Health-and-Fitness online information.

Exercise programs that last for an hour or even longer per session seem to be a waste of time for many people who try to establish their workout routine. Many get bored of their exercise machines and routines pretty soon and that is just one of the strong reasons to drop-out of the vast workout plan.

"Look, we've been led to believe that, for some unknown reason, a 'workout' needs to last an hour or it's not worth doing at all.

That's nonsense!

In fact, of the many thousands of clients that I've worked with personally or through my company, I've found that those who are investing this much time are very often getting LESS of a result than those who are training for shorter periods." (Dax Moy, UK's premier personal trainer)

As soon as your long workout program starts feeling like a chore, suffering, stale or plain boring, there's a good chance you'll start looking for excuses to skip your next training.

If, on the other hand, you're enjoying your chosen long exercising activities and they don't feel like an obligation, go for it - there's no need to limit your workout time!

Short, Intense Exercise Workout

To most people, not having time to exercise for an hour, sounds quite reasonable. May-be that lack of time is not even the real reason to avoid fitness activity. But 15 to 20 minute workout can not become a time concern.

Choose to exercise shorter, more intensely. Use different sets of exercises and switch them around to avoid getting bored of them.

It is possible to enjoy your home exercise without any exercise equipment or workout clothes!

This can be an entirely free workout routine because you can exercise in your jammies, at home.

A good set of exercises will stretch every muscle in your body and if you primarily train to lose weight, you might choose the meltdown exercises.

Short routine makes it easier to enjoy every move, to stay focused and to feel every muscle that stretches.

To make things even better, appreciate and be grateful for your every breath and every sip of clean, fresh water and you'll be well on your way to new you, fit and healthier.

Given the history of Western medicine to date, many people seek empowerment in the health care of themselves and their families; nutrition is really basic component of preventive medicine and also an area that can be effective in corrective medicine for many common health problems." *

Nutrition is a basic element of health and should not be overlooked during disease. Some well renowned practitioners state that every disease is a result of improper dietary habits.

Because of the rapid increase in cost of medical care and desire to live longer and healthier, higher and higher percentage of the population is becoming concerned about nutrition and maintaining their health. Without a doubt, nutrition plays a big role here.

Proper nutrition and regular physical activity can help us avoid taking drugs or even have surgeries to correct the results of fast-paced, fast-food consuming, multitasking life with no exercising.

Healthy dietary habits (the way we eat) are the foundation of healthy nutrition. Choosing nourishing (whole, unprocessed, without chemical additives) foods alone is not enough.

Simpler meals (with specific combination of foods for better digestion and absorption) are becoming the top-choice of many, who are oriented toward optimum health.

However, the factors that are often overlooked, but just as important in healthy nutrition are:

• the way our food is prepared and served,
• the time of the day when we eat,
• the setting in which we eat and
• how we feel when we eat.

The way of the Western world is that poor nutrition is readily available everywhere, any time and cheap. Farmers' markets and health-food stores, on the other hand, are harder to find in some areas. In the end, all comes down to common sense. Our body is sending us messages all the time and if we would only learn to listen to these messages again, there would be no need whatsoever for trying out all the countless diets which don't work. So, even though our biofeedback is a perfect messenger, we tend to override the signals and follow heavily advertised addictions. This kind of behavior affects the way we feel now, as well as over the long term. Being overweight is mostly the result of poor nutrition and low activity level. The only way to lose extra pounds permanently is to change the lifestyle. Choosing less fattening foods is a good choice, but not sufficient.

Because certain emotions and fear of creativity and change also promote unhealthy (over)eating habits, we need to choose personal growth (over addictions), decide what we want and stay focused on our goals.

Dietary habits and eating patterns from our family's traditions affect us all in our young age. As adults, however, we are making our own choices and decisions and we should keep asking ourselves why we're doing the things we do - and keep the answers in our sight.

When body is in a detoxification stage (like during cold or flu when bowels, secreting cells and mucous membranes become more active), it is simply trying to eliminate the buildup of toxins we consumed throughout the longer period of time. Eating lightly (especially fruits and vegetables) and drinking more liquids (clean, fresh water and herbal teas), supports the cleansing process.

Our dietary needs are changing with the seasons of the year as well as with our age. Growing children need richer diet to construct and expand tissues. When we stop growing physically, we only need to maintain our body, which calls for lighter, fiber and nutrient rich natural foods. As we age even more and our metabolism slows down, our food requirements decrease further.

Just like fitness activity is equally important at any age, so is the low level of stress. While under stress, our body may not digest and absorb the necessary nutrients so well and sometimes the additional supplements are needed.

When we lose our appetite in response to the stressful situation, that is a very helpful reaction. As mentioned before, in stressful times our body does not process foods so well. Not eating will allow us to "hear" better what the only body we have for this life, is signaling us, and explore our feelings.

Human body needs food as a source of energy and as a fuel to maintain life. It is quite obvious that nutrition plays a major role in health as well as sickness. Fortunately, there are more and more practitioners available who are nutritionists. There are also more and more choices of wholesome, nutritious foods offered online and in the brick-and-mortar stores. Information is plentiful. But it's up to us to decide to do and choose what's best.

Sweaty hands can be a really big problem for many people and it can be potentially embarrassing. In the whole body there are 3 to 4 million sweat glands and within the hands there are 600 sweat glands in every square centimeter. When you think of it like that, it is no wonder that many people often suffer with excessively sweaty hands!

Sweaty Hands and the Problems They Cause

As well as being embarrassing, sweaty hands can affect your everyday life. For example, you could easily smudge ink on a piece of paper which can make it difficult if you have an office job. Some people tend to disguise their sweaty hands by running them through their hair before they shake hands with someone. Not only is this bad for the hair, but it also is not really solving the problem and it is still embarrassing when you leave hand print marks everywhere.

The main problem is that sweaty hands are a lot more difficult to treat than sweaty armpits. If you have sweaty armpits you can cover them up by wearing antiperspirants and roll on deodorants, whereas you cannot exactly use those on your hands!

Often people have sweaty hands because they are worried or constantly stressed and if you do have a very stressful job that can be a problem! Overall sweaty palms can be and they usually are, extremely embarrassing and frustrating.

Is it Possible to Treat Sweaty Palms?

As annoying and embarrassing as the problem may be, there are ways to help treat sweaty palms. Usually medicines are prescribed but they usually only stop the sweating temporarily and in severe cases they do not work at all. If you want to eliminate the problem completely then your only option of treatment is surgery.

This type of surgery is known as thoracoscopic sympathectomy and it can be done as an outpatient procedure. The surgery aims to destroy parts of the sympathetic nerves and it is thought that you wake up from the surgery with warm, dry hands. However, as with all surgery there are some risks involved so it is always worth talking to your doctor or surgeon beforehand in order to make the best choice for you. Other forms of treatment for the condition include:

Lontophoresis

This used to quite uncommon in most hospitals but over the past couple of years more hospitals have started offering the treatment. It basically involves putting your hands in tap water and having a small electric currant introduced into the water. The electrical current is there for fifteen minutes and it can feel uncomfortable and skin irritation may occur.

The treatment is done over a long period of time so you should not expect speedy results. In the beginning you will receive the treatment every few days but gradually you will start going every three to four weeks. This is an expensive treatment and it is ongoing. It is possible to buy the equipment and you can do it yourself at home, but you should only do this if you like the treatment and find it effective.

Botulinum Toxin Injections

Botulinum Toxin injections are also known as botox and they provide results for up to six months. There are some side effects which many people have developed after having these injections for sweaty hands however, and those include the hand muscles becoming weakened. Many people notice that the muscles are weakened for around a few weeks after the treatment and it can cause problems. After six months you will need repeat injections.

Overall there are ways to treat this condition so you really do not have to suffer in silence. Just make sure you are one hundred percent confident about the treatment which you are receiving and never resort to surgery if you are not comfortable with it.

Oh, my aching head! Does this sound familiar to you? Well, it might be since one of the most common medical complaints of modern man is an aching head. We all have had it in varying frequencies and intensities. In fact, both adults and children alike may suffer occasionally from this throbbing pain.

Headaches can be brought about by a number of reasons – tension, infection, allergy, injury, hunger, change in the flow of blood in the head or an exposure to offensive chemicals. A rough day in the office can bring about headaches as well as too much celebrating the night before can.

Fortunately, most headaches respond well to self-care and can be treated at home using over-the-counter medications and some rest. Here are some other proven methods that you can follow to effectively treat headaches.

• Rest, rest and rest. One of the most effective treatments for headaches is taking a much - needed rest. Most of the time, you simply need to lie down and close your eyes for half an hour or so for the pain to magically disappear! This is especially true for migraine type headaches where sleeping or resting in a darkened room can be the only way to stop the pain.

• Hot or cold? To treat a headache, you can either use a hot or a cold compress and you can instantly start feeling the pain disappear. Just dip a clean washcloth in ice-cold water for a cold compress (or in warm water for a hot compress) and place it over your eyes or on the site of the pain. It is best to keep the compress on for at least half an hour for optimum results. Just be sure to maintain the temperature more or less constant by constantly dipping the washcloth in cold or warm water.

• Headache hats (an ice pack that surrounds the head) or an ice pillow (a frozen gel pack that can be inserted in a pillow) also provides great relief from headaches.

• Take a deep breath. Tension is one of the most common causes of headaches. In fact, about 90% of all headaches are due to modern day stress. If this is the case, try to take a break. Think happy thoughts, relax and take a couple of deep breaths. You will instantly feel better!

• Go easy on the pills. While it is okay for you to take over-the-counter analgesics to stop the pain, being dependent on these pills may actually worsen your condition in the long run. Remember that these drugs can be helpful only when taken in limited quantities. If ever you feel the need to take them more than twice a day to stop the pain, it is time to see your doctor.

• Take an active path towards healthy living. If you have been smoking and drinking for quite some time now, you may be experiencing an increase in the onset of headaches. This is because these two habits have been scientifically proven to set off migraines and cluster headaches. In fact, alcoholic beverages were found to contain tyramine, an amino acid, which stimulates headaches.

• Know what is causing your headaches. If you frequently suffer from headaches, keep a diary. Try to record when you have them, how painful it was (mild, moderate, severe or incapacitating), what foods you have eaten and what you were doing prior to the attack. For women, it may be necessary for you to track your periods and your use of oral contraceptives or hormone-replacement medications. Try to pick up the patterns. You can use these records when you consult with your doctor.

Your mindset is arguably one of the most important factors in your workout routine if you really want to achieve your goals.. Most of us are not looking for a short term health solution: we want lifetime fitness – fitness for life. So it’s important that you really see things that way and start to visualize how that would look to you.

Have you ever stood in front of the mirror and looked at your self but not been happy with what you saw in the reflection? I think that all of us have done this at one time or another. The sad thing is that unless we change the way that we see ourselves, we’re never going to change! Thoughts and visualizing are very powerful in helping you to achieve your goals! Have you ever noticed that the person that thinks the most about being sick is always sick? That the people that talk the most about aches and pains always seem to have aches and pains? Or that the person that talks the most about being ugly seems to be that way because they see themselves that way! So, if you really want to see a change in the way you look you have to start to change the way you see yourself! Its time to visualize what you want to be - not what you are!

I heard a statement the other day that really rang true with this concept. The idea is that if you look at yourself and judge yourself the way you are today you’re really just looking at what you ‘were’, and so you’ll always be stuck there. What you are today is a culmination of the past! So if you want to change your future, stop looking at the past (or in other words where you are today). Instead, start to visualize what you want to be and you’ll actually start to become that.

So next time you stand in front of the mirror take a good look at yourself. Then close your eyes and get a picture in your mind of what you want to look like. Do this on a daily basis and really feel and picture what you want to look like. Don’t make it just a mundane routine, really get into it. This will help you to stay motivated and also help you to accomplish your goals even faster because you’re involving your mind in changing your body. There is a really correlation between the mind and body. If you really want to achieve lifetime fitness you have to start including your whole body in the process.

The attractive Midi Pyrenees region is situated in the south of France and sees million of visitors head to the area each year. This is an all the year around place to visit - with skiing in the winter and other outdoor activities in the Summer.

It is a relatively new area, created in the late 20th century and is named after the Pyrenees Mountains that are based at the southern limit of the region.

Access is easy with budget airfares to Pau, Rodez and Toulouse. There is good motorway access too although the tolls can be quite expensive if you are travelling by car from the channel ports.

Toulouse Capital of Midi Pyrenees is the popular tourist city of Toulouse, which has a population of around 600,000.

Located on the banks of the Garonne, it is best known for its culture and traditional trade fairs - although a number of well-known products have come from the area including Concorde and Airbus.

Residents of the city are also proud of its operatic traditions and visitors will always have plenty of choice when it comes to musical entertainment including dance, theatre and concerts.

Lourdes or the Pyrenees? Not far away is the little town of Lourdes located at the foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains.

The town has been renowned for its "miraculous cures" and religious significance since 1858 when young Bernadette Soubirous had numerous visions there.

Nearly three million tourists visit a dedicated shrine annually which has an underground church attached to it.

For those looking for something a bit more active, the Midi Pyrenees proposes a range of activities to entertain the more adventurous visitor.

Everyone goes to the gym for the same exact purpose, getting in shape and hoping to lose some weight. Next time you are heading to the gym, snack on these fantastic and healthy “fitness foods”. Not only will they fill you up for a few hours but some of these foods can help your muscles from suffering injury due to heavy weight lifting, help stop cramping, help you burn more calories and give you more energy for the best workout you can give yourself and your body.

The Carrot
Rumor has it that if you eat enough of these in one day your skin will turn orange. I have yet to find this out but what I did find out is that carrots are packed full of complex carbs that provide energy to your muscles. They are also wonderful because carrots contain potassium which controls your blood pressure and muscle contractions. ** Carrot Zucchini Bars **

Ingredients
2/3 C. firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 C. butter at room temp
1 3 oz. cream cheese
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 C. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2/3 C. coarsely grated carrot
2/3 C. coarsely grated zucchini excess liquid squeezed out
1/2 C. raisins

Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9x9x2 " square pan. Beat together first 3 ingredients till fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Beat in flour, baking powder, and salt till well blended. Stir in carrot, zucchini, and raisins. Spoon into pan and spread evenly. Bake for 30 minutes or till toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Invert and frost with cream cheese frosting.

The Avocado
This delicious green fruit, which basically goes with any recipe is packed full of cholesterol-lowering monounsaturated fat. This means the avocados keep your body strong and pain-free from certain injuries.

** Pear and Baby Green Salad **
Ingredients
3 Bartlett pears, cored and thinly sliced
6 C. baby greens
1 avocado, peeled and diced
1/4 C. olive oil
1/4 C. lemon juice
2 tsp. sugar
1/4 C. fresh basil leaves, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Combine olive oil, lemon juice, sugar, basil, salt, and pepper in a cruet and shake well. Arrange baby greens and pears in a large bowl. Just before serving, pour dressing over greens and toss.

The Banana
Bananas are known to be full of potassium, something everyone needs to have. Bananas are also packed with energizing carbohydrates.

** Banana Soy Smoothie **

Ingredients
1 banana
1/2 C. soy milk (organic and calcium-enriched)
1/2 C. orange juice (calcium-enriched)

Directions
Peel the banana, break it into pieces and put it in the blender with the soy milk and orange juice. Blend until smooth and serve. If you like, use frozen banana chunks or add a couple of ice cubes. Yield: 1 serving

Berries
All berries have powerful antioxidants, which are good for protecting muscles from free radical damage like exercising. Just remember next time you go shopping for berries, the darker the color, the healthier the fruit.

** Apple Berry Brunch Bake **
Ingredients
Filling:
4 C. peeled, thinly sliced apples (about 4 medium)
2 C. fresh or frozen blueberries (do not thaw) or sliced strawberries
1/4 C. firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 C. frozen orange juice concentrate (thawed)
2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
Topping:
1 C. Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1/2 C. firmly packed brown sugar
5 Tbs. margarine or butter, melted
2 Tbs. all-purpose flour

Directions
Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 8-inch square glass baking dish with cooking spray. For filling, combine all ingredients in large bowl; mix until apples are evenly coated. Spoon into baking dish. For topping, combine all ingredients in small bowl; mix well. Sprinkle evenly over fruit. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until apples are tender. Serve warm.

Hummus
Most recipes for Hummus call for olive oil, which contains Oleic acid. According to Northwestern University Researchers, this wonderful acid is known as a fat that helps destroy the gene responsible for 20-30 percent of breast cancer. Hummus is known for its complex carbohydrates, protein and unsaturated fats. These three elements give us energy during the day.

** Hummus (Garlic) **
Ingredients
2 1/2 C. canned garbanzo beans, rinsed
1 1/2 Tbs. lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. cumin
1 1/2 Tbs. fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
In a blender or food processor, blend all ingredients until mixture reaches desired consistency. For a creamier texture add 1/4 C. water. Chill and serve cold with pita or tortilla chips.

Yogurt
Yogurt is good for a lot of things. The best thing is having it for breakfast or as a light snack before you go workout. This energy-boosting treat fills you up for a while and give you the immune-strengthening tools you need to make it through the day.

** Strawberry, Orange, Banana Smoothie **
Ingredients
1 1/2 C. frozen unsweetened whole strawberries
1 banana, peeled and cut up
1/2 C. orange or apple juice
1/2 C. nonfat vanilla or other flavor yogurt (not frozen)
1/2 C. small ice cubes
2 Tbs. protein powder

Directions
In a blender, whirl together all ingredients until smooth and thick. Serve immediately. Makes about 3 C., 2 servings.

Chicken Thighs
Meals with chicken thighs are an excellent source of iron and zinc. Even though many people prefer the white meat over dark, dark meat is lower in fat and has enough iron, zinc and B vitamins for everyone’s diets.

** Sautéed Chicken Thighs **
Ingredients
1 lb. boned, skinned chicken thighs
1 Tbs. minced fresh sage leaves or 1 tsp. dry sage
2-3 tsp. olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Sage sprigs (optional)
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Directions
Rinse chicken and pat dry. Place each piece between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. With a heavy, flat-sided mallet, pound meat firmly but gently all over to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Sprinkle one side of each piece with minced sage, pressing into meat. Heat a wide nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tsp. oil and swirl to coat pan bottom. Fill pan with meat, sage sides down, without crowding. Cook until golden on bottom (about 1 1/2 minutes). Turn pieces and cook until no longer pink in center; cut to test (30 seconds to 1 minute). Repeat until all chicken is cooked, adding more oil if needed to prevent sticking. Season chicken to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with sage sprigs, if desired, and lemon wedges. Yield: 4 servings

You’re a woman so your exercise program is designed to handle different needs whether you are trying to loose a tummy tone up your entire body, work those curves, or maybe develop some muscle. It’s time to discover just how to get great curve fitness.

When women head out to the gym they tend to use the machines for their workout favoring the treadmill, rowing machine, or step master. Of course there is also the multi exercise equipment which is a great way to give the entire body a good workout. Sadly a very common mistake women make is to pass up the free weights which have so much potential

We’ve all seen those infomercials where you get to send them a few a few thousand dollars; they tell you that they’ve got the secret to turn your body into a sexy curvy toned body in just 4 weeks using their training video and exercise machine. I’m telling you that for curve fitness you need no more than a set of free weights.

You don’t need to join the local gym and pay monthly membership fees. You don’t need to send your money off to an infomercial with no return address. For some great curves all you need is a bench and your free weights and you are ready for some amazing curve fitness.

One of the biggest problems with big fancy machines is they are cumbersome taking up a lot of room, costly really putting a damper on the checking account, and they are also difficult to set up and learn to use. By the time you get it all figured out you are so fed up you aren’t even interested. After all toning up and getting those curves is supposed to be fun. And that’s exactly what you get when you do your curve fitness with free weights.

Besides free weights there are other affordable options that you can combine or use stand alone for you curve fitness. Pilates is one of those other options as is any type of resistance training.

For curve fitness that entails toning the abs crunches are probably he most use exercise. The abs are the hardest area to tone and you’ll need to burn calories all over the body to get those abs in shape but your exercises will help get things toned up so as you loose weight around the stomach the muscle is nicely developed

Every woman wants to have those sexy curves that go from top to bottom and with curve fitness there is no reason not to but you don’t want to break the bank getting there. When you use equipment at home you have the convenience of exercising whenever you want in the privacy of your own home something other options can’t offer.

Now that you know how to get terrific curve fitness without spending a fortune and having to operate a complex piece of equipment. Why not sit back, enjoy, and in no time you are going to be looking sexy and vivacious!

You’re a woman so your exercise program is designed to handle different needs whether you are trying to loose a tummy tone up your entire body, work those curves, or maybe develop some muscle. It’s time to discover just how to get great curve fitness.

When women head out to the gym they tend to use the machines for their workout favoring the treadmill, rowing machine, or step master. Of course there is also the multi exercise equipment which is a great way to give the entire body a good workout. Sadly a very common mistake women make is to pass up the free weights which have so much potential

We’ve all seen those infomercials where you get to send them a few a few thousand dollars; they tell you that they’ve got the secret to turn your body into a sexy curvy toned body in just 4 weeks using their training video and exercise machine. I’m telling you that for curve fitness you need no more than a set of free weights.

You don’t need to join the local gym and pay monthly membership fees. You don’t need to send your money off to an infomercial with no return address. For some great curves all you need is a bench and your free weights and you are ready for some amazing curve fitness.

One of the biggest problems with big fancy machines is they are cumbersome taking up a lot of room, costly really putting a damper on the checking account, and they are also difficult to set up and learn to use. By the time you get it all figured out you are so fed up you aren’t even interested. After all toning up and getting those curves is supposed to be fun. And that’s exactly what you get when you do your curve fitness with free weights.

Besides free weights there are other affordable options that you can combine or use stand alone for you curve fitness. Pilates is one of those other options as is any type of resistance training.

For curve fitness that entails toning the abs crunches are probably he most use exercise. The abs are the hardest area to tone and you’ll need to burn calories all over the body to get those abs in shape but your exercises will help get things toned up so as you loose weight around the stomach the muscle is nicely developed

Every woman wants to have those sexy curves that go from top to bottom and with curve fitness there is no reason not to but you don’t want to break the bank getting there. When you use equipment at home you have the convenience of exercising whenever you want in the privacy of your own home something other options can’t offer.

Now that you know how to get terrific curve fitness without spending a fortune and having to operate a complex piece of equipment. Why not sit back, enjoy, and in no time you are going to be looking sexy and vivacious!

Everyone has bad breath occasionally. Depending on the where you look, you will find that at least 65% of us have bad breath occasionally. A smaller percentage have chronic bad breath. If you hang around garlic eaters or sleep with your mouth open and wake up with a coated tongue and morning mouth, you may believe that everyone has bad breath all of the time. So what's a person to do? Do you listen to the ads and spend a lot to get rid of your bad breath, or can you do something at home that costs nothing and is still an effective bad breath remedy.

What Causes Bad Breath 101

First off, if you really want to understand what will really get rid of bad breath, you should get clear on what causes bad breath. Without getting fancy, here are the basics. Bad breath is caused mostly by the rotten egg smelling sulfur compounds that are created by bacteria living in your mouth. Not to get too excited here. There are bunches of bacteria living in your mouth and everybody has them. It's normal and it's natural. The bits of food you have left in your mouth, along with things like sugars, post nasal drip mucus, and proteins are the food that these bacteria digest and turn into volatile sulfur compounds. The bacteria that we are concerned with here live in oxygen free places in your mouth like the plaque on your teeth and at the gum line and at the base of the papillae on your tongue. In order to keep bad breath under control, you need to remove as many of those sulfur compounds as possible and to keep the bacteria population low. So long as you keep eating and breathing, this will be an ongoing process.

Bad Breath Remedies 101

What are the real basics of taking care of bad breath? The number one method for keeping fresh breath is to have good daily oral hygiene habits. Brush your teeth at least twice a day for a couple of minute each time. Take time to floss carefully. Both of these habits will reduce the plaque on your teeth and at the gum line. Next is to clean your tongue. That white coating on your tongue is a biofilm made up of a lot of things, including those sulfur compounds. Remove it faithfully and you will get rid of a lot of bad breath problems. By cleaning your tongue, you will also make it easier for oxygen to reach the bacteria on your tongue. Remember that oxygen will reduce the numbers of bacteria that need an oxygen free environment. Fewer bacteria, less bad breath. You will never get rid of all of them, but you can keep their numbers down.

What Is the Best Bad Breath Remedy

This is one place where buying the right products can make a big difference in how well you get rid of bad breath. If you wash your dirty clothes just with water, you will get them pretty clean, but if you use laundry products, you will do a lot better job. It's the same with halitosis. It is important to get the newly formulated products that are out there and not the old standbys. Almost all of the standard commercial products use ingredients that are either not great for your mouth, like sodium lauryl sulfate, or that encourage the growth of bacteria, like alcohol and sugar. The new products that have come out contain chlorine dioxide and other ingredients that are helpful and promote oral health. They leave out the harmful ingredients. These new products create more oxygen in your mouth and will actually reduce the number of bacteria for up to 20 hours. Combine carefully selected oral hygiene products with a regular routine of brushing, flossing and tongue cleaning, and then you have a winning bad breath remedy that will keep your breath fresh all day.

Cholesterol in the Body

Contrary to popular belief, the liver creates most cholesterol and only a small percentage is acquired through food. However, the more saturated fat a person eats, the more cholesterol his or her body makes.

Cholesterol is a fat-like substance that forms a part of each cell in your body. A person’s body needs cholesterol for daily functions, such as making hormones, producing healthy cell walls and making vitamin D. It also produces bile acids that help in digestion.

Although this waxy substance helps your body in a number of ways, excess production of cholesterol can also be risky to your body and to your heart. When this happens, the extra cholesterol spills out and circulates into your bloodstream. Be aware that excessive levels of cholesterol in a person’s blood can causes clogging of blood vessels, while elevating the risk of stroke and heart disease.

Food Based Cholesterol

Cholesterol comes from animal-based foods like dairy products, eggs and meat. The two types of cholesterol are low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL). LDL is the bad cholesterol that usually cause the clogging of blood vessels, while HDL is the good cholesterol that is responsible for clearing LDL out of your bloodstream, reducing the risks of heart disease.

The Connection Between Fat and Cholesterol

Saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are the three types of fats found in food. Each type of dietary fat affects a person’s blood cholesterol in different ways.

Saturated fats are those found in lamb, pork, beef and other red meat products. Excessive saturated fats in the body can be dangerous to your health because the more saturated fats you eat, the more cholesterol your body produces, which eventually will end up in your bloodstream. Consuming too much saturated fat in the diet is the main cause of excess cholesterol levels in the blood.

Monounsaturated fats are those found in plant oils, such as canola, peanut and olive. Polyunsaturated fats, such as omega-3 fatty acid, can help to slow down blood clot formation and fight heart disease. They are found in fishes and plant oils, such as soybean, corn, safflower and sunflower.

Eating any fat will contribute to weight gain, but in lowering blood cholesterol, substituting saturated fats with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats will help get rid of newly formed cholesterol in the body. For this reason, people with elevated levels of blood cholesterol need to improve their eating habits to ensure that the right kind of fat enters their bodies.

Bad Cholesterol Can Cause Death Later In Life

In our junk food society we are on the brink of complete disaster because of unhealthy eating. More children today are considered obese and this is a direct result of the eating habits taught to them at an early age. Bad cholesterol rates are rising among the youth of today. We are even seeing cases of coronary heart disease in people in their early 30's. This must be because the foods we are eating today have high levels of LDL cholesterol and saturated fat.

There are two things you should do to prevent the build up of bad cholesterol in your body: Change your diet, and exercise daily.

So what types of food are good for lowering cholesterol levels in the blood? Foods high in antioxidants and fiber are the types of foods you should be looking for. These include fruit and vegetables, whole grains and similar things. Stay away from foods that are considered fatty. Remember to eat mono- and polyunsaturated fats if you eat fat at all. Most fast food restaurants cook their meals using an alarming amount of oil. Yes I know, it does taste great, but so do bananas, grapes and pears. Maybe next time you having a craving for a nice juicy hamburger, why not go down to the local farmer's market instead and pick out a new exotic fruit that you have never tried before. You might be surprised!

To find out if you have a excessive level of bad cholesterol in your blood, you should make an appointment with your doctor to be tested. It only takes a couple of minutes and you never know, it might save your life!

As a nation, if we are ever going to get out of our fast food, sugar loving mindset, we need to start with our children. Some schools today who are putting in place new healthier menus in their cafeterias. Is there more that could be done though? Children learn from watching adults, so starting to develop good eating habits will be good for you and your children.

Perhaps the ideal place to start is with the parents and guardians who need to set the example for their kids. There are any number of families out there who practically live off French fries and hamburgers. If those families could reduce the number of times they visit a fast food restaurant by one time in a week, then we will go a long way to reduce the rapidly escalating rate of bad cholesterol in the people of our country.

Some programs are better than others, especially for weight control. The general recommendation for aerobic fitness (NOT weight loss) is 20-40 minutes of moderate activity 3-5 times a week. If you're talking weight loss, you're looking at a different picture. People who have lost weight - and kept it off - exercise more than that. To burn off one pound of fat, you need to have a 3500 calorie deficit between exercise and diet (MOST of the expended calories are to come from exercise) during the course of a week.

For best results, mix the exercise sessions with different modes and types of machines as often as possible. In addition to expending more energy and burning more fat, the variety keeps things interesting. So you're going to divide your aerobic workout into 15 minutes spent on 3-4 different exercises for a great alternative to doing the same darn thing on ONE machine every time you work out.

I've taken the four most popular machines and mixed and matched them and created 45-60 minute, no-boredom-allowed, serious-calorie-burning workouts but you will be the one to mix and match to come up with YOUR favorite combinations.

How To Mix And Match Each Time.

Change the kind of workout you do with each exercise. In other words, if you are doing intervals one day, the next day see how much distance you can cover in the same 15 minutes. Also, start each workout with a different activity, like treadmill one day, stair stepper the next. Choose 3 activities and intensities for a great 45-minute workout, or do all four for a real calorie-busting aerobic session.

• Activities

1. Stair stepper (or climbing your own stairs)
2. Treadmill
3. Recumbent/Upright Stationary Bike
4. Elliptical Trainer (or X-Country Skier)

Just to give you some numbers, you could burn over 2500 calories a week just from exercise alone, and, when combined with reducing your calorie intake by about 800 calories a week, that's a PERMANENT weight loss of 1 lb. a week.