Entries Tagged 'Organic Diets' ↓

While stress may have many triggers, there is no doubt that in today’s day and age it is survival of the fittest. The current state of the economy and the required go, go, go just to make it leaves many people gasping just to keep their head above water.

In addition, the American dream is no longer the white picket fence with two cars in the driveway.  Unfortunately, money and possessions is driving many and contributing to chronic stress.

Chronic daily stress can lead to a whole array of health conditions including depression, anxiety, insomnia, depressed immune function, obesity, muscle atrophy, chronic pain, fatigue, etc.

Nearly 100 million Americans suffer from stress-related illness and a staggering 80 percent to 90 percent of all illness is stress related, according to stress researcher Dr. Kevin Pelletier.

Stress can trigger many physiological responses including increased leaves of cortisol, adrenaline, and other hormones which may leave your body waving red flags and make you want to curl up into the fetal position.

Every situation is different.  Develop a plan that works for you, around your schedule, and that you will enjoy.  Taking an active approach may be just what the doctor ordered.

Here are 6 active strategies to ease away stress:

1.  Clear your mind – Yoga, Tia Chi, Meditation, breathing exercises, visualizations is a great outlet to fight stress.  The mindless practices have tremendous therapeutic value and is an important key to wellness.

2. Positive Thinking - Take the blank canvas of the day and paint your world as you want it to be. Alleviate any negative relationships and aspects in your life.  Set goals and take action.  Visualize your success.

3.  The Cheapest Medicine – That’s right folks exercise is the cheapest and most powerful medicine.  Get that body moving, increase blood flow, prevent and treat chronic disease, feel and look great. 

4.  Nutrition and Supplementation - Feed the machine.  A proper nutrition plan is important for optimal bodily functions.  Your body needs and deserves whole foods, minimally processed, and locally grown organic produce.  In addition, B-vitamins are known to help the body cope with stress.  Glutamine aids the immune function, enhances brain function, and blocks cortisol.

5.  Theraputic Modalities – Nothing like treating yourself to a massage or a soak in the hot tub.  The sauna or steam room is a good way to melt away stress.  Acupressure and ice is a very effective modality to treat your aches and pains.

6.  Have fun – Laugh and enjoy life!  Recreational activities, friendships, and enjoying the small things in life can help you cope with stress.  Be gratful and smile.  Don’t stress out man.

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10 Compelling Reasons Why Functional Training

Will Lead to Better Muscular Balance and Improved Performance

Functional training involves exercises that train movements, working several muscle groups at once. The goal is to mimic real life situations that will convey to daily activities or sports.

Life doesn’t happen in the isolated planes used in a traditional body building regimen or on a standard resistance training machine that isolates one muscle group.

In addition, we sit in cars all day, at the desk, on the couch, so it’s not a great idea to train sitting in a machine with a back rest.

Functional training uses weight bearing activities that target the core muscles and emphasizes the bodies natural ability to move in three anatomical planes of motion. Focusing on six patterns of movement in a persons daily life;

• Squat
• Lunge
• Push
• Pull
• Twist
• Bend

Using little equipment such as:

• Cables
• Bosu balls
• Stability balls
• Kettle bells
• Medicine balls
• Resistance bands
• Etc.

The benefits of a functional training program are tremendous!

1. Improved muscular balance and joint stability.

2. Increase Core stability.

3. Improved neuromuscular coordination.

4. Save time working several muscle groups at once.

5. Improve your posture.

6. Prevent injury.

7. Improve balance.

8. Workout anywhere using body weight and little equipment.

9. Sport specific training.

10. Functional training movements can be done in an almost endless number of variations forcing your body to acclimate.

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Eating Organic May Promote Weight Loss

An organic diet may promote weight loss because you are not ingesting unnatural ingredients and chemicals that sabotage your hunger levels and slow your metabolism.

In 1960 obesity was not an epidemic in the United States. In addition, foods did not contain:

• Growth hormones
• MSG
• High fructose corn syrup
• Olestra
• Aspartame
• Saccharine
• Splenda
• etc.

An update in 2008 reported 32.1% of adults in the United States ages 20-74 were obese and 97.1 million American adults are overweight. Contributing factors range from imbalances in caloric intake, energy expenditure and sedentary lifestyles.

But new research is showing how synthetic chemicals may be the underlining issue to the obesity epidemic. The stored chemicals disrupt our body’s natural abilities to send signals when you are full or hungry, causing over eating and weight gain.

The Solution May Start with Eating “Real Food” Free of Carcinogens.

On an organic diet your body is able to filter out built up toxins and free radicals that cause damage at the cellular level. Thus, keeping our bodily functions healthy and efficient.

You will look and feel your best by choosing organic foods with no:

• Synthetic pesticides
• Synthetic herbicides
• Growth hormones
• Preservatives or additives
• Genetically engineered seeds
• or any other ingredients from Mars.

In addition, organic foods have a dramatically higher concentration of nutrients, antioxidants and vitamins.

This is because of:

• Improved ecology
• Farm biodiversity
• No irradiation
• Enriched drought resistant soil
• Less soil erosion
• and less groundwater pollution.

Give your body what it deserves and your body will thank you.
Remember to go for food that is minimally processed with 10 or less ingredients and close to its natural state.

Cheers to feeling good!

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