• Aerobic fitness – the heart and lungs
• Resistance fitness – muscular strenght
• Flexible fitness – flexibility

Aerobic Fitness

Aerobic fitness refers to how high your heartrate goes when you exercise, and how long it takes to return to normal afterwards.

Take your pulse for twenty seconds and then multiply it by 3 to get your heartrate in beats per minute. You should be between sixty and ninety beats per minute.

Now find a step and do step-ups for 3 minutes at the rate of about one second per step-up and step-down. Then take your pulse for another twenty seconds and multiply by three to find your new heart rate.

Heart rate results:

160+ = poor
140-159 = fair
125-139 = good
125 or less = excellent

Also note how long it takes for your heart rate to return to normal. The fitter you are, the faster it will be for your heart to return to normal.

Resistance Fitness

For this type of fitness you need to do exercises for the upper body, abdominals, and lower body.

Push Ups

Start with doing as many push ups as you can in one go. Make sure your body is straight and hands under or slightly wider than your shoulders. Go down until your nose is nearly touching the ground.

0-12: poor
13-29: fair
30-45: good
46 plus: excellent

Abs – Crunches

Again, do as many of these in one go as you can. Lie on your back with your knees bent, hands at your temples and elbows out to the side. Gently curl up.

0-15: poor
16-30: fair
31-40: good
41 plus: excellent

Lower Body Strength

Stand against a wall with your legs at ninetly degrees and see how long you can do it.

Flexible Fitness

It is hard to measure this type of fitness. The testing of this type of fitness are weather you have a full range of movement of the limbs and spine.

You don’t have to starve yourself; you can eat food but eat better food. Food that is higher in nutrients, but lower in sugary carbs and bad fats. Healthier food is more filling so you will not get hunger pangs and it will reduce the urge to have bad snacks between meals.

It is all about balance. Enjoy the exercise that you do, Enjoy the food that you eat. The regimen that you choose should nt be one of deprevation and suffering. The ideal is balance.

Some fats are good for you. Diets which promote no fat are actually bad for your health. Your brain, if you take away all the water is about 70% fat. So if someone calls you a “fat head” take it as a compliment! You will need to limit the fat however.

Instead of going the whole hogg, take small steps that end up with a big result. For example:

• Cut down your intake of sugars, tea, and coffee. Try the odd herbal tea to get used to drinking them. Try several flavours until you find the ones that you like
• Start buying low fat foods such as cheeses, spreads etc
• You can still eat red meat, but eat less of it
• You can eat sugar, but choose the correct kind. For example, Xylitol is an ideal sugar and alternative you can use in drinks and cooking
• Go for the wholemeal version of foods rather than white processed. White breads and biscuits release energy almost immediately and overload the system with energy, which the body stores as fat
• Try and eat sweet potatoes over white starchy potatoes
• Minimise alcohol. You can still drink, but do not binge drink
• Reduce your use of table salt

Calorie Guide

1g fat = 9 calories
1g carb = 4 calories
1g protein = 4 calories

Healty Recipes

You already know that you should eat fruit, vegetables (green leafy vegetables are the best), whole wheat bread, and meats such as fish, chicken, red meat (in that order), but food should be enjoyable so have a look around for good healthy recipies. There are many websites which have great information and recipies such as the BBC’s healthy eating website as well as the Good Food Channel.

Hydration

Keeping hydrated is essential to keep your energy levels up. Make sure you get between 1 and a half and 2 litres of water per day.

You should aim to get most of your liquid intake form pure water. Herbal teas are a great way too, as well as diluted fruit juice. Try and keep tea and coffee to a minumun as these have a dehydrating effect on the body. Fizzy drinks are also a no no as they are packed with sugar, artificial sweeteners and also laced with acid which leeches calcium from your bones and teeth.

There are many types of water and there are many pros and cons of each.

Tap Water

Tap water is treated to meet legal and quality standards. The mineral content depends upon the source of the water, hard or soft areas. Hard and soft water is a classification based on the amounts of removable calcium carbonate salt it contains per gallon; hard has more removable calcium carbonate salt, soft has less.

Tap water is also chlorinated. The reasons for chlorination is to prevent microbacterial activity when the water is stored for long periods of time, and it also eliminates risks from diseases such as cholera and dysentery. There have been some studys which show that chlorination possibly produces potentially hazardous byproducts.

Tap water is also fluoridated. Flouride is added for the purpose of reducing dental caries. The health claims for fluoridation remain controversial, but its use is expanding [1580].

Water Filters and Water Purifiers

Filtered water

Filtered water refers to water that has had various contaminants removed via materials such as a screen, a net, paper, or more commonly activated charcoal (charcoal that will attract particles from the water until it is saturated). Filtered water however does not remove most dissolved solids, minerals, and bacteria.

Purified water

Purified water refers to water that has been through processes such as distillation, deionization or reverse osmosis. With this type of water, bacteria and dissolved solids have been removed, purifying it.

Deionizers

Ions are electrically charged molecules. Deionizers use an ion-exchange resin to remove mineral ions from water. Organic materials are not removed so some type of filtration is also needed.

Reverse Osmosis

This refers to the action of seperating water from dissolved minerals and chemicals using a semi-permeable membrane. It is not however remove all the micro-biological impurities.

Water Distillers

Water distillers boil water until it is vaporized. As it is vaporized chemicals and minerals are left behind. Because of the heat, bacteria is destroyed. The steam condenses in a sterile condensation chamber. This is considered to be the most effective water purification process.

What is the difference between a drug and a dietary supplement?

According to the definition set by food and drug administrations in different countries, drugs are chemicals that can prevent, prolong the life, treat other effects of a health condition, improve the quality of life, and/or cure ailments and diseases, or alter the function of any part or chemicals inside the body. These drugs have approved therapeutic claims. For example, paracetamol is a drug given to bring down the body temperature in fever. Ascorbic acid is indicated for the treatment of scurvy. Iron supplements are given to treat mild cases of anemia.

Herbal supplements are not classified as drugs but as dietary supplements. The main difference is that they do not have approved therapeutic claims unlike in the case of drugs. Moreover, dietary supplements could either contain vitamins, minerals, herbals, or amino acids, all aimed to add to or supplement the diet of an individual. They are not intended to be taken alone as a substitute to any food or medicine.

Most of the manufactured medicines we now have once came from animals and plants. Through the years, chemists isolated the life-saving or life-curing components and separated them from the harmful ones. This lead to the further drug research and drug development that lead to the production of a different variety of drugs for many ailments and conditions from synthetic sources. But still we have semi-synthetic drugs, as well as drug that more or less approximate more natural composition. Since herbal supplements are made from a mixture of crude herbs reduced into powder or gel form, and later on packaged as tablets and capsules, there is a possibility that life-threatening or at least body chemistry-altering components are still present, thus the expression of concern from the medical community.

Is there a growing concern with the use of herbal supplements?

Yes. With the rising popularity of using and consuming anything herbal or organic is the proliferation of fake herbal supplements that threaten to endanger lives. If that’s the case, then why are herbal supplements given drug administration approvals? One way of ensuring the safety of the people is to have all candidate drugs, food, drinks, and dietary supplements registered with the proper authority. Otherwise, they would pose more risk with these things being sold in the black market for a hefty sum. We could ensure the quality and safety of herbal supplements if they get proper classification with the food and drug administration. Moreover, people may be able to file the proper complaints in the event a worsening of health condition is proven to be linked to the use of a particular herbal supplement.

Is using herbal supplements worth the risk?

Yes. It cannot be discounted that many who have tried herbal supplements experienced an improvement in their health – whether this is due to the herbals themselves or due to a placebo effect, as long as they do not worsen the condition of an individual, then using them is worth the risk. But of course, certain things must be considered before taking those herbal supplements:

Your doctor knows best

First of all, clear your condition with your doctor. Ask him/her if taking a particular herbal supplement is safe given your health condition. People with heart, liver, or kidney trouble or malfunction, are usually not advised to take these, or at the minimum is to take these herbals in minimum amounts. All substances pass through the liver and kidney to be processed and filtered respectively. Kava, which is used to relieve people from stress, has been pulled out from the Canadian, Singaporean, and German markets because it contains substances that cause liver damage. Certain herbals such as Ephedra used for losing weight, contains chemicals with heart-inducing effects that can increase heart rate, which in turn can exhaust the heart and cause heart attacks in several documented cases by the American Medical Association.

Follow the directions for use

Never take more herbal supplements than what is directed by the doctor or as instructed on the bottle. Each individual reacts differently to the components of herbal supplements. While it is perfectly safe for one individual to take in a supplement of primrose oil capsules, another person may be allergic to it. So, do not even think about downing one bottle of

It has no approved curative effect

No matter how the product pamphlet or the label of the bottle sounds about how it has been found to be helpful in certain health conditions, these herbal supplements are not therapeutic. So do not substitute these for the medications prescribed by your doctor for the treatment of certain diseases, or for the maintenance of blood pressure, lowering of blood sugar and cholesterol, and fight off infections.

But what about natural medicine? What exactly is it and is it of any use?

Natural medicine is the use of natural methods, herbal medicines, and traditional practices to heal ailments. Every culture has a form of natural medicine. In ancient cultures, medicine men acted as the doctors of the community, passing on medical knowledge to the apprentices that followed them.

Many categories of the healing methods fall under natural medicine. Among these are traditional medicine, complementary medicine, and alternative medicine.

Usually, natural medicine refers to medical practices that were in place before the advent of modern medicine.

This includes herbal medicine, or phytotherapy, which is prevalent in Chinese, Ayurvedic(or Indian), and Greek medicine.

Upon the advent of modern medicine, many professionals discarded the use of herbs in favor of man-made medicine. The fact that these treatments are based on the healing properties of some herbs was forgotten.

For example, opium, digitalis, quinine, and aspirin all have their roots in traditional medicine.

Natural medicine can be considered as a lost art. This does not mean that it has lost efficacy over time. In some cases, natural therapy is actually better than modern medicine. This leads some doctors to seriously consider and study the possible uses of natural medicine

It is important at this point to stress that not all the natural remedies are legitimate. It would help to only try those remedies which have been thoroughly studied and are relatively risk free.

Take herbal medicine for example. There are many well-documented and studied herbal remedies available. However, only those that deal with minor ailments such as cough, colds, fever, skin rashes, and its ilk are likely to be recommended by health professionals. These remedies are sometimes superior to synthetic medicine. This is because herbal medicines are less likely to cause negative side effects.

Currently there are numerous organizations that study the effects and advocacy of natural medicine – among which is herbal medicine. Some governments and health agencies openly advocate the use of natural methods since they are inexpensive and relatively risk-free.

As their studies compile, more herbs and treatments are added to the list of accepted medicines. However, many herbs and treatments have been proven to be bogus medicine. This represents a challenge for both the user and the agencies because they have to ascertain that the treatments they either use or advocate are legitimate.

There exist today many alternative medical treatments that fall under natural medicine. However, not all of them have been proven to be effective. You could mention homeopathy, aromatherapy, acupuncture, and other alternative medical treatments. It would pay to consult the experts as to the legitimacy of these treatments.

Natural medicine should also be thought of as an accompanying medicine. Right now, the current collective medical thought suggests that natural medicine be used only to supplement accepted modern medical practices. In that case of minor ailments your expert we actually advise you to take natural therapies instead.

The practice of modern medicine revolves around diagnosing an illness and prescribing treatments for such. Natural medicine is helpful because it suggests that treatment be not necessarily given only when sick. Natural medicine strives to make each patient practice good health habits. These habits include good diet, healthy living, and the regular natural treatment.

It is this same line of thought that leads our parents to tell us to eat our vegetables. Yes, a healthy lifestyle and will do no harm to our well-being. And this is the foundation of natural medicine – may it be massage, herbal medicine, aromatherapy or others.

It is funny but true that science, in its quest for excellence, is studying the knowledge of ages past. This, surprisingly, leads us back to the remedies nature offers. The possibilities of finding remedies to everyday illnesses in natural medicine are encouraging. So staying tuned to studying these remedies is worthwhile until we can verify that these therapies are truly helpful to our health and our society.

The daily stresses we have such as problems at work, the state of our finances, family issues, the list goes on. Unresolved experiences one has during the day can all add up and keep a person up at night. The mental chatter that goes on and the replaying of the events of the day, over and over again, create anxiety and worry while the minutes and maybe even hours tick away. What you can do to minimize the mental chatter is to deal with each problem or misunderstanding as it arises. How many times have you sat wondering about what you should have said or could have said. What you need to do is communicate to the person or persons involved and get some closure. This releases a lot of your attention. Another thing to do is imagine leaving all the mental baggage from the working day outside your front door – do not bring the office back to your home. Your home is an environment for relaxing, entertainment, fun, and family. It is best to keep it that way.

Eating snacks or large meals at night can interfere with your ability to sleep. Late night meals engage all the resources of your digestive system – your body is actually doing a lot of work when it’s supposed to be resting. A lot of this late night food is stored as fat, creating additional problems. Try to aviod large meals and snacks such as potato chips and chocolate.

Exercise contributes to restful sleep. When you have done vigorous physical work the body needs to recover. Sleep lets your body repair and rebuild, getting stronger in the process. Regardless of the stresses and worries, vigorous exercise makes a physical demand on your body that will relax you and bring about a restful sleep. If you do not engage in regular exercise, the strong physiologic need for deep rest is missing, and you’ll likely be tossing and turning the night away.

Soft, old and lumpy mattresses can also disturb sleep. Too firm mattresses can also cause problems. A good mattress is supportive and comfortable. It “gives” in all the right places and provides a balanced, springy platform for a restful night’s sleep. Ensure that your bed is right for you. Make sure that your pillows are supportive too, enabling your body to relax.

You could say things like:

• I sleep through the night. I sleep deeply and well
• I wake up relaxed, refreshed, restored, renewed, revived
• I will have a great day tomorrow. I’ll meet the right people and speak with the right people. Everything goes my way
• I am healthy and well. I am healthy and well

After a few nights of positive self talk you will notice that you fall asleep quicker and that your days become much easier.

Your body mass index can be used to work out whether you are overweight or obese. Here are the scores:

• Underweight = 18.5 or less
• Normal weight = 18.5-24.9
• Overweight = 25-29.9
• Obese = 30 or more

To find your training heart rate zone, you need to subtract your age from 220, then calculate 65% of this amount for the lower end of your training zone and 80% for the upper limit.

220 – age * .65 = lower limit
220 – age * .80 = upper limit

To find your pulse rate, you will need a watch with a second hand. There are several points at which the pulse can be felt easily: the neck on either side of the Adams apple; the writs. Apply light pressure to find the pulse. Taking your pulse for 10 seconds and multiplying it by 6 is an optimum way to measure whilst maintaining the intensity of training. It is best to take a measurement after each 10-15 minutes of exercise.