Friday, March 23, 2007

Heart Rate Monitors

So youre jogging down the street when you lock a stare withthis tall, dark-skinned brunette with crystal blue eyes. As youpass her you get a hear her say in a faint whisper Hellothere. You smirk to yourself (you know she wants you), andtake a look down at your heart rate monitor. 210!!! HOLY S#@%!!I guess I better slow down when I see a hottie from now on.You think to yourself.So you see, having a heart rate monitor can keep you in yourtarget heart rate zone in regular and special circumstances.Seriously though, if you are doing any kind of exercise.I meanANY kind, youve got to get yourself a heart rate monitor. Ourheart rate is like the RPM gauge on a race car engine. Thedriver can look at the RPMs and precisely determine how muchmore power the car has. Can he pass on the corner? Can heconserve gas by lowering the RPMs and keeping the speed up? Thesame thing goes for our heart rates. Your heart rate is the yourpersonal RPM gauge....only it doesnt come in a chrome case, soyouve got to get one for it. By monitoring your heart rate, weare able to exercise precisely in our Target Heart Rate Zone.This is like the optimal heart rate for our particular bodywhile exercising. While in our Target Heart Rate Zone, our bodyis working hard, but not too hard. Its burning calories, butnot too many calories. By watching your heart rate whileexercising you can determine if you need to pick up the pace,or slow it down.If you are feeling weak, and your heart rate is LOWER than yourTarget Heart Rate Zone, you know that you can kick it up a notchSAFELY. However, if you are feeling weak through the workout andyou see that your heart rate is HIGHER than your Target HeartRate Zone, then you know that you are putting yourself at riskfor harm, and that you need to back off. So, being safe, is onereason to keep an eye on your heart rate while exercising.Another great reason to watch your heart rate with a heart ratemonitor while exercising is for performance. If you are lookingto really push the envelope, to get the most out of everysingle workout and maximize the potential of your body, you canprecisely adjust your workout minute to minute by watching yourheart rate like a race car driver watches the engine RPMs. Ifyou feel like you are going to puke from the last set ofcrunches, and you look down to see your heart rate below yourtarget zonego ahead and puke, so you can do anotherset.turns out you are just a whimp and you need to workoutmore. However, if youre going to puke, and you see your heartrate is too high.you better back off, or youre going to pukeand then something important might quit on you!Either way, having a heart rate monitor is essential tomaximizing you workouts. Getting ripped, strong, big or fastall require serious commitment and training. So why would youput in all that work, and not know if you are actually doingany good??? Makes sense to get a heart rate monitor, doesntit?About The Author: Dr. Parker is a surgical resident who has aninterest in preventative health, weight-loss and fitness. Dr.Parker uses the principles of human physiology coupled with ahttp://www.super-fit.com/heramo.html to have the body work for,not against you.

Wednesday, March 7, 2007

Trash Those "Miracle" Dieting And Weightloss Products And Programs!

Are you the type of person who checks out those five-minuteinfomercials on the telly featuring a "miracle" soap and abefore and after girl? Do you also immediately dial the numberson the screen to order the featured product (and supposedlyavail of a mega discount)? You've probably tried every dietingand weightloss magic pills, potions, diets, creams, exercisegadgets, and what-nots that all yielded absolutely nada effect.The problem areas (read: bulging belly, flabby arms, and doublechin) are still very much out for the world to see. You long todon sexy and figure-hugging tops and jeans, and two-pieceswimsuits in the summer, but have to opt for hideouslong-sleeved tops and baggy denims that make you look extremelylousy. Well, the first thing you have to keep in mind is thatdieting and weightloss products and programs that promiseinstant results are hundred percent duds. For years, dieting and weightloss experts tried to convincepeople with weight issues to concentrate on healthy lifestyleand forget "miracle" products and programs. While there arenutritionists and diet gurus who encourage weight-loss programslike South Beach diet and Atkin's diet, some experts adviceclients to subscribe to natural and risk-free alternatives.Specific diet plans are fast gaining a huge following, but thisisn't to say they're effective. Low-carbohydrate Atkins diet,for example, is blamed for the poor mental performance andweaker immune system of its followers. Atkins enthusiastsbelieve low carb daily intake, which is estimated at 20 gramsor less, is the key to slim or whistle-bait figure. Thedownside is that there are less carb stored in the liver thateventually translates to that distinct "lazy" feel. A diet withinsufficient carb also restricts the production of lymphocyte,which helps the body fight infections. Even the seeminglyperfect and utterly promising diet programs are not fool-proof.In the end, it's still best to stick to a slowly-but-surelyhealthy lifestyle that cannot only erase bulges (thoughdefinitely not in a blink of an eye) but also improve health ingeneral. People who have weight problems should remember that not alldiets are to be avoided. Though they have to stay away fromcrash diets and the like, they have to keep in mind healthydieting and weightloss teach them the value of discipline andchoice of the right kind of food. Crash dieting often placesfood in a bad light, something to be ingested in minimum. Butin fact, food (even for the overweight and obese) is an ally.Just make sure to eat a balanced diet coupled with regularexercise. This advice may sound archaic but nothing can be moretrue than this reality. Even if dieting and weightloss productsand programs continue to increase and become much moremodernized, nothing beats the benefits one can get fromfollowing a healthy lifestyle.About The Author: For more valuable information on Dieting andWeightloss, please visit http://www.womandiet.comPlease use the HTML version of this article at:http://www.isnare.com/html.php?aid=72764

Thursday, March 1, 2007

Diet to Lose Weight or to Live Longer?

Dieting has other significant benefits besides improved appearance. If youre like most people, youve probably dieted or at least thought about it on many occasions. We all know the theory behind dieting: Consuming fewer calories decreases body weight, by creating a negative energy balance. People that want to lose weight usually ask themselves, What is the best diet and how long do I have to follow it? The answers, I guess, depend on your weight loss goals. As you probably know, dieting for a short period of time is not a wise or effective way to lose those extra pounds.What happens with dieting in this fashion is that you fall into a vicious cycle of weight loss followed by weight gain followed by weight loss and so on (yo-yo dieting). The resulting fluctuations in body weight have been shown to be very harmful to health in countless of scientific studies - and actually even more harmful than just being overweight and not dieting at all.The healthiest solution would be to permanently reduce your daily calories and choose a healthy, well balanced diet. Many fad diets today are not very healthy according to scientific evidence. And most, if not all are based on calorie restriction regardless of their philosophies. Well get back to this later.First, lets talk about other health benefits associated with reductions in caloric intake. If you are overweight and adopt an improved lifestyle by first eating less food, you are going to lose weight thats fact. The less obese you are the lower the risk of developing chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, cancer among others. This has been well documented as well.A few recent studies have suggested calorie restriction, even at moderate levels may improve your health, slow down the aging process and reduce risks of developing health conditions common with old age.