8 WAYS TO STROKE-PROOF YOUR LIFE

A stroke is a disease that affects the blood vessels in the brain. It occurs when blood vessels carrying oxygen and nutrients to part of the brain suddenly becomes blocked or bursts. This means that part of the brain can’t get the blood (and oxygen) it needs, so the affected brain cells die and parts of the brain may be permanently damaged, causing the person to experience the symptoms of stroke.

 

Knowledge is power; you can reduce your risk of suffering a stroke if you are aware of your age and family history- two factors that impact significantly on a person's susceptibility to stroke.

 

Here are 8 steps to start reducing your risk of stroke from today:

 

1. Reduce your blood pressure.

High blood pressure is a huge factor, doubling or even quadrupling your stroke risk if it is not controlled. Monitoring blood pressure and, if it is elevated, treating it, is probably the biggest difference a person can make to their vascular health. Your goal is to maintain a blood pressure of less than 120 (top number) over less than 80 (bottom number)

• Reduce the salt in your diet to no more than 1,500 milligrams a day (about a half teaspoon).
 
• Avoid high-cholesterol foods, such as burgers, cheese, and ice cream.
 
• Eat 4 to 5 cups of fruits and vegetables every day, fish two to three times a week, and several daily servings of whole grains and low-fat dairy.
 
• Get more exercise—at least 30 minutes of activity a day, and more, if possible.
 
• Quit smoking, if you smoke.
 
• Take medication, if necessary

2 Lose weight

Obesity, as well as the complications linked to it (including high blood pressure and diabetes), raises your odds of having a stroke. If you're overweight, losing as little as 10 pounds can have a real impact on your stroke risk. Your goal is to keep your body mass index (BMI) at 25 or less.

How to achieve it:

• Limit or avoid saturated and trans fats.
• Try to eat no more than 1,500 to 2,000 calories a day (depending on your activity level and your current body mass index).
• Increase the amount of exercise you do with such activities as walking, golfing, or playing tennis, and by making activity part of every single day.

3 Exercise more

Exercise contributes to losing weight and lowering blood pressure, but it also stands on its own as an independent stroke reducer. One 2012 study found that women who walked three hours a week were less likely to have a stroke than women who didn't walk.

Your goal: Exercise at a moderate intensity at least five days a week.

How to achieve it:

• Take a walk around your neighborhood every morning after breakfast.
• Start a fitness club with friends.
• When you exercise, reach the level at which you're breathing hard, but you can still talk.
• Take the stairs instead of an elevator when you can.
• If you don't have 30 consecutive minutes to exercise, break it up into 10- to 15-minute sessions a few times each day.

4 Drink—in moderation

What you've heard is true. Drinking can make you less likely to have a stroke—up to a point. Studies show that if you have about one drink per day, your risk may be lower. Once you start drinking more than two drinks per day, your risk goes up very sharply.

Your goal: Drink alcohol in moderation.

How to achieve it:

• Have one glass of alcohol a day.
• Make red wine your first choice, because it contains resveratrol, which is thought to protect the heart and brain.
• Watch your portion sizes. A standard-sized drink is a 5-ounce glass of wine, 12-ounce beer, or 1.5-ounce glass of hard liquor.

5 Take a baby aspirin

The landmark Women's Health Initiative study found that women over age 65 who take a daily baby aspirin lower their stroke risk. Aspirin helps by preventing blood clots from forming.Your goal: Take a baby aspirin every day (if it's appropriate for you).

How to achieve it: First talk to your doctor to make sure aspirin is safe and appropriate for you to take. If you have a bleeding disorder, you may need to reduce your dose to every other day or avoid this regimen altogether.

6 Treat atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation is a form of irregular heartbeat that causes clots to form in the heart. Those clots can then travel to the brain, producing a stroke. Atrial fibrillation carries almost a fivefold risk of stroke, and should be taken seriously.Your goal: If you have atrial fibrillation, get it treated.

How to achieve it:

• If you have symptoms such as heart palpitations or shortness of breath, see your doctor for an exam.
• You may need to take blood thinners such as high-dose aspirin or warfarin (Coumadin) to reduce your stroke risk from atrial fibrillation. Your doctors can guide you through this treatment.

7 Treat diabetes

Having high blood sugar over time damages blood vessels, making clots more likely to form inside them. Your goal is to Keep your blood sugar under control.

How to achieve it:

• Monitor your blood sugar as directed by your doctor.
• Use diet, exercise, and medicines to keep your blood sugar within the recommended range.

8 Quit smoking

Smoking accelerates clot formation in a couple of different ways. It thickens your blood, and it increases the amount of plaque buildup in the arteries. "Along with a healthy diet and regular exercise, smoking cessation is one of the most powerful lifestyle changes that will help you reduce your stroke risk significantly," Dr. Rost says.Your goal is to Quit smoking.

How to achieve it:

• Ask your doctor for advice on the most appropriate way for you to quit.
• Use quit-smoking aids, such as nicotine pills or patches, counseling, or medicine.
• Don't give up. Most smokers take several tries to quit. See each failed attempt as bringing you one step closer to successfully beating the habit.

 

Ward off Alzheimer's by keeping your body & brain in shape

By Kimberly Garrison, Daily News Personal Fitness Columnist

 

A NEW STUDY has delivered compelling evidence that diet, exercise and other prescription-free interventions are the best way to ward off Alzheimer's disease.

 

Alzheimer's is perhaps the most dreadful of modern diseases: It steals your mind, your personality and your very soul. And once you have it, there is no turning back.

 

On a personal note, I have seen firsthand the slow, devastating effects of this awful disease on a loved one, as well as the family members.

 

So, my ears really perked up when I heard about the groundbreaking study that was presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference. It demonstrated that after only two years, individuals at risk for the disease who made dramatic lifestyle changes showed significant improvements.

 

According to the Finnish Geriatric Intervention Study to Prevent Cognitive Impairment and Disability study, lifestyle behaviors like exercise, a healthy diet and friendships staved off the cognitive declines that are common to Alzheimer's.

The two-year randomized study assessed more than 1,200 individuals at risk for Alzheimer's. While the control group received typical medical advice, the lifestyle makeover participants received extensive dietary, exercise, cognitive and social training, as well as training in management of metabolic and vascular risks.

The results of the lifestyle participants was nothing less than stunning and delivered benefits that no technology or medication to date can trump.

Here are some of the simple, though clearly impactful treatments:

* Nutritional counseling sessions with a focus on consuming more fruits, vegetables and fish.

* Initially, emphasis on weight training one to two times a week and cardiovascular training two to four times a week. Ultimately, participants were encouraged to continue with strength training and ramp up cardiovascular training to five to six days per week.

* Throughout the study, various cognitive training exercises were also provided to participants.

So, since there is no medical treatment to cure Alzheimer's once it occurs, prevention is our only hope. Lucky for us, prevention may be as near as the kitchen, the gym and woven into our personal relationships.

 

Sun Secrets Revealed: How to protect your skin from the sun.

Culled from Military fitness

 

 

 Yesterday I spoke with my friend Louise and found out that she just celebrated her 90th birthday by zip lining in South America! When she was 79 she realized that she felt old and didn’t like it so she decided to make some changes. By 80, she had taken up jogging again after a 40 year hiatus. At 85, she started a lecture series and wrote a book. It’s no surprise that everyone wants to know her secret to living such a long, youthful and energetic life. Our conversation got me thinking about the choices we make every day, both good and bad, and how the accumulation of those choices will dramatically affect us in the future. I know it feels lame for some to talk about prevention, but stick with me. You may learn a thing or two that will help you keep pace with Louise…that is, if you can catch her!

Alarm to Awareness

Since we’re having a conversation about summer sun, it’s important to know that every year, there are nearly one million skin cancers detected. While I’m not advocating that you shun the sun altogether, it is important to take the simple steps to protect yourself.

 

Now that you are properly prepped, there are some potent skin protecting nutrients that may hold the secret to heathy skin and skin cancer prevention. Let’s start by reviewing some familiar friends in the nutrition world:

 

Vitamin C — found in the dermis and epidermis layers of the skin. Too much exposure to UV rays diminishes the concentration of Vit C and it’s antioxidant protection leaving your skin and your organs more vulnerable to free radical damage. It is also essential for collagen production which is the foundation of our skin, cartilage, ligaments and blood vessels. A minimum recommendation is 75mg/​d for women and 90 mg/​d for men.

 

Zinc — an essential trace mineral, mostly found in our muscles and bones but also found in skin tissue, it helps to stabilize skin cell membranes and protects against something called reactive oxygen species (ROS) which can damage our DNA. Zinc also protects the skin from bacterial toxins. The reason you often find Zinc in sunscreens is due to its ability to absorb well and reflects UV rays. Women need 8mg and men need 11mg per day. Pumpkin seeds, cashews and cacao beans are all good plant sources while oysters, beef, crab and lobster are good protein sources.

Nice Reflection

Your skin, nails, hair and eyes are an outward reflection of inner health and vitality. Eating a clean diet, relatively free of junk, processed foods and chemicals, reflect in your skin by its pallor, suppleness and elasticity. You can also gain a double benefit from internal nutrients that can be used externally as well. Here are my two favorite topical treatments that may be the two best kept secrets to superior skin health:

Pycnogenol® — a naturally occurring super-​​antioxidant found most concentrated in the bark of French maritime pine trees. According to the National Institutes for Health (NIH) in studies of cell cultures, it has been shown to inhibit damage caused by UV radiation. It also acts as a very effective anti-​​inflammatory. If you supplement with pycnogenol, I highly recommend a balanced, comprehensive source like Reliv Now® with LunaRich® and Glucaffect® with LunaRich. (See below for more product info).

Topically, Pycnogenol provides excellent skin soothing and protective benefits like:

• Boosting collagen renewal
• Improving skin elasticity
• Reducing wrinkles
• Promoting healing
• Improving acne
• Preventing UV damage

It’s anti-​​inflammatory properties help calm skin and it has been clinically shown to reduce sun damage-​​induced hyper-​​pigmentation — darkening or freckling of the skin caused by excess melanin. I use Reliv’s r-​​collection which contains a host of natural skin-​​loving nutrients in formulas that absorb effectively unlike most skin care products on the market today that remain on the surface of the skin.

Retinoids — compounds in the Vitamin A family that work to regulate skin cell function and growth. Within your dermis and epidermis, there are proteins and receptors that are extremely responsive to retinoids. Too much sun exposure destroys Vitamin A so replenishing it both internally and externally is key to cellular health. Topically, retinoids have been found to unclog pores which can be helpful in acne treatment and prevention. Additional benefits include:

• Minimizing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
• Improving cellular replacement rate of the skin
• Reducing dry skin and acne

Good food sources include sweet potatoes, raw carrots, spinach, broccoli, cod liver oil, eggs and other dairy products.

 

BUILD A FITNESS SCHEDULE

How many times have you heard that "time is money"?

Do you remember the time tables we used to have when we were younger? these tables provided certainty, you knew exactly what to do, when to do it, and the penalty for not doing it.

 

Time management has been the rage in the past decade. As people work harder and have less time to devote to what they love to do, the impulse is to drop any difficult activities, such as going to the gym. Unfortunately, our bodies will not keep themselves in shape, and we need to take responsibility for our physical fitness and wellness.

In these busy times, customising your fitness schedule around your time availability and your needs is essential; you can't afford to live your fitness to chance, the same way you wouldn't leave your clothes to chance.

With the advent of time management and productivity improvement tools, it has become easier to manage your fitness schedule with the required discipline. Tools like your phone calendar, Google Calendar, or you could design one on Microsoft Word. You could also download and print out a workout calendar from http://www.workout-calendar.com/

In designing your calendar, start with your goal (health,fat loss, muscle gain), the location of your exercises (home, office, gym), duration (30 mins, 1 hour...),  the equipment you will be working with (weights, bars,) and the commencement time of the workout.

NOTE: The only way to obtain sustainable results is by DISCIPLINED, CONSISTENT, HARD WORK.

 

Inspiration for today

A picture is worth a thousand words... so I decided to make a collage of inspirational fitness pictures . you can print them out and pin them up to your wall.

FITNESS IN A CONFINED SPACE

 

This article is primarily motivated by my current apartment in London. its quite small (10 Sq Ft) and therefore provides me with limited space to work out. I also live with 4 flatmates which limits the kinds of exercises I can perform as I wouldn't want to disturb them with the noise from my workouts. There are times when we only have a very small space to train and relatively little time to train.  These exercises are designed for this kind of situation. They are designed to produce optimal results within the limited time and space available.

Prisoner Squat Jumps

This is a great exercise performed in prisons worldwide. they are very useful because of the little amount of space required. This exercise is a really intense and they are a great for building muscles and creating definition in your legs in addition to producing general cardiovascular fitness.

If you've never tried this move, take your time and ease into it with small jumps. If you feel discomfort or pain, avoid this exercise.

1. Begin with feet wide and the hands behind the head.
2. Squat as low as you can, taking the torso slightly forward without rounding the back.
3. Jump up as high as you can, keeping the hands behind the head.
4. Land with soft knees and repeat for 30-60 seconds.
5. Add this move at the end of your regular cardio workout for an added boost, or do it a few times during your workout whenever you want to add intensity or mix things up.

 Bear Crawls

 

The bear crawl builds a functionally strong body because it engages many muscle groups including the shoulder, stomach and thigh muscles.

 To do the bear crawl, simply drop onto all fours with your hands directly under your shoulders, then rise up onto your feet. Now you're in the bear position! You can move forward and backward more quickly than in a standard crawl, and you'll work every major muscle group in the process.

Box Jumps

Box jumps are a terrific exercise for your legs and hips. They can be performed on just about any flat surface. They do a terrific job on your posterior chain – calves, quads, glutes, and hamstrings - as well.

 

Cheers Mate!!

 

 

5 ways to boost your sex life

1. KEEP THE MAKEUP ON

"I bet when you first got together with your man you made love with your make-up on." says Val Sampson, author of "How to Have Great Sex for The Rest of Your Life".

"After a while this gets replaced with taking all your makeup off, brushing your hair and slipping into your nightgrown. Try to initiate sex when you're still dolled up. It will rekindle those exciting first-time feelings." And the more gorgeous you feel, the more confident and relaxed you'll be.

2.  BUY TRAINERS 

Thirty minutes a day of moderate exercise can help to increase sex drive, say researchers. It's not just the extra energy that will help get you in the mood; if you feel more confident about your body, you'll also feel sexier.

3. GET CREATIVE

Be experimental with your sexual practices as boredom often results in a loss of sex drive.  Try some new things like having sex in remote locations or being more spontaneous. This can create interest and gives intense pleasure.

Be experimental with your sexual practices. Boredom can often result in a loss of sex drive. Try some new things like having sex in remote locations or using some toys. This can create interest and give you an element of interest that might have been missing.

(DE)TRAINING AND ITS EFFECTS

I just picked up the weights after taking a two week break to recover from an injury sustained during training; and it feels terrible. My joints feel like someone poured sand between the surfaces, each inhalation feels like I’m taking in molten lava instead of oxygen, I’m as stiff as the Tin man, and let’s not even go near how my muscles felt after the first session.

Haven’t you ever wondered why you feel weaker, get exhausted quicker and generally feel like crap when you resume exercise after a break of a few days or weeks? That’s the effect of Detraining (sounds like a legal term, doesn’t it?). This is the gradual loss or reversal of the beneficial effects obtained from exercise after a few weeks of not exercising.

For exercise to be effective, it has to be performed regularly with increasing levels of intensity. This has the effect of convincing the body that it is facing an external threat and forces it to develop speed, muscular and cardiovascular endurance, agility, strength, and flexibility.

Therefore, when we reduce intensity levels, or even cease exercising entirely, our bodies revert to lower fitness levels. This is because your body feels like the threat posed by the external stimuli which required you to grow stronger, move faster/longer or become more flexible, has passed and it is no longer required to remain at the earlier fitness level.

While the specific effects of conditioning require at least 4-6 weeks of consistent training to see, deconditioning/ detraining occurs relatively quickly. You start to detrain within 1 week of reduction or cessation of exercise.

In order to combat the negative effects of detraining, it is best to maintain usual exercise intensity during exercise and strength workouts, when the number or length of workouts is decreased. In other words, if you can only train for 10 mins a day as opposed to the 20 mins you were used to, you have to reduce your rest periods and ensure that each repetition is performed with perfect form.

Try to exercise at least 2-3 times a week, this will keep your fitness levels fairly steady and minimize the effects of detraining. Strength gains can be maintained by including one or two strength exercises in each workout as opposed to waiting for a particular day to perform strength exercises.

Fitness is not a one off thing, it’s a lifestyle.

Belly Dancing Contd

There are many fitness crazes coming out at the moment, which seems to be due to the increasing amount of awareness surrounding the importance of exercising to help combat the obesity epidemic.

I like belly dancing because:

- It's a whole lot more fun than situps
- It's easy to move when you've got a good drum beat
- Dancing is fun
- It teaches isolation of muscles as well as balance

Many people are surprised to learn that Middle-Eastern Dance, commonly known as "belly-dance," involves much more than the belly! In fact, belly-dance can benefit many parts of the body. Here are some of the health benefits of Middle-Eastern Dance:

·         Exercising the carrying muscles without impact. A belly-dancer uses her quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes to hold her steady as she performs hip movements or travels smoothly across the floor. However, even though she gets a great lower-body workout, the amount of impact to her knees and ankles is minimal.

·         Building the back muscles evenly. Belly-dancers use their torsos a lot-much more than ballet, modern or tap dancers. These movements, coupled with shoulder movements, exercise the back muscles, and they exercise the muscles evenly. Strong back muscles prevent back injuries, and they promote good posture as well.

·         Exercising the arms. Belly-dancers have to hold their arms up for long periods of time, and it actually takes quite a lot of strength to perform arm movements slowly and gracefully.

·         Aiding digestion. It's true! Exercising the abdominal area, not just by rolling the belly, but also by swaying the torso, helps food move along the digestive system. Any form of exercise will have this effect to some degree, but belly-dance is especially good for this purpose. 

Belly dance is a non-impact, weight-bearing exercise and is thus suitable for all ages, and is a good exercise for the prevention of osteoporosis in older people. Many of the moves involve isolations, which improves flexibility of the torso. Belly dance moves are highly beneficial to the spine, as the full-body undulation moves both lengthen (decompress) and strengthen the entire column of both spinal and abdominal muscles in a gentle way.

Belly Dancing: Hips Dont Lie

Enjoy!!!

The 300 Workout

 
 

The truth is, the training regimen was the brainchild of the mens' trainer, Mark Twight. Because of his workout training plans, many of the men went from being around 40 pounds overweight to being lean, mean, fighting machines in a matter of months. Others just improved their level of fitness and conditioning exponentially.

 It should be noted that this routine was not used everyday by the men in the film, and should not be used everyday by recreational exercisers. Remember, this workout isn't for beginners. The demands on the muscles are high, and you risk injury. So make sure you know what you're doing before you attempt to become a Spartan.

The workout is done in a giant-set fashion. That is to say, you go from one exercise, to the next, to the next, with little to no rest in between. However, if you cannot complete the desired number of reps for each exercise, you are permitted to rest/pause, until you complete all reps before moving on to the next station.


The 300 Workout

• 25 Pullups
• 50 Deadlifts at 135 pounds ( you can substitute it with Hindu squats)
• 50 Pushups
• 50 Box jumps with a 24-inch box
• 50 "Floor wipers" (a core and shoulders exercise at 135 pounds)
• 50 "Clean and press" at 36 pounds (about 15kg, you can do this with a fire extinguisher or any other heavy object)
• 25 Pullups
For a total of 300 reps

To those who believe its impossible, ITS NOT!!!!!! I tried it, and the muscle gains are craaaazzzzy!!!you get stronger, buiid insane endurance, and your confidence skyrockets as you realise that you have exceeded your wildest expectations.

its a bit difficult to begin with, but by your third try, you'll find it increasingly easier, until you get bored. However if you find that you need motivation to continue, call me on 08036258312 and i will be pleased to help out.

Unleash the warrior within,

Kickbox Cardio: ARE YOU WARMED UP YET?!!!

                                                                                          Feeling stressed?

Get out all your frustration. Kick, punch, bob and weave your way to a higher fitness level. It's the ultimate cardio challenge and so much fun. It will leave you feeling rejuvenated and ready to take on anything. I use kickboxing whenever I return from work feeling frustrated and annoyed (and we know that can happen a lot!)

A form of martial arts training, cardio kickboxing offers an aerobic workout that elevates your heart rate and keeps you moving with a series of kicking and boxing moves. 

Cardio kickboxing can tone muscles, burn fat, increase your strength and speed, while burning off a notable amount of calories. Strength training comes in when you jab, punch and kick at a punching bag, while jabbing, punching and kicking the air works on speed and strength.

Initially, kickboxing may prove challenging for beginners unaccustomed to endurance training. Because cardio kickboxing is high impact and high intensity, you'll need a high level of fitness to keep up with a more advanced class or longer workout; even 30 minutes of cardio kickboxing can be tiresome. 

"You may be out of breath in the first few sessions, but in time your cardiovascular health will improve," notes health and wellness coach Rose Windale in "The Many Benefits of Cardio Kickboxing." 

However, know your limits, stick with them and consult with a doctor before starting any exercise program. Go at your own pace, learn how to properly perform the moves with the right form and technique, otherwise, you’re asking for injury.

Cardio kickboxing requires little more than a pair of cross-training shoes (if you want; it could be done with with your bare feet) and your own body weight to achieve results. If you plan to use a punching bag, you will need a pair of kickboxing gloves and a set of wraps, which will provide extra stability for your hands and wrists as well as keep perspiration out of your gloves.

You can perform the following kickboxing routines with or without a bag. However, your body will adapt to the workout, so you'll need to keep it challenging to continue seeing results. Consider investing in a bag if your workout becomes too easy for the added benefit of resistance training.

Run on a spot for 5-10 minutes to warm up. This will increase the blood flow to your working muscles, which reduces muscle stiffness, helps to prevent injury and enhances performance. Complete the warm-up with a five-minute cool-down stretch.

Punch to the left side with your right arm, and then punch to the right side with your left arm. As your turn, make sure you are pivoting on your right foot when punching with your right, and pivoting on your left foot when punching with your left. Try completing a two minute round without resting.

Kick straight forward and up with your right leg, keeping your foot flexed. Make sure your hands stay up. These are fast kicks that are practiced for both speed and power. Kick with your right leg for one minute, then kick with your left leg for one minute.

Kick your right leg out to the side, letting your upper body lean toward your left side. Keep your hands up. This is an outside kick that must be thrown with both speed and power. Complete a one minute round, then complete a one minute round of kicking to the side with your left leg.

To increase the intensity of the workout while building muscle control, try kicking at an object with force, but stop short of actually hitting the object. This builds muscular control, while adding an isometric angle to your workout.

Straight kick, punch, then sidekick in left-right combos. Combination strikes should be thrown without any pauses and as quickly as possible to be effective. Mix up different combinations involving all of these basic strikes for a two minute round.

I will provide you with more on kickboxing in my next article.

For my loyal reader, I wish to appreciate your support by giving away THREE free ebooks on fitness. Just click on the links below to download your free book. Enjoy

Kickboxing manual (for your body)
                                  
As a Man Thinketh by James Allen (for your mind)


The Richest Man in Babylon (for your pocket)