Beauty Guide

“When I’m lifting free weights, I tend to go pretty fast on the downward motion when I’m supposed to be using more control,” says Beth Pekol, who works in banking in Chicago.

“I lean on the StairMaster when I’m on it,” says Shaun Stewart, a new bride who lives in Memphis. “I know I don’t have good form, but when I feel the pressure on my knees, I just feel like I’m still doing something if I’m at least staying on the machine.”

“I know I’m cheating myself when I double the amount of work I have to do in a short amount of time,” says Eugenia Griffin, an esthetician who lives near Indianapolis. “I’ll say I’m going to work out 30 minutes, but I’ll try to fit a lot into 15 minutes.”

“‘Cheating’ is a tough word,” says Richard Cotton, chief exercise physiologist for MyExercisePlan.com. “People get tired and they don’t realize they’re making mistakes, especially when you’re leaning into the stepper to support your weight.

“It’s just a matter of realizing what you’re doing,” Cotton says. “Sometimes it’s a higher priority to keep up with the person you’re working out next to because you’re looking at how many lights they have lit up and you’re in a competition, so you lean a bit.”

But, Cotton says, these women are like thousands of us who mean well in devising our workout plans but fall short when it’s time to deliver: “You’re increasing your risk for injury because exercising becomes uncomfortable,”

Cotton says of common mistakes people make when working out. “There are people who can tolerate discomfort just fine; they even look forward to it. But others, they think ‘I don’t like this. I hate this…’ so when it’s time to go to the gym, they suddenly find themselves with an excuse not to do it.”

If you truly want to get the benefits of exercise, such as maintaining a healthy weight, having a good sex life and staving off conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and osteoporosis, especially as you grow older, then you just have to stop cheating, er, making mistakes.

Following is a list of 10 common exercise mistakes:

1. Failing to stretch enough.

Make sure you stretch right after doing an aerobic activity to prevent risk of injury.

2. Lifting too much weight.

Never lift more than your muscles can handle. Gradually increase resistance to boost muscle strength.

3. Not warming up before an activity.

Muscles need time to get ready for the demands of aerobic activity. Start slowly then gradually boost intensity. “It’s like your car runs more effectively after it’s warmed up,” Cotton says. “[Likewise], your muscles aren’t prepared for the activity and it’s not as effective. Your aerobic energy system works better at higher temperatures.”

4. Not cooling down after a workout.

Take a minute to lower your heart rate and stretch. You’ll gain more flexibility for your next activity.

5. Exercising too intensely.

Griffin admits this is her problem: “I get impatient. I figure if I work really hard, really fast, it’s a good workout. I know I have to slow down.” ACE says you’ll get a more effective workout if you try to sustain moderate activity for longer periods than exercising intensely for only a few minutes.

6. Not drinking enough water.

Pekol learned about staying well hydrated two years ago when she developed a health problem exacerbated by not drinking enough water: “I always have water on hand throughout the day.”

But the rest of us? Many exercisers wait until thirst hits to drink water, and by that time, you’re on your way to dehydration. And when you’re outside, Cotton says, you leave yourself vulnerable to heat stroke. Keep a water bottle close by all the time.

“Your body works more effectively when it’s properly hydrated,” Cotton says.

7. Leaning on the equipment.

People like Stewart, who ‘fesses up to some heavy leaning while using a variety of fitness machines, only hurt themselves by misusing the equipment this way.

ACE says it can eventually wear on your wrists and back. Instead, lower your intensity to a point where you can maintain good posture. Rest your hands on the rails for balance.

8. Not exercising intensely enough.

Several times a week for about 20 to 30 minutes, work up a light sweat and get your heart rate up to your training zone.

9. Jerking while you lift weights.

What you’re doing is using the momentum to lift, not your muscles, Cotton says. This leads to strain and injury, leaving your back muscles vulnerable. Pekol is working on controlling this: “I try to be more conscious of my movements. There’s a mirror in my health club that I look in, and my instructor is helpful in pointing out when I’m going too fast. I think it’s working. I definitely see better muscle tone. Now if I can just keep my promise to work out as much as I say I will…”

10. Eating/drinking energy and sports bars during short workouts.

Remember: High-energy is code for high-calorie. If you’re not working out for two or more hours a day, you don’t need ‘em.

Richard Moore is the Founder an President of
Everything Health and Beauty! For Men and Women

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Are you fighting the uphill battle of weight loss? Stuck with not
knowing who or what to listen to anymore? One person tells you one thing, the next tells you do the exact opposite.


Who should you believe?


There are so many weight loss diets and plans out there that it’s
growing increasingly harder to decide what actually works and what isn’t even worth wasting your time on.


You’ve gotta know that all of these “miracle” weight loss diets and plans are not what they claim to be, simply because if they all did exactly what they promised to, there wouldn’t be a single obese or overweight person left on earth!


The reason so many useless weight loss diets and plans are still
around is because most of the useless ones promise “INSTANT Weight Loss!”


Now, tell me who is going to pass up at least trying something like that?


Us humans can be mighty lazy at times and wanting everything to be instantaneous is one of our chief bad habits.


We want our meals prepared instantly at restaurants, we demand web pages to load instantly or we’ll just close them, and we also
desperately want instant weight loss.


You suspect in the back of your mind of course, that this is
impossible, but still you can’t help being sucked in by those oh so tempting promises of instant gratification.


“Maybe this one will be different.” You tell yourself “It has to
be.”


But the honest, and yes painful, truth is that weight loss is
never instantaneous. You can’t just pop some magic
pill, go to sleep, and wake up 50 pounds slimmer.


YOUR BODY DOESN’T WORK THAT WAY!


Once your body has stored a certain amount of fat, it’s going to want to hold on to it (for dear life it sometimes seems).


What you need to do is force your body to be more willing to burn up that fat, by revving up your metabolism.


You also need to make sure you’re doing all the right things to
accomplish this revving up. There are too many ways to rev your
metabolism for me to go into them all here, but I’ll give you a short list of some TRULY KEY things you can do to rev your metabolism until it’s roaring along like the ocean surf.


1. Do NOT Skip Meals.


Never, never, never skip a meal if you truly want to rev up your metabolism. If your body thinks you are starving it will actually slow your metabolism down (causing you to burn fat much slower) in an attempt to “keep you alive.”


Maybe you don’t always have time for meals. Okay, I understand that. Just grab something easy, but nutritious and filling in place of a meal (nuts, fresh fruits & veggies can be quick fixes when you’re on the go).


2. Live A Spicier Life


Eating spicy foods can dramatically speed up your metabolism. Try making a jalapeno salsa that you can use on sandwiches or salads. Chopped jalapenos also make a great addition to almost any meat, egg or vegetable dish.


3. Enjoy The Air And Your Favorite Game


Breathing deeply while exercising is also very important for
giving your metabolism that extra little “push” it needs. You should do some form of exercise every day, for at least 20 minutes that will cause you to breathe deeply, get your heart racing, and make you break a sweat.


This doesn’t have to be painful, do something you already love. Play your favorite “game” or sport. Go biking, skating, swimming, etc. The possibilities are really endless.


Exercise doesn’t need to be boring, what it needs to be is something you truly love doing and will be sure to find the time for at least 5 days out of every week. Something you’ll actually look forward to.


Do yourself a favor, get your metabolism raring so that you can stop worrying about your weight and start enjoying life.

Beth Scott is a veteran of the weight loss war (one of the victors) and has overcome all the same weight loss battles you are now facing. If you’re serious about winning your weight loss war Beth highly reccomends you visit Weight Loss Revealed.

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Most of us have heard the old saying, “Beauty is only skin deep.”

Well, it’s not really true. Beauty is the outer manifestation of good health, good genetics and good will. The state of our health is reflected in the quality of our skin and luster of our hair. Beautiful strong hair and clear smooth skin is the result of good nutrition. The state of our mind and intentions are reflected in our smile, in our eyes, and in the regard our loved ones have for us. A beautiful smile and sparkling eyes are the result of a good attitude. Good genetics? Well, that’s just the result of good luck.

Although it’s not skin deep, it is open to interpretation. After all, beauty IS in the eye of the beholder. Those we love deeply are always beautiful to us, no matter what they actually look like.

Whatever our genetics and luck, whatever our mindset, most women would like to look as healthy and beautiful as they possibly can. Whether want to look magazine-cover perfect; or whether as just as healthy and vibrant and as youthful as possible, the first step in constructing a new beauty regimen is finding out if you are providing the tools your body needs to repair and maintain itself and the health of your skin, hair and nails. The basic factors affecting the appearance of these are 1) nutrition, 2) hydration, 3) toxification, 4) hormonal profile, and 5) sleep.

Nutrition

Your body rebuilds and repairs cellular tissue on a daily basis, and needs adequate protein, fats, vitamins, minerals, enzymes and other micronutrients to perform this function. Your skin regenerates constantly, building new cells underneath and sloughing off old cells. Without adequate protein, your skin will not be able to construct strong healthy collagen structures. Without an adequate amount of the right kinds of fats, your hair and nail cells will be weak and easily broken, and your skin will become dry and lifeless.

Hydration

Adequate hydration is vital to the process. Your body requires enough water to move nutrients into, and wastes out of, cells. Water is the basis of the interstitial tissues that flow between your muscle and fat cells, carrying oxygen and hormones from one to the other. Dehydration can lead to slack skin and lifeless hair.

Toxification

Detoxification is also another fundamental. Your skin is responsible for eliminating approximately 10% of your body’s toxins and metabolic wastes. By ensuring that the other organs of elimination are clean and functioning well, you lighten the load on the skin, allowing it to use its precious energy on repair and re-growth. Certain toxins can have definite adverse effects on the hair. Heavy metal poisoning from mercury can cause hair to fall out and to break and can aggravate gums. Lead causes neural damage that can lead to faulty signaling between your brain and outlying extremities.

Hormonal Profile

Your body produces many different hormones that are used by the body to communicate with outlying organs and tissues and tell it how to react to changing conditions. Some of the hormones that directly affect your hair, skin and nails are estrogen, testosterone, progesterone, and growth hormone. For example, estrogen is important for keeping your skin youthful and resilient, but too much can cause aggravation of the gums and lead to gingivitis. Testosterone is needed to for the important task of producing your body’s own moisturizer, sebum; too much can lead to hair loss from your head and the unsightly growth of excess dark hairs on your face and belly. A lack of progesterone can lead to the skin condition cellulite. The hormones leptin, insulin, and glucagon are important for the maintenance of a healthy weight. As you can see, hormonal balance has a definite and important influence on how you look.

Sleep

Your body requires a certain amount of rest to rebuild, repair and replace cellular tissue. Interestingly enough, the skin is usually regenerated between the hours of 11PM and 2AM, so for best results, you should be sleeping during those hours. Your body also uses the time during sleep to balance brain chemistry. Adequate sleep and rest is one of the most important things you can do to improve the appearance of your skin and the health of your hair and nails, as well as giving you the energy to live actively and the mood enhancement to enjoy life.

Summary

One of the first things you need to do when devising a new beauty routine is to find out whether or not you are getting the right kind of food and enough water to meet your beauty goals. Also, you might want to consider a detoxification routine. Are you are getting enough sleep to put all these other factors to work for you? These are the first things to consider when devising a beauty regimen.

Fawn Bales has studied and practiced alternative and herbal medine for 25 years. She has also studied aesthetic technology and cosmetology. She is the co-author of two natural beauty books and is a managing partner of Botanical Beauty Lab, a women’s free resource for natural health and beauty information at http://www.botanicalbeautylab.com

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