No one dreams of aging ungracefully. After all, you don’t spend your life trying to increase your number of wrinkles, dying your hair grey before its time, or trying to add on those few extra pounds that seem to come with advancing years, yet they seem to happen almost automatically. Or do they?

Unless you practice certain behaviors that repel these common signs of aging, you’re going to draw them closer to you like water to a sponge. What are these behaviors that will keep you young as long as possible?

A Regular Exercise Regimen

Getting regular physical activity helps you age with poise in a number of ways. First, it keeps your heart healthy which allows you to live life to the fullest. You will be able to engage in various activities that you enjoy well into your senior years like golf, mountain climbing, or simply playing with your grandchildren, without worrying about increasing your risk of a heart attack or stroke.

If you’ve watched the news at all lately, you’ve likely heard about the dangers of energy drinks, especially in regard to how they are affecting our children – the largest consumers of these particular beverages. While the intent of these drinks is to give us more energy, it is becoming apparent that it is perhaps more energy than our bodies can safely handle.

What Makes Energy Drinks So Damaging?

We’ve known about the negative effects of too much caffeine for ages, which is why there are tons of recommendations about limiting the amount of coffee we drink. Therefore, it only makes sense that energy drinks would fall under this cloud as well as some of the brands have more than twice as much caffeine per serving as a cup of coffee. So, if you’re drinking two or three of them per day, you’re having about a pot of coffee, which isn’t good for you but, unfortunately, the negative side effects don’t stop there.

Whether you spend your days in front of a computer or can’t move around much in your daily life, your sedentary schedule may be impacting you more than you realize. Or, perhaps you understand that your inactivity during your workday is causing you to not look or feel your best, yet you don’t know what to do about it.

Either way, you do have options that will help you improve your fitness levels despite being desk or office bound.  But first, you need to understand why making changes to your sedentary job is important and needs to happen right away.

The Health Consequences of a Sedentary Job

According to the National Center on Health, Physical Activity, and Disability, living a sedentary lifestyle is detrimental to your health. For instance, they report that physically inactive people have a 40% higher risk of developing cancer in the colon or breasts and a 50% higher rate of dementia. Being sedentary also increases the rate at which you lose muscle and bone strength, as well as raises the possibility that you’ll suffer from depression.

(This is Part 3 in our three-part series: How 3 Ancient Alternative Methods Can Help You Lose Weight. CLICK HERE to read Part 1, Acupuncture. CLICK HERE to read Part 2, Can Hypnosis Help You Lose Weight?)

Meditation is part of our earliest recorded history. Long ago, it was used mostly in conjunction with religious practices. Some say that meditation is the oldest form of mental, spiritual and physical health and wellness practice in existence.

The earliest known root of meditation is with the Hindus in India who used forms of meditation to discern the true nature of Brahman. Buddha reached “enlightenment” while he was meditating under a Bodhi Tree. Those that followed Buddha, however, did not believe that mediation was a way to understand a higher being but rather a way of sensing ones connection to all things. Forms of meditation are present in all major religions.

Hypnosis is the second topic in our three-part series that explores ancient alternative therapies that are being widely used to assist in weight loss: acupuncture, hypnosis, and meditation. These are being used successfully by many as part of a comprehensive health plan for weight loss and weight management. CLICK HERE to read Part 1, Acupuncture. CLICK HERE to read Part 3, Meditation and Mindfulness.

The subject of fascination and ridicule for centuries, hypnosis is gaining in popularity for its effectiveness in easing migraine headaches, lowering blood pressure, minimizing hot flashes, smoking cessation, and much more.

From ancient religious leaders to modern day scientists, the art of hypnosis has been facilitating healing for over 2000 years.  When you think of hypnosis you may see someone swinging a pocket watch or gem in front of someone’s eyes. You may think of mind control, or have other beliefs about this ancient practice.

There are many lessons to be learned when we study the ways that ancient groups of people acted. We can learn about art, architecture, food, family, religion, languages and health. Much of our current system of doing things is rooted in some very old, but wise, cultures.

Some very old ways of preventing and treating illness are still practiced in many parts of the world today.

America is just learning. We have been completely focused on putting our trust in doctors and pharmaceutical companies that we’re not accustomed to alternative ways to approach health. We have been conditioned to not consider alternative ways of treating our health.

However, many dedicated people are using ancient and alternative methods of healing and preventing disease. These people believe that what was done so very long ago, and is still being used today, has great value and can help in many ways.

You can’t walk into a store after the first of the year without seeing shelves full of delectable chocolates and candies that say “Be My Valentine.” While it’s great to want to share your feelings with those you love, adding to their waistline isn’t exactly a great way to show your sweetheart that you care. It’s like saying, “I love you, but I want to make sure you don’t live a long and healthy life.” It just doesn’t make sense.

This Valentine’s Day, take a different approach. Choose a gift that truly shows the special people in your life that you want them to be around for as long as possible. Give them something that encourages their health, rather than takes it away. Don’t know what to get? That’s okay because we have lots of ideas for you.

Fitness Products

If your honey likes to exercise or at least wants to work out more because he or she knows that it is good for them, here are some gifts you may want to consider for your active sweethearts:

It’s that time, yet again!  Is weight loss one of your resolutions for the New Year? If you’re like most people, this resolution is high on your list year after year – to get healthy and lose weight. Would you like 2014 to be the last time you make a weight loss resolution?

While it may seem like losing your love handles and jiggly thighs is a resolution that just keeps repeating itself, that doesn’t have to be the case. You can reach your weight loss goal this year, and here are our best suggestions to help you reach those goals, once and for all:

Define why you want to lose weight. You can’t go after something and expect to get it if you don’t have a clear understanding of why you want it. Take some time and think about why weight loss is important to you. Make a list of the positive ways your life will change once you reach a lower, healthier weight, and keep that vision in front of you at all times.

Holidays are full of wonderful celebrations and memorable moments. You get to spend precious time with family and friends, creating memories you’ll cherish for a lifetime. However, the holidays aren’t all candy canes and sparkly lights. Dealing with the stress that comes from several directions can lead to emotional eating and often leaves a sense of fatigue and regret.

Because most people engage in gift giving during the holiday season, there is an added financial burden that can make it harder than ever to pay your regular bills while still bringing smiles to the faces you love with presents wrapped in pretty bows. In fact, even if you don’t hand out a lot of gifts, the costs can still add up if you entertain or buy food or wine to take to holiday parties.

During the holidays you’re surrounded by homemade dishes and desserts that make your mouth water and your taste buds beg for “just one little bite.” But you know that if you give in and gorge on all of these tempting foods, you’re going to gain back the weight you’ve worked so hard to lose – and then some.

So, how do you navigate in and out of the kitchen during this food abundant holiday? By making a few simple changes to the foods you normally eat you can avoid feeling deprived and still enjoy some of your traditional holiday favorites. Here are 10 tips to get you started.

Tip #1: Save up to 56 grams of fat per cup of gravy by refrigerating it first and then skimming off the visible, hardened fat. (This works for meat dishes too!)

Tip #2: If you can’t bear the idea of Christmas without green bean casserole, just swap potato chunks for the cream soup. Then top it with almond slices instead of fried onions for a protein powered crunch!

If you ask most any weight loss expert about how easy their program is to follow, they’ll tell you that it is very easy. But are they just trying to make a sale or is it true that their plan is simple to follow? What’s the answer? It depends.

The Plan vs. The Mindset

Generally when someone wants to know if the diet plan is easy, they think they are asking about the mechanics of it, or how the plan works. For instance, eating every three hours or adding certain foods into your menu would fall under this umbrella of information and certainly help you lose weight.

However, in reality, the person posing the question is more than likely asking about how easy it is to change their mindset to properly work the plan. This is a completely different question.

What would you say if you were told that every time you grab a diet soda from the fridge or vending machine that the liquid you are consuming almost guarantees your weight loss failure? Would you believe it?

Or how would you feel knowing that with every sip or guzzle that you take in the name of health and fitness you are pushing yourself further and further from your goal of being fit and trim instead of getting closer to it?

What if you learned that the more diet soda you drink, the greater the likelihood that you are going to wind up adding weight to your body despite the word “Diet” displayed prominently on the side of the can?

Although you may be inclined to disbelieve these statements, you may be surprised to learn that they are true – and there has been a ton of research, available to the public, to prove it.

The Science Behind ‘Diet’ Soda

Some people just don’t like to exercise. Maybe you’re one of them? This prompts the same question over and over again: “Is it really necessary that I exercise, or can I lose weight without having to buy a gym membership and work up a sweat?” Here’s your answer…

The Role of Exercise in Weight Loss

Let’s first look at the facts.  When it comes to losing weight, getting regular physical exercise offers a number of advantages, even if “regular” is 30 minutes 3 days a week. These weight loss advantages include, but are not limited to:

When you are on a weight loss journey, you’re always looking for ways to speed up the fat loss process. You know that it is going to take some time to get rid of the excess weight that you are carrying, but the sooner you can reach your goals, the happier you will be.

One way to do this is to take a fat burner. These are supplements that raise your metabolism by shifting it from neutral into overdrive, helping you create the body that you desire. A few of the supplements that can help you do this are:

There are lots of diet programs available that will help you lose weight, but nothing beats the ones that offer you results at lightning speed. You realize that achieving weight loss is a process, but that doesn’t mean that the process has to be slow.

So, if you want to lose weight at the fastest rate possible, without sacrificing your health, here are the diets you’re going to want to consider:

Finding a diet is easy. Finding a diet that works for you - not so much. So what can you do to increase the chances that you’ll achieve weight loss success on the diet that you choose to follow? It starts with selecting a diet that will work for you, which is easy to do if you follow these seven simple steps:

Tip #1: Examine your readiness

No diet in the world is going to work for you if you aren’t ready to lose weight. How do you know if you are ready? Ask yourself if you are willing to commit to making changes no matter how hard they are? Will you choose to make failure not an option on your route to weight loss success? If your answer is yes to both of those questions, then you are probably ready to kick butt on your weight loss journey.

Tip #2: Define your goal

One of the most envied body parts is a tummy that is flatter than a board. After all, there is something sexy and confident about someone that has a midsection that is tight and toned. And, if you’re like most people, you’ve even envisioned yourself with bikini worthy abs, strutting around the beach for the entire world to see.

Sadly, if you’re like most people, you’ve also given up the hopes of ever seeing that trim midsection become a reality. However, you can have a thinner tummy and we’ve got some ways to help you get it. Here are three things you can do that will help you create abs that others envy:

Lower Your Body Fat Percentage

It doesn’t matter how tone your muscles are in your core area, you’re not going to be able to see them if they are hidden under a layer of fat. Therefore, you’ll want to decrease your overall body fat so that your finely tuned abdominal muscles will be able to shine through.

Although your body’s ability to remain stable despite the constant changes around you is normally a good thing (such as keeping your blood pressure and blood sugar steady), it can actually work against you when your goal is to try to lose weight. Your metabolism automatically reduces in an attempt to keep you right where you are.

This means that sometimes you need to find a way to turn up your internal calorie burning furnace on your own. So, here are five quick and easy ways to do just that:

#1 – Drink More Water

Your body requires water the same way that an automobile requires gasoline. When you are dehydrated, your body is going to slow down if not stall completely. However, you can keep your engine burning hot by fueling yourself with water throughout the day. Always have a bottle by your side and you’ll naturally drink more, and burn more fat.

#2 – Eat Natural Foods

When it comes to weight loss programs, women have lots of options. There are hundreds if not thousands of programs available on the market today. While having a huge selection may be preferable when it comes to shopping for things such as clothes and shoes, the same large variety in regard to weight loss programs can actually hinder more than it can help.

It is overwhelming enough to carry around extra weight and be self-conscious about it, but trying to find the right program for you individually can send you over the edge when you aren’t quite sure what to look for. Essentially, you may be making a decision about what is best for you without having the knowledge behind which programs will work safely and which ones are more hype than results.

However, if you follow these basic guidelines, you’ll be sure to pick a program that will help you reach your weight loss goals:
 

If you’ve spent any time in the weight loss supplement aisle in the store, then you probably realize that there are about as many options available as there are ingredients that exist. It can feel very overwhelming to try to figure out which ones work and which ones are a waste of money, so we want to help make the whole process much simpler.

Here are the seven supplements you are going to want to consider taking if your primary goal is to burn fat as fast as you can: