Tips on Burning Fat and Feeling Better!

1. Do aerobics in the morning for about 20 minutes.
2. Don't starve yourself.
3. Eat six times a day.
4. Workout consistently.
5. Eat protein and carbs each meal.
6. Avoid Corn Syrup and High Fructose Corn Syrup.
7. Prepare meals ahead of time.
8. Keep alcohol to a minimum.
9. Snack frequently but wisely. (i.e. air popped popcorn instead of a snickers bar)
10. Build more muscle. (every pound of muscle burns 50 calories just doing nothing!)
11. Watch the fat content.
12. Eat nuts raw.
13. Watch out for salad dressing.
14. Forget the potato chips. (eat baked chips if you have the urge to crunch)
15. Cut back on carbs at night.
16. Read and act!!! "Knowing what to do and doing what you know are two entirely different things!"

(adapted from AKWA, Oct/Nov, 2007, Adita Yrizzary, BS, CPT)

Recognize a Stroke, Save a Life

Remember the "3" steps, STR . Read and Learn!

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.

Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:

S * Ask the individual to SMILE.
T * Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently)
(i.e. It is sunny out today)
R * Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.

If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 999/911 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.
New Sign of a Stroke -------- Stick out Your Tongue
NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out his tongue.. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other , that is also an indication of a stroke.

New Year's Resolutions

It's the New Year and everyone is making resolutions. So what's yours?? Are you going to eat more nutrionally, exercise regularly, not yell as much, stress less, enjoy reading a book, spend more time with friends, or just stay the same??? Reflecting on the past year is as important as making resolutions. Try to keep your resolutions simple and achievable. Here's a few of my resolutions to help you get started: read a book each month, keep organizing and cleaning out the old stuff, take my vitamins and supplements regularly, praise and not criticize my kids and husband, and stay connected to friends and family.

So get going now! If exercise is on your list, try the water for a great workout and less stress on your body. Need more help, post a blog.

Happy New Year!

Warm Relief for Aches and Pains

Simply fill a clean sock with uncooked rice or beans and heat it up in the microwave. You can use them in bed, on the sofa while reading, or directly on your body to relieve an ache or pain.

Fill'er up!

Fill 'er up: Next time your shampoo, body wash, or lotion bottle is empty, take it to a store that sells those items in bulk and fill your container. Many co-op and eco-minded grocery stores offer this option. Also look for "refill packs" when available for products such as diaper wipes: They use up to 90 percent less packaging than regular, hard-plastic containers.

Going Green

Ditch the disposables and use cloth handchiefs and dish towels instead. At the very least, look for paper products made from recycled content. According to manufacturer Seventh Generation, if every household in the United States replaced just one box of 85 sheet virgin fiber facial tissues with 100 percent recycled ones, we’d save 87,700 trees and 31 million gallons of water.

60 Second STRESS BUSTERS

What you can you do about stress?
Reduce stress in 60 seconds or less:
Deep Breathing:
Sit still and take three deep, slow breaths. Try to empty your mind of any thoughts. Concentrate on the breath entering and exiting your nostrils. Feel the air going in and out. Breath deeply and count your breaths backward, starting at 15.
Time Out
When you find yourself in a stressful situation, count to ten before you react. The slower you count, the better this works.
Mental Vacation
Close your eyes. Mentally place yourself in an environment that gives you peace and pleasure. Visualize your fantasy place and what you would do there.
Body Scanning
Yikes. As if your mental stress weren't enough, your body is tensing up and making it worse. Close your eyes and do a mental scan of your body, head to toe. Notice where your body is reacting to stress, then move that area to increase blood flow. If your neck is wired, for example, do head circles. If your shoulders are tight, do shoulder shrugs.
Muscle Releases
Choose a major muscle or an area of tension. Tighten and relax it for 60 seconds.
• Thigh: Extend your leg and contract and release the quadriceps muscles.
• Abdominals: Sit up straight and inhale, lifting the rib cage. Exhale into a very slight crunch, contracting the abs.
• Chest and back: Wrap your arms around yourself as if you were giving yourself a well- deserved hug. Walk your fingers toward your shoulder blades. Pull your shoulder blades as you curl forward, tightening the chest and stretching the back. Then reverse by rolling your shoulders back, squeezing your elbows together behind you.
• Face: Open your face wide--wide eyes, wide jaw--then scrunch it tight. Caution: Only the least inhibited should do this one in public in a well-lit place!
If you've got more than a minute to spare--you're stuck on a plane or bus, for example--you can keep on tightening and releasing different muscle groups. Five minutes will make you feel like a new person.