Okay, seriously, it wouldn’t be much if that’s all I said. I believe we all know, deep down, that we need to eat better if we stand a chance of shedding those extra pounds. Don’t worry, this is going to be as common sense as it is easy to follow. No fad diet nonsense, just what works.

Food is nothing more than fuel for the body. It contains the vitamins, minerals and calories we need to survive. We only get in trouble when we eat too many calories without burning them off. Some foods are better than others, but nothing is forbidden. Here’s how you can use food to put the odds of weight loss in your favor.

Start the day with something to get the internal furnace started. That means eating breakfast. There is no reason to skip breakfast. It takes virtually no time at all to grab a piece of whole-wheat toast and spread some peanut butter on it, then wash it down with a glass of orange juice. Or boil up some eggs for the upcoming week. Then have an egg, a banana and a granola bar. Even a ready made breakfast shake is better than nothing. The trick is to get your body used to burning calories for the day.

Now that you have your metabolism fired up, you need to keep it going by snacking. A light snack every two hours is all it takes. A small handful of nuts, some carrot sticks with non-fat yogurt, or a protein bar, are good choices. Regular snacking will prevent you from experience mid-afternoon burn out, too.

So, now it’s lunchtime and you’re feeling great! You’re eating food you like and you’re not hungry. Let’s keep going with turkey breast on whole-grain bread, romaine lettuce, tomato and a smear of mustard. Add a veggie-rich salad and a small glass of juice or skim milk and you’re all set.

Don’t forget your two-hour snack break.

For supper try some baked salmon brushed with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. Include some fresh veggies of your choice (bake them with the salmon if you like), and a cup of homemade soup. Yummy!

Remember to eat your next snack.

As you can see, this is all reasonable, simple eating. Food is there to keep you going, and it needs to be tasty, too. Remember, nothing is off limits. If you must have some ice cream, just keep the portion under control. Make it a habit to increase the better foods, and eat less of the not-so-good ones and you lose weight fast. Faster than you may have thought possible.

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1. Moisten the air in your home. You can do this by buying a humidifier or an air conditioning unit as this regulates the temperature during hot and cold weather.
2. Aside from humidifiers or air conditioning equipment, you can also install electrostatic filters which are designed to remove allergens in the air.
3. Drinking too much alcohol may also trigger a sinus infection because it swells the nasal and sinus membranes which leave them exposed to irritation. This simply means that you should drink moderately.
4. Smoking also causes sinus infections because it irritates the sinus lining which causes bad drainage of the mucus and the sinus to congest. So, you should quit smoking and stay away from people who smoke.
5. If you travel often, you should cut down the number of times you have to fly from one destination to the next. This is because a bubble of air within the body expands as the air pressure in the plane reduces. When this happens, this could result in the blockage of the Eustachian tubes causing your nose to clog during the plane’s ascent or descent. If you have to fly, be sure to bring with you a decongestant nose drop or inhaler and use this before the flight.
6. When you have a sinus infection, the best way to fight it is to stay hydrated. The same thing goes to prevent it by drinking lots of water, juice or any other liquid to replenish what was lost from the body.
7. You should also practice good hygiene since most sinus infections are caused by bacterial and viral infections. This means washing your hands with soap and water each time you go to the bathroom. You should also do this every time you sneeze because when you cover your mouth, the germs go to your hands.
8. For years, we have said that consuming dairy products will keep our bones strong. But studies have shown that too much can thicken your mucus and cause nasal passages to narrow down which results to headache and pain.
9. Drinking liquids should also be followed with eating good food especially fruits and vegetables. After all, these are rich in antioxidants that will boost your immune system and help your body resist infection.
10. Lastly, stress makes us prone to sinusitis and many other infections. So we should get sufficient rest like 8 hours at least every night.

Following these steps will help to reduce your chances of getting a sinus infection. By keeping on top of your sinus health you are able to reduce the number of sick days taken and can also save money by avoiding the need for over the counter medication.

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Wearing sunglasses that block UV rays can help prevent eye problems such as cataracts and macular degeneration – two leading causes of blindness. Since UV damage is cumulative over a lifetime, it’s important for kids to start wearing sunglasses as early as possible to potentially minimize this damage.

Sunglasses must block 99 percent to 100 percent of UVA and UVB rays to be effective. The darkness of the lens is not an effective indicator of how well the glasses protect eyes from UV light.

Consult an optometrist to choose the right sunglasses. They are the doctors who provide primary vision care, examining people’s eyes to diagnose vision problems and eye diseases.

Obtaining this expert advice can be as simple as visiting your local Superstore Vision Center. Adjacent to each of the Vision Centers at these stores is an office staffed by knowledgeable, professional and licensed independent optometrists who can provide affordable and comprehensive eye examinations as well as prescriptions for glasses and contacts.

It is recommended that comprehensive eye examinations by an eye doctor at 3 and 5 years of age for all children.

The optometrist can also offer guidance when it comes to eye protection. Annually there are more than 40,000 sports-related eye injuries – many to children. More than 90 percent of these injuries could be prevented by wearing proper eye protection, such as sports goggles, which are designed for impact resistance, unlike regular eye glasses that could break upon impact and possibly cause serious injury.

Eye protection should be worn during any sport that involves physical contact or a ball, bat, stick, racket or puck.

A child’s vision is a precious commodity, but caring for it doesn’t have to be expensive.

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Travel isn’t always a bad thing for your exercise program either. If you’re used to a routine travel for business or for pleasure could be the best thing to shake things up a bit. Not all hotels will have the equipment that your health club does, and some hotels may not have a fitness centre at all so you’ll have to improvise. You may find that trying new equipment will trigger your excitement for the gym again and could even boost your results.

Some nice hotels have spa facilities that you can enjoy while on a business trip. Reward yourself with a facial or a massage after a session on the treadmill or 10 laps in the pool. This is a great way to unwind for the evening, and an added bonus for the individual on the go.

Common Obstacles

What are some of the reasons why travelers do not incorporate exercise while they’re on the road?

• They’re stressed or too tired
• They don’t feel comfortable about working out in unfamiliar surroundings
• They don’t have access to a hotel gym

But if they made just a tiny effort to change this thinking, they’d be on the road to fitness sooner. Engaging in exercise allows you to get out of that bubble of meetings, seminars and tours.

Walk when on the Road

When traveling, have a pair of good walking shoes, preferably trainers, so that you won’t feel so daunted about getting from one side of the airport to the other.

Having the right pair of walking shoes will encourage you to walk up the stairs instead of taking the escalator, to walk instead of taking the conveyor belt, and to transfer from one concourse to another on foot instead of taking the shuttle service.

You may not know it, but walking these long distances with your luggage in tow serves as a combination/weight lifting exercise.

Fitness while Flying

Once settled comfortably on the plane, make sure you time your stretching and walking periods. If it’s just an hour’s flight, walk around the plane once and do your stretching at the back of the plane, if it’s a three hour to five hour flight, try to get up from your seat and walk around at least once every hour, doing leg extensions and trunk/neck movements.

Airlines such as Japan Air Lines show videos of how travelers can incorporate flexibility movements while seated or standing. Take full advantage of these videos. The exercises may help you ward off fatigue and jet lag.

A note about DVT

In the last five years, there have been reports about flight passengers, especially in economy class, suffering from DVT – Deep Vein Thrombosis.

The link between confining airplane seats and deaths from DVT (formation of deadly blood clots) has been established by the United Nations World Health Organization. It has nothing to do with gender, risk factors or genetics. Everyone is at risk in economy class. This should constitute a compelling reason to integrate exercise while high in the sky.

To make exercise possible while traveling, try to schedule your flights so you have some time for exercise when you get to your destination.

Try to arrive during the late afternoon/early evening, to give you time to shake off the fatigue from the trip, and have at least an hour to do exercises either in your hotel room or in the hotel gym.

If your job requires you to travel at least four times a month, ask your company’s travel department to book you in hotels with gyms or a swimming pool.

Take time out of your travel schedule to insert a workout into your grinding schedule.

Here’s a friendly suggestion. Get up earlier in the morning and before or after breakfast, head over to the gym and do a brisk walk on the treadmill for 10 minutes, or use the rowing machine for 10 minutes. This session is just to wake you up from your travel stupor. See if you can walk to your business appointment instead of taking a cab.

At night, before going to bed, go to the hotel gym again and lift weights for 10 minutes, to complete your workout for the day. This way you did your cardio and resistance training, two essential components of a fitness program.

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A Simple Exercise Program

Instead of ignoring exercise altogether, here’s a suggestion for integrating it into your busy schedule. Think of exercise like you think of a major task in the office. Break it up into tinier components.

Instead of spending two hours in the gym or in the tennis court like your friends do, ask your trainer to divide your workout program.

Suggestion A

30 minutes four times a week, i.e.: 20 minutes cardio, 10 minutes weights (1 muscle group, e.g. legs)

Suggestion B

30 minutes three times a week
Mon: 20 minutes cardio + 10 minutes stretching;
Tues: 20 minutes weights (2 muscle groups, e.g. back and abdominals) + 10 minutes of cardio.
Wed: 20 minutes cardio + 10 minutes of
Weights (two muscle groups, e.g. triceps or chest, biceps or shoulders)

Suggestion C

20 minutes 5 days a week.
Week 1: all cardio
Week 2: weights
Week 3: Cardio on Mon/Wed/Fri
Week 4: Weights on Tues/Thurs
Repeat the entire cycle when you get to month 2.

Frequency and Intensity

Ideally, you should gradually increase the frequency or intensity, or both. But if you’re busy, and definitely can’t spare more than 30 minutes a day, then increase your intensity. This means if your cardio involves the treadmill, take the notch up 1 level (if you started with level 3, go on to level 4 on month 2).

For your weight training, if you started with 5-pound weights, graduate into 7.5 pounds in month 2. And then on those days when your day is not filled with meetings, try to stay an extra 5-10 minutes.

Be realistic with your goals, especially when you’re just starting. Increasing frequency and intensity too soon can overwhelm you, making you want to give up.

We all know how important exercise is and it’s often not the desire that’s lacking but the time. By following this simple workout tricks you’ll be able to maintain a healthy lifestyle even if you’re juggling your work and home life.

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The Benefits of Working out with a Friend or Partner and How to Choose One

Many believe that the best way to focus on your workout is by working out alone and trying to avoid wasting lots of time socializing in the gym. There is also a group that says that the best way to exercise is to work out with a friend or family member. They believe that by working out with a friend you can build a habit that you can continue for a long time. The popularity of boot camp programs have grown so much because of the motivating group environment. So let’s discuss the benefits of working out with a friend/partner and some tips on how to find the best exercise buddy or partner.

Research shows that there are many benefits of working out with a friend/partner than what you might think. The right workout partner can help boost your motivation and have someone to share your success with. However, the wrong partner or buddy could easily steer you off course and make you lose site of your goals. So grab your friend, family member or even a pet and start working out. There is however some things that you need to consider when choosing your workout buddy, so keep these things in mind in finding one.

• You and your partner or buddy should be at least at the same level of fitness. Because it can be sometimes frustrating to the fitter one that his or her partner can’t keep up and it can then be demoralizing for the less fit partner.

• Choose a partner that has the same fitness goal. It can be hard to work out with someone who wants to focus on their flexibility while you on the other hand want to increase speed and strength.

• There are people who prefer to workout in the morning, while there are others who like to work out  at night. Choose a buddy that has the same schedule as you, or one that can go with you most of the time.

• It is very important you like the person you are working out with. Although it can be fun to workout, it is also a very hard task. So if you are with someone who would only make it harder for you then this is not good. Find someone who can inspire you to go on and not discourage you.

• If you are thinking of joining a boot camp, join with a friend/partner so you have someone there initially who is starting out with you for motivation. You will soon make new friends at boot camp that can also be there to motivate you when your friend cannot make it, or just have additional support when your friend is at boot camp with you as well.

It is fun to work out with a family member or friend, and some of the benefits of working out with a friend /partner is that it can help keep you motivated while you burn more fat and lose weight more quickly than when you workout alone. Just be sure that you choose carefully the right partner so that you can both enjoy all these benefits of exercising.

Congratulations to Stacy Homan for being named the X Core Fitness Member of the Month for March!

Stacy’s hard work and dedication at boot camp has earned her the right to wear the championship belt for member of the month in March! Way to go Stacy! If you see Stacy at boot camp make sure you congratulate her.

Natural is a term associated with a number of fruit and vegetable products. Typically, this is simply a marketing ploy to convince you to buy the product. After all, all fruits and vegetables are natural, right? Unless it’s a new kind of food that has been developed and processed, the product is natural. What you may be looking for is organic. Organic foods are grown without chemical pesticides and fertilizers. There are two main benefits to organic foods. First, you are helping the environment because those chemicals are not being introduced into nature. Secondly, you are avoiding ingesting chemicals and are therefore eating more healthy foods. However, organic products are usually more expensive. If you’re on a budget, skip over organic fruits and vegetables that you can peel, like oranges and bananas. After all, once you’ve discarded the peel, you’ve also discarded the chemicals. Instead, opt for organic items like apples, where you eat the peel. No matter what you buy, however, make sure that you rinse off the food when you get home.

Another tricky label you will see is “no hormones.” This is usually in regards to milk or meat products and is false, since all animals naturally produce hormones. Hormones are what helps an animal (even a human) regulate body organs, have young, and otherwise function. All meat products have hormones. What the labels really mean is that no hormones were unnaturally given to the animal, which is sometimes done to increase milk production. Regardless of hormones, however, the milk and meat is safe for a person and not a violation of an animal’s rights.

Lastly, a label on eggs and meat can indicate if the animal was caged or penned. This does not make a difference in the quality or nutritional value of the meat, but is simply a matter of animal rights. These products may be a bit more expensive, but if you want to make humane decisions, this is the way to go.

Reading the label and making healthy choices can sometimes be difficult, but learning how to do so can help you make the best choices for you diet.

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The very first thing you have to do is change your mindset. Don’t worry about what other people think about your jogging, or what your friends will say when you order grilled chicken for lunch. You know why you shouldn’t worry? Because it’s your body! Let them laugh. You can laugh with them or laugh back at them. Either way, you’ll get the last laugh and that’s the best kind.

Alright, let’s face it, you probably already like to eat, otherwise you wouldn’t have to be looking for ways to lose weight. This is just a guess, but what you probably don’t enjoy is eating more of the right foods and less of the not-so-good ones. You can give the good foods funny names, and vice-versa. You’re not eating broccoli, you’re eating “goody goody mini-greens”. And it’s no longer a doughnut, now that you call it a “sweetened lard bomb”. Go ahead, be creative.

Also, don’t deprive yourself. You can still eat all of the foods you enjoy, just not as much. If you try to cut them out all together, that wouldn’t be any fun at all. Instead you would be focusing on the deprivation and bury your head into a half-gallon of ice cream as soon as your willpower wavered. But when you eat a little of the things you like, there’s no need for willpower at all.

When it comes to exercising to lose weight the main key is to do something you enjoy doing. Just get moving. You don’t have to go for a three-mile jog or lift weights in the gym (unless you want to). Get out in the garden, go for a walk, toss the frisbee around, go swimming…any extra activity that appeals to you will burn off extra calories.

Finally, as you do these things more, it will get to be even more fun as you do them. And seeing the results is makes it even more worthwhile. So, don’t let others tell you that losing weight is hard. You know better, you now know just how fun it can be.

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Before you get the wrong idea about body building, you should know that it doesn’t mean you will end up looking like some muscle-bound man who is more a freak of nature (well “freak of steroids” is usually more accurate). Instead, you will look more trim, toned and ready to take on the world. It’s a way of looking your best–and more importantly–feeling your best.

So, you would like to start a program, but you’re not sure what’s best for you? There is a simple solution: get a personal trainer. If you are concerned about how expensive they are, don’t be. Sure, there are plenty of expensive trainers, but they tend to cater to celebrities and the wealthy. A lot of trainers have reasonable rates, and investing in your health is always a good idea. If you have any friends that currently have a trainer, then ask them for their recommendation.

You may also be able to find a personal trainer at your local gym. At the very least, you should be able to get some advice on the best body building programs for you. There should also be somebody at the gym who can show you how to properly operate all of the equipment and explain what muscles are being targeted.

One thing to keep in mind is that there is more to body building than just exercise and lifting weights. If you want to see real results, then you also have to watch what you eat. Don’t worry, you can still enjoy all of your favorite foods, you just have to go about it the right way. You will be working out quite often, and the food you eat is what will fuel your body for your workouts. Fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains and lean protein are all good choices.

Whatever body building programs you choose, the key is to get started. You don’t have to wait until you find one that’s “perfect”, that would be a mistake. Also, it won’t always be easy and it will take work, but it will be worth it once you see the results.

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