Usually towards the end of December every year, you’ll hear talk of diets and gyms and workouts. This goes in line with other so called resolutions like quitting smoking and saving more money. If you read these articles you know I’m not immune to saying what is on my mind. So here it goes. I fail to accept the fact that people resolve to do things they should have been doing all along just because it is the beginning of the year. Now with that said, here is my issue. Since this is all about fitness, I will use diet as an example. A new year is days away, so you may come to the conclusion that you’re going to undertake a healthier lifestyle come the first of January. That is commendable. There … Read entire article »

We received an e mail from a reader looking for clarification on the often debated and confusing weight difference of fat and muscle.  Hi, I was hoping you could settle a debate for me. Over Christmas my sister and I had a disagreement about muscle weighing more than fat. She claims that muscle weighs more than fat. I tried to reason with her that a pound is a pound regardless, but she maintains I’m wrong. Could you please explain the difference if any in the weight of muscle and fat? Thanks  Martin D.  To answer your question, Martin. Yes and no, was that vague enough? I’ll explain why it can be viewed different ways. Ultimately one is right. Does a pound of muscle and a pound of fat weigh the same? You’ll find a variety … Read entire article »

So usually when people want to lose weight or want to avoid gaining weight they turn to diet drinks. The most popular being diet soft drinks which are in most every case sweetened with some type of artificial sweetener instead of sugar or corn syrup. This is a huge break from waist expanding sugar filled calorie bomb that soft drinks can be. However they may not necessarily be a better choice.  It has long been suspected that diet drinks can actually lead to weight gain. A study put out in June 2011 by The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio found that an astonishing 70% of test subjects had a greater waist circumference than the non diet drink group. (It should be noted that this is not stating the … Read entire article »

When anyone thinks they may be overweight or that they want to lose weight the first thing they’ll usually do is stand on the scale. The bathroom scale is one of the most used tools in the world of fitness. Before any gym or any diet plan comes the scale.   It is good to know what you weight. In fact there are times it is necessary to know. However the scale can be your best friend or worst enemy when it comes to reaching and maintaining a healthy weight. There are a couple of ways to perceive the scale. The scale is a great tool to calculate current weight. It can enable you to track your progress as you partake in any exercise routine.   The scale can work against you. Not seeing the number you … Read entire article »

These days with everyone supposedly trying to undertake a healthy life the food manufacturers have come up with labels to entice the buyer. Sometimes though the fancy attributes fall short. This may help you avoid buying something that is nothing more than a flashy marketing tool. 1. FAT FREE OR LOW FAT- This may look good on the surface. Some foods are high in fat and may not be good for you. So if you find the same food with the fat content lowered or removed it may sound better for you. Chances are it isn’t. There is a reason things like milk and ice cream taste good and rich. There is a reason beef has more flavor than chicken. The reason is fat. When you remove fat you tend to lose … Read entire article »

Are you looking to start a new fitness plan? Maybe you’re trying to get in shape, get back in shape, or get ready for some event. Hard living from eating bad foods and being sedentary can really take a toll on your body. Before you start to climb the mountain you’ll need to prepare yourself. 1. Clean house. Go through the kitchen and seek out all the bad stuff. Look for the fatty and sugar filled snacks, sugar filled drinks, processed foods, etc. If this stuff is in the house you’re likely to eat it. If it isn’t there then it can’t be tempting. Then restock with all the good stuff you’ll be eating like vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. 2. Clean yourself. Eating bad can put a lot of undesirable things in … Read entire article »

Unless you’ve been on another planet for the past fifty years it is a sure thing that you are well aware of the dangers of smoking. From cancer to various respiratory diseases to death, the dangers are so well known and blatant that they are even posted on the actual package. Smoking is considered the greatest cause of preventable death in the world. Smoking can be attributed to destroying and causing diseases within the lungs, heart, mouth and throat. It is a major cause of heart attack, strokes, COPD, cancer, high blood pressure and other vascular diseases. A lit cigarette can burn at close to two thousand degrees. This heat releases various gases from the contents of the cigarette including over forty known carcinogens. A carcinogen is any substance that is involved … Read entire article »

It is no secret that there is an obesity epidemic in the United States and more than likely in many other countries. It affects adults and children and is just as severe an epidemic as AIDS in Africa. The obesity epidemic comes hand in hand with a new trend of being sedentary and a breakdown of families. This will be part one in a series about rebuilding personal health. The following are some facts about childhood obesity that are from the William J. Clinton Foundation (clintonfoundation.org) 25 million children are overweight or obese Experts believe that the current generation of children will be the first in history to be outlived by their parents. The average teen eats fast food twice per week. In a study of 200 neighborhoods, there were three times as many supermarkets in … Read entire article »

Before I start I want to make one thing clear. The context in this article may seem to reflect theories about the Federal Government’s underhanded attacks on minority populations. I neither support nor deny such accusations and claims; however that is not what this is. The intention of this article is to examine the negligence in provisions of proper nutrition to low income populations. Grocery Stores such as Whole Foods pride themselves on selling high quality grocery items in their most organic state. Their products are void of any fillers or additives made by man and science. You’ll also pay a premium for these items. Finally Whole Food stores are usually located in upper middle class and affluent areas as well as upscale shopping centers. There is a better than great … Read entire article »

If we went back in time say twenty years and I told you about colors of tea you may think I’m crazy. Tea comes in dark brown and light brown, when the tea bag was old. Truth is tea comes in many colors. Different color tea has different health benefits. Now days we all know about green tea. But here is the breakdown on the rainbow of tea types. BLACK TEA- This is your usual everyday tea. Believe or it not but the benefits of black tea have been studied for over 4000 years, all the way back to ancient china. Black tea is rich in polyphenols which are a form of antioxidant. Boston University published a study in 2001 that found black tea can be benefitial to persons with coronary artery … Read entire article »