The Benefit of Whole Grains

Eating whole grains is a wonderful way to remain healthy while you are dieting. There are so many choices available; you will never get bored eating the same thing over and over. Not only will whole-grain foods help you initially lose weight, they will help you keep the weight off, as well.

Carbohydrate rich grains, especially whole grains, are wonderful energy boosters. They help satisfy cravings and assist you in maintaining the proper metabolism.

If you are diabetic, take note. Whole grains have a low Glycemic Index or ‘GI’. This means they are all in excellent menu choice, in regard to blood glucose management.

Certain types of grains are packed with B-complex vitamins and vitamin E, minerals and dietary fiber. All of these things are very healthy for you. These grains include: wheat, rice, oats, buckwheat, barley, bulgur, semolina and couscous.

Dietary Guidelines recommend 5 ounces of grains per day, of which at least half should be whole grains. According to the suggested diet plans, one ounce is equivalent to:

- 1/2 cup cooked rice, pasta, or cooked cereal
- 1 ounce dry pasta or rice
- 1 slice bread
- 1 small muffin
- 1 cup ready-to-eat cereal flakes

Should you decide to eat a whole grain diet, studies show that you are actually reducing your risk of strokes and other chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. There’s also a good chance that you will lower your blood pressure, to boot!

Fiber, the indigestible part of whole grains, has long been known to prevent constipation. It may also reduce the risk of diverticulosis, heart disease, and colon cancer.

When making your next shopping list, consider the following choices. If you are a cereal junkie you might pick up Wheaties, Raisin Bran, All-Bran, oatmeal (I’ve already mentioned how great oatmeal is in an earlier post), Shredded Wheat or Wheatena.

If you aren’t crazy about store-bought wheat bread, you may want to think about purchasing it at a bakery or making it yourself. It really is quite simple if you own a bread machine, like I do. (Just remember to limit your bread intake. After all, we are dieting, right?)

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April 19, 2008 | Filed Under Diet, food | 12 Comments 

Facts about Body Temperature & Exercise

One of the fastest ways to increase the quality of sleep is to start some kind of exercise program. There is no better time than the present. Exercise will improve your quality of sleep in many ways. As I’m sure you know it offers a ton of other health benefits, as well.

Regular exercise will increase your body temperature rhythm and allow your body peak at a higher level. What is the end result of this? You will maintain a higher energy level throughout the day, which in turn will keep you feeling more motivated and in a great mood.Because your body will be peaking at a higher level, your body temperature will also drop faster… this usually results in a deeper, uninterrupted sleep.

You prevent flat lining your body temperature rhythm with daily exercise. This also helps you go to sleep easier on even the most stressful days when exercise is next to impossible. (I’m sure we all have more of those days than we can count.)

Regular exercise delays your body’s nightly temperature drop allowing you to stay awake and alert for longer periods of time. Exercise also relieves stress, a major cause of sleeping disorders.

If exercise isn’t already a part of your daily routine, it’s not too late to start. Just remember, the best time to exercise is early in the morning because it will initiate a quicker temperature rise.

Avoid exercising 3-4 hours before you go to bed, because by that time your body temperature will still be on an upward rise. This will make the process of falling asleep much more difficult.

The actual exercise you participate in doesn’t have to be overly strenuous, for this to work. When I say start exercising, I don’t necessarily mean that you should go join a gym or decide on a full time workout program.

In truth, moderate exercise has most beneficial effects on your body and it’s easy to begin your own workout program right from home. If you are not particularly in favor of monotonous exercise, you have the option choosing alternate physical activities like aerobics, cycling, swimming and walking. Surprisingly, these all have the same effect on raising your body temperature.

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April 14, 2008 | Filed Under exercise, fitness | 19 Comments 

The Versa Stick

It seems that most people who start any kind of fitness program are always on the lookout for new products, which will help them reach their fitness goal more easily. I know I am.

I recently came across an interesting looking product, the Versa Stick. It has been designed with almost everyone in mind. It can be used by bodybuilders just as easy as it can by those participating in a rehabilitation program.

The Versa Stick is portable gym that can accommodate 120 different exercises. It weighs only 3 pounds and features 3 different levels of tubing. (Just think it could accompany you on your next vacation or business trip… so much for the excuse you can’t exercise while traveling.)

The current price of this system is $79.95 (plus tax and shipping). So, as you can see, it is much more affordable than other home gyms, which don’t offer the portability aspect. It comes with the Bar, 3 Levels of Resistance Tubing, Door Anchor, Carabiner, Carry Bag, DVD and Instructional Booklet.

In case you are wondering what a carabiner is… it’s actually an accessory that isn’t included with a lot of resistance tubing based products. You use it when using the door anchor, to chance the level of resistance.

The DVD is over 150 minutes long. It covers six different resistance workouts, details on all of the exercises and an intensive cardio resistance program that is over thirty minutes, in length.

The Versa Stick looks to be quite easy to use. Watch the short video, on the website and you will see what I mean. (The website also features short videos on all of the exercises you can do with it.) It’s not necessary to have prior knowledge of muscle building or any other personal exercise regiment, for that matter. It really looks like it would be a great investment, for a beginner.

Using the Versa Stick will help several muscle groups, including: chest muscles, back muscles, shoulder muscles, arm muscles, leg muscles and core and combo muscle groups.

Many personal trainers utilize this product when working with their clients.

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April 1, 2008 | Filed Under exercise, fitness | 13 Comments 

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