The 4 Components of Fitness That Really Matter

Fitness is something that many people find difficult to comprehend, with all the information readily available to them, as with the general fitness enthusiast being uneducated it is no wonder why many begin to lose motivation, and become ever more frustrated when they find getting to their ideal fitness goals impossible.

The truth is many believe there is over 11 different components of fitness, however only 4 are really the ones that need to be discussed, learnt, and acted on in order to get to that fitness level you wish for.

Like anything to do with your health it is vitally important to consult your doctor, or have a fitness test at your local gym to find what level you currently are, what you should or should not participate in, and how long it shall take you realistically to reach your targets, using the components in a fitness program, coupled with the correct techniques, equipment and nutrition.

Strength Training- This is the ultimate activity that most people especially Women tend to ignore as they automatically think of body builders or similar athletes, which tends to put them off.

However this component is extremely important in toning the problem area's muscles which will allow fat to be burnt, and tighten the muscular frame to be defined, and with the introduction of resistant bands it has made this area a lot more favourable amongst Women.

Flexibility & Stretching- Correct and proper stretching allows you to prevent the body from injuries and over time provides the muscles to become supple, which can also help with recovery after a hard session or an active period.

Stretching should be introduced before and after into routines for at least 7 minutes, to get the heart rate to a high workout level which has shown to be the ideal time by sport fitness coaches, though you must hold each stretch for a longer period of time on a cool down to lengthen muscle fibre and tissue.

Speed, Agility & Balance- A must, and is gained from constant repetition of circuits and exercises, a very important factor to the body as it allows it to continuously improve over time.

Cardiovascular Endurance- This has to be the most important part of the 4 components, why?...

Because this is working on the powerhouse and engine of the body being the heart. As we all know the hearts duty is to pump blood around the body where needed, however increasing the respiratory system will allow your heart to pump blood that is rich in oxygen to prevent muscle fatigue.

Without a poor level of endurance exercises such as jogging, cycling, aerobics and swimming can become painful and difficult to complete or take part in at first as your body will burnout much faster thus reducing your length of training.

Introducing all the above components to your fitness plans is extremely important, as cardio workouts will allow the burning of calories, weight training increases the definition of the bodies natural shape and curves. While Flexibility, speed, balance and agility will assist in strengthening joints, and muscle ligaments while enhancing the core to adapt to different movements without the lack of performance required.

These fundamentals will provide the everyday habit and lifestyle change you will need over time that will provide you to go further in reaching your ideal fitness and health goals in the future.

James Harper is the founder of LifetimeFitness365 a company that educate it's community on the relationship between bad skin and physical fitness for women.

We understand you feel you have done everything to get into shape, and tried all the latest diet and fitness tricks yet to see any real results.

Food Reward: a Dominant Factor in Obesity, Part IV

What is Food Reward?

After reading comments on my recent posts, I realized I need to do a better job of defining the term "food reward". I'm going to take a moment to do that here. Reward is a psychology term with a specific definition: "a process that reinforces behavior" (1). Rewarding food is not the same thing as food that tastes good, although they often occur together.

Read more �

Eye Care : Causes, Prevention and Home Remedies

Eye is one of the most important body parts in human body. Eyes are responsible in act of vision in humans. With the aid of our eyes we are able to see the things around us and perform our daily activities with great ease. Any disruption in the functioning of eyes leads to great difficulty and discomforts. The common vision defects are:

.Short-sightedness (myopia) - it is a condition in which a person is only able to visualize near object clearly but has a difficulty to see far away objects.

.Long-sightedness (hypermetropia) - it is a condition in which a person clearly sees far way things but he is unable to see the near objects.

.Presbyopia � it is related to the age factors as in this case the lens present in the eye loses its flexibility and hence is not able to adapt to the condition where it has to perform adjustability and eye is not able see things clearly. It is often seen in people who are above the age of forty.

.Astigmatism � in this condition cornea becomes oval thus losing the balance in the axis (may be in y-axis or in x-axis). It is generally accompanied by short sightedness or long sightedness.


The various causes of various eye problems are:

.Reading in inadequate light
.Working on computer for longer periods
.Inadequate diet specially the diet deficient in vitamin A
.Watching television from close


Care for your eyes so they can stay healthy and gorgeous looking and you will surely not regret it. There are several home remedies available to minimize the effects of eye damage.

. Mix one part of rose water and one part of lime juice. Store in a bottle and use it as an eye drop. This is very useful home remedy for eye care.

. Intake of sufficient amounts of vitamin A is necessary for healthy vision.

. Eating spinach will help in preventing various eye problems as it contains carotenoid.

. The consumption of good amount of vitamin C lowers the chances of developing cataracts.

. Fill a green bottle with water and keep it in sunlight for one day, use this water to wash the eyes regularly.

. Consuming mangoes are also good for our eyes as it is a rich sorce of vitamin a and calcium.

. For improving eyesight massage the soles and toes of foot with mustard oil daily. This is the effective eye care treatment.

. Carrots and tomatoes should be consumed regularly for normal vision.

. Regularly wash your eyes with cold water as it helps in relieving congestion in eyes.

. Taking a mixture of the juices of raw parsley and carrots in a glassful amount daily will provide great benefits for people with weak eyesight.

. Aniseed is particularly beneficial in the treatment of cataract. The powder of its seeds is taken in a tablespoon quantity each morning and evening.

. Soak some tea bags in cold water and then place these bags on your eyes.

. Daily intake of walnut for few days reduces the weakness of the eyes.


Perform regular eye exercise to relieve strain from them. These are:

.Palming � sit relaxed with legs folded on a chair and rest the elbows on the table. Keep the palms of both hands on the cheeks, close both the eyes and cover them with the hands. Remain in this position for 10-15 minutes.

.Blinking - while doing constant work with eyes, blink the eyes at least ten times continuously.

.Pupil exercises � rotate the pupils up and down for at least 6 times while keeping the neck and backbone straight.



~source:home-remedies-for-you.com~

Urinary Tract Infection : Causes, Prevention and Home Remedies

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a bacterial infection that affects any part of the urinary tract. Urinary tract infections are very common. Women are more suseptible to getting an infection because they have a shorter urethra than men and can get bacteria into the urinary tract more easily. Some women are also prone to recurring infections and these women may continue to have recurrences.

The most common cause of UTI is when bacteria from the rectum or the vagina enters the urinary tract through the urethra. Once this bacteria enters into the urethra it travels upward into the bladder or other parts of the urinary tract causing an infection.

Waiting too long before urinating can also cause bladder infections. The bladder can be stretched to far and over time will weaken the bladder muscle causing the bladder to retain and not empty out completely. Some of the urine is then left in the bladder and may be a risk in causing urinary tract infection or bladder infection. During sex vaginal bacteria can work its way into the urethra.


The symptoms of urinary tract infections:

.Urge to urinate that cannot be delayed
.Sharp pain or burning sensation in the urethra when urininating
.Very little urine may be released
.Urine may have blood in it
.Pain in the lower abdomen or back

If you have a kidney infection instead, you may experience back pain, chills, fever, nausea and vomiting as well as the UTI symptoms. Be sure to get to your doctor immediately if you suspect a kidney infection.


There are various home remedies for urinary tract infection and have prove effective to many people suffering from such infections.

. Drink lots of water. This will help flush the bacteria out of your bladder and urinary tract.

. Taking cranberry juice prevents bacteria from sticking to the urinary tract walls, making it easier to eliminate them in the urine.

. Watermelon alleviates urinary tract problems, and cleans and refreshes the kidneys.

. Sip a cup of coconut water before breakfast to remove kidney impurities.

. Peel and crush two garlic cloves. Put them in a cup of warm water. Let stand for five minutes and drink. Garlic kills bacteria.

. Put a teaspoon of dried nettle leaves in a cup of water and boil for 5 minutes. Strain and drink.

. Eat asparagus - asparagus is prescribed as a purifier of the urinary tract and helps cure cystitis.

. Cut the onion in four parts, put them in half a liter of water in a stainless steel pot and let boil for about 20 minutes. Remove and let stand for 8 hours. Strain and drink.

. Eating yogurt to is also good for relieving urinary tract infection.

. Drinking one glass of water by adding half teaspoon of baking soda in it will prove highly beneficial.

. Drinking the mixture of cranberry juice and apple juice is also one of the very effective home remedies for urinary tract infection.

. The juice of grapes is also useful in the treatment of urinary tract infection.

. Increase the intake of vitamin C, as this will increase your immunity levels and thus prevent further growth of bacteria.

. Prepare berry juice and have it two times in a day.

. Mix 2 tsp of apple cider vinegar and 1 tsp of honey and water. Drink this twice a day.

In case the pain is not going and you are not getting any relief, then it is better to visit your doctor, as there could be some other complication that might be responsible for the pain.



~source:home-remedies-for-you.com~

Bee Sting : How To and Home Remedies

A bee sting is strictly a sting from a bee (honey bee, bumblebee, sweat bee, etc). In the vernacular it can mean a sting of a bee, wasp, hornet, or yellow jacket. Some people may even call the bite of a horse-fly a bee sting. The stings of most of these species can be quite painful, and are therefore an object of dread for many people.

Bee stings differ from insect bites, and the venom or toxin of stinging insects is quite different. Therefore, the body's reaction to a bee sting may differ significantly from one species to another. The best way to reduce any reaction to bee venom is to remove the bee stinger as quickly as possible.

There are quite a few home remedies for bee stings that are very effective in alleviating the pain and the discomfort caused by this painful affliction.

. Take freshly crushed parsley and rub it on the bee sting. This should stop the pain and at the same time, begin to neutralize the poison.

. Crush up fresh basil leaves and apply them directly on the bee sting.

. Apply just 1 drop of lavender essential oil on the bee stings. Only use as "spot treatment", do not apply over large areas of skin.

. Place a slice of bread on the area of a bee sting. A bread slice will absorb the poison or any other bee secretion like saliva injected during the sting.

. Make a paste of cabbage leaves by grinding the cabbage and then applying it over the affected area for immediate relief from pain and irritation caused by the bee sting.

. You can use garlic to treat bee stings due to its antiseptic properties. Place a slice of garlic on the wound.

. Rub apple cider vinegar on the bee sting as soon as possible. It prevents swelling and spreading of poison.

. Mixed baking soda with water to create a thick paste and then apply directly on the bee sting.

. Take fresh papaya, and slice off a slice. Apply it to the bee stings for about 1 hour.

. Take an onion and slice it. Apply the slice to the bee sting and either hold it there or tape it in place for about 1 hour.

. Prepare a poultice of potatoes and apply it on the wound to relieve the inflammation and irritation caused by the bee sting.

. Apply turmeric in combination with olive oil over the bee sting.

. Take a small amount of water, mix it with dirt to make mud, then stick it on the sting. It will pull out the stinger and make swelling go down.

. Put baking soda on the bee sting and then pour any kind of vinegar over the baking soda until the baking soda is gone. It will bubble the poision and stinger out.

. Mix vinegar with meat tenderizer,apply on to the sting and left on, until the pain subsides, after which it can be washed off.

. Apply toothpaste on the sting. This will help reduce the pain and bring down the swelling.

. Rub the affected skin with wet aspirin. This is a very effective remedy and gives immediate relief.

. One of the remedies for a bee sting is to apply a mix of honey and lemon to it. Honey will negate the toxin and lemon juice will sanitize the stung area.

. Eggs applied to bee stings also make the swelling and stinging go away.

. Ice cubes need to be applied to the affected site for at least 30 minutes or more to reduce bee sting swelling.

. Covering the bee sting with a small dab of mustard can also be very helpful in relieving the pain and reducing the swelling, redness and itchiness.

. Thyme and rosemary mixed with vinegar are also very good to relieve pain.



~source:home-remedies-for-you.com~

Healthy Skeptic Podcast

Chris Kresser has just posted our recent interview/discussion on his blog The Healthy Skeptic.  You can listen to it on Chris's blog here.  The discussion mostly centered around body fat and food reward.  I also answered a few reader questions.  Here are some highlights:

• How does the food reward system work? Why did it evolve?
• Why do certain flavors we don�t initially like become appealing over time?
• How does industrially processed food affect the food reward system?
• What�s the most effective diet used to make rats obese in a research setting? What does this tell us about human diet and weight regulation?
• Do we know why highly rewarding food increases the set point in some people but not in others?
• How does the food reward theory explain the effectiveness of popular fat loss diets?
• Does the food reward theory tell us anything about why traditional cultures are generally lean?
• What does cooking temperature have to do with health?
• Reader question: How does one lose fat?
• Reader question: What do I (Stephan) eat?
• Reader question: Why do many people gain fat with age, especially postmenopausal women?

The podcast is a sneak preview of some of the things I'll be discussing in the near future.  Enjoy!

Varicose Veins : Causes, Prevention and Home Remedies

Varicose veins are swollen, twisted, and sometimes painful veins that have filled with an abnormal collection of blood. In normal veins, valves in the vein keep blood moving forward toward the heart. With varicose veins, the valves do not function properly, allowing blood to remain in the vein. Pooling of blood in a vein causes it to enlarge.

This process usually occurs in the veins of the legs, although it may occur elsewhere. Varicose veins are common, affecting mostly women. Standing for a long time and having increased pressure in the abdomen may make you more likely to develop varicose veins, or may make the condition worse.

Primary varicose veins occur because of congenitally defective valves, or without a known cause. Secondary varicose veins occur because of another condition, such as when a pregnant woman develops varicose veins. The varicose veins are dark purple or blue in color.

Many times the veins get congested due to the blood clots and this can also result in various illnesses. Due to the injury the veins appear bluish and swollen. This condition is known as varicose veins. This is extremely painful condition but you can get some relief from the pain by trying the various home remedies for varicose veins.

. Apply cider vinegar to the varicose veins in the morning and evening till the veins starts shrinking. This is a good home remedy for varicose veins.

. Apply vitamin E oil to the affected areas.

. Apply witch hazel tea to the affected areas.

. Raw vegetable juices especially carrot juice in combination with spinach juice has been proved beneficial. It should be taken in a proportion of 300 ml carrot juice and 200 ml of spinach juice.

. Applying castor oil over the swollen veins will reduce the swelling and heal the varicose veins fast.

. A hot Epsom salt bath is also effective and should be taken twice a week. this is one of the best varicose veins cure.

. Massage oil of rosemary gently into an affected parts. This is also one of the good home remedies for varicose veins.

. A mudpack can be applied over the area at night and can be left till morning.

. Sunbathing is also helpful in dealing with varicose veins.

. Vitamin C  should be taken in a therapeutic dose of 3000 mg.

. The marigold extract is an excellent solution for inflamed and ulcerated skin. Apply the extract externally over the enlarged network of veins.

. Alternating between hot and cold baths proves to be effective against varicose veins.

. Dissolve two tablespoons of flower honey in six table spoons of apple cider vinegar. Soak a crepe bandage in the mix, then wrap the bandage around the infected area, leave overnight for best results.

. To keep the blood circulation proper avoid sitting or standing in one position for long time.

. Eat fibrous food, as this will keep the bowels clean. This will prevent varicose veins from occurring and will also keep you away from various other conditions.

. Pineapple is also very effective in the treatment of varicose veins. Pineapple juice should be consumed once a day in case you get varicose veins often.

. Eat as many blackberries and cherries as you can. They help to prevent varicose veins.

. Gingko biloba extract enhances tissue oxygenation and circulation. Take 40 milligrams three times a day.

. Take 25,000 international units of beta-carotene daily.

. Follow healthy eating habits and stay away form junk food, oily food. Limit your intake of sugar and salt. Try to minimize eating ice creams, cheese, tobacco and peanuts.

. Including ginger, onions,and garlic in your diet is beneficial.

. Avoiding high heels and tight clothing that can restrict blood flow in the legs is the best varicose veins treatment.

. Do a daily routine of exercises like walking, swimming and bicycling to promote circulation.




~source:ncbi.nlm.nih.gov~