Nutrition

Why do you want to lose weight? To feel better about yourself? To be healthier? Whatever your reason for wanting to lose weight you need to remember that losing weight really isn’t that hard
However, it is a known fact that the first days and weeks of any weight loss program is tough. This article will look at a few important things you must do to start losing weight. If you have ever tried to lose weight before or if weight loss and weight control has been a big part of your life then you probably already know most, if not all, I have to say. If this is the case then I will forgive you if you skip to the last few sentences to see if I have come up with any magic weight loss answers!
The first thing you need to do is stop trying the latest fad diet. Diets do not work. And whatever you do, forget about any diet backed by a celebrity. If you were a celebrity and could afford your own personal trainer and personal chef to help you lose weight you would, wouldn’t you!
Far too many people believe that diets are the quickest way to lose weight. Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth. At best, fad diets may help you lose weight, but only for a short time. They can do great harm to your body by robbing it of the vitamins and minerals it needs. Studies have also shown that most people who started fad diets almost always gained back all the weight they had lost as soon as they stopped it and, to make matters worse, put back on even more weight than they had lost.
The bext thing you need to do is get off your but and get active. No matter how busy you are, you can always find time for exercise. Before you do anything though, go and see your doctor to make sure you are fit enough to start doing some exercise. They may also refer you to a dietician who will help you with your diet. If all is well with your your doc you are ready to go. Exercise is great when it comes to burning fat and weight loss.
Exercise doesn’t always mean hitting the gym and spending hours on the treadmills, stairmasters and bikes. Get some comfortable shoes or trainers on and get out walking. There’s a whole world out there to take advantage of and it doesn’t cost a thing. Walk briskly though and briskly enough to get a little out of breath. Increase your general level of physical activity everyday. The more active you become, the faster you will be able to lose weight.
So, you’ve given up your fad diets and started exercising but what else do you need to do to start losing weight? Well, the key to losing weight is burning up more fat through activity and exercise than you take in through food and drink. So, if you are exercising more and you start taking in less fat you will start losing weight. It’s that simple.
The amount of material on the internet today about healthy eating is enourmous. They usually suggest eating more fruit and vegetables as they are both nutritious as well as being low in calories and fat. They usually suggest eating a balanced diet consisting of carbohydrates, proteins and fats.
One thing you should do however, and something which is suggested by most if not all of the main players in the diet industry, is to write down what you eat. Most of us don’t really believe that the few biscuits and chips we had between lunch and dinner actually count as food. So write EVERYTHING down. No cheating. You will be surprised at how much actually passes you lips every day.
There are natural products available which allow less fat to be absorbed into the body. These products, known as fat binders, are an all natural remedy to weight loss and work in the same way as their drug based counterparts which were developed a few years ago. The most popular natural weight loss pill on the market today is Proactol which stops almost 30% of all dietary fat from being absorbed into the body.
Losing weight is really not that hard. It is about as hard as putting on weight. If you take in less fat and burn off more fat through activity then you will lose weight. It is that simple. Whether you choose to use natural weight loss products such as Proactol to help you is up to you.
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Healthy living boils down to three major areas: Exercise, eating right, and mental health. Your ability to exercise regularly, eat the right things, and have a positive mental health can keep you from having problems in with the “big three” health issues - cancer, heart-disease, and diabetes.
Please note, as in all things health-related, always consult with a physician before beginning any kind of diet or starting out on a new physical routine. You may have a condition that needs monitoring or additional considerations related to any kind of diet or exercise you might want to undertake.
Exercise is critical to a healthy lifestyle. Reports show exercise can reduce your risk of cancer, heart-disease, and diabetes. Studies have shown you need to exercise for at least 30 minutes at some percentage of your maximum heart rate.
There are many ways to exercise. I’ve found walking for 30 minutes during my lunch break at work to be extremely beneficial. You could swim, ride a bike, or go to a gym for an aerobic workout.
Exercise will help you keep your weight down. Being overweight may cause many problems including the “big three” mentioned previously. In fact, there is a definite link between obesity and Type 2 diabetes. Exercising at the proper percentage of your maximum heart rate is a definitive way to keep your heart in shape and prevent heart disease.
Eating right is also an important part of healthy living. A healthy, balanced diet is crucial for maintaining a healthy body and the right body weight. You need to be especially careful to watch your nutritional intake while dieting. Many sources recommend taking a daily vitamin supplement to ensure you get the necessary nutritional elements you might miss because of your dieting.
The latest food pyramids are now recommending 6 to 11 servings of breads, cereals, grains, rice, etc. per day. They also recommend 3 to 5 servings of vegetables, and 2 to 3 servings of fruits. Likewise, 2 to 3 servings of milk-based products (yogurt, milk, cheese, etc.) and 2 to 3 servings of protein-rich foods such as meat, poultry, nuts, eggs, beans, etc.
Many studies have related various fruits, vegetables, and even herbs as anti-carcinogenic edibles. Similarly, you’ll find eating more fruits and vegetables will help in keeping your weight down (reducing the risk of diabetes), and lowing your cholesterol levels (reducing the risk of heart disease).
Your mental health, like your physical health, is important to your overall well being. A poor mental state can affect your overall health and even your physical health in negative ways. As many as 1 in 4 adults in the United States of America can be diagnosed with some sort of mental illness.
One such mental problem is depression. Professionals have associated depression with suppressed immune systems. Studies have shown that 25% of all cancer patients suffered from depression before getting cancer.
Forty percent of people with heart disease have some sort of depression. Links have been found connecting depression to diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease.
Anxiety is another mental health problem affecting physical health. People with anxiety are prone to increased blood pressure leading to heart disease, decreased immune system function, increased asthma attack frequency, increased stomach problems, and weight gain.
While you want to make sure to consult with a medical professional concerning any mental health issues you may have, you’ll also find that maintaining a proper physical condition will assist in keeping a healthy mental condition. For example, studies have shown exercise and eating right will positively affect your mental health.
If you’re interested in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, then you should ensure you do things to improve you physical and mental health - exercise regularly, eat right, and make sure you consult with your health professional as necessary.
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Here is a special Health and Fitness Bulletin concerning fitness past the age of 40.
Enjoy…
—————————————————— Special Bonus Report Available ——————————————————
A reminder — “Slow Poisoning”, the eye-opening report by health journalist John Erb, is now available in the “Fit Over 40″ members area.
Anyone who owns a copy of “Fit Over 40″ now receives FIVE free bonus e-books/reports:
— > “The Menopause Solution” by Jill Langham; — > “Why Grow Old” by Orison Swett Marden; — > “Natural Ways To Increase Your Testosterone” by Men’s Health Journalist Christian Finn — > “The Bill Pearl Interview” by Rob Cooper
AND “The Slow Poisoning of Mankind” by John Erb. This incredible report is literally the report given to The World Health Organization on the toxic effects of one of the most common food additives in America.
If you own “Fit Over 40″, just visit the homepage and login to the member’s downloads.
If you do not own “Fit Over 40″, get it here –
http://www.fitover40.com/aff/easidollar
You can also pick up Frank Mangano’s e-book, “The Silent Killer Exposed”, for a limited time.
—————————————————— Poverty And Obesity: A New Study Finds A Remarkable Connection ——————————————————
While the rich and the affluent still face many of the problems that come with the “king’s lifestyle”, a new pattern is emerging in the United States and, predictions state, Europe.
A new study shows that the trend of ill-health and obesity is shifting rapidly to the poor and less educated portions of the country.
The reason this is important to us all, other than a concern for our nation’s health as a whole, is the economic strain this will place on our already burdened health care system.
By the year 2012, if this trend increases, the middle and upper classes will be looking at massive increases in taxes to fund proposed government plans to address the problem.
This is a problem that flat-out does NOT need to exist. Everyone who can afford food at ‘all’ can easily eat healthy and exercise.
Part of the confusion is due to the fact that the billion dollar fitness industry has created a myth — that expensive food supplements and organic foods are mandatory for good health.
While I believe in both, neither are mandatory.
It’s the TYPE of food, and the COMBINATION of the foods that make all the difference — that, and moderate calories, exercise, and proper mental disposition.
This is covered in detail in the best-selling e-book, “Fit Over 40″, by Jon Benson and Tom Venuto, CSCS.
Get it here — http://www.fitover40.com/aff/easidollar
In regards to the study, Dr. Janet Collins of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had this to say –
Populations are no longer equal in terms of experiencing health problems. Low-income populations tend to experience all the health problems we worry about at greater rates.
The five states with the highest obesity rates in the 2005 consensus include Mississippi, Alabama, West Virginia, Louisiana and Kentucky.
These same five states have higher rates of poverty than the national norm.
Meanwhile, the five states with the lowest obesity have less poverty. They are Colorado, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Vermont.
Each of these states also have more college graduates and stronger education programs.
Education in health and fitness does not need to be expensive, and it certainly does not take a rocket scientist to figure it out.
However, many fitness professionals and nutrition ‘gurus’ lend that impression.
If you visit a gym today, especially in a larger city, you’ll see a myriad of devices that, frankly, would give you a better workout if you tried to pick them up and move them out to the garbage dump.
It can be daunting and confusing for anyone! But, this doesn’t have to be the case. In fact, as so many people report in “Fit Over 40″, workouts can be done in your own home that will more than satisfy the needs of most people.
The same goes for nutrition. While a few people require “high-tech”, expensive foods (for medical reasons usually), the vast majority of us can easily get the job done at the local grocery store.
The best way to inspire change is to create change in yourself. Start there, set the example, and the word will spread.
Anyone can be fit and healthy, and they can do it at ANY age, and at ANY income level above absolute poverty.
Yours in health,
Brenda Pitout
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When you receive the Seal you will want to lose any extra weight that you have. If you are a teenager, your perceived social standing in school is likely to affect your likelihood of gaining weight within the next 2 years.
A study recently came out in the January Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. The researchers asked questions of over 4400 girls aged 12 to 18 in 1999 and tracked them until 2001.
They were asked about their body size, how much TV they usually watch, what they usual eat, and other similar questions. And they tracked the change in the Body Mass Index (BMI) of the girls over the 2-year period.
They found that the average BMI of all the girls raised 2 points in the 2 years. They all got a little heavier as they grew older. BMI is a measurement of body fat calculated from the height and weight of the body.
During those 2 years, 1 in 10 of the girls had at least a 2-point increase in BMI. These 10 percent of girls were those who had rated their social standing low on a scale of 1 to 10.
One of the questions the researchers asked was what they thought their popularity in school was on a scale of 1 to 10. Girls who rated themselves under 5 were more likely to put on weight than girls who thought they were above 5.
All the other information on the questionnaires was considered to adjust the results–information like how old they were, what they ate, how much they watched TV, how much money their family makes, and the BMI of their mother.
The researchers believe this study considers “physical, behavioral, environmental and socioemotional factors” that are adding to the rising numbers of overweight teenagers and other young people.
In the 5 years following 1999, the percentage of overweight teenage girls in America from 14 out of every 100 girls to 16 out of every 100 girls. And there are increasing numbers of overweight teenage boys too.
Low self-esteem and emotional problems like it contribute to the rising obesity among these teens. Added to them are bigger stressors like traumatic life events and sometimes abuse and neglect as children.
Though obesity can be caused by certain medical conditions, it is also often a condition that is inherited by family history. There is the nature aspect of heredity and also nurture. An obese parent often raises the child to eat unhealthy foods.
Diet is a major contributor to childhood obesity. The lunches in schools are nutorious as being high in calories, fat, and salt, and lacking in nutrition. And if these children eat poorly at home it adds to the problem.
Simple overeating causes obesity among many youth today in spite of the kind of food they are eating. They may learn to overeat from their parents and they may overeat because they have emotional problems.
Another big contributor to childhood obesity is lack of exercise. Not only are today’s diets increasing in fat and calories and decreasing in nutrition, but today’s lifestyle is increasingly sedentary, especially for teens who do not play any sports or take gym class.
When you are sealed God will help you change all these contributors to obesity. He will help you change your diet first–that is most important. God will help you eat less and eat better foods like enough fruits and vegetables every day.
God will show you just what kind of an exercise regimen you can handle. If you are overweight it is better to make getting and staying fit a goal instead of losing all the weight quickly.
When you are sealed God will help you change the 2 most important things–diet and exercise. And diet is most important. Just by cutting calories you can lose some weight initially. God will give you the power to do this when you receive the Seal.
http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=750923

Method 1: Exercise at your desk
James A. Levine, M.D. Professor of Medicine at the Mayo Clinic Transplant Center has started a human resources craze. Employees are now requesting custom installed treadmills so that they can work at their computers and simultaneously take a stroll. Dr. Levine pioneered the concept of NEAT (Non-exercise activity thermogenesis [calorie burning])- an idea that could make a trip to the gym redundant.
NEAT’s driving principle is that instead of relying exclusively on exercise at the gym, people can burn calories slowly, but consistently throughout the day by performing normal daily tasks. Since not everyone works in mobile jobs like waiting on tables, construction work or delivering goods on bike, the other option is to exercise casually at your desk while typing.
However, walking on a treadmill and typing is not for everyone. Another option is to install a mini-bike stand beneath your desk. An added benefit of the mini-bike is the low noise level compared to a treadmill.
Pedaling will work your major leg muscles. Steady, yet slow pedaling allows you to burn between an additional 50-100 calories per hour at your desk.
Do it now
Mini-bikes are a versatile, affordable alternative to the office treadmill. Mini-bike stands are usually under one-foot tall and weight less than 10 pounds. Plus, you can find these mini-bikes for less than $50 new, or snag a used one for an even lower price online or at garage sales.
Method 2: Bring Your Lunch
How many calories do you consume each day during your lunch hour? If you are like most office workers, the answer depends on whether or not you had a conference or a party; went out for lunch; or prepared a meal yourself. This wide range of lunching options means that you could consume between 500-2000 calories just at lunch time. Daily dining this way can add two pounds a month to your body.
Do it now
Instead of leaving the nutritional value of your lunch up to mystery meals, pack your own lunch or stock your office refrigerator with pre-packaged meals with nutrition values right on the box.
Method 3: Create a Start! Walking Program
Chances are, more than one person at your job has weight loss concerns. That’s why the American Heart Association started the Start! Walking Program. This initiative encourages employers to “create a culture of physical activity”. The program aims to help people live longer, healthier lives.
With the program, companies set up “walking routes” in the workplace, encourage employees to use them, and celebrate and reward those employees who go from a sedentary lifestyle to a more active one.
Do it now
Setting up a Start! Walking Program at work is easy. You just contact the American Heart Association at http://www.americanheart.org. The AHA will then contact your company’s human resources department to get everything in order to start the fitness program.
http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=751251

As 2008 dawned, thousands of Americans updated their new year’s diet resolutions. With the demand for better and brighter weight loss information, dieting companies also updated. We have all seen many diet plans on the market and they all claim to be the best, but how do you know which ones will work and which ones are healthy? The tried and true method for weight loss will always be the most difficult for many people: diet and exercise. Luckily, NutriSystem Advanced has improved their plan and made it bolder and better than ever for 2008. NutriSystem Advanced offers an easy way to fit a healthy diet and exercise into even the busiest of schedules. With new products, new additions to the NutriSystem Advanced formula, and new plans to fit most anyone’s lifestyle, NutriSystem Advanced seems to be the way to go this year.
THE PLANS
NutriSystem Advanced offers seven different plans to fit a broader range of dieters: women, men, women’s silver, men’s silver, women’s diabetic, men’s diabetic, and vegetarian. Having this diverse of a program allows almost anyone to participate who otherwise would struggle to find a weight loss plan that works with their specific needs.
NutriSystem Advanced has also integrated omega-3 fatty acids as well as heart healthy fibers into their meals to promote additional wellness and nutrition. This new complex allows dieters who have high cholesterol to participate and not only lose weight, but improve their cardiovascular system and their cholesterol levels. NutriSystem Advanced also promotes ‘good carbs’ with low Glycemic levels in their products to provide energy and maintain healthy blood sugar as well as insulin levels. For 2008, NutriSystem Advanced has released more than 60 new products containing more than 120 new items. This will surely give dieters an entirely new perspective on how easy and enjoyable dieting can actually be.
EXERCISE
With any new diet comes the need to exercise. Without exercise, healthy weight loss simply cannot be achieved. NutriSystem Advanced provides copious amounts of information on how to exercise, stay active, and most importantly how to have fun. Every NutriSystem Advanced program comes with a new exercise DVD that targets your needs and body type. NutriSystem advanced teaches that you do not need to spend hours and hours at the gym in order to lose weight; and that you can simply burn calories and shed fat by staying active and incorporating exercise into your every day activities. By following this fun and simple format, you are already taking your first step to achieving the healthier and thinner you!
As many people this year reach for diet pills and weight loss shakes, reach for NutriSystem Advanced. NutriSystem Advanced is not a ‘cure-all miracle plan’; it is a sane, reasonable, and healthy approach to dieting. There is no such thing as a magic diet pill - and if they claim to be, the chances that they actually work and are healthy are slim to none.
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Well you have initiate a high-performance muscle-building program and you want to know how many calories you need to intake daily to give your body the fuel it require to exercise and increase muscle mass. Generally, the recommended diet for most athletes is approximately 2,500 to 3,000 calories a day, excluding performance nutrition supplementation. However, since the calorie requirements of a 200 pound man and a 135 pound woman are significantly different, I am going to give you a formula to determine how many calories you should ingest daily.
The best way to determine how many calories your body actually needs is by estimating your total daily calorie (energy) expenditure. This figure will include your resting metabolic rate (RMR) the number of calories required for basic bodily processes such as tissue repair, brain function, blood circulation, and digestion, and so on plus the number of calories burned during exercise and normal daily activity.
First you need to determine your RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate)
This is the formula for determine the RMR for Women:
655+ (weight in kg X 9.6) + (height in cm X 1.8) …#34; (age X 4.7)
For men this is the formula to determine the RMR:
66 + (weight in kg X 13.7) + (height in cm X 5) …#34; (age X 6.8)
To convert pounds to kilograms, divide them by 2.2
To convert inches to centimeters, multiply them by 2.5
Example:
Gender: women
Age: 40 year old
Weight: 130 pounds 130/2.2 = 59.09 Kg
Height: 5´6” 66¨ X 2.5 = 165cm
Finally use the formula:
RMR= (655 + 567.264 + 297) - 188 = 1331 calories
These is the amount of calories she would need to support her metabolism if all she did was lay in bed all day and do nothing.
These formulas are very precise, and should be your preferred method for determine your RMR. Or you can utilize a less precise method multiply your body weight by 10. using this formula.
Click Here!! To Read What to eat for rapid fat lost and become lean, hard and sculpted
Now that you have your RMR you need to calculate the number of calories you need to support your If perform high intensity training four days per week. We workout the formula is the following:
If you are male: RMR X 2.1 = number of calories you should ingest daily
If you are female: RMR X 1.9 = number of calories you should ingest daily.
In the example of above is:
1,331 calories (RMR) X 1.9 = 2,529 calories.
You can see why people who join a gym and then begin to starve themselves to gain muscle and lower fat soon get into trouble. Without proper caloric support for you workout two things will happen. The first is that instead of getting hard, your muscles will become soft and mushy since your body will begin to cannibalize them to get enough protein to sustain your metabolism. The second is that you will be likely to injure yourself because you will be too weak to handle the exercise requirements. Check with a licensed nutrionist to assist with the design of your meal plan.
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GETTING A SIX PACK IS A LOT EASIER THEN YOU THINK!!
If you want to know how to lose stomach fat and get 6-pack abs, I can tell you in about 30 seconds. You don’t need complex six pack ab workouts containing hundreds of crunches and dozens of exercises each week.
In my opinion, all you need to do to get six pack you have always wanted is through watching what you eat, resistance training and interval training. I believe these are the key to getting the six pack you have always wanted. It worked for me so there is no reason why it cant do the same for you. Just follow the below instructions and I GUARANTEE success.
We first tackle nutrition: There are certain foods which you must AVOID. They are as follows: Processed Carbohydrates, deep fried foods, fast foods, sodas, Juices and foods or drink with high levels of sugar. If you listen to this advice making these changes to your daily routine you will see your body fat percentage fall WITHIN DAYS.
Training You may notice people in the gym spending literally hours on ab training exercises. This is not only incredibly boring but is also very ineffective. What these people do not realise is that the key to a six pack is doing basic workouts such as interval training and total body strength training. These exercise methods burn more belly fat than slow cardio workouts.
Once you’ve got into a routine where you are watching your nutrition, and doing regular resistance and interval training you can then start with basic abdominal workouts.
Beginners should avoid doing situps and crunch-type movements until they master the Plank, Side Plank, and Bird Dog.
2) Here are some my great no-crunch ab movements for exercisers:
a) the Stability Ball Rollout
b) the Stability Ball Jack-knife
c) the Plank with Your Arms on the Ball (which according to research quoted in Mens Health, this exercise works your abs 30% harder than regular Plank - without messing up your lower back).
There are also some great exercises you can do which can also build your six pack but are not as popular as some I mentioned above. These include: a) Straight Arm Cable Pullover
b) Front Squat
c) The Elevated Pushup
d) DB Pullover & DB Triceps Extensions
All of these are great workouts that not only burn calories but also build abs at the same time.
My personal favourite ab exercise is the cable crunch, which I think is without a doubt, the best resistance exercise for building abs.
Therefore if you want to lose stomach fat fast and see your six pack abs, focus on your nutrition, total body strength training, and interval training before you even consider adding more reps to your current ab workout. If you listen to what I have mentioned above you will have those sexy six pack abs a lot quicker then you think!!
I wish you all the best.
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Want to lose stomach fat? You can and it really is simple, simple not easy. You don’t need to wear yourself out with hundreds of crunches and other ab specific exercises each week. That’s why so many give up. The best way to lose stomach fat is to quit focusing on your stomach.
You only need to do two things.
1. Change the way you eat.
2. Use resistance training with intervals.
You just gotta’ improve the quality of your food. Limit the carbs, seldom if ever eat fast food, cut out sugar and all fried foods. Just these simple changes with start you on the way to less body fat, and especially belly fat.
Now kick in the resistance training. Dump the ab workouts. Stick with the natural whole body exercises. You can wear yourself out doing hundreds of crunches and still can’t see your abs.
And forget the long boring cardio. The best way to lose stomach fat, as well as, fat over the rest of the body is with interval resistance training. Just what does that mean?
Yes, you need resistance. The best way to get that is with exercises like squats, push-ups and stability ball exercises. These work the whole body, especially the core, creating a fit healthy body all over. It does little good to use spot exercise like crunches.
When first starting to exercise you want to be sure to support your back. That is another reason for using a stability ball it supports the back and gives a workout to the whole body core. There are several good programs available online.
It is not necessary to run to the gym or purchase expensive equipment to get fit. All the exercises you need can be done with your body weight, a stability ball and a set of dumbbells.
I find that if I need to go somewhere to exercise it will never get done. Doing the simple exercises at home have helped me maintain my weight for six years. Plus, an added bonus is the extra strength I have for those stress that pop up in life.
It may seem strange to suggest you stop the specific ab exercises and do whole body exercises, but, trust me this is the fastest way to lose stomach fat and be able to see those great abs. Just remember to focus on good nutrition and whole body exercises and dump the fat and get the attention you desire.
For a totally “FREE” booklet called “Insider Secret for a Lean Body” and more discussion on how to get a sexy body and fabulous abs, Click here.
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Have you ever reached that point in your life that everything just seems to be a mess? You are struggling with everything you do and nothing seems to be working out right. You are concentrating on one aspect of your life and letting everything else go. When I was in college I remember studying so hard for finals that I would forget to eat and then my body would rebel by getting sick. I would look at my office and see papers strewn all over the place and finding ANYTHING was an impossibility. I would forget to pay my due bills and would have bill collectors calling me at the most inopportune times. My clothes were all over the floor of the closet and finding something clean to wear was like looking for a needle in a haystack. My body hurt, my brain was fried, and my soul was crying out for relief! This is a classic example of being out of balance in life. The good news is; life does NOT have to be like that. I would like to share with you some tips to keep balance in your life. When you are feeling not quite right, you should take an inventory of what you have been doing recently. If you find that one aspect of your life is taking precedence, then start doing something else. This will create the balance that you need for the harmony, health, and happiness that is your birthright. There are three main areas in a persons existence. These are body, mind, and soul. Additionally, there are two others that are of equal importance. They must be included in the formula in order to achieve true balance. These are having fun and being financially stable. I will briefly discuss each category.
BODY
Having a fit body is not only esthetically pleasing; it also has a great effect on both your mind and your soul. If your body does not have the energy required to stimulate your brain, then you will not be able to accomplish even the simplest of tasks.
There are three key elements to a fit body. These are sleep, proper diet, and exercise. It is important to get enough sleep, because during the sleep process your mind and body are rejuvenated. Every person is different in the number of hours required for sleep. Some gurus are said to never sleep; they just rest. Since you and I are not gurus, (otherwise we would already be in total balance) we must experiment with the amount of sleep we need.
Proper diet is a must for being fit. We have all heard the saying, You are what you eat. That could be scary, depending on your eating habits. The best nutrition habits are the simplest. Just follow the basic four food groups with an emphasis on fruits and veges and de-emphasize the meat. Meat is harder to digest and makes you sluggish.
Daily exercise is very important in the strategy of body balance. It not only makes you look good, but it stimulates the mind. Being active intensifies your energy level, which in turn stimulates the endorphins that make us feel great. Slow your day down and go for a walk. Or, for a more intense workout, you could either set up a home gym or join a health club. I used to own a home-cleaning business, but as I got older it became too strenuous a workout for me. I did keep two clients and I clean their house every week. This not only keeps me in shape, but I get a workout that I get paid for!
I know we all have very busy lives and sometimes we skip taking care of ourselves. This is a big mistake because the fitness of our body has a direct correlation to the fitness of both our mind and our soul. They must all be in balance for us to live fully and accomplish the goals that we and the Universe have set for us.
MIND
The mind is the most incredible thing in that what it can perceive, so can it achieve. You have the ability, through changing your perception of any given situation, to change not only your emotions, but also the situation!
Most everyone has heard of The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. It is based on the concept of the law of attraction. This states that what we think about the most will actually happen. For example, if we are worrying about having too many bills, that is exactly what we will get; MORE bills! If you are constantly thinking about what you would like in your life, you WILL manifest those exact things. The choice is yours.
One of the ways that you can achieve balance of the mind is by self motivating. If you are going to wait around for others to motivate you, then I would say you have a long wait! Learn how to self motivate. The sense of accomplishment in your life will be greatly enhanced by learning how this very important concept works.
Having your mind be in balance with the rest of your life can also be achieved through meditation. It is similar to strengthening your muscles through physical exercise. You can strengthen your mind by telling IT what to think about and not having it tell YOU what to think about.
As with all three areas in your life, meditation is directly linked to our third category, the Soul, which will be discussed next.
SOUL
This is a difficult topic to write about because everyone has a different concept of what the Soul is. There are as many explanations of Soul as there are religions. I do not think there is any right or wrong answers to the questions of who or what your Higher Power is. I believe what is important is that we treat everyone as we want to be treated. Everything else is simply dogma.
Whatever your belief system entails, it is vital that you have balance in your life concerning Soul. You could have perfect health through a balanced body. You could have a very tame and balanced mind. But something would still be missing. There is a feeling of emptiness permeating your entire existence without balance of Soul.
JUST FOR THE FUN OF IT
To achieve balance in your life, it is extremely important to lighten up and have fun every once in awhile. We can get so wrapped up in day to day living that we forget that there is a child in everyone just wanting to play. Set aside some time every day for fun. Do something that you would never think of doing when you are wearing your adult hat. If you feel uncomfortable, you can act like a child when you are alone. As time goes by you will become more accustomed to engaging in fun and because it makes you feel so good you will not really care what others might think of your frivolity. Remember to work hard in your life but take time out for play.
FINANCIAL STABILITY
Although money is not everything in life, it is a means whereby you have the ability to get the things you want. Having enough financial wherewithal is important to the balance of your life. When you have to be concerned if you have enough to live the life you want, then you are out of balance. Decide how much money you need to accomplish your life mission and then go out and make it. It is important to enjoy your money-making endeavors. Life is too short to be stuck in a job where you spend the majority of your time looking at the clock and wishing you were somewhere else. Either change your perspective of your job situation or find another way to make money! Making money should be enjoyable. It should not be a chore that you detest doing. When you discover something that you enjoy doing AND it makes you money, you will have achieved balance in your financial life.
Hopefully you have enjoyed these tips on having a balanced life. Achieving contentment and happiness is an ongoing mission. It is not something that you suddenly achieve and then think that you have arrived. Maintaining balance is a life process. It might seem overwhelming at first, but just do one thing to benefit each area of your life per day. When you begin to feel out of balance, take stock of what you are spending your time doing. Chances are you are concentrating too much on one aspect of your life. Above all else, ENJOY your life. It is your birthright!
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