Now You Too Can Make Healthy Fast Food Choices

With the tempting smile of McDonald's "golden arches" and
the addicting scent of Whoppers hitting the air as you pass
by Burger King, healthy fast food choices are probably the
furthest from your mind.

The dark cloud hanging over fast food restaurants is pretty
overrated, as there are plenty of nutritious and fulfilling
selections to mull over. Being equipped with the knowledge
of how to make healthier choices at fast food eateries is
key to getting the most out of a dining possibility that is
convenient, inexpensive and truly speedy.

Hamburger Heaven

A single hamburger at a fast food restaurant is pretty
reasonable. The McDonald's plain 'ole hamburger with its
signature onions contains 250 calories with a reasonable
saturated fat count and decent serving of protein.

To cut back on the calories associated with a fast food
hamburger, you can eliminate some of the extras that
increase the overall fat content of the meal.

For example, forgo the slice of cheese on a Wendy's Jr.
Cheeseburger Deluxe and save 40 calories. Take off the
mayonnaise to reduce your burger by 25 calories. Want to
save carbs and calories regarding your healthy fast food
selections? Eat your burger on half-a-bun and save 60
calories. All together, the 125-calorie cut still allows
you to savor the taste of bacon and juicy hamburger
accompanied by nutritious tomatoes and lettuce.

Additionally, you can also select smaller burger choices,
as a Whopper Jr. without mayo (290 calories) tastes just as
good as its 510-calorie cousin.

Chicken Delight

With all of the Crispy Chicken Sandwiches and Chicken
Nuggets lining the fast food strip, it's hard to pass on
the spicy blend of seasonings that tickle the tongue.

Once again, the real reason you order a chicken sandwich is
to savor the crispy coating, so why waste calories on the
bun, which takes up 120 calories of the 340-calorie
sandwich? Some people eat the chicken completely without
bun, while others only use half.

At McDonald's, the Honey Mustard Snack Wrap with Grilled
Chicken is a sandwich offering the second lowest number of
calories on the menu with 260. A four-piece Chicken Nuggets
offers only 170 calories. In order to reduce the number of
calories associated with healthy fast food chicken choices,
pay attention to your sauces, as a Creamy Ranch Sauce runs
200 calories alone.

Pizza, Pizza

Scan the menus of popular chains, such as Pizza Hut, and
you will learn about healthy fast food choices, such as the
Thin-n-Crispy selections, which offers less bread and crust.

To create a healthier pizza meal, eliminate the meat
toppings and load up on popular veggie creations, including
onions, olives, peppers, and jalapenos.

Pizza Hut also offers "Fit-n-Delicious" pizzas, where the
diced red tomato, mushroom, and jalapeno selection provides
150-calorie slices.

Additional Healthy Fast Food

Often overlooked as a fast food restaurant, Subway is a
great way to stick with a healthy meal plan. Some of the
best selections include tons of vegetables and lean
chicken. My personal favorite is the 1/2 sub daily special,
on honey oat bread, spicy mustard and loaded with every
veggie in the place. What a taste explosion and it's so
healthy.

Overall, the continuous pressure to lead a healthier
lifestyle has encouraged numerous eateries to bring lower
calorie food choices to the forefront. Today, popular
healthy fast food menu items include the likes of Chicken
Garden Salads, Strawberry-Flavored Applesauce, 2% Milk,
Bacon Ranch Salad, Apple Dippers, and Fruit-n-Yogurt
Parfait.

Making healthy fast food decisions is not boring. Make it
an adventure in good dinning. Bon Appetit!

----------------------------------------------------
Additional information about making healthy fast food
choices can be found at:
http://healthfood-guide.com/healthyfastfoodchoices.aspx
The author has a whole web site devoted to making healthy
food choices.

What is the Best Exercise?

Guess what? There really is no 'best exercise.' Fads
exercises will always come and go, but the best thing for
your body is that you are consistently active. Workout
regularly and remember that your body needs to be
challenged in order to reach your desired goals. Don't get
hung up on fad exercises - be a stickler for consistency
instead! When it comes to exercise you have tons of
options. But it all starts with finding an activity that
YOU enjoy.

Will you find the time for a workout today, or will the
busyness of the day leave you exhausted on the couch? If
you are like most people, exercise doesn't top your list of
favorite things to do. Who wouldn't rather be immersed in a
piece of chocolate cake, enjoying their favorite TV show or
dining out with friends instead of sweating in the gym?

But the fact is that our favorite things are often those
that expand our waist lines, and by now we all know that
larger waist lines mean an increase in a plethora of health
problems, not to mention an overall decrease in your
quality of life.

Hmmm, so maybe exercise isn't such a bad idea after
all...It's just that you hate to exercise.

It may be time to change your attitude toward exercise. If
you go into it telling yourself how much you hate it and
how you wish that you were doing something else instead,
chances are you won't enjoy it. I don't know about you, but
I don't often do things I don't enjoy. It is time to open
your mind to the possibility that you can enjoy exercise.
In fact, when done correctly, exercise is an enjoyable
experience.

Take a minute to ponder the following:

* Have you written off exercise based on a particular type
of routine – maybe you would enjoy something different. The
truth is that no one can deny how great it feels to
accomplish a challenging workout. It's rewarding,
invigorating and feels great. You simply need to find the
right form of exercise for you.

* Try to pinpoint the main reason that you dislike
exercise. Is it the uncomfortable workout clothes that you
own? Maybe it is time for a new style. Is it trying to
decide what machine to use at the gym? Maybe it is time for
a personal trainer. Is it the pain that you feel in your
shoulder when swimming? Maybe it is time to find a new form
of cardiovascular exercise - one that won't aggravate your
injury.

There are many different forms of exercises that will give
you the results that you want. Don't like the gym? There's
a program for you. Don't like running? There is an
alternative. Don't have the time? There are time friendly
exercise routines that will give you incredible results in
under an hour.

----------------------------------------------------
Machelle Lee owns and operates The Invisible Gym in Santa
Cruz, CA. Her mission is to inspire people to become
physically active and enjoy the benefits of a balanced,
healthy lifestyle. For more information and questions you
can visit her website.

http://www.the-invisible-gym.com/

Pau D’Arco A Natural Antibiotic & Powerful Anti-Fungal

We can be grateful to American Indians for a multitude of
herbal and natural medicines. Pau d'arco has a been used as
a medicine by the indigenous people of the rainforest. The
Pau d'arco tree is a broad-leaf evergreen that grows to a
height of 125 feet and produces violet colored flowers
which accounts for it's often being called the "trumpet
tree". It grows well in Peru and Argentina high in the
Andes. It can be found growing in the low-lying areas of
Paraguay and Brazil. It's use goes back in history to
before the Incas. Pau d'arco tree was used to make hunting
bows and as a medicine. It was observed by indigenous
people that when the tree was alive and even after it was
cut down, it never developed growth of mold, mildew, or
fungi.

The Guarani and Topi Indians refer to the tree as "tajy,
which means "to have strength and vigor" i.e. good health.
Tribal medicine people peeled off the tree's bark in long
strips. They then separated the inner and outer layers and
used the inner bark to make healing teas. Pau d' arco has
crystalline oxygen infused in it's inner bark, which is
rich in iron, calcium, selenium, vitamins A, B-complex and
C., magnesium potassium and sodium. These pau d'arco
nutrients make give it antibacterial, antiviral, and
antifungal action which stimulates the immune system and
fights disease. Indigenous people of South America have
used pau d'arco for treating malaria, anemia, colitis,
respiratory problems, colds, cough, flu, fungal infections,
fever, arthritis and rheumatism, poor circulation, skin
irruptions and sexually transmitted disease.

Lapachol, which is a photochemical, is present in the inner
bark of pau d'arco trees has been documented as an
effective natural medicine for use in treating abscesses
and tumors. However, for it to be used to treat conditions
such as cancer, the amount of lapachol, found in pau d'
arco, required to provide and effective dosage, would be
toxic if used as the exclusive treatment. It can however,
be used along with other cancer treatments. Pau d'arco is
given free by the Argentina government to cancer patients
and also leukemia patients because of it's blood purifying
qualities and because it has been know to reduce pain
caused by cancer and it's treatment because of pau 'd
arco's anti-inflammatory effect.

Pau d'arco contains selenium which is one of our body's
natural defenses against yeast infections, vaginally as
well as for topical skin treatment. It's antifungal action
aids in the elimination of candida. Because of it's
antifungal properties, it is useful for fighting fungi that
promotes athlete's foot and other skin infections caused by
fungi. It has also been shown to be effective in treating
other infections such as tuberculosis, pneumonia, strep,
and dysentery. Pau d'arco has a cleansing ability so is
very useful for relieving intestinal infections, destroying
parasites, and restoring colon health. A number of
infection fighting substances known as napthoquinones seem
to destroy certain disease causing bacteria, without
destroying beneficial bacteria. This makes it an excellent
natural antibiotic.

As a preventative, pau d'arco has been shown to help build
our immune system with the stimulation of macrophages that
fight disease. Pau d'arco has a high iron content that
contributes to the elimination of wastes, the assimilation
of nutrients and increasing oxygen supply to needed areas
of the body. It helps improve hemoglobin and red blood cell
corpuscles.. It therefore can be used for relief from
chronic fatigue. Pau d'arco blood cleaning qualities makes
it an excellent anti-allergy, anti-rhumatic, astringent,
and cardiotonic. It is also often used to balance high
blood pressure. It helps tone, balance and strengthen the
heart. Pau d'arco helps to neutralize the poisons involving
the liver which aids the liver in it's blood cleansing
function.. By improving the health of our blood and it's
flow we greatly increase the effectiveness of our immune
system.

Pau d'arco is very useful in treatment and relief of colds,
flu, herpes and hepatitis because of it's antiviral
qualities. It therefore is an excellent alternative or
synthetic prescription or over-the -counter cold and flu
"treatments" that often only suppress symptoms without
actually curing the cause or may carry the risk of
unwanted, sometimes harmful, side effects e.g drowsiness,
etc.

With our concern about the undesired side effects of
prescription antibiotics i.e. destroying beneficial
bacteria or becoming ineffective because of bacterial
mutation, we can find in pau d'arco ,a powerfully effective
natural antibiotic alternative. As is true of many natural
health care remedies, pau d'arco has many general health
care benefits beyond the specific intended purpose. For
example, if we use pau d'arco for relieving a cold, we will
also benefit from it's cleansing action of our blood and
liver, fighting of yeast infection, elimination of
intestinal parasites, etc. We an also benefit from it's
general immune building properties while treating a
specific health condition. Once again, we benefit from the
experience and wisdom of indigenous people, as they
discovered and developed the use of pau d'arco another of
Nature's powerful gifts, a natural antibiotic.

----------------------------------------------------
Jennifer has more than twenty years experience with all
natural health care products. More information about
natural health care products e.g. pau d'arco is available
at => http://www.sweetmedicineessentials.com

The Lipolysis Fat Reduction Method

When I initially read the article on a newer fat melting
procedure, I thought "Oh boy, here we go again, another
gimmick in the world of fat loss". Whenever I hear the
words "melt" and "fat" in the same sentence, call me crazy,
but I tend to be a bit skeptical because we all know that
you cannot melt the fat off or out of your body, no matter
how badly we'd all like to at times.

However, upon reading a bit more, I realized that this
newer termed procedure to get rid of smaller pockets of
body fat, called Lipolysis, is much like another, fairly
controversial, method of fat and celllulite removal called
Mesotherapy which originated in France years ago.

The common theme to these procedures is that they both use
injections that are administered subcutaneously, which
release varying mixtures of substances they claim destroy
fat cells and rid the treated areas of bulges and excess
inches.

Practitioners of Lipolysis and Mesotherapy are careful to
say that it is not a weight loss method, but rather a body
sculpting method, which will help to sculpt the body, and
mold it by getting rid of stubborn areas, such as belly
bulges, under-chin fat which tends to be extremely
stubborn, and areas of the arms and sides of the belly that
have that fat that never seems to budge.

The main difference between Lipolysis and Mesotherapy as I
understand it, is what is actually injected. Mesotherapy
is a tad confusing, and I'm not even sure if they've
divulged exactly what is in the solution injected with
Mesotherapy, except to say that it is a natural,
homeopathic mixture in a solution that destroys fat cells.

With Lipolysis, it is clear what actually goes into the
solution injected into patients fatty areas, but critics
say that it is not clear that there is any standard for
mixing the solution, and one patient may get a higher
concentration of one ingredient than another, since the
solution is not yet FDA approved.

The solution is varying parts of the following ingredients
: phosphatidylcholine, a soybean derivative, and sodium
deoxycholate, a bile salt. The mixture is called PCDC, and
it is mixed in pharmacies, however there is no
standardization, which is why it is receiving a lot of
criticism, mostly from the plastic surgery field.

Go figure. I'm sure some of the criticism has to do with
the fact that this newer treatment may take business away
from liposuction, which is only performed by board
certified plastic surgeons, and that may be some of the
reason for the heated debate over Lipolysis and other
non-FDA approved fat reduction procedures.

But they also may have a good point in that the solution is
not standardized, and the long term effects of Lipolysis
have never been studied.

Results reported from Lipolysis have varied, as with many
other comsetic procedures. Many women have reported
excellent results, and would recommend it to anyone who's
looking for inch loss or spot fat reduction. Some say that
the pain is more than minor with each injection, and there
have been some reports of allergic reactions, as well as
minimal results.

Almost every cosmetic procedure has some risk of allergic
reaction or of simply not giving the results desired, so
this is to be expected, and I do not think the amount of
reports in this case warrant calling this procedure
"ineffective" or "unsafe", but the one thing that would
concern me is that we are injecting an unstandardized
solution into our bodies, and destroying fat cells by
rupturing them.

Then where does the fat go after it is destroyed? If the
fat catches in areas where it cannot be easily eliminated
by the body as waste, this could also present a problem,
and critics are quick to cite the fact that there are no
concrete studies or evidence to show that the destroyed fat
cells are processed and eliminated by the liver, as the
advocates of Lipolysis claim.

So, onto another important point about Lipolysis. What is
the cost? That is really on the forefront, since the cost
benefit appears to be the reason that many women are
choosing this over liposuction. That, and the fact that it
is technically uninvasive since there is no surgery
involved, and no downtime as with liposuction, which is
considered to be a fairly painful surgery with a long
recovery time which minimizes life activities.

The cost runs around $1,000 to $3,000 per body area. I'm
not exactly sure what that covers, but it no doubt ranges
depending on where you live, since geographical area
dictates the costs of elective cosmetic procedures most
times. This could be considerably less than liposuction to
eliminate stubborn fatty areas if it works, since it is
both less time consuming and would most likely end up being
more economical.

This procedure may be worth looking into if you have
smaller, more concentrated areas of fat that won't go away,
but perhaps a little more time should pass, and even
better, the process should get FDA approval, before this
becomes the next big thing. After all, what good is
looking great and feeling good if you're unintentionally
doing something detrimental to your body in the end?

----------------------------------------------------
Danna Schneider has written several widely published
articles on her experiences with beauty products and other
cosmetic procedures, and also contributes to
http://www.mybeautyspace.com/cellulite-treatments/ and also
writes for and contributes to
http://www.maleenhancementmagazine.com/female-sexual-enhance
ment/ , where you can find reviews on natural products for
women that help to enhance sensual experience.

Pau darco herb

Right there in the forests of South America is a herb known
for its many healing qualities, particularly its curative
effects on cancer patients and other diseases. This herb is
what we call Pau darco, derived from the inner bark of the
Taheebo tree, scientifically known as Tabebuia Avellanedae
or Tabebuia Impetiginosa. It is said that the practice of
using this herb dates back to the time of the ancient Incas
and Aztecs, the first inhabitants of South America. No
wonder in South America alone, we also find accounts of Pau
darco's healing wonders.

There are many uses of Pau darco. In the years between the
1960s and the 1970s, research has been conducted to verify
the therapeutic claims of this healing herb. Research,
particularly that carried out by the U.S. National Cancer
Institute proved that if not preventing or delaying cancer,
Pau darco, actually treats cancer in very astounding ways.
However, oral doses of the herb have to reach useful levels
in the blood, therefore causing some side effects. That's
why dosages were stopped in some patients.

In the abovementioned studies, lapachol, a chemical element
strongly present in Pau darco, is shown to be active
against the malaria parasite. If you have a compromised
immune system, this herb may just be the right one for you.
With its active elements, it can help energize the immune
system but only in controlled doses. Too much Pau darco
could lead to a weak immune system. At present, scientists
are still perplexed by the healing qualities of this herb.
More research has yet to be done about this.

While scientists are puzzled, most people still find Pau
darco more effective than conventional medicines. Not only
does the herb have antifungal, antiprotozoal, antibacterial
and antiviral properties, it has also been a cure for
inflammations, skin injuries, psoriasis, and even vaginal
yeast infections. In some parts of South America, it is
even used as a mouthwash, again, because of its
antibacterial quality.

In taking the herb, take note of its side effects. Heavy
use of Pau darco may result in the loss of red blood cells,
thus, causing anemia. Anemia usually results in fatigue,
cool, pale skin, an abnormal heartbeat and breathing
patterns. Associated with lapachol, lesser side effects
include dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

What does this mean? Testimonies that seem to confirm the
effectiveness of a herb should also be taken together with
the knowledge on how it will work in the body. For best
results, always consult your doctor.

----------------------------------------------------
Patricia McDougall B.Sc. is a Chartered Herbalist and
graduate of the Dominion Herbal College, British Columbia,
Canada. Originally from Peru, Patricia is the Director of
Research and Development for Amazon Botanicals LLC of
Newark Delaware.
http://www.amazon-botanicals.com/Pau_darco_herb_s/89.htm

How to Take Your Cardio Workout to a New Level

Can you think of anything more torturous than spending an
hour pedaling away on a bike or plodding along on the
treadmill? You're not alone. Most exercise enthusiasts
dread conventional cardio - why?

Because it's b-o-r-i-n-g.

So why do it at all? The goal of a cardio workout is to
lose the unwanted inches and to develop the efficiency of
your heart and lungs. But new studies are out that show our
slow-go cardio sessions may not be as effective for burning
off that holiday bulge as we thought.

When you plod along on the treadmill at an even pace, your
body enters what is called a steady state. This means that
your body has adjusted to the pace and is now trying to
conserve energy.

Conserve energy? But I thought the point was to burn energy?

And so your dilemma goes: You can't stand the monotony of
traditional cardio and it leaves you with less than
satisfactory results. So what should you do?

The answer is HIIT, a new training technique that blasts
both boredom and fat.

"In research, HIIT has been shown to burn adipose (fat)
tissue more effectively than low-intensity exercise - up to
50% more efficiently."

"HIIT speeds up your metabolism and keeps it revved up for
some time after your workout. The bottom line is that HIIT
training burns a greater number of total calories than
low-intensity training, and more calories burned equals
less fat on your body."

What is HIIT?

High-Intensity Interval Training: is an exercise strategy
that improves performance with short training sessions.
These sessions involve a warm up period, several short,
maximum-intensity efforts that are separated by moderate
recovery intervals, and a cool down period.

In other words, your 60 minutes of low-intensity cardio is
replaced with more effective, High Intensity Interval
Training for as little as 15 minutes. The addition of
explosions of speed into your comfortable pace will
increase your power, muscle tone, speed, strength,
endurance and best of all will melt the inches off.

Here is an example of a HIIT program - this can be done on
any form of cardio equipment or even jogging outside or
swimming laps:

* Start with an easy 4 minute warm up, casually increasing
your pace to the one that you usually maintain for your
workout.

* Once you are sufficiently warm, sky rocket your intensity
for 30 seconds.

* Return to your normal pace for the next 30 seconds and
then sky rocket again.

* Repeat this 30-30 interval for 6 minutes and then
gradually decrease your intensity as you enter a cooling
off pace.

After your HIIT session you can expect to burn more
calories due to an increase in your metabolism - sounds
good, right? If you aren't ready to jump into a
full-fledged HIIT session, try on of the following modified
HIIT workouts:

Modified HIIT 1:
* Start with at least a 5 minute warm up, casually
increasing your pace to the one that you usually maintain
for your workout.

* Once you are sufficiently warm, increase your intensity
for a full minute.

* Return to your normal pace and remain here until you have
recovered enough to go again.

* Repeat this 1 minute interval with full recovery time
between each one for the full extent of your workout and
then gradually decrease your intensity as you enter a
cooling off pace.

Modified HIIT 2:
* Start with at least a 5 minute warm up, casually
increasing your pace to the one that you usually maintain
for your workout.

* Once you are sufficiently warm, change your speed and
intensity for 2 minutes.

* Return to your normal pace for 2 minutes and then change
your intensity and speed again. The key is to keep your
body guessing - you aren't doing full intensity work, but
you also aren't staying at the same pace for the entire
length of the workout.

* Repeat this 2 minute interval for the full extent of your
workout and then gradually decrease your intensity as you
enter a cooling off pace.

There you have it - all you need to take your cardio
workout to the next level.

----------------------------------------------------
Machelle Lee owns and operates The Invisible Gym in Santa
Cruz, CA. Her mission is to inspire people to become
physically active and enjoy the benefits of a balanced,
healthy lifestyle. For more information and questions you
can visit her website.

http://www.the-invisible-gym.com/

Put an end to the cholesterol and the kilos in excess without medicine (Part I)

Fundamental rules: Two types of foods have to be well
known: the saturated fat and the foods rich in cholesterol
. The saturated fat is your principal enemy. They relate to
primarily animal fat (solid at ambient temperature) with an
exclusion with the fish fat. But the sea food has a huge
level of cholesterol. Sea food is good for a diet but not
for people affected by the cholesterol. What a paradox!

The practice: Used fats are vegetables and are useful for
cooking or accompanying foods (olive oil, grape pips oil,
vegetable margarine).

The dairy products which you consume without restriction
will be always with a very low fat level. The regular milk
contains animal fats. Therefore, you only can consume
skimmed milk. And the light cheeses have to be consumed
with moderation.

Bread, pasta, rice, fruits and vegetables can be consumed
without moderation.

White meats (with an exception with the pork) and fishes
are the best friends.

A place of choice is reserved with the apple rich in pectin
whose regular consumption cause a drop in cholesterol.

It is the same with the red wine. With moderated
consumption (two daily glasses), it contributes to the
reduction of the cholesterol.

Certain modes of cooking must be privileged (will be
discussed in a future article).

A diet with your doctor must be checked and monitored,
especially in the beginning. We advice you to meet your
doctor at least once a month.

These regular visits have two essential goals. First of
all, you have to control your results. You must make sure
that the objectives to reach were obtained. With the
control of your weight, you have to use all the time the
same balance and if possible at the same time. You have to
make a blood test at the end of two, four and six months.

Secondly, you will be better informed. You can put to your
doctor all the questions which will not fail to be binding
on you and and thus to make preciser certain particular
points in connection with your personality.

In the event of insufficient results the doctor will ask
you to fill a book or a notebook on which you will note
each day the exact composition of all your meals. By
reading this document, your doctor will be able to correct
the large or small errors which you sometimes have done
unconsciously.

Lightened butter and margarine: The regular butter is very
rich in cholesterol (250mg for 100 grams). In comparison, a
fish contains ten times less cholesterol. Also lightened
butters with 41% fat initially appeared and at present with
only 25% fat. Thus, that contains four times less animal
fat and cholesterol.

The margarine consists of a homogeneous mixture (blending)
of fat and water. One calls that an emulsion. It is clear
that the margarine's manufactured from animal fat are
contra-indicated in your diet. Their only interest is their
attractive price. The vegetable margarine is much
healthier, easy to spread out on a piece of bread but there
are more expensive.

A little revolution: The recent arrival on the market in
margarine's enriched with vegetable sterols represents a
considerable progress in the field of fight against
cholesterol. Indeed, these sterols are supposed to reduce
the rate of bad cholesterol, cholesterol LDL. The
manufacturers announces a fall from 10 to 15% of the
cholesterol LDL for a daily consumption of 20 grams of the
product for one month within the framework of a well
followed diet.

More info about how you can end up with your cholesterol
will be presented in the next articles with these subjects:
fishes and sea foods, meats and fat materials, is the wine
your enemy, 3 lists (good fats and the bad fats, false
friends of the cholesterol's and the black list of the
foods very rich in cholesterol), best modes of cooking, ten
rules to follow and test your future level of cholesterol
with a list of questions.

----------------------------------------------------
In what way to reduce your cholesterol. The mistake to not
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