Stretching...

Stretching before your workout is important no matter what time of day you exercise.

Chances are,the muscles you'll be using while exercising are different from those you used the rest of the day.Therefore,you will need a good warm up.

Nothing can be more frustrating and impede a good workout routine more than injury that could have been prevented with a few minutes of some simple stretching....

Don't skip your meals..

One of the worst things you can to your metabolism is skip meals.By doing so,you slow your metabolism.Your body thinks is going into starvation mode and needs to conserve energy by storing fat,even though you're trying to lose weight.if you consider that by skipping one potentially healthy meal,you may later overeat and throw off your day's calories intake together.
Instead of skipping meals,do the opposite-eat well balanced meals and snack on healthy foods throughout the day.This will help boost your metabolism instead of bringging it to a standstill..

How Much Exercise Is Enough?

Malaysians Don"t Exercise Enough.
The country's national survey in 1996 indicated that only 31% of Malaysian adults(above 18) ever exercised,and less than 12% exercise adequately.Even fewer among our women ever exercised(25%) or exercised adequately(7.7%).
As a results,21% of our adults are either overweight(16.6%) or obese (4.4%).
The same trend is also seen among children here.A study by universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in 2001 showed that only 24% of our primary school children are involved in any physical activities during their spare time ,such as jogging,swimming,cycling and active games.
As a result,20% of them are either overweight(13.4%) or obese (6%).

Health MInister ,Datuk Chua Soi lek in speech on 19 June 2004..

KFC Mashed Potatoes with Gravy (individual side) KFC Potato Wedges (individual side) Scroll Down to See The Winner Pick the diet-friendly KFC side dish Compared with other fast food chains, KFC is doing fairly well in the side dish department, offering fare that's healthier than standard fries and onion rings. A couple of options include green beans and corn on the cob. Each of these individual sides differ incredibly in calorie and fat content. Mashed potatoes are creamy and usually rich with butter flavor—then you add gravy! But how do they compare to crispy potato wedges? The Low-Fat Winner KFC Mashed Potatoes with Gravy The Mashed Potatoes with Gravy win! At just 120 calories and 4 grams of fat (7% of your daily value), you'll forget all about French fries. The mashed potatoes also include far fewer grams of saturated fat (1 gram or 5% of your daily upper limit). Despite being slightly smaller in serving size, the Potato Wedges are a sore loser. You'll spend 310 calories, 18 grams of fat and 3 grams of saturated fat if you choose this dish. Other healthful options include green beans (20 calories, 0 grams fat) and a 3-inch corn on the cob (70 calories, 0.5 grams of fat).

No More Exercise Excuses!

Busting Common Workout Excuses..

Exercise Excuse # : I’m too tired.
It takes energy to produce energy, so while you may be tired now, even a short 10-minute walk will get your blood pumping and will boost your energy levels for up to two hours after. And regular exercise helps improve the quality of your sleep, meaning more energy throughout the day. Some research suggests working out can help regulate your sleep cycles, so you’ll fall asleep easier, sleep more soundly and wake up more rested. A morning workout—not a cup of coffee—could be just the ticket you need to feel more awake and energized all day long!

Exercise Excuse # : I don’t have time.
Eliminate 30 minutes of television viewing each night and exercise for half an hour instead. Unlike couch time, this method will strengthen muscles, burn fat, lower your cholesterol and reduce your risk of diabetes and heart disease. Record your favorite shows and watch them while lifting weights or running on the treadmill to multitask. Get up an hour earlier in the morning and go for a walk before you start your day or bring along your sneakers and go for a walk during your lunch break. There are many little time stealers in your day, from surfing the Internet to watching reruns to accepting calls from people you don’t really want to talk to. Getting rid of these distractions can add hours of free time each day—time that can be spent improving your health.

Exercise Excuse # : I’m embarrassed by my appearance.
It’s tough to go to the gym if you don’t feel good about your appearance. A well-fitting pair of yoga pants and a new T-shirt go a long way towards making you feel better about your body. Baggy, oversized shirts and track pants may be comfortable, but they make you look bigger, so find some fitness clothes shaped to play up your best assets. If you are afraid of being the biggest person in the exercise class, sign up for a class specifically designed for overweight individuals or a beginner’s class where there will be others just starting out, too. And remember: Everyone at the gym has the same goal in mind and everyone had to start somewhere. You may feel self-conscious, but chances are that no one is really paying attention to you and if they are, they’re probably silently cheering you on for working toward your goals!

Exercise Excuse # : I’m too depressed.
A Harvard University study found that after 12 weeks of weight training, nearly 90% of seriously depressed seniors no longer met the criteria for clinical depression. And just 20 minutes of aerobic exercise boosts the levels of your brain’s feel-good chemicals, making you happier and more invigorated. So exercising will actually improve your mood, even if you feel like biting someone’s head off before you begin. Many bad moods are the result of stress and exercise is a proven way to relax and lower the amount of cortisol (which is produced in response to stress) in your system. High cortisol levels have been linked to the accumulation of harmful abdominal fat.

We are all busy and have lives outside of the gym, but we all need regular exercise to help us stay healthy, lose weight and cope with the stresses of everyday life. By making excuses to avoid exercise, all we’re really doing is telling ourselves that our physical and mental health is not important and doing the dishes, driving the kids to their activities or watching mindless television is a more worthy endeavor. And nothing could be further from the truth.

Exercise Tip of the Day.

Starting Point

Get in standard push-up position, hands on floor shoulder-width apart, elbows slightly bent, feet on a stair, step, or chair.

Action

INHALE: Bend elbows to lower chest as close to floor as possible, keeping legs, hips, spine and neck aligned.

EXHALE: Push back to starting position. Muscles Worked: Upper chest, Triceps, Shoulders

Time Involved: 3-5 minutes ,start with 5-10 reps x 3-5 sets

Body Benefit: Stronger, more defined chest

Do it in control movement,don't to fast...listen to your body..happy workout...

The wonders of Yoghurt Drink

Yoghurt is a dairy product produced by bacterial fermentation of milk.
Soy youghurt,a dairy-youghurt alternatif,is made from soymilk.

Generally yoghurt contains live bacteria that helps to increase your immunity system and fight diseases,it aids in stimulating the growth of beneficial intestinal bacteria,dicouraging and destroying harmful ones.

Yoghurt can be helpful in restoring the digestive tract its normal condition after a course of antibiotics,which are liable to destroy all intestinal bacteria,both good and bad.

More and more theories are proving that yoghurt can delay the ageing process and prolong life.There more;improve your complection skins,grow smoother,more radiant with daily consumption..also add in your dieting food intake.

I love yoghurt... you should love it....

5 Metabolism Boosters: Separating Fact From Fiction

Don't eat close to bedtime.
You may have been told not to eat too close to bedtime because of the theory that your metabolism slows down at night and you'll lose less weight than you would if you ate the same food earlier in the day. Not true, says Donna L. Weihofen, MS, RD, health nutritionist at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics in Madison, Wisc. "Calories count whether you eat them in the morning or at night. The problem with nighttime eaters is that they are usually eating far more calories than they think, and the calories are denser."

Drinking water speeds metabolism.
Drinking plenty of water is healthful for a number of reasons, but it doesn't make your body burn calories faster. It can help you feel full, which may keep some cravings at bay. "But that effect doesn't last very long...cautions. "One of the things that does help is soup before a meal. A broth-type soup does help cut down on the amount of calories you will eat." Of course, broth won't speed metabolism, either, but it will help you stick to your diet plan

Eat at the same time or at certain times every day to burn calories.
Some diets recommend eating every couple of hours, while others advise sticking to a consistent schedule or number of meals for weight-loss success. Following a set schedule may help you stick to a diet plan, but doesn't help you burn more calories. "There's no magic to that. "It's whatever fits your lifestyle and your diet."

Eating breakfast boosts metabolism.
Eating breakfast on a regular basis is important for shedding weights(Kg), but not solely because it improves your metabolism, says Emily Banes, RD, clinical dietitian at Houston Northwest Medical Center. People who eat only one meal a day will shut down their metabolism. So breakfast is partly a metabolism-booster and it is partly to make sure you stay on track for the rest of the day. People who eat breakfast are less likely to binge later in the day, which of course promotes weight loss.

Build muscle. (GO workout at the GYM)
The reality is that there is only one way to enhance metabolism: Build more lean muscle mass. "The best way to increase metabolism is by incorporating physical activity, both cardio and weight training, to increase lean muscle mass, which is what burns the calories!...giantactive

Diet...makan buah je....boleh ke?

Diet Sihat dengan buah-buahan . Ketika kini banyak program pelansingan badan yang boleh didapati di luar sana.Namun, kita harus berhati dalam memilih program diet yang sesuai,Ini kerana impian untuk memiliki tubuh yang langsing akibat salah memilih program diet akan menyebabkan kegagalan program diet tersebut .Dalam memilih program diet, membataskan kumpulan satu kelompok makanan tertentu seperti hanya mengambil buah dan sayur tidak benar dalam ertikata diet seimbang. Kerana tubuh akan kekurangan zat lainnya yang diperlukan seperti protein, karbohidrat, dan mineral .Oleh kerana itu, diet dengan buah-buahan juga harus seimbang dengan nutrisi yang lainnya.
Pengambilan buah-buahan, adalah alternatif satu program diet dengan lebih banyak mengambil sayuran dan buah segar. Program ini jauh lebih baik kerana dari sayuran dan buah segar banyak mengandungi fiber atau serat sebagai komponen makanan yang penting untuk diet. Pengambilan buah dan sayuran dalam jumlah tinggi itu dapat pula menghindarkan individu dari serangan jantung dan kanser.
Senarai sebahagian dari 10 buah-buahan yang bermanfaat untuk kesihatan dan kaya kandungan nutrisinya:

Epal- mengandung karbohidrat terutama ketika sedang tumbuh dan kaya pectin (sejenis serat). epal mengandung flavonol yang disebut quercetin yang dalam beberapa kajian memiliki bahan anti radang kanser. Quercetin juga mengandung bahan antiradang sehingga bermanfaat bagi penyakit seperti arthritis. Sedangkan kandungan gizinya, epal mengandung vitamin C tetapi tidak sebanyak buah jeruk.

Strawberi- mengandung ellagic acid sebagai antioksidan. Dalam beberapa penelitian ellagic acid terbukti dapat menghalang proses pertumbuhan tumor dalam paru-paru, osephagus, payudara, cervix dan lidah. Didalam perubatan alternatif strawberi diyakini memiliki antibakteria dan digunakan sebagai pembersih sistem pencernaan. Strawberi banyak mengandung vitamin C.

Pisang- merupakan sumber vitamin B6 yang dapat meningkatkan untuk membuat serotonin dalam otak. Serotonin berfungsi mengurangi rasa sakit, menekan nafsu makan, dan membuat merasa relaks dan mengurangi ketegangan. Didalam perubatan tradisional, pisang digunakan untuk menyembuhkan radang perut. Tidak seperti buah-buahan lain, pisang mengandung banyak karbohidrat, sedikit mengandung karotin dan vitamin C namun kaya potasium.

Tembikai- mengandung gula yang tinggi dan lycopene yang berfungsi sebagai antikanser. Tembikai merah dan kuning juga mengandung carotenoid yang dapat melindungi sel tubuh terhadap kerosakkan radikal bebas(Free Radical) dan dapat juga diubah menjadi vitamin A dalam tubuh. Tembikai merupakan sumber carotenoid dan juga mengandung vitamin C.

Asam jawa-mengandung phytochemical yang disebut hesperidin yang berfungsi sebagai antioksidan. Asam jawa juga sumber pectin yang berfungsi menurunkan tekanan darah dan termasuk buah rendah serat namun sumber vitamin C dan folate.

Mangga- mengandung carotenoid yang disebut beta crytoxanthin, malah antioksidan yang dapat melindungi terhadap beberapa jenis kanser seperti kanser usus dan kanser tulang. Mangga termasuk buah yang kaya mengandungi carotenoid, serat, dan vitamin C

Kiwi- mengandung pigmen yang disebut klorofil yang memberikan buah tersebut warna hijau. Kiwi dapat dikatakan mampu untuk mengawal keradangan kanser. Satu buah kiwi sudah cukup untuk memenuhi keperluan vitamin C orang dewasa.

Plum- mengandung phytochemical yang disebut ferulic acid, yang membantu mengawal antikanker. Penelitian menujukkan banyak konsumsi ferulic acid dapat membantu menurunkan risiko kanser usus. Plum merupakan buah yang kaya serat dan potasium.

Anggur-Kulit anggur mengandung phytochemical yang disebut resveratrol yang terbukti dapat meningkatkan kesihatan jantung, antikanser, antibakteria, dan mengandung antioksidan. Anggur memiliki kandungan serat dan vitamin C serta kandungan gula yang tinggi.

Nenas -mengandung enzim bromelain yang memiliki kemampuan untuk menguraikan protein. Nenas sering dipakai sebagai bahan masakan jika dicampur dengan daging selain membantu pencernaan, mengaktifkan pembekuan darah, mencegah sinus, dan infeksi saluran kencing. Nenas merupakan sumber vitamin C dan serat serta mengandung kadar gula yang tinggi.

Kekurangan tahap pengetahuan yang selalu dilakukan ketika melakukan program diet

1. Melewatkan makan pagi,Sarapan dengan memilih makanan tepat di waktu pagi hari sangat penting bagi tubuh untuk memberi tenaga yang diperlukan untuk menghadapi rutin harian pagi agar terhindar dari mengambil makanan ringan bergula atau berlemak ketika merasa lapar.

2.Mengambil makanan kurang lemak berlebihan,Sebenarnya makanan bebas lemak(Fat Free) tidak bererti makanan itu mengandung kalori rendah.

3. Pengambilan salad,Salad mengandung kalori yang tinggi seperti burger,jika apabila sayuran itu dilimpahi dengan keju, roti kering, dan sos cream berlemak tinggi.Ini kerana pengambilan lemak dari sumber tumbuhan lebih baik dari sumber haiwan.

4. Memilih jus segar dibandingkan epal atau awet(preservertive fruit),Pengambilan buah-buahan segar jauh lebih baik kerana banyak ditemui fiber atau serat sebagai komponen makanan yang penting untuk diet.

5. Mengawal pengambilan kalori pada tahap yang rendah dari keperluan harian, kalori rata-rata tubuh individu seseorang yang normal adalah 1.200 sampai 1.500 kalori setiap hari di perlukan oleh manusia untuk berfungsi. Jika dilakukan pengawalan kalori yang berlebihan, akan memperlambat metabolisme tubuh yang mengakibatkan menimbulkan masalah kesihatan seperti anemia.

EFFECTIVELY KEEP WEIGHT OFF

Data from 4,000 individuals who successfully lost weight in the US as published by Wing and co-workers in 2005 listed six key strategies for long term successful weight loss and maintenance:-

* EAT A DIET LOW IN CALORIES AND FAT
* ENGAGE IN HIGH LEVELS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
* EAT BREAKFAST AND DO NOT SKIP MEALS
* MAINTAIN A CONSISTENT EATING PATTERN
* SELF-MONITOR YOUR WEIGHT ON A REGULAR BASIS
* CATCH 'SLIPS' BEFORES LARGER REGAINS

Let's establish several steps towards weight loss....

Step 1 - Know your weight status. Do a simple calculation of your body mass index (BMI) and check your category.

Step 2 - Set a realistic weight goal. This will help to motivate you to continue...take between three to six months to achieve the target. Remember, drastic weight loss in a short period of time is not sustainable!!!

Step 3 - Know how much you need to eat. Being on a weight loss programme does not mean you have to starve. You still eat a nutritious and balanced meal. You just need to know what to eat and how much.


Referal - NST (10/02/2008)