Yoga

Yesterday I tried a new kind of workout. Yoga. Yoga is a great way to strengthen your body. When you first think of yoga you may not be impressed, but it will keep you in extremely good shape. For example, some of the benefits of doing yoga are flexibility, strength, posture, breathing, less stress more calm, concentration and mood, heart benefits, effects on other medical conditions, and recent studies have shown learning and memory.

I think there is something very important that I should share with you about yoga. Don't give up if you don't find the right kind of work out you want immediately. There are lots of different varieties of yoga workouts. As you can tell from the list above, yoga helps improve many areas of your health. But certain workouts focus on certain areas. If you are looking for a workout that focuses on strengthening, then you probably want to do a little research on which yoga workout, most likely on DVD of VCR, you would like to use.

The workout I tried wasn't quite what I was looking for, but it was still good. I was looking for more of the strengthening, when what I found was mostly focused on the less stress more calm. It still did have some strengthening exercises. I could definitely understand from the workout how yoga could by really strengthening. As I was doing the yoga workout I could feel my muscles being worked in a different way then they usually are. I want to try a more advanced workout that will hopefully give me more of the results I want.

For my next workout I am going to try a 30 minute shred! Keep following.

Work outs

Hi everyone,

I have lately decided to try out some different workouts and tell you what I think of them. It is really great to get any kind of exercise possible. But for those of you who are interested, I thought I could give you my opinion on each of the workouts.

The key with all exercises is to do what you can. Whomever created the workout knew that you would need to change it around a little to make it work effectively for you. Whether that means doing more or less than they are doing. Anything that you can fit to your level of difficulty is great.

Today I tried some P90X workouts. I found that they are good workouts. They are created for those seeking a higher level of fitness. So you should make sure to pace yourself and check with a physician before you begin the workout(that is the same with any other demanding workout program). I did the AB RIPPER X as well as the SHOULDERS & ARMS workout today. They both had good step by step instructions and examples. They also both contained of different movements. In the past I have found that workouts can get old. You will just repeat twenty five bicep curls and then sixteen triceps lifts and whatnot. With P90X I felt that the variety was great and it really worked me to my limit.

The P90X workouts themselves also come in a great variety. Out of the multiple workouts provided there were strength building exercises for back, chest, triceps, biceps, abs, legs, and core. Not only that, but it also consists of plenty other workouts such as: Plyometrics, Yoga X, Kenpo X, and Cardio X. A stretching section is included in the program as well. Stretching can be one of the most important parts of your workouts. I am really exited to get to try out all of these different exercises.

Just a couple of reminders as you might start to try some of these different methods of workouts. When you challenge your body and use up calories you have to replace them with healthy and nutritious calories. I would suggest going back and reviewing the right recipe and other previous points on nutrients. Exercising is a great stress reliever and it makes you feel better. Keep waiting for more updates on other experimental workouts.

More Shakes

Hi followers,
I made another protein shake a couple day ago using the Lean Body powder I told about in my last post. The quality of the protein powder really does make a difference. I made an orangsicle flavored shake. Basically I took a vanilla flavored packet of protein shake and I added some frozen orange juice, ice, and 10oz of cold water. I then blended it all in a blender until it was all mixed up. It was pretty good, but next time I make a protein shake I think I will try to blend it for a smaller amount of time so it is not as foamy.

I really hope you are having fun while you are trying to be healthier. There are lots of fun exercises you could do with your friends that would make you happier and healthier. Even if you just make appointments to go running with your friends it is still fun, and it gets you motivated. You could always try training for a run like a 5 or 10k and then run it with friends or family. My Brown family will run a 10k every couple years. It is a great way to get cousins, aunts, and uncles together for some fun. Have a great time this week!

Recipes

This morning for breakfast I used one of Bill's protein shake recipes and made a Blackberry Smoothie. Good, healthy protein shakes are a great way to get, well, protein. I hope you got that. Protein is essential for our bodies to run everyday (look at the first step of the Right Recipe in my previous posts). A few of the advantages to getting enough protein are that you will have lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and fewer strokes. The protein shake I made was good. The protein powder I used wasn't the best though. The reason I didn't like it was because of the gritty sort of texture it had. Oh, and it was stale. That was probably from the fact that it was expired(I am laughing at myself because I checked the expiration date after I made the shake). Eating protein powder most likely won't make you sick but it will taste a little stale. The protein shake brand that my parents have used before and liked is Lean Body. I used a protein powder called EAS vanilla soy protein powder.


Here are the ingredients I used in my Blackberry Smoothie.

12oz cold water
1 packet vanilla Myoplex Lite (I used my own brand of protein powder here)
2 Tbsp frozen orange juice concentrate
10 frozen black berries
3 ice cubes


As you can see, all of the additional ingredients added are healthy. It is not bad if you add something with sugar, just remember proportion size.


Just a tip when you are making your own shakes:
To make your nutrition shakes and smoothies thicker and creamier, add less water. To make them thinner, add a few ounces more water. Simple!

Your shakes are your creation. Change them a little if you want to. Try adding in your favorite fruit, or some sugar/fat free yogurt.

HARDTACK

Hey everyone!

Today I made something that you wouldn't exactly call high in nutrients, but some people had to live off of this for months at a time. I baked Hardtack. I thought it would really show me how blessed I am to have the great nutritious food that I have today. Basically Hardtack is made out of Carbohydrates. That is probably why the soldiers in the civil war, and the pioneers crossing the plains could live off of it. Below is the recipe if you want to try and make some.

HARDTACK

Two cups of water
One Tablespoon of salt

Add Flour until dough is not "sticky" (I found that starting out with about 2 cups of flour was good)


Roll out to one-half inch. (Roll out on lightly floured surface)
Cut into 3 by 3 inch pieces. (Use pizza cutter)
Use a fork to put in 16 holes - four rows of four - in each piece. (Bake on large cookie sheet at 400 degrees for one hour)


This recipe was fun to make, but I am glad that we have the opportunity to eat more filling, and at the same time, delicious food.

Body for Life Step 4

For the last and final ingredient we have eating at the "Right Times". So what are the right times to eat everyday? Well, let's start with how many times a day we should eat our meals. What would your first assumption be? I know that before I read about it in "Eating for Life" I would think that three square meals was the right answer. Wrong! In order to be the healthiest we can be, we should eat six meals a day! We should be eating breakfast, a midmeal, lunch, midmeal, dinner, and dessert.

Eating more often doesn't mean that you need to eat more food. You should still follow the three other rules in the "Right Recipe" and get the right kinds of foods in the right kinds of combos that are proportioned in the right amounts. When you eat more often, you just need to spread out your food while keeping the amounts the same.

One advantage to eating six times a day is that it gives you a faster metabolic rate. That means that your body burns more fat and you will be full of more energy. Sadly, for those of us who didn't know about eating six times a day have had more hunger and cravings than those who did know about it. In a recent study it was demonstrated that people who ate two large meals a day consumed and average of 27 percent more food than those who ate six meals a day. If we would eat six times a day we would be more satisfied and we would also have lower cholesterol.


In conclusion, I have heard about lots of testimonials saying that following "Eating for Life" made them look and feel better. So remember, to try to get the right foods, right amounts, right combos, and the right times into your everyday diet. The results are unmistakable. I am going to set a schedule for myself and try to follow this schedule. Don't be upset if this doesn't work for you. Everyone is different, but everyone can live healthily. I hope most, if not all, of you can find that this is helpful.

Below is the name of a website you can go to if you wish to set up your own Meal Plan.

http://www.ediets.com/free-diet-profile

Body for Life Step 3

The third, and second to last, ingredient in the "Right Recipe" is Right Combos. When choosing the right combos for you foods you want to choose a portion of protein and carbohydrates. For example, chicken breast (protein) and brown rice (carbohydrate). For at least two of your daily meals, include a portion of vegetables. For example, add broccoli to your chicken and brown rice. When you make the right combos you can calm you cravings and feed your muscles at the same time. If you are ever really craving something, make sure you are getting all of your needed nutrients. You are also stabilizing your blood sugar when you eat your foods with the right combos. I found it very interesting that studies have shown that eating food in the right combos does stabilize your blood sugar. This reduces your risk of getting type-2 diabetes. Another advantage to eating your food in balanced out combos is that you will have a greater "thermic effect" (this is the fat burning effect your body has). I challenge you to try to incorporate this recipe into you lives. I have recently been trying to do it and I have noticed that it is fairly easy. Something that makes it increasingly easy is to get your parents involved (if you are still living with your parents). Thanks for trying it out. Look for the last ingredient in the next post!