Blast Fat With These Recommendations!

Fat burners are a great way to blast fat, but dietary and lifestyle changes are important too. Let's look at 8 fat blasters to help you get lean quickly. These are fat blasting secrets from the world's top fitness athletes and bodybuilders:

1. Increase your cardio workouts and maintain your weight-training. Up your cardio workouts to 1 hour, 6 times per week, with 1 day off. Stay in weight-training maintenance mode, not muscle-building mode.
2. Eat your starchy carbs early in the day. You will burn off the carbs earlier on in the day. The only exception is for late-night workouts; you'll need to replenish your energy stores. Be sure to measure your carbohydrates, like oatmeal for example, using a measuring cup to ensure that you consume only the correct quantities.
3. Eat protein at a minimum of 3 times per day. It takes approximately 25% more energy to burn 1 calorie of protein than 1 calorie of fat or carbohydrate. So, even when you consume the same amount of calories, you are actually burning off more calories by increasing your protein intake. Not to mention, protein is filling and it is needed to maintain your muscle mass as you lose weight.
4. Stop eating 3 hours before bedtime. This will maximize the production of growth hormone during your sleep, increasing your fat-burning as a result.
5. Limit your restaurant meals. When eating out, people have a tendency to overeat and to consume too many carbohydrates. Check out the menu online before you hit the restaurant, so you know exactly what you are going to order. This will keep temptation at bay and keep you in control of your eating.
6. No fried or fast foods whatsoever. They are loaded with saturated fats and calories.
7. Have 1 cheat meal once per week. You need to treat yourself when you are losing fat and keeping to your exercise regime. Keep the cheat meal to around 700 calories or less.
8. At the end of each week, set at least 1 goal for the next week. A goal to improve upon could be drinking more water, measuring your food carefully, writing down your calorie intake religiously, etc.

Do all of the above and you'll burn fat quickly and get lean before you know it. Add fat burners and you'll lose the fat that much faster!

Be healthy, fit and live life to the fullest.

Sandy Huard, President, Women's Health Supply International

Trying to Lose Weight? Avoid the 10 Common Diet Mistakes

Women who are trying to lose weight, get fit and work out often make some very common nutritional mistakes. Today, we will discuss 10 of the common diet mistakes you should avoid to help you achieve greater fat loss and build more lean muscle.

Ten of the most common diet mistakes include:

1. Avoiding carbs prior to a workout. Slow-digesting carbohydrates are required to fuel your workout. For best results, consume carbs about 30 to 60 minutes before your workout along with some healthy fat and good quality protein.
2. Failing to take a protein supplement. Most women consume too few vegetables, fruits and too little protein to build lean muscle. If you consume less than 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight, consider adding one full scoop of a protein supplement to your diet (whey, soy or casein protein). Some flavors, such as vanilla, are highly versatile and make great smoothies when fresh fruit or berries are added.
3. Taking too many supplements. Some women do not consume enough "whole foods". Supplements are for "supplementing your diet" only and should not make up the bulk of your diet. Aim to get most of your nutrients from whole foods and supplement where needed.
4. Consuming too little fiber. Often women who cut carbohydrates from their diets experience bloating and constipation as a result. Eat complex carbohydrates, such as beans, to boost your fiber intake and reap the benefits of a lower carbohydrate diet.
5. Completely removing sugar from your diet, including fruits and vegetables. Being too strict on your diet will often railroad your efforts. Have the occasional treat, such as dark chocolate, which is rich in flavonoids.
6. Consuming too little fat. Fat does not make you fat - consuming too many calories is the culprit. Fat is required for the maintenance of healthy skin, hair and nails. Avoid saturated fats and consume polyunsaturated fats, as well as omega-3 fats that help keep your heart healthy and reduce the incidence of joint pain. This is especially important for post-menopausal women.
7. Overdosing on health foods. Most of your diet should resemble its natural state as much as possible. On occasion, pre-packaged foods may be required, however they should not make up the bulk of your diet.
8. Drinking too much diet soda. Recent research has shown that sugar substitutes such as aspartame actually increase calorie intake. The brain appears not to shut down its hunger signals when you consume these sugar substitutes.
9. Drinking too much caffeine and too many energy drinks. If you are relying on caffeine and energy drinks to get through a workout, you are likely consuming too much. You should be able to get through a workout without the use of stimulants. The occasional cup of coffee or energy drink is fine, just do not overdo it.
10. Failing to plan ... means planning to fail. Keep a diet and exercise journal. Set goals and plan out your week so that you achieve them. If you want to lose 1 pound per week, plan to consume 500 calories less per day (or burn off 500 calories/day) for 7 days every week. Write everything down - that's the way to succeed.

Try incorporating the suggestions above and be sure to avoid the 10 common diet pitfalls.

Good luck with your weight loss and strength-training efforts.

Sandy Huard, President, Women's Health Supply International

How to Feel Pampered Even When Suffering From Night Sweats

We work hard and we play hard, so we all deserve to feel great even when we’re sleeping. In fact, there is nothing more refreshing than a beautiful and restful night’s sleep. Sometimes during menopause, sweet dreams may no longer be our reality. Do you toss and turn, feeling sticky and wet all night due to hot flashes and night sweats? If you are having menopausal sleep issues, you are not alone. Over 85% of menopausal women complain of night sweats and hot flashes. The good news is that there is a stylish and affordable answer to your problem.

A novel solution -- receiving outstanding reviews from its customers -- is sleepwear made with a fabric that "wicks" away sweat from the wearer due to a quick-drying, rapid-evaporative property. The fabric is Cool-jams moisture wicking smart fabric. It seems to sense what the body needs. This innovative fabric wicks away moisture, pulling the moisture away from the skin to the outside of the fabric and then dries very quickly. Cool-jams pajamas always keep you cool and dry when the temperatures are warm, and dry and cozy when the temperatures get cooler.

Cool-jams has developed an innovative collection of sleepwear available online at www.cool-jams.com. The collection includes nightgowns and pajamas in sizes small to 3X. With a large variety of styles and sizes, there is something for every woman. If you suffer from night sweats, try Cool-jams wicking pajamas…your stylish solution to night sweats and hot flashes. You deserve the best in life including a great night’s sleep….sweet dreams!

By Anita Mahaffey, Guest Blogger

http://www.coolnewsforwomen.blogspot.com
http://www.cool-jams.com

Anita’s Bio

Anita Mahaffey is a 50 year old mother, wife and business owner. She started her career in corporate marketing, but after the birth of her second child she began her first stint as a business owner. She is now the owner of two companies. Funika, a private label apparel manufacturing business and Cool-jams, an online sleepwear business specializing in pajamas to help combat night sweats. You can find Cool-jams at http://www.cool-jams.com. In her spare time she loves to hike, run, do yoga and pilates and enjoys volunteer work with a variety of organizations. She also researches and writes health related articles and enjoys public speaking. Visit Anita’s blog at www.coolnewsforwomen.blogspot.com.

Weight Loss and Fat Loss Supplements

Many supplements available from the health and fitness industry and many natural foods have been shown to promote weight loss and fat loss. If you are one of those people that is not convinced that these products or foods work, than pick up the newly-released June 2008 edition of FitnessRx for Women magazine. Read on to see why.

In its "Supplement Edge" section, FitnessRx for Women profiles the most current research and findings for 15 of "the best weight-loss and fat-loss supplements." In today's post, we will discuss the first 7 of these 15 supplements, and tomorrow we will tackle the remaining eight.

So, if you want to lose weight and lose fat, consider including the following 7 supplements in your daily diet:

1. Bitter orange - It is added to supplements because of its appetite-suppressing qualities. In combination with green tea and guarana, it greatly augments calorie burn. When found in conjunction with caffeine, it increases physical endurance and fires up the fat-burning process.
   
2. Caffeine - As previously discussed in Caffeine and Energy Supplements: Some Advice, caffeine has been found to increase both endurance and performance in athletes. It also plays a role in increasing metabolism. In controlled studies, it has been shown to promote both weight loss and fat loss due to its incredible thermogenic and fat oxidation properties.
   
3. Calcium/Vitamin D - Studies have shown that increasing dietary intake of Calcium can result in weight and fat loss (particularly in the trunk region). Vitamin D, which helps to maintain adequate blood calcium levels, has been shown in one study to help women who are dieting lose more body fat.
   
4. CLA - As previously discussed in CLA and the Fight Against Fat and Cancer, CLA has been used for years by bodybuilders to help them achieve a lean body. A year long study of men and women who supplemented with CLA had a 7-9% lower fat mass than those that did not supplement with CLA. What is interesting is that the CLA alone was responsible for the lower fat mass, not other dietary and lifestyle changes.
   
5. Fish oil - In Keep Your High Fat Cravings At Bay, I discussed that consuming too few essential fatty acids (found in high quantities in fish oil) can cause overwhelming cravings for fat. A recent study has also shown that fish oil actually helps you burn fat as well, reducing body fat mass without any other changes to diet and calories consumed. For overweight people who diet, exercise and consume fish oil, research shows fat loss coupled with improvement to both cardiovascular and metabolic health.
   
6. Fiber - People who consume high amounts of dietary fiber are less likely to get fat because they tend to consume less calories overall. Glucomannan (GM) is a soluble fiber that has been shown to help obese and overweight people lose significant weight when taken at doses of 2-4 grams per day.
   
7. Forskolin - To date, studies have been performed on men only, however results do look very promising for women as well. Forskolin has been shown to decrease body fat percentage and overall fat mass, as well as increase bone mass and lean body mass in men.
   

Along with a good diet and exercise, incorporating some of these weight loss and fat loss supplements will help you to reach your ideal body weight that much faster!

Tomorrow, we'll look at green tea, hoodia, MCT oil, yerba mate, dietary protein and leucine, leucine, soy and whey and casein.

Have a healthy, fit and fulfilling day!

Sandy Huard, President, Women's Health Supply International

Osteoporosis: Risks, Prevention and Management

One of the health risks that should concern you at any age is osteoporosis, a bone disease that puts you in danger of bone fracture, particularly of the hip, wrists and spine. What are the risk factors and what can you do to reduce your risk or manage the disease should it strike?

As mentioned, osteoporosis is a bone disease. It affects millions of women (and men), particularly women over the age of 50 whose ovarian function has decreased (perimenopause) or seized (menopause). During this time, estrogen levels drop, leaving your bones unprotected. This results in the loss of bone tissue and density, with an estimated 2-5% of bone tissue loss every year for the first 5-10 years following the onset of menopause.

Some of the key risk factors associated with the development of osteoporosis include:

1. Being over the age of 65.
2. Menopause before the age of 45.
3. Bone mineral density that is low.
4. A family history of fracture (particularly a mother who has suffered a hip fracture).
5. A tendency to fall more than normal.
6. Having had a compression fracture of the vertebral column.
7. Even a minimal fracture after the age of 40.
8. X-ray results that indicate increased risk by a physician.
9. Glucocorticoid therapy that has extended beyond 3 months.
10. Having a disease that prevents the body from properly absorbing nutrients (e.g. celiac disease)

Some of the minor risk factors include:

1. Small stature (a body weight less than 125 pounds) or a body weight 10% less than at 25 years of age.
2. Having rheumatoid arthritis or hyperthyroidism.
3. Low dietary intake of calcium. Too little calcium in your blood will cause your body to take calcium from your bones, further depleting bone supply.
4. Too much caffeine (more than 4 cups daily) or alcohol intake (more than 2 cups daily).
5. Smoking.

So, now you know the risks. What can you do to prevent or manage osteoporosis?

1. Stop smoking and drinking caffeine or alcohol in excess.
2. Increase your dietary intake of calcium and/or take a calcium supplement. A diet rich in calcium will result in excess calcium being "taken up" by the bones, thereby increasing bone supply.
3. Consume the recommended amount of Vitamin D because it is crucial for calcium absorption.
4. If you are postmenopausal, have your risk of osteoporosis assessed by your doctor.
5. Do strength-training (with weights) and weight-bearing exercise (e.g. walking) to increase your coordination, strength and balance (reducing your possibility of falling) and to help prevent further bone loss.

One final note about osteoporosis. It can strike at any age! So, if you are a young woman feeling that this article does not apply to you, take heed. Bone loss happens gradually over years, resulting in osteoporosis later on. So, start strength-training and weight-bearing exercise, make the dietary changes recommended above and "bank" as much calcium in your bones as possible.

Get out the weights or get your walking shoes on and go!

Sandy Huard, President, Women's Health Supply International

Heart Health: Risks and Prescription for a Healthy Heart

In developed countries, heart disease is the leading cause of death in women over the age of 55. How do you know if you are at risk? And what can you do to keep your 'ticker' healthy before heart disease strikes?

You are at higher risk of developing heart disease when you:

1. Reach menopause. It is believed that the decrease in estrogen is the cause, however hormone replacement therapy is no longer recommended to reduce the risk of heart disease. Certain hormones (estrogen with progestin) actually have been found to increase the risk of heart disease, blood clots and stroke in some women, as well as increasing the risk of breast cancer.
2. Have high blood pressure. Your heart has to pump harder and your blood vessel walls become damaged making them more susceptible to getting clogged with plaque.
3. Have high cholesterol. Too much cholesterol can block arteries.
   
4. Have diabetes. High blood sugar can damage your arteries, making them prone to plaque development.
   
5. Smoke. If you smoke and take the pill, you are at even greater risk than if you smoke exclusively.
   
6. Don't exercise. The risk of developing heart disease for inactive women is twice as high than for active women.
   
7. Are overweight. The greater the excess weight, the greater your risk of developing heart disease.
   
8. Have a family history of heart disease that was diagnosed before the age of 55.
   
9. Have a certain race or socio-economic profile. Black and South Asian women, and women with lower levels of education and income are at higher risk.
   

So, now that you know the risks, what can you do to keep your heart healthy? Well, from the list above, there are a few things you can't do much about, like reaching menopause. However, you can do the following:

1. Exercise regularly, ensuring that your heart is pumping in its "training zone". The heart is a muscle that needs to be worked to remain healthy, just like all your other muscles.
2. Lose excess weight and maintain your ideal weight range throughout your lifetime if at all possible. Even a 10% drop in weight will reap huge benefits for you and your heart. Your energy level and vitality will also increase as a result.
   
3. Quit smoking. Not only will your heart and circulatory system reap the benefits, but your lung capacity will increase and your risk of developing certain related cancers will decrease (e.g. lung and throat cancers).
4. Reduce your cholesterol levels by decreasing your intake of saturated fats (e.g. butter, meat and whole milk) and eliminating trans fats completely from your diet (e.g. certain margarines and products made from shortening). Eat a diet high in soluble fiber (e.g., oatmeal, fruit, vegetables, beats, barley). You may also require cholesterol-lowering drugs as prescribed by your physician.
5. Keep your stress levels low and spend time in leisure activities that help to reduce stress. Maintain a balanced life that includes time for you to focus on your needs exclusively. Consider meditation as a daily practice as it reduces stress levels considerably. It is also a prescription for longevity. Long-term meditation results in a lower biological age for many.
   
6. See your doctor regularly to have your blood pressure and cholesterol levels checked. Many potential problems, if caught early, can be eliminated before they do irreparable damage.
   

One of my favorite heart-healthy recommendations is to laugh! And laugh! And laugh ... a lot! So, be happy - your heart will thank you.

Talk to you all tomorrow.

Sandy Huard, President, Women's Health Supply International

Interesting Article About Aging and Longevity

Today, I ran across an article in a great health and fitness blog that focused on an important point that I made in last Thursday's article about Aging: Effects and What You Can Do. Specifically, I asserted that consuming fewer calories throughout your life (actually maintaining a slight caloric deficit daily) is a recipe for reaching the age of 100 years.

Take a look at the article entitled Less Food For More Life, as well as the other interesting articles found at this blog.

I'm back tomorrow with a longer post about your health, fitness and wellness.

Until then, have a great remainder of the day!

Sandy Huard, President, Women's Health Supply International

Strength Training: Beautiful Glutes, Thighs and Calves!

To build a balanced physique, your strength training efforts need to focus on both the frontal and the rear physique. So far, we have examined exercises for the entire frontal physique. Now, we will be completing the rear physique with exercises targeting the glutes, the rear thighs and the calves. We left off our discussion with the triceps.

In Know Your Muscles, I explained the whole concept of understanding your anatomy so that you are able to build full-body strength training routines that target every important muscle group. The result is a beautiful, sculpted physique and a fat-burning engine (even at rest)! So, let's go.

Exercises that target the gluteus medius include:

1. Seated machine abduction, and
   
2. Cable single-leg abduction

Those targeting the gluteus maximus include:

1. Barbell and dumbbell squats
2. 45-degree leg press and horizontal leg press
3. Cable single-leg kickbacks, and
4. Butt blaster machine

Building your rear thighs (hamstrings) should involve exercises such as the following:

1. Prone machine leg curls and seated leg curls
2. Single-leg machine curls
3. Dumbbell prone leg curls
4. Stiff-leg deadlifts, and
   
5. Goodmornings

Now, to complete the rear body, let's look at the calves. For the gastrocnemius muscle do any of the following exercises:

1. Standing machine and standing dumbbell calf raises
2. Standing bodyweight and standing single-leg calf raises, and
   
3. Leg press machine calf raises

Finishing off the calves with these exercises that target the soleus muscle:

1. Seated machine calf raises, and
   
2. Seated barbell calf raises

That's it. We are done with your body. You've now got a plethora of exercises to choose from to target your entire body, yielding a fat-burning engine and resulting in a gorgeous, lean physique. Again, if you want any of these exercises explained to you in more detail, just comment to this post.

Some of our future strength-training posts will involve building some great routines for you to show you just how easy it can be!

Have a fantastic weekend!

Healthy. Fit. Living Fully. for life

Sandy Huard, President, Women's Health Supply International

Healthy and Fit Over 40 - Grab a Magazine Geared to You

Hi Everyone,

Well, it's been 1 full month since I last posted. I've got a great excuse -- I have just returned from over 3 weeks away in South Africa, where it was sunny, warm and beautiful almost every single day. The safari was amazing, the nature reserve we visited was fantastic, and the time we spent in beautiful Cape Town was just great! I'm hoping to have a moment to share some pics with you in a subsequent post and maybe some video, who knows?

For today, I wanted to talk about magazines that focus on the health, fitness, beauty and wellness issues affecting women over 40. I am currently reading the April 2008 edition of the magazine "More", which has the tagline, "Canada's Magazine Celebrating Women Over 40." I have been reading this magazine for several months now out of interest and to learn about issues affecting other women in my age group.

Every month, a stunning woman over 40 is on the cover and all of the women who are profiled are over 40 as well. This I like very much. On the one hand, we can aspire to age gracefully and beautifully, while on the other hand we can see everyday women with all of their imperfections celebrating who they have become and how they are growing each and every day.

This month's cover of More Magazine is 62-year old Helen Mirren, a wonderful, sophisticated and extremely talented actress. Last month, it was Vanessa Williams (44 years old). Previous months included Jodie Foster and Diana Krall, among many others. One thing that has struck me about all of these women is the way they talk about this time in their lives. It is truly inspiring!

So, whenever you are looking for inspiration on how to stay healthy, fit and live life to the fullest, do yourself a favor and pick up one of these magazines.

On Monday, we'll start back on our regular schedule of daily health, fitness and wellness blog posts, so get your running shoes on and your dumbbells out, because vacation is officially over! Have a great weekend!

Sandy Huard, President
Women's Health Supply International