Eating a Raw Food Diet

Eating a raw food diet is essentially a way of eating that does not involve the heating of foods. Part of the premise lies in the fact that heating foods above 118 degrees fahrenheit destroys their inherent food enzymes, a vast majority of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and their all important life force.

Chemical Changes in Cooked Foods

Heating foods radically changes their chemical properties making them less "recognizable" in once ingested. For instance, heating an egg renders into a solid mass whereas it began in a liquid, gelatinous. This occurs because the heat of frying or boiling denatures the protein structure within the egg, essentially making it more solid. As a result, this heated egg is now much more difficult for the human digestive tract to break down.

Another process that occurs with cooking foods is known as glycosylation. This is when sugar literally attaches to protein molecule. Glycosylation has been linked to the premature breakdown of the body's cell and many other undesirable health conditions.

The Importance of Raw Food Enzymes

The reason that the natural food enzymes are so important is that our bodies have only a limited ability to produce its own enzymes. Bear in mind that our bodies produce metabolic and digestive enzymes. The latter are used to breakdown foods whereas the former are essential to every single reaction in the body. But the problem is that we only produce a finite number.

When you eat cooked foods, you force your body to use more of its own enzyme reserves to digest them. Overtime, this is just like continually withdrawing money from your bank account without making any deposits. Eventually, you will run out of enzymes!

When you have no more enzymes, you no longer have any life - it's that simple.

Eating raw foods help you make more "deposits" into your enzyme bank account, allowing your body to preserve its own precious enzymes for more important uses such as breaking down problematic cells, immune complexes, and more.

What Can You Eat on a Raw Food Diet?

A raw food diet is mainly vegan for the simple reason that it isn't healthy or advised to eat raw animal products. Therefore, a raw diet contains no dairy, meat, or other animal products. Other than that, the choices are endless. Most raw foodists have diets that consist of vegetables, fruit, nuts, and seeds.

The amazing part is that the possibilities are truly endless with raw foods. Many people think of not being able to eat meat or wheat as a huge limiting factor. But the fact remains that processed, dead foods are dangerous to your body and there are tons of delicious and nourishing raw food recipes that will give you so much more than you can possibly imagine.

My Own Raw Food Experience

I started following a predominantly raw food diet in 2007 and it literally changed my life. From improved skin complexion to having more energy and mental clarity, I can't tell you how much better you can look and feel by eating the way nature intended for you to eat.

Growing up on dead foods like wheat, dairy, and meat literally destroyed my body and at the young age of 17, I lost my hair to Alopecia as a result of my immune system which had gone hay-wire and began attacking itself. Again, this was caused by years of abusing my body with foods that it was allergic to.

However, since eating a raw food diet, my health has never been better. My hair has returned (although I keep my head shaved because I like it like that now) and I have more energy than a teenager on red bull!

That's why I wrote Eating for Energy. If you'd like to experience the same kind of health and vitality then I urge to make the raw food diet more apart of your lifestyle!

About the Author

Yuri Elkaim is one of the world’s leading holistic nutrition and health experts. If you want to lose weight and live your healthiest and most energetic life ever, then you can learn more about his raw food diet book, Eating for Energy and get started with a FREE 6-part Energy Secrets e-course by visiting http://tinyurl.com/o97fp6 today.

Circuit Training - Unlimited Benefits!

Yuri Elkaim, BPHE, CK, RHN

Nowadays, most people don't have time for lengthy, grueling 2-hour workouts, be it with work and family demands or simply the search of free time. Well, what if there was a way to be in and out of the gym in less than 1 hour and still feel absolutely worked? What if you could combine your cardio and weights so that you wouldn't have to spend hours on either? Well, I'm going to let you in on a little secret - it's called Circuit Training - and it is the most effective and time efficient means of exercise for those looking to lose weight and tone.

CIRCUIT TRAINING 101

Circuit Training involves completing several resistance exercises in a continual sequence. For instance, a circuit may be comprised of 8 exercises (push-ups, plank, lunges, etc...) with each one being performed for any length of time (30 sec, 45 sec, etc...) or number of repetitions. Between each exercise is a rest period of a certain length. Note that circuits that have lower rest periods will be more challenging and provide more aerobic benefit. An example of a typical circuit is 8 exercises each 30 seconds in length with 30 seconds to recover between each. This is only one example of 1000s of possible circuit combinations. There are many factors involved in determining the effectiveness of a given circuit including: number and types of exercises, load, tempo, duration of work bout, duration of rest bout. Basically, the more intense you make the circuit, the more challenging, yet effective, it becomes.

AEROBIC BENEFITS

Studies have found that aerobic benefits related to circuit training are mainly determined by the duration of the exercise (work bout) and by the amount and type of rest given between exercises. For instance, a meta-analysis done on circuits showed that a 10-exercise circuit (using weights) using a 30 seconds for both work and recovery, performed 3 times per week over 8-12 weeks improved VO2max (measure of aerobic capacity) by 5%. Compare that to continuous running, cycling or rowing at around 75% of max heart rate for 20-30 minutes, three times a week for 8-12 weeks which boosts V02max by around 20%. Obviously, this 30s work: 30s rest protocol is not optimal for yielding staggering aerobic improvements. However, other studies have shown that by shortening the rest period to 15 seconds or jogging during a 30 second recovery bout improved VO2max by 12% and 18%, respectively.

Further, some research has even shown that Circuit Training can be just as effective at maintaining previous aerobic gains as following a strictly aerobic conditioning regime.

Incorporating more compound movements (several different muscle groups involved) into your circuits will make it more challenging for both your muscles and aerobic system. This is because as you use more muscle mass, more oxygen is required to supply the working muscles. As a result, you begin breather heavier and your heart rate increases to provide the muscles with the oxygen they need. This technique makes circuits much more challenging and effective. As an example, perform lunge walks with a shoulder press, instead of either one separately.

Here is an example of a 7.5-minute aerobic based circuit:

1. Lunge Walks with Biceps Curls- 30 sec

2. Jogging on spot - 1 min

3. Stability Ball Chest Press - 30 sec

4. Jogging on spot - 1 min

5. Plank - 30 sec

6. Jogging on spot - 1 min

7. Back Rows - 30 sec

8. Jogging on spot - 1 min

9. Squat Presses - 30 sec

10. Jogging on spot - 1 min

BODY COMPOSITION CHANGES

Circuit Training has been shown to decrease body fat by 3%. Research also shows that lean body mass is either maintained or increased alongside the decrease in body fat. This is a major benefit for those who want to get in better shape, lose weight, and tone. With traditional aerobic training, a decrease in relative fat mass leads to a decrease in total weight with little change in lean body mass. The resistance work involved in the circuits encourages muscle-mass development, and thus any fat loss is replaced equally by muscle gain. This makes it easier to maintain the lower body fat or reduce body fat even further because the increase in lean body mass pushes up basal metabolic rate and overall calorie expenditure.

It has also been estimated that calorie expenditure during a bout of circuit training is approximately 5 - 6 kcal per minute for women and 8 - 9 kcal per minute for men (this may vary depending on body weight). Thus, if a man were to perform 30 of circuit training he would burn upwards of 180 calories.

OTHER BENEFITS

Because of the duration of each exercise many people claim that strength may be compromised as a result of working at a lower percent of 1RM (maximum weight you can lift once). This is definitely true in most cases and thus, I would not recommend circuit training for those looking to improve strength. However, some studies have shown that circuit training increases muscular strength anywhere from 7% to 32%.1 Achieving such strength gains requires working at a much higher percent of 1RM (>80%) and thus the duration of the work bouts would need to be much lower (<20 sec) in view of sustaining the heavier load.

Circuit Training is also beneficial for the development of the anaerobic system. Anaerobic conditioning occurs when exercising at a higher intensity for upwards of 20 seconds. This is the zone when you begin to feel the burn in the muscles as a result of lactic acid production. As such, your body's ability to tolerate and buffer elevated lactate levels will be improved, allowing you to sustain higher intensities for a longer period of time.

CONCLUSION

Circuit Training is an excellent means of training the body if you are looking to lose body fat and maintain lean body mass. Depending on the protocol followed you will experience any number of the aforementioned benefits. Overall, it is great if you are short on time and are looking for a short workout that will leave you feeling great and more energetic.

References:

Gettman, L. R., & Pollock, M. L. (1981). Circuit weight training: A critical review of its physiological benefits. The Physician and Sportsmedicine, 9, 44-60.

Mosher et al. (1994). Effects of 12 weeks of aerobic circuit training on aerobic capacity, muscular strength, and body composition in college-aged women. The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 8 (3), 144-148.

About the Author

Yuri Elkaim is a world-renowned fitness, nutrition, and weight loss expert. He is the creator Fitter U and Treadmill Trainer, author of Eating for Energy, and the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for men's soccer program at the University of Toronto. His trademarked 12-week Fitter U iPod workout program has been helping thousands of people around the world get in shape and lose weight fast without the cost and inconvenience of hiring a trainer. Go to http://tinyurl.com/fitteru1 now to get your FREE Fitter U workout and "How to Get Fit and Lose Weight Fast" report!

LDL Cholesterol - The Heart's No.1 Enemy

By Ned Dagostino

Cholesterol is a vital element for our health and
well-being. There are two basic types of cholesterol: HDL
cholesterol is good for our health, LDL cholesterol is bad
for our health.

The LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol levels are
maintained within a normal range by the body's natural
regulatory mechanism. Sometimes this regulatory mechanism
malfunctions, or maybe the body is flooded with cholesterol
by ingestion. In any case the blood cholesterol level
exceeds the normal range. This leads to a serious condition
which can lead to severe health problems.

LDL means 'fatty proteins of low density'. This in turn
means that LDL cholesterol tends to be loose and thick. LDL
cholesterol circulates with the blood and sticks to the
inner walls of the blood vessels, forming plaque and
gradually reducing the vascular passage. This condition is
called arteriosclerosis which results in atherosclerosis,
meaning degeneration of the blood vessels.

Blood backs up from this point leading to high blood
pressure which severely stresses the heart. Worse, small
bits of the LDL cholesterol blockage can get dislodged and
flow down with the blood. If these bits of LDL cholesterol
enter a capillary, which is a very fine blood vessel, the
capillary gets blocked starving the areas served by the
capillary network of vital blood. If this happens in the
brain, then areas of the brain just shut down leading to a
form of paralysis called a 'stroke'. If the blood flow to
the heart itself is cut off, a heart attack occurs possibly
leading to a fatality. These are just two situations which
can occur when LDL cholesterol exceeds the normal limit.
There are a great number of similar situations, collectively
called cardiovascular disease, which are directly linked to
the excessive LDL cholesterol level.

Heart disease can be prevented, or the risk of getting it
can be reduced, if we follow some very simple health
guidelines. The first is to counterattack the invasion of
LDL cholesterol into the body. LDL cholesterol gains entry
into the body with the food we eat. So you should mount a
watch on the kind of food you eat. Saturated fats are heavy
with LDL cholesterol and must be shunned. You can and should
include the healthy fats into your diet (e.g. omega-3 fats
found in fish) because they actively help to reduce the bad
LDL cholesterol. lots of water helps the circulatory and
excretory functions of the body, which at once improves
health and eliminates the bad LDL cholesterol.

Change your cooking medium from heavy saturated fats to
unsaturated fats and oils. Virgin olive oil is good for your
heart. These dietary changes will be very beneficial in your
battle against heart disease.

Cigarette smoking is bad for health. It harms the body in
more than just one way. Smoking increases the level of LDL
cholesterol. So quit now and your LDL cholesterol will be
gone tomorrow! The steps outlined in this article are very
easy to implement. You will avoid the risk of heart disease
if you follow them.

Medical research shows that stress leads to LDL cholesterol
buildup. Lowering your stress level will lower your blood
LDL cholesterol too. The moral of the lesson is that you
should relax more often, give up those activities that add
to your stress, and pick up those activities that reduce
your stress.

To sum up, LDL cholesterol can be controlled by eating foods
which are free of saturated fats, exercising, quitting
smoking and ridding yourself of stress. The worst thing you
can do is to panic about high LDL cholesterol levels. This
article is meant to educate you about the cause and
prevention of heart disease, not scare you. Use what you
have learnt in this article to control the LDL cholesterol
situation. Once that is under control, you can say that the
risk of heart disease is under control.

So, have you had your cholesterol tested lately?

To read more about
(http://www.reduce-high-cholesterol.com/Reduce_Cholesterol.html)
how to reduce cholesterol go to
http://www.reduce-high-cholesterol.com. You'll also find out how an
easy
(http://www.reduce-high-cholesterol.com/Cholesterol_Test.html)
over the counter cholesterol test can help you keep an eye
on your levels and decrease the number of costly trips to
the physician.

How Do Bodybuilders And Fitness Models Get So Lean?

QUESTION: "Tom, on your website, you wrote: 'Who better to model than bodybuilders and fitness competitors? No athletes in the world get as lean as quickly as bodybuilders and fitness competitors. The transformations they undergo in 12 weeks prior to competition would boggle your mind!

Only ultra-endurance athletes come close in terms of low body fat levels, but endurance athletes like triathaletes and marathoners often get lean at the expense of chewing up much of their lean muscle."

There seems to be a contradiction unless I'm missing something. Why do bodybuilders and fitness competitors have to go through a 12 week 'transformation' prior to every event instead of staying 'lean and mean' all the time? If they practice the secrets exposed in your book, shouldn't be staying in great shape all the time instead of having to work at losing fat prior to every competitive event?"

ANSWER: Thanks for your question. There's a logical explanation for why bodybuilders and other physique athletes (fitness and figure competitors), don't remain completely ripped all year round, and it's the very reason they are able to get so ripped on the day of a contest...

You can't hold a peak forever or it's not a "peak", right? What is the definition of a peak? It's a high point surrounded by two lower points isn't it? Therefore, any shape you can stay in all year round is NOT your "peak" condition.

The intelligent approach to nutrition and training (which almost all bodybuilders  and fitness/figure competitors use), is to train and diet in a seasonal or cyclical fashion and build up to a peak, then ease off to a maintenance or growth phase.

I am NOT talking about bulking up and getting fat and out of shape every year, then dieting it all off every year. What I'm talking about is going from good shape to great shape, then easing back off to good shape.... but never getting "out of shape."

Makes a lot of sense, doesn't it?

Here's an example: I have no intentions whatsoever of walking around 365 days a year at 4% body fat like I appear in the photo on my website. Truth be told, that is day of contest condition.

Off-season (when I'm not competing), my body fat is usually between 8 - 10%. Mind you, that's very lean and still single digit body fat. I don't stray too far from competition shape, but I don't maintain contest shape all the time. It takes me about 10-12 weeks or so to gradually drop from 9% to 3.5%-4.0% body fat to "peak" for competition with NO loss of lean body mass, using the same techniques I reveal in my e-book.

It would be almost impossible to maintain 4% body fat, and even if I could, why would I want to? For the few weeks prior to competition I'm so depleted, ripped, and even "drawn" in the face, that complete strangers walk up and offer to feed me.

Okay, so I'm just kidding about that, but let's just say being "being ripped to shreds" isn't a desirable condition to maintain because it takes such a monumental effort to stay there.

It's probably not even healthy to try forcing yourself to hold extreme low body fat. Unless you're a natural "ectomorph" (skinny, fast metabolism body type), your body will fight you and you'll always be hungry.

Not only that, anabolic hormones may drop and sometimes your immune system is affected as well (and I hate to say this, but sometimes - for some people - even the, uh... "reproductive functions"... decline a bit when you're that lean).

Hey, I'm just being honest. It's just not "normal" to walk around all the time  with literally NO subcutaneous body fat.

Instead of attempting to hold the peak, I cycle back into a less demanding off-season program and avoid creeping beyond 9.9% body fat. Some years I've stayed leaner - like 6-7%, (which takes effort), especially when I knew I would be photographed, but I don't let my body fat go over 10%. That's "the line" I draw - it's like a personal "rule" for me.

This practice isn't just restricted to bodybuilders. Athletes in all sports use periodization to build themselves up to their best shape for competition.

Is a pro football player in the same condition in March-April as he is in August-September? Probably not. Many show up fat and out of shape (relatively speaking) for training camp, others just need fine tuning, but none are in peak form... that's why they have training camp!!!

There's another reason you wouldn't want to maintain a "ripped to shreds" physique all year round - you'd have to be dieting (calorie restricted) all the time. And this is one of the reasons that 95% of people can't lose weight and keep it off - they are CHRONIC dieters... always on some type of diet. Know anyone like that?

You can't stay on restricted low calories indefinitely. Sooner or later your metabolism slows down and you plateau as your body adapts to the chronically lowered food intake and reduced body weight.

But if you diet for fat loss and push incredibly hard for 3 months, then ease off for a while and eat a little more (healthy food, not "pigging out"), your metabolic rate is re-stimulated.

In a few weeks or months, you can return to another fat loss phase and reach an even lower body fat level, until you finally reach the point that's your happy maintenance level for life - a level that is healthy and realistic - as well as visually appealing.

That's how we physique athletes do it...

Bodybuilders have discovered a methodology for losing fat that's so effective, it puts them in complete control of their body composition. They've mastered  this area of their lives and will never have to worry about it again.

If they ever "slip" and fall off the wagon like all humans do at times ... no problem! They know how to get back into shape fast.

Bodybuilders have the tools and knowledge to hold a low body fat all year round(such as 9% for men, or about 15% for women), and then at a whim, to reach a temporary "peak" of extremely low body fat for the purpose of competition.

Maybe most important of all, they have the power and control to slowly ease back from peak shape into maintenance, and not balloon up and yo-yo like most conventional dieters.

What if you had the power to stay lean all year round, and then get super lean when summer rolled around, or when you took your vacation to the Caribbean, or when your wedding date was coming up?

Wouldn't you like to be in control of your body like that? Isn't that the same thing that bodybuilders and fitness/figure competitors do, only on a more practical, real-world level?

So even if you have no intention of ever being a bodybuilder, don't you agree that there's something of value everyone could learn from physique athletes?

Don't model yourself after the huge crowd of "losers" who gobble diet pills, buy exercise gimmicks and suffer through starvation diets like automatons, only to  gain back everything they lost! Instead, learn from the leanest athletes on Earth - natural bodybuilders and fitness competitors...

These physique athletes get as ripped as they want to be, exactly when they want to, simply by manipulating their diets in a cyclical fashion between pre-contest "cutting" programs and off season "maintenance" or "muscle growth" programs.

Even if you have no desire to ever compete, try this seasonal "peaking" approach yourself and you'll see that it can work as well for you as it does for elite bodybuilders.

If you're interested in learning even more secrets of bodybuilders and fitness models, visit the Burn The Fat website at: http://burnthefat.rxsportz.com

Train hard and expect success,

Tom Venuto,
Fat loss coach
http://burnthefat.rxsportz.com

About the Author:

Tom Venuto is a fat loss expert, lifetime natural (steroid-free) bodybuilder, independent nutrition researcher, freelance writer, and author of the #1 best selling diet e-book, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle: Fat-Burning Secrets of The World’s Best Bodybuilders & Fitness Models (e-book) which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using secrets of the world's best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting: http://burnthefat.rxsportz.com

HOT SIX PACK ABS MODLE TODD SANFIELD

Exercise Recovery - What Works Best?

Yuri Elkaim, BPHE, CK, RHN

The human body operates most efficiently when it is in balance, or has achieved a state known as homeostasis. As such, optimal recovery means that all body systems have returned to the state they were in before exercise (homeostasis). However, for most avid exercisers, recovery is a limiting factor. The better you can recover, the sooner and better you can train. The process of recovery (regeneration) gets less attention than it should. Every person should have a systematic plan that includes recovery activities on a daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly basis. The following are simple tools that you can implement to help your body recover better between exercise bouts.

Cool-down

After exhaustive exercise, don't stop and rest immediately. You can speed up the removal of lactic acid from your muscles by continuing to exercise at a low intensity for 10-20 minutes. Cooling down can help reduce the feeling of stiffness that often occurs after a workout and is especially important if your next training session or event is scheduled a few hours later.

Stretch

Static stretching before exercise puts you at risk for damaging the very tissues you are trying to protect and as such should be avoided. Research has shown that stretching causes lengthening of the tendinous fibers within the muscle-tendon unit. Such lengthening causes the tendon (or passive) component to lose much of its shock absorbency, thus, placing the muscle fibers at greater risk of trauma. However, stretching after exercise may help minimize muscle soreness and may even help prevent future soft tissue injuries. Thus, before activity, more active-type stretching routines that promote range of motion and increased blood flow are recommended. Conversely, after exercise, the emphasis should be on passive or static stretching to allow the muscles to relax and return to their resting lengths.

Carbohydrates

The muscles are primed for quick restoration of their carbohydrate fuel reserves (glycogen) immediately after exercise, so don't wait too long to start eating foods and drinking beverages rich in carbohydrate. Fruits, energy bars, and sports drinks all contain large amounts of carbohydrate. From a nutrition standpoint, post-exercise is one of the only times where you want to be consuming high-glycemic index foods for they will stimulate a quicker release of insulin and, thus, carbohydrate storage in the muscles. Ideally, these fuels should be consumed as quickly as possible upon finishing your exercise session.

Protein

Most forms of exercise lead to the breakdown of proteins within the muscles. This breakdown-repair process stimulates the muscles to rebuild and become stronger. Moreover, some of our muscle proteins continue to be broken down during the recovery phase after exercise. For a faster buildup of muscle proteins during recovery, include a small amount of protein in the foods you eat. Milk, cheese, eggs, whey protein shakes, sandwiches, nuts (almonds, walnuts) and energy bars provide carbohydrate and protein. Look for easily digestible protein sources (such as the ones listed above) following strenuous exercise. Avoid saturated fats.

Fluids

Replacing lost fluid is crucial to the recovery process. Having adequate fluids within your body promotes the removal of toxins and waste from your muscles. Top off your supply of fluids by drinking before exercise, continue to hydrate every 15 or 20 minutes during a workout, and replace any body weight lost during exercise by drinking while you recover. Remember, 1 L of water is equivalent to 1 kg of body weight. Therefore, if the difference between your pre- and post-exercise weight is 1.5 kg (3.3 lbs) you would want to rehydrate with 1.5 L of water to bring your body fluid back to homeostasis. Before, during, and after exercise, the rule of thumb is that if you’re thirsty, it’s too late! Therefore, be sure to have a water bottle throughout the day to sip on. On a daily basis (at rest), the number of ounces of water you should be consuming should equal half of your body weight (in lbs). Thus, if you weigh 200 lbs, then you want to be drinking 100 ounces of water (almost 3 L).

Salt

Your body loses water and minerals - mostly sodium chloride, some potassium - when you sweat. Drinking water alone during exercise and recovery will make it difficult to replace body fluids rapidly because much of it will pass through the kidneys to become urine. Replace the salt along with the water to counteract dehydration. If you have to compete again within a few hours, consider sports drinks that contain water, sodium chloride, or fruits such as bananas which are high in potassium. Add extra salt to foods at mealtime if you are susceptible to cramps. Consider using condiments, sports drinks, and fitness waters instead of salt tablets.

Damage Control

Inflammation, swelling, and muscle soreness are possibilities following strenuous exercise. To minimize the effects, consider cold packs around joint areas, alternating cold and hot whirlpool baths, and the use of specially designed magnets to speed the recovery process. Light massage is also a good option for promoting toxin removal from the tissues and reducing delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). A study by Hilbert et al. showed that a 20 minute massage 2 hours following exercise helped to reduce the intensity of soreness 48 hours post-exercise in subjects who underwent 6 sets of maximal eccentric hamstring contractions. Minimize foot contact with the ground. Engage in light activities that increase blood flow while not taxing the nervous system. Swimming, cycling, walking, and light jogs are alternatives, but minimize foot contact with the ground.

Sleep

There is plenty of evidence to show that lack of sleep can have an adverse affect on training and competition. You might get by for a day or two with inadequate sleep, but it will catch up with up sooner or later. If you haven't monitored your sleep habits already, determine how much sleep you need each night to ensure full recovery. It's not eight hours for everyone - could be less, could be more. Then try to establish a routine that will allow you get what you need to perform well.

Sleep is divided into 1.5-hour time cycles. If you can time sleep cycles in increments of an hour and a half (1.5 hours, 3.0 hours, 4.5 hours, 6.0 hours, 7.5 hours, 9.0 hours), you have a better chance of waking up refreshed. The idea is to awake at the top of the cycle instead of at the bottom. And don't dismiss the power of a 20-30 minute nap during the day. The journal Sleep highlighted a meta-analysis done on studies looking at the effects of sleep deprivation on performance. The researchers found that overall sleep deprivation strongly impairs human functioning. Moreover, they found that mood is more affected by sleep deprivation than either cognitive or motor performance and that partial sleep deprivation has a more profound effect on functioning than either long-term or short-term sleep deprivation.

Also be aware that overtraining can impair your body’s ability to fully rest and regenerate. A study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise revealed that female swimmers who trained excessively showed a higher incidence of sleep disruptions.

In sum, there are several measure that you can take to better your recovery between exercise sessions. Remember that a combination of the several of the aforementioned tools should be implemented for best results.

Yuri Elkaim, BPHE, CK, RHN
Creator, Fitter U

References:

Safran, M. et al (1989). Warm up and muscular injury prevention: an update. Sports Medicine, 239-249.

Hibert, J. et al (2003). The effects of massage on delayed onset muscle soreness. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 37: 72-75.

Pilcher, J & Huffcutt, A. (1996). Effects of sleep deprivation on performance: a meta-analysis. Sleep, 19(4): 318-326.

S. Taylor et al. (1997). Effects of training volume on sleep, psychological, and selected physiological profiles of elite female swimmers. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 29(5):688-693.

About the Author

Yuri Elkaim is a world-renowned fitness, nutrition, and weight loss expert. He is the creator Fitter U and Treadmill Trainer, author of Eating for Energy, and the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for men's soccer program at the University of Toronto. His trademarked 12-week Fitter U iPod workout program has been helping thousands of people around the world get in shape and lose weight fast without the cost and inconvenience of hiring a trainer. Go to http://tinyurl.com/fitteru1 now to get your FREE Fitter U workout and "How to Get Fit and Lose Weight Fast" report!

5 Excuses That Won't Fly in 2009

By Tom Venuto

It’s 2009. Your old excuses for not getting in shape won’t work. As Dr. Evil (Austin Powers) said, ZIP IT! I don’t want to hear them anymore! Read em’, then haul your excuseless butt to the gym!

1. I have no time.

According to a story in a recent issue of Men’s Health magazine, Barack Obama works out for 45 minutes a day, 6 days a week. Obama doesn’t just play basketball either. Our new president stays fit to lead with cardio and weight lifting. He also says he wishes he could train 90 minutes a day. Have you ever seen what the daily schedule of a U.S. president looks like? If the busiest man in the world can train every day for 45 minutes a day, then what’s your excuse? ZIP IT! You ain’t got one!

2. It’s too expensive.

Getting in shape certainly is expensive… if you keep wasting hundreds of dollars, month after month on worthless “miracle” weight loss pills, internal cleansing gimmicks and “magic” potions that all claim to make you slim. Deceptive advertising and slick marketing for bogus diet aids is more rampant than ever. 2008 was the year of thewu-long tea scam, the acai berry scam, and, of course, the ubiquitous “cleansing” and “detox” gimmicks . Unless you put on your critical thinking cap and learn to investigate before you invest, then you’ll get scammed by 2009’s flavor of the year as well. Your quest for those elusive “6-pack” abs will not only continue to be expensive, you’ll go broke. Walking, jogging, calisthenics and body weight exercises are FREE. If you want to know what’s really expensive, tally up the cost of legitimate expenses like natural food, gym memberships, fitness education, dumbbells and so on, and compare that to your doctor’s bill when you’re sick.

3. No one will support me.

Experts on social influence say your income will be approximately equal to the average of your 5 closest friends. Not only do I think that’s pretty darn accurate, I also believe that your health is your greatest wealth, and your physical condition will be about equal to the average of your 5 closest friends. It’s a real challenge to stay positive, focused and active when you’re surrounded by critical people and negative influences. However, in 2009, lack of support is no longer a valid excuse. Online social networking is exploding (check out Twitter and Facebook ) and more IN PERSON friendships and associations are being made from an internet connection than ever before. Training buddies can be found online. Connect with them. Mentors and coaches are easily found online. Hire them. Support forums have been around for years. Use them. No support from your current friends? Stop whining, start reaching out and go make new ones. In 2009, support partners and new friends are just a click away.

4. I can’t lose weight because of my genetics.

The marvels of modern medical and biological research are astonishing. Our top scientists have mapped the human genome! In the past few years, numerous genes linked to obesity have been discovered. However, the obesity epidemic we’re facing today has only developed over the past 50 years and genetic mutations that lead to serious obesity are extremely rare. Genetic predisposition only means that you have a tendency. It’s when the genetics meet lifestyle and environment that the genes express themselves. If you have a family history of heart disease, is it smart to smoke, eat junk, be a stressed-out, type-A maniac and a couch potato? Well of course not, and it’s the same with obesity. If you have a tendency predisposing you towards obesity, you’d better be the person doing the MOST exercise, not the least. You’d better be the person paying the MOST attention to your nutrition. You’d better be the person with the healthiest lifestyle. But unfortunately, it’s usually the opposite. Most people throw up their arms in frustration saying, “what’s the use, I was dealt a bad hand.” Sorry. That won’t fly in 2009. The latest research says genetics are a factor, but a tendency is not a destiny!

5. I don’t know how.

The lamest excuse of them all in 2009 is “I don’t know how.” NO ONE KNOWS HOW TO DO ANYTHING UNTIL AFTER THEY HAVE ACTUALLY DONE IT! Ponder that for a while. You don’t need to know how at first. To get started, you only need to know WHAT… what is the goal? Setting well-formed goals is the master skill of success. Not wishy-washy resolutions that have no resolve behind them, but real goals. In writing. With emotional ooompf! As you continue to affirm, visualize and focus on your goal with clarity, belief, and expectation, your new goal or intention will be received by your subconscious. Once a goal is accepted into your subconscious mind, your brain, being a goal-seeking mechanism, will turn on your attention filters to seek out all the information you will ever need to reach your goal. It will also turn on an infallible navigation system to guide you to your goal like a torpedo to its target. As your brain guides your attention, your direction and your behavior, you will discover that today, in 2009, there is more good information, coaching and instruction available than ever before. And when you’ve activated that “success radar” in your brain by setting goals effectively, it’s not as hard to find honest, accurate and helpful HOW-TO advice as you might think. In fact, you found this webpage, so you’re doing pretty good right now, aren’t you?

No more excuses. In 2009, remember my Body Fat Solution Creed: You can either make excuses or get results, but you can’t do both!

Your friend and coach,

Tom Venuto
Fat Loss Coach
www.BurnTheFat.com

About the Author:

Tom Venuto is a fat loss expert, lifetime natural (steroid-free) bodybuilder, independent nutrition researcher, freelance writer, and author of the #1 best selling diet e-book, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle: Fat-Burning Secrets of The World’s Best Bodybuilders & Fitness Models (e-book) which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using secrets of the world's best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting: http://burnthefat.rxsportz.com