7 Ways To Make Happiness Last

by | Jul 22, 2013 | General Health | 0 comments

Happy As each of us goes about our day-to-day life, it’s easy to stop asking whether we are happy. Oftentimes, we are so caught up in our hectic schedules, problems, and work, we don’t have time to think about what we really want out of life. In the process, we might feel overworked, stressed, tired and grouchy, and take it out on the barista who gets our coffee order wrong, the friend that forgets to call us back or our children that misbehave. What’s important to know, though, is that being in a happier state of mind has a two-fold benefit. First, you are more likely to think positively, be active, and live a conscious life where you are in the driver seat instead of being pulled and tugged by forces that seem out of your control. Second, when you are happier, it creates a ripple effect as those around you respond to your joyful energy and it influences their state of mind, as well. Although you may not realize it, happiness is highly contagious and it’s one bug that everyone wants to get stung by.

Here’s a few tips on how to create happiness ripples by increasing the happiness of yourself and, in the process, those around you:

Focus On Giving
Oftentimes, we feel unhappy when we aren’t getting what we want or need from others. The truth is that we can’t control others but we can look at what we put out into the universe. Give the love you hope to receive today, fully and without reservation. More importantly, give without expecting anything in return. When you give of yourself without expectation, you will be amazed at the fulfillment you will find in the process.

Be Kind To Yourself 
We live in a culture where we often feel that we have to look, act and be perfect, and we are hard on ourselves when we don’t measure up to the unrealistic standards that we set for ourselves. Consciously say nice things to yourself every day. Forgive yourself for making mistakes. Recognize that you are human and there’s only one of you, and that you are wonderful and imperfect and unique and something to celebrate.

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3 Ways To Live A Long And Healthy Life

by | Jul 18, 2013 | General Health | 0 comments

Happy Old Woman After years of studying older folks, a scientist tells us what it takes to age well.

We asked Luigi Ferrucci, MD, PhD, scientific director of the National Institute on Aging, for three critical factors to a long, healthy

Find The Right Stress Level

A little pressure is actually good for you.

“If you never have to react to anything demanding, the mechanisms in your brain that help you deal with taxing situations will atrophy,” Ferrucci says. The key is to find your personal tipping point between pressures that energize and pressures that paralyze you.

Don’t Think Getting Older Is The End Of The World
Researchers found that people in their 30s and 40s who looked on the bright side of aging (it brings wisdom, retirement, and more time with family) were less likely to develop cardiovascular disease later in life — and had lower mortality rates — than those who were more pessimistic.

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Brain Scans Suggest ‘Food Addiction’ Might Be Real

by | Jul 16, 2013 | Carbs, General Health | 0 comments

Fries and Burger New brain scan research supports the notion that some people have a food “addiction,” with foods like white bread or potatoes helping to spur their craving to eat.

Researchers used functional (“real time”) MRI to observe the brain activity of 12overweight or obese men during the crucial four hours after they ate a meal, a period that experts say influences eating behavior during the next meal.

The participants’ blood sugar levels and hunger were also measured during this time.

The men’s “meals” were two milkshakes that had the same calories, taste and sweetness. The only difference was that one milkshake contained high-glycemic index carbohydrates and the other had low-glycemic index carbohydrates.

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Rethinking Bottled Water

by | Jul 15, 2013 | General Health | 0 comments

Bottled Water Over the past decade, bottled water has become an ever-present part of American life. You’ll find bottles of Dasani, Poland Spring, Evian, or Aquafina at the gym, in the checkout line at the grocery store, in the office.

Sales of bottled water nearly doubled between 1997 and 2007, reaching about $11.5 billion. In 2007, Americans drank 29 gallons of water per capita.

But that’s begun to change. From a peak in 2007, bottled water consumption dropped in 2008, down by 3.8% from the previous year. Recently, cities, schools, natural food stores, and restaurants have begun to “buy local” — offering tap water rather than bottled — for environmental and economic reasons. For example, many of the mayors at a meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors voted to phase out the use of bottled water. And more and more individual consumers are following suit.

Picking up a bottle of water at the supermarket or the gym is quick and easy, but it has its costs.

Bottled water is expensive. Depending on where you live, you’ll pay between $1 and $2 for the average 16-ounce bottle. (That’s between 240 and 10,000 times the cost of tap or filtered water.)

Bottled water is hard on the environment. Even though about 23% of plastic water bottles are recycled, that still leaves about 2 million tons of bottles pouring into landfills every year.

Bottled water isn’t necessarily purer than tap water. An investigation by the Environmental Working Group found chemical contaminants in every brand tested — including disinfection byproducts, fertilizer residue, and pain medication.

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FREE Copy of Low Carb Mag

by | Jul 11, 2013 | Diet, Exercise, General Health, Low carb diet, Recipe | 0 comments

LCMJuly768Yes it’s true!! One FULL magazine issue for FREE!!!

Low Carb Mag is a monthly healthy, diet and lifestyle magazine that provides information and inspiration to help you live a better, healthier and more fun low carb lifestyle

Download the free app on iTunes today and then select the issue you’d like to download…. as easy as that!

Here’s the link

High-Intensity Workout Plans: Intervals, CrossFit, Rowing, Swimming, and More

by | Jul 10, 2013 | Exercise, General Health | 0 comments

Workout Looking to blast calories? Get ready — it’s going to be intense.

“It’s got to be high intensity, whatever the workout is, if you’re going to torch calories — not just burn them,” says Bret Emery, a behavioral psychologist andweight loss specialist based in Weston, Fla. “Heart rate is key. That’s the speedometer of the body. If we speed the body up, it will burn more calories, just as a car will burn more fuel if it speeds up.”

Also, you need to mix up your workouts so they stay challenging. This will help keep your heart rate up and force your body to burn more calories, Weston says.

The following workouts will zap calories, but they’ll also push your body way past your comfort zone. So check with your doctor before taking on the challenge. Don’t just tell your doctor you want to work out — let him or her know exactly what you’re planning to do. That way, your doctor can make sure you’re ready.

If you’re not active now, remember that it is better to ease into exercise in order to help prevent injury. Even though you may want to go all-out immediately, it’s wiser not to.

Interval Workout

Interval training is all about challenge and recovery — over and over — for a cardio blast.

You can do intervals many different ways — running, on any sort of cardio equipment, or in a pool.

This particular workout — which comes from Michael Banks, certified personal trainer and owner of Body by Banks Corporation in Salt Lake City — uses a treadmill. If you’re already fit, you can add dumbbells for an extra challenge.

1. Warm Up: On the treadmill, with the incline set at a challenging angle, power walk at a speed of 3-3.5 for 7 minutes. Keep your elbows up above your heart. Stop, get off the treadmill, and stretch.

2. Sprint: Drop the incline to 0, increase the treadmill speed, and sprint hard for 30 seconds. Aim for 90% of your maximum heart rate. To recover, bring your speed down to 3 and walk for one minute.

3. Squats: Get off the treadmill and squat, with your bottom out to the rear and your legs slightly apart. Then jump from the squatting position into the air, landing in the same squat position as before. Do this for one set of 15 or 20, working your quadriceps. If you’re already in good shape, hold dumbbells by your sides.

4. Overhead Presses: Do 15 or 20 overhead presses with the weights, pushing them straight up and directly over your shoulders.

5. Sprint: Get back on the treadmill and sprint for 30 seconds (no incline). The goal is to be at 80% of your maximum heart rate. To recover, decrease your speed to 3.0 and walk for one minute.

6. Tricep Extensions: Using dumbbells, do one set of 15 or 20 overhead tricep extensions. Your elbows should point toward the ceiling, with the weights behind your head. Lift the weights directly above your head and back down again.

7. Pushups. Do one set of 15 push-ups, with your elbows at a 90-degree angle from the body. Modification: Do the push-ups with your knees on the ground, but do 25 instead of 15.

8. Sprint: Back to the treadmill. Sprint for 1 minute, aiming for 70% of your maximum heart rate. To recover, jog for 90 seconds.

9. Jumping Jacks. Do one set of 15 or 20 jumping jacks. If you’re strong enough, add two 10- or 15-pound dumbbells — lift up the weights when you jump out, in an overhead press position, pulling them back down to shoulder height as your legs go back together.

10. Finale: Incline your treadmill to an angle that really challenges you — but don’t hang onto the treadmill’s rails. Walk at a 2.0-3.5 speed for 30 seconds, aiming for 60% of your maximum heart rate. To recover, bring the treadmill down to a 1.0 incline and drop your speed to 1.9 or 2.0 for a 1-minute walk. Finish by stretching.

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