New research results keep confirming what we have suspected all along – sitting is bad for us. But just how bad?

Even if you regularly exercise when not sitting behind your desk, it still significantly raises your risk for diabetes, heart disease (including strokes and heart attacks), obesity and even certain types of cancer. For every two hours of sitting, you raise your risk of colon cancer by 8 percent, endometrial cancer by 10 percent, and lung cancer by 6 percent.

Diabetes

The Mayo Clinic did a study of how sitting affects blood sugar spiking and what they found was amazing. If the study participants went back to sitting after a meal, or ate while sitting at their desk, their blood sugar peaked and stayed there for two hours. However, if the same participants took a 15-minute walk at just 1 mph after eating, their blood sugar peaks were cut in half. Of course your risk for developing diabetes increases if you consistently have high blood sugar. Continue reading →

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OK, so the winter hasn’t been too bad out west here, but sometimes it is. (and the winter isn’t over yet) Maybe you’re in a colder place, like my friends out east, or you plan to venture to colder climes perhaps for a skiing vacation. Whatever the reason, staying warm is key to enjoying yourself during the brisk winter months.

Most people think about external solutions to staying warm, like the disposable heat packs pictured to the left. These can be OK for temporary use, but there are environmental concerns about living in a “disposable society.” I don’t want to sound like I am bashing these things. I personally keep a few on hand for emergencies, and a few in the “Security grab and go” bag during the winter months.

So if you like the hand warmers, another way to go is this next product.

It’s the same idea, but these ones are reusable. It is frankly quite neat to see them work for the first time. They have liquid inside, and a metal disc. You manipulate the metal disc until some kind of reaction occurs. Watching the reaction is the nifty part as you can see the liquid turn solid right before your eyes, and as a result, the item warms up. Problem with these, is that they don’t last as long as the disposable ones do. To use them again, you boil them for a few minutes in water, and the solid  changes back to liquid… ready for the next use.

What is even more environmentally friendly is the next suggestion I have. What I want to suggest comes from the power of your mind

My best tip to stay warm, is mind games. It’s like using mental visualization to clear your nostrils when you’re congested. You don’t have to know what your nostrils look like from the inside… If you concentrate on an image of them being free and clear… air  being allowed to pass freely, you will become decongested. (I visualize my my empty/clear nostrils like those caves you see in books… Complete with stalagmites, and stalactites.)

So too is it with blood flow. I learned this while riding the ski lift. Visualize the cold parts of your body… Your feet/Fingers? As being the color blue. And now, visualize the parts of your body that have to be warm… Your heart/internal organs, and your brain. Visualize these parts as being red… Which means they are red-hot.

Then play around with mental visualization. Imagine the red/warm areas flowing down to the cold/blue areas. See this blue area diminish, and vanish altogether, as the red area grows larger. Just visualize your entire body becoming red with heat, and the cold from your feet and fingers will vanish.

If this doesn’t work, isolate every muscle group, and flex, and relax muscles as you would if you were working out with weights, say sets of 10.  This will drive fresh blood flow into the musculature, and warm you up in no time.

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To say that there have been millions of books written on health would be a huge understatement. But as an innovative and unique offering, “Move Your DNA: Restore Your Health Through Natural Movement” attempts to explain the science behind the link between physical movement and health in human beings. After explaining exactly why your body functions better and you live longer and healthier when you are active, this physical fitness guide then shows you specific exercises and “habit modifications” which lead to a happier and healthier you. Why don’t we take a look inside?

Key Elements of Move Your DNA: Restore Your Health Through Natural Movement

* Designed for all fitness levels
* Written by a trained Biochemist
* Excellent for overall body health and fitness
* Offered in Kindle, audiobook and paperback editions
* Explains what happens at the cellular level when you move, and how you benefit Continue reading →

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Insomnia is no fun. But did you know that it can actually contribute to weight gain? Yep, you may have just discovered the reason why your fat burning and weight loss efforts have proven fruitless so far. Significant studies tell us that sleeplessness does not directly cause weight gain.

But the conscious activities that some people make to fight the tired, sluggish feelings they have in the day which arise from insomnia may be causing you to gain weight.

Think about it for a minute. You toss and turn during the night, you fight to get to sleep, and when you do, you sleep restlessly. Just when you are experiencing some wonderful deep sleep, your alarm reminds you that you have bills to pay. You get sluggishly out of bed and head to the kitchen, straight for the coffee machine. Continue reading →

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How many excuses have you used over the years to avoid getting in shape and losing weight? We all have them. The truth about excuses is they do keep you from reaching your desired weight and taking control of your health.

Let’s cover some of the most common excuses and try to motivate ourselves to get over them and start working towards those weight loss goals.

Excuse #1 – I don’t like to be hungry. The truth is, no one does. Another truth is that slight hunger will not kill you. I’m not talking about starving yourself here, but if eating less or waiting until you’re really hungry will help you lose weight, why not give it a shot? If you’re suffering from severe hunger pangs, by all means eat something. Try eating a small portion of something to curb the hunger. You don’t have to stuff yourself every time you eat.

Excuse #2 – I’ve tried it. It doesn’t work for me. This excuse can be tricky. Have you tried every diet under the sun and every exercise routine on the planet? How long did you stick with it? To get rid of this excuse you need to think in terms of lifestyle changes and being in it for the long haul. Stop thinking diets and lose weight quick schemes. Those don’t work and if that’s what you’ve been trying, then it’s true, it doesn’t work for you. In fact, those only work for a tiny percentage of people. Continue reading →

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Jojoba Oil Benefits: Why This Natural Extract Can Work Wonders For Your Hair And Skin

If you’re interested in natural skincare and beauty then you’ve probably heard about some of the many jojoba oil benefits. Jojoba oil is an extract from the seeds of the jojoba tree that looks like an oil but is actually a wax. Jojoba oil is special because, out of all the natural extracts, it’s the closest in nature to the oils found in human skin. As such you’ll find it in a huge number of beauty products, and it has a wide variety of uses both on its own and mixed with other ingredients.

8 Jojoba Oil Benefits

1) Moisturizer: Jojoba, applied directly to the skin, can moisturize for the whole day. It won’t evaporate, and it won’t leave your skin feeling greasy. Continue reading →

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