It Is So Easy to Give Up on Our Goals When They Don't Give Us Immediate Results

We have motivation. We "do what we're told," but our body still isn't to our liking and is holding us back from our life.

And so we get frustrated and either get mad at ourselves, react and jump to something different, or just stop altogether.

The world we live in today is fast, which translates to us wanting immediate satisfaction.

Quick Fixes Don't Work
But the dark side behind those "magic buttons," "get rich quick," "crash diet" techniques?

They rarely ever work!

One thing I run into with so many of my clients is that they always ask me, "Ekemba, what is the one thing I can do to get some great reward?"

And I think that is one of the most disjointed ideas we have today about what it takes to take care of your body.

Everyone wants to live a good life and have their body not keep them down, but to help propel it.

But there is a big issue with the information that comes out. It's all disjointed and designed around marketing first, and not about what it really takes.

You see, to really take care of your body, you need to have a plan...

When I began working out, it was for sports. The goal was to get good at the sports I played.

Then afterward, I wanted to lose weight and gain muscle.

Then I HAD to train to correct my injuries and imbalances.

All those programs are different. But we are told that they are all interchangeable and are "tools in our tools box," and thrown under the guise of "changing it up." When, in reality, it is tough to fit them together, and takes time for each program to take effect.

Follow The Correct Path For You
It wasn't until I was forced to take a step back to correct my injuries did I start to study the rules and philosophies designed to have the body function at its best did I see where the health and fitness industry was leading us astray.

It's easy to feel like you are doing what you are supposed to be doing because you are active, and the workouts that you and everybody are doing make some sense.

But just because some of the information is correct doesn't mean it is totally correct or totally correct for you.

Because now, the health and fitness industry is such a copycat industry... it's easy to fall into a rut.

If you don't really know what you're doing, or if you're only reference is that you are moving and working out...

Odds are you aren't going to really achieve your goals.

Usually, to get that satisfaction that you have achieved what you really want, you have to do what others aren't.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/10372598

How to manage your mental health | Leon Taylor | TEDxClapham

Prolonged psychological stress is the enemy of our mental health,

and physical movement is our best weapon to respond.

Reclaim our Mental Health and find the Movement which fills us with Joy

and do it as often as we can :)

 

Exercise, Physical Activity and Mental Health

 

Exercise and physical activity play a crucial role in both maintaining one's mental health condition and in recovering from a mental illness. Breaking research indicates that exercise actually produces a chemical that stimulates the growth of brain cells, thus allowing for recovery from sever substance abuse disorders. Furthermore, physical activity and mental health recovery coincide in fostering a social network and encouraging self-reflection, both of which are crucial on the path to mental health recovery.

The human mind evolved in an environment which required it to travel over twelve miles daily. And no, that drive to work in the morning does not count...but that would make things easier, no? This evolution was due to survival instincts when humans migrated from the jungles into the flatlands. Humans also developed an adrenaline reaction which both encouraged movement and triggered immediate learning reactions; as Doctor Carl Clark from the Mental Health Center of Denver once stated, when early man saw that saber-tooth tiger charging out of the brambles, the neurons must have been firing pretty fast to teach them to stay away from the bushes next time...that is assuming their get away was fast enough to allow for a next time!

This adrenaline rush encouraging learning has become neutralized by the flow of activities in modern western societies, wherein the normal individual is seemingly on a constant, albeit generally unnoticed, adrenaline rush. Consequently, stress levels have continuously been on the rise, consequently decreasing the rate at which an individual learns when in a compromising situation, thus decreasing mental wellness levels.

Physical activity is a huge aid to mental health in the fact that exercise allows for a stress outlet, thus decreasing day-to-day stress, while creating functional adrenaline for the mind. In reality, physical activity is important for mental health due to its role in creating Brain Derived Neurotropic Factor (BDNF), which is a key factor in the creation of brain cells. The myth of the old days is past; you know the one, where once your brain cells are gone they are gone. Well such is not the case, physical activity and exercise can increase BDNF levels and allow the re-growth of brain cells, consequently making physical activity immensely important for mental illness recovery.

Exercise and mental health further coincide in regards to the alarming statistic that people with mental illnesses, on average, die 20 years sooner than mentally healthy individuals. While there are many factors that go into this involved in substance abuse risk factors, two considerations that one would be remiss to ignore is the fact that those suffering from mental illnesses have a tendency to stagnate and become physically inactive. This has resulted in a large percentage of mental health consumers being considered overweight, which can ultimately result in adult onset diabetes. Diabetes is very dangerous in sedentary individuals who, in a depressant state, care little about taking care of themselves, for such a medical ailment can result in numerous health related issues, some of which can be very serious.

Physical activity and mental illness recovery are highly correlated. In some of the most successful recovery-based treatment facilities one will find strong proponents of mental health consumers engaging in physical activity. These activities also subsidize the development and formation of a support network populated by individuals interested in similar hobbies. Furthermore, exercise can often be a form of active meditation, and as practitioners of Dialectic Behavioral Treatment (DBT) can profess, meditation, including meditation absent any religious connotations (whether it be active or seated), drives self-reflection which is crucial to mental health recovery; for more information on the importance of self-reflection, you can access my article on Spirituality and Hope in Mental Health.

Stay physically active, exercise and mental wellness are highly correlated. Exercise is one of the best ways to prevent the development of serious mental illnesses, and is also one of the most effective treatment plans. Stay active, stay healthy, stay happy.

For more research on mental health, behavioral disorders, substance abuse, psychographics, childhood mental illnesses, childhood resiliency, adolescent mental illnesses, and adult recovery, access MHCD's Research and Evaluation's publication page [http://www.outcomesmhcd.com/pubs/publications.htm].

- Lex Douvasa

Information Systems Researcher and Data Mining Mental Health Researcher

For an open discussion on mental healthcare recovery, what it means for mental healthcare consumers, and what it means for mental healthcare practioners, along with the differences implicitly underlying a recovery based approach, access the Mental Health Recovery Blog.

Stay healthy, stay happy!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2619737

The Fats You Should Eat to Help You Eat Less

Doctor Oz explains: Why Fats Can Be Our Friends...

The Right Fats.

10 Top Foods to Lose Weight

Let's talk about foods to lose weight. There are certain foods that boost metabolic rate and encourage your body to burn calories and melt away stored fat to leave you slim, healthy and fit.

While you can find a more extensive list of 38 different foods to lose weight on our website, here are some of the 10 top recommendations by many nutritionists and fitness experts.

1. Choose foods which are rich in calories. Eat smaller quantities of dishes like soups, salads and smoothies that help lose weight. They package nutrients densely and the calorie concentration helps weight loss.

2. Include food with a high fiber content. Eat raw vegetables and fruits that not only have nutrients, minerals, vitamins and enzymes but are also rich in fiber. The fiber content slows down absorption of sugar, which in turn influences insulin metabolism and reduces fat deposition.

3. Avoid starch-rich food. Whole grain, pasta and foodstuffs rich in carbs are best avoided if you intend to lose weight. The only exception is when you eat following a weight loss workout, when replenishing calories is important.

4. Limit portion size. Weight loss means eating the right kinds of food to lose weight, but also restricting the quantity of each of them. Small portion sizes naturally ensure that you won't over indulge in the wrong kinds of food. Make it your choice to stop eating well before you feel stuffed.

5. Don't eat too little. This only leaves you hungry and tempts you to indulge in an unhealthy snack in between meals. Tight calorie restriction also pushes your body into starvation mode. It then tends to preserve fat stores, and burns off protein from muscles for energy instead. This is not at all desirable.

6. Add food supplements to your diet. Omega 3 fatty acids, minerals, enzymes and vitamins can supplement your regular meals and boost metabolism while increasing satiety. By suppressing hunger pangs, they can aid weight loss by avoiding snacks.

7. Intermittent fasting is the new kid on the block. Combined with foods to lose weight, the process of not eating for 12 to 16 hours every day can speed up weight loss. Forcing you to cram eating into a 8 to 10 hour window has the added advantage of limiting overall calorie intake.

8. Prefer coffee or tea over soda and sugary drinks. As they have caffeine and polyphenols, these drinks can help raise your metabolic rate and lose weight. They ward off hunger and increase the likelihood that your body will burn fat for energy. Limit yourself to 2-3 cups without added sugar.

9. Lower fat consumption. There is still some controversy over low fat diets, but there's broad consensus that eating less fat helps weight loss. Foods to lose weight are often those with low-fat content anyway. Choosing the right types of food automatically imposes a limit on how much fat you'll consume.

10. Watch out for hidden calories. There are many additives and preservatives in food that you eat every day that is rich in empty calories. Foods to lose weight have almost no concealed calories. Make it a habit to check food labels for any evidence of hidden calories.

There are many more foods to lose weight and also other pitfalls to guard against. If you take a little care to think about what you eat, you'll be able to lose weight in a safe, healthy and lasting way.

In this report on foods to lose weight, you'll learn about items that boost your metabolic rate and indirectly aid weight loss by making your body burn fat for energy needs while building muscle by conserving protein. This leads to weight loss, better fitness and stronger muscles.  Vanessa has been writing about fitness and health for over two decades now. She has written about a wide variety of subjects on these matters and written in depth about them.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/10346173

What would happen if you didn’t sleep? - Claudia Aguirre

Are you Sleep Deprived?

We never actually catch-up with sleep, regular sleep deprivation can cause serious bodily harm, let Claudia Aguirre's animation explain.

Sleep Deprivation and Weight Gain

Sleep needs vary across ages and are especially impacted by lifestyle and health. Researchers cannot pinpoint an exact amount of sleep need by people at different ages. However, sleep requirements vary from person to person even in the same age group.

There is a big difference between the amount of sleep one can get by on and the amount one needs to function optimally. For instance, if one is able to operate on six or seven hours of sleep doesn't mean one wouldn't feel a lot better and get more done if one spends an extra hour or two in bed.

The new recommendations of the daily sleep requirements for adults by the National Sleep Foundation include:

• Younger adults (18-25) - Sleep range is 7-9 hours
• Adults (26-64) - Sleep range is 7-9 hours
• Older adults (65+) - Sleep range is 7-8 hours

New born babies, infants, toddlers, children and teenagers have more daily requirements of sleep, which vary depending on their age.

Sleep deprivation occurs when an individual gets less sleep than they need to be attentive and alert. People vary in how little sleep is needed to be considered sleep-deprived. Some people such as older adults seem to be more resistant to the effects of sleep deprivation, while others, especially children and young adults, are more vulnerable.

Science has linked sleep deprivation with all kinds of health problems, from weight gain to a weakened immune system. Observational studies also suggest a link between sleep deprivation and obesity. Similar patterns have also been found in children and adolescents.

The following mechanisms have been found to underlie the link between sleep deprivation and weight gain -

Increase in ghrelin level - 

In a research published in the Journal of Sleep Research in Sep. 2008, it has been found that a single night of sleep deprivation increases ghrelin levels and feelings of hunger in normal weight healthy men, whereas morning serum leptin concentrations remain unaffected. Thus, the results provide further evidence for a disturbing influence of sleep loss on endocrine regulation of energy homeostasis, which in the long run may result in weight gain and obesity.

Ghrelin is a hormone produced in the gut and is often termed the hunger hormone. It sends a signal to the brain to feel hungry. Therefore, it plays a key role in regulating calorie intake and body fat levels.

Interference in carbohydrate metabolism - 

Sleep deprivation interferes with the body's ability to metabolize carbohydrates and causes high blood levels of glucose, which leads to higher insulin levels and greater body-fat storage. In one experiment, scientists disrupted participants sleep just enough to keep them from entering deep sleep but not enough to fully wake them. After these nights of deep-sleep deprivation, the subjects' insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance went down by 25 percent.

Reduction in growth hormone - 

Sleep deprivation reduces levels of growth hormone - a protein that helps regulate the body's proportions of fat and muscle. Experts estimate that as much as 75 percent of human growth hormone is released during sleep. Deep sleep is the most restorative all stages of sleep. During this stage of sleep, growth hormone is released and works to restore and rebuild our body and muscles from the stresses of the day.

Increase in cravings for high-calorie junk food - 

Sleep deprivation even for one night creates pronounced changes in the way our brain responds to high-calorie junk foods. On days, when people don't have proper sleep, fattening foods like potato chips and sweets stimulates stronger responses in a part of the brain that helps govern the motivation to eat. But at the same time, they experience a sharp reduction in activity in the frontal cortex, a higher-level part of the brain, where consequences are weighed and rational decisions are made.

Increase in cortisol - 

Researchers have found that sleep deprivation increases the level of cortisol hormone and other markers of inflammation.

Decrease in resting metabolic rate - 

There is evidence indicating that sleep deprivation may lower the resting metabolic rate of the body. It is the number of calories our body burns when we're completely at rest. It's affected by age, weight, height, sex and muscle mass. This needs further validation but one contributing factor seems to be that poor sleep may cause muscle loss.

The bottom line - 

Besides, eating right and exercising regularly, getting quality sleep is an important part of weight maintenance. Therefore, establishing healthy sleep habits can help our body maintain a healthy weight.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/10115496