7 Fat Loss Strategies For Busy Moms

Would you like to "jump start" your metabolism and lose
your 'mommy belly' once and for all? If so, the following
seven tips are exactly what you need to improve your
workouts and ignite your metabolism. Try some or all of
these tips, but beware, the result may be a number of
admiring second glances and the need to pull your 'skinny
jeans' out of the closet.

1. The majority of your workouts should be composed of
free-weight, bodyweight or cable exercises.

Compared to machines, free-weight, bodyweight and cable
movements often require more skill, create muscular
balance, and have a greater metabolic cost. For example, it
is more difficult to balance the weights, and to coordinate
muscles when performing free-weight exercises. Although
this may sound like a disadvantage, it is actually a
benefit. By balancing and stabilizing free-weights or
cables you are working more muscles through a greater range
of motion resulting in more muscles developed and more
calories burned.

2. Use exercises that work more than one muscle at a time.

When focusing on fat loss, you can't worry about "shaping"
exercises, instead you should use exercises that'll get you
the biggest bang for your buck and work as many muscles as
possible. Isolation exercises can be used at the end of a
workout to work on a specific target area, but they just
serve to supplement your core movements.

Virtually every savvy fitness professional is privy to the
fact that compound exercises recruit the most muscle groups
for any given body part.

If you seek lean, toned muscles and the increase in
metabolism that comes with them, you must choose exercises
that work as many different muscles as possible. One of the
main reasons why squats are superior to leg extensions for
improving your body is that they also work your butt,
hamstrings and inner thighs in addition to toning your
quadriceps while leg extensions focus on just the front of
your thigh and don't really offer any other benefit. That
same rationale hold true for arm exercises too. That's why
dumbell presses and dips will are more valuable for your
arms than triceps kickbacks and pushdowns.

A good rule of thumb is to use movements that will allow
you to use the most weight. These will have a systemic
effect on your body that'll help maintain or increase your
lean muscle, and in turn ignite your metabolism.

3. Pair exercises.

Pair your exercises together so that you alternate between
upper-body exercises and lower-body exercises or between
exercises that target opposing muscle groups (e.g. chest
and back).

This type of approach will keep your workouts short and
efficient by eliminating much of the downtime that comes
between sets of a single exercise since you are working on
one movement while resting from another. This approach can
also yield huge benefits in your mission to burn fat. Since
you'll constantly be moving and keeping your heart rate
elevated, you'll be burning far more calories than you
would during a typical workout.

4. Keep your reps between 8 and 12.

Through research, it has been determined that the best
range for building lean muscle is roughly between 8-12
reps. Since the main focus of your resistance training
efforts is to gain lean body mass and stimulate your
metabolism, this rep range fills the bill perfectly. "High
reps for tone and fat loss" is one of the biggest (and most
unproductive) training myths! Somehow the aerobics, yoga
and Pilates' community have convinced us that when we
perform bodyweight exercises or light resistance training
for high reps, our muscles magically take on a beautiful
shape without growing or bulging. On the other hand, if you
challenge yourself with moderately heavy weights, your body
will take on a bulky, unflattering appearance. If you
believe this, you probably still believe in the Tooth Fairy!

5. Rest only 30 to 60 seconds between sets.

When you keep the rest periods under one minute, it's
easier to stay focused on the task at hand and keeps your
heart rate elevated. In addition, it forces your muscles to
recover more quickly between sets, along with keeping your
nervous system revved up.

If your first movement in an upper/lower body pair is
squats, you might want to rest 60 seconds before attempting
your second movement. However, if your first exercise is a
fairly "easy" exercise, like lat pull downs, you might only
wish to wait 30 seconds before doing the second part of the
pair.

6. Perform total body workouts.

You must drop the notion that muscle groups work
independently of one another. Muscles work together and
should be trained that way. Besides, not only does this
approach mean less time in the gym, but by working the
whole body three times per week, you'll be maximizing the
fat burning effect of your program.

7. Cardio is not the cure-all for fat loss.

Cardiovascular exercise aids in the creation of a caloric
deficit, but the caloric expenditure during cardio is
temporary. Strength training addresses the core of the
problem by permanently increasing the rate at which the
body burns calories by adding muscle. The best programs
will include both strength training and cardiovascular
training, but the core or the programs effectiveness is
resistance training.

Take these strategies and incorporate them into your
workout routine. Not only will you save a lot of time, but
you'll also soon see a leaner and more toned body. Not to
mention a few more turned heads and the re-emergence of
your skinny jeans.

----------------------------------------------------
Holly Rigsby is a nationally recognized women's fitness
coach, certified personal trainer (CPT) and the author of
the internationally popular e-book – The Busy Mom's Fat
Loss Bible. Go to http://www.busymomsfatloss.com to get
your FREE copy and discover everything you need to know to
losing unwanted fat and how to keep it off for good.

Try Bilberries In Your Diet For Long Term Eye Protection

Like other anti-oxidants, plant flavonoids (or
bioflavonoids) are important protectors against the
cellular damage and associated degenerative diseases caused
by free radicals. Flavonoids are also the compounds which
give fruits and vegetables their colour, and the juice and
skin of the bilberry, like that of cranberries and
elderberries, is particularly rich in a type known as
anthocyanidins, which impart their distinctive blue pigment.

Recently hailed by nutritionists as a "superfood", European
bilberries are close European relations of the American
blueberry and it is the distinctive blue anthocyanoside
pigment which is held responsible for its beneficial
effects.

The body's connective tissue, or collagen, depends heavily
on this type of flavonoid, which is also particularly
important in improving blood circulation, strengthening
capillary walls, and in facilitating the action of vitamin
C throughout the body.

The pigment is also believed to act as an anti-bacterial
agent, which is particularly effective in countering
intestinal problems, but it is from its effect on the
circulation that most of the benefits of bilberries are
derived.

Most famously, bilberries in the form of jam were used by
British Royal Air Force pilots during the Second World War
as a means of improving night vision. And this effect was
generally accepted during the 1960s and 1970s. More modern
research, however, is inclined to reject the evidence as
inconclusive, and does not accept the claims of nutritional
therapists that bilberry may also help alleviate everyday
shortsightedness or myopia. It has been suggested,
however, that anthocyanasides may help with the production
of essential enzymes within the eye, which by increasing
the output of energy may improve the general functioning of
the organ.

Bilberry's beneficial effects on the capillaries are also
held to improve the circulation of the blood within the
eyes. The central area of the eye's retina, the macula, is
made up of the light sensitive cells, the health of which
is essential to good vision. Behind these cells is a dense
mass of tiny capillaries which supply them with oxygenated
blood and essential nutrients. The maintenance of the
strength of these capillary walls is essential, and serious
problems with vision may arise if any weakening through
disease or oxidative degeneration leads to any leakage of
blood into the retina itself.

Diabetics are known to be particularly prone to these kind
of eye problems; and as well as possibly helping prevent
the diabetic retinopathy which may follow on this capillary
damage within the eyes, bilberries are also credited with
lowering the high blood sugar which may have contributed to
the problem in the first place. Bilberries' anti-oxidant
effect within the eyes is also a factor in combatting
cataracts and age related macular degeneration (AMD), a
major cause of blindness in older adults.

Bilberry supplements are readily available and often found
in combination with lutein and zeaxanthin, anti-oxidant
carotenoids which are also thought to have powerful
beneficial effects within the eyes, and particularly in
combatting the progressive loss of vision caused by AMD.

Needless to say opinions are strongly divided as to the
effectiveness of these preparations. The general opinion
of the medical and opthalmic professions may be summarised
as "case not proven", at best, but nutritional therapists
and alternative practitioners swear by them. Of course the
attitude of the opthalmic profession is not surprising
given its record of hostility to the work of such as Dr.
Bates in seeking alternatives to artificial methods of
correction (ie spectacles), and in its persistent rejection
of the compelling evidence in favour of more natural
methods.

And indeed there is an almost reflex tendency in orthodox
medicine which seems determined to meet anything which sits
outside the conventional "wisdom" with scepticism if not
outright hostility. Of course we should welcome rigorous
scientific enquiry and an insistence on the proper testing
of evidence as a safeguard against the more extravagant
claims of those interested only in selling products of
dubious value. But anecdotal evidence as well as direct
personal experience suggests that modern science doesn't
always get it right.

And when it comes to a food like bilberries there's really
no barrier to setting personal experience against the
abstract research. We're talking about an entirely natural
food stuff, with a long history of human use, which can be
obtained very inexpensively, and which can do no harm in
any quantities conceivably likely to be ingested. If the
claims made for bilberries as a super food and anti-oxidant
are even partly true the question must be: why wouldn't you
try it?

So although I normally I hate puns, this was one I couldn't
resist. In the case of adding bilberries to your diet, the
best approach may be, quite literally, to try it and see.

----------------------------------------------------
Steve Smith is a freelance copywriter specialising in
direct marketing and with a particular interest in health
products. Find out more at
http://www.sisyphuspublicationsonline.com/LiquidNutrition/In
formation.htm

The Anti-Viral Action of Essential Oils

The body of evidence regarding the effectiveness of natural
botanicals against a great variety of viruses is growing.
Over twenty years ago, German scientists found extracts of
more than 100 species of the Lamiaceae family of plants to
have antiviral effects. This discovery lead to an increase
in the examination of essential oils in Europe for the
treatment of viral infections of all kinds.

Essential oils from many plant families have now been
demonstrated to have antiviral properties. Interestingly,
different plant families exhibit varying degrees of
effectiveness depending on the virus strain. This is due to
the particular molecular structures found in each type of
oil, which penetrate physical entities to varying degrees
(different tissues, cell walls, mucous membranes, etc). The
effect on each virus strain depends also on the virus
structure (enveloped, non-enveloped, molecular symmetry,
etc.)

Certainly, one of the reasons for oils' effectiveness en
vivo is their lipophillic character - essential oils are
easily absorbed into mammalian tissues, where they may
produce the greatest results. In fact, when studying the
anti-viral effects of essential oils, researchers found
that normal cells seemed to acquire a special resistance to
viral penetration, though the mechanism for this effect is
not yet known.

One of the Lamiaceae plants studied, Melissa (Melissa
officinalis - also known as Lemon Balm), was shown
particularly efficacious against the herpes virus (HSV).
Doctor Dietrich Wabner, a professor at the Technical
University of Munich, has even reported that a one-time
application of Melissa oil led to a complete remission of
HSV lesions. A cream medication for Herpes outbreaks, whose
active ingredient is an extract of Melissa, is now sold in
Germany under the name Lomaherpan. Use of Melissa essential
oil itself may be just as effective - the oil can be
applied directly to the lesions (or diluted to 10% in
carrier if sensitivity is noted) to speed healing. Further
occurrences can be prevented by applying oil to the area
when sensations signal an eminent outbreak - repeating this
protocol 3 or 4 times may cause total remission.

Other essential oils found effective against the Herpes
virus include eucalyptus, lemongrass, rose otto and tea
tree, though these do not have quite the same body of
evidence as melissa. This does not mean they will not be as
effective, they simply have not been tested as thoroughly.

The list of essential oils exhibiting antiviral effects is
extensive: Melissa (as above), tea tree, juniper,
eucalyptus, thyme, palmarosa, lavender, rosemary, clove,
laurel, cinnamon bark, anise, rose, lemongrass, geranium,
neroli, bergamot, clary sage, and dill. The antiviral
effect of an essential oil is due to particular components
of the oil - some oils will work just as effectively on a
particular infection as another, because they contain
similar amounts of a certain component. The components of
essential oils showing antiviral activity, and the oils in
which they can be found, are as follows (from K.
Schnaubelt, Ph.D. - Advanced Aromatherapy, p. 36):

• Anethol - found in Anise.
• Alpha-Sabines - found in Tea Tree, Laurel, and other
oils.
• Beta-Caryophyllene - found in Lavender, Rosemary, Thyme
Linalool, and other oils.
• Carvone - found in Dill.
• Cinnamic aldehyde - found in Cinnamon Bark.
• Citral - found in Melissa, Lemongrass and other oils.
• Citronellol - found in Rose and Geranium.
• Eugenol - found in Clove.
• Gamma-Terpinene - Found in Juniper, Eucalyptus, Niaouli,
Tea Tree and other oils.
• Linalol - found in Lavender and Neroli.
• Linalyl acetate - found in Clary Sage, Lavender,
Bergamot and other oils.

Good studies of application of these essential oils in
cases of illness are difficult to come by, as infecting
people with viruses in the laboratory to subsequently be
treated with aromatics would be a difficult process at
best. The oils and components above have mostly shown
effectivenessin-vitro, though tests also indicate that the
anti-viral effect should occur in-vivo as well. As with
Melissa, it has been HSV that has been most thoroughly
examined, because of the relative simplicity of doing so.
But there is nothing particularly special about the herpes
virus, and proper oil/pathogen paring should prove as
effective.

There are some noted case studies by professional
aromatherapists. Of importance in these studies is the
oil/symptom relationship. Essential oils from plants of the
Myrtaceae family - notably Eucalyptus Radiata and Tea Tree
- and Ravensara (also high in Eucalyptol) seem to have
helped in cases with respiratory symptoms. For the lower
respiratory tract, Hyssop decumbens (from the same plant
family as Melissa) has been of interest. Essential oils for
such cases may be used either in a diffuser, being taken at
regular intervals, or through massage, diluted in a carrier
oil.

Because of the difficulty in many cases of illness in
determining the exact virus type involved, more specific
application cannot be given. Certainly, in cases of HSV,
Melissa has been shown effective in a number of studies.
For respiratory infections, Eucalyptus and Ravensara have
been used with success, and can be safely used as an
adjunct to regular medical care. These oils may support
one's recovery on a physiologic level - essential oils also
play a part in uplifting emotions, which may also speed
healing, or at least improve mental outlook during the
healing process. For such instances, one may simply find
the essential oil or combination that one finds pleasant,
calming, and/or uplifting. PLEASE NOTE: In no cases,
however, should self-treatment with essential oils be used
in place of professional medical care where signs/symptoms
of infectious illness are present.

----------------------------------------------------
The author is an ardent supporter of supporting one's
health through natural means. Essential oils are one of
nature's many effective medinces, and the more education
one can receive on using them, the better one can employ
these wonderful remedies. More information is available
through http://www.anandaapothecary.com

Can You Believe Old Wives Tales In Pregnancy?

You are pregnant. There are going to be a lot of changes to
your body and in your day-to-day life over the next nine
months.

But now is the time when every woman that has ever been
pregnant will be more than willing to give you advice.
Some of this advice will be good – a lot more will be a
little doubtful. Can you believe those old wives tales that
are being bandied about?

Can You Really Predict Your Baby's Sex?

There are several opinions about where and how the baby is
lying. If you have a bulge that goes all the way round,
you are definitely having a boy. And if the bulge is all at
the front – it's going to be a girl.

If you are carrying the baby high in the womb it's
obviously going to be a boy. The opposite means it's a girl

How about using a pendulum over your tummy; if it goes
round clockwise it's a boy and anti clockwise it's a girl.

Whatever you believe you're going to be at the worst fifty
percent right.

Do You Really Need To Eat for Two?

You will put on weight while you are pregnant; an average
of thirty five pounds in all. Some old wives tales
encourage you to eat more because you are eating for two,
this is not necessary. Instead of worrying about how much
you are eating, better to take note of what you are eating.
And if you should be left with a few extra pounds once the
baby is born – you will lose it again.

Is It Okay To Drink Alcohol While You Are Pregnant?

Some people believe that a little bit of wine can do no
harm while you are pregnant, but you should bear in mind
that when you drink alcohol it reaches the baby through
your bloodstream. and as it is not known if your drinking
alcohol affects the unborn child it may be better not to
drink while carrying it.

If You Have Heartburn Are You Having A Monkey?

Some people do actually believe that if you have heartburn
during pregnancy the baby will be born with a lot of hair.
The majority of women have some heartburn during their
pregnancy. But if the baby is born with a lot of hair it's
not because mum had heartburn.

Can Walking Make You Go Into Labour?

No walking cannot make you go into labour, but walking
about during labour may make you feel more comfortable.

Should You Exercise While Pregnant?

If you are already in the habit of exercising, as long as
it's nothing too strenuous, check with your doctor if you
can safely carry on while pregnant.

Drinking Lots of Milk While Being Pregnant Means You Will
Produce Lots of Milk

Drinking lots of milk while pregnant is good for you and
the unborn baby. It's the Calcium in the milk that is great
for the baby's bones and teeth. But drinking lots of milk
has nothing to do with how much milk you will produce once
the baby has been born.

If You Crave Ice Cream Does It Mean You Need More Calcium?

Cravings for certain foods during pregnancy is normal but
it's not the body saying it needs something. Some women
start eating coal, what does that mean? She's hot stuff
maybe.

Can Doing A Headstand After Lovemaking Help You To Conceive?

If you are having problems becoming pregnant, some people
believe that doing a handstand after lovemaking will help
you become pregnant, there is no truth in this. If you
smoke - stop and improve your diet – this may improve your
chances of becoming pregnant.

No Need to Stop All Medication While Pregnant

As long as you know if the medication you are taking is
safe for the baby, (your doctor can advise you) there is no
need to stop taking them. Vitamins and Nutritional
Supplements are good for you and the unborn baby.

In other words most Old Wives Tales can be quite safely
ignored. If in doubt – find out.

----------------------------------------------------
Eva Moffat a 68 year old disabled lady living in Manchester
UK. Has been writing articles for three years, mainly on
Weight Loss and Nutrition. She has been awarded 'Expert
Author Status' for her articles because they are factual
and full of good old common sense. In the early 1970's Eva
was a nurse and since then her interest in Health and
Nutrition has gone on. Many of her articles can be found on
her website http://www.weight-loss-4-you.com
She has just published another book of interest to all
writers. Find out more by visiting
http://www.lulu.com/content/1082090