Category: Weight Loss Exercise

What a timely article I was sent this week. Just in time for the American 4th of July weekend I got these barbecue safety  tips to help us all to stay safe.

Barbequing is one of America’s favorite pastimes, especially during Fourth of July weekend. However, it’s hard to believe that this enjoyable and easy meal option can cause food poisoning and even cancer! ChicagoHealers.com Dr. Martha Howard M.D. provides the following tips for barbecue safety during summer grilling:

Barbecue Safety Hazards:

• An April 2006 presentation at the American Association for Cancer Research showed that when PhIP, a barbecue/char chemical, was added to rats’ food, they developed cancerous changes in their intestines, spleens and prostates within four weeks.
• HCAs, heterocyclic amines, are also produced when meat is charred. This compound can increase the risk of breast, stomach, colon, and prostate cancer.
• PAHs, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, are produced by smoking fat from chicken, fish or meat and can damage lung, liver, skin and kidney tissue.

Tips for Safe Barbequing:

• Clean the grill: get rid of the old fats left over from previous meals.
• Avoid petroleum starters for charcoal: If you use charcoal, use a wood starter and stack your charcoal up in a 2 pound metal can with the ends cut off. Lift off the can with tongs and spread out the coals when they are well started.
• Proper timing: Avoid a time gap between opening the valve and starting the grill.
• Wash your hands: Keep your hands clean and use separate plates and cutting boards for raw and cooked meats.  Be sure to wash hands again before putting on long, heat-proof barbecue gloves.

• Trim meat: Trim most of the fat from meat; less fat means fewer PAHs.
• Use marinades: This protects the meat from charring.  Put the marinade on, and refrigerate until use. Don’t let meat sit out.
• Pre-cooking: Use pre-cooking prior to grilling, especially for items like raw brats. Avoid taking burgers, chicken or other meats directly from the freezer to the grill.
• Cutting techniques: Cut meat and chicken into smaller pieces so they cook through.
• Flipping: Turn down the fire, and turn your burgers, steaks, chops, or chicken often, so they cook through, and come out golden brown.
• Meat thermometer: If you are cooking a thicker portion of meat or chicken, use a meat thermometer.
  • Chicken:  165 degrees
  • Hamburger: 160 degrees
  • Pork: 150 degrees
  • Hot dogs: 140 degrees
  • Steak: 145 degrees for medium rare and 160 degrees for medium.
• Cleaning up: At the end of the barbecue, be sure to put out your charcoal completely, and if you are using propane, be sure the valve is turned off.

These are some great tips to keep in mind for barbecue safety this weekend as well as throughout the summer.

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Finding a body building routine that works is not as easy as many beginner bodybuilders think.

First, there is such a huge number of possible routines. This is not surprising when you consider how many muscle groups there are to work and how many possible exercises there are for each one.

When you think about all the combinations you could make, you can see that the number of possible workout routines for body building is almost infinite.

Starting Body Building Routine

Copying somebody else’s routine is not usually the best way to go. You are not going to develop the same body as the current Mr. Universe by reading up on his routine and doing the same thing yourself.

It is very unlikely that your body is ready for exactly the same workout that he does right now.

A Starting Workout Routine

So what do you do? If you are just starting out, then probably any standard beginner workout routine will do fine.

It is true that what works for one person will not necessarily work for anybody else but in the beginning it is okay to figure out your best plan by trial and error.

However, you do need to be sure that your workout routine covers all of the bases. Check it out against the following scheme.

And if you want to plan your own body building routine, this is a good way to go.

First, note down all the muscle groups that you need to work. That is pretty much all the muscles in the body. Do not forget the core and especially the muscles of the back. It is dangerous to overdevelop the chest, shoulders and abs while neglecting the back because you can so easily cause an injury there.

Then choose an exercise that works each group. This could involve dumbbells, a barbell, or gym machines such as the bench press. Some exercises will work out more than one muscle group.

Now you are ready to plan your body building routine so that each muscle group is worked around twice a week with at least one full day of rest between. It is good to give yourself a couple of days of complete rest from working out, too.

Watch Your Results – Is your Workout Routine Working?

What if nothing seems to be working? First, consider whether you are giving your muscles enough rest. Bodybuilders who do not get the results they expect are often guilty of overtraining.

Remember that the muscles are broken down during your workout. The time that they build mass is during the recovery time. So do not be tempted to overtrain.

Second, look at other factors such as your diet. Are you getting the right amount of protein and carbs at the right times? Have you looked into possible supplements that you might take?

Lastly, keep in mind that it is good practice to change your routine around from time to time.

This counters boredom and more importantly, works the muscles a little differently than what they may be used to. You will often find that changing out one ab exercise for another or using a different press at the gym will be the catalyst that you need to start gaining muscle mass again.

All of these tips will help you figure out a body building routine that works.

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What is the anti aging secret weapon? It’s water. Yes, plain old water – our best friend in the battle to restore or hold on to our youth.

Without water there would be no life. It’s that important.

Water is something that NASA looks for on new planets to establish whether there might be life on the planet.

Although for humans, oxygen is a more urgent need and we would die very fast without it, there are known forms of life that do not need oxygen or even are poisoned by it. But every living thing needs water.

How Essential Is Water To Our Lives

Water makes up 55% to 75% of the human body, depending on a person’s build and size. It is essential for all of our metabolic processes. It helps transport nutrients and eliminate toxins.

These substances are dissolved or held in suspension by our bodily fluids that are mostly water, and carried around the body.

Water is important for a healthy colon, kidneys, liver, brain and just about everything else.

Everything we eat and drink contains some water, even the driest cookie. But we also lose water all of the time, not only when we go to the bathroom, but in evaporation from our skin and in every exhalation.

You know how a mirror steams over when you breathe on it? That’s the airborne water in your breath condensing on the colder surface of the mirror. This water must be replaced, and the best way to do it is simply by drinking pure water.

Staying well hydrated by drinking lots of water is particularly beneficial to the skin. In fact, washing toxins from the skin is more effectively done by drinking lots of water than by showering. Showering only cleans off the perspiration and other substances.

Why We Need Water In Our Diet

Making sure we are never short of water on the inside, however, dilutes and washes away toxins in the pores and at the same time, moisturizes the skin, helping it to look younger and reducing wrinkles.

There is also research to show that drinking plenty of water can help to prevent many of the diseases that we associate with aging. Not drinking enough can contribute to high blood pressure and high cholesterol which in turn are factors in heart disease, stroke and Alzheimer’s disease.

Some people become concerned that they may suffer from water retention and bloating if they drink too much water. This is not going to happen. A healthy body will expel all the water that it does not need and flush out waste along with it. Water retention is caused by other factors.

If you suffer from bloating, you should still drink plenty of water, otherwise there will be a buildup of waste and toxins in your body that will only make things worse.

How Much Water to Drink?

The latest recommendation from the US National Research Council is that the average woman should have 2.7 litres of water per day and the average man 3.7 litres. This depends on body size, so a large woman would need more, a small man would need less. Women also need more if they are breastfeeding. People also need more in hot temperatures or if they are very physically active.

We get 20% of the water that we need from food, so after subtracting that, the National Research Council’s figures mean that we should drink about 2.1 litres for a woman (9 x 8 oz glasses) or 3 litres for a man (13 x 8 oz glasses).

Sounds like a lot, doesn’t it? But it’s worth it! If you are not drinking near that amount right now, you are sure to have some health benefits from increasing your consumption of liquids.

You will probably also find yourself looking younger and feeling fitter. Just be sure not to drink too much at once. Spread your intake through the day.

It doesn’t have to be just water. Other drinks will count toward your daily intake, except for anything containing alcohol, which dehydrates the body. Sodas are best avoided too, because they usually contain either a lot of sugar which is not good for our health, or sugar substitutes and additives which can be dehydrating. But juice, milk, and even tea and coffee are fine.

Still, it’s plain old water that is the purest way to treat your body with this anti aging secret.

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