s. When I found out about the diabetes, it was suggested to me to get a nephrologist. I have been placed on the national kidney waiting lists, but I was told that it will take over three years to find me a kidney, and my chances of surviving dialysis are not very good. My only chances of surviving are going to be given to me by the grace of God and the grace of an amazingly kind and generous person who wants to help me. I hope and pray every night that there is someone out there who wants to help me see my grandchildren grow and to fulfill the rest of the life that I know was meant for me to live. The gift of an organ donation is the most precious there is on this earth. I would be eternally grateful to someone who can answer my prayers.” Her prayers were answered by Paul Wagner who will donate his kidney to Gail Tomas on Valentines Day.

It’s ironic that Gail and her family searched the entire country, looking for a donor match, and ended up having a match that lived in the same state. Paul’s unselfish act of donating his kidney will save Gail’s life.

Gail’s donor, Paul Wagner from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania spends his life working as a Purchasing Manager for a large company in Philadelphia. When asked what he does when not working he responded, “My hobbies include tropical fish, computers, refinishing old furniture and anything Star Trek. I strongly believe that it is important to give back to the community that has given me so much”.

His profile read, “disease free, living in Philadelphia, German descent. Blood type O+. Willing to consider donation of kidney or marrow.”

When Paul was asked about how he first learned of MatchingDonors.com, he said, “I first learned of Matchingdonors.com from an online article in the New York Times, which provided a link directly to the site. I clicked on the site and entered "Philadelphia" into the search bar and that's how I found Gail. Her profile was titled "Desperately Needs Your Help to Live". Once I read Gail's biography I felt that I was already involved. She was no longer a number or statistic, but a real person and I felt a moral obligation to offer my help. This lady was someone's mother and grandmother. What if my mother or grandmother were in this situation? I would be praying for someone to help! If I ignored her need, I wouldn't be able to look at myself in the mirror”.

Their surgery will take place on Tuesday, February 14, 2006 at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. This will be the twentieth transplant done in the past year and a half between patients and donors who have found a match on MatchingDonors.com that has gone on to surgery.

MatchingDonors.com was launched in January of 2004 as an Internet service based in Massachusetts. Patients on transplant lists put their profiles on the website, and potential donors browse the site for a life they want to help save. Donors are not compensated, since it is against the law to have any financial benefit from organ donation.

Based in Canton, Mass., MatchingDonors.com is a nonprofit corporation with people based throughout the United States. Anyone interested in donating money to support MatchingDonors.com services can do so by calling Matchingdonors.com at 781-821-2204.

More information about the company is available at its corporate Web site, Matching Donors Site.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH FOCUS: AFRICAN AMERICAN HEALTH

INTEREST HEATS UP IN BLACKDOCTOR.ORG, NATION'S FIRST HEALTH PORTAL FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS

Chicago, IL (BlackNews.com) - BlackDoctor.org is gearing up for a busy 2006 as African Americans - along with physicians, dentists and others in the healthcare community - discover the health portal for African Americans.

"The buzz has been just phenomenal," says publishing and Internet entrepreneur Reginald Ware, who launched BlackDoctor.org last fall. "It just confirms that there was a dire need for this product. It's fitting that BlackDoctor.org is getting attention as we enter February and celebrate Black History Month. Historically, Blacks have suffered disproportionately from many diseases and conditions. It's a good time to acknowledge that Black health needs specialized attention, which is what we provide. We work to change African-American views on health and healthy living."

Launched November 15, 2005, BlackDoctor.org is already fielding nearly 200,000 visitors per month. A unique presence in the marketplace, the web site is chock full of health information that is of specific interest and concern to African Americans, including articles such as "The Top 10 Killers of African Americans," a diabetes risk test, and the country's first Soul Food Pyramid, which was developed by Roniece Weaver, executive director of Hebni Nutrition Consultants and diet and nutrition editor of BlackDoctor.org

Reginald Ware
CEO
Black Doctor Organization
116 W. Illinois Street
6th Floor
Chicago, IL 60610
312-222-1205 (main)
312-758-5801 (cell)

Raven Simon and Future Inventors at Black Family Technology Awareness Week 

How to Obtain a Good Muscle to Fat Ratio Post -- 2

Last post we described the importance of having a good muscle to fat ratio and why it is important. This post we will share ways to acheive the good muscle to fat ratio.

Leafy green vegetables, and fish are more or less universally accepted, regardless of the weight-loss diet you undertake. And they help to build health muscle mass.

Daily workouts can help bring the fat level down & also increase the muscle mass. Working out does not necessarily mean one has to join a gym. Simple exercises can be done at home with free weight and walking providing the basis of your at-home workout.

Yoga is also an excellent form of exercise. A regular yoga session can definitely help bring the body in shape & also balance the muscle fat ratio. Regular jogging or running, skipping, aerobics can help in burning the fat. Also, sports like swimming, football, basketball, etc. can help in gaining of muscles.

Any morning exercise session should be preceded or followed by a healthy breakfast. Products containing saturated fats & oils should be avoided. You can also schedule exercise throughout your day with a 10 minute walk, following lunch or dinner.

To build muscle mass protein intake should be increased. Foods such as milk, eggs, fish, and poultry can help gain ‘protein’ or muscle mass.

Muscle and strength training, through the use of free weights and weight machines, can dramatically improve your muscle to fat ratio. Large muscle groups must be exercised on a schedule which allows for at least one day of rest between workouts. It is important to let the muscles fully recover after a workout. To speed recovery times and enhance the benefits of your workouts you can use products such as MegaTropin™ from www.BODeStore.com. which are shown to help users recover quicker and actually gain more strength and better training results from their workouts.

Life Coach, Certified Fitness Trainer Deb Betterly, Ph.D., Develops Video eCourse Titled A Better Way to a Better Body

Dr. Deb Betterly, has committed her life to helping people achieve their goals by obtaining a healthier lifestyle without experiencing the negative effects of depriving themselves of important nutrients that are expected of them with the majority of most “fad” diets.

February 13, 2006 -- “No longer will you have to be disappointed by the so called miracle products that are on the market today,” Betterly says. “ It’s time people quit blaming themselves for their “weight problem” because after all, maintaining a healthier “you” is not just about going on a diet and losing weight, it’s much more than that, it’s about taking a good honest look at your life and how you use food."

"After all, we live in a hurry up world and want to see it happen overnight. That’s precisely why the diet industry has been thriving so well on weight products that actually do more harm than good. Finally, we’ve reached a point where society realizes that diets don’t work!” Betterly says.

Betterly explains that dieting is like a salmon trying to swim against a relentless current. Nobody really wants to go through all the pain and suffering it takes to lose weight but when frustration and desperation set in, people will do things that will actually make it worse.

She has been offering this course to the general public for a number of years by sending it to consumers via e mail but only recently has made it available in a video series on line. The end user of the course has access to all 90 videos along with accompanying written field work transcripts to view at their leisure.

In order to increase interest and provide an incentive for people to buy the course, Betterly has decided to offer bonus gifts that are worth more than double the price of the video e course. “I’m excited about the three bonus gifts that come free with the course because they have such incredible value say’s Betterly” “Plus, just for visiting the site, I’ll give you a free gift.”

She explains that this course is a departure from traditional self help and diet books in that she reveals what many have tried to accomplish for years with no success. My course is a step-by-step guide to having more success in every area of your life. In fact, it’s not just a course but a life changing experience that will teach you a breakthrough technique for letting go of preconceived notions of how to be a better you Betterly explains, “It’s really a video series success kit.”

For more information about Deb Betterly’s video e course titled, “A better way to a better body,” visit: Dr. Debs Lose Weight without Diets Site