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Rarely does a workout DVD deliver so much in so little time. The ’10 Minute Solutions’ DVDs are new and fantastic – and especially geared towards people who are tight on time. The DVDs are available from Amazon and all good DVD retailers and are an excellent addition to any home fitness solution.

Taught by fitness instructor Michelle Dozois, the Carb and Calorie burner workout is split into five different workouts :

• Slow and steady burn – an excellent introduction to the workouts and suitable for all levels, this one gets your heart rate up and is fun and easy to do
• Carb killer – this does exactly what it says on the tin. It takes your workout to the next level using kickboxing moves and is good sweaty fun!
• Power blast – a more challenging workout using your own body strength and more explosive moves to make your muscles ache
• Interval burn – a great workout which really challenges you – it switches between faster moves and slower moves to really burn some calories
• Metabolism booster – an excellent workout using weights and resistance work to work the various muscles in your body and tone them up

I started with the slow and steady burn and the carb killer – it was so much harder than I thought it would be! As a time pushed mother of two, I really felt the benefits of this workout. After four workouts in the first week focusing on just the first two segments, I decided to alternate with the other sections.

Make no mistake about it – each segment is 10 minutes of pure workout genius. Michelle is a brilliant instructor and really motivates you without sounding too motherly and annoying. I did these workouts with my toddler playing in the same room – he found it most amusing and even joined in!

I lost 5lbs in two weeks without even trying. The workouts are easy to follow and easy to stick to, plus the big bonus here is that each segment is only 10 minutes and means that even the most time-pushed person can slot it into their busy lifestyle.

Check out the ’10 Minute Solution Workouts’

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News Release: Written by Megan Brooks From Medscape Medical News

August 31, 2010 — US scientists say they have uncovered a new mechanism by which berries may protect the aging brain.

In cultured mouse hippocampal cells, they found that extracts of blueberries, strawberries, and acai berries induce autophagy, a mechanism by which toxic debris are sequestered in the brain. Studies have shown that this “housekeeping” function in the brain declines considerably with age, which can lead to the buildup of proteins linked to age-related mental decline and memory loss.

Shibu Poulose, PhD, from the US Department of Agriculture–Agricultural Research Service Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts, presented the preliminary findings at the 240th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society in Boston.

Dr. Poulose did the research with James Joseph, PhD, who died June 1.

Berries and Walnuts

Natural polyphenols in berries and other fruits, vegetables, and nuts are known to enhance brain health via their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. “There are many publications using animal models both from our lab and elsewhere reporting effects of berries and walnuts on memory, motor skills, and other behavior,” Dr. Poulose noted in an email to Medscape Medical News.

For example, in a prior study, Dr. Poulose and Dr. Joseph showed that aging laboratory rats maintained for 2 months on diets containing 2% high-antioxidant strawberry, blueberry, or blackberry extract showed a reversal of age-related deficits in nerve function and behavior involving learning and memory.

“We have reported berries and walnuts exert powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects on the brain cells as well as regions of the brain in rats,” Dr. Poulose noted.

The new research suggests that the benefits of berries on the aging brain extend beyond the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects to cellular toxic clearance through induction of autophagy in the brain.

They found that a blueberry, strawberry, and acai berry extract added to cultured HT22 hippocampal neuronal cells and BV2 microglial cells inhibited mammalian target of rapamycin, a protein that negatively regulates autophagy, and increased levels of proteins that facilitate the autophagic process to clear toxic proteins.

“Our research suggests that the polyphenolics in berries have a rescuing effect,” Dr. Poulose noted in a written statement from the meeting. “They seem to restore the normal housekeeping function. These findings are the first to show these effects of berries.”

A New Mechanism

Reached for outside comment, Joseph A. Vinson, PhD, professor of chemistry at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania, who was not involved in the study, noted that this is “a mechanistic study and it uncovers a new mechanism.”

The study, he said, provides “a hint as to how berries can be good for you,” but much more study is needed. “It’s possible that this mechanism operates when you consume berries but until such a mechanism is found in vivo, I wouldn’t get too excited,” Dr. Vinson noted in a telephone interview with Medscape Medical News.

On the other hand, Dr. Vinson added, “I do think that berries have a biological effect.” He cautioned, however, that the concentration used in the study is “incredibly high, so the question is: if the concentration were diluted a lot, would it have an effect?”

The study was funded in part by the Wild Blueberry Association of North America, US Highbush Blueberry Council, California Strawberry Commission, California Walnut Commission, and American Institute for Biosocial and Medical Research Life Sciences Inc. The study authors and Dr. Vinson have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

240th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society. Presented August 23, 2010

Acai Berry Choices

‘Vital Choice’ Organic Berries

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Clinical trial confirms that drinking two glasses before a meal helps people lose pounds! Water can help us lose weight seems shocking in the age of commercial diet plans and weight-loss products.

Last week, scientists reported results of a three-month clinical trial, whose results confirm that drinking two eight-ounce glasses of water before meals leads to substantial weight loss.

The weight-loss findings were presented at the 240th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS), and the study was funded by The Institute for Public Health and Water Research.

“We are presenting results of the first randomized controlled intervention trial demonstrating that increased water consumption is an effective weight loss strategy,” said senior author Brenda Davy, Ph.D., of Virginia Tech.

Dr. Davy went on to say, “…we found that over the course of 12 weeks, dieters who drank water before meals, three times per day, lost about 5 pounds more than dieters who did not increase their water intake.”

She pointed out that folklore and everyday experience long have suggested that water can help promote weight loss. But there has been surprisingly little scientific information on the topic.

Dr. Davy cited an earlier study by her group, which showed that middle aged and older people who drank two cups of water right before eating a meal consumed 75 to 90 fewer calories during it (Van Walleghen EL et al. 2007).

And while her Virginia Tech team detected no calorie intake cuts among young people in that 2007 study, their later study showed that obese people over 60 consumed 13 percent fewer calories during breakfast when they drank water before the morning meal (Davy BM et al. 2008).

But until now, we’ve lacked “gold-standard” evidence from a randomized, controlled clinical trial that compares weight loss among dieters who drink water before meals with those who do not.

Increased water consumption may also help people lose weight if they drink it in place of sweetened calorie-containing beverages.

How much water is enough for health?

Nobody knows exactly how much water people should drink daily, and a recent study found that the conventional medical advice – to drink eight eight-ounce glasses per day – has no basis in research.

The U.S. Institute of Medicine says that most healthy people can simply let thirst be their guide. It does not specify exact requirements for water, but set general recommendations for women at about 9 cups of fluids — from all beverages including water — each day, and men at about 13 cups of fluids.

There is little risk that drinking two cups before each meal will produce any problems. While it is possible to drink too much water and thereby suffer a serious condition known as water intoxication, this is a rare occurrence.

Sources
• American Chemical Society (ACS). Clinical trial confirms effectiveness of simple appetite control method. August 23, 2010. Accessed at http://portal.acs.org/portal/acs/corg/content?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=PP_ARTICLEMAIN&node_id=222&content_id=CNBP_025391
• Davy BM, Dennis EA, Dengo AL, Wilson KL, Davy KP. Water consumption reduces energy intake at a breakfast meal in obese older adults. J Am Diet Assoc. 2008 Jul;108(7):1236-9.
• Dennis EA, Dengo AL, Comber DL, Flack KD, Savla J, Davy KP, Davy BM. Water consumption increases weight loss during a hypocaloric diet intervention in middle-aged and older adults. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2010 Feb;18(2):300-7. Epub 2009 Aug 6.
• Van Walleghen EL, Orr JS, Gentile CL, Davy BM. Pre-meal water consumption reduces meal energy intake in older but not younger subjects. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2007 Jan;15(1):93-9.

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This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Hampton Hotels. All opinions are 100% mine.

It doesn’t take a genius to realize that taking time off with your family is one of the best ways to wind down and take care of yourself and family. While you’re at it you can take care of a few of your friends as well. Hampton Inn is having a promotion right now that you have to know about. They’re having a daily giveaway of a free weekend stay at any of their Hampton Hotels for you and three of your friends or family! But better yet they are giving away an entire hotel for a weekend (100 rooms for 2 nights) as a grand prize! Now that’s very cool!

Don’t under estimate the benefits to your physical and mental health. Getting together during leisure time with family and friends at a great location in excellent accommodations will relieve stress and wipe out depression (at least for the weekend). Wouldn’t it be great to have an entire hotel to yourself and all of your family and friends for free! WOW! If you won, where would you go? What Hampton Hotel would you stay at? Who would you bring with you?

To enter for your own chance to win just click

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Do you feel unfit and unhealthy? If so, why does it seem so hard to squeeze an exercise routine into your day? In today’s lifestyle, everything is geared towards making life as easy as possible. We don’t have to walk up the stairs because there is usually a lift or escalators to carry us, or even walk a lot because most of us have cars, and we don’t even have to spend time scrubbing our clothes as we just need to throw them in the washing machine. However, there are many benefits of exercise which we should not really ignore.

Fitness is the key to a healthy mind and body. But although we may be more conscious about our diet, regular exercise is still not a regular part of our lives. The following health benefits of doing exercise may inspire you to start your own regime:

-          Reduces your risk of heart disease and stroke. Inactive people have almost double the risk of dying from heart disease.

-          Helps to reduce high blood pressure (hypertension)

-          Can help improve your cholesterol levels. Studies show that being active helps to increase levels of “good” cholesterol in the body.

-          Helps to promote healthy blood sugar levels. Type-2 diabetes develops in at least one in 10 people.

-          Reduces the risk of osteoporosis and other joint-related diseases. Try high impact exercise such as running or skipping, or low impact if you already have bone problems.

-          Helps to beat stress, phobias, panic attacks, pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) and insomnia.

-          You are less likely to develop cancer if you are physically active. There is clear evidence that exercise protects against colon cancer and against breast cancer in women who have been through the menopause.

-          Can both help prevent and treat mental illness. An inactive lifestyle for long periods means you are more likely to suffer from clinical depression.

-          Helps you to lose weight! Probably the most obvious reason for people to start exercising

To see most of the benefits of exercise, aim for 30 minutes of activity daily.

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Today’s modern lifestyles are full of nutrient-deficient ‘fast foods’ and ready meals. This can make it very difficult for people to make healthy food choices and to know what foods are good for them or not. It is possible to swap some fat and sugar-rich foods for healthier alternatives for one or more meals during the day. Some alternative foods that you can try are listed below.

Breakfast

• Never skip breakfast, or just eat fruit
• If you struggle to eat breakfast, make a banana smoothie or juice a mixture or fruit and vegetables to provide you with the energy and fibre you need at the start of the day.
• Avoid too much caffeine.
• Try protein-rich egg omelette stuffed with tuna.

Dinner Alternatives

• Lentil, chickpea and red kidney bean soup
• Chicken or beef stir-fry with rice or buckwheat noodles
• Grilled chicken breast with vegetables and low-fat yogurt dressing
• Sardines on wholemeal toast with salad
• Wholemeal pasta with fresh tomato and aubergine sauce
• Low-fat chilli con carne with brown or red rice
• Baked salmon with lima beans and salad
• Low-fat vegetable curry and wholemeal pita bread
• Vegetable frittata with salad
• Couscous with Mediterranean vegetables

You may think that your eating habits are healthy, but if you are not losing weight a point to remember when making healthy food choices and preparing healthy food is you should take care to avoid ‘hidden fats’. These include cooking with a lot of olive oil, which although good for you, is still fat and contains calories.

Snack Alternatives

• Low-fat yogurt with a handful of raisins or sultanas
• High-fibre/low-fat muffins or scones
• Small can of tuna on wholemeal bruschetta
• Rice crackers
• Muesli or granola bars
• Banana or other fruit
• Carrot sticks with low-fat yogurt dip
• Canned/homemade soup
• Fresh fruit smoothie

It can be hard to make healthy food choices while at work, which can lead you to snack on high-fat foods. It is recommended to make your lunch to take to work, and keep a good supply of low-fat foods with you.

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Smoothies have a deliciously smooth and intense flavor and pack a punch in the fruit department, ensuring you get the vitamins and minerals you need in a healthy and convenient drink. But did you know that smoothies can also be used to aid weight loss?

Smoothies by nature have a high fruit content and tend to be naturally sweet. They rarely need sugar adding to them and can easily replace a meal when time is tight or if you are on a calorie controlled diet. They are naturally filling and very healthy. One large glass of smoothie is one portion.

An excellent breakfast smoothie which will set you up for the day and easily get you through until lunchtime: simply place a small banana with 1tsp of peanut butter, one small pot of low fat yogurt, a handful of berries and a tablespoon of oat bran in a blender and add half a cup of skimmed milk. Whizz it all up and voila! A highly nutritious and delicious way to start the day and replace any meal.

The banana provides energy, while the milk and yogurt provide calcium and protein. The addition of peanut butter gives a lovely nutty taste and ensures your smoothie is bursting with protein, while the berries provide antioxidants. Finally, the oat bran helps to lower cholesterol by binding to bad fat in your body and flushing it out of your system.

Smoothies for weight loss can include almost any combination of fruit, but always remember one rule. If you are using acidic fruit such as oranges, it is better to have it as a juice instead, since the combination of acidity and yogurt and milk can cause the mixture to curdle.

Another excellent combination is to combine a ripe mango with a ripe papaya and add in the milk, yogurt, peanut butter and oat bran as in the above recipe. It works a treat and tastes fantastic. Some people like to replace the peanut butter with silken tofu – another protein packed ingredient which helps prevent hunger pangs and aids weight loss by helping build lean muscle.

Some Smoothie Recipe Books

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Juicing is one of the simplest and easiest forms of detoxifying your body as it helps to remove the toxins, heavy metals and excess congestion that have built up in the body over time due to poor diet and fitness, and atmospheric pollution. The latest product to hit the shelves and take the juicing and detoxing world by storm is wheat grass.  Wheatgrass is one of the so-called ‘super foods’ that are valued by health-conscious individuals for their unbelievably high source of natural nutrients.

Wheatgrass can be grown fresh at home (indoors or outdoors), but it is also available in powder, tablet or juice form for ease. Due to its fibrous nature, which is indigestible by humans, wheatgrass must be liquefied or powdered before it can be consumed. Freshly juiced wheatgrass is preferred if possible as it is more potent and retains all the minerals and vitamins which otherwise usually dissipate within 15 minutes of juicing.

In juice form wheatgrass contains 70% of ‘living chlorophyll’, which has been shown to produce an unfavorable environment for bacterial growth in the body and therefore increases the body’s resistance to illness, as well as important amino acids – the building blocks of proteins – minerals, vitamins, and enzymes.

Its many benefits include purifying the body and maintaining the blood cells, bones, glands, kidneys, liver and muscles and many other organs. Although the main usage of wheatgrass juice is in drinking, it can also be applied to the skin or scalp to improve the condition of the hair and skin. The powdered form of wheatgrass is great for those with hectic lifestyles as it can be added to freshly made juices and smoothies to turn your drink into a ‘super drink’ as part of a balanced diet, or detoxing ritual. And, since it suppresses the appetite and stimulates circulation and basal metabolism, it is an extremely effective weight loss aid.

To get the best out of using fresh wheatgrass, keep it grown to approximately seven inches tall, and use a handful of wheatgrass around 3 to 4 inches long for juicing.

Amazing Grass Chocolate Drink Powder, Green Superfood, 8.5-Ounce Container

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This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of NMEDA. All opinions are 100% mine.

NMEDA is striving to unify and improve the mobility equipment industry and service to people with disabilities. Their goal is to provide safe and dependable transportation which restores a certain quality of life that is missing in the lives of the disabled.

NMEDA does not sell products and they are not out for profit. They just want to make sure that the disabled are given the opportunity to contribute in society which is very hard to do without the mobility to get around.

One of the ways that they help make it possible is through their Quality Assurance Program (QAP). The QAP program is the only nationally recognized accreditation program for the Adaptive Mobility Equipment Industry. It is based on the principle that in order to satisfy customers consistently, companies must have a systematic and documented approach to quality.

The program was developed to elevate the level of dealer performance to reliably meet consumers’ transportation needs in the safest manner possible. Dealers who participate in the QAP are held to extremely high standards. One thing NMEDIA makes very clear to their dealers is that no two individuals are the same and each person must be considered independently to make sure that they receive the right driving/mobility solution. A NMEDA approved dealer can help the elderly or disabled get back onto the road of independence. To learn more and to find a QAP dealer near you just go to NMEDA. 

Physically, losing weight couldn’t be easier. But mentally, well, that’s a very different issue. The single biggest reason why most people fall at the first hurdle is the amount of excuses they have to redeem their behaviour. Things like ‘But I don’t have the time’, ‘But fat is in my genes’, or ‘But I really don’t eat that much’ are simply mental blocks used as ‘reasons’ to stay overweight and unhealthy. In order to prevent weight gain and weight-related diseases it is essential for you to change the way you think about food and follow the diet tips below:

1. Be ‘physically’ hungry

Often when we think we need food it’s because we eat as a response to emotion. ‘Emotional eaters’ will use any thought or feeling as an excuse to eat, even if they’re not genuinely hungry. Why then, if people eat in response to emotion they’ll reach for a large pizza rather than a healthy plate of fish and vegetables? Forget the excuses.

2. Stop eating when you are just full

This is the most useful of diet tips. Regardless of whether you eat healthily or not, one of the worst – and yet most common –eating habits people have is overeating. It’s no good eating all the right foods if you eat too much of it, you will still pile on the pounds. Therefore, eat until you feel satisfied and happy – not full to the brim!

3. Drink 1.8 – 2 litres of water a day

We know that drinking water is great for flushing out toxins from your body, but what you may not know is that often when you think you are hungry your body is actually craving the water it needs to keep you hydrated. So next time you think you’re hungry – grab a glass of water first.

4. Be water-rich

If you want to be slim and healthy remember you need to eat fresh fruit and vegetables as at least 50% of your meal. They contain the right amount of vitamins, minerals and are high in water.

These diet tips are just a few of the ways you can change your eating habits long-term.

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