February 22, 2012

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3 Exercises for a Better Prostate

February 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Walking Exercise for Prostate Health by Flickr mockstar

If you found out that you had prostate cancer, would you regret not having exercised if the diagnosis could have been prevented?  The truth is you can protect your prostate from enlargement or cancer simply by exercising three times a week.

Vigorous exercising is preferable, but non-vigorous exercise help increase survival.  The Harvard School of Public Health researched men over 18 years and found those that exercised on a regular basis, including running, bicycling, walking, swimming, other sports — or even outdoor work — reduced their risk of death, not just from prostate cancer, but from many other diseases.

If you can sport a vigorous training session at least 3 hours in a week, then you lower your risk of prostate cancer by 61%.  Consider this rude awakening, that just a single hour workout session a week doesn’t cut it.  It would be better to walk 90 minutes at a brisk pace over the course of a week and lower your risk of prostate cancer by 46%. Don’t fool yourself into believing that one workout a week makes you healthier.

You won’t want to wait until you hear that dreadful prostate cancer diagnosis before your consider adding physical activity into your weekly routine.  Walking 90 minutes in a week is good enough, but 3 hours of vigorous training give you 50% of life back to live – especially when it counts.

By simply taking an hour walk after dinner every night will decrease your chances of developing these issues.

In a recent Johns Hopkins study, researchers determined that men who gained 5 or more pounds prior to—and up to one year after–prostate surgery were nearly twice as likely to battle cancer again, compared to with those who maintained their weight.

“Obesity and weight gain are associated with inflammation, which might influence prostate prostate-cancer recurrence,” explains says study author Corinne Joshu, Ph.D.

“Exercise is the single thing that comes closest to a magic bullet in terms of its strong and universal benefits,” says Harvard associate professor Frank Hu.

So, head to the gym (and try to lose some weight) for these top 3 exercises for better prostate health.

Aerobic exercise

Whether you want to maintain a healthy prostate, prevent prostate cancer, prostatitis, or BPH, or improve quality of life after prostate surgery or other treatments for prostate cancer, examples of aerobic exercise include walking, jogging/running, bicycling, tennis, jumping rope and rowing.

According to a study published in the “Journal of Urology” in 2007 and cited in Harvard Prostate Knowledge, men who did aerobic exercise had an improvement in prostatitis symptoms when conventional treatments failed.

Resistance exercise

The basic idea behind resistance exercise is that your muscles work in opposition to a force that pulls or pushes them. Examples of resistance exercises are push-ups, weight lifting, and swimming. Resistance exercises improve strength and muscle tone and also have an anti-inflammatory effect.

The healthy prostate study posted in the “Journal of Urology” found that men who participated in both aerobic and strengthening exercises together had a greater improvement in prostatitis symptoms than those who did just one type of exercise.

Kegel exercises

No, Kegel exercises are not just for women. Kegel exercises can help men better control urine flow, achieve better sexual arousal, enjoy better orgasms and ejaculation control.  (See Kegel exercise instructions HERE.)

Lastly, researchers at Nottingham University concluded that men who kept up a regular sex life in their 50s were also at lower risk of developing prostate cancer.

This backs up the findings of a major study five years ago by the National Cancer Institute, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, that increased sexual activity is protective for older men.  The reduced risk is due to the release of toxins from the prostate gland.

So, now you have two options for an after-dinner activity.

Filed Under: Prostate Health, February 2012, Weight Control, Exercise & Fitness Tips Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

What’s Lifestyle Got To Do With It?

January 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

It happens to everyone. That moment when you realize that it is time to do something about your weight.

It may happen when you are looking in the mirror or standing on the scale.

Your first thought is to go on a “diet,” but as quickly as that enters your mind the ghosts of a hundred diets past return…along with all the frustration.

Then you wonder, why bother?

The weight will come back, as it always has. Then you will be back in front of the mirror as discouraged as ever.

The answer is not to go on another diet.

The answer is to change your lifestyle.

You have heard this before, and it makes sense, right? So, why haven’t you done it?

Your Lifestyle Obstacles

Most people resist changing their lifestyle for two reasons.

1. Change is scary.

Whether you realize it or not, your life is in a constant state of change. Though you cling to the familiar, it is a futile struggle. Change always wins.

The most consistent thing in life is change. Since you will never escape it, you might as well channel it. It is time to make the change in your life purposeful and positive.

2. Lifestyle misconception.

How many times have you heard the term “healthy lifestyle” only to picture a health nut with celery sticks in one hand and tofu in the other? The truth is that most people think that changing their lifestyle will be an extreme and unpleasant experience – and that is not true.

Improving your lifestyle does not mean swearing off chocolate or living in the gym. You do not have to eat wheat germ for lunch and you can still enjoy a nice plate of pasta. The key is moderation.

Making the Change

It is time to lose your “all or nothing” mentality. Embrace simple, small changes that will add up to big improvements in your lifestyle. These are your main venues for change:

What You Eat

Let’s face it. Most of the foods you eat are not the healthiest. Some are downright terrible (the burger and fries you had last week). While others are simply excessive (the snacks you eat while watching TV).

The solution to cleaning up your daily diet is NOT to go back on a “diet.” In fact, I never want you to go on a “diet” again. (Yes, you heard me right!) Instead, I want you to make permanent healthy changes to your eating habits. 
Here are some practical examples:

  • Choose salad over chips or fries
  • Do not add butter to your food
  • Eat fresh produce with every meal
  • Purchase fat free dairy products
  • Limit desserts to one or two per week
  • Cut out mindless snacking
  • Drink water, not soda

I do not expect you to eat a perfect diet every day of the week – that would be ludicrous. You should, however, make MORE healthy choices every day than unhealthy ones.

What You Do

Exercise is a huge component to a healthy lifestyle and quite frankly you are not getting enough of it. How often does an entire week go by without you ever lacing up your tennis shoes? Do not disregard the importance and power of a good workout.

Your new healthy lifestyle means exercising on most days of the week. This may seem tough, but I have the perfect solution – my training programs were created for busy people just like you who only have so much time to dedicate to exercise. 
I understand how hard it is to find the motivation to stay consistent and to push yourself. Make exercise a no-brainer – contact me to get started on a healthy lifestyle enhancing program today. 
Here are simple ways to move more:

  • Watch less TV
  • Stretch stiff muscles every day
  • Play at the park with the kids
  • Go for a jog
  • Do some push-ups every morning

While none of the above are meant as substitutes for a solid exercise routine, they are great ways to become more active and to improve your lifestyle.

Your lifestyle is the balance of all the choices that you make regarding your body. Swing the balance in your favor and make a majority of your choices health conscious. So, the next time you are in front of the mirror you won’t worry about your weight.

You will relish it.

Whether you are changing your lifestyle to loose weight or quit smoking, what is your next healthy step that you are going to make?

 

Nordine Zouareg is a former Mr. Universe, an International Fitness Coach, Speaker and Author of the book Mind Over Body: The Key to Lasting Weight Loss is All in Your Head! He offers world-class advice on health and fitness, inner balance and stress management, and achieving one’s full potential the inner keys to extraordinary performance. An inspiring message of hope and achievement, based on his own extraordinary story. For more information, visit: www.NordineZ.com
Filed Under: Quit Smoking, January 2012, Weight Control, Exercise & Fitness Tips Tagged With: , , , ,

Physiological Effects of Stress

December 1, 2011 By 2 Comments

These biochemical markers of stress in turn lead to ill health and psychosocial disorders. Consequently, stress plays a major causative role in both physical and mental health.

When undergoing a series of test to evaluate markers of stress, including cortisol and DHEA levels, the results in over thousands of cases are remarkable consistent: only 20-25% have cortisol levels consistent with healthy adrenal function, while 75-80% suffer impaired function.

The effects are profound: fatigue and weakness, hormonal imbalance, skin problems, hair loss, autoimmune disorders, insulin resistance and dozens of other health concerns.

With out adrenal glands consistently on “high alert,” high cortisol levels have a destructive effect.

↑CORTISOL INCREASE

Cortisol is a hormone produced by the adrenal glands in response to stress, affecting the body’s metabolism of glucose, proteins and fats. It is normally released by the body in a regular daily pattern of highs and lows. Imbalances gradually tear your body down.

Sustained high cortisol levels:

  • Destroy healthy muscle and bone
  • Slow down healing and normal cell regeneration
  • Co-opt parent molecules needed to make other vital hormones
  • Impair digestion, metabolism and mental function
  • Interfere with healthy endocrine function
  • Weaken your immune system

To restored healthy adrenal function, eat in tune with your natural cortisol curve.  Enrich your nutrition, reduce refined carbohydrates and cut back on stimulants.

↓DHEA DECREASE: Dehydroepiandrosterone

At the same time that cortisol levels increase, the production of DHEA is decreased. DHEA production already decreases, naturally, as we get older. When heightened levels of cortisol further inhibit DHEA we set ourselves up for physical and mental disaster. We begin to lose our ability to cope with stress, our short-term memory can begin to falter and our health starts to wane. It doesn’t have to be this way.

DHEA is the most abundant steroid in the body. DHEA is a steroid precursor produced by the adrenal gland and converted to testosterone or the estrogens by the body’s tissues. Adequate DHEA levels give the body the building blocks necessary to produce these hormones. Levels of DHEA are inversely associated with coronary artery disease. Taking DHEA may increase IGF-1 levels and increase the sense of well-being. DHEA levels decrease with age.

DHEA is also an important hormone produced in the adrenal glands, the body’s primary source for the production of the sex hormone testosterone. Peak levels of DHEA are reached in an individual’s early to mid-20s. Optimal levels are associated with increased energy, healthy immune and cardiovascular function, improved memory and elevated mood.

Boosting the body’s diminished supply of DHEA can help an individual more effectively combat chronic mental and physical stress. Natural DHEA supplementation counters the negative effects of having too many corticosteroids and bringing the body back into balance. The body regains its ability to fight off sickness and the mind regains its ability.

SAVE YOURSELF

The adrenal response can be life-saving.  There are many ways to replenish adrenal function and health naturally. When you restore balance to your adrenal glands, you’ll see results on every physical and emotional level, and your whole body will thank you for saving it!

Filed Under: Adrenal Fatigue, December 2011, Weight Control, Exercise & Fitness Tips Tagged With: , , , , ,

Stress and Anxiety Reducing Tools

November 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

In an unstable world, a stable mind, a fit and strong body, as well as an unshakable spirit, constitute an impenetrable shield against the devastating effects of stress and anxiety. The following tools for relaxing can help you build that shield.

Breathing

Simple deep breaths can do wonders for reducing stress and anxiety. Take time out for twenty seconds to release tension when things get rough. To relax, breathe in slowly and deeply through the nose and breathe out through the nose. Do this three to four times.

Visualization

By using mental pictures, you can change attitudes and behaviors. Improve your organization by imagining what your office would look like when it is in order or improve your posture by imagining puppet strings attached to the top of your head and shoulders. Professional athletes are very successful in improving their performances using visualization training.

Mental Imagery

During or after the final stretch of your workout or anytime during your work day, clear your mind and focus on one single image. This could be a shape, a color, your favorite place or anything you associate with quite and peace. It is simply a “mental vacation.” It takes practice to avoid letting your mind wander to other things or let stress and anxiety trigger panic images. Combine this technique with slow, deep breathing.

Progressive Relaxation

Progressive relaxation trains your muscles to release tension as it builds up instead of storing it throughout the day. Lie in a comfortable position (on your back or on your side with bent knees are best).  Close your eyes. Start by taking several slow, deep breaths. Now, as you breath in, you are going to tense a muscle or a muscle group, as you exhale let the muscle relax.

Follow this sequence:

  • Inhale, flex your right foot.
  • Exhale, let it relax.
  • Inhale, flex your left foot.
  • Exhale, let it go.

Repeat with the following contractions, inhaling and exhaling each time.

  • Tighten both legs and press them together.
  • Tighten the thighs.
  • Tighten the buttocks.
  • Pull in the abdominal area and flatten the back.
  • Tense the chest and shrug the shoulders.
  • Clench your fists and press your arms into the floor.
  • Close your eyes tight and contract your facial muscles.

If you still feel tension, stress or anxiety in an area, continue contracting and relaxing until the tightness disappears. Don’t forget how beneficial deep breathing can be.

When stress, anxiety and fatigue hits you, how do you wind down and relax?

 

Nordine Zouareg is a former Mr. Universe, an International Fitness Coach, Speaker and Author of the book Mind Over Body: The Key to Lasting Weight Loss is All in Your Head! He offers world-class advice on health and fitness, inner balance and stress management, and achieving one’s full potential the inner keys to extraordinary performance. An inspiring message of hope and achievement, based on his own extraordinary story. For more information, visit: www.NordineZ.com

 

Filed Under: Pain Management, November 2011, Weight Control, Exercise & Fitness Tips Tagged With: , , , , ,

A Survival Guide For The Culture Of Overeating

October 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Certain foods are powerful.

They cast a spell over the most well-meaning dieter and cause logical people to overeat unhealthy foods until their sides hurt.

They occupy your thoughts to the point of obsession as you try to ignore a plate of cookies.

When it’s all said and done, they accumulate on your body in the most obtrusive way as a result of dozens of unused calories.

Why does food hold such power? Most importantly, how can you control your eating and survive?

The End of Overeating 

David A. Kessler, MD set out to answer these pressing questions in his instant bestseller, The End of Overeating. Despite being a pediatrician, a former FDA commissioner, and former dean of the medical schools at Yale and the University of California, San Francisco, Dr. Kessler struggles with his weight.

Observing the current obesity epidemic, he knew that he wasn’t alone.

Dr. Kessler, with the insight of some of the brightest minds in medicine and science, discovered the following three reasons that most of us are compelled to overeat.

  1. An Irresistible Combination Rewires Your Brain
    Think of your favorite treat. Most likely it can be broken down into the basic building blocks of sugar, fat and salt. This combination is known of as the “three points of the compass,” a combination that has been shown to literally alter the biological circuitry of your brain.
 Sugar, fat and salt give food a high hedonic value which gives you pleasure. This pleasure reinforces you to return to your favorite foods time and time again.
  2. The Food Industry Targets You
    Everywhere you go you’ll see the clever work of the food industry, tempting you with highly palatable creations. Food has become a science and your taste preferences the guiding light.

The food industry has one goal: to get you hooked. By constructing unhealthy food items that are high in sugar, fat and salt they know that you will come back time and time again.
  3. Conditioned Hyper-eating Becomes a Way of Life
    Humans are conditioned to seek more reward. When readily available, hyper palatable food become our reward a pattern of hyper-eating quickly emerges. Dr. Kessler describes the cycle: 

”Foods high in sugar, fat, and salt, and the cues that signal them, promote more of everything: more arousal…more thoughts of food…more urge to pursue food…more dopamine-stimulated approach behavior…more consumption…more opioid-driven reward…more overeating to feel better…more delay in feeling full…more loss of control…more preoccupation with food…more habit-driven behavior…and ultimately, more and more weight gain.”

Breaking the Cycle

The good news is that you don’t have to remain trapped in a cycle of overeating. The following three survival tips will put you back in control.

Set Your Rules

In order to resist overeating in today’s tempting food environment, you must eat by a set of self-imposed rules. Predetermined rules take away the need to make food decisions in vulnerable moments.

Dr. Kessler thinks these rules should be, “Simple enough to fit with your busy life, but specific enough to remove uncertainty from the food equation.” 

For suggestions as to what rules you should adopt, let’s turn to another authority on eating, bestselling author of In Defense of Food, Michael Pollan:

  • Don’t eat anything your great grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.
  • Pay more, eat less. Look for quality of food over quantity.
  • Eat meals. Cut out snacking, stick with structured meals.
  • Don’t get your fuel from the same place your car does. Gas stations are great for fueling your car, but the foods they sell are not suited to fuel you.
  • Try not to eat alone. Eating can become mindless when alone, leading to overeating.
  • Eat slowly. Eat foods that have been prepared slowly – that mean no fast food.

Make Negative Associations

When was the last time you peeled a lemon and ate it whole? Probably never. That’s because your taste buds have a negative association with the sour taste. 

Our taste buds have traditionally been our guide when it comes to food selection, but this must change for you to successfully avoid overeating. Since the food industry purposely crafts food items to please your taste buds (not waistline) what tastes good can no longer dictate what you eat.

It’s up to you to create negative associations with unhealthy food to survive — despite their pleasing taste. Here are some negatives to focus on:

  • Those extra calories will accumulate around your waist.
  • Your health will suffer.
  • You will become more disappointed with your appearance.
  • You’ll feel sluggish.

Give Yourself a Real Reward

The bottom line is that we eat unhealthy food as a reward, even though it causes more harm that good. It’s time to give yourself a truly beneficial reward – exercise. 

Exercise is a healthy reward that will not only release endorphins into your system, but will also give you the benefit of weight loss and improved health.

I truly believe that you can overcome your pattern of overeating with healthy eating and regular exercise. I also believe that although the physical aspect of losing weight is important, one could not sustain and survive a healthy and fit lifestyle without a holistic and healthy balance of the three expressions of life, mind, body and spirit.

What tips would you like to share about how to avoid overeating?

 

 

Nordine Zouareg is a former Mr. Universe, an International Fitness Coach, Speaker and Author of the book Mind Over Body: The Key to Lasting Weight Loss is All in Your Head! He offers world-class advice on health and fitness, inner balance and stress management, and achieving one’s full potential the inner keys to extraordinary performance. An inspiring message of hope and achievement, based on his own extraordinary story. For more information, visit: www.NordineZ.com

Filed Under: Survival, October 2011, Weight Control, Exercise & Fitness Tips Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

8 Tips For Cleansing and Weight Loss

September 1, 2011 By 1 Comment

Most people think of bowel cleansing when they hear the term cleansing, but it means a lot more than that. Below are eight little-known facts about cleansing and weight loss.

1.    According to some natural health experts, most people carry excess undigested fecal matter in their colon.

The sooner they begin to eliminate it, the better they feel. When it comes to weight loss, the weight lost through the elimination of fecal matter is weight permanently lost. (See #8 fore more information on the colon.)

2.    A healthy body is clean and lean.

Each organ that eliminates waste in the body can be cleansed. The primary organs that detoxify the body are the:

  • Skin
  • Colon
  • Liver
  • Kidneys
  • Blood and lymphatics

Body wrap experts report that when cleansing formulas for the liver are started a few days before the body wrap, the inches lost increases at least 20%.

3.    Our body accumulates chemicals, pesticides, heavy metals or other poisons in fat cells throughout the body.

It’s believed that the greater the accumulation of these toxins in the body, the harder it is for the fat cell to break down. That’s one reason why it’s difficult to lose weight.

A herb that supports the liver and kidneys is always beneficial when a person is trying to lose weight because these internal organs perform many roles related to digestion and metabolism.

The liver is the body’s major internal detoxification organ, successfully binding up any chemicals, pesticides or metabolic intermediates that need to be removed from the body because they will cause harm. Binding them takes them out of direct circulation and eliminates them through the kidneys and the colon. Using the herb couchgrass helps speed up this process.

Couchgrass supports the liver and kidneys and has been used historically for liver complaints, to treat jaundice. It protects the urinary tubules against infection and increases the volume of urine, flushing out irritants and chemicals along the way.

4. Filtered water and detoxification through cleansing can make a big impact on your overall health.

If you’re trying to flush waste out of your body, it only makes sense that you drink water that doesn’t have waste in it!

If you haven’t heard, a whole slew of pharmaceuticals — including antibiotics, anticonvulsant meds, mood stabilizers and sex hormones — can be found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans.

If you don’t think you can afford a water filtration system, then check out the costs of kidney dialysis… over $1 Billion per year in the U.S. It may cost patients as much as $30K per month… do the math for the co-pay.

The kidneys are pretty small internal organs by weight, but they receive a huge amount – about 20% – of the blood pumped by the heart each minute. Every day, your kidneys process and cleanse about 200 quarts of blood to sift out about 2 quarts of waste products.  Be mindful of your ‘machine.’ Love and nurture it and it will, by nature, take care of you.

5.   Cleansing always requires drinking more water than what is usually drank during the day.

Experts recommend as little as 1 ounce for every 2 pounds of body weight and as much as 1 ounce for every 1 pound body weight.

6.    Cleansing formulas often contain herbs and supplements that support the organ that are being cleansed.

Some formulas add herbs, minerals or supplements that may contribute to weight loss.

Minerals help buffer toxins and provide vital nutrients to cells. In fact, your overall health is tied closely to the minerals consumed in the diet. When it comes to herbs that contain a lot of minerals, hydrangea is quite interesting because it contains:

  • Calcium
  • Magnesium
  • Silicon
  • Chromium
  • Manganese
  • Sodium
  • Cobalt
  • Phosphorus
  • Tin
  • Selenium
  • Zinc

In research studies, calcium, chromium and zinc have been found to have a link to weight loss. Calcium supplements may improve weight loss. Chromium deficiency is tied to blood sugar irregularities that can create the “munchies” and drive people to the refrigerator, vending machines and fast food restaurants as if they are mindless zombies. Zinc deficiency can cause appetite loss that interferes with eating regular meals and results in the person eating only one meal per day, thus gaining more weight.

The mineral content of hydrangea, historically used as a kidney cleansing herb, can potentially assist in the creation of a lot of benefits and there are other active ingredients in the herb. Hydrangea also has appreciable amounts of rutin and quercetin, two components of the vitamin C complex. One research study found greater antioxidant power and liver cleansing properties than the combination of milk thistle and turmeric. (Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry, 2003)

7.    Cleansing formulas may also contain herbal blends to improve the function of the kidneys, GI tract, gall bladder and liver.

This can indirectly assist in weight loss by creating a more healthy system overall.

Little is known about the impact chickweed can have on those who want to lose weight with detox, but it is especially valuable in purifying and cleansing the system. Chickweed assists the body in releasing fat while supplying missing nutrients. Chickweed is high in calcium, magnesium, manganese, cobalt, zinc, iron, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and vitamin A.

Susan Weed, well-known herbalist, reports that chickweed may have a regulating effect on the thyroid, which can definitely assist with weight loss. She thinks of it as a metabolic balancer. The saponins in chickweed emulsify the fat cells, assisting in their breakdown.

8.    When cleansing, it’s important to start detoxifying the skin or colon before any other organ, even though liver cleanses may facilitate greater weight loss.

This is because toxins released from the liver will have no open route to leave the body. They end up getting re-circulated throughout the body, causing headaches, joint aches and pains, fatigue and skin breakouts. Always cleanse the skin or colon first!

Many people worry about colon cleansing because they have heard that diarrhea can cause loss of water and electrolytes, which of course can lead to dehydration and death. This is understandable but not true because colon cleansing is not meant to cause diarrhea.

junk food garbage bin by Flickr windkeeper

Our intestinal tract should be used as a processing plant for the food we eat, not as a storage bin. “Some food in … some food out” is the motto of someone with healthy colon function. However, think about it. If you ate three meals yesterday, were three meals eliminated? If not, what happened to the fecal matter? Most likely, it’s still sitting in the processing plant, but the problem is that the longer it sits there, the more toxic the matter becomes.

If you add in the factor of not drinking enough water, now that toxic matter gets hard in the colon and sometimes “stuck.” The purpose of a colon cleanser is to gently stimulate the colon to release its contents, thereby decreasing your body’s overall toxicity level. When you think about it, colon cleansing is safe; living with a toxic colon is unsafe!

In fact, it is possible to die from a toxic colon. The medical condition is called autointoxication and the person literally dies because their body accumulated too much waste matter.

Colon cleansers are generally safe. In the initial days of using them, it’s possible to have a little diarrhea as the body is clearing itself of the toxic fecal matter. This should stop within a few days. You’ll be amazed at how great you feel when all that old matter is gone, and surprised about how easy it is to eat healthy foods afterward. It’s as if all the toxins in the old fecal matter prevented you from eating junk food.

Try a good colon cleanse and evaluate its health benefits today!

“Health is wealth”—though this is an age-old saying, it holds good even today. Undeniably, health is one of the most indispensable assets in life! You might possess all other forms of wealth, but to enjoy them you need to be healthy and lead a disease-free life. The best medicine is no medicine. You could prevent the many diseases by performing a body cleanse. What type of body cleanse have you tried with success?

Roger Asmus entered a fitness competition and won the Mr. Teenage Colorado in 1991. He was later named Mr. Mile High in 1996 and achieved his dream when he was proudly awarded the title of Mr. Natural Colorado in 1998. Roger has been highly sought after as a model and authority in the fitness world, appearing in national news and magazines sources. Roger is currently one of the top personal trainers in the country and is president of Core Health Innovations™.

 

 

 

Filed Under: Detoxification, September 2011, Weight Control, Exercise & Fitness Tips Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Meditation as a Strong Wellness Tool

August 1, 2011 By 1 Comment

“The experience which you gain during meditation should offer some help while you’re working or being involved in your job. There is no point in separating these things.” ~ the Dalai Lama

I was introduced to meditation about 10 years ago by who I call my spiritual mentor, Dr. Dharma Singh Khalsa, author of seven successful books. It is a fact that my own parents knew the benefits of meditation in a more traditional way such as prayer, so I was somehow meditating since I was a little boy.

My connection with God has always been a constant meditative way to manifest everything I’ve experienced. Dr. Dharma has never tried to force me into meditation, what he did instead is educate and teach me the benefits of mediation and in turn I taught him how to workout—a fair bargain don’t you think.

Here I am now after truly practicing and teaching meditation as it pertains to fitness and mental wellness. It is my responsibility and duty to tell you what my perception of meditation has been and still is today.

Meditation has allowed me to move away from the material world and the body image obsession. It allowed me to identify the channel in which I was connected to the God. It allowed my state of awareness to develop and to accept and live one heart beat at a time. When people ask me to describe meditation, I just give them the following explanation:

“Meditation is like the Champs Elise Avenue in Paris, France. Twenty years ago the avenue was so narrow that it was a nightmare for traffic, (if you’ve seen the movie National Lampoon: European Vacation with Chevy Chase you probably know what I mean) then the government decide to rebuild the avenue by making it wider so traffic would be more flowing.”

That is exactly what meditation does. It widens your state of awareness so your own “thought” process is less jammed and allow you to think more clearly and therefore deal more efficiently with every day life’s challenges.

Meditation as a pillar of wellness has made it easier, for thousands of my clients, to access their inner self, accept who they are, how they wanted to feel and achieve extraordinary results.

Benefits of meditation:

  • Allows the connection between body and mind
  • Widen your state of wellness
  • Reduces cortisol level by reducing stress
  • Reduces blood pressure
  • Reduces anxiety
  • Helps with depression
  • Helps with focus

Do you repressing feelings so you can make it through? Do you expect another break down? Or, are you just over thinking it? What helps you overcome the dread of impending doom or waking up in a panic?


Nordine Zouareg is a former Mr. Universe, an International Fitness Coach, Speaker and Author of the book Mind Over Body: The Key to Lasting Weight Loss is All in Your Head! He offers world-class advice on health and fitness, inner balance and stress management, and achieving one’s full potential the inner keys to extraordinary performance. An inspiring message of hope and achievement, based on his own extraordinary story. For more information, visit: www.NordineZ.com

 

 

Filed Under: Bipolar Disorder, August 2011, Weight Control, Exercise & Fitness Tips Tagged With: , ,

Ponce De Leon – We Got It! The Good Life!

June 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Declining fitness was once expected at about age 35 – now we know it doesn’t have to.

Why grow old gracefully? Even though Ponce de Leon’s efforts to find the fountain of youth were futile, may individuals have continued his crusade.

Aging is a fact of life, and surprisingly, scientists do not know a great deal about this process. For most individuals, the celebration of their 35 birthday begins to mark the decline of physiological functions.

So you’ve slacked off a bit and avoided exercise.

Maybe your job demands too much of your time or you simply fell out of the routine. I have news for you. Whether you’ve taken off one year, ten years or haven’t exercised a day in your life – it’s never too late to start.

You see there are problems with living a life devoid of exercise. Big problems. Your weight rises along with your blood pressure and cholesterol. Your muscles and joints degenerate at an astounding rate leaving you with daily aches and pains. Your body becomes weak, making you susceptible to all kinds of medical issues. Your body stores more fat, time to react lengthens, endurance weakens, osteoporosis sets in, flexibility decreases and joint bones crush. But, with exercise, change how you age.

How Your Body Changes

  • Increase in your fat storage with a reduction in muscle and bone mass results in an elevation in percentage of body fat. A large part of these changes can be accounted for by a less active lifestyle and exercise, and a drop in basal metabolism. This means that fewer calories are required to maintain body weight, while at the same time, fewer calories are expended.
  • Decreases in reaction time can be observed under laboratory conditions, but you probably won’t notice this unless you are in your 50’s. This slowing is a result of decreases in nerve conduction velocities and an increase in the time required for the brain to process the information and to select the appropriate response.
  • The amount of blood your heart can pump per minute also declines along with an individual’s maximum breathing capacity. These factors explain why endurance capacity decreases.
  • Women are particularly prone to osteoporosis or the thinning of bones. This problem can begin as early as age 25, and speeds up as menopause is approached. It is during the first few years after menopause that the rate at which bone density is lost is tremendously accelerated.
  • Decreases in flexibility result from a loss of elasticity in the connective tissue. That’s one of the main reasons which explains why a person will experience initial joint stiffness after being idle or remaining in a set position for a relatively short period of time.
  • The wearing away of the cartilage which attaches to the ends of the bones, will affect everyone sooner or later. Some evidence suggests that activities which demand repeated pounding, or those which require extremely heavy loads to be moved, place tremendous stress on the joints and ten to accelerate this process.

Exercise For Youth

Before you give up all hope and flood the personnel department with requests information about early retirement, results of studies which compare sedentary and active people whose ages from 40-80 years old are encouraging.

The research suggests that you use it or lose it. Exercise strengthens the heart and reduces your risks of cardiovascular disease, as well as osteoporosis. Information does suggest that exercise can postpone the onset of normal age-related deterioration. Exercise improves blood flow to the brain.

Well-designed exercise programs are important for all individuals, but they take on even greater emphasis as one ages. The body is less forgiving when over-used and requires a longer period of time to fully recover from work.

Why Should I Start Now?

You’ve heard about the benefits that consistent exercise bring, but what if you haven’t been consistent? Should you even start at all? This has been the subject of many medical studies and the results are unanimous:

Exercise helps improve your quality of life, even if you start late.

Researchers are constantly finding new benefits to consistent exercise. It’s no wonder that Dr. Robert Butler, of the National Institute on Aging, once said “If exercise could be put into a pill, it would be the single most prescribed medicine in the world.”

Imagine if a pill could offer all of these benefits (without harmful side effects):

  • Substantially reduces the risk of coronary heart disease and osteoporosis
  • Decreases the risk for stroke, colon cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure
  • Helps to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight
  • Contributes to healthy bones, muscles and joints
  • Helps relieve anxiety and depression
  • Promotes well-being and reduces stress
  • Is associated with fewer doctor visits, hospitalizations and medications
  • Helps prevent and treat chronic medical conditions associated with old age
  • Increases energy levels and promotes sound sleep
  • Strengthens immune system

I know that I would take that pill – wouldn’t you? Exercise may not be something that you can gulp down with a glass of water, but it will offer you all of the above benefits that can greatly enhance your quality of life.

Excuses, excuses, excuses…

I know what you are thinking. Those benefits sound great, but I can’t exercise because:

  • Exercise is painful. Not if you do the type most suitable for you.
  • Exercise is boring. Most people who exercise find it to be quite enjoyable.
  • Exercise takes too long. It only takes 30-60 minutes a day.
  • Exercise is confusing. Not when you work with a trained professional (me).
  • Exercise if for young people. Studies have shown that exercise if for all ages.

Get Started the Right Way

Many people have started an exercise program only to quit days later. Now that you have decided that exercise may be worth your time after all, ensure your success with the following tips:

Make a Commitment

You know the meaning and value of a solid commitment. It’s in your blood. So don’t view exercise as something you will merely try. You will only reap the true benefits of exercise when you stick with it.

A great way to reinforce your commitment is to solicit the support of your friends and family. Tell them how you plan to improve your health and quality of life through exercise – who knows, they may join you.

Set Reachable Goals

This is an immensely important ingredient to your success. Don’t start your exercise program with unreasonable expectations. If you expect to lose all of your unwanted pounds and fat, drop your blood pressure and cure your joint pain all in one week then you will be sorely disappointed. Remember that it took years for your body to fall out of shape so it makes sense that it will take some time to regain it. The key to unlocking all of the benefits of exercise lies in one word: consistency. Only then will your body be transformed.

Rearrange Your Schedule

They say that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. This may be because his schedule simply didn’t allow for it. The truth is that as we age there is a tendency to become ‘stuck in our ways.’ The thought of rearranging your schedule may leave you a bit squeamish.

Remind yourself that exercise is worth your time and then think long and hard about your daily schedule. The fact is that you do have time to lend toward exercise – you simply need to find it. Set aside 30-60 minutes for exercise and then stick with it.

Increase the Challenge

You should start your exercise program with the thought of easing into it. Since you haven’t exercised in awhile your body will need to build up strength and endurance. Consider a car that has been sitting in your garage for years. You wouldn’t turn it on and instantly slam down on the gas would you? You need to warm it up.

However, this warm up period should not last forever. Your body has an amazing ability to adapt to new challenges and will grow complacent when asked to do the same exercises over and over. When your routine begins to feel easy take that as a hint to increase the challenge.

Don’t let another day pass you by. You deserve the good life. Take action now.

Nordine Zouareg is a former Mr. Universe, an International Fitness Coach, Speaker and Author of the book Mind Over Body: The Key to Lasting Weight Loss is All in Your Head! He offers world-class advice on health and fitness, inner balance and stress management, and achieving one’s full potential the inner keys to extraordinary performance. An inspiring message of hope and achievement, based on his own extraordinary story. For more information, visit: www.NordineZ.com

 

 

 

Filed Under: Osteoporosis, June 2011, Weight Control, Exercise & Fitness Tips Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

5 Step Exercise to Remove Bed Bugs From Your Home

May 1, 2011 By 1 Comment

You get one morning and discover your arms and legs are full of unexplained itchy welts and rashes.  This is unfortunate news.  You have just been attacked by the enemy at your most unaware moment.  The welts are proof that a bed bug has crawled all over you for a snack.  If you wake up welts all over your torso, it could signify that you are now sharing living quarters with a bed bug (or an army of bed bugs), who lurk in the dark crannies of your room and stand by until you are deep in slumber to crawl out and dine on your blood.

For successful elimination of these parasites, you have to first find out their precise location in order to take precautions against their re-entry.  This can be done either on your own or with the assistance of a competent pest control company.

To deal with the bed bug menace, you first have to carry out a meticulous exercise of extermination.

  1. Vacuum and steam clean your furniture and rugs in your house.
  2. Give a high temperature cleaning treatment to your bed sheets and pillow covers in a good washing machine, which ensures that all remaining bug die in the heat.
  3. Clean the floors and other solid surfaces with a brush and a disinfectant solution to remove traces of bed bug eggs laid here and there.
  4. Throw the waste in properly sealed plastics bags and into a distance garbage bin to prevent the pests from entering your home again.
  5. Block every gap in your house, especially around sewage pipes and faucets.

It is recommended in your bed bug extermination exercise that you use natural and organic pest control measure and avoid dangerous pesticides or chemical solutions, which can prove to be harmful if they come in contact with your items of daily use.  Regular cleaning habits and observance of sanitation around your residence can greatly contribute to stopping bed bug invasions.

Exercise these 5 steps of extermination to safeguard yourself, your family and your home from bed bug invasion.

 

Filed Under: Bed Bugs, May 2011, Slideshow, Weight Control, Exercise & Fitness Tips Tagged With: , , ,

Avoid Childhood Obesity: 10 Steps To A Healthier Child

April 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

A whopping 22 million children under the age of 5 are obese. Professor Terry Wilken of the Peninsula Medical School tells us that by age 5, “the die is cast.” One million children are now showing signs of high blood pressure and heart disease, presenting a new era of extraordinary challenge of high body fat to our nation’s pediatricians.

According to Dr. Tim Lobstein of the International Obesity Task Force, the scope of these numbers and their implication for mankind is unprecedented.

From smiling clowns at drive-up windows to a beckoning Chihuahua, and a kid whose bologna has a first name; the competition is fierce for market share of your child’s stomach. Drive-up counters have replaced the dinner bell and fast food is no longer fast enough. Not surprisingly, diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes has surged 90 percent, in the last decade alone.

Sugar races into your child’s bloodstream, signaling their pancreas to produce insulin. Trans fatty acids accelerate their risk for heart disease. Preservatives, artificial additives, man-made sugars, white carbohydrates and processed foods add fuel to this internal fire—the building blocks for cellular aberration, degeneration and stored body fat.

If we care about obesity prevention… we need to translate that belief to our children. It starts by recapturing the family dinner and wholesome cooking. Prioritize purchasing locally grown foods and the value of what “live food” can do for the body, mind and spirit. It’s time for us to become nourishers as well as nurturers.

10 Steps To A Healthier Child

1)  Healthy snacks: Seeds are far more nutritionally dense than other foods, particularly those from pumpkin and squash. Add them to a mix with the healthiest nuts like almonds, pistachios, macadamia and pine. They break down slowly and feed you gradually, helping your child avoid hunger and low blood sugar; while bathing their cells with “healthy” fat.

2)  Fruits and vegetables: Seven fruits or vegetables a day “is” doable.  Invest in a great blender, like the Vita Mix 5200, and throw in all things good. You’ll be amazed at how a banana can mask the taste of the most onerous veggie (even fish oil). Consider mixing in some organic” freeze dried” berry powder. Make healthy smoothies or serve fresh vegetable juice.

3)  White Carbohydrates: Eliminate bleached and artificially fortified miracle bread. If you must, opt for sourdough and top it off with healthy Extra Virgin Olive Oil or real organic butter. It’s naturally high acidity, coupled with a topping of healthy fat, slows its entry in the bloodstream, giving your child’s pancreas a break. For pasta dishes, make the switch from white noodles to 100 percent whole wheat.

4)  Organic locally-grown vegetables: Grow your own or purchase them from a local farmers market. Another alternative is Community Supported Agriculture. Go to www.localharvest.org/csa/. Sign up and pick up a beautiful basket of fresh locally grown vegetable produce for a small fee at a local community college. Take control of what your child eats in school as well. Farm to School (www.farmtoschool.org) delivers healthy foods from local farms, to schools nationwide.

5)  Less is best: Serve less food by using smaller plates or share an entrée when dining out. We’ve grown accustomed to eating outlandish portions because they’re there. Serve moderate amounts of animal protein too. As a rule of thumb, never eat a serving of protein larger than a deck of playing cards. Kids need even less.

6)  Make healthier choices: Healthy fats in reasonable amounts help balance blood sugar and reduce internal inflammation. Extra Virgin Coconut Oil for higher-heat cooking. Extra Virgin Olive Oil for low to medium heat cooking. Dredge that chicken in coconut flour, not bleached flour. Eat the healthiest sources of protein, by choosing grass-fed beef, free-range pastured poultry, and fish from unpolluted waters.

7)  Sugar: Reduce it. While no sugar is healthy, studies show that Xylitol significantly reduces the bacteria and plaque on teeth when used moderately. Even better, use Stevia, an all natural herbal sweetener with none of sugar’s downside. Fill that “sippy cup” with water, not fruit juice; fructose cravings and tooth decay begin at a young age, from sugary foods.

8)  Family Time: A study by Harvard researchers Taveris et al. (Obesity Research, 2005) of more than 14,000 children ages 9-14, concluded that the benefits of eating dinner as a family appear to include improved diet quality, reduced high-risk adolescent behaviors such as tobacco, alcohol and marijuana use, and improved performance in school.

9)  Water: Drink ample amounts of natural spring water without fluoride; approximately half your child’s body weight, expressed in ounces daily. Example: an 80-pound child should drink 40 ounces of water throughout the day.

10) Walk: Studies show countless benefits from brisk walking for as little as 15 minutes a day, from reduced body fat to increased bone density.

Roger Asmus entered a fitness competition and won the Mr. Teenage Colorado in 1991. He was later named Mr. Mile High in 1996 and achieved his dream when he was proudly awarded the title of Mr. Natural Colorado in 1998. Roger has been highly sought after as a model and authority in the fitness world, appearing in national news and magazines sources. Roger is currently one of the top personal trainers in the country and is president of Core Health Innovations™.
Filed Under: Autism, April 2011, Weight Control, Exercise & Fitness Tips Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,
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