Busy lifestyles make it difficult to eat right. With high paced work environments, endless work hours, never ending personal errands and household chores; it becomes almost impossible to find the time to eat. So instead of making time to prepare a healthy meal, many people turn to fast food restaurants. They are convenient, fast, and cheap. You can eat your meal in your car as your driving to your next destination. So how bad can fast food really be?
Fast food products are extremely high in calories, fat, and carbohydrates. Burger King’s Biscuit with sausage egg and cheese has 620 calories and 43 grams of fat. A bacon double cheese burger contains 620 calories and 38 grams of fat. A regular cheeseburger has 360 calories and 19 grams of fat. And all of these are just for the sandwiches. No sides are included.
Dunkin Donuts muffins and bagels average 340 calories and 2.5 grams of fat. But the carbohydrates for each of these products average around 70 grams each. The donuts can have as many as 350 calories and 17 grams of fat each. The drinks aren’t much better. A chocolate coolatta has 370 calories and 77 grams of carbs.
Alternative fast food options like Taco Bell aren’t much better. A breakfast Quesadilla with bacon has 450 calories and 27 grams of fat. A big beef burrito supreme contains 510 calories and 23 grams of fat. And the taco salad with salsa has 850 calories and 52 grams of fat. Wendy’s 16.5 oz chicken BLT salad has 690 calories and 47.5 grams of fat. Who said salads are a safe healthy choice?
All of these are for just one food item. The average person is supposed to have a maximum of 1800 calories per day and only 65 grams of fat. If you eat one meal at a fast food restaurant, you will have devoured at least half of the total grams of fat you are supposed to ingest daily. Is it any wonder that so many of our children and adults are struggling with weight issues? Although it may seem like an added burden to an already overburdened schedule, cooking or preparing healthy meals at home is still the best way to ensure that you and your family are eating healthy.
Vaccinations are completed in childhood. At least that is what most of us thought. If you received all of the recommended vaccinations as a child, you could avoid painful and possible lethal diseases. But experts at the Center for Disease Control (CDC) are encouraging adults to seek supplementary immunizations. Why? According to statistics given by the CDC, a rise in many of the “childhood” diseases is the reason.
The Tdap booster is one of the vaccinations experts are encouraging adults to get. This booster prevents whooping cough (also known as Pertussis), diphtheria, and tetanus. The usual recommendation has indicated that a shot every ten years is necessary. Some doctors are encouraging patients who have not received this shot in the last three years to get it now. Most people receive the Td shot when it is time for their ten year dose. Experts say you should request the Tdap instead. A resurgence of whooping cough is the reason. In the year 2005, over 25,500 cases were reported. Only Tdap protects against this illness.
The MMR vaccine is meant to prevent mumps, measles, and rubella. The majority of individuals in this country have been immunized against these illnesses. But the version given to people between 1957 and 1967 may not have been effective enough to provide lifelong protection. It is suggested that any individuals falling within this category seek this immunization immediately. A rise in the reported cases of the mumps is the cause of concern. Instead of the usual 300 cases seen a year in this country, the year 2006 saw 5800 cases.
Zostavax, a newer vaccine available, is intended to prevent shingles and postherpetic neraglia (PHN). Shingles is a painful, blistering rash in people that have had chicken pox at some point in their lives. This can develop into the severe pain known as PHN. The Zostavax vaccination will prevent this illness. People over the age of 60 are being urged to get this vaccination. And if you have never had the chicken pox, then you are urged to get the vaccination to prevent that disease that could cause you to develop Shingles and PHN later in life.
Pilates is based on six essential principals: Centering, control, flow, breath, precision, and concentration. These principals are what make this derivative of exercise unique. The core of most exercise programs are centered on the arms and legs. Pilate’s exercises are designed as an integrative program that strengthens the core, or torso, of the body. The goal is to teach the body to work as a whole and to concentrate on the quality of the exercises as opposed to the number of repetitions performed.
- Centering is meant to bring focus to the center of the body. The physical movement should come from the area between the lower ribs and pubic bone.
- Concentration is the idea that each movement should be completed with absolute attention and commitment to form and action. This allows the individual to attain the full benefit from each exercise
- Control refers to the concept that each exercise should be performed with absolute control over every muscle.
- Precision requires the individual to maintain awareness of the correct placement, trajectory, and alignment of each and every body part utilized during an exercise.
- Breath necessitates that the individual emphasizes each breath. Breathing should be coordinated with the exercise and should be full breaths in and out.
- Flow refers to the goal of Pilates exercise to ensure each movement is completed with fluidity. The flowing manner will allow the energy of the exercise to connect each body part and evenly flow throughout the body.
Each of these principals defines the Pilates method of exercise. By mastering the principals, the individual will learn to efficiently work the body. Each movement performed will allow the individual to reap the maximum effect. Every person can benefit from performing Pilates exercises. Learning to maintain control over movements and gain strength in the body’s center will allow individuals to increase their fitness level and attain their goals, including weight loss, increased strength, and flatter abs.
One of the most discouraging aspects of exercise is boredom. You finally develop a regular exercise program. You faithfully complete your fitness regiment every day. And you begin to see actual results. But after a while, you begin to dread that daily run or your predictable weight routine. You start making excuses and begin skipping workouts. And then, you lose your motivation. How can you avoid this boredom hazard?
To avoid the boredom factor, you need to add diversity to your exercise schedule. Instead of performing the same exercise day after day, experiment with different forms of exercise. There are a multitude of exercise styles. For each category of exercise, you can find a variety of styles. Cardiovascular exercise can include kickboxing, aerobics, running, stair-climber, elliptical, rowing, and step aerobics. Resistance training exercises can be done through free weights, circuit training, and stretch bands. Core strengthening programs include various forms of yoga and pilates.
An effective weight loss program ideally should include three days of cardiovascular and two to three days of resistance training. If you adhere to this schedule, you can alternate days between the two types of fitness training. This should help eliminate the boredom factor. Diversifying your exercise program will also help you avoid plateaus by constantly challenging your body with new exercises. And if you establish a program that implements a diverse exercise schedule, monotony will not impact your motivation.
Have you ever heard the terms ‘nutrient dense’ and ‘empty calories’? Do you understand what these terms signify and how they impact your diet? These two terms are an important factor to consider when deciding what foods to include in your diet. Nutrient dense foods will have more nutrients per calorie than other foods. Foods that provide the body with a high ratio of nutrients per calorie are healthier and more nutritious than foods that have a lower ratio of nutrients per calorie and more sugars. These foods are referred to as empty calorie foods and are very low in nutrients per each unit of calories.
Eating nutrient dense foods are essential to good health and attaining a healthy weight. Nutrient dense foods provide your body with the fuel it needs to function properly. Empty calorie foods cannot claim the same benefit. Without the proper nutrients, your body will not function at an optimal level. This could make losing weight exceedingly difficult. Exercising will become increasingly arduous also. Your body will be unable to provide fuel to your muscles to allow them to continue working effectively. Without proper nutrition, weight loss will plateau.
Do not make food choices based solely on calorie content. Select foods high in nutrients. Nutrient dense foods include lean meat, poultry, eggs, low-fat dairy, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, seafood, and unprocessed foods. A good example of a nutrient dense food versus empty calories would be a watermelon versus a soft drink. At around 150 calories per serving each, the watermelon contains vitamin C and fiber. The soft drink provides only sugars that will add pounds. Another case in point would be the baked potato versus the potato chip. A serving of each would contain around 100 calories. The potato contains 1.6g of fiber and 13.7mg of vitamin C. The chips provide only .75g of fiber and only3.4mg of vitamin C.
Choosing nutrient dense foods will help you maintain better overall health and aid with weight loss. Nutrient dense foods will give you more energy (in the long run) to continue with a long term exercise plan. Nutrient dense foods will aid body functions which are essential to a healthy metabolism. And nutrient dense foods are generally more satisfying and contain fewer calories. Empty calorie foods are higher in calories, sugars, and fat and