Archive for May, 2009

To celebrate the upcoming launch of the all NEW eFitness for Life website,we are running a FREE Spark Giveaway for a limited time!

You HAVE to give this a try! Take advantage of this great offer HERE!

AdvoCare Spark® Energy Drink mix is a unique multi-nutrient system that’s designed to provide nutritionally advanced, long-lasting energy and enhanced mental focus.* Its 21 vitamins, minerals and nutrients work synergistically to give you healthy, balanced energy without making you jittery like other caffeinated beverages.*

Spark’s unique combination of ingredients gives you fast-acting energy and B-vitamins enhance your body’s natural energy-sustaining processes.*

For mental focus and clarity, the neuroactive amino acids in Spark help sharpen your mental focus and alertness by supporting your brain’s ability to efficiently transmit messages within the nervous system.* With five refreshing flavors and only 45 calories per serving, Spark gives you a lift that lasts for hours.*

Is this you?

Someone who has trouble waking up or feels “energy slumps” throughout the day
Someone who can’t work up enough energy to live life the way you want
Someone who is looking for a more nutritious alternative to coffee, soda or other energy drinks

It’s Easy to Overeat with Larger Plates

Quick tip: Use a smaller plate! Most houses have a collection of more than one set of dishes and usually they all vary in size. So, when you have a family dinner and the table doesn’t have to look perfect, set the table giving yourself the smallest plate you own. It holds a lot less food, but gives the appearance of normal servings.

The same holds true when eating out. When your meal is served, ask for a smaller plate, split your meal in half or thirds, depending on size, and place “one portion” on your smaller plate. Eat this portion, take the rest home.

Not only will this keep you from overeating, but just think about what it will do for your budget!

vksahj4ym2

Does FAT FREE really mean it’s good for you? Many foods are touting that they are fat free and people are buying them left and right, but what lies beneath the hidden truths of these so called FAT FREE Foods…Fat free foods, when eaten in excess, will still be stored as fat!

Fat free cookies and crackers are made up of a whole lot of SUGAR! Yep, the secret is out! Sugar is just as fattening of a substance than fat itself, when eaten in excess.

If you need extra helping curbing the fat intake try Fibo-Trim. If your weakness is carbohydrates, try Carb-Ease. either one, or both, will provide benefits to minimizing the uptake and storage associated with excesses!

People are always looking for ways to help them look younger and surprisingly it is not just women that are now using their anti-aging nutrition to help them look younger . Men are getting increasingly more and more concerned about looking and staying young and start spending as much money as women on anti-aging products.

Anti-aging nutrition has become a very popular subject in today’s world, as more and more products are offered on the market to help fight aging. When one thinks of the benefits that can be had from using an anti-aging nutrition formula, it makes sense why they would want to look into using it. There are a few things that you can do to ensure you are gaining every benefit possible when using anti-aging nutrition.

Exercise

Exercising your body on a regular basis will help to promote strength, agility and stamina on its own, but coupled with the right anti-aging nutrition vitamin, you can double the benefits as opposed to using just one technique alone. Even making sporadic attempts to exercise will help to boost the benefits of your anti-aging nutrition, but to achieve the maximum benefit, it is important to put yourself on an exercise regiment that you can stick with. If you aren’t used to a lot of exercise, start slow and progress as you go. If you push yourself too hard at first, you will find it hard to keep your exercise regiment.

Choose the Right Vitamins

If your anti-aging nutrition vitamin does not offer the nutrients you need for your body most, there is a lot of benefit lost. For example, if your body lacks the iron needed to keep yourself as healthy as possible and your anti-aging nutrition vitamin lacks iron as well, it is an entire aspect of your health you are missing out on. Because of this, it is important to see a doctor and get a check up to discuss what kind of vitamins will work best for you and provide you with the most benefits.

Eat Healthy

Eating healthy is something that we are constantly reminded of, even though you can find a fast food stand on just about any corner of your neighborhood. When work and family get in the way of time to cook a healthy meal, these fast food alternatives can offer a tasty and inviting alternative. Eating fast food in moderation isn’t something that will affect you to the point of hindering your health, but eating fast food on a regular basis is an invitation for heart disease, oily skin, age lines, and all around bad health.

Remember to eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables, while balancing your diet with meats and carbohydrates. There are both good and bad carbohydrates so despite what many people say, carbohydrates are not always bad for you as long as you know how to distinguish the good from the bad, eat all the carbohydrates you want!

Find out more about antioxidant supplements here.

Technorati Profile”>Technorati Profile

Hello everyone! Today, in keeping with our desire to provide informative information in the world of health and wellness, we are bringing you Life/Wellness Coach Lauren Miller. We are excited to have Lauren join us for this interview and we know you will find it as interesting as we have. Let’s get started!

Jason – Good afternoon Lauren. Thanks so much for taking some time to talk with us today.

Lauren – Thank you Jason, I am very honored to have this opportunity.

Jason – Just to let all of those non-believers out there know, we are here today thanks to the wonderful world of social media! It was, in fact, things like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc. that brought you and I together so I am now a firm believer in their importance to our industry.

Lauren – It has really transformed the way we can communicate. Everywhere you look, it is Twitter this and Facebook that. The rules have changed and we can reach out to so many more people faster and easier… people whom we may have never been able to reach or get to know before.

Jason – I guess, now, I will have to spend even more time working on all those social media outlets huh? Oh boy! OK, why don’t we get started? Before we get into the details of what you do, tell us a little about who you are and how you came to fitness.

Lauren – Sure! I am in a loving relationship with Larry, I am a mother of two sons 19 and soon to be 22, and I am both a certified personal trainer and a professional life/wellness coach.

It wasn’t until after college that I really came to fitness, in fact I hated PE in school! Like many people entering into the adult world from student to going to work, not only does your life take on new directions and challenges but your body does too! The direction my body was going was “round”, I was uncomfortable with that and I realized I needed to pay better attention to it.

On my journey I have gone from eating what ever I wanted to a dieter… junk food to vegetarian… it is still a journey but now I embrace holistic eating, no boxes, no sugar, gluten free, organic as much as possible, fish and poultry, no red meat… do I seek pleasure foods from time to time? You betcha! But at least 90% of the time my nutrition is pretty clean. My fitness level has gone from sedentary to “warrior”, and leveled out some at my youthful 51… but the feat I am most proud of is my body-weight chin-ups… now up to 9 on the first set.

I began working out after college, and kind of stopped and started with having my children. By the time my youngest was 3 or 4 I became consistent with my workouts ever since, so a late start in some ways, but at it a long time now.

I loved working out so much I became an advocate by getting my personal trainer certification. I wanted to help others have the same benefits. When I made the shift to wellness coaching, I was amazed that my clients were even more successful and just by coaching them on the phone!!!

Jason – Wow! 9 body weight chin-ups? Got me beat! Amazing how we start to pay attention to such things and set those new goals isn’t it? Can you explain the Wellness Coach concept a little better for our readers?

Lauren – The short definition is wellness coaching, or any coaching for that matter, is what takes someone from where they are now (stuck or status quo) to where they want to be.

That may sound over-simplistic, and you may be thinking, okay so what? I’ve done this…

1)      Get clear on what you want, set a goal

2)       Take action to move you toward your goal

3)      Evaluate your progress

4)      Adjust your approach based on your feedback

5)      Reach your goal

But here’s what really happens, and before I became a wellness coach I saw it all the time in the gyms where I trained…

1)      The goal set is not clear (“I want to lose weight and tone up”) there is nothing specific and measurable about it, there is no strong emotional reason for why the goal is desired, or the deadline to complete the goal is unrealistic… the “quick fix”

2)      Next a “diet” may be followed that becomes an act of willpower because it is one of food and calorie deprivation or lack of pleasure foods. Then, punishing exercise follows without any real knowledge of what works, for example long slow grueling hours on a treadmill where you seem to be working hard but the results you want aren’t showing up. (You’ve all seen these people at the gym who come time after time but their bodies never change)

3)       The person feels like a failure and may convince him/her self that they either have bad genetics, their too old, too busy to stay accountable to the plan, etc… and all their limiting beliefs stop any progress as soon as they encounter the first obstacle. They are further frustrated when the goal is not reached in the amount of time they were expecting.

4)      The person will either try the next best diet or exercise craze or they will give up all together and decide it just wasn’t meant for them, leaving them defeated, more stressed and overwhelmed than they were before.

Most of the clients I coach are looking to achieve their ideal body weight and fitness level. Wellness coaching is not about testing your willpower to stick to a nutrition and fitness program, in fact this method fails the most. Eventually you go back to your old habits… who you really are.

95-99% of people who follow a program gain the weight back in 1-2 years!

Let me repeat: 95-99% of people who follow a program gain the weight back in 1-2 years. This alarming statistic tells me that the billions of dollars spent in the weight loss industry are not working.

Weight gain is not the problem, food is not the trouble… people are. Weight gain is often the result of our bodies wanting to be loved, needing more awareness, looking for self-validation, finding life purpose, needing healing, living less stressfully either in our careers, our relationships, or our finances, and on and on…

Without getting to the root cause of being over-weight on a much deeper level, one beyond burning fat and burning calories, the weight loss is not successful.

Ultimately you must do the work of proper exercise and nutrition. Without first creating the proper mindset to create the unstoppable action you are merely putting a “band-aid” on the problem, (the over-weight), and not addressing the root cause of why the weight was gained in the first place.

Hiring a coach helps people find out exactly what they want by asking powerful questions that encourage deeper level thinking. Then, together we set a plan with specific actions steps to continually propel forward toward the goal. The person begins to see that they can achieve those inner goals in all aspects of their lives and gain confidence as well as lose fat and become more fit.

The result is a natural appetite, not punishment with exercise or willpower to deny food. You stay committed to gaining life, not losing weight. Your inner mantra becomes, “I enjoy eating healthy foods and moving my body because it makes me look and feel good.”

Jason – So very true Lauren. It is truly amazing how few individuals either set goals to begin with or do not now how to set goals properly to ensure their success. I am so happy to hear that someone such as yourself is really pushing that aspect as it applies to every facet of life and is far too often overlooked. Now, personally, I still don’t think the Wellness concept has enough steam and most people are going to benefit from your explanation of it. Now what about your ” Best Body Makeover” program? What is that all about and how does it work?

Lauren -Thank you Jason, and I hope I didn’t carry on too much, but you can tell I am very passionate about what I do and I love helping others reach their goals in the most meaningful and lasting way.

Well, first of all they can sign up and get a free 7-day email mini course by going to: http://www.bestbodymakeover.com

When they sign-up for the free course, they will also receive a free 30-minute strategy coaching session with me.

If they just want to jump right into coaching, they can visit http://www.bestbodymakeover.com/coaching for more information.

Jason – Can anyone, on any fitness level, benefit from your program?

Lauren – Absolutely, and it is never too late to make a change.

Jason – What do you find to be the most common obstacle your clients face when starting your program? Is there a common denominator so to speak that most of your clients face?

Lauren – They struggle with busy schedules and don’t see a way to make time for self-care.

I actually surveyed my readers and time was the number one obstacle. I did a teleseminar with another fitness professional, Marc Lebert called “The Top 10 Reasons Why People Struggle With Their Fitness and Nutrition and What to Do About It”. Now we are launching a 30-day program starting on May 27^th, http://www.bestbodymakeover.com/bbm

Jason – Typically, what’s your biggest challenge as a Wellness Coach?

Lauren -The biggest challenge is everybody wants the quick fix. The body has a slower pace than we would like it to have. It takes a long time to get into a mess and sometimes even longer to get out of one.

We cannot push it, when we try to push, that is an act of desperation and that causes more stress and that unfortunately can create the opposite of the desired effect.

Jason – And what about your biggest reward from what you do? Your client’s rewards, as well as, what makes being a Wellness Coach rewarding to you?

Lauren -I feel happy and grateful for the life I have been given and the journey I am on. This journey has led me to share my service and help others in a meaningful way. I love that I can reach out to so many people through my coaching programs, posting information of value on my blog, and offering free teleseminars on a variety of wellness topics.

You can see by the testimonials posted on my coaching websites the rewards that my clients have achieved.

I love when I see my clients enter the world of AWARENESS. When they discover that “Aha Moment” and they can move ahead with confidence and total conviction that they will achieve their goals. They become literally unstoppable. When they get to that place, they feel so GOOD, and that feeling is contagious, so I feel good and happy to have shared that part of their journey.

Jason – It’s a great feeling isn’t it? Doing what we do?

Lauren -You Jason, are doing some awesome things that are really going to help so many people, and I am excited to know you and watch it all unfold.

Jason – I truly appreciate that Lauren! Very kind words and hopefully we will be watching society change on a whole through our combined efforts! Thanks so much for chatting with us today! I’m sure this will do a fine job of enlightening our readers on Wellness Coaching quite a bit. We would love to have you back in the future if you’d like to join us again. Interested?

Lauren -You bet! And it’s okay to pick up the phone and talk to me the old-fashioned way! Any time, Jason.

Jason – I will make sure and do that! We will work together for years to come, fighting this wellness battle, along the way! Thanks again Lauren. We will have you back soon!

There are many types of sauna. One of the more popular ones is the steamless dry sauna, which means sauna without using steam. This type of sauna is gaining popularity each day. The sauna make use of infrared ray technology to warm our body directly. This is different compared to the traditional steam sauna where the air is warmed.

Far infrared heat has been around for quite some time already. Take for example the warmth that we feel when the sun shines on us on a partly cloudy day. The warmth that we felt is from the far infrared band of the sun’s invisible spectrum of light.

Some health centers uses far infrared heat to keep babies warm. The far infrared ray in a dry sauna is also able to penetrate our skin directly, hence effectively warming our body. In choosing a dry sauna, it is important to look at the infrared heater as some heaters are more suitable for industrial use only.

Check with the manufacturer the surface temperature of the infrared heater. A good dry sauna will come with a front and back heater. The infrared heater should also be strategically located so that it is able to warm you body directly.

A dry sauna should be able to provide the same benefits of using a traditional steam sauna. When using a dry sauna, the far infrared ray penetrates deep into your skin and break down toxins and harmful substances. This in turn is excreted from your body as you sweat.

Water molecules in our body will also began to vibrate when the far infrared heat penetrates the body. The vibration reduces the ion bonds. This in turn results in the breakdown of molecules to release toxin. Using the sauna to detoxin your body is fast becoming one of the most trusted method among many consumers.

Dry saunas are the easiest and most convenient to assemble. Dry sauna does not require plumbing works and putting up a dry sauna room can be as brief as 30 minutes. Just make sure that you have a power source near to where you intend to locate your dry sauna room.

You may also install your own entertainment system such as stereo or even a TV monitor within your dry sauna. This is not possible with the steam sauna. This is a great way to relax while using the sauna. Tune in to some classical music or play your favorite CD.

When you begin to use the far infrared sauna, you should start it by using it for short duration and at a lesser frequency. As your body is getting used to it, you can then increase both the duration and the frequency. Always drink plenty of water to rehydrate your body after each dry sauna session.

If you have ever wondered whether you can use the sauna while pregnant, the safest is to consult a doctor.

Release all meaningless activities. Do you need to read the newspaper and listen to or watch the news every day? Is what you read, listen to or watch helping you create a positive attitude and the realization that through your own efforts and positive thinking anything is possible? So often the negativity of the news drains our optimism and makes us feel helpless in light of seemingly endless wars, calamities and insurmountable problems around the world. If you’re not going to personally get involved with one of these issues, give them no attention.

Release all unnecessary possessions. You’ll have to determine what is necessary for you. Those in the householder stage with children will have different requirements than empty nesters. Our true wealth is not determined by what we possess, but by what does not possess us. Our true wealth is not determined by what we have, but by what we can live happily without. That which we possess needs to be looked after. This takes time and energy; time and energy that could go elsewhere if we had less stuff.

Put your time and energy where your heart is. So often we do things because others expect them of us. Do these activities make us happy? Do they fulfill us? We need to listen to and follow our hearts. Then the whole world supports our every step, we are guided by coincidences, and we find true peace and happiness.

Grow some food of your own, preferably organically. In the supermarket of today we rarely know where our food comes from or how it’s been grown. Some crops are sprayed more than ten times before they are harvested and the chemical residues are absorbed when we eat them. It’s not difficult to create a little vegetable garden and/or plant a few fruit trees. Apartment dwellers can grow micro greens in pots using plants like garlic, onions, buckwheat and lentils. Not only will you eat healthier food, you’ll be reducing your carbon footprint and doing your bit to improve the health of the planet.

Get out of your car and onto your feet. How far do you drive to work? Could you find employment closer to home, or even at home? Time now spent in the car could be used getting exercise if you were able to walk or cycle to work. You’d feel better, lose those unwanted pounds and, again, be reducing your carbon footprint.

Discover natural ways to stay healthier. Rather than just relying on prescriptions from the doctor, heed the advice of Hippocrates: ‘Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.’ So often the side effects of medicines are virtually identical to the symptoms they are prescribed to treat. Read books on natural healing or take courses to upscale your knowledge on how to look after yourself. You’ll save unnecessary trips to the doctor and you’ll feel better mentally, emotionally and physically.

A healthy life is a balanced life, relying on a careful, dynamic interplay between activity and rest. It’s not for nothing Native Americans sometimes call modern civilization ‘Termite People’ because we are forever scurrying about. Look closely at the word ‘business’—‘busy-ness’. We often wear our ‘busy-ness’ like a badge. When someone asks if we are busy, it is expected that we are. Life is a delicate balance between activity and rest. Find that balance.

Put the above ideas in place and your life will be simpler, healthier, richer and more satisfying. This is an organic process, meaning that results come at the right time (which may or may not correspond with your expectations). Just concentrate on thinking and living more simply and leave the results and timing to God.

John Haines is the author of In Search of Simplicity, a startlingly poignant and inspiring real-life endorsement of the power of thought, belief and synchronicity in one’s life.