Healthy Ways to keep the Flu Away

Dealing with the Flu - These days, many Americans are taking steps to deal with influenza or flu-like illnesses by enhancing the functioning of the immune system through diet, exercise and other positive lifestyle and health care changes. And if they do get the flu, they are taking a common sense approach. To prevent and treat influenza or flu-like illness that does not involve a fever over 103 F, pneumonia or serious complications which may require special medical intervention, here are a few suggestions that do not involve shots:

1. Wash your hands frequently.
2. Avoid close contact with those who are sick.
3. If you are sick, avoid close contact with those who are well.
4. Cover your mouth if you cough or sneeze.
5. Drink plenty of fluids, especially water.
6. Get adequate sleep.
7. Eat a healthy diet rich in vitamins and minerals, especially foods containing vitamin C (such as citrus fruits) and vitamins A and D (such as cod liver oil) and spend a few minutes a day in sunlight to help your body make and store vitamin D.
8. Exercise regularly when you are well.
9. Lower stress.
10. Consider including holistic alternatives in your wellness or healing plan, such as chiropractic adjustments, homeopathic and naturopathic remedies, acupuncture and other health care options.

Live your Dream

Why not make this year different?  You will lose that weight and discover peace of mind. You can achieve success in any area you choose if you follow these easy steps.

After choosing a goal, write it down. Close your eyes for 10 minutes and think it through. Imagine living your accomplishment and savor the details of the experience. How will achieving this goal impact your life? The more vivid your imagination, the greater are your chances of success.

1. Define a reasonable time frame. Even if your goal requires a great deal of time, break it into doable steps of not more than a few months each. If you want to lose 30 pounds, create two 15 pound 60 day goals.
2. Don't wait to encounter obstacles, consider them now. Ask yourself what is likely to stand in the way of your success. Be proactive and decide how you are going to deal with those roadblocks.
3. As an extension of #3, take a deep breath and level with yourself. What support are you going to need in order to make it through? Remember, your goal might require help from others. Who can you turn to when the going gets tough?
4. Finally, step away from your goal until tomorrow and reread your answers to the previous questions. Imagine what it will feel like once your goal becomes reality. Sense your pride ahead of time.

While these simple steps do not ensure success, this method has helped many people at our Center overcome some incredible challenges, one step at a time. Essentially it boils down to this: picture the end result, live your dream, want it intensely enough and know you'll succeed. May your New Year's resolutions pave the way for a journey of health, happiness and inner peace - Mind Over Matter!

 

Make Time for Yourself

Just a little holiday hug and to say make time for yourself! Most people don't take enough time for themselves during the holidays, and as a result, they get worn out and stressed—and become susceptible to illness. Take an hour a day for yourself.  Exercise, even just 20 minutes a day, really does relieve stress and increase your long-term energy levels. Go on a brisk walk or do stretches, crunches, squats, and other exercises at home or at a friendly gym like Fitness Spa...Be sure to take your whole food vitamins and minerals every day.  I really recommend Juice Plus with its 17 raw fruits and veggie in a capsule to keep cells healthy.  To help your body wind down at the end of the day, drink some herbal tea. This, combined with a hot bath and soothing music can help bring on a restful night's sleep.

.

TIME TO GET ACTIVE

2007 is right around the corner!  It's time to Get Active.  You know that life is longer and more fun when your body is active!  Find wonderful ways to treat yourself with physical activity. Think about your daily schedule and look for opportunities to be more active. Tips for active moves.

Walk, cycle, jog, skate, etc., at work, school, or at the store.

• Park the car farther away from your destination.
• Get on or off the bus several blocks away.
• Take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator.
• Play with children or pets. Everybody wins.
• Take fitness breaks – walk or stretch.
• Perform gardening or home repair activities.
• Turn off the self-propel option on your lawn mower or vacuum cleaner.
• Use leg power-take small trips on foot to get your body moving.
• Exercise while watching TV using hand weights or a stationary bicycle.
• Dance to music.
• Walk while doing errands.

2007 is waiting for you to have fun and do something physical!  Come to Fitness Spa for great deals on a women's gym.

Mollie McCarl

770-632-3595

Fitness SPA

 

Simple Stretching Makes You Feel Great

Don't have time to work out?  Why not try stretching?  It can be done anywhere and your body will thank you.  Hold each stretch for at least 30 seconds. It takes time to lengthen tissues safely. Hold your stretches for at least 30 seconds.  For most of your muscle groups, if you hold the stretches for at least 30 seconds, you'll need to do each stretch only once.

Benefits of stretching include:

Increased flexibility and better range of motion of your joints -  Flexible muscles can improve your daily performance. Tasks such as lifting packages, bending to tie your shoes or hurrying to catch a bus become easier and less tiring. Flexibility tends to diminish as you get older, but you can regain and maintain it.

Improved circulation - Stretching increases blood flow to your muscles. Blood flowing to your muscles brings nourishment and gets rid of waste byproducts in the muscle tissue. Improved circulation can help shorten your recovery time if you've had any muscle injuries.

Better posture - Frequent stretching can help keep your muscles from getting tight, allowing you to maintain proper posture. Good posture can minimize discomfort and keep aches and pains at a minimum.

Stress relief - Stretching relaxes tight, tense muscles that often accompany stress.  Maintaining the full range of motion through your joints keeps you in better balance. Coordination and balance will help keep you mobile and less prone to injury from falls, especially as you get older.

Basic stretches improve your flexibility on your body's major muscle groups: calf, thigh, hip, lower back, neck and shoulder.

 

 

Leafy Green Veggies help your Brain!

Sure your depressed from eating so much on Thursday...but take heart and reach for a salad with leafy green veggies.  Now that the Turkey is out of the fridge its time to help your brain with the food it craves. In a recent study published in the journal Neurology, researchers from Rush University in Chicago discovered that eating an average of 2.8 or more servings of vegetables a day over a six-year period slowed cognitive decline by 38 to 40 percent. And while all kinds of vegetables were included in this study, those that provided the most powerful protection were leafy greens.  Leafy greens are overflowing with phytonutrients, fiber, enzymes, and antioxidants such as vitamin E, which are known to lower risk of cognitive decline. And in addition to their effects on the brain, these vegetables also help give you more energy, support your immune system, promote healthy digestion, and improve overall health.  Whole food suppliments also are a huge help to your brain and body such as Juice Plus.  (Let me know you need more info on whole food suppliments)  You are going to need plenty of energy in the coming weeks of the Christmas crisis so why not help your body with some nice crunchy greens.

Hugs,

Mollie McCarl

 

Healthy Joints Need Your Help

Your Joints Need Movement

Many people have the mistaken notion that they’re going to “save” their joints by not moving them.  But the truth is healthy joints need movement.  In fact, they thrive on it! 

To understand why, think of your joints as movable “hinges” where your bones connect.  Inside your joints is cartilage, which you can think of as a sponge.  The cartilage is surrounded by a liquid, called the synovial fluid.  Every time you move, you’re drawing nutrients into your joints—and releasing waste.  Both of which are critical to healthy joints.

Joint health is a clear case of “use it or lose it”—and here are some easy ways to get moving.

No More Weak Knees

Knees are often our "weak links" when it comes to joints because they carry much of the weight and do so much of the work! "Knee strengthening" is really quadriceps strengthening—that's the large muscle group that runs down the front of your thigh. Remember, your joints are no stronger than the muscles and ligaments that support them.

Here’s how to strengthen your knees:

• Sit in a chair with your back straight and butt tucked into the back of the chair. Place a towel under your knees for support, and slowly lift one leg to a horizontal position. Pause, holding the position for a count of three, then slowly lower your leg to the starting position. Then, repeat with your other leg.  Work up to eight to 10 knee extensions per leg.
• Sit on a high table or workbench, with your legs dangling. Suspend weights from your ankles, using a small bucket, purse or any pouch with a strap (start with two to five pounds). Lift the weight up while extending your knee as far as you can and hold steady for a few seconds. Then slowly lower the leg until your knee is again at a 90-degree angle. Repeat 10–15 times, progressively increasing both the weight and number of reps.
•  

Great advice from Dr. Williams

Vegetables slow mental decline!

Eating veggies is brainy move

Study: They can slow senior mental decline

This is a great article by Ronald Kotulak in the Tribune Science Reporter (Oct.24, 2006) that helps show how important nutrients are to the mind.


Eating two or more servings of vegetables a day may slow a person's mental decline by about 40 percent compared with a person who consumes few vegetables, according to a six-year study of nearly 4,000 Chicago residents age 65 or older.

Consuming lots of fruit did not appear to offer the same mental protection, although fruit has been associated with a wide variety of other health benefits, said Martha Clare Morris, chief of Rush University Medical Center's Rush Institute for Healthy Aging.

The slowdown in the rate of cognitive decline experienced by people who ate 2.8 or more servings of vegetables a day is "equivalent to about five years of younger age" compared with people who ate less than one serving, Morris reported in Tuesday's issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

The study also suggested it may never be too late to reap the benefits of vegetable consumption. Older people who started eating more than two servings a day still showed a significant delay in mental decline, Morris said. One serving of a vegetable is generally equal to a cup.

The findings come on top of two earlier Rush studies indicating that the foods people eat may significantly affect their mental agility. Morris reported four years ago that eating foods high in vitamin E appeared to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease, and last year she found that eating fish had a similar effect.

Veggies full of antioxidants

Vegetables, especially those in the green leafy category, are brimming with antioxidant compounds like vitamin E, flavonoids and carotenoids that help snuff out cell-damaging free radicals, Morris said.

Eating vegetables with olive oil, vegetable oil or some other type of poly- or mono-unsaturated fats enhances the body's absorption of antioxidants, she added.

"This study is tremendously important," said Alberto Ascherio, associate professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, who found similar results over a two-year period in the Nurses Health Study of more than 120,000 nurses. "It's not easy to capture the correlation between dietary behavior and cognitive function.

"This goes in line with previous evidence supporting the potential protective effect of vegetable consumption," he said. "Each of these studies is like a small step forward. In this field we don't have the critical experiment to answer the question once and for all. We have to get to the truth by small steps. It's a long process to try to understand what we can do to reduce cognitive decline."

Be Unstoppable

 

 

The path that speeds us toward our dreams can be a challenging and complex one, so it's easy to get bogged down in confusion and insecurities. We often hesitate at the start of that path of exercise doubting our capabilities for success.  Move forward joyously, eager to discover what you can achieve.  You must work diligently to fulfill your potential and to accomplish your individual missions.  Within you is the power to make positive progress on your journeys to health and fitness.   Ignore the barriers that your thoughts may give you.  Yes, you may have failed to follow through in the past, but that is who you were, not who you are.  Enthusiastically try your best to realize your objective and enjoy the accomplishments that following through provides in fitness.

 

Be Unstoppable

The path that speeds us toward our dreams can be a challenging and complex one, so it's easy to get bogged down in confusion and insecurities. We often hesitate at the start of that path of exercise doubting our capabilities for success.  Move forward joyously, eager to discover what you can achieve.  You must work diligently to fulfill your potential and to accomplish your individual missions.  Within you is the power to make positive progress on your journeys to health and fitness.   Ignore the barriers that your thoughts may give you.  Yes, you may have failed to follow through in the past, but that is who you were, not who you are.  Enthusiastically try your best to realize your objective and enjoy the accomplishments that following through provides in fitness.

 

Be Unstoppable

 

The path that speeds us toward our dreams can be a challenging and complex one, so it's easy to get bogged down in confusion and insecurities. We often hesitate at the start of that path of exercise doubting our capabilities for success.  Move forward joyously, eager to discover what you can achieve.  You must work diligently to fulfill your potential and to accomplish your individual missions.  Within you is the power to make positive progress on your journeys to health and fitness.   Ignore the barriers that your thoughts may give you.  Yes, you may have failed to follow through in the past, but that is who you were, not who you are.  Enthusiastically try your best to realize your objective and enjoy the accomplishments that following through provides in fitness.

Just say "no" to over vaccinating

In the United States, state governments are bribed with money bonuses through CDC grants to achieve high vaccination rates in public schools.  Mass vaccination is big business. The dozens of doses of vaccines that doctors are now telling children (and adults) they must have has created a cash cow for pediatricians and drug companies.  The body is created to fight off disease with healthy cells from nutrition.  Over-vaccinating has created a weaken ability in the body to fight on its own.  One-day-old children are being vaccinated for Hepatitis B.  There is no data showing infants are getting Hep B so why are they getting all these unnecessary shots?  The drug companies make their money by shoving vaccinations in young children.  Autism has gone up 300% in 3 years.  Why? The link is being made to 30 shots of vaccinations before the child is age 10.  The mercury in these vaccinations causes incredible damage to the brain.  A child would have to weigh 300 pounds to be able to absorb the amount of mercury being forced into their system.  Keep your child healthy through raw fruits and vegetables.

Toxins are Everywhere

 

Here is a shocker, did you know that store-bought chicken is preserved in arsenic?   America has not used DDT for 30 years and yet it is regularly found in people’s fluid during testing. The cumulative effects of pollutants, toxins and heavy metals cause devastating effects on our bodies such as cancer, Fibromyalgia, Alzheimer's, and other diseases.  Rid your body of toxins by Detoxing.  I love Detox Drops that remove both toxins and heavy metals on a cellular level.  It is 100% natural, made from liquid zeolites, has a U.S. patent, and is the only one like it.  Why carry around 7 pounds of toxins when you can release the toxins and metals with our new detox drops?  Let me know if you would like more information on Detoxing.

 

Mollie McCarl

Fitness SPA

770-632-3595

www.ptcfitnessspa.com

 

Get Moving

It really is easy to fit physical activities into your daily routine.  I know you may be thinking, "I don't have time, my job is too demanding, or the house and family are overwhelming me and I can't take time for myself."  It is important that you do take time for yourself by doing some type of cardio every hour, even if it is just a few minutes.  Take the stairs, park further away are always good ideas for cardio, but even sitting at a desk you can do isometric exercises by sitting up straight and tightening your abs or legs.  Any exercise will have your body saying thank you.  Get moving and as you do, keep a diary of how much you did and try to beat your record tomorrow.  Each day work up a sweat by doing a vigorous walk, jog, dance or run.  Help your heart pump better and you will have more energy.  Stretch out before and after your exercise for the perfect way to breathe deep.  Do this every day and the world will look in amazement at how beautiful you have become.

 

 

Mollie McCarl, CPT

Fitness SPA

770-632-3595

www.ptcfitnessspa.com

 

Curing High Blood Pressure

                                                                        Relax and Enjoy Exercise to Have a Healty Heart

 

It seems everyday we are faced with hearing about our friends who have high blood pressure.  Readings ranging from 120/60 to 139/89 signify pre-hypertension; 140/90 and above is considered hypertension.  When you have high blood pressure (hypertension) your heart has to work harder to pump, which can thicken heart muscle and slow down blood flow, increasing your risk of heart disease.  The good news is that losing extra pounds through diet and exercise will help your heart expend less effort and lower your blood pressure.  In one study, people who exercised just 60 to 90 minutes a week reduced their numbers an average of 12 points after only two months.  Exercise with friends and keep a food diary to stay on focus for your healthy goals.  Without exercise you will shorten your life and miss all the joy!

Diet Drink Dangers

NUTRASWEET-ANT AND ROACH KILLER

As the scientists and doctors have said, our bodies were not designed to digest
synthetic chemicals.  Aspertame started out as ant poison and now they allow it to be

in our drinks and diet food.  This is a fascinating article about hidden dangers.
AND WE DRINK IT IN OUR DIET DRINKS !!!!!! 

*Aspartame - The World's Best Ant Poison *

Date: 8/11/06 Author: Jan Jensen
Source: Idaho Observer

We live in the woods and carpenter ants are a huge problem. We have
spent thousands of dollars with Orkin and on ant poisons trying to keep
them under control but nothing has helped.

So when I read somewhere that aspartame (Nutrasweet) was actually
developed as an ant poison and only changed to being considered
non-poisonous after it was realized that a lot more money could be made on it
as a sweetener than as an ant poison, I decided to give it a try.

I opened two packets of aspartame sweetener, and dumped one in a corner of each
of our bathrooms. That was about 2 years ago and I have not seen any carpenter
ants for about 9 to 12 months. It works better than the most deadly poisons I
have tried. Any time they show up again, I simply dump another package of
Nutrasweet in a corner, and they will be gone for a year or so again.

We found later that small black ants would not eat the aspartame. It was
determined that if you mixed it with apple juice, they would quickly
take it back to the nest, and all would be dead within 24 hours,
usually. I have found that sometimes it will kill them, and sometimes it
does not. Not sure why, may be slightly different species of ants or
something.

Fire Ants: We got our first fire ant hill about 2 weeks ago. Poison did
not work. We tried aspartame and the ants ignored it until we got a
light ra in. It was just a sprinkle, enough to moisten the Nutrasweet and
ground, but not enough to wash it away. They went crazy, hundreds of
them grabbing it and taking it back into the mound. When I checked the
mound 2 days later, there was no sign of the fire ants. I even dug the
mound up some, and still saw none of them.

How does it Work: Aspartame is a neuropoison. It most likely kills the
ants by interfering with their nervous system. It could be direct, like
stopping their heart, or something more subtle like killing their sense
of taste so they can?t figure out what is eatable, or smell, so they
can?t follow their trails, or mis-identify their colonies members, so
they start fighting each other. Not sure what causes them to end up
dying, just know that for many species of ants it will kill them quickly
and effectively.

As with any poison I recommend wearing gloves and washing any skin areas that
come in contact with this poison, and avoid getting it in your
mouth, despite anything the labeling may indicate."

Fun Fat Loss

           Fitness Spa’s Fat Loss Tips

1) Drink 8 - 10 glasses of water a day.  This is CRUCIAL to losing weight.  

YOU MUST DO THIS if you intend to lose weight! 

 2) Eat EVERY 90 MINUTES  and drink water

 3) Always take the stairs instead of riding the elevator. 

 4) Always take the opportunity to increase your daily activity, such as parking your car farther away

 from work or the store then you usually do.  This will increase the amount you have to walk and 

will burn more calories in your day. 

 5) Try the Water Trick: Before every meal, drink 1 LARGE glass of water.  

You are not to start eating until you have fully consumed this large glass of water.  

Half way through your meal, drink another large glass of water.  Again, you are not 

to start eating, until you have finished this glass of water.  After your meal, drink one more 

large glass of water.  You should drink 3 large glasses total at the meal. 

 6) Make sure in addition to doing cardio activity (walking, jogging, cycling, etc.) 4-6 days a week, you should 

also strength training at least 3 days a week with a personal trainer (like me!) 

Eat your Fruit

 

Fruit has got to be the best food out there! It is delicious, healthly, all natural and contains tons of cancer-fighting vitamins, minerals, enzymes.  Plus, it contains water and fiber so it is essential to your body's cleansing and detoxifying processes.  The American Cancer Society suggests eating 9-13 fruits and veggies to prevent disease because they have lots of antioxidents.  All you

sugar-phobes do not need to fear since the sugar in fruit is not the same white processed stuff that is in candy bars.  Fruit makes an excellent snack!  Be sure to grab an apple or banana on your way to work.  Studies have shown that, since fruit is digested so quickly, you should eat fruit on an empty stomache and then wait a half hour before eating something else.  Fruit is not forbidden, so eat plenty and your body will thank you! 

Get a Game Plan for Exercise

Research suggests that keeping an exercise journal in which you record your
long-term objectives ("I want to complete in the Peachtree Road Race") and
your daily targets ("I want to walk 3 miles today") helps you to stay
focused on your fitness schedule. Every night, write your detailed game
plan for the following day and make sure you've taken into account any
obstacles that may come up. Thinking ahead about potential roadblocks is
the best way to sidestep them!

Visualization

The Importance of Thinking Right

Think before you speak to yourself. Do you look in the mirror and say, "I
am so fat!" Do you say, "Look at this belly, I am disgusting!" If you find
your words to be always condemning your body, then stop right now. Start a
new conversation with your magnificent body. Focus on positive words! Try
saying something such as, "I am slim and beautiful" or "I am the perfect
size." Visualize what you want to be. Make it your own. Doctors say the
attitude of a patient has a tremendous effect on the outcome of their
illness. It has been proven over and over again. Why not trust the
saying, "what you visualize will materialize?" Instead of belittling
yourself or hating how you look, change your perspective and think positive
thoughts about you. When you find yourself slipping into the same old
rhetoric, go for a walk or put on some great music. Change your old
patterns and watch the pounds drop off!

How to feel GREAT!

Have you ever wondered why people who exercise are always in a terrific mood and seem to have a zest for life?
 
Ask a marathon runner about "runners high" and she'll tell you that it's the pleasant feeling that she experiences sometimes during and after running. The great thing is that moderate exercise can produce the same effect.
 
This is not the person’s imagination or the psychological satisfaction she gets from running or exercising. A little known fact is that this is a reaction to a natural body function that occurs during exercise called endorphin release.
 
Beta-Endorphin is a neurohormone that is released into the bloodstream from the pituitary gland. Endorphins attach themselves to specific receptor sites in the brain that affect our perception of well being and in the extreme, euphoria. Their main purpose is to help the body withstand and overcome mild to severe exertion. It’s the body’s reward for doing something healthy like exercise. Endorphins tend to return a physical body function to normal: they tend to increase body temperature, but decrease it during a fever; they decrease blood pressure, only if it is elevated.
 
Endorphins may also be involved in, or regulate the release of growth hormone (GH) which is associated with muscle cell growth induced by exercise. After endorphin concentration increases, six other peptide concentrations will also change resulting in changes to other physiological functions, like appetite suppression, increased immune activity, mood, memory retention, learning and surprising sleep disturbances.
 
Just a good workout can change your life!

Angie McCarl

Sneaky Chemicals in Meats

This is some startling information about what is being put in the meats we eat. 

 

" Consumers won't be aware that meat and poultry products have been treated with the spray, Zajac added. The Department of Agriculture will regulate the actual use of the product. The viruses are grown in a preparation of the very bacteria they kill, and then purified. The FDA had concerns that the virus preparation potentially could contain toxic residues associated with the bacteria. However, testing did not reveal the presence of such residues, which in small quantities likely wouldn't cause health problems anyway, the FDA said." - Associated Press, Aug. 18, 2006

 

"Barbara Loe Fisher Comments:

In yet another stunning demonstration of callous disregard for the health of American citizens, a pathetically weak and useless Food and Drug Administration has given the green light to industry microbe hunters to spray cold cuts, poultry and other meats with a mix of viruses that are supposed to eat bacteria contaminating the meat without hurting anyone in the process. Right.

And the best part? Meat producers won't have to tell consumers which meats have been bathed in the viruses so everyone gets a dose eating a hot dog at a baseball game or frying up some ham and eggs for breakfast - whether they want it or not. And when Uncle Leo in the Bronx drops dead from a mysterious infection after eating an italian sub at a neighborhood picnic, the story will be: it wasn't the virus infected sausage that did it, it was - A COINCIDENCE. (But if enough people drop dead after eating virus infected meat, an enterprising drug company will probably develop a food vaccine and convince the CDC to mandate it).

In America, apparently the only way consumers will be able to protect themselves from FDA-sponsored contaminated meat is to become a vegan or go organic. It's an expensive alternative but a small price to pay to keep viruses, chemicals and hormones that don't belong in the food we eat out of our bodies."

Kids Need Vigorous Exercise

I found this article to be very interesting on the effects of exercise on
children and their ability to perform in school.

"Middle school students who perform more vigorous physical activity than
their more sedentary piers tend to do better in school, according to a new
study done by researchers from Michigan State University and Grand Valley
State University. The research is published in the August issue of Medicine
& Science in Sports & Exercise, the official journal of the American College
of Sports Medicine.

For one academic year, the study tracked more than 200 sixth graders. For
one semester half of the students took the general physical education class
offered by the school, while the other half took part in a non-physical
education course. Halfway through the school year they switched. The
researchers found that students taking the physical education course did no
better or worse in their academic classes.

"Physical education and activity during the school day reduce boredom and
help keep kid's attention in the classroom," said Dawn Podulka Coe, the
study's lead author who is now an assistant professor in the Department of
Movement Science at Grand Valley State University. "We were expecting to
find that students enrolled in PE would have better grades because of the
opportunity to be active during the school day. But enrollment in PE alone
did not influence grades."

However, the researchers also found that students who took part in more
vigorous physical activities ( such as organized sports like soccer or
football, or non-organized after-school activities such as skateboarding)
did approximately 10 percent better in core classes such as math, science,
English and social studies.

"The students who performed better academically in this study were the most
active, meaning those who participated in a sport or other vigorous activity
at least three times a week." added Coe.

The difference between vigorous activity and moderate activity is heart
rate. Moderate activities, such as walking or raking leaves, don't get the
heart rate up or make the person breathe harder. Vigorous activities, such
as running or swimming for exercise, increase heart rate, causing the
exerciser to breathe harder and increasing oxygen to the brain."

With school just beginning, have your children really run, even if it is
just around the yard. Bring your girls to Fitness Spa for a great cardio
workout, or have personal training with me. It is so easy to spend the
effort on being fit for school and life! Give your children a great chance
to do well and feel confident.

No Excuses!

Take Time for Yourself!

It is time to accept the fact that you will never have optimum health
without regular exercise. Why not lower your blood pressure and
cholesterol? By exercising every day you will increase your blood
circulation, improve the quality of sleep, and increase your energy.
Exercising slows down the aging process while supporting calcium storage and
bone density. Set your priorities to breathe deep and exercise. Concieve
new thoughts of succeeding in your new lifestyle of health and fitness!
Don't wait until the time is right, just begin today to save your health.
You deserve to enjoy your life now!

Daily Fat Intake

                                    Surprising Facts on Fat

 

Here are some interesting facts on fat.  According to the American Heart Association recommendations, your daily fat intake should not be more than 30 percent of your total calories, with saturated fat contributing no more than 7 percent. For someone eating 2,000 calories a day, that means fewer than 600 calories from fat, or less than 66 grams. And within that total, saturated fat should be limited to fewer than 15 grams (if you are worried about high cholesterol or heart disease, that number should be even lower).

 

McDonald’s Deluxe Breakfast is a smorgasbord of bad-for-you foods—including eggs, sausage, pancakes smothered in syrup and margarine, hash browns and a biscuit. In moderation, any of these items could be an OK (if occasional) breakfast, but add them together and you’re looking at a grand total of 1,220 calories, 550 of them from fat, including 17 grams of saturated fat.

 

Great Water FACTS

WATER is LIFE

1. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.

2. In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.

3. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%.

4. One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.

5. Lack of water, the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.

6. Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.

7. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.

8. Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.

 

Save Your Daughter's Life

Alternative to Tanning Bed Dangers

Shockingly more and more people are getting skin cancer directly related to tanning beds.

Melanoma is on a sharp rise from a preventable cause.

As more and more girls head to the tanning beds, melanoma is increasing at an alarming rate.

Tanning beds cook you from the inside out, just like a microwave oven.

Haven’t you noticed how girls who are always in tanning beds have a roasted, odd, brown look? It’s because they really are cooked like a microwaved piece of meat. At a spa in Switzerland, they had to shut down their tanning beds when a woman stayed an hour in the bed and cooked her vital organs and died.

Robert Dellavalle, MD, PhD, assistant professor at the CU School of Medicine and co-author of the study, notes the $5-billion tanning salon industry counts more than 2.3-million United States among its customers.

Whereas tobacco purchasers in all 50 states must be 18 years of age, only three states have restrictions on youth tanning use, despite widely accepted evidence that youth is the most critical period for UV exposure, elevating skin cancer risk.

“While teens may seek indoor tanning because tanned skin is portrayed socially as beautiful and healthy, they are putting themselves at risk for serious health problems,” Dr. Dellavalle said. “Indoor tanning equipment may cause burns, immune system suppression, drug- and cosmetic-induced photosensitivity and an increased melanoma risk."

The development of melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer, is associated with exposure to high-intensity UV radiation or exposure to solar radiation at a young age. The most serious form of skin cancer, malignant melanoma, is expected to be diagnosed in 59,580 persons in 2005.¹ Melanoma is the most common cancer among people 25 to 29 years old. UV rays from artificial sources of light, such as tanning beds and sun lamps are just as dangerous as those from the sun, and should also be avoided.

There is a healthy alternative to tanning beds called Airbrush tanning.

Angie McCarl, co-owner of Fitness Spa says, “our Airbrush tans are the first in Georgia to use this fabulous formula made from aloe and sugar beets. It’s so safe you could drink it! We offer you a golden tan without the risk of cancer. In just 30 minutes you can have a beautiful tan. Since Airbrush tanning is not a booth, we spray it on with no streaking or orange spots."

Airbrush Tanning is one way Americans are keeping their skin save from deadly UV radiation. For more information on airbrush tanning go to http://www.ptcfitnessspa.com/ or call 770-632-3595.

1 Source: Cancer Facts and Figures 2005, American Cancer Society, 2005

Simple Steps to Follow

 

10 Ways To Reduce Cravings

 

10. Store tempting foods on the top shelves of cabinets or bottom shelves of the refrigerator so they will be less noticeable.

9. Remove foods from every room in the house except the kitchen (no candy dishes in the living room, no chocolates in the top dresser drawer, and no snacks in the car's glove compartment or on the desk at work).

8. At parties and social events, after you have eaten, stay away from the room with the food.

7. Don't make phone calls, read, or watch television in the kitchen (or any other place with food cues).

6. When shopping, avoid the aisles with candies and desserts stay with the healthy fruits and vegetables..

5. Whenever possible, get up from the dinner table as soon as you have finished eating.

4. At home, serve reasonable portions of food in the kitchen and bring the plates to the dining table. Don't put serving bowls or platters on the table. If you really want seconds, go back into the kitchen to get them.

3. If you must have treats in the house, don't buy them in bulk packages. Instead of buying a half-gallon of ice cream (or low-fat yogurt), buy single servings such as pops, cones or cups. It is more likely that you'll have a large serving of ice cream without thinking about it than it is that you'll go back to the freezer and get a second treat without thinking about it.

2. When eating out, ask the waitperson to take the bread away as soon as possible.

1. Resign from the Clean Plate Club. Even if it feels a little uncomfortable, leave a small amount of food on your plate to help unlearn the association between the sight of food and eating.

Affecting Your DNA through food

What we eat is crucial to our physical wellness.  In 6 months almost all proteins in your body are replaced, even the DNA of your genes.  Unbelievably, every 4 months every cell in your body is exchanged.  In a year all your bones are replaced, constructed entirely out of the nutrients you eat. You really are what you eat!  Reach for the fruits and vegetables!

 

Natural forces within us are the true healers!

What’s Your Health Worth?

EAT COLORFUL!  Americans eat too much white food such as potatoes, rice, flour, white sugar, milk, cheese, white bread, and white pasta.  Why is this dangerous?  They can cause chronic killer diseases!  4500 independent studies show that fruits and vegetables can reduce your chance of getting cancer, but not only cancer.  The people who ate the most fruits and vegetables had½ the least occurrence of cancer, heart disease, and stroke.  50 grams of fiber is what is recommended to clean the body of carcinogen, however, most Americans get only 5 grams of fiber.  Low fiber is connected to breast cancer, colon cancer, heart disease and diabetes.  Every single fruit and veggie is loaded with fiber; just a cup of blueberries has 15 grams of fiber!  Juice Plus is not a substitute for healthy eating, but it has the nutrients of 17 raw fruits and vegetables.  Doctors love and recommend it.  Here at Fitness SPA we have seen people have their high blood pressure go down 66 points as well as their cholesterol in only 3 months.  Happily, since going on Juice Plus many have reduced their need for asthma medicine both in children and adults.  We want to make a difference in your well-being. If you have been thinking of trying Juice Plus, we can get it for you wholesale.  It’s only $1.37 a day!  If you would like more information online go to: http://www.juiceplus.com/+mm90183 or call me at Fitness SPA 770-632-3595.

 

 

 

Water Helps to Burn FAT

Don’t forget to increase your water intake this summer!  Not only will it help you get through those hot July days, but it will also contribute to your fat loss.  Why?  Basically, it comes down to this:  Your kidneys cannot function properly without enough water.  When this happens, the liver must take over the kidneys’ jobs and ignore its own.  Well, one of the liver’s primary functions is to metabolize fat.  When the liver is distracted with the kidneys’ extra work, it leaves little time for the liver to metabolize your stored fat.  So remember, the key to a healthy body and fast metabolism is lots of water!  Get a free Water Jug when you sign up for exercise at Fitness Spa.

 

 

Alternate Proteins for Healthy Bodies

Protein is so important in the development of muscle as well as hair, nails, and other organs in your body.  But that does not mean you should start eating chicken 5 times a day.  Too much animal protein (including milk products and eggs) can cause your body stress as well as add extra fat, even if you are eating lean meat or drinking fat free skim milk.  Achieve your daily protein requirement through grains like 100% whole wheat bread, legumes (beans), green veggies (broccoli is loaded with protein), nuts, sprouts, and seeds.  These sources provide calcium, fiber, and other vitamins and mineral that are not in animal protein.

Low Carb Craze

Don’t be fooled by the “Low Carb” craze!  Eating too much meat can make you sluggish and give you extra doses of fat that is hard to burn off.  Remember, your body needs carbohydrates to give you energy to exercise and perform daily activities.  Plus, carbs are much easier to burn than fat.    “Low Carb” diets have an unbelievable detriment to your energy level and fat intake, but that is nothing to the effect this kind of diet has on your brain.  Remember, it is carbohydrates that power your brain.  Your brain is unable to break down fat or protein to perform the acts required to rearrange and make room for the new things you learn each day.  Your brain needs carbohydrates to function.  If your brain doesn’t get carbs it begins to find carbs within itself and begins to feed on itself!  Basically, when you limit your carb intake, you are decreasing your brain’s ability to process and store new information.  Carbs are not fatty and evil.  They do have a real purpose to fuel your brain.  It is not necessary to cut carbs to lose weight.  Remember, it is always better to choose whole grains over refined or enriched foods. 

 

Diet Soda Discovery

Diet drinks are not our friends!  Here is an interesting study on the bad effects of the chemicals in Diet Drinks. 

“A recent study monitored the weight and soda-drinking habits of more than 600 normal-weight patients aged 25-64. When researchers followed up on the patients some eight years later, they discovered:

• Participants were 65 percent more likely to be overweight if they consumed one diet soda a day compared to if they drank none.
• Two or more low- or no-calorie soft drinks raised the odds of becoming obese or overweight even higher.

Those who drank diet soda had a greater chance of becoming overweight than participants who drank regular soda

For example, a person who drinks a diet soda may feel it's acceptable to make up for those calories with another high-calorie food. And while the tongue is temporarily satisfied by the sweet taste of diet soda, the brain isn't similarly fooled and still craves calories for energy. Other studies have suggested people who drink an artificially sweetened beverage before a meal will eat more high-calorie foods than those who do not.

Therefore, with diet soft drinks and sugar-sweetened beverages (even fruit juices) linked to weight gain and obesity, many people are left wondering, "What is safe to drink?" The answer, of course, is water.

In fact, nearly a decade ago, studies were already revealing that artificial sweeteners can:

• Stimulate your appetite.
• Increase carbohydrate cravings.

Stimulate fat storage and weight gain.

Artificial sweeteners like aspartame (NutraSweet®) and sucralose (Splenda®) can contribute to a host of additional side effects.

Sucralose, the sweetening agent in Splenda®, is in fact made from sugar (sucrose). However, what the ads don't go on to say is that chemists then add three chlorine molecules to these sugar molecules to create the final product.

Animal studies have revealed that sucralose can cause:

• Shrunken thymus glands (up to 40 percent shrinkage)
• Enlarged liver and kidneys
• Atrophy of lymph follicles in the spleen and thymus
• Reduced growth rate
• Decreased red blood cell count
• Diarrhea

If these findings concern you, read on, because aspartame may be even worse.

Results of multiple studies, complaints and testimonies have revealed that aspartame can trigger or worsen the following diseases:

Brain tumors Multiple sclerosis Epilepsy Chronic fatigue syndrome Parkinson's disease Alzheimer's disease

Mental retardation Lymphoma Birth defects Fibromyalgia Diabetes

The bottom line is that these substances poison your body. Deciding to start or continue drinking them is simply a major movement toward the development of chronic disease.”

Dr. Joseph Mercola
Author of the
Total Health Program

 

 

 

 

 

 

Every Breath You Take

Toxins are everywhere!  Once you've entered the world and taken your first breath (the average person breathes about 5,000 gallons of air each day), you can be reasonably sure it includes some unhealthy trace particles or air pollution. In fact, according to the

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. facilities released 4.7 billion pounds of toxins into the atmosphere in 2002.

The EPA estimates fine-particle pollution causes an estimated 20,000 premature deaths in the U.S. each year.  Check out liquid zeolites to remove toxins easily.  Here are some good websites:

 

 

http://www.mywaiora.com/340662

www.zeoliteinfo.com

www.zeolitewellness.com