tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79850130092558307502024-03-12T21:36:53.283-07:00Health Inspired FitnessUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985013009255830750.post-60960344642939468912010-10-20T19:11:00.000-07:002010-10-20T19:11:31.910-07:00Your Gateway To Permanent Weight Loss"YOU'RE ABOUT TO LEARN WEIGHT LOSS SECRETS THAT MOST PEOPLE ARE COMPLETELY OBLIVIOUS TO....."<br />
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Inside, you'll learn:<br />
<ul><li>Why dieting is worse than you thought</li>
<li>How evolution is keeping you overweight (and how to overcome it)</li>
<li>How to easily increase your metabolism to supersonic speed</li>
<li>Why starting a simple workout plan isn't really hard at all</li>
<li>How to destroy "mind viruses" that discourage you</li>
<li>The #1 dieting MISTAKE (you DON'T want this to happen!)</li>
<li>Much, much more</li>
</ul>Just use your first name and valid e-mail, then click "I'm Ready To Be Fit" to get instant access. All information is kept 100% confidential. Allow the next page a few seconds to load, then check your e-mail for the #1 dieting mistake!.<br />
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<script src="http://forms.aweber.com/form/55/580357955.js" type="text/javascript">
</script>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985013009255830750.post-86287880895130086242010-08-21T09:59:00.000-07:002010-08-21T09:59:57.655-07:00THE WEIGHT IS OVER!I am happy to announce the launch of my new business! I have written two books that can be downloaded on my website. The first one is called "The Weight Is Over: The Real Reasons Why You're Fat And How You Can Conquer Them For Good".<br />
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The second book is called "Banish The Brain Fat" and you can get it for free when you purchase the second one.<br />
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I also have a supplements page for people who want some additional asisstance with increasing their metabolism and burning more fat.<br />
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I am very excited, so please check out my website at <a href="http://www.healthinspiredweightloss.com/">http://www.healthinspiredweightloss.com/</a>. There is a multitude of informartion in both of the books. Also, be sure to sign up for my FREE e-mail newsletter on the form half way down the page. You'll receive weekly e-mails containing advice, tips, exercises and healthy food options for losing weight and staying healthy. There is some really good information, so please take a look now.<br />
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<a href="http://www.healthinspiredweightloss.com/">http://www.healthinspiredweightloss.com/</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985013009255830750.post-22581842056131096892010-07-06T17:01:00.000-07:002010-07-13T13:26:24.351-07:00Children Process Food DifferentlyWhen speaking of health issues, people often overlook the importance of children's health. Usually it's because we adults already have developed some sort of illness, and little children have not. There is one very important reason why you must monitor your child's fat intake. And it may or may not be something you are aware of.<br />
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Generally speaking, humans are born with a fixed number of fat cells. What this means is that when a person gains weight (fat), the fat cells are getting bigger and bigger. I'm sure you've seen a very obese peson before, so you know that this means that there really is no limit as to how big fat cells can actually get. If you keep adding excessive calories to your body, your body will keep shoving them into its fat cells.<br />
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Children are a little bit different.<br />
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It has been recently verified that childrens' bodies may be able to actually create additional fat cells, and that's not a good thing. Research has shown that as kids consume exorbitant amounts of calories, their bodies can actually make more fat cells in order to take on the added energy. Remember, fat is just stored energy or stored calories.<br />
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Why is this bad?<br />
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Because once a fat cell is created, it remains in the body........<strong><em>for life.</em></strong> So, as a child, if you're body had created additional fat cells because your parents let you eat whatever the hell you wanted, this would <em>increase</em> your risk for obesity (by a lot) as an adult. Even though it does not take a lot of energy to keep a fat cell alive, it is still additional body mass. This additional body mass will do 2 things:<br />
<ol><li>It will chronically increase the appetite of the person for life because that added body mass will require more calories to stay alive.</li>
<li>It will make the person's body more efficient at storing fat, which is something you DON'T want to happen. Think about it. Take 2 people. The first has a certain number of fat cells and the second person has <em>more</em> fat cells than the first. If they both eat fatty meals everyday for a week, the first person's body will store some fat of course, but it also may be able to pass some of that fat right out through going to the bathroom if their fat cells can't take on that fat. The second person, however, may store even more fat than the first one simply because they have <strong>more </strong>fat cells to take on the extra fat than the first person. </li>
</ol>Does any of that make sense? It seems a little tongue-twisterish but I hope you get it.<br />
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The major point is to really teach your children the importance of being healthy and eating healthy so that they develop those habits for the rest of their lives and so that they will not grow up with any <u>added</u> risk for obesity.<br />
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With all of the growth hormones and stem cells in a child's body, it is no wonder that they can actually make fat cells while adults cannot.<br />
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Sometimes it makes me so angry when I see an obese child! Parents need to step up to the plate. Kids do not have a brain developed enough to make healthy choices all the time when it comes to eating. I'm sure that most children would eat cake for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day if someone let them.<br />
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Guide your children and help them live a more satisfactory life!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985013009255830750.post-8970856134585430512010-07-01T21:38:00.000-07:002010-07-01T21:38:35.370-07:00Plan For Your HealthOne of the most effective ways you can manage your health and weight loss is to plan your meals. Actually, if we all did a little more planning, I'm sure things would go a lot smoother for most of us. Of course, a little spontaneity never hurt anyone either.<br />
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As far as losing weight though, planning your meals is crucial. Usually if you don't plan for what you're going to eat that day, you wait around until the last minute, when you're starving, and then you go and get some fast food or eat some quickie frozen meal garbage from the freezer. We've all done it.<br />
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Now, I don't mean you necessarily have to write down on paper what you are going to eat each day. Although, that would be a fantastic idea because things written down are 5 times more likely to actually get down. But, it can be just as simple as taking a few minutes in the morning to think about some ideas for food to eat during the day and at what time you will be eating.<br />
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You see, let's say you decide you want to make a nice salmon filet for dinner in the evening, and some vegetables to go along with it and whatever else you want for that meal. As your day progresses, if you get busy, you know in the back of your mind that you need to prepare that meal, so you can get other things done in time to make the meal.<br />
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If you didn't plan on what to eat and when to eat it, most likely you would have gotten caught up in some errands or other work, and by the time you realized you were really hungry (which is bad anyway), its either too late or you're too tired to make something worthwhile. So, you settle for some kind of garbage food. <br />
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Bad food ALWAYS seems to be more readily available or easier to make than healthy food! Crazy how that is, huh? Bad food seems to be cheaper too, but that's life I guess. Anyway, there are many healthy food options that can be prepared quite quickly, you just have to schedule a little extra time in your day for them.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985013009255830750.post-79327292087002145972010-06-05T19:32:00.000-07:002010-06-05T19:33:53.318-07:00Pregnant PauseHi everyone.<br />
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I just wanted to take this time to thank everyone who follows this blog and checks for updates regularly. It's what keeps me inspired to keep writing.<br />
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I want to let everyone know that this blog is going to be updated a little less frequently for the next month or so. <br />
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In an effort to get my book launched by July 1st (which is already way past my original deadline!), I need to put my full time effort into the editing of my book, plus finishing up my second one. Yes, I'm writing two books! The first one is DONE and currently being edited, and the second one is almost complete.<br />
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I am very excited as I have never taken on a project like this before. The 2 books are going to be sold as a package item. Basically, buy one and get the bonus book free. They both contain really good stuff and I am getting a very good response from my editors so far.<br />
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So, I will still be posting new updates on this blog, but they will be to the tune of one per week as opposed to one every 2 days or so as I was doing before.<br />
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Of course, after my website is set up and the books are launched, I'll be back to posting regularly on this blog.<br />
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Thanks for understanding and keep working at being healthy!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985013009255830750.post-85231143253545628192010-05-28T14:15:00.000-07:002010-05-28T14:15:20.472-07:00What Is The Most Effective Workout?What do you think the most effective workout is for losing weight?<br />
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Weight lifting?<br />
Cardio?<br />
Yoga?<br />
Pilates?<br />
P90X?<br />
Running?<br />
Swimming?<br />
Treadmill?<br />
Elliptical?<br />
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The possibilities are endless when it comes to working out. There are hundreds of things you could do and even more combinations. But if you are trying to lose weight, which is the most effective?<br />
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The answer is quite simple.<br />
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I'm sure you've read plenty of books/articles/newsletters of people saying which exercises are the most effective. Well, I've got news for you. All those people just give their "thoughts" on it because they want you to buy something from them. They guy selling you weight lifting tips is going to tell you that cardio workouts are ineffective. The gal promoting her yoga studio is going to say that running on a treadmill is a waste of time. The man promoting P90X is going to tell you that doing the same thing over and over again isn't getting you results.<br />
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Are these people right? Or are they wrong?<br />
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Well, the answer is BOTH!<br />
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Confused? Yeah, I thought so.<br />
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Here's why. Most of the time, when people are measuring the effect of a workout, they measure things like the number of calories burned during that workout. So, in that sense, something like P90X would be much more effective than, say, running on a treadmill.<br />
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But what if you LOVE running on a treadmill? What if doing P90X is TORTURE on you simply because you don't like it? Which one would be more effective then? Do you see what I am getting at?<br />
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I don't care what anyone says, THE most effective workout is the one you like the best! Plain and simple. Yes, I believe that you should change up your physical activities every now and then, but the most effective exercise is the one that you like and will do long term.<br />
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Remember, weight loss should be slow and steady IF YOU WANT TO KEEP IT OFF! Isn't that really what the goal is? Dropping 10 pounds in one week sounds extremely enticing because, as humans, we don't have patience anymore. But what's the point if you're going to gain back almost DOUBLE the weight in a month? Doesn't make much sense, huh?<br />
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So, aside from what you may have been told previously, I recommend taking the kind of physical activity you like best, and then expanding on that to get some variety in there. You want to lose weight once, right? Not again and again and again for the rest of your life.<br />
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Do whatever you need to do to stay active at least 4 times a week. If that means simply jogging a few times around a track because you LIKE it, so be it. If it means 30 minutes on an elliptical machine because you LIKE it, so be it. If it means working out alongside your favorite pilates DVD becaue you LIKE it, all the power to you. And if it means an hour in the gym lifting weights because it makes you FEEL GOOD, go for it!<br />
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Have fun working out!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985013009255830750.post-84696694250182104702010-05-21T17:33:00.000-07:002010-05-21T17:42:11.775-07:00Why Crash Diets Don't Work!<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">One of my co-workers recently lost some weight, and I wanted to share the story only to prove a point. I <strong><em>DO NOT</em></strong> recommend going about it the way she did, but it does get the point across.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Erika was about 70 lbs overweight when she decided to try an experiment. For 1 month, Erika cut out sugar, fruit juices (which is basically fruit flavored sugar), bread and most other carbs. She was diligent and stuck with this routine for 30 days. During this time, she did <u>not</u> exercise.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>Erika informed me that over this 30 day period, she lost a good chunk of her weight, and that all of her clothes were loose on her. However, after she went back to her "normal" eating habits, she gained the weight back.......and then some!<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Why did this happen? </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">It's simple. What Erika basically did was go on a "crash" diet (without knowing it). There are a lot of them out there and they usually include eliminating a certain food group from the diet whether it be carbs, fat, or sugar. These diets will almost always cause people to lose weight, and rather quickly at that. So, people get super excited and think they've finally found the answer to their fatness.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">There's just one problem.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">It is IMPOSSIBLE to stay on that kind of diet for an extended period of time. And it's dangerous! Depriving yourself of anything will almost always cause you develop cravings for that very thing you've eliminated from your diet. Not to mention you end up permanently screwing up your metabolism. The very instant you go back to your "normal" eating habits, you will undoubtedly overindulge because once your brain has developed a craving, you WILL SUCCUMB to it. Once the primitive "old" brain kicks in, you are defenseless against it. Then, you will gain all of your weight back, plus some extra pounds for added insurance in case you experience another "famine".</div><br />
This is exactly why I DO NOT recommend crash diets <strong><em>ever</em></strong> nor do I recommend trying what Erika did. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.minahunt.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/mina_no_more_diet4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="172" src="http://www.minahunt.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/mina_no_more_diet4.png" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">However, I did want to share Erika's story simply to prove that if you make changes to your diet, even small ones, you will see a change. You just need to make the RIGHT changes. Remember, if you're going to try to lose weight, you want to KEEP IT OFF, right? Crash diets will definitely not do that for you.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Be smart. Make life choices. Think long term.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985013009255830750.post-63620125551008957382010-05-12T13:04:00.000-07:002010-05-12T13:10:48.077-07:00All Medicines Are PoisonsDictionary.com defines "poison" as:<br />
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<ol><li>a substance with an inherent property that tends to destroy life or impair health</li>
<li>any variety of alcoholic liquor</li>
</ol>Dictionary.com defines "drug" as:<br />
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<ol><li>a chemical substance used in treatment, cure, prevention, or diagnosis of disease or used to otherwise enhance physical or mental well-being</li>
<li>any article, other than food, intended to affect the structure or any function of the body of humans or other animals</li>
</ol><div>You can see how these 2 can certainly be interchangeable when speaking of various substances. It's important to know that ANYTHING that is not classified as a food, that you put into your body, is considered a drug and a poison. This means that something as simple as caffeine is considered to be a drug/poison. Now, most of us think of something that is going to kill us when we think of the word poison. I think the film industry is responsible for that misconception, because you can clearly see from the definition that it is not necessarily something that causes death. It is simply something that impairs health or destroys life.</div><div><br />
</div><div><a href="http://cdn-www.soyouwanna.com/site/pros_cons/suicide/img/SUICIDE_graphic.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://cdn-www.soyouwanna.com/site/pros_cons/suicide/img/SUICIDE_graphic.gif" width="200" /></a>So, let's stick with the caffeine example for a minute before I get to main reason for this post. Caffeine is the most widely used "drug" in the United States. It is not considered a food because it has no nutritional value. It is considered a drug because it alters various biological and physiological processes in your body. It falls under the category of "poison" for the same reasons, including the fact that you can have <span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">side-effects</span> from caffeine. Side-effects are the <b>unwanted</b> characteristics of a drug that come along with the <b>wanted</b> benefits of the same substance. When you ingest caffeine, you want to be alert, energetic, and awake, and it does just that. However, caffeine also can cause headaches, rapid heart beat, nervousness, insomnia, and much more. Those would be the side-effects. Do you understand the difference? When you eat an apple, you get the full nutritional benefits, but it doesn't come with any side-effects. Please note here that <i>allergies</i> are NOT considered side effects. So if you're allergic to peanuts, and you eat one, the cascade of unwanted events you will experience are not side effects, it's just your immune system going haywire.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Why am I talking so much about this? Well because, in some of my previous posts, I've mentioned various diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, strokes, etc. All of these diseases are treated with some sort of medication. All of the medication used to treat these diseases (or any disease) will help to alleviate the effects that the disease is having on you, but they also <b>ALL </b>come with their own side-effects. It's absolutely true. Every single medicine out there has some sort of potential side effect. And the medicines that treat the diseases I've mentioned above are usually taken for the rest of one's life. Most of the effects of these medications start with the liver. In case you didn't know, one of the main functions of the liver is to detoxify the blood. As you know, anything put into your body goes into the bloodstream and thus to the liver. From a single dose of Tylenol for a headache to a regular regimen of Lipitor to a night of binge drinking in a bar, the liver goes right to work to remove that "poison" from your system. Obviously, over the course of several years, your liver is going to be quite overworked, especially when it comes to alcohol. Next to the liver, the kidneys are hit pretty hard too. Whatever the liver removes from the blood is sent to the kidneys so that it can be dumped into the bladder in order to be excreted. Those are the two main organs affected. Of course, side effects can affect any part of the body, including the brain, heart, lungs, muscles, bones, etc.</div><div><br />
</div><div>My message to you is to start making the changes necessary NOW to improve your diet and increase your physical activity so that you will lose unnecessary weight. Obesity is a major risk factor for many diseases, especially the ones mentioned above. Simply losing 10 lbs of body fat can cut your risk for developing some of this disease IN HALF or even reverse the effects of some of them! Isn't that an amazing thing to know?</div><div><br />
</div><div>I know that eating all of your favorite sugary, fatty, fried, greasy, oily foods tastes soooo good, but is it really worth it to have a free-for-all with that stuff and suffer the annoying and painful and sometimes deadly consequences later on in life? I don't think so. Besides, do you really want to have to be responsible for taking 20 pills or more a day just to keep a stupid disease (that you shouldn't have) at bay?</div><div><br />
</div><div>Get healthy. Eat right. Exercise. Lose Weight. And you WON'T need to depend on poisons to keep you alive!</div><div><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985013009255830750.post-9173125978333445312010-05-07T18:51:00.000-07:002010-05-07T18:52:18.585-07:00You Are An Efficient MachineYour body is an extremely efficient machine. I was in med school, so I know this far beyond a doubt. At any given second, your body is doing hundreds of different things at once. Your heart is pumping, muscles are moving, cells are recycling, food is being digested, and your liver and brain can do 500 different tasks, each! Your body is a far more efficient machine than anything humans could create. Your brain is a thousand times more efficient than the most efficient computer made. As a matter of fact, your body is so darn efficient, that it is unfortunately what is keeping you over weight.<br />
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Think about it. The main purpose of food is to provide us with energy. Energy that will keep us <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">concsious</span>, alert, alive and able to reproduce so that our species can thrive. As humans, we have quantified that energy that is in food and labeled it "calories". Yes, the word "calorie" is completely arbitrary and it refers to the amount of energy that is released when our bodies digest food. So, many years ago, some scientist used some substance as a set point (probably water), and recorded the amount of energy it releases as 1. Every other substance thereafter is compared to this set point and then given a number based on whether it releases more or less energy. Still with me? I hope so. If you're confused, don't be. I only described this hypothetical situation to illustrate that the word "calorie" is an arbitrary term. We just have to give labels and quantify things because that makes it easier for us to comprehend stuff.<br />
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Anyway, your body sees energy as very valuable. Again, it's what keeps you alert and reactive to stimuli. If you consume more "energy" than you burn off on a regular basis, you begin to notice a weight gain. Why? Because your body can not bear the thought of wasting that valuable energy! What if the energy stops or is taken away? Your body needs to have a back-up plan in case there is some sort of catastrophe. Remember, efficient machines waste very little of their resources. Fat is stored energy! It is stored calories! Does that make sense? Junk food and fatty foods have huge numbers of calories. If you go to a restaurant, you could easily consume 2000 calories in that one sitting alone. That is much more "energy" than your body can obviously use at that time, so it stores it and saves it for later. It's that simple.<br />
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I'll let you in on a little secret (a sneak peek at what I talk about in my book). One of the quickest ways to <b><i>gain</i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"> weight is to skip meals! Especially breakfast. Yes, it's true and I see it time and time again with the people I am surrounded with. Whether they are too lazy to eat or are trying to lose weight, everyone seems to love to skip meals. PURPOSELY SKIPPING MEALS IN AN EFFORT TO LOSE WEIGHT IS BACKWARDS THINKING! I'll tell you why. Our minds have evolved much faster than our brains. When I say "mind", I'm referring to the parts of the brain that think and make decisions. When I say "brain" I am referring specifically to the parts of the brain responsible for biological processes only. So, yes, it is logical to think that if you skip meals, thus eating <i><b>less</b></i> food, that you will lose weight. However, it is wrong to do so because when you skip a meal, and then become hungry, or even "starving", your brain sees this as a terrible thing. Your primitive brain does not know that you are purposely doing this. All it knows is that there is a "scarcity" of food or some kind of famine of sorts. So, it induces in you a craving for a high energy meal. It needs a high energy meal so that it can store that energy so that if you go starving again, you have energy reserves with which to pull from to stay alive and not die. Your brain is only concerned with keeping you alive. That is it's number one function.</span></b><br />
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Think about this for a second. When you are starving, do you go and reach for some carrot sticks or a salad or an apple? NO! Those items do not contain enough "energy" to satisfy the needs of a starving person. You most likely stop at a fast food restaurant because you're so hungry you don't have the patience to go home and prepare something on your own. Therefore, you eat something like a burger and fries and a soft drink, and then some ice cream. Then, your brain goes to work, signaling your body to hold on to every last one of the calories you just ate. Now, you are on your way to a marvelous weight gain. The next day, you may feel guilty about eating that mess of a meal the night before, so you refrain from eating all day again telling yourself, "Today, I'm really only going to eat one meal, and it's going to be a healthy one". And the cycle repeats.<br />
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There's just one problem. When your primitive brain takes over, you are NO LONGER IN CONTROL! When that primitive brain of yours sends out the signal to get a lot of calories and fast, you cannot resist! You can't do it. If you try, the brain just amplifies the pain receptors in your stomach (and you know how that feels) and your stomach even starts screaming at you!<br />
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<b><i>why</i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"> the eating 5-6 times a day really works, you may be more inspired to make some changes.</span></b><br />
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Just know that when you notice yourself gaining weight or staying overweight, it's a sign that you need to re-train your mind into a new way of thinking. The <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">concious</span> mind is very flawed and makes mistakes quite often. The primitive brain <span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">never</span><br />
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Was this post helpful? Give me some feedback!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985013009255830750.post-74165448756413069642010-05-03T23:33:00.000-07:002010-05-03T23:33:13.490-07:00If I Paid You $1 Million................to eat the right foods and exercise 30 minutes a day, 4-5 days a week, for 6 months, would you do it?<br />
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This is a rhetorical question, obviously. Who wouldn't do that? <br />
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So many people continue to eat crappy foods and put themselves at risk for life-long, incurable diseases. So my next question to you is:<br />
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Isn't the healthy, slim and sexy body you've always wanted worth eating the right foods, exercising 30 minutes a day, 4-5 days a week?<br />
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Why not make some changes? If you're smart, you can make some relatively small changes and see some BIG results! It isn't as hard as you might think. Continuing to follow this blog can certainly help. When my book is done, that will be a huge help, I promise.<br />
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Isn't cutting back on the foods that are making you fat or unhealthy (although they may taste wonderful) worth looking like and feeling like <b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">A MILLION BUCKS</span></i></b>?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://gracemagazine.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/marilyn-monroe-1950s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://gracemagazine.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/marilyn-monroe-1950s.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985013009255830750.post-17525592083153287712010-05-02T19:08:00.000-07:002010-05-02T19:08:06.637-07:00Causes of Death Prove Poor DietsAccording to the Center for Disease Control,<br />
<br />
In 1909, the top six causes of death in the United States were:<br />
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<ol><li>Tuberculosis</li>
<li>Heart Disease</li>
<li>Pneumonia </li>
<li>Diarrhea</li>
<li>Intracranial lesions</li>
<li>Nephritis</li>
</ol><div>In 2009, the top six causes of death in the United States were:</div><div><ol><li>Heart Disease </li>
<li>Cancer</li>
<li>Stroke</li>
<li>Chronic Lower Respiratory Diseases</li>
<li>Accidents</li>
<li>Diabetes</li>
</ol><div>It seems that Americans have been having a tough battle with heart disease for quite some time. It makes sense because, back then, we were cooking with lard and today our food is filled with trans fats and sugar. If you'll notice, however, most of the causes of death in 1909 were caused by microbes and the majority of deaths in 2009 were diet related!</div><div><br />
</div><div>Obviously in 1909, the technology behind antibiotics and other medicines hadn't been perfected yet, so it makes sense that the major causes of death would be due to microbes. But remember, exposure to microbes is not entirely in the control of humans. I mean, at school and at work you are forced to be around people who may be sick. If any of them are sick with an airborne virus, it's extremely likely you could contract it. But, we don't need to worry about 1909. I only included it for comparison reasons.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Let's look at 2009. Four out of the six leading causes of death in America are related to poor dietary habits. Five out of the six are directly related to what YOU put into your body (#4 is largely due to smoking). Accidents have no relevance to this blog.</div><div><br />
</div><div>This is extremely sad if you think about it. Heart disease, [some] cancers, strokes and diabetes are all directly caused by the items you choose to consume. Diabetes is the biggest shocker for me because I believe it is the one we have the most control over. Did you know that the NUMBER ONE risk factor for Type II Diabetes is <b><i>abdominal fat?</i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"> Yes, it's true because abdominal fat causes insulin insensitivity. Diabetes is a far more debilitating disease than most people think. I go into detail about it in my book. It's not simply a disease that prevents you from eating anymore sugar. It's very serious and causes chaos all throughout your body including pain, poor circulation, renal disease, destruction of blood vessels, and in advanced stages, blindness and possible limb amputation.</span></b></div><div><br />
</div><div>Diabetes should be NOWHERE near the top of the list for the causes of death in America or any country. This disease is almost 100% preventable! PLEASE make some changes in your lifestyle NOW so you won't ever have to be plagued with the consequences of this horrible disease. Don't you think it is much more wise to make some permanent changes now, while still being able to enjoy your guilty pleasure foods every once in a while as opposed to developing a disease like diabetes and having to adhere to a very strict diet and give up certain things forever??</div><div><br />
</div><div>The other causes of death on the list are serious too (of course they are!), but I think people largely underestimate the destructiveness of diabetes. Trust me, having a free-for-all when it comes to your favorite junk food is NOT worth developing and having to live with diabetes. I mean, I am not the only one who is completely <b style="text-decoration: underline;">appalled</b> at the fact that most of the leading causes of death are things that are very much controllable, am I? That list can be changed.......</div><div><br />
</div><div>Let this be your eye opener!</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985013009255830750.post-76891212864741637062010-04-28T17:25:00.000-07:002010-04-28T17:25:17.055-07:00Happy Meals Illegal?Santa Clara County, in Southern California has passed a law making it illegal for fast food chains to entice kids to eat unhealthy food with toys.<br />
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Of course the fast food chains are appealing this decision. Others think it's a good idea.<br />
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Do you think it is a good idea?<br />
Should the government be able to decide what children should eat?<br />
Or should that be left up to the parents to decide?<br />
Is this rational?<br />
Is the government infringing upon the fast food business and their revenue?<br />
What do you think?<br />
<br />
Click the link below, watch the video, and then express your thoughts in the comment section!<br />
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<a href="http://news.yahoo.com/video/business-15749628/where-happy-meals-are-illegal-19362009">Where Happy Meals Are Illegal</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985013009255830750.post-28609951233618257442010-04-27T17:49:00.000-07:002010-06-08T20:04:14.980-07:00Clear The ClutterIt is an absolute truth that in order to lose weight and to stay relatively in shape, you <strong><em>must</em></strong> exercise regularly. Our bodies were designed to be active from the time we were created. The good news is that it isn't necessary to train like a professional athlete or an Olympian. Thirty minutes a day is all that is needed to get your heart pumping enough and to grow more blood vessels that will better deliver oxygen to all the cells of your body, leaving you feeling great. Thirty minutes. You can find 30 minutes somewhere in your day to do something, so I don't want to hear the excuses. You don't need to go to a gym. Thirty minutes of <strong><em>any</em></strong> physical activity is better than nothing.<br />
<br />
Now that I've beaten that dead horse enough, on to the topic of this post: clearing the clutter. One of the most pertinent obstacles that we humans have to overcome is procrastination. I have no clue why this is such an issue for us, but it is. Whether you're in school, at work, or just need to get things done in life in general, procrastination seems to always hold you back. And it gets backed up. Procrastinating in one area can lead to procrastination in other areas. Actually, now that I think about it, maybe procrastination has to do with a lack of inspiration. Maybe someone who is looking for motivation has to deal with the burden of procrastination. I don't think that someone inspired to do something would have a problem just doing it.<br />
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So, what am I getting at? Well, to put it directly: Clean Your House! Why? Because a cluttered house leads to a cluttered mind, which leads to a lack of energy, which leads to you sitting on the couch not doing anything active. I have found that when my place is neat and organized, there is nothing to stop me from going to get my workout in. Think about it. If you come home from work, and the place is a mess, plus you have other errands looming over your head, the last thing on your mind is exercising. You come home and think, "Gosh, I need to clean this place. Oh, and I forgot I have to go to the grocery, get the oil changed in my car, return movies to blockbuster, etc., etc.". You grab a snack and slump on the couch telling yourself you are too exhausted and you'll do it tomorrow. The only problem is, you come home from work the next day, have the same conversation with yourself, and the cycle repeats, day in and day out.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.quickblogcast.com/3/2/8/1/8/192580-181823/NoClutter2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/3/2/8/1/8/192580-181823/NoClutter2.jpg" tt="true" width="320" /></a></div>The solution? I suggest taking a day, and getting every single errand done that you possibly can. It may seem a bit daunting, but the feeling afterwards is marvelous! The reason I say try to do it all at once is simple. If you're like me (and you may not be), if you do one thing and put other things off, they may stay put off for weeks to come. For me, I just had do it all at once and be done with it. Now, as things come up, I try to get them done right away so they don't build up and become a mental burden. I've found it's a little hard to get started, but once I do, I'm in super cleaning mode and don't stop til it's finished. The main thing is that you have to plan for it. Literally pencil it into your day planner for a day when you have a few spare hours. Now, I know this is harder to do for people who have kids, but I'm sure you can find a way. If your house looks like the ones on that show "Hoarders", then you'll need a bit more inspiration than this blog can provide.<br />
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So, tidy up the house, get those items at the grocery, change the oil in your car, return the movies to blockbuster, buy your significant other a gift, and do whatever else can be done on this day. Then, when you come home the next day with everything in order, you'll have such a burst of feel good energy that you'll <strong><em>need</em></strong> to run around the block a few times just to dispense it! It really works. And when you come back from the physical activity of your choice, you won't have this feeling of a million more things you have to do. Your mind will be clear!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985013009255830750.post-35940140731581583182010-04-23T18:05:00.000-07:002010-04-23T18:06:28.432-07:00Focus On The SolutionThe mind is a powerful thing and whatever you give your attention to, you will see in your life experience. Thoughts are things. This is true about everything. Your house, your car, your tv, a building, the Earth, even your children. All of these things that exist in physical nature were <b>thoughts</b> in someone's mind before they were created. You can't have something unless you think about what you want first, right?<br />
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You have to treat your new, slim and trim body like this as well. View yourself not as it is, but as you <span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">want it to be</span>. You need to think of yourself as healthy, slim, trim, sexy, or whatever, even if you aren't that way now. Viewing yourself in this way should provide some excitement, <span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: red;">enthusiasm</span></span>, hope and inspiration. Then, the things that you do, the action that you take (eating right and exercising) will net you far better results than if you think otherwise. See, most of us are great at identifying a problem, such as being overweight. This usually <i>motivates</i> the majority of us into some sort of exercise routine or new diet. The problem with that is that motivation is a negative mindset. (If you're new to the blog or need a refresher on what I'm talking about, <a href="http://healthinspiredfitness.blogspot.com/2010/04/are-you-motivated-or-inspired.html">click here</a>). Operating in a negative frame of mind never gets good results. You can't continue to think about yourself in a negative way, and expect positive results. You can't see yourself as fat, and expect to become thin.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpVboPk7AMIfRScdXOoj_AHUvMFObvM75oV9Gln2Sj7uQ7f1dOXduZz5ihgQVBsc-ISoeawgZFp44lJUaLgKkudXWTmz_d8UTMI2QuZ0Gofa7xezTHKn_glChZaoaqxI1uCHcc4gHQt3I/s1600/enthusiasm4final1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpVboPk7AMIfRScdXOoj_AHUvMFObvM75oV9Gln2Sj7uQ7f1dOXduZz5ihgQVBsc-ISoeawgZFp44lJUaLgKkudXWTmz_d8UTMI2QuZ0Gofa7xezTHKn_glChZaoaqxI1uCHcc4gHQt3I/s320/enthusiasm4final1.gif" /></a></div>One of the phrases repeated over and over again in the books by Jerry and Esther Hicks is "you get what you think about, whether you want it or not". This is so true, and if you think about it a little bit, you will see as well. So, the work to be done is to change your thoughts and focus only on that which you want. "But, I always think about losing weight all the time and I'm not seeing any results", you might be saying to yourself. But are you really? Sure, you may want to lose weight, and you may think about it often. But how many times is the word "but" part of your mental conversation? <br />
<br />
"I want to lose weight <b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">but</span></i></b> it's too hard."<br />
"I want to be slimmer, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><b><i>but</i></b></span> I don't have enough time to exercise."<br />
"I want to be healthy <span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><i><b>but</b></i></span> it's too hard."<br />
"I really want to lose weight, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><i><b>but</b></i></span> when it comes to exercise, I'm just too lazy!"<br />
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Does any of this sound even remotely familiar? It should. We're all guilty of it. So, I'm here to tell you that you need to work on cutting out the second part of each of those sentences. No ifs, ands, or buts (even though I only used "but" examples, you get the idea). Now, its okay to identify and realize that you are, in fact, overweight or out of shape, but it has to stop there. Once the <i>problem</i> is identified, you then put on your blinders and only focus on the solution. Only focus on the end result. Don't look back. Then, you will see people, places, articles, concepts, foods, ideas, etc. come to you to help you with your goal of losing weight or getting in shape. These things will come from places you could've never thought of in a million years.<br />
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This may be awkward to do at first. To think of yourself as thin, when you can easily look in the mirror and see that your body is not the way you want it to be. But just continue to imagine yourself the way you want to be. One thing that may help is to take a piece of paper and make a list of every single positive aspect of yourself (mind, body, spirit) that you can think of, and then put this paper somewhere where you can easily reference it if you need a shot of inspiration.<br />
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Lots more where this came from. Hope you liked it.<br />
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**The image in this post is from www.ineedmotivation.com (but we'll pretend it says www.ineed<span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">inspiration</span>.com!)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985013009255830750.post-28367441461157807552010-04-22T18:11:00.000-07:002010-04-22T18:11:10.272-07:00I'm Not CrazyBlogger is having seizures or something because, for the life of me, I can't get my last post to look right. The one below this one looks crazy with different sized fonts but I've tried everything. Disregard the look and just focus on the content.<br />
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hahaUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985013009255830750.post-72241659357570390632010-04-22T18:04:00.000-07:002010-04-22T18:09:07.166-07:00Carrie Underwood Supports My Restaurant Theory<span class="Apple-style-span">If you've been following this blog for a while, you've read the two posts that I've written regarding restaurants. The information in those posts are hardcore facts. :)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span">In a recent interview, Carrie Underwood, of American Idol fame, said this:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span">"I think the hardest thing about what I do is eating [healthy] because we're all over the place. It's fast food, there's aftershow food, you get pizza, whatever.I don't do that. I don't eat out ever."</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span">"Every once in a while I have a day off and I might go to a restaurant — but no aftershow food and I keep my fridge stocked. It's all about making a conscious effort. I don't do anything crazy, but I definitely try to take care of myself."</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Carrie could be exaggerating a little bit, and if she is telling the truth she might be a little too extreme. You never know with these celebrities. In any case, what she is saying is true, and it is basically what I said in my two posts entitled "Beware of Restaurants". The truth is that whenever someone else prepares your food, you have no control of </span><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span">how much</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span"> of the ingredients they are using. And most restaurants are only concerned about how their food tastes, because that will keep you coming back. If that means adding buckets of fat and sodium to food to enhance the taste, they do it. </span></span></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Fats and sodium can also be used as preservatives as well. Restaurants wouldn't want to buy foods that last only a day or two on the shelf. That could mean huge losses of business is slow.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Happy eating</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985013009255830750.post-19302353576502375052010-04-20T19:39:00.000-07:002010-04-20T19:57:04.495-07:00Lady Loses 530 Pounds!!!WITHOUT SURGERY OR RADICAL DIETS! This is so good and I happened to be home to see it just at the right time! Today, <em>Good Morning America</em> profiled Nancy Makin who, over the past few years, has lost over 500 lbs and kept it off. How she did it PERFECTLY illustrates the concept of the philosophy that I believe in and will be sharing frequently on this blog. That philosophy is Law of Attraction based.<br />
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One of the quotes that Makin said on the show was, "Food is not the enemy, it is the misuse of food". That statement is the crux of my book and my beliefs about obesity. You've seen me refer to it in past posts about people overeating or overindulging in the wrong foods. It's absolutely true. Makin lost her weight over a period of several years, and that is important to note. Too many of us are too impatient, and because of that, go about things the wrong way. As I discuss in detail in my book, you need to lose weight at a slow and steady pace if you want to keep it off. There is a very prominent physiological reason for this! But don't take it from me. Take it from a lady who lost <em><strong>a quarter ton</strong></em>!<br />
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The way that Makin said she lost her weight was by developing relationships online, and getting happy<em> first. </em> That is critical! It really is the Law of Attraction in action. It would be way too long to go into detail here, but I have several posts lined up that will explain what this means. I think it will totally change the way you look at things and possibly introduce you to concepts that you've never heard.<br />
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The basic premise is that you get whatever it is that you are giving your attention to. The fact that I even saw this story is an example in and of itself. I haven't seen Good Morning America in years. I am usually at work by 6 am. On my days off, I sleep in way past the time that Good Morning America comes on. What are the chances that on the day they ran this story, I happened to be off work and woke up naturally in time to see it? The chances are really slim. But it wasn't a coincidence. The universe brought it to me because my thoughts were similar. Ever since I started this blog and started writing my book and doing research on it, diet and weight loss is on my mind a lot, and so diet and weight loss related things seem to move into my experience more frequently. In fact, several of my posts have been quick, pop-up posts where I was going to write about something else, but I came across something that I wanted to share immediately. It sure takes the work out of having to come up with ideas all the time.<br />
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Anyway, <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/HealthyLiving/losing-530-pounds-internet-nancy-makin-weight-off/story?id=10417488">click here</a> if you want to read her story. She credits her weight loss success to making friends online where she had a support group and felt inspired. Because she was inspired, the action that she took (eating right) netted her far better results than if she were to do the <u>exact same thing</u> while feeling sad or depressed. That's what I want to achieve for people with this blog, because everyone deserves to feel good! If this story isn't inspiring, then I don't know what is!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985013009255830750.post-39723729733489498562010-04-18T17:39:00.001-07:002010-04-18T17:39:22.417-07:00Don't Forget To FollowPlease don't forget to register as a follower to this blog! Register just to your right!<br />
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Thank youUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985013009255830750.post-89793831459961955932010-04-18T17:37:00.000-07:002010-04-19T22:23:01.459-07:00Age Is Not An Excuse!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilgPGx_AHR7wJSFX0jyYtTALzRorGeArj6nWCL9NCpzSk5dBChQ7QXBrFu3S3PJqfYu_EAFvkyRZDutID4pLF7z7XTRwAKOc0mid3y_9ZKvENsaMutkaPlZ6XAWAcPxsfpDyNFeJ0OyeQ/s1600/age-concern-logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilgPGx_AHR7wJSFX0jyYtTALzRorGeArj6nWCL9NCpzSk5dBChQ7QXBrFu3S3PJqfYu_EAFvkyRZDutID4pLF7z7XTRwAKOc0mid3y_9ZKvENsaMutkaPlZ6XAWAcPxsfpDyNFeJ0OyeQ/s200/age-concern-logo.jpg" width="200" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">When it comes to being healthy and fit, I have a whole philosophy in which I believe is the best and most natural way to maintain a healthy body weight. It's what my book is based on. However, as far as getting in shape in general, many people are receptive to it, but there is always a small percentage of people who will come up with every excuse in the book not to do some sort of physical activity. I get it. We're all busy. All excuses stem from the same root though, and that's laziness.</span><br />
<div><br />
</div><div>A recurring excuse I hear is, "I'm too old" or "I have bad knees (because I'm too old)" or something to that effect. And to that I say, If you're knees are bad, if you're back hurts, or if you have an array of other aches and pains, it is exactly YOU who should be the first person in line to work out! It doesn't matter if you're 80 or 20! If you're overweight, the weight of the body fat combined with weak muscles can cause an array of problems. For example, for someone with weak knees, it most likely means the muscles surrounding the knees are weak and need strengthening.</div><div><br />
</div><div>No one says you have to go from zero to 60! You aren't a ferrari. Start slow and easy, but do <b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">something!</span></i></b> There are plenty of low impact exercises that don't put a lot of pressure on your joints. Do the elliptical machine or ride a bike instead of run. Swim instead of doing regular aerobics. Do yoga or pilates instead of weight lifting. There is always <span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">something</span> you could be doing to burn extra calories.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Get to it!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985013009255830750.post-82491532697188893482010-04-16T16:51:00.000-07:002010-04-16T17:00:15.178-07:00Beware of Restaurants: Part 2Continuing from the first post, the second reason why you should be careful at restaurants is because of the <i>amount</i> of food they serve. This is an even bigger reason why there are so many overweight people these days. Your body was expertly designed, there is no question about that. It was designed to hold on to vitamins and fats in case food becomes scarce. The problem is that humans, smart as we are, have found ways to overcome the possibilities of famine. There is a very good reason for this which I explain completely in my book. For now, just know that restaurants overdo it when it comes to portions.<br />
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On top of adding copious amounts of fat and sodium to foods to make your mouth water, restaurants need to make sure you are satisfied. And by satisfied, I mean stuffed to the brim. It makes sense. They want you to feel as though you are getting your money's worth. Most of the time you are. But is it worth it when your waistline starts expanding too? You may be getting your money's worth at the restaurant, but then you'll have to go and spend more money buying bigger clothes! Not too cost effective if you ask me. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9WUyNAOhxLDYyc4SbaUCYtq5Frhz9rlkB1zGyzZVPZa-pO0M8VXIV0foFx0S5lXM8T-wzWoHCHm04AsP2DPyzh8JgeC7EzeCpjFI5y71FtGmFxSyycF5O6X4XAnewxXtYVXb0R0C-FQU/s1600/overeat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9WUyNAOhxLDYyc4SbaUCYtq5Frhz9rlkB1zGyzZVPZa-pO0M8VXIV0foFx0S5lXM8T-wzWoHCHm04AsP2DPyzh8JgeC7EzeCpjFI5y71FtGmFxSyycF5O6X4XAnewxXtYVXb0R0C-FQU/s320/overeat.jpg" /></a>At the majority of sit down restaurants, there are actually 3 servings of food per dish. THREE! That's a lot of food, and it is most likely a lot of sodium and fat as well. I actually realized this a few years ago when I went to a very upscale restaurant with a friend. We'd always wanted to go to this restaurant but were always too cheap. One day we said, "what the hell" and just went. The food tasted great, but for $40 a plate, there wasn't much there. Needless to say, I was pissed! I LOVE food. I really do, and this was before I was "educated" on what goes into food preparation. Looking back, yes it was expensive, but it had proper proportions on the plate. It actually had healthier vegetables and a good protein option as well. Now, I'm not saying you should only eat at expensive restaurants. What I am saying is that there is nothing wrong with eating half of your food and taking the rest home to save for tomorrow. I know it is hard for a lot of people because many of us were taught (actually forced) as kids to eat everything on our plates. I know I was, but I think it is the wrong approach. It teaches kids to overeat. Adults can't accurately judge how small a child's stomach really is. I'll do a future post on kids and food.<br />
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I truly believe that large food portions are responsible for the majority of people's weight problems. <b><i>How much you eat is just as significant as what you actually eat!</i></b> My whole philosophy is that you really can eat whatever you want and lose weight, or maintain your weight, but you have to outsmart the natural design of your body. Think for a minute. Your stomach is not rigid. It is elastic. At any given moment, your body only requires a certain amount of nutrients from food to survive, but if you put more into your stomach than you actually need, your stomach won't disallow it. It will just expand to accommodate the abundance. Sneaky. It is up to <b><i>you</i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"> to control how much food you put into your stomach.</span></b> I describe some very effective techniques in my book to "trick" your body into actually disallowing further input of food after a meal. To the point where you won't feel the need for seconds or thirds and you may not even crave dessert!<br />
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So maybe I should end this post here and go write some in my book so I can actually get it done! It's coming along great. Remember, be smart when you go out for a night on the town! Eat until you are honestly satisfied, not until you are stuffed. But don't be too conservative either. Not eating enough won't do anything beneficial for you either. You have to experiment and find the balance that's right for you. Obviously, a satisfying portion for a middle aged woman who weighs 160 lbs is not going to satisfy a 30 year old man that weighs 200 lbs. In any case, if you feel like the frog looks in the picture above, you've probably overdone it!<br />
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Happy eating!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985013009255830750.post-88152960341685273092010-04-14T20:45:00.000-07:002010-04-14T20:50:29.354-07:00Are You On Track For A Heart Attack?I never like to post things that scare people, but I believe in being true and honest. The reality is that heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in America. Part of it is genetic. A very small part. The vast majority has to do with what you eat and how much you eat. Although heart disease can strike an overweight person just as well as it can strike a thin person, I'm writing about it because this blog is not just about losing weight, it's about being healthy. Your first priority should be to be as healthy as possible, and things like weight loss will fall right into place.<br />
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As far as heart disease is concerned, let me explain what happens. Basically, as you continue to consume fatty meals, plaque starts to build up in your coronary arteries. The same kind of plaque that builds up on your teeth. You know what that looks like. It builds up so snugly against the walls of your arteries that it basically becomes part of the artery itself. At least your body thinks so. Over time (years) your arteries also lose elasticity. Just like any other part of your body (skin, etc), elasticity decreases and the arteries stiffen up. So, every time your heart beats, the artery wall can't expand as much as it used to. If that built up plaque gets bigger and bigger, the force of the blood moving through the artery can break a piece of that plaque off.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj95JMDOT11lrqntYwDAy2BNHWyHZaF3-jNH5hchW9O_BweRFsl1Yc9ZvJ9x70KredyTca4GP4prLEwVQ858kbjqH3S-b4V0mgEqBqwab3DtVW_K9cVa-H90UixRlLTx9lww3Xi2XQLcUk/s1600/Heart_Attack_Full.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj95JMDOT11lrqntYwDAy2BNHWyHZaF3-jNH5hchW9O_BweRFsl1Yc9ZvJ9x70KredyTca4GP4prLEwVQ858kbjqH3S-b4V0mgEqBqwab3DtVW_K9cVa-H90UixRlLTx9lww3Xi2XQLcUk/s320/Heart_Attack_Full.jpg" /></a>Now, since your body thinks that plaque is a part of itself, what happens next? The same thing that happens when any wound occurs. Your body tries to repair the wound. Think about if you cut yourself. You bleed, and then your body repairs the wound by forming a scab. The elements that form a scab are very sticky and clumpy, and that stops the bleeding. This exact same thing happens inside your heart when a piece of that plaque breaks off. Sticky, clumpy molecules aggregate in one of your heart's arteries to repair that wound. There's just one problem. Those arteries are so small and delicate, that the "scab" fully blocks the artery and blood flow stops. 100%. Whichever part of the heart muscle is connected to that artery dies due to lack of oxygen, and you keel over in pain. If it was a small coronary artery, you would have a mild heart attack. If it was a larger artery, you could have a massive heart attack and possibly die. Regardless, once a piece of the heart muscle dies, large or small, you can't get it back. See the diagram to the right from http://www.healthy-anti-aging-solutions.com.<br />
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And so, technically speaking, no one ever had a heart attack due to the actual plaque build up. The body's defense and repair mechanisms are what is responsible for the complete blockage of the artery. Amazing isn't it?<br />
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After someone has a "mild" heart attack, they immediately jump on a new diet, no fat, not cholesterol, etc., etc. That is a good thing. It's a must. But what I want you to know is that no one ever had a heart attack because they ate a big greasy burger last week! The events leading up to the heart attack result from <b><i style="text-decoration: underline;">years</i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"> of eating foods high in fat and cholesterol. It's that simple. Start eating the right foods NOW so you can stop the plaque build up in your arteries dead in its tracks. Seriously, can you imagine what it must feel like for your heart to stop? I don't imagine that is something you want to experience. And you don't have to.</span></b><br />
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Make the change NOW!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985013009255830750.post-18986531024100382052010-04-13T17:49:00.000-07:002010-04-13T17:49:42.677-07:00Kids Need Your GuidanceSaying "No" to your kid asking you for their favorite junk food is hard<br />
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<ul><li>Hearing about your kid being teased about their weight at school is <em><strong>a lot harder</strong></em></li>
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Trying to get your kid to eat healthy foods is hard<br />
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<ul><li>Learning that your kid has been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes is <strong><em>a lot harder</em></strong></li>
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Getting your kids involved in after school activities and away from video games can be hard<br />
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<ul><li>Learning that your kid has an overworked heart is <strong><em>a lot harder</em></strong></li>
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Educate yourself and your children. It's never too late.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985013009255830750.post-372320896666940632010-04-12T17:37:00.000-07:002010-04-12T17:43:00.523-07:00Beware of Restaurants: Part 1<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"></span><br />
<div>One of fastest and surefire ways to start losing weight and getting healthy is to reduce the number of times you eat out each week. I know I know. Restaurant food tastes so good. I completely agree, but a lot of it is bad for you and there are a few reasons for that. Dining out has become a staple of American culture. It's what we do when we want to be social, have business meetings, catch up with friends, etc. We should do those things, but once again, people of industrialized nations, especially in America, overdo it.....by a lot!! America actually has the highest rates of obesity for adults and children than any other industrialized nation. And I think a major factor is in our dining culture.</div><div></div><div><br />
The major reason dining out causes a problem is the way in which restaurants prepare their food. It doesn't matter whether it is fast food or a sit down restaurant, when you eat at these places, you are consuming a lot of fat. Fat is a major ingredient in restaurant food for a couple of reasons. The first being that fat is how they flavor their food. Fat tastes good. That's a fact. I knew that since I was a young boy. I was eating bacon one time and the yellow fatty part had so much more flavor than the actual meat. Restaurants have to make their food taste good because that's how they get people to come back. And adding fat is the magic trick.</div><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdaQrulGuI-BzGdlTdcB-ONZKbDCDajGO6KstQem27w2W7jH9rPyj7PfcrzsGH6jWV5sT_Pr4BC96Z8kIliXal8cEOifE8GpQsHy3bU3_e05xnBDN2qwcGGd92yEzoylApbXoGsfdIl1Y/s1600/pouring-off-the-fat_7901.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdaQrulGuI-BzGdlTdcB-ONZKbDCDajGO6KstQem27w2W7jH9rPyj7PfcrzsGH6jWV5sT_Pr4BC96Z8kIliXal8cEOifE8GpQsHy3bU3_e05xnBDN2qwcGGd92yEzoylApbXoGsfdIl1Y/s320/pouring-off-the-fat_7901.jpg" width="320" /></a>To prove this point, I was watching the History Channel the other day and there was a show on called Modern Marvels. The topic for that episode was fried food. I caught the episode when they were talking about the fried stuff they serve at carnivals and fairs. You know, the elephant ears, funnel cakes, etc. The man talking to the camera was one of the people that fries up all of this garbage and not surprisingly he looked like he weighed over 300 lbs. He deep fries EVERYTHING. He even poured spoonfuls of Coke (yes, as in Coca-Cola) into his deep frier. It clumps together and he took it out and ate it. And was proud of it. He said he could fry anything. I could've vomited right there. </div><div></div><div><br />
So, the segment on the deep fried food caught my attention. Then they moved on to restaurants. They were interviewing a chef from a diner somwhere in middle America. I have to admit, what I am about to tell you, I was actually surprised the chef was saying on national television. Anyways, they showed him cooking over his stove, and he was cooking with lard. Typical. As he was giving the details of how he cooked he dropped this gem, "Anything with fat tastes good. Fat is key". He actually said this, but the thing is, it really is true. Fat makes food taste better. There is just one problem.....it's kiling us.</div><div></div><div><br />
I am not one of those people that is going to pretend that vegetables taste good, or that I am so disciplined that I never eat this stuff. Trust me, I have my weaknesses as well. But our work is to find the discipline to say to ourselves, "enough is enough". One helping is enough. To be fair, restaurants are getting better at reducing their food's fat content and providing food labels with their meals so you can at least see the calorie, fat and sugar content, but they have a long way to go. By cooking for yourself or preparing your own food, you could never add as much fat or sodium as restaurants do. My whole philosophy is that you can eat what you want, not have to eliminate anything completely from your diet, and still lose weight. You just have to be smart about it and some sacrifices will have to undoubtedly be made.</div><div><br />
</div><div>I decided to break this post up into 2 posts because when I write, the info just flows out and my posts end up being too long. I want them to be short and to the point, so part 2 will come in a few days. In the follow up I'll talk about the kind of fat they use and also how sodium gets worked in there too.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985013009255830750.post-62349988529094221842010-04-10T19:51:00.000-07:002010-04-12T17:41:02.986-07:00Are You Motivated or Inspired?Eating right and physical activity are 2 things that are absolutely essential to your health. You know that. By the way, you'll always hear me using the term "physical activity" as opposed to "exercise" or "work out" because I think the latter two phrases are associated with the gym, long, grueling routines, etc, and none of that is required to have the body you want. Physical activity can be anything from jogging to playing basketball to yoga to swimming. I like going to the gym, but we're all different. The point is to burn some extra calories and get your heart pumping a bit. However, I believe that eating right and physical activity are really only about 14% of the effort to be healthy and fit. There is a much larger phenomenon that can be put to use to achieve your wellness goals, and it has to do with your mind.<br />
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</div><div>Over the course of this blog, in addition to all of the biological and physiological info I'll be sharing, I hope to share many techniques that I have come to know to help you "think" better. I'll start with motivation and inspiration. What is the difference?</div><div><br />
</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLZ4Au0K5XEHtJ5RI1j6MDdauZWZP-7y2hX-6joYRS5AlfYWg2fu4eWl1XLz1grFUesIspHuGXoqqU-l4WWmblIEJAtzjZ6KpITz_ihprdKlGzm_yC4xHx13qnUDUu2UdOPQiQoTTwiUk/s1600/beach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLZ4Au0K5XEHtJ5RI1j6MDdauZWZP-7y2hX-6joYRS5AlfYWg2fu4eWl1XLz1grFUesIspHuGXoqqU-l4WWmblIEJAtzjZ6KpITz_ihprdKlGzm_yC4xHx13qnUDUu2UdOPQiQoTTwiUk/s320/beach.jpg" width="320" /></a>Well, you can see from the name of this blog which one I think is the better path to wellness. The information I am about to share I came across by reading books by Jerry and Esther Hicks. Their philosophy is based on the Law of Attraction which basically states "that which is like unto itself, is drawn". Simple. Thoughts or things that are alike, attract one another. Birds of a feather flock together. You get the idea.</div><div><br />
</div><div>So why should you be inspired as opposed to motivated? Well, you may not know it because you probably never thought about it, but <i>motivation </i>is actually a negative mindset. When you are motivated to do something, you are operating from a feeling of lack. A lack of something you want. Think about that for a second. If you have a huge project at work that you don't want to do, you usually try to <i>motivate </i>yourself to do it because you would rather be at the beach. If you want to lose weight and are frustrated at not seeing results, you usually try to <i>motivate</i> yourself to go to the gym because you want a better body. However, if you are operating from the negative frame of mind, you can do all the exercises in the world, eat all the right foods and do everything you've been told to do, but you will see very little result. In other words, you can't <span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">feel fat</span> and attract thin. You can't <span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">feel sick</span> and attract health. You can't think negative thoughts and attract positive results.</div><div><br />
</div><div>On the other hand, if you are <i>inspired</i>, then you are operating in a positive frame of mind. When you are inspired, you have a goal, you want it and you expect it, and there are no thoughts in your mind telling you that you can't have it. If you want to be a singer, you are inspired into action every time you see your idol. If you come into contact with someone who is wildly successful, the mere thought of having that success too can really inspire you. When you are <i>inspired</i> into action, you will see a much larger result than if you were <i>motivated</i> into action, according to the philosophy of Jerry and Esther Hicks.</div><div><br />
</div><div>You're work is to get <i>inspired</i> by changing the way you think. This blog will include ways to do that, hopefully. I've recently tried a few techniques and I can honestly say I have seen some pretty amazing results. I try not to make by posts too long because I know you are busy, so other posts that continue the train of thought on this one will come later. Besides, isn't a good writer supposed to leave his audience wanting more? Evil, I know!</div><div><br />
</div><div>Anyway, this post serves to ignite the fire underneath your willpower to get the body you want and feel great. Like everything else, it's easier said than done. Hey, I'm no expert yet. There are still many goals I am working towards, and I have my blinders on. The point is that you can't think of something you want, but then also think of reasons why you can't or don't have it. The problem is that it's so damn easy for those negative thoughts to get into your mind!</div><div><br />
</div><div>You've obviously been thinking about losing weight or getting healthy which attracted you to this blog. In the meantime, swing by www.abraham-hicks.com to check out Jerry and Esther's website. They have a lot of positive quotes and good info there.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985013009255830750.post-59631514917445243882010-04-09T21:45:00.000-07:002010-04-09T21:53:04.512-07:00Follow This Blog<b> ***PLEASE REGISTER AS A FOLLOWER***</b><br />
<b> (or at least save the address and check often!)</b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I have created this blog in order to spread awareness about the importance of taking care of your body and being healthy. I come into contact with hundreds of people everyday and too many of them are completely ignorant on how to be healthy. Through this blog, I want to provide people ways to be healthy as well as interesting facts about food, fitness, exercise, etc. My plan is to discuss things that a normal person wouldn't even think of or know from a totally nontraditional perspective. I plan to have a lot of eye opening information on here.</span></span></span></span><br />
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I am a health freak. I don't know why. I was born that way. I don't expect to turn people into freaks and I certainly don't intend persuade people to change their beliefs about anything. But I do intend to put the truth out there for people who may not be keen on certain aspects regarding health. I will apologize now, in advance, if I ever sound snobbish. You must understand that when it comes to health, fitness, and the body, I've studied it for many years. Many of you know I was previously in medical school, but I didn't want to be a doctor, so I left. But I still have a passion for health. And so, some of the things I talk about (most of them actually) are second nature to me; natural. Sometimes I don't realize that there are people out there that really don't know what a vitamin actually is, or that you can tell a great deal about the status of your health by looking at your poop. Yes, I said "poop" and I will continue to say things like that. This blog is meant to be informal and I want it to be as though I am talking directly to you. So get ready for some shock value. haha<br />
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So, it is my intention to educate and to share my knowledge via this blog, but each post is really meant to serve as a topic of discussion to follow in the comments section. I encourage you to share your thoughts in the comments section after each post. You never know, you could be helping someone as well with the information you share. There are 2 people at my job that I know, under the age of 30, with high cholesterol. Unbelievable. <br />
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That being said, don't forget to register as a follower to the right and tell your friends and family about it too. Even send a message to your email contacts and tell them to check out this blog and save the address. The address here is http://healthinspiredfitness.blogspot.com. I want to get as many people reading as I can because I'll have interesting topics and various polls each week for people to vote in so I can get an idea of people's knowledge about things.<br />
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I'm also going to be including info on how to get healthy using your mind, because it's a powerful thing.<br />
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Thanks for your time,<br />
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KrisUnknownnoreply@blogger.com2