Yoga
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Eye Exercises
The yoga practitioners attach special importance to eye exercises, for two reasons.
Firstly, a lot of eye problems in later life are due to a loss of tone in the eye muscles. These muscles become rigid, and this loss of elasticity reduces the ability of the lens of the eye to focus at different distances. It also causes the eyesight to become weaker. These exercises tone the eye muscles up and keep them elastic. If you already have eye problems when you begin these exercises, you will find your eyesight improving after a few months.
Secondly, any eye tension present will tend to produce a general feeling of tension, due to the eye's connection to the brain via the optic nerve. What happens is that eye tension produces an increase in the nerve impulses in the eye muscles. This increase in nerve impulses travels along the optic nerve and bombards the brain, causing a general feeling of tension and anxiety. The eye exercises will reduce tension in the eye muscles, as well as reduce general tension.
It is best to do these eye exercises while lying down after you've finished the asanas. This way you're resting after the asanas and doing the eye exercises at the same time, thus reducing the time taken to do your yoga routine.
When doing the eye exercises keep your eyes open and don't move your head.
Sitting (as in the exercises for the neck given above), open your eyes, then check on your posture. Is your spine erect? Hands on the knees? Body relaxed? Head straight? That is how you should always remain while doing eye exercises. The whole body must be motionless; nothing must move except the eyes.
Raise your eyes and find a small point that you can see clearly without straining, without frowning, without becoming tense and, of course, without moving your head. While doing this exercise look at this point each time you raise your eyes.
Next, lower your eyes to find a small point on the floor which you can see clearly when glancing down. Look at it each time you lower your eyes. Breathing should be normal. In other words, you don't have to do deep breathing.
Exercise 1
Move your eyes upwards as far as you can, and then downwards as far as you can. Repeat four more times. Blink quickly a few times 1 to relax the eye muscles.
Exercise 2
Now do the same using points to your right and to your left, at eye level. Keep your raised fingers or two pencils on each side as guides and adjust them so that you can see them clearly when moving the eyes to the right and to the left, but without straining.
Keeping the fingers at eye level, and moving only the eyes, look to the right at your chosen point, then to the left. Repeat four times. Blink several times, then close your eyes and rest.
Exercise 3
Choose a point you can see from the right corner of your eyes when you raise them, and another that you can see from the left corner of your eyes when you lower them, half closing the lids. Remember to retain your original posture: spine erect, hands on knees, head straight and motionless.
Look at your chosen point in right corner up, then to the one in left corner down. Repeat four times. Blink several times. Close the eyes and rest.
Now do the same exercise in reverse. That is, first look to the left corner up, then to the right corner down. Repeat four times. Blink several times. Close the eyes and rest.
Exercise 4
This exercise should not be done until three or four days after you have begun eye exercises given here.
Slowly roll your eyes first clockwise, then counterclockwise as follows: Lower your eyes and look at the floor, then slowly move the eyes to the left, higher and higher until you see the ceiling. Now continue circling to the right, lower and lower down, until you see the floor again. Do this slowly, making a full-vision circle. Blink, close your eyes and rest. Then repeat the same action counterclockwise.
Do this five times then blink the eyes for at least five seconds.
When rolling the eyes, make as large a circle as possible, so that you feet a little strain as you do the exercise. This stretches the eye muscles to the maximum extent, giving better results.
Exercise 5
Next comes a changing-vision exercise. While doing it you alternately shift your vision from close to distant points several times.
Take a pencil, or use your finger, and hold it under the tip of your nose. Then start moving it away, without raising it, until you have fixed it at the closest possible distance where you can see it clearly without any blur. Then raise your eyes a little, look straight into the distance and there find a small point which you can also see very clearly.
Now look at the closer point-the pencil or your finger tip then shift to the farther point in the distance. Repeat several times, blink, close your eyes and squeeze them tight.
Exercise 6
Close your eyes as tightly as you possibly can. Really squeeze the eyes, so the eye muscles contract. Hold this contraction for three seconds, and then let go quickly.
This exercise causes a deep relaxation of the eye muscles, and is especially beneficial after the slight strain caused by the eye exercises. Blink the eyes a few times.
Exercise 7
This exercise is called 'palming' and is very relaxing to the eyes. It is also most important for preserving the eyesight. Palming also has a beneficial, relaxing effect on your nervous system.
It's an ideal way to finish off the eye exercises.
Remain seated on the floor. Draw up your knees, keeping your feet on the floor and slightly apart. Now briskly rub your palms to charge them with electricity and place the cupped palms over your closed eyes. The fingers of the right hand should be crossed over the fingers of the left hand on the forehead. The elbows should rest on your raised knees and the neck should be kept straight. Don't bend your head. Do the deep breathing while palming your eyes.
If you are going to do the palming for longer than a few minutes, better sit down at a table, place some books or pillows in front of you to support your elbows so that you will be able to keep the neck straight, and palm the eyes in this position. If the palming is done for only a short period one can do deep breathing for half a minute or so at first, gradually increasing it every week.
Benefits:
This exercise helps to do away with eye strain, and tension. Your vision will get better and clearer as the ophthalmic, or eye, nerves receive a richer supply of blood. Some people use this to improve their vision.
[Go To: Corpse Pose (savasana) ]
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
safe water
The Health Benefits of Drinking Water
Even in developed countries there are cases of people falling sick and even dying from drinking unsafe water. It is no secret that there is a correlation between contaminated drinking water and a variety of diseases and health problems. It is necessary and prudent to be aware of the different water contaminants, especially the most common ones.
Groundwater and surface water can actually be contaminated in a number of ways. It is very easy for a contaminant to seep, wash or deposit itself in close proximity to the water that you drink. The most common contaminants are:
Living organisms: these bacteria are commonly found in septic tanks and manure
Domestic contaminants: can often occur when ordinary household products like soap or fertilizer mix with drinking water.
Industrial contaminants: these pollutants may be emitted by industry or by a gradual build-up over the years and always in the case of an industrial accident.
Protect Yourself with a drinking water filtration system
The health benefits of drinking clean water are many and thankfully with the right tools, getting clean water is easily done. There are several steps you can take to ensure that your water is safe to drink including:
-Mandatory testing (water quality check) of your water supply using our water test kits or through a certified laboratory will provide you with the most important information to select the appropriate water treatment system.
-Having an appropriate water filtration system: we offer a variety of drinking water filtration systems that are specifically designed for a home application. Our models differ only in the quantity and type of filtration, but all can provide water that is free from chlorine, sediment, bacteria or other contaminants.
-Excel Water Technologies Inc. provides you a detailed solution finder which will help you identify your specific requirements.
Your Best Defense
Being aware of the health benefits of purified drinking water for yourself and your family gives you reason enough to ensure that your own water is clean and safe to drink. Excel Water Technologies Inc. is able to offer you the right solutions with a number of water filtration systems that meet your specific needs.
Contact us with your inquiries: info@excelwater.com
Even in developed countries there are cases of people falling sick and even dying from drinking unsafe water. It is no secret that there is a correlation between contaminated drinking water and a variety of diseases and health problems. It is necessary and prudent to be aware of the different water contaminants, especially the most common ones.
Groundwater and surface water can actually be contaminated in a number of ways. It is very easy for a contaminant to seep, wash or deposit itself in close proximity to the water that you drink. The most common contaminants are:
Living organisms: these bacteria are commonly found in septic tanks and manure
Domestic contaminants: can often occur when ordinary household products like soap or fertilizer mix with drinking water.
Industrial contaminants: these pollutants may be emitted by industry or by a gradual build-up over the years and always in the case of an industrial accident.
Protect Yourself with a drinking water filtration system
The health benefits of drinking clean water are many and thankfully with the right tools, getting clean water is easily done. There are several steps you can take to ensure that your water is safe to drink including:
-Mandatory testing (water quality check) of your water supply using our water test kits or through a certified laboratory will provide you with the most important information to select the appropriate water treatment system.
-Having an appropriate water filtration system: we offer a variety of drinking water filtration systems that are specifically designed for a home application. Our models differ only in the quantity and type of filtration, but all can provide water that is free from chlorine, sediment, bacteria or other contaminants.
-Excel Water Technologies Inc. provides you a detailed solution finder which will help you identify your specific requirements.
Your Best Defense
Being aware of the health benefits of purified drinking water for yourself and your family gives you reason enough to ensure that your own water is clean and safe to drink. Excel Water Technologies Inc. is able to offer you the right solutions with a number of water filtration systems that meet your specific needs.
Contact us with your inquiries: info@excelwater.com
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
aromatherapy
Aromatherapy and Essential Oils Blog - AromaTalk « Using Aromatic Herbs | Main
May 23, 2010
Expand Your Aromatherapy Education
Much can be learned about essential oils and aromatherapy through the extensive array of aromatherapy books that have been published, AromaWeb, AromaTalk, the Web sites of AromaWeb's valued advertisers, aromatherapy organizations, blogs and networking with other aromatherapy enthusiasts through facebook or Twitter.
But...
The depth of information that you learn from these sources still isn't as expansive, focused or as complete as what you can learn through a more formal education in the field of aromatherapy. And it certainly isn't comprehensive enough to be able to pursue a formal career in the field of aromatherapy. In many ways, aromatherapy combines both science and art. Even if your interest in aromatherapy will not evolve into a professional pursuit, taking a course in aromatherapy can dramatically strengthen your knowledge within the many facets that aromatherapy entails. And if you do have desire to work within the aromatherapy field as a practitioner, education and training is an absolute must. A formal education in aromatherapy is also a tremendous advantage to those that aspire to become artisans, manufacturers or sellers of aromatherapy products.
Some schools and instructors provide their curriculum in a classroom setting. Some schools/educators plan their classes to accommodate students who must travel to the school to attend. Some also offer long distance or online programs for those students that do not reside in close proximity to the school.
For a list of aromatherapy educators, look to AromaWeb's Schools & Educators Directory, the National Association of Holistic Aromatherapy List of Approved Schools and the Alliance of International Aromatherapists List of Recognized Schools.
For more information on the ways to strengthen your knowledge of aromatherapy, view AromaWeb's Aromatherapy Education article.
Special Note to Experienced Aromatherapy Educators: If you do not already appear wtih within AromaWeb's Schools & Educators Directory, click here to learn how you can become listed.
Talk about this post and keep in touch with AromaWeb via facebook:
Posted at 08:39 AM in Advertiser Spotlight, Aromatherapy Tips | Permalink
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May 23, 2010
Expand Your Aromatherapy Education
Much can be learned about essential oils and aromatherapy through the extensive array of aromatherapy books that have been published, AromaWeb, AromaTalk, the Web sites of AromaWeb's valued advertisers, aromatherapy organizations, blogs and networking with other aromatherapy enthusiasts through facebook or Twitter.
But...
The depth of information that you learn from these sources still isn't as expansive, focused or as complete as what you can learn through a more formal education in the field of aromatherapy. And it certainly isn't comprehensive enough to be able to pursue a formal career in the field of aromatherapy. In many ways, aromatherapy combines both science and art. Even if your interest in aromatherapy will not evolve into a professional pursuit, taking a course in aromatherapy can dramatically strengthen your knowledge within the many facets that aromatherapy entails. And if you do have desire to work within the aromatherapy field as a practitioner, education and training is an absolute must. A formal education in aromatherapy is also a tremendous advantage to those that aspire to become artisans, manufacturers or sellers of aromatherapy products.
Some schools and instructors provide their curriculum in a classroom setting. Some schools/educators plan their classes to accommodate students who must travel to the school to attend. Some also offer long distance or online programs for those students that do not reside in close proximity to the school.
For a list of aromatherapy educators, look to AromaWeb's Schools & Educators Directory, the National Association of Holistic Aromatherapy List of Approved Schools and the Alliance of International Aromatherapists List of Recognized Schools.
For more information on the ways to strengthen your knowledge of aromatherapy, view AromaWeb's Aromatherapy Education article.
Special Note to Experienced Aromatherapy Educators: If you do not already appear wtih within AromaWeb's Schools & Educators Directory, click here to learn how you can become listed.
Talk about this post and keep in touch with AromaWeb via facebook:
Posted at 08:39 AM in Advertiser Spotlight, Aromatherapy Tips | Permalink
Technorati Tags: aromatherapy, directory, education, essential oils, guide, instructors, learning, schools, training
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Categories
Advertiser Spotlight
Aromatherapy News
Aromatherapy Tips
AromaWeb News
Books
Breast Cancer Awareness
Current Affairs
Essential Oil Spotlights
Gardening
General Wellbeing
Herbs/Herbalism
Nutrition
Ramblings
Seasonal
Skin Care
Spirituality
Web/Tech
Welcome
General Information
About AromaTalk
About AromaWeb
AromaTalk Policies and Terms of Use
Archives
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
More...
AromaWeb Advertiser Blogs
100PureEssentialOils.com
Aromaconnection
Aromahead
Australasian College of Health Sciences
Flower Power
Indie Business
Natural Beauty Workshop
Nature's Gift
Sacred Herbals
SunRose Aromatics
West Coast Institute of Aromatherapy
The Winged Seed
Your Body Needs
AromaWeb Advertisers:
Let me know if you would like me to link to your aromatherapy related blog.
Click here to discover the benefits and affordability of advertising on AromaWeb.
Follow this blog
Subscribe to
AromaTalk's Feed
Friday, May 21, 2010
pesticides
EWG's list of non-organic pesticide content in produce (US-based)
Scientists have found that exposure to pesticide residues on vegetables and fruit may double a child's risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) a condition that causes inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity or a combination of all three in children.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, between three and seven percent of school age children in the United States have ADHD, which makes them impulsive and impairs concentration in the classroom.
In the study, researchers with the University of Montreal and Harvard University tested the urine of more than 1,100 children, between the ages of eight and 15, looking for breakdown products of organophosphate pesticides. 119 of the children in the study had been diagnosed with ADHD.
"What we saw was that the higher the level of pesticide residues in the urine, the higher the risk of ADHD in the children," said Maryse Bouchard, who led the team of researchers.
Investigators found the risk of ADHD was almost double in youngsters with higher levels of the most common breakdown metabolite, compared to children with nearly undetectable levels.
Researchers say 40 organophosphate pesticides are registered with the U.S. government.
Organophosphates are among the most widely used pesticides by growers to protect fruit and vegetables. Studies have showed that organophosphates cause hyperactivity and cognitive defects in laboratory animals, as well as neural changes.
Bouchard, who is with the University of Montreal's Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, says she is not surprised by the finding, although she cautions it is too early to draw any firm conclusions.
"We can't affirm that exposure to pesticides is causing ADHD," she added. "We would need a different kind of study to say that."
Lynn Goldman is with the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health in Baltimore. Goldman says the use of pesticides, including organophosphates, is widespread in developing countries, where children are exposed to high levels of pesticides through farming.
"Those kids have much more serious, much more severe, neurological problems," said Goldman. "So, we do see evidence of effects in those populations globally."
Goldman says studies will probably now be conducted in other nations to determine how pesticides affect brain development in children.
A 2008 study of produce in the United States found organophosphate residues in 28 percent of frozen blueberry samples, 25 percent of fresh strawberry samples and 19 percent of celery samples.
The new study on pesticides and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder appears in the journal Pediatrics.
Scientists have found that exposure to pesticide residues on vegetables and fruit may double a child's risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) a condition that causes inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity or a combination of all three in children.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, between three and seven percent of school age children in the United States have ADHD, which makes them impulsive and impairs concentration in the classroom.
In the study, researchers with the University of Montreal and Harvard University tested the urine of more than 1,100 children, between the ages of eight and 15, looking for breakdown products of organophosphate pesticides. 119 of the children in the study had been diagnosed with ADHD.
"What we saw was that the higher the level of pesticide residues in the urine, the higher the risk of ADHD in the children," said Maryse Bouchard, who led the team of researchers.
Investigators found the risk of ADHD was almost double in youngsters with higher levels of the most common breakdown metabolite, compared to children with nearly undetectable levels.
Researchers say 40 organophosphate pesticides are registered with the U.S. government.
Organophosphates are among the most widely used pesticides by growers to protect fruit and vegetables. Studies have showed that organophosphates cause hyperactivity and cognitive defects in laboratory animals, as well as neural changes.
Bouchard, who is with the University of Montreal's Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, says she is not surprised by the finding, although she cautions it is too early to draw any firm conclusions.
"We can't affirm that exposure to pesticides is causing ADHD," she added. "We would need a different kind of study to say that."
Lynn Goldman is with the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health in Baltimore. Goldman says the use of pesticides, including organophosphates, is widespread in developing countries, where children are exposed to high levels of pesticides through farming.
"Those kids have much more serious, much more severe, neurological problems," said Goldman. "So, we do see evidence of effects in those populations globally."
Goldman says studies will probably now be conducted in other nations to determine how pesticides affect brain development in children.
A 2008 study of produce in the United States found organophosphate residues in 28 percent of frozen blueberry samples, 25 percent of fresh strawberry samples and 19 percent of celery samples.
The new study on pesticides and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder appears in the journal Pediatrics.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
sleep
11 Reasons Why You Absolutely Need More Sleep
There’s nothing better than that feeling of waking up completely and utterly refreshed. Feeling so good that you virtually spring out of bed, already enthusing about how marvelous the day ahead is sure to be.
Of course it’s a shame that the last time you woke feeling that way was on summer break in your college days, but hey - that’s the way it goes, isn’t it?
These days, sleep is little more than something that cuts into your every-day hectic schedule. Sure, you love going to sleep, and you definitely acknowledge that you need to sleep at least a few hours, but the reality is that you simply cannot prioritize it above everything else in your life. I mean, you're already behind on Twitter messages as it is.
Besides, you function extremely well on just 5 or 6 hours thank-you very much. In fact, you’re quite proud of it.
Well sorry to burst your bubble, but what if I were to tell you that lack of sleep is one of the Western world’s foremost reasons for increased obesity, heart disease, and diabetes? That it’s physiologically impossible for you to ‘get away with’ a lack of sleep? The truth is that what you in fact have is a very massive and very demanding sleep debt. And the interest is mounting.
It’s funny how you can start to make just a little more time for something when you truly believe and understand how important it is. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the foremost reasons for a good night’s sleep. Read these and you’ll soon realize that not only can sleep transform your weight and your health, it just might save your life.
1.Studies have shown that staying up all night long (being awake for 17 or more hours) can leave you with a reaction response comparable to that of an intoxicated person with a blood alcohol reading of greater than 0.5. This makes you a definite danger to yourself and to others. Of course this lack of physical and mental control does not simply ‘happen’ at minus 8 hours. For every hour you stay awake you decrease your ability to focus and perform throughout the coming days.
2.Insufficient sleep results in an incomplete hormonal cycle. This means your body cannot produce daytime hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline when it needs them first thing. As a result, you depend on stimulants to keep you going, and set yourself up for another poor night’s sleep. You can’t escape the always tired but always wired cycle you’ve set up for yourself.
3.A classic symptom of this ‘tired but wired’ cycle is not feeling hungry in the morning, or feeling nauseous when you do eat breakfast. Never imagine that this is a convenient way to save on time and calories – the food that you eat first thing stimulates your metabolism and aids in detoxification. Without a good breakfast to line your belly you set yourself up for low energy and poor eating patterns the rest of the day.
4.A poor sleep cycle causes your body to create patterns that will enable you to handle the ongoing sleep of your go-go-go lifestyle. One of these patterns is an excessive release of stress hormones such as cortisol – particularly in the evening. Stress hormones allow you to keep going, but they’re also the ones that keep you up at night, and what’s more - they signal your body to store fat. And that’s regardless of how you’re eating or exercising.
5.Physical patterns such as the release of stress hormones are just one part of the equation. The other thing you need to consider is the compensation patterns that you yourself end up creating. An extra coffee here, a few pieces of candy there, the decision to have that mid-afternoon muffin. When you’re tired your defenses are down and it’s easy to think that these little things don’t count. But they could be the one thing stopping you from losing weight and improving your health.
6.Speaking of sugar, those mid-afternoon cravings are not just in your head. When you don’t have enough sleep your brain continually sends out urgent messages for quick energy. This is a survival instinct – it’s all about keeping you as alert and focused as possible. Will power alone can’t override these cravings - not when you’re fighting your own physiology. This just makes it harder to stick to your healthy eating goals, and the sugar slump doesn’t do you any favors either. The really scary part is that these daily indulgences can mean the hormone named insulin is constantly elevated and you’re setting yourself up for possible diabetes.
7.In fact, it’s not just the mid-afternoon cravings that’ll get you when you’re tired. The truth is that you’ll find yourself eating far more on a daily basis, and that you’ll tend to do it all day long. Breakfast aside, no doubt. You’ll also tend to make poorer choices – more processed foods, more sugary sodas, more starchy carbohydrates or fried foods. And it’s pretty tough to escape this cycle when your eyes are stinging and your motivation is at an all-time low. Leading sleep researchers T.S. Wiley and Bent Formby, Ph.D, in their book ‘Lights Out: Sleep, Sugar, And Survival’ show a close connection between a lack of sleep and the increasing existence of obesity in our society.
8.One of the most unfair symptoms of sleep debt is that inability to wind down come evening time. Of course it shouldn’t really be much of a surprise – not when you’ve spent the better part of the day jacked up on caffeine and sugar. And even if you haven’t, your nervous system is in overdrive which keeps you buzzing all night long but leaves you groggy and useless in the morning. There’s only one way out of this mess, and it’s not more coffee.
9.Back ache, neck ache, tummy ache, headache … when you’re tired it sometimes just seems as though everything hurts. According to Paul Chek, H.H.P, as stated in his book “How To Eat, Move And Be Healthy”, physical repair takes place while you’re sleeping, and it happens in the first half of the night – around 10pm-2am. If you skip those vital first few hours and hit the sack post-midnight with the alarm set for 6 or 7am, your body simply cannot rejuvenate your muscle cells, or indeed any of your cells. This leaves you physically weaker and with constant ailments.
10.Of course you could try going to bed on time and getting up super-early if you still can’t afford yourself a full 8 hours, but according to Paul you’d then you’d be skipping out on crucial psychological repair. This takes place approximately between 2am and 6am, and is directly linked to your mental focus, your moods, and your ability to maintain a positive mindset. Imagine the effects of a lack of sleep over time – small wonder so many people find themselves heading down the dark road of depression or anxiety.
11.It’s pretty hard to climb off the wheel of life when you barely have the energy to get through the day. Missing out on sleep could be costing you a lot more than you realize if it means you’re stuck in the rut of your day-to-day life and simply can’t even begin to contemplate what it would take to make some changes. Whether it’s testing the waters for a new career or a promotion, ending or beginning a relationship, or even just trying out that hobby you’ve been shelving for so long, chances are it’s not going to happen when you’re frazzled and burnt out.
Missing even half an hour of sleep every night adds up to an impressive sleep debt of 182.5 hours per year. There’s no short-cut to paying of this debt, nor can you outrun it’s constant and grueling effects on your health. Next time you tell yourself that you can get by, stop and consider just how big your sleep debt is right now. And consider that the nights are dark for a reason, that your body sends you physical and emotional responses to tiredness for a reason. Maybe it’s time to listen to those messages and see just what you’re missing out on.
The good news is that increasing your sleep by as little as half an hour, or even 15 minutes, every night can immediately and drastically improve the way you feel and function. For most of us it’s not possible to drop everything and implement drastic change, but the benefits of sleep don’t have to be a case of ‘all or nothing’. Why not treat yourself to an extra half hour shut eye tonight and start to soak up the health rewards right away?
There’s nothing better than that feeling of waking up completely and utterly refreshed. Feeling so good that you virtually spring out of bed, already enthusing about how marvelous the day ahead is sure to be.
Of course it’s a shame that the last time you woke feeling that way was on summer break in your college days, but hey - that’s the way it goes, isn’t it?
These days, sleep is little more than something that cuts into your every-day hectic schedule. Sure, you love going to sleep, and you definitely acknowledge that you need to sleep at least a few hours, but the reality is that you simply cannot prioritize it above everything else in your life. I mean, you're already behind on Twitter messages as it is.
Besides, you function extremely well on just 5 or 6 hours thank-you very much. In fact, you’re quite proud of it.
Well sorry to burst your bubble, but what if I were to tell you that lack of sleep is one of the Western world’s foremost reasons for increased obesity, heart disease, and diabetes? That it’s physiologically impossible for you to ‘get away with’ a lack of sleep? The truth is that what you in fact have is a very massive and very demanding sleep debt. And the interest is mounting.
It’s funny how you can start to make just a little more time for something when you truly believe and understand how important it is. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the foremost reasons for a good night’s sleep. Read these and you’ll soon realize that not only can sleep transform your weight and your health, it just might save your life.
1.Studies have shown that staying up all night long (being awake for 17 or more hours) can leave you with a reaction response comparable to that of an intoxicated person with a blood alcohol reading of greater than 0.5. This makes you a definite danger to yourself and to others. Of course this lack of physical and mental control does not simply ‘happen’ at minus 8 hours. For every hour you stay awake you decrease your ability to focus and perform throughout the coming days.
2.Insufficient sleep results in an incomplete hormonal cycle. This means your body cannot produce daytime hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline when it needs them first thing. As a result, you depend on stimulants to keep you going, and set yourself up for another poor night’s sleep. You can’t escape the always tired but always wired cycle you’ve set up for yourself.
3.A classic symptom of this ‘tired but wired’ cycle is not feeling hungry in the morning, or feeling nauseous when you do eat breakfast. Never imagine that this is a convenient way to save on time and calories – the food that you eat first thing stimulates your metabolism and aids in detoxification. Without a good breakfast to line your belly you set yourself up for low energy and poor eating patterns the rest of the day.
4.A poor sleep cycle causes your body to create patterns that will enable you to handle the ongoing sleep of your go-go-go lifestyle. One of these patterns is an excessive release of stress hormones such as cortisol – particularly in the evening. Stress hormones allow you to keep going, but they’re also the ones that keep you up at night, and what’s more - they signal your body to store fat. And that’s regardless of how you’re eating or exercising.
5.Physical patterns such as the release of stress hormones are just one part of the equation. The other thing you need to consider is the compensation patterns that you yourself end up creating. An extra coffee here, a few pieces of candy there, the decision to have that mid-afternoon muffin. When you’re tired your defenses are down and it’s easy to think that these little things don’t count. But they could be the one thing stopping you from losing weight and improving your health.
6.Speaking of sugar, those mid-afternoon cravings are not just in your head. When you don’t have enough sleep your brain continually sends out urgent messages for quick energy. This is a survival instinct – it’s all about keeping you as alert and focused as possible. Will power alone can’t override these cravings - not when you’re fighting your own physiology. This just makes it harder to stick to your healthy eating goals, and the sugar slump doesn’t do you any favors either. The really scary part is that these daily indulgences can mean the hormone named insulin is constantly elevated and you’re setting yourself up for possible diabetes.
7.In fact, it’s not just the mid-afternoon cravings that’ll get you when you’re tired. The truth is that you’ll find yourself eating far more on a daily basis, and that you’ll tend to do it all day long. Breakfast aside, no doubt. You’ll also tend to make poorer choices – more processed foods, more sugary sodas, more starchy carbohydrates or fried foods. And it’s pretty tough to escape this cycle when your eyes are stinging and your motivation is at an all-time low. Leading sleep researchers T.S. Wiley and Bent Formby, Ph.D, in their book ‘Lights Out: Sleep, Sugar, And Survival’ show a close connection between a lack of sleep and the increasing existence of obesity in our society.
8.One of the most unfair symptoms of sleep debt is that inability to wind down come evening time. Of course it shouldn’t really be much of a surprise – not when you’ve spent the better part of the day jacked up on caffeine and sugar. And even if you haven’t, your nervous system is in overdrive which keeps you buzzing all night long but leaves you groggy and useless in the morning. There’s only one way out of this mess, and it’s not more coffee.
9.Back ache, neck ache, tummy ache, headache … when you’re tired it sometimes just seems as though everything hurts. According to Paul Chek, H.H.P, as stated in his book “How To Eat, Move And Be Healthy”, physical repair takes place while you’re sleeping, and it happens in the first half of the night – around 10pm-2am. If you skip those vital first few hours and hit the sack post-midnight with the alarm set for 6 or 7am, your body simply cannot rejuvenate your muscle cells, or indeed any of your cells. This leaves you physically weaker and with constant ailments.
10.Of course you could try going to bed on time and getting up super-early if you still can’t afford yourself a full 8 hours, but according to Paul you’d then you’d be skipping out on crucial psychological repair. This takes place approximately between 2am and 6am, and is directly linked to your mental focus, your moods, and your ability to maintain a positive mindset. Imagine the effects of a lack of sleep over time – small wonder so many people find themselves heading down the dark road of depression or anxiety.
11.It’s pretty hard to climb off the wheel of life when you barely have the energy to get through the day. Missing out on sleep could be costing you a lot more than you realize if it means you’re stuck in the rut of your day-to-day life and simply can’t even begin to contemplate what it would take to make some changes. Whether it’s testing the waters for a new career or a promotion, ending or beginning a relationship, or even just trying out that hobby you’ve been shelving for so long, chances are it’s not going to happen when you’re frazzled and burnt out.
Missing even half an hour of sleep every night adds up to an impressive sleep debt of 182.5 hours per year. There’s no short-cut to paying of this debt, nor can you outrun it’s constant and grueling effects on your health. Next time you tell yourself that you can get by, stop and consider just how big your sleep debt is right now. And consider that the nights are dark for a reason, that your body sends you physical and emotional responses to tiredness for a reason. Maybe it’s time to listen to those messages and see just what you’re missing out on.
The good news is that increasing your sleep by as little as half an hour, or even 15 minutes, every night can immediately and drastically improve the way you feel and function. For most of us it’s not possible to drop everything and implement drastic change, but the benefits of sleep don’t have to be a case of ‘all or nothing’. Why not treat yourself to an extra half hour shut eye tonight and start to soak up the health rewards right away?
Monday, May 17, 2010
nutrients
Do you like to keep up on nutrition, but are a bit puzzled sometimes about what you hear or read? Do you wonder what makes a carbohydrate simple or complex? Or what the difference is between a macronutrient and a micronutrient?
Know Your Nutrients
The body needs nutrients from foods and beverages for many vital functions including healthy growth and development, and smooth-running organs and body systems.
There are six types of nutrients: carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals and water. Carbohydrates, protein and fat are called macronutrients because our bodies need them in larger amounts. Vitamins and minerals are called micronutrients because our bodies need them in smaller amounts.
Learn more about each type of nutrient below.
Macronutrients - Maximize Your Knowledge
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are the body’s main energy source, supplying 4 calories per gram. Carbohydrates are found in many foods and beverages including cereal, bread, rice, pasta, milk, vegetables, fruits, fruit juices, table sugar and honey. Carbohydrates are built from sugar units, and are classified as either simple carbohydrates or complex carbohydrates.
Simple carbohydrates are made up of one or two sugar units. They are found in sweet foods and drinks such as fruits, fruit juices, sweetened cereals, desserts, soft drinks, jam, syrup and table sugar. Complex carbohydrates are made up of many sugar units. They are found in starchy foods such as cereal, potatoes, pasta, beans and vegetables.
Dietary fiber is a type of complex carbohydrate that passes through the body without being digested. Fiber is found in whole grain cereals and breads, dried beans and peas, fruits and vegetables.
There are two types of dietary fiber—insoluble and soluble. Insoluble fiber promotes regularity by adding bulk to the stool, which helps it pass more quickly through the body. Insoluble fiber is found in foods such as bran cereals, whole-wheat bread, fruits and vegetables. Soluble fiber slows digestion, which helps minimize spikes in blood glucose, and helps lower blood cholesterol. Soluble fiber is found in foods such as oatmeal, barley, beans, peas and many fruits and vegetables.
Health experts recommend getting 45 to 65 percent of daily calories from carbohydrates.
Protein
The body breaks down the protein we eat into amino acids, which build, repair and maintain body tissues. The body needs protein for healthy growth and development, and to make hormones, antibodies, enzymes and tissues. Protein is found in meat, poultry, fish, milk products, grains and beans, and supplies 4 calories per gram.
Health experts recommend getting 10 to 35 percent of daily calories from protein.
Fats
The body needs dietary fats for proper growth and development, a healthy nervous system and skin, to aid the absorption and transport of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K through the blood, and to store energy in the body. Fats are made up of a mix of saturated and unsaturated fats. All fats supply 9 calories per gram.
Saturated fats are solid at room temperature and mainly found in animal foods such as fatty cuts of meat, whole milk, cheese, ice cream, butter, cream and lard. Tropical oils (palm oil, palm kernel oil, and coconut oil) also contain higher amounts of saturated fat. Eating too much saturated fat increases risk of heart disease by raising total cholesterol and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol.
Unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature and mainly found in plant foods. There are three types of unsaturated fats: polyunsaturated, monounsaturated and trans fats.
Polyunsaturated fats are found in corn, soy and safflower oils, sunflower and sesame oil and seeds, walnuts, flaxseed, and fatty fish such as salmon. Monounsaturated fats are found in canola, olive and peanut oils, peanuts, almonds and avocados. Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are considered healthful choices because they do not raise LDL cholesterol and help replace saturated fats in the diet.
Trans fats are formed when unsaturated liquid plant oils are partially hydrogenated, a process which makes them more solid and similar to saturated fats. Trans fats increase total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, and lower HDL (“good”) cholesterol.
•Health experts recommend getting 20 to 35 percent of daily calories from fats. Limit less than 10% of calories from saturated fatty acids and less than 300mg /day of cholesterol, and keep trans fatty acid consumption as low as possible.
Micronutrients - No Small Feat
Vitamins and minerals are micronutrients that are crucial to many body processes. Many vitamins and minerals are essential, meaning we must get them from food or a dietary supplement such as a multivitamin.
Vitamins are classified as water-soluble or fat-soluble vitamins. The body doesn’t store water-soluble vitamins—excess amounts are excreted in the urine—so, you need an adequate supply of these vitamins each day. The body does store fat-soluble vitamins, so regularly consuming excessive amounts can be toxic.
Water-Soluble Vitamins
•B vitamins
◦B1 (thiamin)
◦B2 (riboflavin)
◦B3 (niacin)
◦B6 (pyroxidine)
◦B7 (biotin—also known as vitamin H)
◦B9 (folate)
◦B12 (cobalamin)
•Pantothenic acid
•Vitamin C
Fat-Soluble Vitamins
•Vitamin A
•Vitamin D
•Vitamin E
•Vitamin K
Minerals are classified as macrominerals or microminerals (also known as trace minerals) based on how much or little the body needs.
Macrominerals
•Calcium
•Magnesium
•Phosphorus
•Sodium
•Potassium
Microminerals
•Cadmimum
•Chromium
•Copper
•Flouride
•Iodine
•Iron
•Manganese
•Nickel
•Selenium
•Tin
•Zinc
Water - Clearly Required for Good Health
Water is often called the “forgotten” essential nutrient, but is vital for our health. Water helps transport nutrients and oxygen to cells and carries waste products out of the body. It helps regulate body temperature, is part of most body fluids such as blood, sweat and tears, moistens body tissues in the eyes, mouth and nose, and cushions the organs and joints.
The human body is about 50 to 75 percent water, depending on age, gender, body composition, food intake, physical activity level and environmental factors such as how hot it is outside.
The body stays hydrated from the water found in fluids such as drinking water, milk, juice, coffee, tea and soft drinks. Many foods such as fruits and vegetables supply water, too.
Learn more about water intake guidelines from the Institute of Medicine’s recommendations for water intake for the general public, including children.
Know Your Nutrients
The body needs nutrients from foods and beverages for many vital functions including healthy growth and development, and smooth-running organs and body systems.
There are six types of nutrients: carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals and water. Carbohydrates, protein and fat are called macronutrients because our bodies need them in larger amounts. Vitamins and minerals are called micronutrients because our bodies need them in smaller amounts.
Learn more about each type of nutrient below.
Macronutrients - Maximize Your Knowledge
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are the body’s main energy source, supplying 4 calories per gram. Carbohydrates are found in many foods and beverages including cereal, bread, rice, pasta, milk, vegetables, fruits, fruit juices, table sugar and honey. Carbohydrates are built from sugar units, and are classified as either simple carbohydrates or complex carbohydrates.
Simple carbohydrates are made up of one or two sugar units. They are found in sweet foods and drinks such as fruits, fruit juices, sweetened cereals, desserts, soft drinks, jam, syrup and table sugar. Complex carbohydrates are made up of many sugar units. They are found in starchy foods such as cereal, potatoes, pasta, beans and vegetables.
Dietary fiber is a type of complex carbohydrate that passes through the body without being digested. Fiber is found in whole grain cereals and breads, dried beans and peas, fruits and vegetables.
There are two types of dietary fiber—insoluble and soluble. Insoluble fiber promotes regularity by adding bulk to the stool, which helps it pass more quickly through the body. Insoluble fiber is found in foods such as bran cereals, whole-wheat bread, fruits and vegetables. Soluble fiber slows digestion, which helps minimize spikes in blood glucose, and helps lower blood cholesterol. Soluble fiber is found in foods such as oatmeal, barley, beans, peas and many fruits and vegetables.
Health experts recommend getting 45 to 65 percent of daily calories from carbohydrates.
Protein
The body breaks down the protein we eat into amino acids, which build, repair and maintain body tissues. The body needs protein for healthy growth and development, and to make hormones, antibodies, enzymes and tissues. Protein is found in meat, poultry, fish, milk products, grains and beans, and supplies 4 calories per gram.
Health experts recommend getting 10 to 35 percent of daily calories from protein.
Fats
The body needs dietary fats for proper growth and development, a healthy nervous system and skin, to aid the absorption and transport of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K through the blood, and to store energy in the body. Fats are made up of a mix of saturated and unsaturated fats. All fats supply 9 calories per gram.
Saturated fats are solid at room temperature and mainly found in animal foods such as fatty cuts of meat, whole milk, cheese, ice cream, butter, cream and lard. Tropical oils (palm oil, palm kernel oil, and coconut oil) also contain higher amounts of saturated fat. Eating too much saturated fat increases risk of heart disease by raising total cholesterol and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol.
Unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature and mainly found in plant foods. There are three types of unsaturated fats: polyunsaturated, monounsaturated and trans fats.
Polyunsaturated fats are found in corn, soy and safflower oils, sunflower and sesame oil and seeds, walnuts, flaxseed, and fatty fish such as salmon. Monounsaturated fats are found in canola, olive and peanut oils, peanuts, almonds and avocados. Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are considered healthful choices because they do not raise LDL cholesterol and help replace saturated fats in the diet.
Trans fats are formed when unsaturated liquid plant oils are partially hydrogenated, a process which makes them more solid and similar to saturated fats. Trans fats increase total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, and lower HDL (“good”) cholesterol.
•Health experts recommend getting 20 to 35 percent of daily calories from fats. Limit less than 10% of calories from saturated fatty acids and less than 300mg /day of cholesterol, and keep trans fatty acid consumption as low as possible.
Micronutrients - No Small Feat
Vitamins and minerals are micronutrients that are crucial to many body processes. Many vitamins and minerals are essential, meaning we must get them from food or a dietary supplement such as a multivitamin.
Vitamins are classified as water-soluble or fat-soluble vitamins. The body doesn’t store water-soluble vitamins—excess amounts are excreted in the urine—so, you need an adequate supply of these vitamins each day. The body does store fat-soluble vitamins, so regularly consuming excessive amounts can be toxic.
Water-Soluble Vitamins
•B vitamins
◦B1 (thiamin)
◦B2 (riboflavin)
◦B3 (niacin)
◦B6 (pyroxidine)
◦B7 (biotin—also known as vitamin H)
◦B9 (folate)
◦B12 (cobalamin)
•Pantothenic acid
•Vitamin C
Fat-Soluble Vitamins
•Vitamin A
•Vitamin D
•Vitamin E
•Vitamin K
Minerals are classified as macrominerals or microminerals (also known as trace minerals) based on how much or little the body needs.
Macrominerals
•Calcium
•Magnesium
•Phosphorus
•Sodium
•Potassium
Microminerals
•Cadmimum
•Chromium
•Copper
•Flouride
•Iodine
•Iron
•Manganese
•Nickel
•Selenium
•Tin
•Zinc
Water - Clearly Required for Good Health
Water is often called the “forgotten” essential nutrient, but is vital for our health. Water helps transport nutrients and oxygen to cells and carries waste products out of the body. It helps regulate body temperature, is part of most body fluids such as blood, sweat and tears, moistens body tissues in the eyes, mouth and nose, and cushions the organs and joints.
The human body is about 50 to 75 percent water, depending on age, gender, body composition, food intake, physical activity level and environmental factors such as how hot it is outside.
The body stays hydrated from the water found in fluids such as drinking water, milk, juice, coffee, tea and soft drinks. Many foods such as fruits and vegetables supply water, too.
Learn more about water intake guidelines from the Institute of Medicine’s recommendations for water intake for the general public, including children.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Yoga
Yoga
Yoga is a Sanskrit word. It has many meanings. It is derived from the Sanskrit root yuj meaning 'unite'. Union of Jivatma (Individual soul) with paramatma (Universal soul or God) is called Yoga. Meaning of Yoga is very vast.
Yoga is associated with all the religions of India. Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism have adopted meditation practices of Yoga. Yoga is also one of the six Astika (orthodox) schools of Hindu philosophy. Texts on Vedas, Upanishads, Hindu Tantras and Buddhist Tantras have all extensively use the Yogic practices.
Major branches of Yoga are Jnanayoga, Bhaktiyoga, Karmayoga and Rajayoga. Veda and Upanishads are the source of Jnanayoga, Narada Bhaktisutra is a text on Bhaktiyoga, Bhagavadgita is an authoritative text on Karmayoga and Patanjala Yoga sutras on Rajayoga. Bhagavadgita covers all the major Yogas. Hathayoga is a major branch of Rajayoga. Hathayoga Pradipike, Shiva Samhita and Gheranda Samhita are the major texts on Hathayoga.
Now a days in West the word "Yoga" is more associated with physical exercises and yogasanas which have therapeutic use. The word "Yoga" is mainly associated with Hathayoga and Yogasanas(Postures). A beginner in the path of Yoga is called Yogarudha. An advanced practitioner of Yoga is called "Yogi"(masculine gender) and "Yogini" (feminine gender)
Yoga is a Sanskrit word. It has many meanings. It is derived from the Sanskrit root yuj meaning 'unite'. Union of Jivatma (Individual soul) with paramatma (Universal soul or God) is called Yoga. Meaning of Yoga is very vast.
Yoga is associated with all the religions of India. Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism have adopted meditation practices of Yoga. Yoga is also one of the six Astika (orthodox) schools of Hindu philosophy. Texts on Vedas, Upanishads, Hindu Tantras and Buddhist Tantras have all extensively use the Yogic practices.
Major branches of Yoga are Jnanayoga, Bhaktiyoga, Karmayoga and Rajayoga. Veda and Upanishads are the source of Jnanayoga, Narada Bhaktisutra is a text on Bhaktiyoga, Bhagavadgita is an authoritative text on Karmayoga and Patanjala Yoga sutras on Rajayoga. Bhagavadgita covers all the major Yogas. Hathayoga is a major branch of Rajayoga. Hathayoga Pradipike, Shiva Samhita and Gheranda Samhita are the major texts on Hathayoga.
Now a days in West the word "Yoga" is more associated with physical exercises and yogasanas which have therapeutic use. The word "Yoga" is mainly associated with Hathayoga and Yogasanas(Postures). A beginner in the path of Yoga is called Yogarudha. An advanced practitioner of Yoga is called "Yogi"(masculine gender) and "Yogini" (feminine gender)
Saturday, May 15, 2010
14 Myths About Fitness, Exercises And Workouts That Everyone Ought To Know
14 Myths About Fitness, Exercises And Workouts That Everyone Ought To Know
Myths are stories, legends or invented explanations that are retold so often that they are accepted as truth. They should not be that way, and they have no place in any individual’s fitness routine. Below are 14 of the most common myths on fitness, exercises and workouts that you and I should know about.
1.When you stop working out, muscles will turn into fat
image source
It’s the most typical workout myth in the world. Muscle has never and will never turn into fat and neither does fat turn into muscle. During weight training, more energy is required, hence a bigger appetite. When a person stops working out, the need for extra energy stops as well. But because the stomach size has increased due to a bigger appetite, the need to feel full has become a habit. Those extra calories that were once used as fuel while training is now stored as fat. It may seem like the bulk of muscle has turned into fat, but the truth is that the body became fatter due to eating more than previously needed.
Be it protein or carbohydrates, both turns into fat when not used. Cutting back on training requires you to cut back on food consumption as well.
1.Food eaten after 8 at night will turn into body fat
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Not entirely true. For people who workout during the later part of a day, it is important to eat accordingly. Whenever there is a need for the body to repair and rebuild, fuel is needed and the body most actively repairs during during sleep. However, it is more important to eat healthier foods during the later part of a day like lean meat, unsaturated fats, vegetables and fruits to avoid the risk of unwanted fat deposits. Give the body at least 2 hours to digest the food before going to bed.
1.Six pack abs equal six hundred sit ups and crunches daily
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Everyone has six pack abs. Abdominal exercises do not lead to clearly visible six pack abs but fat reduction does. The first place that fat goes to in the body, is the last place fat comes off. Tummy for men and hips, butt, thighs for women. Spot reduction of fat has never and will never work. Here are some of the lesser known facts about losing weight that people ought to know about.
A six pack abs is a definite want for any man working out for it is a social muscle. Ab exercises will definitely strengthen and tone the abs but does not rid the fat. A better use of time would be to spend it on interval cardio sessions and making sure that proper food is fed to the body.
I actually have a personal digital body fat analyzer that I use from time to time that gives me a rough idea of my body’s current state. Accuracy may not be as good as a DXA but it’s good enough for me. You can easily get one at less than $US 10 from online auction sites like ebay.
1.Stretching and warm up isn’t necessary
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I hit the gym everyday. And everyday I’ll take up 10 minutes to stretch and warm up my body from head to toe. It is necessary to avoid sprains and injuries. Even after a good day’s workout, I stretch. It greatly reduces the severity of DOMS, delayed onset muscle soreness, which will be pretty much appreciated the morning after. Here are 20 more solid reasons why warm up and stretching is important.
1.Supplements will boost muscle growth and strength in no time
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There are only 2 ways to make the most gains in mass and might.
•A good training program.
•A well planned out diet.
Time and energy should be focused on the 2 methods mentioned above rather than on supplements that claim to be able to bring out the Arnold in you. Some supplements may have serious and irreversible side effects if taken wrongly. For example, steroids taken wrongly may lead to a loss of appetite, constipation, intestinal irritation, vomiting, nose bleeding, headaches, increased aggression and even liver cancer. It’s way better to attain the results we want naturally. Think safe, think long term. Our body’s health should not be taken lightly.
1.Weight training will make women look beefy
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To look beefy, you’d need testosterone. Lots of it. Hundreds and hundreds of nanograms per deciliter of blood. The average testosterone levels for a human being are :
•Male : 300-1,000 ng/dl
•Female : 20-80 ng/dl
Women just do not have the testosterone levels necessary to look like The Rock in Scorpion King. As a matter of fact, weight training is the fastest and easiest way for women to look leaner, sculpted and toned. Light to moderate weights and many repetitions are the most effective for toning and strengthening and make you look like Megan Fox in Transformers.
1.Vegetarians will not make it in bodybuilding
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It’s so wrong. There is Bill Pearl who won Mr Universe twice, first in 1953 kicking Sean Connery’s ass (6th), and in 1971 before retiring. 1951 Mr America, Roy Hilligenn is another perfect example who still looks young as hell at 77 years old. You can see more of today’s vegetarian bodybuilders at veganbodybuilding.com.
Vegetarians get their protein from nuts, seeds, cereals and legumes. B12 vitamin and iodin are 2 other essential nutrients available through seaweed.
1.Your body weakens with age
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It’s all in the mind. Think old and you’ll look old and act old. The fact is, body building doesn’t only improve your physique and rejuvenates your spirit, but also gives you a healthy perspective on people and the world around. Some of the older bodybuilders include :
•John Pasco, born 1928
•Bill Pearl, born 1930
•Steve Holt, born 1954
With regular exercise, weight training and a low-fat diet, you’ll gain increased energy levels, leaner body mass and an optimum body fat percentage. With the big 90 around the corner, people still do experience renewed strength, increased mobility, stronger bones and greater flexibility by exercising.
1.The longer time I spend at the gym, the fitter I become
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For me, it’s no longer than 60 minutes 3 times a week. The focus here is on efficiency and effectiveness like this super cool 15 minutes workout that works every muscle in your body. An average bodybuilder does not spend more than 1 hour working out. People who just don’t have the time to workout that much will lose interest and motivation to exercise, if the myth were true. The point is, any exercise, at all, done correctly is better than none.
1.If I don’t feel pain in the morning, I didn’t work out hard enough
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When we lift weights, our muscle fibers will tear a little. Muscle soreness is expected, but normally heals within a week. Anything more than a week is an indication of over working out. Committing to a fitness program will eventually lead the muscle into getting used to it. Changing a fitness program regularly will ensure that all muscles are worked on and experiencing growth.
However, what happens in the gym is only meant to PROMOTE muscle growth. The REAL process begins only when a person is RECOVERING. Pain should not be used as a measurement of a workout session’s effectiveness. Some soreness, yes, but not pain. Always remember to stretch before and after. Get enough rest and work on different muscle groups on different days. Rest a day if the muscles are still sore.
•shoulders
•upper back
•arms
•chest
•abs & lower back
•legs
1.Avoid drinking water when your body is over heated
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An average human body’s water content is 60% for men and 55% for women. In my body, 86 out of 143 pounds is water. If the body’s water content drops 5%, it’s already considered dehydration. An hour of vigorous exercise is enough to drain a quart (~1 liter). Drinking before, during and after is pretty important.
During exercise, muscles generate heat that will cause a rise in body temperature. This heat is doused by water when it is carried in the bloodstream and pushed to the surface as bullets of sweat. It continues to drain water from the body until it is replenished. Thirst is already a sign of dehydration. Drink a cup every 15 minutes. Keeps the muscles oiled and the body productive.
1.There is no need for doctors if I don’t plan on biting off more than I can chew
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If you have never done any resistance training before in your life and you’re above 40, it’s best to consult your doc. Go for a physical exam that examines the temperature, blood pressure, pulse and respiratory rate. Things that concern your cardiovascular fitness, blood cholesterol levels and medical history should also be taken into account. Ask doc about the best exercise given your medical profile.
1.The prime time for exercising and working out is in the mornings
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Correction. The best time to exercise is the time that works with the individual’s body clock and fits their busy days. People working out in the morning are more likely to stick to their fitness plans as they are able to get it in before the various demands of life compete for their time.
Many, many people believe that the best way to lose fat is to start pushing your body right after waking up in the mornings, on an empty stomach. I say no. Exercise is meant for toning the muscle and burning fat. Inability to draw energy from the main source will only force the body to go to other sources of energy, which are your muscles and fat. More muscles are used up as fuel as their composition is much simpler compared to fat.
1.It is okay to cover a week’s worth of workout during the weekend
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It’s also much better spreading a workout all over the week instead of pounding the body during weekends. A weekend warrior will lose out on other health benefits. Blood pressure and glucose levels are temporarily lowered during each exercise, which are beneficial in the long run. Exercising regularly also keeps a person’s appetite consistent.
Myths are stories, legends or invented explanations that are retold so often that they are accepted as truth. They should not be that way, and they have no place in any individual’s fitness routine. Below are 14 of the most common myths on fitness, exercises and workouts that you and I should know about.
1.When you stop working out, muscles will turn into fat
image source
It’s the most typical workout myth in the world. Muscle has never and will never turn into fat and neither does fat turn into muscle. During weight training, more energy is required, hence a bigger appetite. When a person stops working out, the need for extra energy stops as well. But because the stomach size has increased due to a bigger appetite, the need to feel full has become a habit. Those extra calories that were once used as fuel while training is now stored as fat. It may seem like the bulk of muscle has turned into fat, but the truth is that the body became fatter due to eating more than previously needed.
Be it protein or carbohydrates, both turns into fat when not used. Cutting back on training requires you to cut back on food consumption as well.
1.Food eaten after 8 at night will turn into body fat
image source
Not entirely true. For people who workout during the later part of a day, it is important to eat accordingly. Whenever there is a need for the body to repair and rebuild, fuel is needed and the body most actively repairs during during sleep. However, it is more important to eat healthier foods during the later part of a day like lean meat, unsaturated fats, vegetables and fruits to avoid the risk of unwanted fat deposits. Give the body at least 2 hours to digest the food before going to bed.
1.Six pack abs equal six hundred sit ups and crunches daily
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Everyone has six pack abs. Abdominal exercises do not lead to clearly visible six pack abs but fat reduction does. The first place that fat goes to in the body, is the last place fat comes off. Tummy for men and hips, butt, thighs for women. Spot reduction of fat has never and will never work. Here are some of the lesser known facts about losing weight that people ought to know about.
A six pack abs is a definite want for any man working out for it is a social muscle. Ab exercises will definitely strengthen and tone the abs but does not rid the fat. A better use of time would be to spend it on interval cardio sessions and making sure that proper food is fed to the body.
I actually have a personal digital body fat analyzer that I use from time to time that gives me a rough idea of my body’s current state. Accuracy may not be as good as a DXA but it’s good enough for me. You can easily get one at less than $US 10 from online auction sites like ebay.
1.Stretching and warm up isn’t necessary
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I hit the gym everyday. And everyday I’ll take up 10 minutes to stretch and warm up my body from head to toe. It is necessary to avoid sprains and injuries. Even after a good day’s workout, I stretch. It greatly reduces the severity of DOMS, delayed onset muscle soreness, which will be pretty much appreciated the morning after. Here are 20 more solid reasons why warm up and stretching is important.
1.Supplements will boost muscle growth and strength in no time
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There are only 2 ways to make the most gains in mass and might.
•A good training program.
•A well planned out diet.
Time and energy should be focused on the 2 methods mentioned above rather than on supplements that claim to be able to bring out the Arnold in you. Some supplements may have serious and irreversible side effects if taken wrongly. For example, steroids taken wrongly may lead to a loss of appetite, constipation, intestinal irritation, vomiting, nose bleeding, headaches, increased aggression and even liver cancer. It’s way better to attain the results we want naturally. Think safe, think long term. Our body’s health should not be taken lightly.
1.Weight training will make women look beefy
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To look beefy, you’d need testosterone. Lots of it. Hundreds and hundreds of nanograms per deciliter of blood. The average testosterone levels for a human being are :
•Male : 300-1,000 ng/dl
•Female : 20-80 ng/dl
Women just do not have the testosterone levels necessary to look like The Rock in Scorpion King. As a matter of fact, weight training is the fastest and easiest way for women to look leaner, sculpted and toned. Light to moderate weights and many repetitions are the most effective for toning and strengthening and make you look like Megan Fox in Transformers.
1.Vegetarians will not make it in bodybuilding
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It’s so wrong. There is Bill Pearl who won Mr Universe twice, first in 1953 kicking Sean Connery’s ass (6th), and in 1971 before retiring. 1951 Mr America, Roy Hilligenn is another perfect example who still looks young as hell at 77 years old. You can see more of today’s vegetarian bodybuilders at veganbodybuilding.com.
Vegetarians get their protein from nuts, seeds, cereals and legumes. B12 vitamin and iodin are 2 other essential nutrients available through seaweed.
1.Your body weakens with age
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It’s all in the mind. Think old and you’ll look old and act old. The fact is, body building doesn’t only improve your physique and rejuvenates your spirit, but also gives you a healthy perspective on people and the world around. Some of the older bodybuilders include :
•John Pasco, born 1928
•Bill Pearl, born 1930
•Steve Holt, born 1954
With regular exercise, weight training and a low-fat diet, you’ll gain increased energy levels, leaner body mass and an optimum body fat percentage. With the big 90 around the corner, people still do experience renewed strength, increased mobility, stronger bones and greater flexibility by exercising.
1.The longer time I spend at the gym, the fitter I become
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For me, it’s no longer than 60 minutes 3 times a week. The focus here is on efficiency and effectiveness like this super cool 15 minutes workout that works every muscle in your body. An average bodybuilder does not spend more than 1 hour working out. People who just don’t have the time to workout that much will lose interest and motivation to exercise, if the myth were true. The point is, any exercise, at all, done correctly is better than none.
1.If I don’t feel pain in the morning, I didn’t work out hard enough
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When we lift weights, our muscle fibers will tear a little. Muscle soreness is expected, but normally heals within a week. Anything more than a week is an indication of over working out. Committing to a fitness program will eventually lead the muscle into getting used to it. Changing a fitness program regularly will ensure that all muscles are worked on and experiencing growth.
However, what happens in the gym is only meant to PROMOTE muscle growth. The REAL process begins only when a person is RECOVERING. Pain should not be used as a measurement of a workout session’s effectiveness. Some soreness, yes, but not pain. Always remember to stretch before and after. Get enough rest and work on different muscle groups on different days. Rest a day if the muscles are still sore.
•shoulders
•upper back
•arms
•chest
•abs & lower back
•legs
1.Avoid drinking water when your body is over heated
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An average human body’s water content is 60% for men and 55% for women. In my body, 86 out of 143 pounds is water. If the body’s water content drops 5%, it’s already considered dehydration. An hour of vigorous exercise is enough to drain a quart (~1 liter). Drinking before, during and after is pretty important.
During exercise, muscles generate heat that will cause a rise in body temperature. This heat is doused by water when it is carried in the bloodstream and pushed to the surface as bullets of sweat. It continues to drain water from the body until it is replenished. Thirst is already a sign of dehydration. Drink a cup every 15 minutes. Keeps the muscles oiled and the body productive.
1.There is no need for doctors if I don’t plan on biting off more than I can chew
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If you have never done any resistance training before in your life and you’re above 40, it’s best to consult your doc. Go for a physical exam that examines the temperature, blood pressure, pulse and respiratory rate. Things that concern your cardiovascular fitness, blood cholesterol levels and medical history should also be taken into account. Ask doc about the best exercise given your medical profile.
1.The prime time for exercising and working out is in the mornings
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Correction. The best time to exercise is the time that works with the individual’s body clock and fits their busy days. People working out in the morning are more likely to stick to their fitness plans as they are able to get it in before the various demands of life compete for their time.
Many, many people believe that the best way to lose fat is to start pushing your body right after waking up in the mornings, on an empty stomach. I say no. Exercise is meant for toning the muscle and burning fat. Inability to draw energy from the main source will only force the body to go to other sources of energy, which are your muscles and fat. More muscles are used up as fuel as their composition is much simpler compared to fat.
1.It is okay to cover a week’s worth of workout during the weekend
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It’s also much better spreading a workout all over the week instead of pounding the body during weekends. A weekend warrior will lose out on other health benefits. Blood pressure and glucose levels are temporarily lowered during each exercise, which are beneficial in the long run. Exercising regularly also keeps a person’s appetite consistent.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Tips for Understanding Anxiety Symptoms
Tips for Understanding Anxiety Symptoms
Anxiety attack is a serious medical condition that affects the lives of millions of Americans. The condition is characterized by an extreme onset of fear, anxiety and/or panic that usually lasts for several minutes. It can occur randomly or can be triggered by specific situations. In any case, identifying the symptoms of the condition is the first step towards a solution. Listed below are the common symptoms associated with anxiety attacks.
1. Difficulty speaking and concentrating. The person experiencing an anxiety attack or extreme anxiety typically has difficulty getting focused and speaking properly. They may stumble upon their words, stutter, and feel like they can't get their thoughts under control.
2. Chest pains or tightness. Someone who has a tendency of having anxiety attacks usually stops breathing properly. This can cause severe chest pains or tightness, difficulty swallowing, and from limited oxygen intake.
3. Agitated and overexcited. Those who always rush and are always hyper maybe suffering from anxiety disorder. They often feel that they cannot rest and so they keep on moving or working.
4. Tingling sensation in the hands and feet. This is a sign that indicates that a person is close to experience a panic attack. This is caused by a lack of oxygen circulating in the body due to shallow breathing.
5. Increased blood pressure and heart rate. Anxiety attacks cause an increase in blood pressure and heart rate. People describe the feeling as having a heart attack.
6. Food cravings. Sufferers of anxiety attacks may turn to food to alleviate their negative feelings. They often take-in foods rich in fats, carbohydrates, and sugar since these types of foods provide a temporary energy boost and relief to their ill feelings. However, the relief does not last long and it may even leave the sufferer worst off.
7. Fatigue and exhaustion. Anxiety attacks sufferers may feel constant fatigue since the condition causes a lot of stress to their minds and body. In addition, they usually cannot recover from the stress since they cannot get quality rest and sleep.
Anxiety symptoms vary from person to person, and may be more pronounced in some people than in others. The intensity and effects of an anxiety attack can occur based on the person's chemical makeup, frequency of other attacks, and other factors. Recognizing these symptoms as they happen can help to understand what is triggering an anxiety attack or general feelings of anxiety, and what needs to be done to correct the problem.
Anxiety usually affects all facets of a person's life. However, anxiety attacks can be treated with one or a combination of these options: behavioral therapy, lifestyle change, nutritional supplements and pharmaceutical drugs.
Millions of people suffer from panic disorders that can occur when in public or just travelling away from home. Now there is a drug free anxiety treatment that can help you to overcome the fearful thoughts that may lead to panic attacks.
Anxiety attack is a serious medical condition that affects the lives of millions of Americans. The condition is characterized by an extreme onset of fear, anxiety and/or panic that usually lasts for several minutes. It can occur randomly or can be triggered by specific situations. In any case, identifying the symptoms of the condition is the first step towards a solution. Listed below are the common symptoms associated with anxiety attacks.
1. Difficulty speaking and concentrating. The person experiencing an anxiety attack or extreme anxiety typically has difficulty getting focused and speaking properly. They may stumble upon their words, stutter, and feel like they can't get their thoughts under control.
2. Chest pains or tightness. Someone who has a tendency of having anxiety attacks usually stops breathing properly. This can cause severe chest pains or tightness, difficulty swallowing, and from limited oxygen intake.
3. Agitated and overexcited. Those who always rush and are always hyper maybe suffering from anxiety disorder. They often feel that they cannot rest and so they keep on moving or working.
4. Tingling sensation in the hands and feet. This is a sign that indicates that a person is close to experience a panic attack. This is caused by a lack of oxygen circulating in the body due to shallow breathing.
5. Increased blood pressure and heart rate. Anxiety attacks cause an increase in blood pressure and heart rate. People describe the feeling as having a heart attack.
6. Food cravings. Sufferers of anxiety attacks may turn to food to alleviate their negative feelings. They often take-in foods rich in fats, carbohydrates, and sugar since these types of foods provide a temporary energy boost and relief to their ill feelings. However, the relief does not last long and it may even leave the sufferer worst off.
7. Fatigue and exhaustion. Anxiety attacks sufferers may feel constant fatigue since the condition causes a lot of stress to their minds and body. In addition, they usually cannot recover from the stress since they cannot get quality rest and sleep.
Anxiety symptoms vary from person to person, and may be more pronounced in some people than in others. The intensity and effects of an anxiety attack can occur based on the person's chemical makeup, frequency of other attacks, and other factors. Recognizing these symptoms as they happen can help to understand what is triggering an anxiety attack or general feelings of anxiety, and what needs to be done to correct the problem.
Anxiety usually affects all facets of a person's life. However, anxiety attacks can be treated with one or a combination of these options: behavioral therapy, lifestyle change, nutritional supplements and pharmaceutical drugs.
Millions of people suffer from panic disorders that can occur when in public or just travelling away from home. Now there is a drug free anxiety treatment that can help you to overcome the fearful thoughts that may lead to panic attacks.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
quotes
On this page you'll find favorite quotes.
• "What we think, we become." - Buddha
• "You can cheat an honest man but you can not make a fool out of him." - Confucius
• "Anyone willing to give up liberty in exchange for security deserves neither." - Benjamin Franklin
• "It is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters in the end." - Ursula LeGuin
• "I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul." - W. E. Henley (Invictus)
• "Dream is the spark of passion; talent is the firework of its expression; perseverance, the sacred fire of its accomplishment." - Daniel Chabot
• "I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it." - Thomas Jefferson
• "Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration." - Thomas Edison
• "Time isn't a commodity, something you pass around like cake. Time is the substance of life. When anyone asks you to give your time, they're really asking for a chunk of your life." - Antoinette Bosco
• "Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart." - Eleanor Roosevelt
• "Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence." - Helen Keller
• "Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly." - Robert F. Kennedy
• "The wise adapt themselves to circumstances, as water molds itself to the pitcher." - Chinese Proverb
• "Begin challenging your own assumptions. Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in while, or the light won't come in." - Alan Alda
• "To measure up to all that is demanded of him, a man must overestimate his capacities." - Goethe
• "Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness." - Chinese Proverb
• "No man is free who is not master of himself." - Epictetus
• "To talk much and arrive nowhere is the same as climbing a tree to catch a fish." - Ancient Chinese Proverb
• "One person with a belief is equal to a force of ninety-nine who have only interests." - John Stuart Mill
• "Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." - Albert Einstein
• "The simple function of man is to live, not just exist." - Jack London
• "Our greatest glory consists not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
• "Believe you can and you're halfway there." - Theodore Roosevelt
• "Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens." - J.R.R. Tolkien
• "Most of our obstacles would melt away if, instead of cowering before them, we should make up our minds to walk boldly through them." - Orison Swett Marden
• "Happy people plan actions, they don't plan results." - Dennis Wholey
• "Only those who dare, truly live." - Ruth Freedman
• "Obstacles are necessary for success... victory comes only after many struggles and countless defeats. Yet each struggle, each defeat, sharpens your skills and strengths, your courage and your endurance, your ability and your confidence and thus each obstacle is a comrade-in-arms forcing you to become better... or quit. Each rebuff is an opportunity to move forward; turn away from them, avoid them, and you throw away your future." - Og Mandino
• "Aim at perfection in everything, though in most things it is unattainable. However, they who aim at it, and persevere, will come much nearer to it than those whose laziness and despondency make them give it up as unattainable." - Lord Chesterfield
• "Keep your fears to yourself, but share your courage with others." - Robert Louis Stevenson
• "When you have no choice, mobilize the spirit of courage." - Jewish proverb
• "All problems become smaller if you don't dodge them, but confront them." - William F. Halsey
• "You have not converted a man because you have silenced him." - John Morley
• "Without passion man is a mere latent force and possibility, like the flint which awaits the shock of the iron before it can give forth it's spark." - Henri-Frederic Amiel
• "Nurture your mind with great thoughts." - Benjamin Disraeli
• "Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still." - Chinese proverb
• "Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
• "I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day." - E. B. White
• "Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power. If you realize that you have enough, you are truly rich." - Tao Te Ching
• "Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life; define yourself." - Harvey Fierstein
• "If you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary that at least once in your life you doubt, as far as possible, all things." - Rene Descartes
• "The mind is owned by the self and can make a hell of heaven or heaven of hell." - John Milton
• "Our mind is capable of passing beyond the dividing line we have drawn for it. Beyond the pairs of opposites of which the world consists, other, new insights begin." - Hermann Hesse
• "The mind has exactly the same power as the hands; not merely to grasp the world, but to change it." - Colin Wilson
• "Allow yourself to be inspired. Allow yourself to succeed. Dare to excel." - Vince Dente
• "It ain't easy to get movers and shakers to believe in you until you have a track record. So go make your own track and build your own record." - Jack R. Stanley
• "To find yourself, think for yourself." - Socrates
• "A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself. What one can be, one must be." - Abraham Moslow
• "Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself." - Leo Tolstoy
• "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." - Sir Winston Churchill
• "Only those who attempt the absurd will achieve the impossible. I think it's in my basement, let me go upstairs and check." - M.C. Escher
• "Action is the fundamental key to all success." - Pablo Picasso
• "Great things are done by a series of small things brought together." - Vincent Van Gogh
• "If you stop searching, you stop living, because then you're dwelling in the past. If you're not reaching forward to any growth or future, you might as well be dead." - Wynn Bullock
• "Motivation will almost always beat mere talent." - Norman R. Augustine
• "Give to the world the best you have, and the best will come back to you." - Madeline S. Bridges
• "It takes a certain level of aspiration before one can take advantage of opportunities that are clearly offered." - Michael Harrington
• "Ambition is a commendable attribute, without which no man succeeds. Only inconsiderate ambition imperils." - Warren G. Harding
• "Everyone has a talent. What is rare is the courage to nurture it in solitude and to follow the talent to the dark places where it leads." - Erica Jong
• "The greatest thing a man can do in this world is to make the most possible out of the stuff that has been given him. This is success, and there is no other." - Orison Swett Marden
• "I learned that it is the weak who are cruel, and that gentleness is to be expected only from the strong." - Leo Rosten
• "Our plans miscarry because they have no aim. When a man does not know what harbor he is making for, no wind is the right wind." - Seneca
• "When written in Chinese, the word 'crisis' is composed of two characters. One represents danger, and the other represents opportunity." - John F. Kennedy
• "Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength." - Arnold Schwarzenegger
• "If you neglect your art for one day it will neglect you for two." - Chinese Proverb
• "On the human chessboard, all moves are possible." - Miriam Schiff
• "Patience and fortitude conquer all things." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
• "A man can succeed at almost anything for which he has unlimited enthusiasm." - Charles M. Schwab
• "You must accept that you might fail; then, if you do your best and still don't win, at least you can be satisfied that you tried. If you don't accept failure as a possibility, you don't set high goals, you don't branch out, you don't try – you don't take the risk." - Rosalynn Carter
• "If you have a 'why' to live by, you can live with any 'how'." - Nietzsche
• "It doesn't matter how much you want. What really matters is how much you want it. The extent and complexity of the problem does not matter was much as does the willingness to solve it." - Ralph Marston
• "You must be the change you want to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi
• "For a man to achieve all that is demanded of him he must regard himself as greater than he is." - Goethe
• "The secret of a leader lies in the tests he has faced over the whole course of his life and the habit of action he develops in meeting those tests." - Gail Sheehy
• "Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got a hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it onto future generations." - George Bernard Shaw
• "Following the Noble Path is like entering a dark room with a light in the hand; the darkness will all be cleared away, and the room will be filled with light." - Buddha
• "The truth is more important than the facts." - Frank Lloyd Wright
• "Veritas Lux Mea" - Latin Proverb, means "The truth is my light."
• "One never knows what each day is going to bring. The important thing is to be open and ready for it." - Henry Moore
• "Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
• "Dreams do not vanish, so long as people do not abandon them." - Phantom F. Harlock
• "All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them." - Walt Disney
• "Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal." - Ralph Vaull Starr
• "I prefer to be a dreamer among the humblest, with visions to be realized, than lord among those without dreams and desires." - Khalil Gibran
• "All people dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their mind, wake in the morning to find that it was vanity. But the dreamers of the day are dangerous people, for they dream their dreams with open eyes, and make them come true." - T.E. Lawrence
• "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined." - Henry David Thoreau
• "Imagination rules the world." - Napoleon Bonaparte
• "The important thing is this: To be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become." - Charles du Bois
• "Reach high, for the stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal." - Pamela Vaull Starr
• "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." - Martin Luther King, Jr.
• "Yesterday is but today's memory and tomorrow is but today's dream." - Kahlil Gibran
• "All we see or seem is but a dream within a dream." - Edgar Allen Poe
• "Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one." - Albert Einstein
• "Art is a step from what is obvious and well-known toward what is arcane and concealed." - Kahlil Gibran
• "If being an egomaniac means I believe in what I do and in my art or music, then in that respect you can call me that ... I believe in what I do, and I'll say it." - John Lennon
• "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined." - Henry David Thoreau
• "I learned that it is the weak who are cruel, and that gentleness is to be expected only from the strong." - Leo Rosten
• "The empires of the future are the empires of the mind." - Sir Winston Churchill
• "Everyone has a talent. What is rare is the courage to nurture it in solitude and to follow the talent to the dark places where it leads." - Erica Jong
• "The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at best, knows the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat." - Theodore Roosevelt
• "Sooner or later we all discover that the important moments in life are not the advertised ones, not the birthdays, the graduations, the weddings, not the great goals achieved. The real milestones are less prepossessing. They come to the door of memory unannounced, stray dogs that amble in, sniff around a bit and simply never leave. Our lives are measured by these." - Susan B. Anthony
• "This above all; to thine own self be true." - William Shakespeare
• "The highest reward for a person's toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it." - John Ruskin
• "The only Zen you find on the tops of mountains is the Zen you bring up there." - Robert M. Pirsig
• "If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is—infinite." - William Blake, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell
• "No matter how deep a study you make. What you really have to rely on is your own intuition and when it comes down to it, you really don't know what's going to happen until you do it." - Konosuke Matsushita
• "Temet Nosce" - Latin Proverb, means "Know Thyself."
• "What we think, we become." - Buddha
• "You can cheat an honest man but you can not make a fool out of him." - Confucius
• "Anyone willing to give up liberty in exchange for security deserves neither." - Benjamin Franklin
• "It is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters in the end." - Ursula LeGuin
• "I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul." - W. E. Henley (Invictus)
• "Dream is the spark of passion; talent is the firework of its expression; perseverance, the sacred fire of its accomplishment." - Daniel Chabot
• "I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it." - Thomas Jefferson
• "Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration." - Thomas Edison
• "Time isn't a commodity, something you pass around like cake. Time is the substance of life. When anyone asks you to give your time, they're really asking for a chunk of your life." - Antoinette Bosco
• "Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart." - Eleanor Roosevelt
• "Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence." - Helen Keller
• "Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly." - Robert F. Kennedy
• "The wise adapt themselves to circumstances, as water molds itself to the pitcher." - Chinese Proverb
• "Begin challenging your own assumptions. Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in while, or the light won't come in." - Alan Alda
• "To measure up to all that is demanded of him, a man must overestimate his capacities." - Goethe
• "Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness." - Chinese Proverb
• "No man is free who is not master of himself." - Epictetus
• "To talk much and arrive nowhere is the same as climbing a tree to catch a fish." - Ancient Chinese Proverb
• "One person with a belief is equal to a force of ninety-nine who have only interests." - John Stuart Mill
• "Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." - Albert Einstein
• "The simple function of man is to live, not just exist." - Jack London
• "Our greatest glory consists not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
• "Believe you can and you're halfway there." - Theodore Roosevelt
• "Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens." - J.R.R. Tolkien
• "Most of our obstacles would melt away if, instead of cowering before them, we should make up our minds to walk boldly through them." - Orison Swett Marden
• "Happy people plan actions, they don't plan results." - Dennis Wholey
• "Only those who dare, truly live." - Ruth Freedman
• "Obstacles are necessary for success... victory comes only after many struggles and countless defeats. Yet each struggle, each defeat, sharpens your skills and strengths, your courage and your endurance, your ability and your confidence and thus each obstacle is a comrade-in-arms forcing you to become better... or quit. Each rebuff is an opportunity to move forward; turn away from them, avoid them, and you throw away your future." - Og Mandino
• "Aim at perfection in everything, though in most things it is unattainable. However, they who aim at it, and persevere, will come much nearer to it than those whose laziness and despondency make them give it up as unattainable." - Lord Chesterfield
• "Keep your fears to yourself, but share your courage with others." - Robert Louis Stevenson
• "When you have no choice, mobilize the spirit of courage." - Jewish proverb
• "All problems become smaller if you don't dodge them, but confront them." - William F. Halsey
• "You have not converted a man because you have silenced him." - John Morley
• "Without passion man is a mere latent force and possibility, like the flint which awaits the shock of the iron before it can give forth it's spark." - Henri-Frederic Amiel
• "Nurture your mind with great thoughts." - Benjamin Disraeli
• "Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still." - Chinese proverb
• "Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
• "I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day." - E. B. White
• "Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power. If you realize that you have enough, you are truly rich." - Tao Te Ching
• "Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life; define yourself." - Harvey Fierstein
• "If you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary that at least once in your life you doubt, as far as possible, all things." - Rene Descartes
• "The mind is owned by the self and can make a hell of heaven or heaven of hell." - John Milton
• "Our mind is capable of passing beyond the dividing line we have drawn for it. Beyond the pairs of opposites of which the world consists, other, new insights begin." - Hermann Hesse
• "The mind has exactly the same power as the hands; not merely to grasp the world, but to change it." - Colin Wilson
• "Allow yourself to be inspired. Allow yourself to succeed. Dare to excel." - Vince Dente
• "It ain't easy to get movers and shakers to believe in you until you have a track record. So go make your own track and build your own record." - Jack R. Stanley
• "To find yourself, think for yourself." - Socrates
• "A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself. What one can be, one must be." - Abraham Moslow
• "Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself." - Leo Tolstoy
• "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." - Sir Winston Churchill
• "Only those who attempt the absurd will achieve the impossible. I think it's in my basement, let me go upstairs and check." - M.C. Escher
• "Action is the fundamental key to all success." - Pablo Picasso
• "Great things are done by a series of small things brought together." - Vincent Van Gogh
• "If you stop searching, you stop living, because then you're dwelling in the past. If you're not reaching forward to any growth or future, you might as well be dead." - Wynn Bullock
• "Motivation will almost always beat mere talent." - Norman R. Augustine
• "Give to the world the best you have, and the best will come back to you." - Madeline S. Bridges
• "It takes a certain level of aspiration before one can take advantage of opportunities that are clearly offered." - Michael Harrington
• "Ambition is a commendable attribute, without which no man succeeds. Only inconsiderate ambition imperils." - Warren G. Harding
• "Everyone has a talent. What is rare is the courage to nurture it in solitude and to follow the talent to the dark places where it leads." - Erica Jong
• "The greatest thing a man can do in this world is to make the most possible out of the stuff that has been given him. This is success, and there is no other." - Orison Swett Marden
• "I learned that it is the weak who are cruel, and that gentleness is to be expected only from the strong." - Leo Rosten
• "Our plans miscarry because they have no aim. When a man does not know what harbor he is making for, no wind is the right wind." - Seneca
• "When written in Chinese, the word 'crisis' is composed of two characters. One represents danger, and the other represents opportunity." - John F. Kennedy
• "Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength." - Arnold Schwarzenegger
• "If you neglect your art for one day it will neglect you for two." - Chinese Proverb
• "On the human chessboard, all moves are possible." - Miriam Schiff
• "Patience and fortitude conquer all things." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
• "A man can succeed at almost anything for which he has unlimited enthusiasm." - Charles M. Schwab
• "You must accept that you might fail; then, if you do your best and still don't win, at least you can be satisfied that you tried. If you don't accept failure as a possibility, you don't set high goals, you don't branch out, you don't try – you don't take the risk." - Rosalynn Carter
• "If you have a 'why' to live by, you can live with any 'how'." - Nietzsche
• "It doesn't matter how much you want. What really matters is how much you want it. The extent and complexity of the problem does not matter was much as does the willingness to solve it." - Ralph Marston
• "You must be the change you want to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi
• "For a man to achieve all that is demanded of him he must regard himself as greater than he is." - Goethe
• "The secret of a leader lies in the tests he has faced over the whole course of his life and the habit of action he develops in meeting those tests." - Gail Sheehy
• "Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got a hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it onto future generations." - George Bernard Shaw
• "Following the Noble Path is like entering a dark room with a light in the hand; the darkness will all be cleared away, and the room will be filled with light." - Buddha
• "The truth is more important than the facts." - Frank Lloyd Wright
• "Veritas Lux Mea" - Latin Proverb, means "The truth is my light."
• "One never knows what each day is going to bring. The important thing is to be open and ready for it." - Henry Moore
• "Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
• "Dreams do not vanish, so long as people do not abandon them." - Phantom F. Harlock
• "All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them." - Walt Disney
• "Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal." - Ralph Vaull Starr
• "I prefer to be a dreamer among the humblest, with visions to be realized, than lord among those without dreams and desires." - Khalil Gibran
• "All people dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their mind, wake in the morning to find that it was vanity. But the dreamers of the day are dangerous people, for they dream their dreams with open eyes, and make them come true." - T.E. Lawrence
• "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined." - Henry David Thoreau
• "Imagination rules the world." - Napoleon Bonaparte
• "The important thing is this: To be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become." - Charles du Bois
• "Reach high, for the stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal." - Pamela Vaull Starr
• "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." - Martin Luther King, Jr.
• "Yesterday is but today's memory and tomorrow is but today's dream." - Kahlil Gibran
• "All we see or seem is but a dream within a dream." - Edgar Allen Poe
• "Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one." - Albert Einstein
• "Art is a step from what is obvious and well-known toward what is arcane and concealed." - Kahlil Gibran
• "If being an egomaniac means I believe in what I do and in my art or music, then in that respect you can call me that ... I believe in what I do, and I'll say it." - John Lennon
• "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined." - Henry David Thoreau
• "I learned that it is the weak who are cruel, and that gentleness is to be expected only from the strong." - Leo Rosten
• "The empires of the future are the empires of the mind." - Sir Winston Churchill
• "Everyone has a talent. What is rare is the courage to nurture it in solitude and to follow the talent to the dark places where it leads." - Erica Jong
• "The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at best, knows the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat." - Theodore Roosevelt
• "Sooner or later we all discover that the important moments in life are not the advertised ones, not the birthdays, the graduations, the weddings, not the great goals achieved. The real milestones are less prepossessing. They come to the door of memory unannounced, stray dogs that amble in, sniff around a bit and simply never leave. Our lives are measured by these." - Susan B. Anthony
• "This above all; to thine own self be true." - William Shakespeare
• "The highest reward for a person's toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it." - John Ruskin
• "The only Zen you find on the tops of mountains is the Zen you bring up there." - Robert M. Pirsig
• "If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is—infinite." - William Blake, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell
• "No matter how deep a study you make. What you really have to rely on is your own intuition and when it comes down to it, you really don't know what's going to happen until you do it." - Konosuke Matsushita
• "Temet Nosce" - Latin Proverb, means "Know Thyself."
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