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Let me fill you in on a little secret...

If you discovered the fountain of youth - the secret to delaying the aging process, controlling your weight, feeling happier and less anxious, sleeping better and warding off illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes and other diseases - would you partake? What if you had to walk briskly for 15 minutes each way so you could drink this amazing formula every day?

Sorry to get your hopes up, but there's no such fountain, but you CAN receive all these benefits by simply taking that 30-minute daily walk. Studies have suggested that walking at a brisk pace for three or more hours a week can reduce the risk for coronary heart disease by 65 percent. And if walking isn't your favorite thing to do, there are endless options, all with similar results. What's missing in this age of modern conveniences and desk jobs are ways to get our bodies up and moving on a regular basis.

I sat around the dinner table with some of my family on the weekend and as a result I wrote this newsletter. We discussed which exercises we enjoyed doing and the amazing thing was that out of 16 of us we each mentioned 16 different activities as our favorites. For example my love is spinning (stationary bike) classes, my husband's is boxing, one sister in law loves yoga and the other has just found Pilates. One of my brothers loves swimming and the other body building, my brother-in-law only enjoys running. My daughter loves walking the dog, my son enjoys the gym and younger son can't wait for his football game each week. One of my nephews loves playing soccer and the other one basketball. My parents and my in laws all walk every day at a pace that would embarrass most of us.

What this shows is that there are so many choices that can be made by us in relation to finding a physical activity that we enjoy and hence do on a regular basis that if you can't find at least one you are just making EXCUSES!

Once we start to look after our bodies externally it usually follows that we want to also look after our bodies internally by eating healthier foods and getting necessary vitamins. Then without even contemplating dieting, weight loss and better health usually follow.

Being sedentary has several negative health consequences. Your muscles, including your heart and lungs, become weak; your joints become stiff and easily injured; you can develop high blood pressure, fatigue, obesity, osteoporosis, constipation, and increased sensitivity to pain, anxiety and depression. Being physically fit, on the other hand, actually reduces the risk of heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, and other diseases.

According to the National Women's Health Resource Center in the US,
the good news is, it's never too late. At any age, at any level of health, even if you already suffer from a chronic disease, you can improve your level of fitness. In fact, according to the U.S. Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity and Health, women with heart disease or arthritis actually experienced improved daily function due to involvement in various modes of physical activity.

What, exactly, is fitness? Physical fitness has four components:

Cardiovascular fitness

Your heart, lungs and blood all need oxygen to work. Your level of cardiovascular fitness will determine your body's ability to use oxygen as a source of energy. It gives you the stamina or endurance to be active without gasping for breath.

Muscular strength and endurance

This is the force your muscles can exert and their ability to keep moving without becoming exhausted.

Flexibility

Flexibility helps to maintain the optimal range of motion in the joint areas, making bending and stretching easy.

Body composition

There should be a healthy ratio of lean muscle tissue to fat.

Facts to Know

1. Studies have suggested that walking at a brisk pace for three or more hours a week can reduce your risk for coronary heart disease by 65 percent.
2. About 25 percent of American adults - and an even greater percentage of women - are sedentary. After age 44, upwards of 30 percent of women are sedentary, and by age 65, the proportion increases to almost 35 percent. And by the time they reach age 75, about 50 percent of all women are sedentary.
3. Only about 22 percent of American adults engage in regular, sustained physical activity for at least 30 minutes five times a week, and only 15 percent exercise both regularly and vigorously.
4. No matter how poor your current level of fitness, you can start an exercise routine and become more fit and healthier. Even 90-year-old women who use walkers have been shown in studies to benefit from light weight training.
5. Simply adding movement into your daily routine can increase your level of fitness. For example, if you park in the last row of the parking lot and walk briskly five minutes each way between your office and your car, walk up and down the stairs at your office during your 10-minute afternoon coffee break, and walk the dog for 10 minutes when you get home, you've racked up 30 minutes of exercise for the day.
6. Women with heart disease or arthritis actually experienced improved daily function from involvement in various modes of physical activity.
7. Fitness consists of four components: your body's ability to use oxygen as a source of energy, which translates into cardiovascular fitness; muscular strength and endurance; flexibility; and body composition.
8. To address all the components of fitness, an exercise program needs to include aerobic exercise, which is continuous repetitive movement of large muscle groups that raises your heart rate; weight lifting or strength training; and flexibility exercises or stretching.
9. Walking at a brisk pace burns almost as many calories as jogging for the same distance. The benefit of jogging is that it takes less time to cover the same distance; however, it may be too strenuous for some.
10. It takes about 12 weeks after starting an exercise program to see measurable changes in your body. However, before 12 weeks, you will notice an increase in your strength and endurance.

So no more excuses, your health and wellbeing are a priority!

Be safe and have fun

Warm wishes
Sharon

Self Image . . . tips to improve the image you see in the mirror

I often speak to or read information from other health/wellness experts. The most informative material regularily comes from their patients real life problems and answers from these experts. I will put some of these problems/solutions that I am impressed with in my blog for those that may be able to relate.

Dear Dr. Dorie: I have gained a large amount of weight over the past year, and I feel horrible about how I look. The worse I feel, the more I tend to eat. How can I turn things around? - Mirror, Mirror

Dear Mirror, Mirror: There is definitely a relationship between self-image and eating. If a person does not like how they look, they either eat too little in efforts to control weight or consume too much due to feelings of depression and frustration. To contrast, if a person feels good about themselves, they tend to be more in tune with their body's needs and take better care of themselves. Their eating is more in balance, without patterns of restriction or overindulgence.

One of my favorite sayings is, 'Don't weigh your self-esteem!' Even though you have gained weight, the key is to be able to feel good about yourself, right now. If you improve your self-image, your mood will also improve and you should notice a decrease in emotional eating patterns. Without the excess calories from your emotional eating, your weight will begin to regulate itself.

Because our society places great emphasis on looks, it can be difficult to feel good about yourself if you don't measure up to the 'ideal beauty standard.' The average female model is 5'11" tall and weighs 117 pounds; however, the average American woman is 5'4" tall and weights 144 pounds. Look around you today and notice the diversity in height, age, skin color, hair style, and body shape. Forget the 'ideal' and learn to appreciate the uniqueness that is you.

You can improve your view of yourself by finding positives about your body on which you can focus. Identify several elements that you feel good about right now, such as your smile, your eyes, your hair, or your hands. When you find yourself being critical of your image, shift your focus to the elements about yourself that you can feel good about.
You can also improve your attitude about your 'problem areas.' When you think about the parts of your body that you dislike the most, consider their function rather than their looks. For example, you can develop a positive attitude about your thighs by telling yourself, 'My legs are what carry my throughout my day. They allow me to stand, walk, and climb.' Focus on function rather than size.

Having a positive self-image is essential for overall well-being. Reframe your view of yourself and notice the difference it makes in your whole way of being.

© 2006 Dr. Dorie McCubbrey, all rights reserved. As one of America's leading experts on obesity and eating disorders

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American Heart Association: New Guidelines

American Heart Association: New Guidelines
The American Heart Association (AHA) has issued new diet guidelines.

The emphasis is on healthy diet and lifestyle patterns as opposed to lots of number-crunching.

Here are the important points from the new guidelines:

• Balance calorie intake and physical activity to achieve or maintain a healthy body weight.
• Consume a diet rich in vegetables and fruits.
• Choose whole-grain, high-fiber foods.
• Consume fish, especially oily fish, at least twice a week.
• Limit your intake of saturated fat to <7%.

These reports are often controversial as there are many differing views on dairy and meat consumption.

I still believe that everything in moderation is the way to go!

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24-hour weightloss support groups at eDiets.com

Slim Secrets Morning Rev-Up!

One of the first bars of its kind to contain real coffee beans! High in fibre and rich in protein, it will leave you satisfied for longer, without the fall in blood sugar levels and feeling of hunger in a short time.

Need something to fill the mid morning gap? If you crave coffee and sweets and you need a boost, here's a secret weapon to get you going.
More information on Slim Secrets Morning Rev-Up!

Slim Secrets Afternoon Snack-Attack!

A choc caramel and nut decadent snack that you will think is too good to be true. High in protein and only 3.9g of fat per bar, it will provide consumers with a great snack to keep them going till dinner. May even help prevent overeating at meal times.

Feel an afternoon feeding frenzy coming on? If the day has worn you out and you need a bit of a pick-me-up, here's a secret weapon to keep you going.
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Slim Secrets Night Time Binge - Buster!

A delicious blueberry and raspberry bar, made from real snap frozen fruit, drizzled with smooth white chocolate that melts in your mouth. High in protein and 3.12g of fibre per bar, this mouth-watering bar will give you an increased feeling of fullness and satisfaction. Wheat free and low GI carbohydrates mean you'll stay healthy without staying hungry through the night.

Often suffer from the nighttime nibbles? If you're craving something sweet after dinner and don't want to sabotage your health goals, here's a secret weapon to get you through.
More information on Slim Secrets Night Time Binge - Buster!