How To Get Unlimited Weight Loss Motivation

How To Get Unlimited Weight Loss Motivation
I used to work at a health club. We had around twenty six
hundred members sign-up last January. They were very
excited to start their exercise programs. You should have
seen their hopeful faces.

By March, 95 percent of them stopped coming. Their
motivation had waned. This happens every year all around
the world.

Let's focus for a moment on the 5 percent that remained
committed to their goals. What separates them from the
quitters? The answer might surprise you.

Everyone joins the gym on an emotional high, itching to get
started. They never really sat down and thought about the
changes that are coming in their life. You see, becoming a
gym member is simply not enough.

Before you try to get in shape, you need to sit down and
have a serious conversation with yourself. You need to ask
yourself a few things.

First you have to ask yourself -- "What is my goal?" or
"What is my desired outcome?" Make it perfectly clear in
your head what it is you want to achieve.

Do you want six-pack abs? Do you want to lose twenty
pounds? Do you want to lower you cholesterol?

OK, that was the easy part. Now ask yourself -- "Why do I
want to do this?" Dig deep here; this is between you and
you.

Do you want to slim down because your significant other
does not look at you anymore? Do you want to wear tight
clothes? Do you just want to get rid of back pain?

There can be multiple answers. The more the merrier. Write
all this stuff down and post it someplace where you will
see it every day.

That part was a little tougher, but here comes the really
tough part.

Ask yourself -- "What is the price of achieving my goals?"

How MUST your life change to make achieving your goal
possible? What will you have to give up? What are you
absolutely NOT willing to do?

Now ask yourself -- "Is it worth it?" There is no right or
wrong here. For some people it is and for others it isn't.

And something that's not worth it today becomes worth it
next year. That's okay.

So, now you know the price and you can decide to pay it or
not. It's sort of like shopping.

Just understand that this is not a one-time payment. If you
choose to pay the price you will have to pay it day after
day, week after week, month after month.

So, is it worth it?

----------------------------------------------------
George Grigoryan is a fitness coach who has helped dozens
of women sculpt the body of their dreams. To get his latest
FREE e-book '46 Must Have Toning Tips For A Body That Will
Turn Heads,' please visit: =>
http://www.SlimGirlSecrets.com

Insomnia, Depression, Blood Pressure and Erectile Dysfunction

Insomnia, Depression, Blood Pressure and Erectile Dysfunction
This is article is about my partner.

He is now nearly 57 and for 20 years has suffered from
insomnia and depression. This illness was precipitated by a
major financial collapse in the mid-1980's when a recession
caused a major fall in farm property values. Interest rates
jumped from 14% to 22%. Unfortunately this occurred when he
borrowed bridging finance to relocate the farming business
from one side of the country to the other. The recession
also collided with major falls in commodity prices.
Unfortunately he also experienced a major drought at the
same time. property values fell in some cases by over 60%.
They were then forced to sell at the bottom of the
market. In summary,net assets fell by about AUD $2,000,000
- more than the total net worth.

His history prior to this collapse was one of very high
pressure.He had worked very hard to get a university
education against the wishes of his parents. They didn't
even want him to finish high school. To satisfy them as
well as himself, he travelled each weekend to work on the
family farm for three days. To achieve this, as well as do
well as a student, he started to take caffeine tablets. He
would take them while driving tractors, while driving three
hours each way to and from the farm, and also during
lectures. He continued with this addiction for many years.

Eventually the stress had its affect. Depression, insomnia,
high blood pressure and arthritis all started to take their
toll. His marriage also broke down in 1991, causing more
stress.

As a result of attending various personal development
seminars, he met a new partner who was a health food
cooking teacher. She introduced him to the benefits of
fasting and healthy food preparation and made him aware of
a number of other health issues. He rationalized that he
was probably loaded with farm toxins, as well as mercury
from a mouthful of dental amalgams.

His first fast was in 1992 on purified water for 10 days.
There were many noticeable benefits. The two main ones were:

1. The pain from arthritis in his shoulders abated - after
significant pain during the fast.

2. His erections became much stronger (He was starting to
show early signs of erectile dysfunction)

Unfortunately, over the following 16 years his problems did
not completely go away. With work and financial stress
still part of life, the insomnia and depression became
factors of life again. By the mid-1990's he was also
diagnosed with high blood pressure and started to take
prescription medication. The erection problems started
again. He then tried various medical solutions.

Medication for depression failed to work. They only made
him feel worse, and more suicidal. The only solution was to
maintain a strict diet and exercise program. In 1997, after
getting on the internet and doing more research, he did a
75-day juice fast. This worked fantastic for mental and
emotional well-being, but the erection problems got worse.
I presume that the blood pressure medication had something
to do with the problem.

In the late 1990's he stumbled across a health retreat web
site. He decided to take three weeks off work and do a long
program. This retreat was based totally on juice fasting,
raw food and wheat grass. He also took up an exercise
program of walking 2-3 hours per day. Again, it proved that
this approach was the best for his problems. He lost a lot
of weight and his blood pressure dropped to normal without
drugs. The insomnia and depression also disappeared.

But again, with work stress he soon slumped back into a
downward cycle. He repeated the health retreat experience
many more times. Each time he would get better, but was
unable to sustain the benefits. Insomnia would kick in, and
then it would start the whole negative spiral again.

In 2006 after completing a spiritual healing course, He
stumbled across information on alkalizing and detoxifying.
He found that it was not possible to heal if the body is
acidic and polluted with toxins, especially heavy metals
like and cadmium and mercury. Previous hair analysis had
indicated that both mercury and cadmium were above
acceptable limits. He made inquiries about how to detoxify
from heavy metals and discovered a solution and noticed
that his urine pH immediately climbed to a healthy level.
He had always had trouble getting it above 5.5, even when
on a strict alkaline and raw diet.

He became much more aware of pH and also the topic of
alkalized water after reading a book. He immediately
purchased a water alkalizer and on the first night after
installation,he slept all night without drugs. For the
following two weeks he even slept-in until about 10 AM. I
was convinced that he was on the right path.

Within three months of starting the program other health
indicators also improved dramatically:

* A constant cough (from candida) disappeared

* A large 20-year wart on my groin disappeared

* Dark toe nail fungus grew out

* Arthritis in my right knee improved substantially

He also made the decision to have a root canal out and have
mercury amalgams replaced (8 of them). Research has shown
that removal of these can have a significant benefit. For
example, one study showed that amalgam removal led to 95%
improvement or cure for depression.

There is no doubt in my mind that the combination of
maintaining an alkalizing program that he has improved the
nutritional status of his body.

It has now been about 15 months since starting this
program. His diet is much the same, although he is more
conscious about having the majority of food as raw, and
don't consume so much fruit, because they are acidic. He
also consume a reasonable amount of the herb coriander. It
has been shown to be a great detoxifier of heavy metals,
especially if taken at the same time as chlorella.

Recently (in the last three months) he has also noticed
that his libido and strength of erections is also much
stronger. I am certainly a witness to that. It is now
normal for him to be able to recover within 30 minutes
after ejaculation, and have sex again - and repeat this a
couple of times when in the mood. This vast improvement
might be as a result of deciding to stop taking blood
pressure medication about three months ago after reading a
newsletter by a Doctor.

Exercise and an alkaline diet are the two best drugs one
should be taking for a healthy vascular system and heart
muscle.

In addition to a healthier alkalized and detoxifying
lifestyle, he has now opted to take a mixed herbal remedy
to keep his blood pressure normal without side effects. It
is a mixture of garlic, dandelion leaf, hawthorn berries,
linden, celery seed, gingko biloba leaf, skullcap,
mistletoe, yarrow, St Johns Wort, valerian root, ginger.
When used in combination, it will lower blood pressure by
20 - 50 points.

I think the mood improvements have also happened as a
result of alkalizing and detoxifying, as well as quitting
acidic pharmaceutical medication. The good mood chemical
serotonin and the sleep chemical melatonin get produced
with the conversion of protein to tryptophan. However, this
complicated process requires various minerals and vitamins
such as zinc, vitamin C, iron, and more. If mercury and
other toxins are in the system, they block the absorption
of some of the important minerals and vitamins. This can
then stop the production of the good mood and sleep
chemicals. It is therefore extremely important to get the
toxins out.

----------------------------------------------------
Dixie Davey is dedicated to helping others live a healthy
lifestyle without medication. Take a look at
http://alkalize-and-detoxify.com and also
http://www.bloodpressureherbs.net .

Bodyweight 100 Workout

Bodyweight 100 Workout
The Bodyweight 100 challenge was featured in Men's Health
magazine in January 2008. This workout is the initial stage
in a much longer and more challenging program called the
Bodyweight 500. But that's getting ahead of ourselves.

First, let's take a look at the Bodyweight 100 workout. Do
your regular workouts on Monday and Wednesday, and then try
the 100 workout on a Friday or Saturday.

Do all repetitions of each exercise before moving to the
next exercise. Take as few breaks as possible, but you
don't have to do all of the repetitions in an exercise
without stopping. That would be asking a little too much!

20 Prisoner Squats

20 Pushups

10 Jumps

10 Inverted Rows (aka Reverse Pushups or Bodyweight Rows)

20 Forward Lunges (10 reps per side)

15 Close-grip Pushups

5 Chin-ups or Inverted Rows

Prisoner squats require you to put your hands behind your
head, like a prisoner would. Keep your elbows back, and
shoulder blades together. From there, do regular bodyweight
squats. Squat all the way to parallel.

Follow that up with regular pushups, keeping your body in a
straight line at all times. Keep your abs braced and
contracted. Push with your chest and triceps to return to
the start position.

For the jumps, drop your hips and bend your knees and then
jump up nice and high. Bend your knees upon landing, and in
one motion drop your hips and jump up again.

Follow that up with inverted rows, also known as reverse
pushups. In this exercise, you'll lie under a bar set at
hip height (in a squat rack or smith machine) and you will
row your body up to the bar. Try to touch your chest at the
top of the movement. Squeeze your shoulder blades together.

Next up is forward lunges. Take a slight larger than normal
step forward, plant your foot, and drop your hips straight
down while bending your front and back knees. Lower until
your front thigh is parallel to the floor, and keep your
back knee 1 inch off the ground. Drive back up to the start
position through your front leg.

Close-grip pushups follow that up. Keep your hands shoulder
width apart, and this will use your triceps more.

Finally, you'll finish the workout with chinups or inverted
rows (again). Chinups are the underhand grip version of
pullups, and of course, are an advanced exercise.

This bodyweight workout will put turbulence on your muscles
and help you burn fat and boost your metabolism without
slow boring cardio.

This is a revolutionary new way of burning bodyfat using
bodyweight exercises. The challenge of the 100 workout
combined with the multi-muscle exercises will burn a lot of
fat and calories, and will keep your metabolism increased
for hours after exercise.

Take your time going through the Bodyweight 100 workout.
Split the reps up into chunks if you need to, but complete
all repetitions for an exercise before moving on to the
next. And you won't need any cardio to finish up this
workout. This workout is enought to burn the fat and feed
the muscle.

----------------------------------------------------
Get more bodyweight exercises from
http://www.turbulencetraining.com

3 Powerful Weight Loss Tips

3 Powerful Weight Loss Tips
Every January 1st, millions upon millions of people
worldwide set out on their annual quest to try to shed
their excess pounds.

Unfortunately, by now, the overwhelming majority of these
well-intentioned folks will have already failed and uttered
those immortal words...

"Oh well, I guess I'll try again next year."

Don't let that be you!

Here are three powerful tips that'll help you lose the
weight you want to lose once and for all:

Powerful Weight Loss Tip #1 - Stop "trying" to lose weight.

The word "try" is, in my opinion, the single biggest
"weasel word" in the entire English language.

Why do I call it a "weasel word", you ask?

Simple...

The word "try", by its very definition, comes with a
built-in "escape hatch".

If you say you'll "try" to do something and you don't, you
can always use your "escape hatch" and "weasel" out of it
by saying...

"Well, I tried!"

Here's the deal...

You either will do something or you won't do something...

You either do something or you don't do something...

There's no such thing as "trying" to do something!

Think about it...

"Try" to read this article.

You can't, can you?

You either will read this article or you won't read this
article...

You either do read this article or you don't read this
article...

You can't "try" to read this article.

Nor...

Can you "try" to lose weight.

You either will lose weight or you won't lose weight...

You either do lose weight or you don't lose weight...

It's that simple!

Powerful Weight Loss Tip #2 - Focus on what you want, not
on what you don't want.

In the book for which he's best known, his classic
masterpiece "The Science of Getting Rich", Wallace D.
Wattles wrote:

"The Creative Power within us makes us into the image of
that to which we give our attention."

Most people who set out to lose weight start out by saying
something like...

"I want to lose 50 pounds."

Question for you...

If you make a statement to yourself like...

"I want to lose 50 pounds"...

What are you giving your attention to?

Those excess 50 pounds, right?

Right.

Therefore...

Since that's what you're giving your attention to...

Guess what?

You got it...

That's *exactly* what you'll have...

Those excess 50 pounds!

In other words...

By making a statement like...

"I want to lose 50 pounds"...

You're subconsciously setting yourself up for failure
before you even begin.

So...

What should you do instead?

Simple...

In his book "The Personal Power Course", Wallace D. Wattles
wrote:

"... whenever you think of your physical self... think of
the IDEAL BODY WHICH YOU ARE BUILDING, and not of the body
which now is."

And...

Therein lies the secret to successfully losing weight.

If you weigh 200 pounds and you want to weigh 150 pounds...

Rather than say...

"I want to lose 50 pounds"...

Say...

"I want to weigh 150 pounds"...

Or...

Better...

"I weigh 150 pounds."

Or...

Even better...

Take "weight" out of the picture altogether and simply...

Form a clear and definite mental image of "the ideal body
which you are building" and hold that image in your
thoughts "whenever you think of your physical self".

Think about it...

If you looked and felt *exactly* as you wanted to look and
feel, would you really care what you weighed?

I think not. :-)

Powerful Weight Loss Tip #3 - Stay away from mirrors,
scales, and tape measures.

Most people who begin a weight loss program, regardless of
what it is, seem to have this overwhelming need to look in
the mirror, hop on the scale, or check their measurements
every five minutes to see if their weight loss program is
working.

Now...

"Every five minutes" may be a bit of an exaggeration, but
for some it's not too far from the truth. :-)

Here's a question for you to ponder...

If you look in the mirror, hop on the scale, or check your
measurements anytime before you have the ideal body you
want, are you thinking of "the ideal body which you are
building" or of "the body which now is"?

Think about it.

Remember...

"The Creative Power within us makes us into the image of
that to which we give our attention."

So...

If you *really* want to shed your excess pounds this New
Year once and for all...

Here's my best advice:

1. Take "weight" out of the picture altogether and decide
*exactly* how you want to look and feel.

2. Form a clear and definite mental image of "the ideal
body which you are building" and hold that image in your
thoughts "whenever you think of your physical self".

3. Stay away from mirrors, scales, and tape measures.

With that...

I wish you and your loved ones a wealthy, healthy,
successful, and happy New Year!

----------------------------------------------------
Tony Mase is a serious student of the works of Wallace D.
Wattles and the creator of an amazing website that'll take
you by the hand and guide you step-by-step down Wallace D.
Wattles' proven path to wealth, health, success, happiness,
love, and more... http://www.tonymasesinnercircle.com

Your Fitness Future Foretold: 20 Predictions for the New Year

Your Fitness Future Foretold: 20 Predictions for the New Year
Happy New Year! In this article, I'm going to predict your
future and forecast exactly what kind of results you're
going to get in the next 12 months. Sylvia Browne, step
aside... I'm pretty good at this.

Several years ago, a public relations firm in New York City
asked me to write an article for one of their publications
about fitness trends and predictions for the coming year.

It turned out that my "crystal ball" was pretty darn
accurate. I nailed most of the predictions I made about
aerobics classes, yoga, core training, "holistic"
approaches, online personal training technology, the baby
boomer market, increasing obesity and many other subjects.

I do confess, it wasn't that difficult, because instead of
just guessing, I actually did some research on industry
statistics and I also had some "inside insights" because
I'd been a health club manager for so many years and was
privy to fitness business trends.

This year, instead of making predictions for the whole
fitness industry, what if I could take out my crystal ball
again and predict with 99% precision exactly what kind of
results you will achieve with your body by the end of the
year?

Well, no problem, I can do that too!

I would claim that I have some kind of "gift" for this, but
to be honest, you and I don't need to be psychic to make
predictions like these.

There are two things you can always count on: (1) Nature's
laws of cause and effect and (2) human nature.

On that basis, here are my 20 fitness predictions for the
new year:

I PREDICT that if you can reach into your pocket on any day
this year and pull out a card or piece of paper with all
your body and fitness goals written on it in vivid detail,
the odds are 95 to 1 in favor of you achieving every one of
those goals before the year is out.

I PREDICT that if you focus your thoughts on your goals and
how you are going to achieve them, all day long, you will
reach your goals so fast this year, it will make your head
spin.

I PREDICT that if you focus your thoughts on health woes
and body fat problems and if you think about what you don't
want, all day long, your problems will get worse than ever
this year.

I PREDICT that if you made a new year's resolution, but you
didn't turn it into a specific, written goal with a
deadline and a strong reason why you must achieve it, you
will freely abandon it the moment the going gets tough.

I PREDICT that if you can tell me all the reasons why
achieving your health and fitness goals are important to
you, you will be motivated from within to stick with it
when the going gets tough

I PREDICT that at times, the going is going to get tough.

I PREDICT that if you can tell me today what is your life
purpose and what is your lifelong vision for your body and
your health, you will still be as motivated and driven at
the end of the year as you were at the beginning.

I PREDICT that if you don't have long term goals and a "big
picture" vision for your life that you will lose your New
Year's enthusiasm and motivation in a matter of months or
even weeks.

I PREDICT that the way you see yourself in your mind's eye
today will be an exact reflection of what you see in the
mirror at the end of the year.

I PREDICT that if you have a setback that seems to get in
the way of you reaching your health and fitness goals and
you tell yourself "this just is temporary; this too shall
pass," then it will pass and it won't set you back.

I PREDICT that if you believe the way your body looks today
is out of your control and you feel helpless or powerless
to change, you won't even make much of an effort this year.

I PREDICT that if you accept complete responsibility for
the way your body looks today and you believe that you have
the power to change, that you will take action and keep
taking action, even through the tough times.

I PREDICT that if you're unhappy with your physical
condition and you say, "it's not my fault" or you blame it
on genetics, hormones or age, then your body will look
pretty much the same at the end of this year as it did on
New Year's day.

I PREDICT that the more you have patience, a long term
perspective and the ability to postpone immediate
gratification, the more likely you are to be a success one
year from now.

I PREDICT that the more you seek "miracle pills" or "quick
fixes," the more likely you are to be a failure one year
from now.

I PREDICT that you will be tempted by many quick fixes this
year.

I PREDICT that if you hang out with losers and negative
people this year, you will become just like them.

I PREDICT that if you hang out with winners and positive
people this year, you will become just like them.

I PREDICT that you will run into more negative people and
losers this year than positive people and winners.

I PREDICT that if you recruit just one friend or support
partner that stands behind you and the lifestyle changes
you want to make this year, you will double your chances
for success. If you surround yourself with numerous support
partners, you will become virtually unstoppable.

So how does your future look for the year ahead?

Based on my "predictions," if it doesn't look as bright as
you'd like it to be, then don't worry, because a prediction
is not predestination.

You can't do anything to change the past, but by changing
your thoughts, attitudes and actions in the present moment,
the future is yours to create.

Your friend and coach,

Tom Venuto

----------------------------------------------------
Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder, certified personal
trainer and freelance fitness writer. Tom is the author of
"Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle," which teaches you how to
get lean without drugs or supplements using secrets of the
world's best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to
get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by
visiting: http://www.burnthefat.com or
http://www.burnthefatinnercircle.com

4 Tips For Success In 2008

4 Tips For Success In 2008
2008 has begun and if you are like me, you've made a few
goals for yourself. So what goals have you set for yourself
this year? A flat stomach? A tighter butt? Maybe you want
to get stronger and finally make those biceps pop. Whatever
goal you have set, I'm going to give you some tips that I
use to make sure that you accomplish your fitness goals
this year.

First Tip To Goal Setting: Reminders

The first tip is put your goal where you can see it. When I
log off the net, sitting right there on my laptop for
physical goals I see:

PHYSICAL GOALS 2008:

1) Be able to do 5 freestanding Hand Stand Pushups.

2) Be able to do backflips on demand.

3) Be able to walk 100 feet on my hands.

4) Do a 360 on my snowboard.

Doing something like this for yourself is as easy as
downloading a favorite picture you like and find inspiring
on the net and then adding your goals over top of it. If
you have Photoshop you can do it right there. If you don't
have any fancy software, you can put your goals onto your
screen saver. That way, whenever you come back to your
computer at work or at home after a break, there are your
goals right in front of you reminding you what is really
important to you this year.

Second Tip To Goal Setting: Replacing The Routines

The second thing you want to do is set up a bunch of
regular and routine actions that will bring you closer to
your goal if you do them on a daily basis.

For example, if getting leaner and losing some fat this
year is a top priority then diet is going to be a big
factor. Take a look at some of your habitual actions that
you do night now that might be blocking your progress. Then
replace them!

FOR EXAMPLE: If you wake up and usually have a bagel and a
coffee, that's a great place to start. Take that morning
ritual and replace it with a bowl of oatmeal and a protein
shake with some Essential Fatty Acids.

Something as simple as this over the course of a couple of
weeks will really make a difference on the scale.

Tip Three For Goal Setting: Dare To Dream

There is something to be said about falling asleep with
your goals on your mind. I use it in all areas of my life
on a continuous basis. When you go to sleep, or when you
have a moment with nothing else to do, daydream like when
you were a kid. The kind of daydreams you had where you
totally got sucked in and everything felt so real.

When I first started lifting, I saw a picture of Arnold
Schwarzenegger doing a side chest pose. It blew my mind. I
knew that the secret to getting a well muscled chest like
that was to lift heavy with proper form and give my body
proper nutrition.

Every night before chest day I would think about my routine
and doing one more rep than last time on the bench press. I
would really get into it inside my head. So much so that my
chest would twitch while I lay there falling asleep. I
would dream about the workout and how I would look after
all my hard work. I could see myself on the beach looking
ripped and muscular and feeling confident in how I looked.

You can laugh, but that was very important to me at that
time. Never be ashamed of why you want something. Just want
it and go after it. Set your goals in stone.

Those little dreams by themselves didn't help me create the
body I wanted but those thoughts fed my desire to train as
hard as I could and to eat correctly. I knew what I wanted
and I was willing to do what it took to achieve those same
feelings I would get when I was falling asleep.

In my mind, I knew how good it would feel to achieve my
goals and because of my "day dreaming" I was motivated. I
could see and actually FEEL what it would be like to
achieve my dreams.

Tip Four On Goal Setting: Get Your Tools

Once you have your goals written down, and you are
replacing old habits with better habits and dreaming of
success there is one more thing you need to do. Set up your
tools. Make sure you know exactly what you need to do and
get the tools to help you succeed.

If you need to eat better to lose fat, one of your tools
will be well thought out food shopping lists and perhaps
buying a scale. If you feel like you are one of those
"skinny fat" people then you will want to know how to add
resistance training into your lifestyle so that you have
the right "bumps" in the right places.

Perhaps this year you simply want to feel better and have
more energy while losing a few pounds. Then you will want
to learn proper stretching techniques and how to combine
weight training with cardio into your lifestyle without
getting worn out by the end of the week.

Doing a little research and finding the tools you need will
allow you to know exactly what you should be doing and when
you should be doing it so that you don't get held back by
confusion and indecision. This way you can apply all your
energy to what's important. Making 2008 your best year ever!

----------------------------------------------------
Ray Burton is the owner of BuildingBodies Personal Training
and author of the Fat To Fit Diet And Workout Program. Ray
teaches you how to lose fat and increase your metabolism
using the little-known secrets of the world's best athletes
and military personnel at his free fitness information
website http://www.buildingbodies.ca

Picking a Yoga Class

Picking a Yoga Class
Congratulations! You are starting off the New Year by
increasing your activity! You are walking, or jogging, or
you joined a class at the local Y. Whatever it is, you
have taken the first step to improving your fitness. Now
you are considering working on becoming more flexible. You
read somewhere that, to have a "total fitness program," you
need to include not only increased activity, but also
flexibility and strength.

Good luck. I'm almost 53 years old, and I am not sure I'll
ever get all three parts down. But I am a walker and my
goal is to walk 4-5 times a week for 45 minutes. Many
times I take several short walks, but the total is 45
minutes, so most times I meet my goal. I have also been
working on my flexibility for many years by doing yoga.
Many yoga poses involve holding this 144-pound body in a
headstand, or handstand, and that takes strength. So maybe
I won't need to buy weights to keep my bones strong!

Let me tell you a bit about doing yoga, because, as a big
fan, I wish everyone could take time to do it. Yoga helps
you feel good in your body, no matter what shape you think
you are in-and that's what I love about it. Whether I feel
too fat from overeating, or I'm feeling energetic because
it's...a good day, ten minutes of yoga makes me feel even
better. Maybe it's the idea that I have made time to take
care of myself, I don't know. Whether you have ten minutes
or an hour, you can always find some type of pose (or
series of poses) to fit the way you are feeling. You will
always feel better, physically and psychologically.

There are many styles of yoga, including Ashtanga yoga, a
fast moving, intense practice; power yoga, an Americanized
version of Ashtanga; and another form known as "hot yoga"
where you practice in a heated room (make sure to drink
LOTS of water).

The style I practice is called Iyengar yoga, based on the
teachings of B.K.S Iyengar. It has been referred to as
"props" yoga, because it involves the use of blocks, belts
and other objects to aid in learning the poses (also called
"asanas"). Once I went to another yoga-style class. I
remember speaking to the instructor afterwards about
Iyengar yoga. And I distinctly recall him saying "oh yes,
that yoga is good for people who have had injuries and need
to slowly get back into yoga." I was so angry I would have
kicked him! (Since I'd injured my back, though, I
couldn't.)

I complained to my instructor about this comment, and she
smiled. She said it's really not important what style you
do, but that you simply do it. Very Zen, don't you think?
But she's right. The important thing is for people to just
get started.

There is one essential piece of advice I'd like to offer
anyone interested in learning yoga, regardless of the style
you choose. You must make sure you have a qualified
instructor. While there are many people out there who may
be considered qualified, not all of them should be teaching
classes.

Here is one way to tell: at the beginning of your class,
if the instructor does not ask "Is there anyone here with a
particular health issue I should know about?"-get up and
leave. A misconception about yoga is that you simply sit,
breathe deeply, and learn small stretches. Learning how to
breathe correctly is essential, it aids in concentration
and movement through the asanas. However, many yoga poses
involve deep stretching and lots of strength (to stay in
those poses). If you come to class with a small injury
(you pulled your neck in the car, you hurt your back while
shoveling snow) and your instructor doesn't know about
this, you may find yourself in more pain at the end of
class.

By all means, pick a yoga class you like-that's the most
important part in getting started. Just remember to make
sure your instructor knows what going on in your body (and
your mind) before you start the class.

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For free tips to becoming At Peace With Food, articles, and
links to nutritional resource websites, visit=>
http://www.AtPeaceWithFood.com/freetips.html

Sciatica Symptom Relief

Sciatica Symptom Relief
Sciatica symptom relief has often been hit and miss, but a
new treatment option provides effective relief in the
majority of cases with minimal risks.

Sciatica (commonly misspelled as syatica) is an irritation
of the sciatic nerve which is formed by nerves that arise
in the low back. Most cases of sciatica are caused by
herniations or bulges of one or more spinal discs. The
discs are the soft tissue "shock absorbers" that separate
the spinal bones.

When a spinal disc is damaged through a single injury or
multiple small injuries over time, the outer wall of the
disc may not be able to contain the pressure from within
and the disc bulges outward into the canals where the
spinal nerves exit the spine. This places pressure on the
nerves and creates pain, often in the form of sciatica,
which begins in the buttock area and may extend down the
leg towards the foot.

The treatment options for sciatica symptom relief vary
depending on the case. The first line of sciatica
treatment is usually medication to reduce pain and
inflammation. Muscle relaxers may also be prescribed to
reduce muscle spasm. Medication may be effective enough to
provide relief short-term until inflammation subsides
and/or the disc stabilizes. In more severe cases, oral
medication may not be effective, and some patients may not
be able to tolerate the common side effects of
anti-inflammatory drugs and/or the diminished mental
alertness seen with pain killers and muscle relaxers.

The next line of sciatica symptom relief is often steroid
injections into the area of the damaged disc for the
purpose of providing strong anti-inflammatory effects.
While steroid injections often provide relief short-term,
the long-term effects are less favorable. Due to the fact
that the main effect of steroid injections is to reduce
inflammation, once those effects wear off, inflammation and
the resulting pressure on the nerves often builds up again,
and symptoms return. Steroid injections also carry
side-effects that include immune suppression, osteoporosis,
and soft tissue damage, so their use must be limited to
prevent causing other health problems.

Surgery is a commonly recommended sciatica treatment, and
it may be necessary in a few cases. Surgery has a poor
track record (about a 50% success rate overall), and in
some cases, symptoms may worsen following surgery.
Complications of surgery include problems from
post-surgical scar tissue formation and increased stress on
adjacent spinal discs which may result in additional
problems with other discs in the years following surgery.

Fortunately, there is a new option in sciatica symptom
relief that has a high success rate and a very low risk of
side-effects. Spinal decompression is a new, advanced form
of spinal traction that uses special computerized traction
motors to gently and slowly apply a decompressive force to
the spine, reducing pressure in the spinal discs. Spinal
decompression systems can comfortably create negative
pressure (suction) within the spinal discs that can pull
disc bulges and herniations back in and away from sensitive
nerve structures, as well as increase disc hydration and
nutrition to help with disc healing. Unlike the old forms
of spinal traction which could be painful due to the
traction pull triggering muscle spasm, spinal decompression
systems monitor and respond to the body to keep muscles
relaxed so the treatment is comfortable and effective.

Preliminary studies have shown a success rate for spinal
decompression of 80 to 90%, with the beneficial effects
holding up well over the long-term. The one-year
recurrence rate post-treatment is less than 5%. While
spinal decompression is not appropriate for everyone with
sciatica and is not effective in every case, it does
represent a big improvement in sciatica treatment.

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Dr. George Best has been treating sciatica patients since
1992. For more information about sciatica, spinal
decompression and other treatment options, please visit
http://www.SpineSA.com .