July and early August are traditionally heavy vacation months for many people (gas is $4 a gallon!) !Your workouts don't have to take a vacation! Just be a little creative and you can have fun on vacation and still workout.Here's a good goal: try to at least maintain your pre-vacation body fat and weight upon return from your vacation!

Sometimes the location of your vacation can make working out fairly easy. For instance, if you are going to the mountains, hiking is an ideal exercise activity. And, if you are going to be close to a beach, running in the sand is a good exercise. If you are staying in a hotel, most hotels have exercise rooms. Just plan your workouts along with your vacation. Afterall, you want health and fitness to be a part of your lifestyle.

Here are some more pointers for your workouts during vacation:

1) Take your stability (swiss) ball and a set of dumbbells with you. You can get in a good 30 minute workout anywhere with these two pieces of equipment.

2) If you don't want to take any equipment, then you can always do a bodyweight workout.

3) Take a jump rope with you.A 30 minute jump rope workout always works.

4) Plan fun games (such as water basketball, water polo, relays)with the family. The best exercise is fun exercise.

5) Visit the local health club where you will be vacationing.Some health clubs have agreements with your health club. A new workout atmosphere can be great motivation.

6) Plan a family hiking expeditionif the vacation location allows for this type of activity.

7) Take your workout DVDs with you.They will probably work in your hotel television

8) Stay on your nutrition plan at least 85% of the time!This is a tough one but you can do it!

I think you get the idea. Have a great vacation and stay safe!

This posting, Vacations and Your Workouts, is posted by Mark D. at Wellsphere.com

The Beverage Guidance Panel, a group of doctors who contend that American adults consume 21 percent of their daily calories from beverages - twice as much as what's recommended by the World Health Organization - have developed a set of Healthy Beverage Guidelines that appeared in a recent issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The panel grouped beverages into six categories and recommends how much from each category people should consume every day.

- Water: At least four servings for women and six servings for men
- Unsweetened coffee and tea: Up to eight servings a day of tea and four of coffee
- Nonfat or low-milk and fortified soy beverages: Up to two servings
- Diet beverages with sugar substitutes: Up to four servings
- Fruit and vegetable juices (100 percent juice), whole milk and sports drinks: Up to one serving - Calorically sweetened soft drinks and fruit drinks without nutrients: Up to one serving - less if you want to lose weight.

It seems plain old H2O makes the best thirst quencher. The Beverages Guidance Panel said all beverage needs could come from water if desired. It certainly has the fewest calories.

This posting, Healthy Beverage Guidelines, is posted by Nirmala N. at Wellsphere.com

Its not unusual for a beginner student to have trouble with the Roll Up exercise on the mat, and sometimes students can spend years practicing pilates and never be able to roll up from the mat to a seated position. Why is this? And what can we do to roll up better and more smoothly?

One of the most common physical reasons for not being able to roll up, besides having weak abdominals, is lordosis. It is very hard to peel the spine up, one bone at a time, when there is an excessive curve in the low back.

Another common reason for not being able to roll up is that the upper body tries to do the work, the neck, shoulders, and arms try to hurl the body forward in order to come off the mat. If you do this, all you find is that you are stuck on the mat!

Before we get into the details on some tricks to the Roll Up, let's make sure we're on the same page as far as how the exercise is done:

Laying on your back with legs straight and parallel, arms straight up in the air. Reach the arms back by the ears, then inhale as they come forward again. Exhale, lifting the head forward, then one bone at a time peels up off the mat. At the top, round the spine forward over the legs, with arms straight forward and head dropped between arms. Inhale, then exhale as you return to the mat, one bone at a time.

Ok. So if you can't roll up, try these suggestions and see if one, or more than one, is helpful.

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Press the Bunions Together
Before you roll up and your legs are straight forward, keep your legs parallel by pressing the bunions, or the "big toe knuckle" together. The feet should not be angled in, they should be parallel. Keep this position exactly as you roll up, and when you roll down again, think of scooping away from the bunions.

Pinky Toes Back, Big Toes Forward
Make sure that your pinky toes aren't craning forward, with the big toes back towards your body. In you head, say, "Pinky toes back, big toes forward". This should be your motto all the time, but its especially helpful for the roll up. This position of the feet actually activates the inner thighs- your core- instead of letting them slack off. In fact, reaching the big toes forwards should really come from reaching the inner thighs forward. You can do this at the same time you touch the bunions together, and you can also do it during the next tip, too.

Use a Magic Circle
There are two really good ways of using the Magic Circle to help you roll up. One way is to hold it between the inner arches of your feet. It shouldn't touch the floor, its just held between the feet. As you roll up, think of squeezing the circle with your inner thighs. As you scoop back, scoop away from the circle. You can also hold the circle in your hands, up to the ceiling with your palms pressing on the pads this way:

Bring the arms forward so the Magic Circle is just over the thighs. Then, lift your head forward so you can look through the circle. Inhale, then as you exhale, reach your arm pits forward into your heels. Press on the circle to help smooth it out and to get some power into the arm pits. It sounds crazy, but it works!

These are just some tricks to the Roll Up.

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This posting, Secrets to the Roll Up, is posted by Elaine E. at Wellsphere.com

Let’s face it, hot flashes are not only uncomfortable ,but downright embarrassing! If you are one of 80% of women going through menopause symptoms you may be feeling desperate for relief. A natural remedy for hot flashes is what is needed if you do not want to use hormone replacement therapy.

What Are Hot Flashes?

During a hot flash, the pulse will quicken, the skin goes red, and sweat can pour off the body as if you just walked into a sauna fully clothed. You may feel that you are about to faint or have a heart attack. What is actually happening is that the blood vessels are enlarged, sending more hot blood around the body. When the flash has passed, the effect of the sweating is often to leave you feeling very cold.

Hot flashes can be triggered by certain things in the diet, including hot spicy food, caffeine and alcohol (especially red wine). Keep a food diary to see if this is the case for you. Other triggers include anxiety, stress and anger. Sometimes a hot flash will come for no apparent reason, I’ve gotten a lot of them riding in the car and have to roll down the window just to breathe.

Hot flashes are just one symptom of the menopause. Others can include depression, mood swings, feeling undesirable and becoming very sensitive to criticism. All of these symptoms are a result of the hormonal changes that occur over several years as the body's reproductive systems wind down.

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Natural Remedies

There are many herbal remedies on the market. Vitamins can help too. If you have taken supplements for menstrual symptoms in the past that were effective for you, try taking those first. They may work for you again by regulating your hormones.

Some of the best remedies are listed below. Please note that if you have any medical condition such as diabetes or asthma some of these may not be suitable for you. Check with your doctor, telling him or her that you are looking for a natural alternative to HRT. Most doctors will be sympathetic to this.

Sage

Sage is a common herb easily grown in most gardens. Sage extract or sage tea can be very effective in reducing the occurrence and severity of hot flashes during the menopause.

Black Cohosh

Known by Native Americans as 'squaw root', black cohosh is a plant extract that can relieve menstrual cramps caused by low estrogen production, and can also be very effective during the menopause. As well as relieving hot flashes, it has been reported to help with menopausal depression and listlessness.

Black cohosh is also used to treat rheumatic arthritis, headaches, high blood pressure and osteoporosis.

Agnus Castus

This extract from the horse chestnut tree increases progesterone levels in women which helps with menstrual tension and menopausal symptoms. It is particularly effective for hormone-related acne and migraine. However, you may have to take it for some time before you feel the benefit. It is best taken first thing in the morning.

Combine agnus castus, black cohosh and sage for a complete natural treatment for menopausal symptoms.

Vitamin E supplements can also help with menopausal symptoms in some cases.

You may, in fact want to find more herbs that can work together to help with hot flashes, night sweats, moodiness, depression and other like symptoms.

Consult with your doctor before taking any home remedies, to check that they are suitable for you. Do not take a natural remedy for hot flashes if you are also taking HRT.

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This posting, Natural Remedies For Hot Flashes, is posted by Diane D. at Wellsphere.com

Lower back pain ranks as one of the most disabling pains in society today and almost everyone is looking for back pain relief in some form or another. You have massage chairs, foam rollers and other gadgets that all promise lower back pain relief but manage to only fix one piece of the puzzle. Lower back pain is a typically a warning sign to more serious back pain or hip issues down the road.

The first area that you have to address is the hips. I know that this seems basic but the basics are what people usually skip. Sitting down and working at a computer all day is the number one cause of tight and dysfunctional hips. Sitting tightens our hip flexors, which attach to our lower back and cause back pain. So to get any type of back pain relief we must stretch the hip flexors and hamstrings during the day.

With tight hip flexors and hamstrings our glutes will become weak and not function to protect our lower back. Increasing glute strength through bridges and bent knee clams and other glute strengthening techniques featured in The Physique Formula Bulletproof Body program will increase our lower back pain relief efforts. Most people overuse their hamstrings and tight hip flexors and never really know how to use their glutes. You can do squats and lunges but even those movements don't directly hit your glutes the way that you need them to in order to stop your lower back pain.

The third thing that you have to do is increase your core strength. Not only is a strong core vital to maintaining healthy posture but it also provides lower back pain by keeping the back stable during dynamic activities. Core strength has become over hyped in recent years with the fancy balls and balance devices but direct ab workout, cable chops and planks will be all of the core work you need for your lower back pain

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This posting, 3 quick tips for lower back pain relief, is posted by Jimmy S. at Wellsphere.com

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Just got this from the website: Real Muscle Online. Helpful!

10 ways to fit in a workout when you seem too busy

We all have them. Busy days where we seem like we are in too much of a rush to do a workout. However, there are some things you can do so that you can still squeeze in some kind of a workout. Here are the top ten ways:

1. Get up early
The solution professional boxers and athletes have been using for hundreds of years. In fact, any person who has ever been great at anything has got up early to better their craft. The Buddha meditated, Leonardo invented and Michael Jordan went and shot some hoop! If you really want to be better at what you do, lose some weight, get fitter, etc. then you should make some priority time for it in the early morning.

2. Lunch time workouts
If you ever come to visit my city you will see we have a big beautiful river in the inner city and around that river is a running track. It is engulfed by beautiful trees and flowers and grassy hills - it makes for a really nice jogging area. All the business men and women change into some running clothes and shoes and go for group jogs around the river. Some companies even have compulsory running days where everyone in the division goes for a jog. After the jog they head back to the office, have a showed and get back to work. Brilliant use of time.

3. Throw out your television
I know no one is going to actually throw out their TV but my point is that people spend far too much time in front of that stupid box. My family got FOXTEL (cable) last week and they have pretty much just sat there doing nothing for the last 48 hours. It is a waste of time.

Have a look at how much time you spend in front of the box and then think about how much you could achieve if you used that time to workout. In one episode of the Simpsons you could go for a run. If you did that every night, just for the time the Simpsons is on, you would be fit and healthy and no longer overweight.

4. Split your routine
If you don’t already you could try splitting your weights routine so that you don’t have to do a whole lot every time you decide to go to the gym or do a workout.

For example, I do Chest and Triceps on Monday, Back and Biceps on Tuesday, etc. so that each muscle group gets a full week to recover. I do cardio and soccer on the off days and it works really well. My workouts never last for more than 45 minutes.

5. Make your workouts shorter
I know this seems pretty obvious but it really is quite important. I think people often think that in order to get any real results they need to workout for hours on end every single day of their life. This is wrong. With a few exceptions I keep all my workouts really short and really intense. I am much more into intensity than duration. If you can’t afford to give more than 15 minutes to fitness a day that is fine but make that 15 minutes hard, fast and intense. Get into sprinting, compound exercises, etc. Jumping squats, clap pushups, chin ups, dips and so on. This is where the real strength and power lies.

6. Stop being lazy!
This is a little bit harsh but for many people it is true. I have a few fat friends who are always telling me they are too busy with work and university and whatever else to do a workout but then they will happily spend two hours at the pool hall for beers after work or I’ll see that they are logged in on MSN messenger for most of the day chatting. If you are too busy to do a workout maybe you should take a look at yourself and see if that is the real reason you aren’t working out. Or, are you just lazy?

7. Find a sport/workout that you REALLY love
I noticed that when I started doing kung fu I was much more likely to make time to train it than I was with other workouts that I was bored with. If you find something that you are really really in to then you will find you are more likely to make excuses TO do it as opposed to NOT do it.

8. Play sport instead of lunch with clients/friends
My uncle is known in the business world for meeting his clients at the golf course or at the squash courts. He is a pretty high profile kind of guy so he can get away with picking the meeting place but many of us could meet with friends at a healthy place as opposed for the boring old coffee or lunch.

Think about it. Lunch goes for about 1-1.5 hours. In that time you could play a game of squash, tennis, indoor soccer… whatever. Be creative with your meet ups - your friends and clients will love it.

9. Exercise at your desk
For those days when you simply are too busy to do a workout then try and do something at your desk in your breaks. I do this all the time when I am studying. I will do 30 minutes of study and then have a 10 minute break where I will get a drink, go to the toilet and do 50 pushups. Or, you can leave a hand gripper or dumbbell near your desk and do a short forearm workout whenever you can. On days when you can’t workout it is better to something really small than nothing at all.

10. Don’t sweat it
If you really are too busy and tired to do a workout then it is better to forget about it and stop stressing. Some people work themselves up into a big knot thinking that if they miss one workout all their hard work is going to vanish and they will be back to square one. It won’t. I know what it is like to be too busy to do any exercise but it really isn’t that big of a deal. As long as it doesn’t become a regular habit then there is nothing wrong with taking a day off.

This posting, Get fit even if you're busy, is posted by Nikki F. at Wellsphere.com

But I don't have time to go to the gym! I hear this all the time and it is total malarkey! Maybe you don't have time to go to the gym, but you do have time to workout if you are serious about losing weight and getting abs. And contrary to what people who are trying to sell you something will say, you can get a great workout in at home without spending a ton of money.

The minimal equipment I recommend is a chin-up bar, some dumbbell handles and plates, a rope, and a kettlebell (you knew that one was coming)! To supplement the vast amount of exercises you can do with this equipment, learn to mix in as many body weight movement drills as you can. If you can't do a proper push-up, why are you doing bench press????

Body weight movements are a great way to improve mobility, and increase your heart rate without the risk of injury. I like to use them as a warm-up before my kettlebell sessions or in between sets of kettlebell exercises to keep me breathing hard during the "rest" portion of a drill.

Here is a simple workout to get you breathing hard and moving in different planes then you would at the gym. These are all done with body weight unless I specify otherwise, for one set of each and the amount of reps per set are up to you and your abilities.

* lunges
* T-push-ups
* squats
* inchworm
* split squats
* high knee raises
* sit-ups
* jumping jacks
* leg lifts
* one legged/pistol squats (squatting down on to a chair if you are new)
* Dive bombers
* Planks
* monkey jumps
* push-up planks

Now on to the weighted portion

* Kettlebell swings
* plank
* kettlebell high pull
* plank
* kettlebell clean
* body weight squat
* kettlebell snatch
* body weight squat
* kettlebell rotational clean
* lateral lunges
* kettlebell clean, squat and press
* catch your breath for 30 seconds
* kettlebell clean squat and press
* catch your breath for 30 seconds
* kettlebell swing until failure
* lie down and really catch your breath

Remember, only one set of each exercise! This little routine will blast the fat off you like nothing else and has a huge variety of movements which is important for all you desk job folk that need to re-learn how to move your bodies!

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This posting, Train at home to lose weight and get abs!, is posted by Nathan D. at Wellsphere.com

Swimming is a sport that is not natural to everyone. Walking, running, biking, all of these are quite easy to master, however, it takes some coordination and stamina to learn how to swim. Here are a few tips that will help you to conquer the world of water.

Before getting in the water, let's think about a few things. First, swimming is done in a horizontal position which is not natural for many people. Most beginner swimmers feel disoriented when laying on the water, they sometimes feel like they are falling down. However, it is not the case. Try to think of it more as laying down into a nice and soft bed. Second, let's stay with the bed analogy. When you lay down to sleep, your body is relaxed, all muscles are loosend up. This is very similar how you should feel when floating on the water. Believe it or not, but the relaxed you are the easier is to stay afloat. So listen to Frankie and RELAX. Third, do not use any equipment. True, it is easier to kick with a kickboard, however, most folks start getting dependent on the floating equipment and then it is hard to learn to swim the right way. Fourth, don't be afraid, water is your friend. Many have mastered swimming before you. :)...

Now let's get to the good stuff. You are probably asking, so what do I do in the pool? How do I start? Well, let's see:

1. If you are afraid of the water, you should start by standing up in the shallow end of the pool holding the wall and try to squat, so you get your chin close to the water. Breath easily. Once you are comfortable, try to go deeper under water while holding your breath. Now, don't just go up and down quickly, relax and use nice smooth motion to get up and down. If that is ok, try to stay with your head submerged for longer. If you have your goggles, open your eyes, look around you and explore the beauty of the water.

2. Now that we have mastered this, it is time for bubbles. Squat down holding the wall, so your mouth is submerged and start blowing bubbles through your mouth. You are still nice and relaxed and going up, taking a breath, and down, blowing bubbles for a few seconds. Try to increase the time you are under water blowing bubbles.

3. It is time you learn how to stand back up from horizontal swimming position. You are standing up, your arms are at your side, slowly lay on the water facing down while extending your arms above your head. So you end up laying on the water as a log stretchin your arms as far forward as possible with your palms down. Hold your breath (keep your mouth shut :)) and relax. Your body should be flat, the surface of the water should be hitting you in the middle of your hair on top of your head, so get that chin toward your chest. Whenever you are ready to stand up, palms of your hands are facing the bottom of the pool and start moving them slowly from the front above your head, down toward your hips keeping your arms straight. So, they will make nice half a circle. At the same time, slowly bring your knees to your chest. Basically, you will try to become a ball and use your hands/arms to rotate your head out of the water (backwards) and your feet down toward the bottom. Once in that position, just extand your feet and slowly stand up. Voila!

At this point, you should be fairly comfortable being in the water. If not, keep practicing, until you handle 1,2,3 with ease. Good luck and remember, water is not evil. Don't think too much about it, we all have instincts to survive. :)

This posting, Swimming Tips for Beginners of all ages (kids, adults), is posted by Libor J. at Wellsphere.com

We all want a quick fix and while I can’t make miracles happen, I can give some tips to make you look a bit more trim. Of course the best way it to workout and eat healthy, which if you are at this blog you are probably into. But we all have areas that we want to make a bit better and appear amazing.

Here are 3 (non-exercising) tricks to make you feel and look amazing:

1. Tan skin defines muscles more.Yes the sun causes cancer, but spray on tans don’t. There is a reason why bodybuilders load up on tanning supplies… tan muscles look more defined than untan. The shadowing really does a nice job of helping you look a bit more sculpted. You don’t have to go 10 shades darker, just a natural tan will do the trick. I love Jergen’s Natural Glow lotion for the slow progression of a tan.

2. Choose clothes that fit. Sure we all want to be a size 2, but if you aren’t then don’t buy a size 2 just for the label. Even if you are tight and fit, wearing clothes that are too snug will make you look like you have love handles, stomach flub and a big caboose. Go with your size and you will knock ‘um dead. For jeans, choose a pair that compliments your frame.

3. Hydrate. Staying hydrated and drinking lots of water actually helps to prevent bloating and flushes out the body. Avoid soft drinks and sugary beverages that have the opposite affect. Especially alcohol. Try avoiding salt too which can promote bloating and make you a bit off from your best. Go for at least 8 glasses of water per day. This of course should be more if you workout regularly. I actually drink 1 gallon of water a day and feel great, but it all depends on lifestyle.

Have a hot date? Follow this pre-date ritual for a great look right before you date arrives.

* 2 sets of 10 pushups
* 2 sets of 20 body weight squats
* 2 sets of 10 dips off a chair
* 2 sets of 15 walking lunges

This posting, Top 3 Tricks to Instantly Look Skinnier and Toner, is posted by Taylor R. at Wellsphere.com

I’m often asked which is better to do, cardio or weights. My answer both! If you’re short on time and you want to lose weight I say do a combo of cardio and weights (note: your own body weight is just as effective. You may replace weights with push ups and or tricep dips.) See how below!

A 20 minute total body workout:

1. Start with 5 min. of power walking followed by

2. 2 min. of pilee squats

3. 2 min. of shoulder work (or push ups)

4. 5 power waking or light jog

5. 2 min. of lunges

6. 2 min. of upper back work (or push ups or tricep dips)

7. 2 min. of power walking

8. Cool down and stretch

This posting, Postpartum Weight Loss: Cardio or Weights?, is posted by Sara H. at Wellsphere.com

To help you determine how many calories you use during various activities, scientists recommend a common measure called a MET, the amount of energy you use when you sleep. It comes out to about one kilo-calorie per kilogram of body weight, or one half a calorie per pound. For example, a 130-pound person burns 60 calories per hour during sleep. A 155-pounder uses 70 calories per hour.

When you ride a bicycle at 12 miles per hour, you are exercising at about ten METS or 10 times the amount of energy that you use during sleep. That's the same as running a 10-minute mile, playing racquetball competitively, jumping rope at a moderate pace or playing in a soccer game. To show you how much you increase your metabolism during exercise, consider that 10 METS are equal to five times as much energy as you use when you wash dishes, shop, cook, iron or walk at a leisurely pace.

This posting, Measuring Calories Burned During Exercise, is posted by Dr. Gabe M. at Wellsphere.com

What can you do to improve your sleep? Running up a sleep debt seems to be the way of life for many people, which can lead to mental and physical fatigue.

1. Have a regular time for sleep. Spend the final hour of your day preparing for sleep. Have a sleep ritual that includes things like brushing your hair and teeth, massaging your feet, hands and shoulders, taking a warm shower, spend a short amount of time reading. These things done nightly will start to prepare the body and mind for sleep.

2. Prepare a quiet, dark, distraction-free place to sleep. Make the environment in the room where you sleep as relaxing as possible. Quiet is a relative term, of course, as some people like white noise in the background while some like no noise at all. White noise can be the ocean, a fan blowing, the sound of cars on the highway, anything that provides a general regular background sound.

3. Avoid caffeine at least a few hours before sleep. Even if a person can sleep while stimulated by caffeine, its action on the body is disruptive to the regular cycles of sleep (moving from stage 1, 2, 3, & 4, 3, 2, REM, & repeat). Each stage of NREM and REM sleep is important to the proper functioning of our body, and moving from the various stages in order allows for sleep to have the most beneficial effects.

4. Receive regular massage. Massage and other bodywork like Reflexology and energy work like Reiki, have been shown in studies by the Touch Research Institute and other organizations to improve the quality of sleep. The mechanism of this is not fully understood, but some think that massage calms the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) and activates the parasympathetic nervous system (relaxation response), and that the decrease in cortisol levels in the body contributes to better movement through the stages of sleep cycle.

5. Exercise regularly. Having a regular exercise program, or even doing something like taking a walk for between 30 minutes to an hour a few hours before sleep is not only good for your physical fitness, it also can improve the quality and length of your sleep. Note here that exercising immediately before sleep is not recommended, as the body needs the time to come back from the stimulated state of exercise to properly sleep.

6. Light evening meal. The lightest meal of the day should be the dinner/supper meal in the evening. Several small meals throughout the day is best, but if you are going to eat three meals a day, then start big and end light. Breakfast should be the largest meal, then lunch, and finally dinner. Our bodies use a tremendous amount of energy in digestion, which distracts us from repairing and resting and processing our brain’s work while we sleep.

As you can see, these things are not just a part of good sleep hygiene, but they are also a good part of a healthy lifestyle.

This posting, Improve Your Sleep, is posted by Paul B. at Wellsphere.com

It’s that time of the year when the scent of grilled dinners waft through the neighborhoods. Summer isn’t just about the incredible salads (but are they great or what?!). It’s about meats! (And even a little grilled dessert….)

Grilled Lamb Chops

Thoroughly mix together marinade of ¾ cup beef broth, ¼ cup lemon juice, 1 Tbsp. melted coconut oil, 1 ½ Tbsp. chopped garlic, 1 ½ Tbsp. thyme, 1 Tbsp. rosemary, 1 ½ Tbsp. oregano. Allow chops to sit in marinade for 1 hour.

Place chops on high medium-high heat grill and cook for 2 minutes on each side. Cover with foil and let rest 5 minutes. Serve with heaping Greek salad.

BBQ Chicken Thighs

Mix marinade of 3/4 cup chicken stock, ½ cup lime juice, 1 ½ Tbsp. cumin, ½ Tbsp. garlic, 1 Tbsp. chopped cilantro. Allow thighs to rest in marinade for 1 hour.

Place on medium-hot grill, 5-6 minutes a side. Remove from heat and let rest under tented foil for 10 minutes.

Serve with salad made of fresh greens, tomato, avocado, bacon bits, and other veggies of choice. Drizzle with citrus-cumin vinaigrette.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin

Mix 1 cup chicken stock, 2 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce, 1 1/2 Tbsp. melted coconut oil, 1 ½ Tbsp. honey, 4 chopped scallions, 1 ½ tsp. minced garlic, and 1 ½ tsp. ginger in pan and place 4-lb. tenderloin in marinade for 1-2 hours (turning over half way through).

Add black pepper after removing from marinade and sear lightly on high heat grill. Then move to upper grill for remaining cook time (approximately 35-40 minutes).

Season with salt when finished and wrap in loosely tented (and vented foil). Let rest for 10 minutes before carving. Serve with Asian-inspired vegetables.

Still have room? How about this as an encore?

Grilled Peaches

Slice just-ripe peaches in half and remove pit. Make a simple marinade of selected extract(s), alcohol(s), and spices. (Suggestions – some low carb, some indulgences – to choose from: almond, vanilla, Amaretto, bourbon, white/blush dessert wines, cinnamon, clove, ginger.) Allow peaches to soak skin-side up for 15 minutes.

Run skewers through peach halves and add to medium heat grill. Allow to cook 1-2 minutes per side or just until heated through and fully tender.

Serve with whipped heavy cream, mascarpone, or Greek style yogurt and handful of warm pecans or blueberries.

This posting, Healthy 4th of July Grilling Tips, is posted by Mark S. at Wellsphere.com

If you have been following my blog for some time, you will know how fond I am of circuits. Not only are they quick and effective, but most of the time, they can be done with little or no equipment, meaning there is NO excuse for not exercising! Here is another great circuit I put together…. so get started with it and burn some fat!

Squats x 20
Pushups x 12
Mountain Climber x 10 each leg
Alternating Forward lunges x 10 each leg
Medicine Ball Rotation x 20

Repeat 3-5 sets, resting for one minute in between!

This posting, Fat Burning Circuit, is posted by Angie S. at Wellsphere.com

In case you're slightly confused over what "organic" means, here's a little information. The term "organic" is given to products that are grown according to a strict set of standards.

Organic veggies, for instance, must be grown without irradiation (this acts as a preservative for normal veggies) or sewage, which fertilizes plants that are typically grown. Artificial preservatives, pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers are also strict no-no's in organically grown producer.

Organic meat and eggs (and dairy products, for that matter) issue from animals that aren't given antibiotics, growth hormones, or genetically altered and nonorganic foods. The term "free range" comes from the fact that the animals have plenty of outdoor access and lots of rich pastures to graze in. In addition, the animals are kept away from land that's sprayed with chemicals.

When you see a label that says 100% organic, that means it has 100 percent organic ingredients. If something says that it's been made with organic ingredients, that means at least 70% of the ingredients are organic. Technically, if a product goes under the 70% organic line, it can't be labeled organic.

This posting, Organic Standards, is posted by Nirmala N. at Wellsphere.com

THE DIRTY DOZEN: TOP 12 FOODS TO EAT ORGANIC

I found this article on the top 12 foods to eat organic on the Daily Green website.

www.thedailygreen.com

"Not all of us can afford to go 100% organic. The solution? Focus on just those foods that are laden with the highest amounts of pesticides, chemicals, additives and hormones and deploy your organic spending power on buying organic versions of these whenever possible. Can't find organic versions of these foods? We've listed safer alternatives that contain the same valuable vitamins and minerals.

1. Beef - According to the Environmental Protection Agency, "meat contains higher levels of pesticides than any of the plant foods." Similar to milk and milk-based dairy products, many chemical pesticides end up in the animal, which end up in you.

2. Milk - The fat in dairy products is another haven for pesticides and chemicals. They also concentrate in the fatty tissues of animals, which gets passed on to you through their milk. Antibiotics and bovine growth hormones are another concern and found in commercial milk, cheese and butter. Organic dairies do not use antibiotics or growth hormones like rGBH or rbST.

3. Coffee - Many of the beans you buy are grown in countries that don't regulate use of chemicals and pesticides. Look for the Fair Trade Certified label on the coffee package or can; it will give you some assurance that chemicals and pesticides were not used on the plants. It will also mean that fair prices were paid for the end product in support of the farm and that farm workers are treated fairly.

4. Peaches - Forty-five different pesticides are regularly applied to these delicately skinned fruits in conventional orchards. Can't find organic? Safe alternatives: Watermelon, tangerines, oranges and grapefruit.

5. Apples - Scrubbing and peeling doesn't eliminate chemical residue completely so it's best to buy organic when it comes to apples. Peeling a fruit or vegetable also strips away many of their beneficial nutrients. Organic apples taste sweeter than conventionally grown, too. Can't find organic? Safe alternatives: Watermelon, bananas and tangerines.

6. Sweet Bell Peppers - Peppers have thin skins that don't offer much of a barrier to pesticides. They're one of te most heavily sprayed vegetables out there and victim to thirty-nine pesticides commonly use to keep them insect-free. Can't find organic? Safe alternatives: Green peas, broccoli and cabbage.

7. Celery - Celery has no protective skin, which makes it almost impossible to wash off the twenty-nine different chemicals that are used on conventional crops. Can't find organic? Safe alternatives: Broccoli, radishes and onions.

8. Strawberries - On average, strawberries receive a dose of up to 500 pounds of pesticides per acre. If you buy strawberries out of season, they're most likely imported from countries that use less-stringent regulations for pesticide use. Can't find organic? Safe alternatives: Blueberries, kiwi and pineapples.

9. Lettuces - Leafy greens are frequently contaminated with want are considered the most potent pesticides used on food. Can't find organic? Safe alternatives: Cabbage, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts.

10. Grapes - Imported grapes run a much greater risk of contamination than those grown domestically. Vineyards can be sprayed with thirty-five different pesticides during different growth periods of the grape and no amount of washing or peeling will eliminate contamination because of the grape's permeable thin skin. Can't find organic? Safe alternatives: Blueberries, kiwi and raspberries.

11. Potatoes - America's popular spud ranks hight for pesticide residue. It also gets the double whammy of fungicides added to the soil for growing. Can't find organic? Safe alternatives: Eggplant, cabbage and earthy mushrooms.

12. Tomatoes - The standard regimen of pesticides used on conventionally raised tomatoes are thirty. Their easily punctured skins are no match for chemicals that will eventually permeate the whole tomato. Can't find organic? Safe alternatives: Green peas, broccoli and asparagus.

If the cost of buying all organics isn't within your budget, fear not. Check out The Daily Green's top ten list of fruit and vegetables you don't need to buy organic, with tips for buying and how to clean, store and use them in delicious recipes."

This posting, Top 12 Organic Foods, is posted by Josiah F. at Wellsphere.com

The practice of yoga and meditation has become increasingly popular in the past few years, but I am sure that there are many people who are still asking themselves, “What’s in it for me?” So, if you have been wondering whether it would be worth your time to start practicing yoga and meditation, I would like to give you five good reasons why it would be a very worthwhile activity for you.

1. Yoga and meditation will improve your health

Yoga postures put gentle pressure on the internal organs of the body and help them to function properly. In particular the postures help your digestive system to work smoothly and thus avoid problems such as constipation, acidity and indigestion, which are common conditions that can lead to more serious problems later on. Meditation and deep relaxation can be just what you need to lower your blood pressure. Thus, yoga postures plus meditation is a great combination for maintaining and improving health.

2. Yoga and meditation will help you to overcome bad habits

What’s a “bad habit?” It’s something that you are doing continually, and something that you know is harming you but you can’t stop it. Are you smoking now? Maybe you thought it was good when you started, but you would now like to stop. The trouble is that it is not so easy to quit smoking or a similar habit once it has become established.

This is where yoga and meditation can help you out. The yoga postures help you to become more relaxed and mentally balanced. Meditation can help you to concentrate your mind and build up your will-power. Once you become internally balanced and have a stronger will power, it will become possible for you to break any habit, even one that you have been troubled by for many years.

3. Yoga and meditation will help you to lose weight

Obesity is one of the biggest health problems of the modern era. Our lives have become more sedentary and our food sources have changed over the last 100 years and this why many adults and even children are now overweight.

Although this is a life-style problem, it is something that can be dealt with. The surest way to lose weight is to get more exercise and to control what you are eating. This is of course, easier said than done. But yoga and meditation can help you out. There are some yoga postures that are helpful in weight loss programs. Similarly, the mental strength that you can get from both yoga postures and from meditation can help you to gain a better control over your diet and this can result in healthy and permanent weight loss.

4. Yoga and meditation will bring you inner peace

You may be earning a lot of money and you may have a lot of social prestige but is physical or social wealth the goal of your life? Whatever material or social wealth you have, if you are not contented, satisfied and at peace with yourself then you will not be a happy person.

The goal of meditation is to help you find the inner core of your being. Who are you? Is it the name and address on your identity card? If you start meditating you will find that deep within you is a pool of infinite love and peace. This is the real you. If you can reach this place, then you will find peace and contentment; it is guaranteed!

5. Yoga and meditation will make you a wiser person

Every one of us has made mistakes that we regret. There is nothing we can do about the past. We can’t go back in time and not make the mistakes. But what we can do is to build up our capacity to see what has permanent value and what is transitory. When we attain this state of discrimination, then we will not do actions that we will regret later on.

Meditation helps a person to go beyond the “chatter” of the mind and attain a state of wisdom that will always be of help. Wisdom does not mean stuffing your mind with “facts” but it does mean to have a mind that will choose a course of action that brings about the welfare of everyone.

I have a list with many more reasons why yoga and meditation are helpful, but I thought I would start off with these five reasons. So, if any one of these items are interesting for you, then why not see for yourself, and start practicing yoga and meditation?

This posting, 5 Good Reasons Why You Should Practice Yoga and Meditation, is posted by Dada V. at Wellsphere.com

It can be difficult to get outdoors for exercise, especially if you live in a smog-laden, busy city - difficult, but not impossible. Here are some quick tips for getting out more if you live in the metro area:

-----Put on some headphones and listen to relaxing music or nature sounds while walking or doing other exercise outdoors to tune out the chaotic noise of the city.

-----Avoid strenuous exercise like running if you live in an area affected by pollution and smog. Walk, do yoga, lift weights, or do more gentle exercise instead.

-----Drink lots of water.

-----Meditate as you work out. Learn techniques that will allow you to focus and tune out distractions. Breathing exercises, counting breaths, repeating a mantra, and other common meditation methods can all be helpful.

-----Dress comfortably.

-----Plan a retreat or a day for driving someplace outside the city to enjoy the clean air, silence, and natural atmosphere. You'll feel refreshed afterward, guaranteed.

This posting, Get Out More, is posted by Tracii H. at Wellsphere.com

One main key ingredient to improving your lifestyle and living a healthy life is antioxidants. There are several antioxidant supplements out there that can help you live a healthy life, that are natural and safe to use without causing damage to the body. Eating different types of food that contain antioxidants as well, although according to some, supplements are the ideal way to get just the right dosage of antioxidants.
An example of a slightly higher grade of Chinese green tea, called Mao Jian.

Image via Wikipedia

Antioxidant supplements include individual vitamin supplements such as Vitamins C or E or beta carotene and mineral supplements like selenium. Green tea extract, grape seed extract and pomegranate to name a few, are all natural antioxidant supplements.

If you take in more antioxidants through food such as vegetables, fruits, grain cereals, legumes, nuts and supplements, which give cell protection benefits. Antioxidants can help to protect body cells from damage, which helps to fend off diseases. Often, with a lack of vitamins in the body, causing slow recovery from diseases or injury however, with the right amount of vitamins and antioxidants in your body, you?ll notice the healing difference.

In most case