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2-Minute Fitness

Why would I want to write about yet another fitness program? There are so many out there. There is no escape from fitness programs whether you watch TV or read a magazine or newspaper.

The reality is that most of us are not happy with our physical state and we are looking for solutions. We are not only looking for solutions, we are actually paying for them. This creates the natural demand for physical fitness programs.

The variety of physical fitness programs does not indicate that one method is better than the other. Like neither is Coke better than Sprite nor Sprite better than Coke. It's a matter of preference and either one of them could quench your thirst. Variety is good. It gives us the freedom to choose.

In spite of having a good supply of effective fitness programs and variety, I think the failure to benefit from such programs lie in us. We are not organized enough or do not have the time to practice them. Because of our work and careers the time investment becomes difficult.

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Fat burner myths

A surprisingly high number of books by physicians and nutritional consultants teach that foods in combinations, or special supplements, can "turn up your fat burners". Publications by the Mayo Clinic, US Government, and other reliable sources all say this is TOTAL NONSENSE.

If one could ignore calories and eat "fat burner" foods to lose weight, the combinations would have to work the same as weight loss drugs, which pose significant health risks.

Here are real ways to "cheat" on weight loss, with drugs / herbs, surgery.
a) Ingest fewer calories
¤ take something to kill appetite
b) Burn more calories (exercise is safest way)
¤ induce fever
¤ induce agitation & hyper activity
c) discard body mass by artificial means
¤ diuretics, to expel water faster than normal
¤ steam room, sauna, hot clothes, wraps to lose water
¤laxatives, to interfere with digestion, lose water

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Foot and Leg Cramps

If there's one thing to be said about foot and leg cramps it's simply that they're not very subtle. They'll really get your attention. So what causes the foot and leg to cramp? Let's take a closer look.

Muscle cramps can be broken down into three main categories.

Ischemic

Metabolic

Biomechanical

Ischemia is the term used to describe a situation when there is insufficient circulation to tissue. When blood flow to a muscle is inadequate, the muscle will cramp. The pain that accompanies the cramp prompts us to walk or rub the cramp which in turn results in increased circulation. Ischemic cramping typically occurs at night and is called nocturnal claudication. Muscle cramping due to ischemia can also occur with exercise and is called intermittent claudication. Doctors will often ask patients with poor circulation to describe how far they can walk before the cramp and will use this as a measure of their peripheral vascular disease.

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Beware The Summer BBQ!

Now that it's summer, it's almost impossible to avoid the ever-popular summer BBQ. Some of our favorite meals are cooked over charcoal, but we still need to be aware that many of the traditional 'summer' foods are packed with fat and calories!

Isn't it ironic that some of the 'fattest' foods make their debut in the summer when we're all trying to fit into that bathing suit?

So which traditional summer foods will break the belt?

HOT DOGS. Although they're small, the typical hot dog contains about 30% of your daily saturated fat intake! At about 180 calories each, hot dogs may seem quite harmless until we realize that 140 of those calories are from FAT. Don't forget that the average hot dog bun has 110 calories, which boosts the total to 250 calories per hot dog.

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