Health and Fitness

Principles of Health Fitness

.Principles of Health Fitness: What Is Fitness?
Fitness broadly describes the body’s capacity to cope with demands placed upon it. The more efficiently the body copes as these demands become greater and greater, the fitter the person is said to be. While this might mean that fitness refers to coping with stressful situations such as high altitude or continuous cardiovascular exertion, it also refers to the ability to cope with day to day conditions. For example, someone who is unfit may be able to run a mile, someone who is very unfit however might be in danger of a heart attack or stroke just from moving around their home.

Principles of Health Fitness: How to Improve Your Fitness
We aim to improve fitness fairly gradually through the incremental increasing of those demands placed on the body. For example, exerting yourself slightly more each time you go for a run or some form of exercise. This means that your body becomes used to coping with more extreme circumstances and adapts accordingly – it’s now prepared to be pushed. Meanwhile it will also find your ‘resting’ conditions to be incredibly easy to cope with compared to the conditions you’ve experienced while training etc.

Principles of Health Fitness: The Four Principles of Fitness Training
There are four basic principles in training health fitness. One is ‘overload’, which describes the process of increasing the conditions the body has to cope with in the way described above to the point where they are significantly greater than those the body can cope with easily. This can be achieved by increasing the intensity of a workout (i.e. running faster or lifting heavier weights), increasing frequency (i.e. training more regularly) or increasing duration (running or working out for longer). These are all ways in which you can tell your body to start adapting for greater stress, whether or not you’re currently utilising any kind of training routine. You should not overload your body during training on a daily basis however as rest is crucial in order that the body can heal the damage done to it during this training, particular the damage done to the muscle fibres. It’s during this healing process that the microfibrils in the muscles come back thicker and stronger, meaning that without rest your muscles cannot grow.
The second principle is the principle of progression. This focuses on the fact that you cannot instantly become fitter, but must do so incrementally. When you overload then you should not immediately overload your body as though you were already at your fitness targets, but instead must gradually increase overloading until you reach them. The fitter you become however the more work it takes to progress to the next level but the less likely you are to injure yourself through overloading.
Specificity is the third of the principles of health fitness training and refers to the fact that in many types of training you only train certain aspects of your fitness. For example, running will increase your cardiovascular fitness and VO2 max meaning you will be able to run for longer, but will have no impact on your arm strength. Similarly, weight lifting will increase arm strength but will have little impact on your cardiovascular fitness. Fat loss on the other hand however can not be specifically targeted and the body will use up fat stores in a random order based largely on genetics. Additionally, some exercises exist that train almost all aspects of fitness such as swimming which improves upper and lower body strength as well as cardiovascular fitness (though muscle growth is less than it would be for resistance training using weights).
The final of the principles of health fitness is ‘reversibility’, which refers to the fact that we can similarly become less fit through inactivity. Just as we adapt to more difficult conditions, so can we adapt to easier conditions, and the body will quickly do so as in order to save energy. This only generally takes a short amount of time and after just three to four weeks a trained athlete can become unfit, most noticeably in the area of aerobic fitness where the body loses its ability to supply muscles with oxidative energy so efficiently.

Principles of Health Fitness: Fitness Terms
Aerobic fitness, cardiovascular fitness, cardio respiratory fitness, stamina, endurance and vo2 max all refer to the same ability to utilise oxygen for energy and transport it around the body. This improves ability in long distance running. Other types of fitness such as strength and anaerobic fitness refer more to ability in the gym.

Principles of Health Fitness: Skill Specific Fitness
Everyone needs a basic level of fitness in order to live a healthy life and function normally without being out of breath, overweight or risking heart disease or diabetes. Beyond this however, if you’re training for a specific event or sport then we need to focus on specific types of fitness and train some areas more than others. For example, if you play darts you don’t need to have amazing aerobic fitness but you do need fine muscle control and hand eye coordination. Similarly a sprinter does not need to be able to lift large amounts in the gym with their upper body, and in fact doing so may actually make them unnecessarily slow (though strong shoulders can be useful for runners). The best way to train the correct elements in the right proportions is (no surprise) to practice the sport itself. If you wish to supplement that training however or improve individual elements, you can do so by training specifically those areas – specific muscles (which can be targeted) or aerobic fitness, flexibility, balance etc.

Principles of Health Fitness: Improving Aerobic Fitness
In order to improve aerobic fitness you simply need to exert yourself for increasing amounts of time. You also need to make sure you do this regularly – at least 3 times a week is a good guide for at least 20 to 30 minutes. During this period you also need to ensure intensity is fairly high by aiming to get your heart rate to 70% of your maximum recommended heart rate (to work out your maximum heart subject your age from 220). You can also improve this further by training in the cold or in high altitude where the oxygen is less abundant in the air and your body if forced to work harder as a result.

Principles of Health Fitness: Improving Endurance
There are other ways you can improve your endurance, for example by improving your bodies ability to store and use creatine phosphate. Creatine phosphate is used by the body to recycle ATP (andenosine triphosphate), which is the ‘universal energy currency’ of all life. Made up of three phosphates which are powerfully bonded together, it is the breaking of these bonds that then releases energy and powers muscles which leaves the biproducts of ADP and AMP (andenosine diphosphate and andenosine monophosphate) which are double and single phosphates respectively. The role of creatine phosphate then is to recombine these phosphates so they can be reused. To improve this ability, run or work out as flat-out as possible for fifteen seconds (perhaps by sprinting 100 metres) then rest for the following four to five minutes (by walking back for example), then repeat for several repetitions. Sometimes this is known as anabolic running.
Another thing that can lessen endurance is the build up of lactic acid which is a byproduct of metabolising glucose for energy. This then builds up in the muscles and causes them to ache and slow down. Fortunately the body is capable of disposing of lactic acid on its own and this is an ability that can be trained. To do so work flat out this time for one minute, then again rest for four to five minutes. This will both improve the body’s ability to dispose of lactic acid and increase levels of haemoglobin and myoglobin in the body which are responsible for transporting oxygen. As well as improving the body’s ability to dispose of lactic acid though, you can also improve its tolerance. To do this work flat out for 2 minutes, or to failure, then rest for two minutes.
To improve all these elements then you can use the-biomatrix.net technique of ‘time division’ and do all three as one set. For example then you would run for 13 seconds, rest for four minutes, run for one minute, rest for four minutes, then run for two minutes and rest for two minutes – then repeat. This is type of running training will improve your general endurance more than any other.

Principles of Health Fitness: Other Training Methods
There are many other ways to improve aerobic and other forms of fitness however. For example, ‘resistance training’ is how we train to improve our muscle strength. To do this correctly you need to train with repetitions and sets and use either a resistance machine or weight to make basic movements more difficult. The heavier you make the weight, the more your muscles will grow but the fewer reps you will be able to perform whereas if it’s lighter you’ll do fewer reps for more definition but less strength gains.

Principles of Health Fitness: Other Training Methods Cont.
LSD (long slow distance training, not Lucy and the Sky with Diamonds) refers to any long period of exertion continued at a steady rate and the recommended 70% of maximum heart rate. The most common forms of this kind of training are running, swimming or cycling and marathon trainers often use this kind of training in the build up their fitness in preparation for the main event. This again should be performed for thirty minutes around three times a week, but you can increase this in order to further improve your gains.
An even more interestingly named form of aerobic fitness training which takes into consideration all the principles of health fitness training described above, is ‘Fartlek training’ (I told you it had a funny name… stop sniggering!). The reason for the funny name is that it translates as ‘speed play’ in which the athlete varies the speed of his running – alternating between running and walking (much like time division training). This program might look something like this: 15 minute jog, 30 second medium pace run, 30 second sprint, walk for 3 minutes, medium pace run for one mile, jog for five minutes etc etc (and be sure to get some kind of cool down in the form of a walk towards the end).
This is similar to ‘interval training’ which is like Fartlek training (hehe) but uses a more set pattern. This means you rotate between the ‘three intervals’ which are a jog, a sprint and a run. You can alternate the length of these intervals and tweak them to be more anaerobic or aerobic and you should do at least three reps of the whole cycle. Pick up sprint training is another type of aerobic training where you walk, jog, stride then run then sprint doing fifty metres of each then going back to the beginning meaning that in other words you just build up the speed in intervals.
Isometric training meanwhile takes the slow ends of the intervals to the extreme by getting you to simply hold a static position – either using weights or your own bodyweight to supply the resistance. This trains the slow twitch muscle fibres as well as core stability and the supporting muscles in the body used for balance.

The Components of Personal Fitness

We all know what it means to be strong or muscular, and we all know what it means to have a good aerobic fitness. But what does it actually take to be generally just ‘fit’. What are the components of personal fitness?

When we describe someone as fit we are generally referring to several things. Firstly the person must have good cardiovascular fitness. Someone ‘fit’ is not someone who runs up a flight of stairs and then stands at the top doubled over and wheezing uncontrollably, such as person would be described as ‘unfit’. This should be reflected in their physique and the pot-bellied are not generally considered as fit either. Similarly this fit person should have good basic strength – they do not struggle to move even the lightest piece of furniture – again that is the domain of the unfit. Some muscle around the arms then is quite important for an individual to be classed as fit. Someone who is fit should also find themselves generally fairly healthy in terms of their immune system. The fit do not find themselves constantly bed ridden and sneezing.

So then the components of personal fitness are as follows: good aerobic fitness, good physical strength and a strong immune system. If you’re young then chances are you’re fairly fit anyway, but if you’re reaching middle age and have an office job or lots of chores then you might start to find your fitness ebbing away. So how can you ensure that you live a lifestyle that results in all these things?

Simply training for good personal fitness is a far different concept to training for a sporting even or for muscle gains and is much more a lifestyle decision rather than a new programme you’re taking up. It won’t require hours out of your day but rather a few lifestyle adjustments here and there to put you back on track.

These changes need to be made first in the area of physical activity. By this I mean making sure you actually do some. The most crucial of the components of personal fitness – cardiovascular fitness – will require you to get out of the house and do something slightly strenuous once in a while. You can achieve this by taking up a sport such as football or netball, by cycling or walking to work rather than driving, or by getting a dog and taking them on regular walks. If you go to the gym you should do thirty minutes on the treadmill at least once a week.

Similarly with strength you should ensure to do lots of physical activities yourself. Do move that furniture yourself and do sweep up the drive from time to time. If you want to build some bulging biceps then you really should join a gym, but for basic physical fitness as opposed to insane strength you only really need to be going once a week.

Your diet is the final piece of the puzzle and by eating lean protein and large amounts of vitamins and minerals you should be able to build your immune system and your strength. Steer clear of fatty foods and junk food which will clog your system and keep to the fruit, veg and meat.

How To Look Younger, Healthy and Fit

Mankind has always had the query of how to look younger. Looking and feeling younger and living longer has been a perpetual longing of man. Since ages man has sought answer to the question of how to look younger and is still eagerly waiting for a befitting reply for it.

We all know that youth is transient. Yet we strive endlessly to achieve eternal youth. It is this striving, which has brought to our knowledge several ways and means to retard the process of aging and several more to transform our looks to a more youthful and appealing one.

Very often our appearance takes on an aged look even at a young age. This makes us feel depressed as we all wish to possess ageless beauty. However, we must not lose hope and begin a quest for finding materials and procedures to revitalize our skin and restore its lost youthful glow.

It may also be that our looks have actually turned aged in the natural course of bearing stress and strain over a number of years. Even then we may wish to don a younger look if possible. In this case too there begins the search for younger looks by us.

Causes of lack of youthful looks

Wrinkles are the main cause of aged looks. Acne formed and unattended to over a period of time further aggravates the situation. Besides, grey or lackluster hair also contributes to old or aged looks. Often a suntan or sunburn marks on the skin deprives it of its youthfulness. Some chronic disease may also have caused loss to your young looks.

Measures taken to protect young looks

Taking care of the skin on a regular basis helps avoid the ugliness of aging. Use of exfoliant twice or thrice or four times a month helps protect young looks by moisturizing and tightening. Application of a good quality sunscreen cream or lotion especially when going outdoors acts as a safeguard against damage of skin due to the sun leading to untimely wrinkles and other aging signs of the skin.

Measures to restore youthfulness to looks

Taking a balanced diet comprising of fresh fruits, vegetables, cereals and protein products helps replenish essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients which may have been lost leading to aged looks. This should be accompanied by regular exercising. Following a healthy diet and exercise regimen does help us look healthy, young and fit.

Using moisturizers, skin toners and rejuvenating creams by application on face and other skin helps erase wrinkles. The fine lines already formed or forming will be ironed out gradually upon application of good facemasks having a toning and tightening effect on skin. Vitamin E has been reputed to be very effective as a component of revitalizing or anti-aging creams.


Ways of appearing younger

Creases or wrinkles formed on skin may be effectively concealed by the application of highlighter, which will reflect much light to conceal the shadows of creases. The so-called concealers actually make lines more prominent. Face powders are also better avoided as they accumulate in creases thus highlighting them and forming a patchy mess.

Lash curlers make eyes look more open, lustrous and youthful. Well-groomed eyebrows go a long way to help you get an expressive and beautiful eye.

Long hair styled by pulling back into a ponytail enhances youthfulness while hair styled as bang helps in effectively hiding wrinkles and creases on foreheads.

It may be noted that a major factor determining how we look is the way we carry ourselves. So, we need to dress up and carry ourselves in a youthful manner in-keeping with the recent trends and fashions suiting us.

Some Quick Health Tips

General Health
1. To work out a rough estimate of your maximum heart rate just do 200 minus your age. Obviously this does not take into account health, weight etc, but should otherwise be a good guideline.

2. In nature we would have been much stronger from running around, hunting and climbing. Human muscles are perhaps now relatively some of the weakest in the animal kingdom, This should be more than enough reason to go to the gym!

3. The reason for the above is that an animal's life style is far more active – we train for an hour and sit down for the rest of the day whereas animals hunt and run all day. Try to do something physical as often as you can – not just in the gym.

4. Go to sleep with your curtains open – this way the light will wake you naturally and you’ll feel more awake sooner.

5. Take a vitamin tablet – vitamins have so many essential roles in our body that they’re really worth the money and will greatly help you in the gym and the rest of the time. They’re also great for a quick energy boost too.

Weight
1. Don't necessarily eat three meals, just eat when your hungry. Little and often is better than stuffing yourself 3 times a day as this is when your stomach is forced to stretch!

2. Chew your food! If you chew it for longer you not only prevent indigestion etc, but you are now swallowing smaller pieces and can fit more in. This means that you can eat more without getting fat!

3. Don't count calories – I never do. Just do your exercises and make sure not to have more than 2 puddings a day.

4. Get rid of your sweet tooth – simply taking the sugar out of your tea and having yogurts instead of chocolate bars can lessen your sweet tooth meaning fewer unhealthy cravings.

5. Forget fad diets, they drive your body into ‘starvation mode’ which causes it to convert more carbs and proteins into fat for times of future need.

Exercise
1. Don't exercise if you're unwell – this increases the speed that your blood travels and makes it spread. As does the warm temperature you'll create – a perfect breading ground!

2. Also, don't exercise early in the morning if you have back ache. If you suffer from back ache, get out of bead slowly and don't do anything physical for at least ten minutes – you'll be more likely to damage your back as it's tender at this time! In fact, it's better if you do not bend it at all in the morning.

3. Don't aim too high. I hear so many people say they’re going to start going to the gym five times a week and using protein shakes three times a day. They do it for 2 days then get tired of it make it fun and easy to begin with. Give yourself a break when you need one and let yourself eat what you want. This way, at least you'll stick at it.

4. Muscle maintenance is easier than making muscle. This means that once you've become a hulk you can go a little easier on yourself. When I had a broken wrist I had done barely any upper body exercises for three months and there was no real deterioration

Some Random Bodybuilding Tips

Mix Your Creatine With Tea – Creatine, no matter the brand and no matter what it says on the pot, just will not mix with the liquid it’s meant to. My Prolab creatine said on the front ‘easy to mix and tasteless’. That’s just not true – it tastes horribly bitter and collects in a little pile at the bottom of the glass. Maximuscle even admit this, advising you to mix it with your protein shake which is actually a really good idea and works great for mixing. Problem is apparently your body can’t utilise it as well if it’s taken with protein. The other problem is that Maximuscle also recommend bodybuilders take it five times a day when loading – far more than most people would use a protein shake. The solution? Mix it with tea – if you have sugar too it’ll counter the bad taste and the hot water will make it more soluble.
Have Pepper With Your Raw Eggs – Eating raw eggs is a quick way to get your body all the amino acids. If you’re like a lot of people though you might well find this… well… completely disgusting. A simple solution to improve the taste is to add pepper with makes it more savoury and a slightly nicer consistency.
Mix Tomato With Tuna – Again, plain tuna, as many bodybuilders eat it, is just unpleasant and bland. Mayonnaise is far more delicious (in fact it’s ultimate), but sadly it’s also very calorific. However, what’s actually good for you (high in antioxidants) and also mixes very well with tuna is a good old fashioned tin of chopped tomatoes.
Train Outside Sometimes – Training outside will let you work on your tan at the same time as improving your muscles. At the same time it’s a change of scene which kick drives the body into action, and supplies you with energy and vitamin D in the form of the sun.
Wash You Face After Working Out – It counteracts the contribution of a sweaty face to spots.
Do ‘Express’ Sessions When You’re Tired – If you’re really tired and don’t think you can manage a workout, then you should try and squeeze out just a couple of exercises. Maybe press ups with dips, and then leave it at that (make sure both target the same muscle group). This way you will still get a workout, but more to the point you will probably find yourself getting energised enough that you end up doing a full work out anyway.
Exercise in the Morning – It will wake you up and mean you don’t end up putting it off later.
But Wait Ten Minutes – In the first ten minutes of waking up your spine is more susceptible to damage.
Read Ingredients on Supplements – That way you can research yourself whether or not they work, and can avoid overdosing on regularly used additives. For example, vitamin B6 is in everything, but overdosing can lead to nerve damage.
Take Hot Showers – They improve your body’s production of growth hormone. As does sprinting. So there you go.
Take Supplements at Night – Other than immediately following a workout, the night is the time when your body is at its most anabolic.
Keep a Note of Your Progress and Routine – Keeping a training diary is good for many reasons. It gives you motivation to workout by showing you that you’re constantly improving, and by making you have to face writing down your failures if you take yet another day off. But it also allows you to tweak your routine and then see exactly how that’s affecting your success. For example by adding an extra day and seeing how much size you lose or gain as a result, or by adding or taking away individual supplements and testing just how well they’re really working.
Make Sure You Measure Bodyfat Percentage as Well as Inches – Because you probably aren’t just training for size and it may look as though you’re getting worse when in fact you’re getting more ripped.
Always Eat More Than One Piece of Protein – Other than raw eggs, no single source of protein contains all the amino acids (and eggs only do if you eat both the yolk and the white). For that reason you shouldn’t rely on just one protein source.
Get Lots of Rest – When you workout you cause tiny microtears in the muscle fibres, it isn’t this process in itself that causes hypertrophy (muscle growth), but rather the fact that when they are repaired the body builds them back thicker to protect against future damage. That means you need to rest in order for it to grow.
Use Nitric Oxide – Nitric Oxide is one of the few bodybuilding supplements that genuinely can improve your workouts and gains to no end. If you train with nitric oxide, it increases the size of your veins to allow more blood flow to the muscles, resulting in turn in a greater sensation of being ‘pumped’ as well as greater vascularity and more energy in the gym. It also means that if you take it before you go to the beach you’ll look twice as good…
Do CV – Neglecting CV is a mistake that many bodybuilders make because they fear it will lead to the body’s cannibalism of their muscles. This is actually only true if you’re making another mistake – not eating enough carbs. In fact, CV will not only strip your body of fat improving definition, but will also strengthen your heart stopping you from having a heart attack…
Get Minerals and Vitamins – Most bodybuilders neglect the roles of vitamins and minerals which are not only great for your general health, but also for bodybuilding specifically, building muscle and bone strength, improving contractions and energy and preventing against colds.
Taking Steroids – Sorry… That was cheap… True though…

How to Measure Body Fat Percentage

So you want to test your body fat percentage to find just how much of you is muscle and how much of you is fat? Are you a lean mean fighting machine or a lumpy potato? We discussed one way in which you could find the answer in a previous article, though it was low on accuracy and high in the number of hands it required. This method is far more accurate and can be done alone, however it will require a set of scales (which you should have anyway if you are training/dieting) and a tape measure. You may also need a calculator or at least a pen and some paper unless your rain man or some kind of prodigy/maths genius. It’s a bit convoluted so stay with me…

Now first of all make sure everyone’s out of the room. The reason for this is that you’re going to have to get naked. Hey, I said it was accurate, and believe it or not those clothes of yours aren’t made of air… and yes that includes your tidy whities. Okay so now you’re starkers, step on the scales and weight yourself and take a note of the results in pounds and kilograms. After you’ve done that take the tape measure and measure around your waist (another reason not to be wearing trousers or boxers) and your wrist and forearm for women, likewise make a note of this in inches and centimetres. Now, get out your calculator or paper and pencil and get to work.

If you’re a guy you need to calculate your lean bodyweight which is ninety four point forty two plus one point zero eight two times your nude weight, then minus four point fifteen times your waist girth in inches. Your body fat percentage then equals your bodyweight in pounds, minus the lean bodyweight you just calculated, times one hundred divided by your bodyweight.

Girls, to calculate your lean bodyweight you need to do eight point nine eight seven plus zero point seven three two times your weight in kilograms, then plus three point seven eight six times your wrist diameter in centimetres then plus naught point four three four times your forearm circumference in centimetres. Now again your body fat percentage then equals your bodyweight in pounds, minus the lean bodyweight you just calculated, times one hundred divided by your bodyweight.

The change to metric for women is just easy as it results in calculating slightly fewer decimal places, but instructions exist online for both. A quick note is that to convert pounds to kilograms you simply divide by two point two and to convert inches to centimetres you divide by point three nine four. This is just the second of two ways to test your body fat percentage, and is far more accurate if you have the patience. While individuals will differ, for men anything under ten percent is very good and for women anything under fifteen percent is a victory. Women are prone to carrying slightly more fat which acts as insulation. Guys, I don’t advise you repeat that to any of the fairer sex however

Improving Your Energy Levels

Low energy can be a nightmare that effects everything you do and takes away from your enjoyment. Unfortunately it can sometimes feel like there’s nothing you can do about it and you’ll find yourself walking through life in a daze and missing out on all the fun while others enjoy themselves or make productive use of their day. Luckily there are several ways you can improve your energy levels over time which can have a large effect on the enjoyment you get out of life.

Firstly your energy levels are obviously linked to the quality and quantity of your sleep. You need about eight hours of quality sleep to get the most from your energy levels – no more and no less (surprisingly sleeping too much can make you just as lethargic as not sleeping long enough). To make sure you get a good night’s sleep try and get out in the fresh air during the day and get some exercise, then head to bed at a reasonable hour with as little light and noise in your environment as possible. Don’t resort to drugs as these can affect your energy levels the next day. If you’re finding it hard to wake up in the morning then go to sleep with the curtains open – then when your alarm goes off you will wake in a room that’s flooded with light. Not only will this affect your brain (which responds to light) but will also make it harder to fall back to sleep which can make you feel more tired in the long run.

Our body clock goes through cycles of tiredness and you should find you’re at your absolute most tired at four am and twelve hour later at four pm, the latter being known as your afternoon slump. To combat this try getting a power nap around that time to boost your energy. By power nap that means literally ten minutes, anything more and you’ll find you feel sluggish and find it hard to wake again making yourself worse than before the nap. Alternatively just resting by lying back with your eyes closed can have a similar effect.

Tiredness can also be caused or affected by a range of other factors including mood, stress, nutrition and sunlight. Many people suffer from what’s known as SAD, standing for ‘Seasonal Affective Disorder’, which causes people’s moods and energy levels to plummet in the colder months of the year. This is caused by lack of sunlight which can raise your mood and cause the brain to release energy and mood enhancing hormones. If you’re finding yourself feeling worse around autumn and winter then, try getting out in the sun for a couple of hours each day to give yourself a recharge. Alternatively you can buy ‘daylight lamps’ which create an ambience similar to natural sunlight designed specifically for those affected by SAD. Furthermore you can often set these on a timer to wake you naturally in the morning with gradually increasing ‘sunlight’.

There are other ways you can improve your hormones and chemical levels to increase energy. One method is to work out regularly, for while this will make you more tired in the short term, over time it will lead to your energy levels increasing as your overall health improves. This is a very effective way to boost your energy and it will also improve the quality of your sleep, especially if your exercise consists of outside activities such as bike riding or jogging.

There are a variety of supplements and pills you can take to alter your brain chemistry and give yourself an energy rush and these have varied effectiveness. Anything with caffeine will help you stay awake longer and keep you mentally focussed though at the same time it can cause your body clock to be affected more in the long run. A more mild and slower-acting alternative is Guarana, which is a herbal alternative that has fewer side effects and a longer lasting primary effect. Personally I find vitamin supplements, particularly Berocca and others containing high doses of vitamin B and vitamin C, to be most effective. Vitamin B is known for its role in helping us to extract energy from our food, while vitamin C will help you fight off infections and viruses by improving your immune system. This will improve your general health and so keep you feeling energetic and full of zest. Meanwhile if you’re feeling lethargic you should take measures to avoid alcohol which over time can leave you feeling sluggish and tired. Try going for just a couple of weeks as a t-total and you’ll find after not long that your energy levels improve ten fold. Another great supplement for energy is tribulus terrestris or any other testosterone enhancer, and while they’re not generally marketed for this purpose, increasing your testosterone will lead to you feeling far more energetic, confident and powerful than you did before.

For the same reasons then it’s important to try and keep your diet as balanced as possible and containing as many essential vitamins and minerals as possible. At the same time for energy you need to supply your body with carbohydrates which is where the body extracts most of its energy from. Here you have the option of simple carbohydrates – those being sugar and sugary foods – or complex carbohydrates such as bread, pasta or rice. While the former will give you a short burst of energy that’s useful for running etc this will be followed by a dip which can exacerbate tiredness. For this reason, other than sports drinks and some fruits, you should generally turn to complex carbs for your energy. Make sure you give your body a constant supply of these over time, eating little but often to make sure you keep yourself with coal in the fire.

Another reason to eat little and often (other than the fact that it gives you a constant supply of energy) is because it takes energy for your body to break down foods and to digest them and assimilate them into the body – meaning that eating a large meal will only make you feel more tired (which is why you often feel like you need to lie down after a big Sunday roast). You want to keep yourself feeling light and energetic so snack on bananas, apples and raisins for a good source of carbs and vitamins that won’t weight heavily on your stomach. At the same time make sure you eat lots of fibre – that’s nuts, wheat and legumes – as they’ll flush your system and unclog your passage ways which can also help improve your energy (you can always go for colonic irrigation but only if you’re an extreme case… it ain’t pleasant…).

As well as sunlight, diet and hormones, your stress levels and mood can greatly affect your energy. The irony is that as your tasks stack up and you have more and more on your plate, you start to feel more and more lethargic and less and less able to deal with them. This can then lead to a bad mood and stress leaving you feeling defeated. This is known in psychology as ‘learned helplessness’ where you feel your situation is hopeless and so you withdraw into yourself as a coping strategy. This is great if you’ve injured your leg in the wild, but in today’s society it causes more harm than good. To improve your situation then try and organise your tasks in such a way that they seem manageable and don’t be afraid to ask others for help. Tidy your immediate surroundings and write a list of what you need to achieve. As you tick off the tasks you’ll find yourself feeling much better. And though it’s easier said than done, try not to get stressed about things that are outside of your control – we all deal with these kinds of issues but you mustn’t let them ruin your life.

Energy levels can also be psychological if you’re feeling down – and chronic lethargy is actually one of the symptoms of depression. If you’re feeling depressed again don’t be afraid to let others help. Talk to people about your problems and try to distract yourself from your own thoughts by engaging in lively and fun activities. You might find that you feel tired and don’t want to go out, but that after half an hour of spending time in stimulating company you forget all about your tiredness. Laughter itself can be great for raising your energy levels, as can excitement and happiness.

If you’ve tried all these things however and you’re still feeling like you have no energy it’s probably time to consult a doctor or specialist. You may well have a virus such as glandular fever (another symptom is a sore throat) and something else like ME (a ‘tiredness’ disease for which the cause is uncertain). Once you know what your problem is you should be able to take steps to help yourself.

How to Get Ripped Abs Quick

So you're looking for different ways to get ripped abs quick, you've been searching for the last hour. But finally you've landed here - great stuff! This is a lot of rehashed old techniques on the Internet about getting ripped abs quick, but most of it is old and the same old poor information. What you need is a guide you can follow to achieve the ripped abs you deserve quickly.
There are many different factors to consider when you're working out the abdominal muscles, so I can't tell you how long it will take you to get ripped abs, all I can tell you is that it depends on how much effort you put in. It also depends on how effective your daily routine exercise plan is. I have no time for slackers. If you want to slack off this routine exercise plan is not for you. You have to give it your all, there are no excuses right now.
It's never too hot, you're never too cold, and you're never too tired, you're never too busy, put your spandex on and go exercise!
How to Get Ripped Abs Quick
The best way to get ripped abs quickly, is to perform the most common exercise around - and that is the crunch! I know you've heard it loads of times before, but the reason why hardly anyone rates the crunch highly is because most people are doing them wrong! To perform an effective crunch you have to lie flat on your back on a solid surface. Have your knees a bent, with your feet flat on the floor. Then place your hands just behind your head, but make sure your not touching your head. Then look upward towards the ceiling, and simply lift your head towards the ceiling, so that your head is about 4-5 inches from the ground. Rinse and repeat!

What to Eat When Building Muscle: Protein

Successfully building muscle isn’t just about spending time in the gym, it’s actually an all encompassing way of life as any bodybuilder will tell you. Another key part of adding muscle for example is what you eat, which can make all the difference between progressing or staying the same.
First of all you need protein to build muscle. The reason this works is that your body actually uses protein to rebuild itself, almost as though you are recycling animal meat to become your own skin, tendons and muscle. When you train you make tiny ‘microtears’ in your muscle fibres which your body marks out as needing to repair. It then uses protein to do this and makes them a little bit thicker to prevent future damage, which is the basis for hypertrophy AKA muscle growth. This is why you cannot grow without protein and the more you consume the better. Some sources claim that for true muscle bulk you need to eat a gram of protein for every pound of weight, but this is actually excessive unless you want bodybuilder type proportions. This is also the reason that you should consume protein immediately after working out, while your body is searching for the protein to make the repairs.
There are variations within different types of protein however and each source contains a host of different amino acids, the building blocks of life, which the body uses for various different jobs. If your body needs an amino acid that you don’t have in you blood stream you’ll be doing yourself damage which you can’t fix by adding the acids later. For this reason then you need to make sure you get all 22 amino acids as often as possible when you eat your protein. Unfortunately only eggs contain all these acids (not even protein shakes do) and so unless you’re eating lots of eggs you should try and consume at least two different protein sources at a time.
Protein also differs in its ‘biological value’, which refers to the amount of available protein your body can utilise and absorb. For BV or absorption rates, meat sources are definitely preferable to plant sources, with whey protein, eggs and fish being particularly good.
You also need to keep an eye on how lean your meet is to try and avoid taking in too much fat that can create a layer of fat cells over your hard earned muscle. To avoid this a general rule is that the whiter the meet the less fatty it is, so tuna, chicken and pork are preferable to beef or lamb.
So by consuming high quality protein in large quantities you can ensure that your time spent in the gym isn’t wasted. As the old saying goes, ‘you are what you eat!’

Food for Building Muscle: Carbs and Other Food Groups

So you’re hitting the gym regularly and eating lots of protein to make sure your muscles grow, perhaps you’re taking a protein shake to help the process along too. Still though, if you’re going to be truly successful you also need to know about the other food groups and what they can do for your training.
While many people who are trying to get into shape will almost completely cut out their intake of carbohydrates, this is actually a mistake. While too much carbohydrate will indeed be stored as fat, if you don’t have enough you won’t have the energy you need to perform in the gym. Worse, your body might start cannibalising your muscles to get the energy!
Your muscles extract energy from the Glycogen in carbohydrates by breaking the bonds in its ATP (Andenosine Triphosphate) which is known as the ‘Glycogen System’. Carbohydrates will only be stored as fat if you don’t ‘burn’ them during a workout, and even then a large amount of energy will be used to convert them into fat meaning only minimal damage is done.
For these reasons, a diet containing a fair amount of complex carbohyrdrates (complex being sources such as bread, rice and pasta rather than sugar or sweets) are actually recommended for those trying to add muscle.
When you’re eating fat however you’re eating carbohyrdrates that have already been converted to fat cells by another animal. This means minimal energy is expended in storing them and so they’ll be added as fat tissue much faster. Additionally, your body won’t use the fat for energy until it’s used up its supply of carbohyrdrates.
However, this still doesn’t mean you should iron fat completely out of your diet. Essential fatty acids have many roles in maintaining your body and a deficiency can lead to slow healing wouds, hair loss and flaking skin. Crucially, they’re also involved in protein absorption. It is paramount then that you don’t try to eradicate fat from your diet, but just seek to limit it to that found in your protein.
At the same time you also need to make sure you consume vitamins and minerals to fight colds and strengthen your bones among other things. Coming down with a nasty virus will substantially slow down your progress. It’s also important to remember that when you train you lose vitamins in your sweat, so you should endeavour to include fruit and vegetables in your diet.
Although some fad diets and fanatical bodybuilding ‘gurus’ will come up with various extreme nutrition plans, eventually they tend to go full circle. The only advice you need to follow is that your diet should be high in protein and low in fat and simple carbs. Everything we eat, we eat for a reason, and if you completely remove an element of your diet your body will quickly feel the consequences.

Foods To Avoid When Losing Weight for good body weight

There are several kinds of foods to be avoided while losing weight. Losing weight can be quite a feat to achieve. Avoiding certain groups of food is an essential part of this feat. This is taken care of by setting up of and adhering to a particular diet chart either totally devoid of such foods or using the minimum quantity of such food varieties.

Categories of foods to avoid while on weight loss diet

Fatty foods or foods containing too much oil or fat in them are to be the prime category of foods to be avoided while attempting weight loss. The fatty, fried snacks or oily curries fall into this category. Besides, too much carbohydrate intake is also to be avoided since the carbohydrates may finally be converted to fats and stored in your body thereby adding to your body weight.

Grains and sugars have been considered to be the most fattening substances since these are also the most consumed. The carbohydrates in them consumed in excess get their way into finally becoming fats. Many researchers put the entire blame of fattening of people on them. Their consumption should be either totally checked or reduced considerably.

Avoiding consuming a variety of foods to lose weight

It has been discovered that people actually take in more calories when a wide variety of foodstuff is on offer. There may be some delicious food items, which tempt you to eat no matter how much you have already taken. Such tendencies should be curbed by limiting the number of delicacies being served.

Items of food to avoid for losing weight

Junk food and fad items of food emerging with hot pursuit and fan following are a strict no-no for persons on weight loss mission. These are not only lacking in essential nutrients but also high in calories and fat. They are quite often taxing on the digestive system too.

The seemingly cooling and refreshing beverages like sodas and juices, which have tantalizing tastes, are not all that virtuous. They are storehouses of calories. These sugary juices and soda drinks are better avoided.

Break up of food portions and meals to lose weight

You should try to reduce the size of the portions of each food item you take in. You ought to remain cautious about the quantity of food you eat while you are lonely or busy or stressed and therefore absent minded. Avoiding much food at each meal and instead eating more frequently is another way of scheduling your food intake so as to help reduce weight.

Substitutes for foods avoided

In lieu of the foods forsaken for losing weight you may take salads- green and fresh vegetables, pieces of fruit or whole fruit and low sugar whole grain cereals with much fiber and nutrients. The drinks avoided can be substituted by gulping down plain water or sugar free drinks when thirsty. Low fat or fatless milk may also be safely taken.

Weight losing by selectively avoiding food

A food diary may be maintained to keep a record of the food consumed by you and the amount thereof. If possible, the approximate calorie count can also be mentioned. Any reduction in the type and quantity of high calorie food should also be taken down to monitor your efforts at losing weight by avoiding food types. Introduction of healthy foods into your diet instead of fattening food and setting up an exercise routine goes a long way to help you lose weight together with the avoiding of certain food products.

Things to Watch Out for When Joining a Gym

Overweight/skinny personal trainers – If a trainer knows what they’re doing then it is my belief at least that they should practice what they preach. That should be part of the job spec right? It’s a good advertisement for the gym and it inspires confidence in those who already go there. I’ve been going to the gym myself for ten years and I’m in pretty good shape, and while I don’t like to consider myself a snob there’s something very annoying about being told what to do by a guy whose arms look like matchsticks. Sure he might know what he’s doing and maybe has a tonne of knowledge that I don’t – but I have no guarantee of that. And to be honest a lot of trainers don’t know what they’re talking about and there are a good selection of Mickey Mouse PT courses out there that means anyone can pass and make the grade. If you’re a beginner they could very likely steer you in the wrong direction and possibly even course you damage; and if you’re an advanced bodybuilder and powerlifter they won’t have anything of value to pass on to you. The annoying thing is the way they like to chat with the big guys and posture about the place because they have an official t-shirt and name badge. Besides that, even if they do know how to get strong it’s just annoying if they tell you to do it and obviously don’t care themselves. It’s kind of like a lie... A real pet hate. Look around until you find someone who can back up what they say with indisputable muscle.

Small print in the contract – A lot of gym contracts (or ‘health spas’ really, these are the main culprits for most of these problems) try to make claims about how long you have to sign up for. They’ll tell you that you can’t quit the gym without giving them months of prior notice, or that you have to sign on for a year. To start with, if you have to sign on for a year then look elsewhere. The majority of gyms ask for no such commitment and you should at least be able to get away with a six month contract. While most do ask for a joining fee they shouldn’t be trying to rope you into more use than you might need and you never know if you’re going to get ill or need to move. You need to be asking yourself why they’d need to tie you in to such a lengthy contract in the first place if what they were offering was good quality. Surely you won’t want to quit? Do lots of their customers try to leave? Ask them this and put them on the spot. And if you don’t sign up for a year and they tell you you have to give them three months notice before leaving (*cough* LA Fitness *cough*) then you tell them where they can go – especially if they hadn’t warned about this little snag in the first instance. The thing is they can’t actually stop you and the law will be in your favour if you cancel a payment for a service you’re not using. It’s kind of despicable really that these big successful gyms try to milk you for every penny when they really don’t need the extra cash. Hopefully people will cotton on and they’ll lose out in the long run. And if they still tell you can’t cancel? Go straight to the source and end your direct debit. There’s nothing they can do about that (just make sure you really do want to leave).

Discounts and deals – You also need to be suspicious of gyms offering you large discounts for signing up. They might say that it’s a Christmas bonus and that you don’t need to pay your sign up fee, or that you can get your membership for half price if you drag some other poor sucker into the deal. It’s a method they use to try and pressurise you into making a quick decision when unbeknownst to you – and trust me on this one – there will almost always be some kind of deal on. The problem is again that this really isn’t that honest and stinks of trying to do anything for the money. Think of all the customers that paid full price a year ago – that’ll be you next week when an even better deal comes along. It also just goes to show that the full price is way too high if they can afford to keep cutting it, and that they’re going to try and cram the place as full as possible, or that people are leaving and they’re desperate. If you do decide you want to sign up anyway then don’t be pressured by the deal as it’ll still be there, or be better, in not long at all, and tell them you’re going to pay even less. What a lot of people don’t realise is that you can haggle in places like this and you might as well play them at their own game. Tell them you can get a cheaper membership elsewhere, you know the sign up fee is a joke, and you’re not going to pay it. LA Fitness charged £75 for there joining fee – it’s a complete joke! Don’t be conned.

Gyms that don’t offer you a free trial – Any gym you go to look around should offer you the chance to try out the equipment for a day after showing you around. This means you can test you like the machines, that they have everything you need, and that it’s better than the competition in the area. If they don’t offer this then you should be very suspicious indeed. You wouldn’t by a computer without knowing the exact specs or getting to see it would you? This is when you then look out for some of the other things I’ve listed here; overweight trainers and faulty machines etc. It’s crucial.

Lack of equipment – If the gym lacks the equipment you need to do your daily workout then you obviously need to look elsewhere. That doesn’t mean necessarily that the gym is no good or even lacking for other people, but you need one that’s tailored to you. Like using kettle bells? Then look around until you find somewhere that offers that.
MTV – All these health spas (you get the opinion by now I hope that I’m generally a bit suspicious of health spas) these days have TVs on every wall, and even sometimes little headsets that let you listen while you’re working out doing your chest presses or running on the treadmill. Great, that means you can watch Eastenders or the Footy while you get fit right? Wrong – when you’re training you should be concentrating on the work out. Just focussing on the movement of the muscles and the technique you go through can make the workout more intense and lead to more growth in the area. While you can still probably ignore the TVs though you need to think about how much of your money is going into that Sky subscription and all those screens. At the same time you need to think about the general atmosphere of the place, the kind of clientele it’ll be attracting (those who don’t really want to train) and furthermore whether you think you have the mental drive and will power to stay focussed when Beyonce starts shaking her shapely behind on MTV...

Hidden costs – When you get that contract read it thoroughly and look out for ‘cancelation fees’ or fees to do the induction. They say the latter is for health and safety but when you’re clearly made of pure lean muscle you shouldn’t have to pay £15 to be shown around by a guy you could break in half with your little finger. It’s covering their asses sure I get that, but you shouldn’t have to pay for the privilege and you shouldn’t trust someone who doesn’t state all this up-front.

Classes – Classes are great if you want to take up a new hobby and maybe make some new acquaintances in a new city, but if you don’t, make sure you aren’t paying for them. If it says they’re free, that means you’re paying for them in the price of your membership. There should be specific bands depending on how many of the facilities you wish to use.

Long queues – If there are long queues to get on every station then go somewhere else. They might tell you this is only during peak time but there’s two problems with that: a) do you really want to train in the middle of the night or during your lunch break? And b) why are they trying to bully you into signing up when they can’t provide for their current clientele? And there’s nothing more annoying, trust me, than having a great workout ruined by having to wait around for the machine you want to use. You’ll lose any pump you’d achieved, miss the window for your protein consumption, and you may as well be training at home. Naughty gym owners! *Cough* LA Fitness *Cough*

Dancing Your Way to Fitness

Some people have great passion towards dancing and pursue it as their career. However, to some people dancing is a hobby. Are you one of those people who love to dance in your spare time and are suffering from problem of being overweight? Here comes the good news. Dancing is a perfect way to lose those extra pounds in a fun filled manner without any stress. This article presents information on how dancing helps you shed those extra calories.
If you know the basics of dancing, then switch on your TV and tune in to a musical channel and dance your way to the rhythm of the music. If you can afford it, it is best to attend dance classes that are oriented for people who love to reduce weight through dancing.
Dancing is a fun filled way to exercise. It only serves to burn the extra calories, but the soothing music helps to get rid of all the stress. A stress free body remains healthy. It also helps to overcome the problem of stress related overeating that poses the threat of obesity. Before you start the dance session, do a little warm up to tune the body muscles for dancing. Similarly, cool yourself with a short walk or jog. If you have not danced earlier, give it a slow start by practicing about fifteen to twenty minutes a day. Do not start with complicated moves, you may get bored and quit dancing. Once the body is acquainted to simple dance moves, increase the degree of complexity and time period.
Dancing serves as whole body workout. You can work out all the muscle groups of the body by way of dancing. Women generally crave to have a perfect body shape. Dancing is the best way to shed all that extra fat and attain a perfect body shape while having fun. It is also a good opportunity to learn the dancing style to your liking such as the most popular salsa dance with a variety of body movements.
Another benefit of using dancing as a way to improve your fitness is that you do not need any special equipment. You can even practice at home without having to go to a boring gym. Thus, by dancing you can attain a perfect shape at zero cost. You do not have to sacrifice the foods that you like or purchase those expensive fad diets that do not give what they promise. Dancing also serves as a way to express your creativity. If you are creative enough to design new dance moves, you can even quit your existing job and start your new career as a dance choreographer. Isn’t this amazing?
However, if you are heavily overweight, take care of your ankle and knee joints while dancing. Make sure to use perfect shoes. Take necessary measures to prevent the danger of skidding. Use loose fitting clothes to perform the dance movements with ease. With the help of all the above tips, go ahead and start dancing as a means to remain fit.

Health & Laughs

Endorsement of the proverbial wisdom about laughter's health-giving properties arrives from Bombay , where a local doctor has instigated a trend for medicinal 'laughing clubs'. Dr Madan Kataria, who propounds a mirth-inducing posture technique derived from yoga, set up the Priydarshini Park laughing club in 1995. Since then, more than 100 laughing clubs have been rapidly established after his model right across India .
Members of the clubs meet in groups of up to 50, where after limbering up and breathing exercises, they egg each other on into extended bouts of hilarity.
Chhaganbhai Seth, 72, was told by his grandchildren that he was noticeably less grumpy after four months of laughing practice.
Practiced gigglers learn how to produce a repertoire of different styles of laughing, and the health benefits claimed are numerous. As well as loosening inhibitions and boosting self-confidence, Dr Kataria says it is also good for breathing, as an aid to giving up smoking, and can alleviate hypertension, arthritis and migraine.

Summarized from a story by Sumit Sharma, entitled 'Stressed? Inhibited? Grumpy? Join the (Laughing) Club, Indians Say', in the Wall Street Journal (Dec 9th '96) monitored for the Institute by Roger Knights.

Update on laughter therapy from an article by Tony Allen-Mills in the Sunday Times (Jan 3rd '99).

In 1998 Kataria organized a World Laughter Day at the Bombay Racetrack and 10,000 people turned up. "We all had a jolly good laugh," he said. While he has been formalising his laughter techniques, American research has shown that laughing lowers blood pressure, reduces stress hormones, and boosts immune functions. It also triggers the release of endorphins, the body's natural painkillers, and fosters general spiritual sunniness. All this has encouraged American doctors to prescribe laughter to gloomy patients.

A new film, Patch Adams stars Robin Williams as a doctor who makes cancer patients laugh. "It sure as heck helps to have movies like this, " said Robert Cicco of the American Association for Therapeutic Humour. One Pittsburgh hospital provides a 24-hour television channel called Humour Helps Healing, and humour therapists have formed the Carolina Humour and Healing Association (HaHa). Hospitals all over America are studying 'humour intervention' programmes - some including Kataria's exercises.

How Noise Affects Health

Noise has always been a nuisance and there is no doubt about the same. But, more than being a nuisance it can result in health problems. This is the reason why people are working towards reducing the amount of noise in the environment.

The most noticeable effect of noise is hearing loss. This is a gradual process and people usually become aware of the damage once it starts affecting them. The first signs of hear loss appear when you are unable to hear some words during a conversation or recognize some sounds. By the time people realize this, they would have permanently lost of capability of recognizing high frequency sounds like rustling of leaves, flute or piccolo. As the damage continues it becomes significant and also handicaps the affected person.
People who are partially affected by deafness do not live in a quieter world. The sounds that are still audible to them appear loud and are distorted. The sounds of consonants "s" and "ch" are indistinguishable from other sounds. Often, the sounds are echoing and the partial hearing loss can cause pain and discomfort. Some people also suffer from tinnitus, which results in ringing or roaring in the head. Hard-of-hearing people also face a lot of emotional anguish, because of lack of communication with friends and partners.

Noise also has a subconscious effect on the body. In response to the harmful situations the body starts making automatic responses to the loud and sudden noises. Though the society does not recognize these noises as dangerous but the body reacts as if they are a threat. In response, the body shifts the gear and the blood pressure rises following an increase in the heart rate and breathing. There is an increase in the hormones released in the blood resulting in increased perspiration. These responses can also be observed during sleep.

Even though people think that they are accustomed to a noise, it is not true. The body never gets used to loud noises and biological changes still keep taking place within the body that keeps preparing it for physical activity in situations if necessary. The noise need not to be loud to bring about a response in the body. Noises that are below the levels are usually associated with hearing damage and can result in changes in the body. Cases of ulcers are also reported in people who work in noisy areas and these are found to be 5 percent more than those found in normal cases.

Studies have also been conducted to show that workers in noisy areas are diagnosed with more number of medical problems, which include respiratory ailments also. Excess noise can also result in aggravation of an existing disease. Noise can make it difficult to help people take a good sleep. A good night sleep is very important to maintain good health. But, because of noise the sleep can shift from deep phase to a lighter one which can result in incomplete rest.

If you are troubled because of noise and are suffering from some consequences then use appropriate measures of soundproofing and taking frequent breaks to stay away from noisy places.

Weight on the Mind - Hypnosis Can Lift It!

Weight, weight loss, diet books, diet fads - you have been on diets, off diets, this is the "forever diet", you say, only to grow tired at its strictness. It has become an obsession. Lose weight and then regain what you have lost along with a few extra pounds. What do diets actually do - they make you think of food all the time. You have to plan ahead, pack meals ahead of time, anticipate any saboteurs. Always on guard. Is this really how you want to live your life? Being consumed with thoughts of food.

What would life be like if food was not such a prominent feature? Would you know how to redirect that energy to something more productive? Over-eating becomes a comfort. Food is a constant - it is there when you are happy, there when you are sad, it gives you a purpose when bored and what is the result - you body is out of shape.

Emotional eating is very common. Like those who self harm, relief comes when eating but it is fleeting and the emotion you had before is now compounded with feelings of guilt for eating the packet of biscuits or tub of ice cream and you feel even lower.

This is where hypnosis does its best work. Hypnosis in itself is a concentrated relaxation and in the case of weight loss, the concentration is on losing weight. You can stop yourself craving chocolate or cream cakes or whatever your problem food is. You can become motivated to exercise if you feel that is all you need. But where there is emotional eating, then hypnosis and hypnotherapy should be your first and only port of call.

We have two parts to our mind, the left and right side - the left is logical and analytic. It loves numbers - calories, point counting. But we don't eat with the left side of our brain, we eat with the right side - the emotional side. Unless the emotion that prompts you to eat is addressed then every diet fails and they do, because the emotion is not being looked at only the food and portion size.

Keeping a food diary to include the emotions before you ate and after eating would form part of the process. Remember we are trying to break the habit of a lifetime. As a little girl you no doubt were told to "clean off your plate, there are starving children in Africa" or you fall and hurt yourself "have some ice cream", you pass your driving test "let's celebrate with a cake". The one I love the most, you have lost weight and celebrate by having the foods you had denied yourself! So, the emotional connection to food is obvious - as previously mentioned, it is always there for happy and sad occasions. All major events and milestones punctuated with food.

During a session with hypnosis, we study how you view food. Was food an extension of love? Did you use your weight as a protective layer to keep men away so you wouldn't have to deal with heartache. These are significant reasons for the subconscious mind to encourage you to keep weight on. If you were overweight all your life and then in adulthood lose lots of weight and then regain it - what has happened. You never experienced your place in the world being thin and all with your weight loss may have come anxiety and your subconscious mind encouraged you to sabotage yourself so you could find your "rightful" place in the world again.

Weight is complex but you can with hypnosis learn to re-programme your subconscious mind. The primary function of your subconscious (and it only has the understanding of a 6 year old child) is to protect you and until you offer new, improved and positive ways to help you, it will continue with the old patterns. You can lose weight and keep it off forever but only if the desire to lose weight is stronger than the desire to stay the same and this time, you have more ammunition to help you, by addressing the emotional needs that food filled and by learning new ways to deal with upset, with happiness and all without involving food.