Health Tips for Busy People: Healthy Diet & Exercise in the Office

Posted on 25 April 2010 by Summer

Many women’s lifestyle magazines frustrate us by providing exercise regimens for work and then adding: “You can do this exercise in your office!” What about those of us who work in a cube or other small space (with no floor space for Pilates-style stretches) that’s not very private (do you really want your boss to wander by right when you’re doing jumping jacks?). Even if you are cube-confined, you can maintain your health in a cube.

Make A “Health” Drawer

Your filing spaces are your friends. Most cubes have lots of little drawers. Make one of them a “health” drawer. Add a ziplock bag or two with healthy non-perishable snacks in it (maybe dried veggies), a few bags of herbal, non-caffeinated tea (switch over from coffee midday to help you sleep better at night), and a travel-size hand-sanitizing gel for use regularly when there’s a cold going around the office (did you know most colds are transmitted through shared objects like doorknobs?). A decorative canvas bag can store an extra pair of athletic shoes in case you can take a 10 minute walk or stretch break over lunch.

Get Blood Back To Your Brain:

Pop goes the weasel. When you sit in a cube in front of a computer or on the phone for hours at a time, gravity pulls your blood towards your feet. It pools in your feet, ankles, and fanny; if you’re ever noticed your feet looking puffy towards the end of the day, the puffiness may be a side-effect of having blood spending so much time down there! Our arm and leg muscles function as “pumps” to get blood back to the heart.

While you could just do jumping jacks to get the blood flowing back upwards, there are less noticeable ways to get blood moving: If you’ve got a shelf in your high in your cube, keep daily useables (paperclips, stapler) there; getting up regularly will remind you to stretch. While standing lift your legs up at the knee, one at a time, to help get blood flowing. One enterprising woman kept a postcard pinned up towards the very top of her cube wall – and kept an ever-growing collection of postcards that she exchanged every day in the afternoon. The new postcard each day perked her up, and it gave her a reminder to get up and stretch several times a day.

Muscular injury is common in the desk-job world. The Center for Disease Control reports that 92,576 injuries resulted from repetitive motion, including typing or key entry. Make sure to take breaks from the keyboard at least once an hour. Use a wrist support at your computer when you are typing or browsing, Your forearm, wrist, and hand should be on a level, not making a V. The Harvard RSI action group suggests some exercises to help prevent repetitive stress injuries (http://www.rsi.deas.harvard.edu/). If you spend a lot of time on the phone and can’t use a speaker phone, don’t hold the phone by crunching your shoulder against your ear. Instead, invest in or ask for a headset or shoulder support for your receiver.

Drink Plenty Of Water:

Drinking water is very important. It can help you recover from a cold more quickly (though it doesn’t “cure” it), replenish lost fluids after exercise, and assist in weight loss (many people think they are hungry when they are actually thirsty, so make sure to take a drink before diving for the candy machine). Keep a four-cup bottle or thermos near the computer and replenish daily. Don’t overdo though – excess water can dilute important minerals and vitamins in your blood stream.

Make Sure To Take Your Vitamins & Other Pills:

Pill reminders. Do you need regularly forget to take vitamins because you’re busy? Find an attractive, desk-top container to put the bottle in – a decorative flower pot is one option. Something attractive and eye catching will remind you it’s there. This can also work for daily medications, but keep in mind that some medications can be toxic to others or have street-value (many prescribed pain killers), so these are medications that should stay with you, rather than your desk.

Food List For South Beach Diet: Working Your Way Through The Program

Posted on 17 April 2010 by Summer

The South Beach Diet is one of the favorite diet programs for people who would like to lose weight. Dr. Arthur Agatston, a cardiologist, has formulated it. It is claimed that the food list for South Beach diet can help you lose weight from 8 to 13 pounds in the span of two weeks. This two-week span is just for the first phase of the program.

Principles of South Beach Diet

The South Beach Diet is a diet that focuses on the intake of carbohydrates and fats. The diet has three stages. Each stage is called a phase. The first two phases introduces the gradual changes in your diet while the third phase is the diet that you will use for maintenance after going through the first two phases.

The South Beach Diet is a program where you are allowed to eat three meals a day with two snacks in between the meals. It aims to transform your eating habits from eating bad carbohydrates to eating good carbohydrates.

Phases of the South Beach Diet

As previously mentioned, the South Beach Diet has three phases.

Phase 1 is the start of the program. The Phase 1 stage will run for two weeks. During this span of time, you are allowed to eat three times a day with regular servings. Your food will not be measured at all. But in this phase, all forms of carbohydrate are not allowed. There will be a total absence of carbohydrates for a span of two weeks.

The food list for this phase includes meat like chicken and turkey – ensure that these meats are skinless. All meat should be lean meat like tenderloin and sirloin. Peanuts and pistachios nuts are also acceptable. Fishes, any type of it, are also acceptable.

Eggs and cheese plus oils like canola and olive oils are also allowed in the Phase 1 diet. Green vegetables like salads, cucumbers and broccoli are permitted. In addition to these, make sure that you drink lots of water to help in the metabolism of fats.

On the other hand, the following are excluded from the food list for this phase: red meat like rib steaks or honey-baked ham; dairy products other than low fat cheeses – examples are yogurt, ice cream, whole milk, low-fat milk and soy milk; vegetables with pure carbohydrates, such as potatoes, corn and carrots. All types of fruits, alcohol, starchy foods and sweets should also be avoided. Starchy food includes all pasta, rice, oatmeal and bread. Sweets, on the other hand, include candies, ice cream, cakes and cookies.

Phase 2 Food List for South Beach Diet

Phase 2 stage is a breather as compared with Phase 1. Under Phase 2, the goal of the program is to reintroduce carbohydrates. This time, you are only allowed to eat good carbohydrates. There are some people who stay longer than two weeks in Phase 1 but it is not recommended.

Phase 2 of the South Beach diet has a slower rate of weight reduction. It will only take off 1 to 2 pounds per week. There is no definite span of time for this phase. You can stay in this phase for as long as it takes to reach your ideal weight.

The foods that are allowed on this phase are the same with the foods that are allowed in Phase 1, plus some that are added. The additional Phase 2 food list for South Beach diet includes: fruits and milk, which are fat-free, like non-fat milk and soymilk. In Phase 2, you are allowed to eat whole grain starches and barley. A little alcohol is allowed, in the form of red wine.

Others carbohydrate-rich foods are also allowed but should be taken moderately. These are potatoes, carrots, beets and refined wheat baked goods. Fruits like bananas, watermelon and pineapple can be eaten sparingly.

Phase 3 Food List for South Beach Diet

This phase is for weight maintenance. This phase can last for a lifetime if you wish. Once you have achieved the weight that you desire, you will now just continue your current diet program.

For this phase, all food categories are allowed, but make sure that you only eat foods with good carbohydrates and with low glycemic index. Refrain from eating processed foods that contain lots of bad carbs and bad fats.

The food list for South Beach Diet is not that difficult to implement and this diet program is one of the most feasible among the many diet plans out there. You will just have to adhere and follow the restrictions to be able to maintain the weight that you have been dreaming of.

Importance of a Healthy Diet and Exercise After Liposuction

Posted on 05 April 2010 by Summer

Anyone who has ever tried to get rid of problematic fat in trouble spots around the hips, abdomen and thighs has probably considered liposuction at some point. This targeted procedure allows surgeons to remove excess fat from specific areas of the body. It is important to note, however, that liposuction is not a treatment for obesity. In fact, the best candidates for liposuction are people who are at a normal, healthy weight.

Once you’ve had liposuction, the fat in those problem areas is not gone for good. In order to maintain your desired look at keep fat from returning to those problems areas, it is essential to follow a healthy diet and exercise regimen after your surgery. If you decide to have liposuction, start planning your health and fitness plan today in order to get started on the path toward a healthier, fitter body.

Reasons to Stay Fit and Healthy

While liposuction can be very effective, patients can easily regain all of the fat they lost and then some. According to a recent report in a plastic surgery journal, patients are three times more likely to regain the fat they lost if they do not follow a healthy diet. The same report also revealed that patients who do not exercise regularly after having liposuction are four times more likely to gain weight.

Obviously, diet and exercise are essential to staying healthy and physically fit. How can you kick start your own health habits? While your lifestyle, physical capabilities and personality will all contribute to your choices, the following guidelines can help you make the right diet and exercise decisions.

Follow the USDA Guidelines for a Healthy Diet

With so much diet and nutrition advice circulating all around us, it can be difficult to decide which tips to follow. The best advice is to keep it as simple as possible. Follow the guidelines laid out by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which recommended a balanced diet full of healthy grains, fruits and vegetables. Additional tips such as drinking plenty of water, limiting salt intake and reducing the amount of refined sugar you eat each day can also help you stay healthy and ward off extra pounds.

Exercise at Least Five Days Each Week

Regular physical activity is another essential component for keeping the weigh off following a liposuction procedure. The vast majority of experts recommend working out for 30 minutes each day five days each week. Are you busy and short on time? Remember that you don’t need to perform all of this exercise all at once. Simple changes to your daily routine such as taking the stairs or taking brief walks during the day can add up quickly.

However, it is important to talk to your doctor to establish a timetable for your exercise program after your liposuction surgery. While you may begin easy walking within a few days after liposuction, you should take it easy for at least two weeks after the procedure. Your liposuction doctor may also suggest waiting for at least one month after your surgery before begin a regular routine of strenuous physical exercise.

Incorporate Exercise Into Your Diet Plan

Posted on 24 March 2010 by Summer

There are so many reasons why one should always combine exercise with their diet. You will have built a great habit that will help keep the weight off when you finish dieting, you will keep your metabolism up which will help you lose all the weight you are hoping for as well as give you lean muscle mass that will make you stronger and burn fat.

There are definitely challenges to working out. You have to expend a lot of energy, get motivated and be willing to work hard. However it will only help speed up the process of losing weight and looking great. You will be shocked at how much energy you will gain from working out. It also boosts your metabolism which will help your body work overtime when burning calories. When working out you gain a great thing called muscle. Not only will your muscle have already replaced some fat but muscle continues burning fat!

When losing weight, statistics show that it is about 80% diet and 20% exercise. However the flip side is that keeping the weight off is 20% diet and 80% exercise which is probably why a lot of people gain back the weight that they just worked so hard to lose. It is great to get into a good habit of exercise along with eating healthy and in the end you will not only look fabulous but keep those pesky pounds off as well as improve the parts of your body you can’t see.

Let’s face it eating is fun! A lot of social activities revolve around food, soda, coffee, desert… when you work out, you may not have to count every single calorie. Your body will be working with you and you may find that you don’t have to go on a severe diet to lose weight.

When you start to diet your body is signaled that it is quite possibly starving. In turn, your metabolism will slow down and try to hold onto fat just in case it may not receive food in a while. This is why it is so important to at least engage in some light workouts while dieting. It can be as simple as walking. Take a nice walk once a day and see the difference it makes.

I find it amazing that when I work out I want to eat better. If I am wearing my comfy sweats and a sweatshirt I just might want to get cozy and eat some ice cream. However if I just was in some shorts and a tank top that I wish was not so tight and worked really hard for 45 minutes some water and an apple might sound more refreshing. Listen to your body. It knows what it needs. Remember, a lot of times hunger pains is actually your body saying it is thirsty. Drink a lot of water as it will rehydrate you after a workout as well as cause your body to only eat what it needs
.