Avoid Junk Food at Work

We all fall victim to eating junk food at work; virtually no one is immune. In my clinical practice as a nurse practitioner, my office is constantly being bombarded with cookies, cakes and candy every day of the week. I imagine yours is too. So if you want to get off the junk food merry-go-round and improve your health--I have a few suggestions that may be helpful.courtesy:ehow.com



Instructions

Manage your junk food intake or let it ruin your health. The choice is really yours! Totally avoiding eating any junk food is only for those of us with Superman-like strength and willpower. Sadly, if we totally abstain we may end up overeating and consuming way more junk food then we would have had in the first place. So at the beginning of the day, allocate a predetermined amount of junk food you will allow yourself. (Some days you may not feel like having any and cheer yourself on!).

Do not make a big deal or announce your plan to avoid/limit junk food. You will be setting yourself up for peer pressure, office jokes and endless monitoring by your coworkers of what you eat. You are doing this for YOU.

Look at your body in the mirror totally naked (I know this is hard for some of us, but is really essential). First list what you LIKE about your body and then what you feel needs improvement. Don't be shy--this list is for your eyes only. Write down the truth.

There are plenty of articles on nutrition, building muscle and working out. Read them if you need to refresh your knowledge base. Determine what your goals and nutrition needs are and fit in a "junk food allowance." Remember, just because you give yourself permission to have some junk food, there are simply going to be days you will not want or crave any. Rejoice privately!

Keep a stash of healthy snacks in your office. Before you go get that cup of coffee or take a bathroom break, eat some raisins or other healthy snacks before finding the junk food glaring up at you.

Write down your junk food intake each day and the reason why you felt compelled to eat it. Sometimes it is as simple as the person who brought the cake is an excellent baker and you knew it would be wonderful! Other times, and most often, it will be stress, boredom or peer pressure. Now you have to figure out how to handle these differently.

Most importantly, don't beat yourself up if you had a bad day and ate a lot more junk food then you anticipated. It is "progress, not perfection" that should be your goal.

Exercise While Traveling

You are about to travel and your daily exercise routine will be thrown off. Taking too much time off may lead to lack of energy while the calories will continue to mount. The following will enable you to continue exercising while on the road. Although it may not be exactly the same as your routine at home, it will help in your efforts to lose weight or keep your energy level up.courtesy:ehow.com



Follow Before and During Travel Time

Stretch your entire body. Do this as often as possible.

Find open periods of time to stretch and walk about.

Run or walk quickly between airport terminals or into rest areas and restaurants.

Climb the stairs.

Squeeze your gluteus maximus muscles.

Raise your arms over your head.

Do punches.

Drink plenty water.

Get in Shape at Home

Some people are just born with a perfect figure, super-speedy metabolism, and a lean, muscular build. Unfortunately, if you are not one of those people, you have to work to have the body you desire. The good news is that you do not have to empty your piggy bank and sign up for an out-of-your-budget gym membership. If you know what to do and how to do it, you can get the same results without leaving the comfort of your home.
courtesy:Tielle Webb, eHow.com



Few steps to follow:

Use what is around you. Bottles of laundry detergent, empty water bottles filled with sand, or other heavy objects make great weights. Or use your own body. Crunches, push-ups and calisthenic exercises are simple, straightfoward yet effective ways to get in shape.

Step outside your front door. If you are looking to shed some pounds, cardio is imperative. Lace up some comfortable shoes, put your pooch on his leash and move those legs.

Find an online support group or journaling program. Accountability is a key factor in weight loss and toning for many people. If you know others will be cheering you on and waiting to hear from you, you are more likely to stick with your program. Journaling helps you see how far you have come, and notice any changes you might need to make.

Learn new exercises. Rent a video (or borrow one from the library for free) and follow along with an instructor. Pick up a book or visit a website that can teach you some new toning or fat-burning moves. Many cable channels offer "on-demand" programs that include exercise videos you can watch on your time, and at no extra cost.

Purchase gently used equipment. If you decide you want to invest in a home gym, check out your local classifieds, Craigslist and used sporting goods stores. People often invest in exercise machines and then don't use them, which means you can find a like-new item for a fraction of the price.

Popeye was right: spinach really does boost your muscles

Popeye's claim that "I am strong to the finish because I eat all my spinach" is scientifically correct, a study has found.
courtesy:http://www.telegraph.co.uk

Researchers have discovered that eating a bowl of spinach a day makes your muscles "profoundly" more efficient.



They found that eating 300g of the vegetable reduced the amount of oxygen needed to power muscles by as much as five per cent when exercising.

The effect is so powerful it works after just three days.

The secret is not iron but nitrates which are abundant in the vegetable.

These chemicals make the mitochondria – the "engine rooms" of every cell – more efficient, they found.

"It is like a fuel additive for your muscles – it makes them run much more smoothly and efficiently," said the lead author Dr Eddie Weitzberg of the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden.

Dr Wietzberg, who reported his findings in the journal Cell Metabolism, fed people pure nitrate supplements – the equivalent to the amount in a plate of spinach – every day for three days.

At the beginning and end of the experiment they were made to pedal strenuously on an exercise bike while their oxygen intake was measured via a tube to the mouth

It was found that the difference in energy in take was between three and five per cent – a significant figure.

Spinach is well known as the superfood that gave Popeye the Sailor Man his bulging muscles.

The famous cartoon character, who dates back to the 1930s, pops open a can of spinach whenever he needs to get out of trouble.

Originally it was thought that the iron content of spinach made it a power-food.

Now scientists have learned that nitrates are the true energy-boosting ingredient in the vegetable.

Green leafy vegetables of all kinds are rich in the chemical which until recently was not thought to have any nutritional value.

"We know that diets rich in fruits and vegetables can help prevent cardiovascular disease and diabetes, but the active nutrients haven't been clear," said Dr Weitzberg.

"It is a profound and significant effect. It just shows that Popeye was right."

Previously Prof Weitzberg and colleague Professor Jon Lundberg showed that dietary nitrate increases levels of nitric oxide in the body with the help of friendly bacteria.

Nitric oxide is an important molecule which opens up blood vessels, lowers blood pressure, and improves circulation.

Mitochondria, like all engines, lose a lot of energy through heat loss.

The nitrate seems to stop this waste and make the cell – and so the muscle – run more efficiently.

Gain Healthy Weight for Athletes

Gaining healthy weight for Athletes -- can help prevent injury and provide a strength advantage. Athletes usually have a difficult time gaining weight due to the energy required while working out. Balancing the right food with a workout plan can be difficult. Eating the right foods will provide the body with the energy to compete and the nutrients to gain weight.



Instructions:

* Determine your daily calorie intake necessary to gain weight using a Calorie intake calculator. An athlete's calorie intake will be much more than most individuals and vary based on your current weight. Establish the necessary weight that you need while considering the position you will be playing in football.

* Identify the foods that will provide the calorie levels necessary to reach your daily goals. It will take a combination of foods to get to the correct calorie level daily. Balance the calorie levels between carbohydrates, fat and protein with 55-60% coming from carbohydrates, 30% or less from fat and 10-15% from protein.

* Build muscle, which weighs more than fat, to keep your body healthy and primed for competition. Choose the right sources for fat, protein and carbohydrates. Eat more vegetables, fruits and dairy while supplementing the body with a good multivitamin. Consuming the right types of calories and training hard will allow your body to gain the right weight.

* Stay hydrated to ensure the body maintains the right balance between fluids and nutrients. This allows the body to process food correctly and generate the necessary energy to complete workouts. Depending on the extent of the workout, sports drinks may provide additional nutrients lost that water can't replenish.