Burn-off the Fat

Keeping your weight down to a good level is something that seems to be beyond a lot of people. There are dozens of methods out there that supposedly help you cut down on your weight, ranging from crash diets involving quirky food, to medications designed to burn off fat, to radical new age psychic methods of self hypnosis for fat burning. Okay, fine. Reality check... you can't wish and vibrate fat away, and miracle pills might work, but they generally have unhealthy side effects.

If you really want to keep your weight down and do it in a healthy fashion, you have to work for it. And that involves the one weight loss method that is actually the most effective but the one that a vast majority of people dread:

Exercise! Before jumping out and buying yourself a pair of running shoes though, consult with your doctor and make sure that you're in fit enough shape to exercise strenuously. Ask your doctor's advice and find out what levels of strain, wear and tear you can put yourself through without risking your health. If you want to make it easy on yourself, start slow.

Brisk walks and jogging are nice easy cardiovascular exercises that get rid of excess fat slowly. You can take this at your own pace; remember, how fast you lose weight is directly proportional to the amount of effort involved. Even something as simple as walking up flights of stairs at the office instead of taking an elevator can be incorporated into part of your daily weight loss routine.

Next stop on the agenda after you've got your walking and jogging habits down is to get into calisthenics. Here is one of the best: Crunches As opposed to sit-ups, crunches are medically proven to be healthier and easier on the body, even as they burn up more fat. To do crunches, lie on the floor, lock your legs straight, and raise your feet and upper body simultaneously, bending at the waist. Essentially, you form a shallow letter V. Start with small repetitions, pace yourself, and don't raise your feet or head more than a foot above the ground. Crunches are a great way to target the stomach, which is a problem area for most of us. Variations on crunches include raising only your legs, to target your lower abdomen, or raising only your head and upper body to target higher abdominal muscle groups. Twisting crunches involve turning your upper body alternately with each crunch and target love handles. Crunches are just one example of calisthenics.

There are other exercises that are meant to target other body parts. Find a gym with a good calisthenics instructor and visit it regularly. Another approach to weight loss is to engage in classic sports. Any good sport will eventually help you lose weight; if there is one that you actually like engaging in, go for it. Assuming you don't have a preference, however, try biking and rowing. These two activities burn off fat and replace it with lean muscle, and are actually quite exhilarating.

While weight training may seem like an option, it actually doesn't reduce weight much. Weight lifting replaces fat mass with muscle mass, usually of the bulky type. Both biking and rowing keep the muscle mass you gain lean, giving you a more streamlined look and keeping your weight down.

The most effective physical activities for weight reduction, however, involve ones that require great amounts of neuromuscular activity. These sharpen reflexes as well as burning off fat. Some of the best examples of these activities are dancing, martial arts, fencing, and gymnastics. Because of the greater need for dexterity and agility in these sports, a person who trains in them naturally develops a much higher metabolic rate. Also, since the emphasis in these arts is in rapid, efficient movement, the burn rate of calories is a lot higher than regular sports. However, these arts are also the most demanding, not only physically, but also in terms of mental alertness and coordination. They are not for everyone but if you want an exercise that will help you lose weight fast and keep it off, you can't go wrong with them.

That's pretty much it in a nutshell. Don't bother coming up with excuses. Most people claim that they either don't have the time, the equipment, or the opportunity to exercise and lose weight. In truth, opportunities are always available. Even taking just the first option, and spending 30 minutes a day walking, will eventually make you lose weight. The important thing is to stop rationalizing that it's something you can't do. You can burn that fat off; it just takes a bit of persistence.
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Tips to Speed Up Your Golfing Round

How serious of a golfer are you? With the rush of today's world, do you have time to spend on the golf course? What if you could spend less time on the course and still enjoy the game while saving some of that precious time? As the saying goes, "Time is Money!" So, if you are more concerned about playing a round of golf quickly rather than shooting a perfect round with a good score, you should determine when to take a short cut and cut your losses. This will mean your score is not the most important thing when on your round of golf. Here are some tips to help you speed around the golf course in record time:

Make sure you use a golf cart. If you have a buddy riding along and your shots are fairly close together, park the cart about midway between where your golf balls lie. Take the appropriate clubs plus any additional ones you might need. Designate which of you will go back to the cart and drive while the other can be walking to the next shot. Play ready golf. When you are ready to shoot, take the shot. With that being said, make sure you see where your shot lands. Pick out a landmark to help you remember and gauge where your ball should be. This will make it easier to find your ball and not spend as much time looking for it.

If your partner has already shot, ask them to keep an eye on your ball and do the same for them. Two sets of eyes are better for tracking the ball so that it can be found more quickly. Don't write your score down until you are at the next tee box. Better yet, don't keep score. Just enjoy playing golf and let the shots fall where they may. The less time you spend trying to figure out your score, the less time you will spend on the course.

Figure out where you have the hardest time with your golf shots. Is it in the sand, over water, out of tall rough, etc? When you get into those situations, take relief. It is within your right to declare the ball unplayable, take a one-stroke penalty, and drop the ball as close as possible to the spot from which you last played. This is Rule 28. So, instead of hitting out of the sand, back into the sand, and on and on, take relief as explained above and your one stroke penalty. You will be ahead on your score and speed your play.

If you hit into the water, don't just drop where you last hit. According to Rule 26, you can take a one-stroke penalty after hitting into the water and take a drop right where your ball crossed the water. This will get you closer to the hole and make it easier to get over the water. When hitting from the tee box, you may hit out of bounds, or at least think that you could have driven out of bounds. If you think you are out of bounds, announce that you are hitting a provisional. Hit your provisional. You can then choose the one that is in bounds. If the first drive was not out of bounds, you take it. Otherwise, you have your provisional and a one-stroke penalty.

So, you see, there are ways within the rules to speed up your round of golf. If you are not keeping score, just use a handy foot wedge or strategically placed drop. FORE!

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Jim Hogan

Cranberries - Simple Protection from Cancer and Heart Disease


When is the last time you ate cranberries? Was it with a turkey dinner? With all the research pointing to the amazing health benefits of this simple berry, shouldn't cranberries be more than a once a year side dish?

How Cranberries Are Proving Their Strength: The Cranberry Institute provides the results of studies and research that highlight the fantastic health benefits of the humble cranberry. Cranberries have been used for thousands of years by Native Americans as a source of food and to extend the shelf life of dried meats. Colonial sailors also made use of the natural preservatives in cranberries (from benzoic acid) which allowed them to last through long sea voyages, and the high Vitamin C content which prevented scurvy.

Perhaps they were on to something since new research suggests that cranberries may prevent the adhesion of the e.coli bacteria - a common cause of food poisoning from contaminated meat - to the urinary tract. This 'anti-adhesion' effect may also help in preventing bacteria from causing stomach ulcers and gum disease. Vitamin C is also a known powerful antioxidant and is being widely accepted as a means of combating the effects of free radicals in the body which can cause cancer, heart disease and other health problems.

Antioxidants from cranberries are being researched for prevention of kidney stones and lowering cholesterol. While many fruits contain antioxidants, according to research cranberries have more antioxidants than 19 commonly eaten fruits. With this news it makes sense to include cranberries into a balanced diet throughout the year. How Can You Include Cranberries Into Your Diet? Fresh, frozen or dried, cranberries can be eaten anytime of the year. Adding dried cranberries to baking (such as scones, breads and cookies) is an easy way to enjoy their tart sweetness. Adding frozen cranberries to smoothies or soups can lend a mild tang to your creations. Fresh cranberries make excellent garnishes and dressings.

The easiest way to add cranberries to your diet is to drink cranberry juice. While sweetened juices have less antioxidants than unsweetened, the benefits of adding cranberry to your diet are still there. If you add unsweetened juice to sparkling water you can enjoy a refreshing spritzer.

While studies are still being conducted on the health benefits of cranberries there is no doubt that increasing the intake of fruits and vegetables in your diet will lead to a healthier body. Choosing to use a variety of berries, citrus and other fruits will ensure you are giving your body everything it needs for optimum health.

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Safe Workouts Begin with a Good Warm-Up
Having been a professional boxer and runner I have found the following exercises very useful for warming up and avoiding injuries.

It is starting to become warmer, and many people will be returning to their fitness routines. Most sports injuries that happen when a person works out are caused due to a lack of proper warm up and stretching of the muscles before a workout. It has been said that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. This is definitely the case when you start to workout or do your fitness routine. Sore muscles, sprains, and even broken bones can result from not warming up your body prior to conditioning.

The best medicine for saving yourself the agony of 'the morning after syndrome' is to properly stretch out before your workout and then to warm up by doing some light jogging. You can use an ipod and listen to music, or take a friend with you for company. Start by doing a simple stretching exercise.

First, stand with your feet shoulder length apart. Reach down as far as you can with both hands and try to touch the floor. Don't jerk, but simply extend your arms to the floor slowly and hold that position until you feel slight pressure on your leg and back muscles. Repeat this 5 times.

Next, sit on a mat or semi-soft surface. Put both of your feet directly in front of you and together. Extend your hands slowly and touch the tips of your shoes if you can. If you can't quite reach that far don't worry, this is the reason you are doing the stretching exercises in the first place. Your body needs to expand the ligaments and muscles to allow for the pressure of the upcoming workout. Repeat this stretching exercise up to 10 times. These two stretching exercises will get you ready for moving around and working out as well as start the process of blood flow in your body.

If you plan to run for your workout it is suggested that you stretch your legs and hamstrings ( back of the upper leg ). To do this you extend one foot in front of the other far enough so most of your weight is on the front foot. Then slowly shift the rest of your weight forward while placing both hands on your knee. Hold this position for about 5 seconds after you feel a tightening pressure on your back and legs. Do this 10 times slowly for each leg. It is wise to take your time when stretching out. The better job you do of loosening up when you stretch, the less likelihood of any sports injury occurring.

Another easy way to stretch your whole body is to do about 30 'jumping jacks'. This is merely jumping and spreading your feet apart at the same time you raise your hands just like you were going to clap your hands above your head. This is an enjoyable exercise, and one that lends itself easily to music. This is a standard exercise that is good in itself as it increases your blood flow and heartbeat. You may find that you want to do more that 30 jumping jacks at a time. Just remember to start slow if you are a beginner. Now that you have stretched out your legs and loosened up a bit, take a slow jog for about 3 or 4 minutes. Then you will be ready to do a nice workout without fear of pulling any muscles. Stretching and warming up will prevent sore muscles the day after your workout when you do it regularly. And it will reduce the incidence of sports injuries such as torn muscles. Just remember a great workout always begins with a solid warm up routine every time.

I have found the “The Navy SEAL Physical Fitness Manual” of great help in finding a good exercise routine. A good health product website to visit is www.hwize.com/hog Every success. Jim