The Gift of Health

The Gift of Health
I regularly attend a Wednesday Bible Study on a weekly
basis. I do it because it's helping me to better understand
what God's plan is for me. I believe that we are all
blessed with some kind of talent and it's our job to find
out what that is and then grow it.

In my own case I've been blessed with an ability to reach
people through physical fitness and martial arts. It seems
that people respond favorably to my instruction and are
even comfortable when I make them uncomfortable and push
them to new limits of training. After all, it's what real
growth is all about.

Just today I realized something. Getting people to work on
their faith and getting people to work on their fitness are
very similar in that people seem to fight both and have all
kinds of excuses as to why they don't work on getting
closer to their creator and why they don't try to get
physically fit.

A while back I read a great book written by a man named
Bruce Barton.The book is The Man That No One Knows. Barton
was a very influential business leader of the 1920s and
30s. His book was about how Jesus Christ was the most
influential business leader in the history of the world. He
went on to explain that he took a rag tag group of 12 guys
and helped those men spread Christianity to all corners of
the world. Talk about a marketing plan.

Barton went on to say that the reason that Christ made such
a big impact and why he was eventually crucified was that
he told it like it was. He upset many people in his
teaching because he made them uncomfortable.He told the
truth. He said what needed to be said. He was bold.

I think it's important for all of us to learn from his
lessons. Speak up. Be bold. I'm going to use that example
as my platform to explain my point about people burying
their heads in the sand about their fitness or lack thereof.

We only get one chance. A while back I told you about a
reader who mentioned that he had had bypass heart surgery,
diabetes, and numerous other ailments that would have
stopped most ordinary men or women from continuing on with
their goal of being healthy. What a great example of heart,
will, and persistence.

Are you doing anything to maintain and improve your
fitness levels. If so , good for you. If not, what's the
hold up? Why is it that we in America wait until something
goes broken before we decide to get off of our backsides
and do something that might be good for us? It just doesn't
make any sense.

This holiday season try your best to give yourself and your
family members the gift of health and give each other
something that you could really enjoy together.

It's important that you take care of your health. Give
yourself a chance to feel the energy and spirit that an
inspired workout can give you. Be thankful for the gift of
your health and treat it with care and respect.

To your health and a wonderful holiday season.

----------------------------------------------------
Fred Nicklaus has been teaching martial arts for thirty
years and is the creator of Combat Endurance Training, a
core strength, cardiovascular fitness, and flexibility
enhancing training program. You can learn more about Combat
Endurance Training at
http://www.combatendurancetraining.com . You can also learn
more about Fred's work at http://www.confidentkidscoach.com
.

"My sleep has improved so much it's incredible"

"My sleep has improved so much it's incredible"
Many people who find that they have trouble sleeping spend
a lot of time wondering what their problems might be. The
truth is that there are a lot of things that can keep a
person from falling asleep. If you were wondering what
causes sleep problems, then read on. Here are a few of the
reasons you might be having trouble sleeping.

Stress: Oh that stress. It causes so many problems. Stress
keeps our body from functioning normally in many areas, not
just our brains at bedtime. The truth of the matter is,
however, that stress is the number one reason that people
have sleep problems. A typical scenario involves a person
who has been having a bad day. Things just go wrong one
after the other and before this man knows it, it is time to
go to bed. He crawls under his covers, turns off his light
and lays there. He is waiting to fall asleep but instead,
he starts replaying the day in his head. Before he knows
what is happening, he has wound himself up over a
conversation that he finished six hours earlier. Suddenly
his adrenaline is pumping and his brain is racing-because
he couldn't let go of his stress.

Illness: Doctors always tell us to get as much rest and
sleep as we can when we are ill. Unfortunately for most of
us, the common cold and flu wreak havoc on our bodies and
keep us from sleeping at all. For one thing, most of us
can't breathe very well when we are sick and sleeping
depends on the body's ability to breathe. We as a society
have also become very dependent on over the counter cold
medications and often these medications have ingredients
that are meant to stimulate us so we can get through our
days, not to relax us so that we can sleep.

Environment: Our environment can also be a source of sleep
problems. When we talk about environment, however, we
aren't necessarily talking about bigger issues like global
warming. We are talking about small issues like the
temperature of our bedroom or how much noise is filtering
through the walls. It is rare to find a perfectly silent
room to sleep in and not everybody can sleep in perfect
silence. The key to falling asleep is to be comfortable,
but most of us get too caught up in what our bedrooms
should be that we forget about what they need to be.

Finding out what causes sleep problems can be a complicated
process. Often it boils down to one of the three
aforementioned categories, but sleep problems can really be
caused by just about anything. Sleep problems are usually a
symptom of something else being wrong, not the actual
problem itself. If you can't fall asleep but you aren't
sure what causes sleep problems, you might want to call
your doctor and together the two of you can figure out what
needs the most attention.

----------------------------------------------------
At last! For men and women who want quick, simple and
effective HELP...
http://www.difficultysleeping.net/sleep-problems-help.html
http://www.sleeptracks.com/?ck
Fall Asleep in Minutes Instead of Hours, Sleep Soundly
Through the Night and Wake Up Rested — Without
Resorting to Sleeping Pills... Guaranteed!
http://www.difficultysleeping.net/50-tips-for-better-sleep.h
tml

Action Guided Spokane Weight Loss For Guaranteed Results

Action Guided Spokane Weight Loss For Guaranteed Results
Have you started on your quest for weight loss? Have you
made any progress yet? Have you taken any action at all
towards your goal for a better body?

Or are you going to "wait until next Monday" to start your
fitness plan.

There's a story about a frog. Now this frog wasn't
particularly smart. One day this frog fell into a big
barrel half full of cream, He was close to drowning, and
all the other frogs circled the top of the barrel and
laughed and taunted him.

But this frog was so dumb he thought they were cheering him
on, so he paddled faster and faster and faster until he
churned the cream into butter, and then he was able to hop
back out of the barrel. It's a great story I know!

What does this have to do with weight loss?

Well, maybe your not "ready" to lose weight, you don't know
what to do, you don't want to make a fool of yourself, you
don't want to....(fill in any excuse that you make up).

Whatever your level fitness or current circumstance - so
what!! Just get going.

I know one thing for sure, if you don't do anything, you're
not going to get anywhere. As the saying goes, if you keep
doing what you've always done you'll only get what you've
already got.

Even if you don't know what to do, the first step is to
find out what to do to maximize your weight loss. Maybe
that first step is to find a quality personal trainer or
fitness coach that can help you achieve your fitness goals
in a tenth the time as on your own.

Don't be like a scorpion I read about in South America. In
its aggressiveness on himself he will sting itself and die
of its own poison.

In other words don't ever quit your quest for fitness.
Don't ever quit!! (I said that again for emphasis.)

A torpedo/missile does not "think out" all its errors in
advance, and attempt to correct them in advance. It must
act first - start moving toward the goal (the enemy target)
- then correct any errors that may occur.

That's just like with weight loss. You may not start with
the "perfect" plan or that just right regimen. Just get
going and adjust as you learn more and find out what works
for you.

We need to focus on any and even the smallest improvement
toward overall fitness. Not the failures or what it has
taken to get those improvements.

Just keep going toward that dream or goal you believe in,
if you believe it that's all that counts, you don't need to
convince anyone else of your goal for it to be your goal of
weight loss and for it to become a reality.

----------------------------------------------------
Zach Hunt is a Spokane Weight Loss Coach and owner of
Physzique, a fitness coaching service in Spokane, WA.
http://www.spokanefitnesscoach.com/articles/spokane-weight-l
oss.html for more weight loss tips. Or go to
http://www.spokanefitnesscoach.com/index.html for more
fitness resources.

Heart Disease - A 5 Step Plan to Lower Your Risk

Heart Disease - A 5 Step Plan to Lower Your Risk
Think you need drugs to lower your risk of heart disease?
Think again. If you believe that cholesterol causes heart
disease, you're not alone. For years, you've read and
watched news stories stating -- and even been told by your
doctor -- that this is a fact.

But there's a lot more to the story.

The truth is, cholesterol is just one risk factor for heart
disease. And it's not even the most important one. You see,
cholesterol isn't all bad. In fact, you'd die without it.

This fatty substance produced by the liver helps keep your
body running smoothly by building cell membranes and
maintaining hormone levels. Even more surprising, lowering
cholesterol doesn't necessarily improve health.

Research has even linked LOW levels of cholesterol to a
higher risk of death in older people. For some of us,
lowering cholesterol may do more harm than good, since
higher amounts of cholesterol may actually protect against
death.

When it comes to cholesterol, its role in heart disease
isn't the only myth. Here's another one: "A high-fat diet
causes cholesterol problems." Again, the truth is more
complicated than that. That's because the TYPE of fat you
consume matters much more than how MUCH of it you eat.

Trans fats or hydrogenated fats and saturated fats promote
abnormal cholesterol, while omega-3 fats and
monounsaturated fats can help lower cholesterol and improve
the type you do have. Fat isn't the bad guy here. Instead,
it's sugar. And your body turns sugar into fat.The biggest
source of abnormal cholesterol is not fat -- it's sugar,
which your body converts to fat.

One kind of sugar is worse than the others. That's
high-fructose corn syrup, or HFCS. You'll find HFCS in
sodas, many juices, and most processed foods. But HFCS
isn't so sweet: It's the main dietary cause of cholesterol
problems.

While we're on the subject of myths, let's talk about total
cholesterol. It is NOT the most critical aspect of
cholesterol. And lowering cholesterol may not be the
answer. That's because you want your HDL ("good")
cholesterol levels to be higher, not lower.

It turns out that many different facets of cholesterol make
a difference in your health. These include your levels of
HDL ("good") vs. LDL ("bad") cholesterol; your triglyceride
levels; your ratio of triglycerides to HDL; and your ratio
of total cholesterol to HDL. That's a lot of things to
consider -- but there's more.

When it comes to cholesterol and triglycerides, size
matters, too. In this case, bigger is better. Cholesterol
particles that are large and fluffy are generally safe,
even if you have high cholesterol. Smaller particles are
more dangerous because they can easily penetrate arteries.
Your cholesterol can also become rancid, or oxidized, which
can be unhealthy. Oxidative stress and free radicals can
trigger inflammation. And when small LDL particles become
rancid, they lead to plaque and cholesterol buildup in your
arteries.

So cholesterol isn't the only cause of cardiovascular
disease. And lowering cholesterol doesn't always make a
difference in your risk. Instead, cardiovascular problems
occur when your body functions get out of whack. The
result: Inflammation, blood sugar imbalances, and oxidative
stress. Simply put, your risk is determined by the way that
your genes interact with your lifestyle and environment.
These factors need to stay balanced, or your risk for heart
disease will increase. One major risk factor for heart
disease is inflammation.

In one major study, Harvard researchers found that people
with high levels of a marker called C-reactive protein
(CRP) had higher risks of heart disease than people with
high cholesterol. People who had lower cholesterol levels
didn't protect those with high CRP. The risks were greatest
for those with high levels of both CRP and cholesterol.

Insulin resistance (also called metabolic syndrome or
pre-diabetes) also increases the risk of heart disease, by
causing blood sugar imbalances and high levels of insulin.
High levels of a substance called homocysteine may also
lead to cardiovascular illness.

All of these conditions can lower cholesterol, but not the
way you'd like. The cholesterol that they lower is the good
kind -- and lowering that is bad! They also boost your
triglycerides, increasing inflammation and oxidative stress
-- and triggering cardiovascular disease. So what can you
do?

There is good news. These factors can arise from poor diet,
nutritional imbalances, stress, and lack of activity -- all
of which are under your control. Changing these factors
can help lower cholesterol, as well as other risks for
heart disease. But before you can start a comprehensive
program to lower your risk of heart disease, you need to
determine your overall risk. Ask your doctor about the
following tests.

* Total, HDL, and LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides. Your
total cholesterol should be under 200; triglycerides under
100; HDL over 60; LDL under 80. Your ratio of total
cholesterol to HDL should be less than 3.0. Your ratio of
triglycerides to HDL should be no greater than 4.

* NMR Lipid Profile. This looks at your cholesterol under
an MRI scan to assess the size of the particles.

* Cardio C-reactive protein. This should be less than 1.

* Homocysteine. Your homocysteine should be between 6 and 8.

* Lipid peroxides or TBARS test, which looks at the amount
of oxidized or rancid fat.

* Fibrinogen, which looks at blood clotting. It should be
less than 300.

* Lipoprotein (a), can promote the risk of heart disease,
often in men. It should be less than 30.

* Genes or SNPs including Apo E, cholesterol ester transfer
protein, and MTHFR genes.

* High-speed CT or (EBT) scan of the heart may be helpful.
Scores higher than 100 are a concern.

As you can see, cholesterol is important -- but it isn't
the most important risk for heart disease. Likewise,
lowering cholesterol isn't the only answer. By getting
tested, you'll get a better picture of your true heart
disease risk. Then you'll be ready to start lowering
cholesterol AND your other risk factors so you can improve
your health -- today.

----------------------------------------------------
Co-founder of UltraWellness, Mark Hyman M.D., is a
respected medical consultant, New York Times bestselling
author, lecturer, practicing physician and leader in the
emerging field of functional medicine. To achieve lifelong
health and vitality, go to
http://www.UltraWellness.com/blog .

Hardgainer: fact or fiction?

Hardgainer: fact or fiction?
Is there really such thing as a hardgainer?

If you've spent some considerable time trying to build a
more muscular appearance but haven't had much success, you
may be tempted to label yourself as a hardgainer. You may
have even been given this title by your friends in the gym.
Is there really such thing as a hardgainer?

The debate between nurture vs. nature has been going on for
a long time, and many have gone so far as to blame their
entire circumstances on their genetic inheritance or their
upbringing. It would be nice if you could blame all of
your shortcomings, including our failures in the gym, on
genetics. However, before we start to blame our parents
for the genes that they passed on to us, we may want to
take a minute and examine our actions that have led to
failure. It may be true that some individuals were born
with a genetic advantage in certain areas. Certainly some
individuals possess greater intelligence than others, and
it seems fairly obvious that some trainees have a strong
tendency to gain muscle with less effort. Is this
sufficient reason to throw in the towel? I don't think so.

You may have to accept the reality that gaining muscle is
not going to be a walk in the park for you, and you
probably need to forget about those guys that seem to make
progress almost effortlessly. If you're willing to make
the commitment to obtain the right knowledge, and if you
accept the possibility that you'll need to work a little
harder than the next guy, you will be able to make
significant gains. You need to take on a challenging
program of progressive strength training along with an
adequate weight gain diet.

Perhaps more importantly, you'll need to change your
attitude towards your ability to build muscle. Believe it
or not, your way of thinking can dramatically influence
your results in the gym. If you enter a weightlifting
program with the idea that you're not going to succeed,
you've already limited your results from the very
beginning. Every obstacle will seem greater until it
appears to be insurmountable. You will stop looking for
creative ways to solve your problems because you've already
told yourself that it can't be done. So what's the
solution? First, drop the title of hardgainer. Then get
yourself in a comprehensive muscle building program
designed to build massive gains as quickly and naturally as
possible.

----------------------------------------------------
Download our free report on how to avoid the top 20
mistakes in the gym. Visit our web site to learn the most
effective ways for a hardgainer to gain muscle naturally at
http://maximum-muscle-gain.com
Brought to you by Jcardozium.

Not All Natural Weight Loss Products Are Safe And Effective

Not All Natural Weight Loss Products Are Safe And Effective
There are numerous weight loss products that are promoted
as being natural, but just because a weight loss product is
natural, it may not be safe, and it may not even be
effective in the long-run. The fact of the matter is,
certain types of natural weight loss aids not only have
some serious potential risks associated with them, but they
often cause hormonal reactions in the body that can result
in weight gain in the long run, even if they stimulate
weight loss at first.

The biggest problems are with the natural weight loss aids
that contain stimulants. Natural weight loss aids that
contain stimulants work very much like stimulant drugs, and
they have the same risks.

The most commonly used stimulants in natural weight loss
products include ephedra (also called ma huang), kola nut,
guarana, yerba mate' and caffeine. All of these are very
strong stimulants, and are similar in effect to drugs like
amphetamines. Most people are aware that taking
amphetamines can be dangerous, but they may be lulled into
thinking the natural stimulants are safe for the sole
reason that they are natural products.

It is strongly suggested that you not use any form of
stimulant as a weight loss aid. This is for two reasons.
First, stimulants, whether natural products or drugs, have
the potential risks of stroke, high blood pressure,
elevation of the heart rate, and sleep disorders. The
second reason is that in spite of the fact that stimulants
can increase metabolism and stimulate weight loss at first,
in the long run they will likely cause you to gain weight.

Early on when taking stimulants, the effect is an increase
in the production of adrenaline. Adrenaline is a hormone
produced by the adrenal glands that essentially speeds up
the body by increasing heart rate and respiration and
elevating blood pressure. An increase in adrenaline will
speed up the metabolism and cause an increase in fat
burning. These effects will only last for a short time
though. In a matter of a few weeks, the body's ability to
produce adrenaline will become burned out, and as
adrenaline levels start to fall off, the metabolic rate and
fat burning will begin to slow down.

The fall in adrenaline levels is not the only problem,
though. Stimulants cause the adrenals to produce another
hormone in large quantities, called cortisol. Cortisol
causes you to gain weight and accumulate fat in the lower
abdomen. Cortisol production in the adrenals can be kept
up for much longer than adrenaline production. A first,
the adrenaline production will overcome the fat-storing
effects of cortisol and fast weight loss occurs. Over time
though, cortisol production will overcome the declining
effects of adrenaline, and weight gain is the inevitable
result.

Discontinuing the use of stimulants suddenly usually has
the result of rapid weight gain, because the effects of
cortisol will outlast the effects of the adrenaline.
Whether or not stimulants are discontinued though, the
eventual effect will be that adrenaline production will be
exhausted long before cortisol production begins to fade,
and sooner or later the effects of cortisol will win out
and weight gain will result.

Even though the idea of fast weight loss through using
natural weight loss aids that contain stimulants may be
appealing, these products can only complicate your weight
issues in the long term and may cause potentially serious
damage to your overall health. Natural or not, weight loss
aids that contain stimulants should be avoided.

----------------------------------------------------
Dr. George Best has been in private practice as a holistic
healthcare provider in San Antonio, Texas since 1992. For
more information, to obtain a free natural weight loss
guide, and/or to access his E-Book, "Training Your Brain
For Weight Loss", please visit
http://www.TrainYourBrain4WeightLoss.com .