Friday, May 29, 2009

Is There a Fountain of Youth?

Experts actually suggest that antioxidants can help slow the aging process by reducing the daily cell damage done by environmental pollution and time. Vitamin E has been linked with a lower risk of heart disease. Some other nutrients that are helpful in protecting against age related disorders are selenium, cartenoids, flavinoids and some amino acids. Antioxidants such as vitamins A, C, E, beta carotene, and selenium, along with minerals such as zinc and magnesium, have been shown to boost immune resistance. To ensure a good bill of health, it is important that you have to make sure that you’re getting the right amount of these antioxidants each and every day, from a variety of fruits and vegetables in your daily diet to nutrition supplements.

For more information on fitness and nutrition, go to www.BOOTCAMP619.com today.

Monday, May 25, 2009

The Mystery of Green Tea

According to a Chinese legend, tea was invented when an Emperor of China was drinking a bowl of hot water when the wind blew and dropped some leaves from a nearby tree into his drink. When the water changed color, the Emperor took a sip and discovered it to be delicious.
Tea does not just taste good; it has a lot of amazing properties.
Green tea, in particular, is praised for its health benefits.

* Helps prevent cancer: EGCG, an antioxidant in tea, inhibits the growth of new cancer cells and is also thought to kill some existing ones.

* Lowers bad cholesterol

* Stops formation of blood clots which can lead to stroke or heart attack.

* Reduces high blood pressure

* Lowers blood sugar and helps prevent type two diabetes

* Destroys free radicals that cause aging
* Boosts immune system function

* Antibacterial and antiviral properties that can aid in recovery from colds and flu


For more information on fitness and nutrition, go to www.BOOTCAMP619.com today.

Friday, May 22, 2009

Start the Summer with Change and Challenge

When it comes to your body, change in your workout equals challenge. By challenging your body, you will lead to improvement. Variety is not only the spice of life, but also the key ingredient to progress.

It is very easy to get lulled into the same routine in the gym. We are often drawn to perform the exercises that we are familiar with or use the machines that we have already learned. However, the body often adjusts to the routine and we lose the results that we felt initially. To keep improving your body and health, you should add variety to your workout.

There are many ways to achieve this.



Vary Your Cardio Exercises


Try changing up your routine by doing different types of exercise. Try using the stair climber one day and taking a step aerobics class the next. Whatever you are doing, make sure that you remain at a level that you feel you are achieving fat burning. By continually challenging the body with different types of cardiovascular exercise, you can keep your body in a constant, positive state of fat burning.

Change Length and Intensity Levels

Try exercising at a lower intensity level for a longer period of time for a few weeks and then switch to a higher intensity level for a shorter period. By doing this, you could challenge your endurance and burn fat by exercising for a longer period of time, such as 45 minutes to an hour or build your cardiovascular health by exercising for a shorter period, such as 20 to 30 minutes at a high level.


Exercise First Thing in the Morning


If you are tired of your workouts on the way home from the job, try waking up early and going to exercise before going to work. It is a great way to start the day and can get your fat-burning engine started early. It is shown that the body continues to burn fat for a few hours after a good workout. By combining an early workout schedule with a pyramid-style nutritional plan that peaks your caloric intake at mid-day, you may be able to use your food more efficiently and burn more fat.


Warm Up and Cool Down


It is important to make sure that your body is ready for your workout. Make sure to ease up to your target heart rate by warming up before your begin exercising. The time that you spend preparing for or cooling off from your cardio workout should be added on to your regular plan. By warming up, you will make sure that your body is already at a fat burning level by the time you start your routine.


By warming up prior to strength training, you will improve blood flow and muscle contraction.


Eat Smaller, More Frequent Meals


Food is fuel for your body. You need to burn it all day long to get the best, most efficient results. By eating less frequently, you are more likely to be in caloric excess, which leads to fat retention. Instead of the traditional three meals a day, try eating five or six. You will not feel as hungry when you eat and are less likely to eat in excess.


These are the basics of challenging the body. It is very easy to slip into a “routine.” They can be important points for beginners to know and for the more advanced to be reminded of!


For more information on fitness and nutrition, go to www.BOOTCAMP619.com today.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Popeye Had the Right Idea: Spinach

Spinach is one of the lowest cost sources of nutrition you can give your body with 13 calories and 2 grams of carbohydrate in 2 cups of chopped raw spinach.

Every serving gives you folic acid, manganese, beta-carotene, protein, lutein (a potent anti-oxidant), magnesium, vitamin C and vitamin K.

You can eat it raw in salads, steamed as a side dish, or sautéed for a different taste, and still get all the nutritional benefits.


If you don’t like raw or cooked in the traditional American style, try it the way the Japanese do. Lightly steam the spinach (not too much – you can loose a lot of nutrients by cooking it), remove some of the moisture; add ground sesame and a little soy sauce.


For more information on fitness and nutrition, go to www.BOOTCAMP619.com today.

Friday, May 15, 2009

Core Firming Exercise: Braced Squat

Building a solid core is a great way to improve your abdominal muscles and overall body strength. However, the legs are a key component to your strong midsection.

Try adding a braced squat to your core workout. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Hold an appropriately weighted plate in front of your body by extending your arms, keeping your hands at the 3 and 9 position on the weight. Keeping the arms straight, slowly lower your body as much as possible into a squat. When performing a squat exercise, always remember to keep the back straight and well-supported. Hold the squat position for four seconds and return to the start position. Try two sets of 10-12 reps with a minute of rest in between.

For more information on fitness and exercise, go to www.BOOTCAMP619.com.