Tip of the day for the rest of your days...

I guess this tip is sort of a part 2 from my last one regarding stretching. 

So how does one stretch properly without hurting themselves but also benefit from it as well?

It's easy. 

First, do a little warm up to get the blood flowing through your muscles, tendons and ligaments. Never stretch your muscles cold. You'll just end up hurting yourself. 

Second, do NOT bounce your stretches. What I mean by bounce is the action you do when you're trying to stretch beyond your limit by pulling back slightly and pushing forward into the stretch repeatedly. This will cause little micro-tears in the muscles and once again you'll just end up hurting yourself.

Third, when you stretch you want to push yourself to your limit and maybe even just beyond. In order to do this there are two simple tips:

1. When you've reached your limit and you want to stretch beyond your limit, relax the muscles slightly you are trying to stretch (staying in your stretched position) and then continue stretching. It's natural for the body to tense up when it feels a bit of pain, so that's why relaxing is key here. 

2. How do you relax? While you're stretching, inhale down into your diaphragm (very important) and as you stretch beyond your limits, exhale. This will aid in the relaxation and loosening of your muscles.

Voila! Easy as low fat, low sugar pie. You'll be hitting up the rhythmic dance floor in no time!

Ps. Keep it real. Flexibility is vital for maintaining a healthy body, but take your time with it. It's not worth overstretching and hurting yourself.

Tip of the day for the rest of your days...

So let's say you decide to head to the gym after years of sitting in front of a computer. What do you do first? 

What you do NOT do first is static stretching before a workout.

Why? Stretching is as much as a workout as lifting weights, running, plyometrics etc. So before you do any sort of exercise you need to warm up. You can do this by starting with a light jog. What this does for you is gets blood flowing through all your extremities into the large muscles that are going to be used for your workout. The blood will warm up your muscles and nourish it with the oxygen it's going to need. This was a common practice when I used to do Tae Kwon Do and let me tell you, it has really protected me from serious injuries especially with all the high flying kicks and splits. =_=

Now, I know this may sound like common sense, but I've seen it many times in the military, police physical examination (he got injured as the physical test began), the gym etc. People think stretching their shoulders, biceps, back, thighs and calves before picking up a 30 pound weight is warm up. What they don't realize is that, every time they stretch before warming up, they're putting strain on their cold muscles and creating micro tears in the muscle tissue. When this happens and you reach for a weight, you are more prone to muscle, ligament and tendon strains and tears. There's nothing worse than injuring yourself first day at the gym. 

So what's the tip of the day? Warm-up with a light jog and get your heart rate going, stretch and then proceed with your workout.

Snow day

SNOW DAY FOR ME!

Tip of the day for the rest of your new years resolution days...

PART II - Change your diet!

I'm sure we all know people who complain about their weight and how much they "exercise" but continue to pig out and eat whatever they want. You know the saying, "You are what you eat" and the saying could never be more truer.

I want you to think about this... Other than air and water to survive, what's the next most important thing? Food. Duh. We eat food everyday because we NEED food to live. So if food is that important, then why put so little thought into it and stuff yourself with junk? Also, if food is that important, then it MUST be doing something to and for your body. What you eat and how it gets digested and processed is directly affecting your insides and mirrors on the outside.

So the tip of the day is to change your diet. I cannot stress it enough. Working out everyday but eating unhealthy will do nothing for you and obviously you won't see any results.

You can try all the fad diets all you want, but you need to change the number of calories you intake daily, the kinds of food you eat, when you eat etc. Stay away from processed foods. Eat your greens and fruits. Cut-down on refined sugar products. Also, no need to fully cut out carbs or fats. Just eat them in moderation. You need a little bit of everything but at the same time too much of a good thing is not a good thing, so find balance. 

Last tip, if you crave fast food or other junks, please set one day or one meal a week to be your cheat day/meal. To have a cheat day is absolutely necessary psychologically and also physically. However, do not binge. Get a control your cravings before they control you! It's been about 10 months since I had a soda and 1 year and 3 months since I've had a piece of candy and I'm going on strong. So once you get the hang of it junk food will look, well, like junk.

Tip of the day for the rest of your new years resolution days...

You can be as happy as these people if you 

know how to stick to your resolutions. =P

FIXING YOUR RESOLUTIONS - PART I

So according to statistics and years of personal experience, it's about this exact time when many of us give up on our resolutions. When January 1st came around, people were pumped to hit the gym and get fit for the summer season. But when February comes around, those resolutions seem to fade from existence.

Most people usually give up because they aren't seeing results as fast as they would like to see them. But the truth of the matter is, most won't see results for another 2-3 months, granted that they stick to their resolutions daily.

Before beginning your resolutions and before giving up, one needs to realize that they won't be seeing results any time soon if exercise and proper diet have been taboo for the majority of their lives. You don't immediately transform from a couch potato to a spartan warrior in 1 month! If that were the case, we'd all be monsters. It took me 6 years in the army, 4 months of taekwondo and 4 months of no school, therefore spending my time exercising to actually get in the groove of staying healthy and fit (I know, a long time... but it's so hard to turn your back on the Internet/laziness).

Today's lifestyle with all the time spent in front of a computer and tv, it's really easy to get lazy and hard to get motivated. It's also really easy to get discouraged. But if you ask yourself the right questions and really put your mind to it, soon enough you'll get into the groove. So ask yourself. What are you doing all this for? Are you trying to get fit to impress a little someone or are you trying to get fit for your general health? Are you giving yourself enough time? Are you being realistic? Are you being honest with yourself? Start slow, maybe 2-3 days a week of exercise. Tweak your diet. And make your resolutions enjoyable to complete.

So what's the tip for today? Be realistic. Be honest with yourself. Give yourself time. If you stick to your resolutions and if you get yourself in the right mindset, you WILL see positive and healthy results.

Tip of the day for the rest of your days...

Are the harsh, cold and dry Canadian winter days taking a gruesome bite out of your skin? Try honey! 

Honey contains a ton of natural elements which all come together to produce healthier and more radiant skin. 

First of all, honey contains antioxidants that we all hear so much about. Antioxidants help us look younger by fighting free radicals and possibly cancerous cells in our skin. Enough said!

Second, honey carries antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties which help in reducing acne and discoloration and enzymes and amino acids that reduce eczema and other skin conditions. Bam!

Third, honey is a natural moisturizer for our skin, especially during the harsh winter season. Yes, men need to moisturize too. Otherwise, you'll grow up with dry, itchy-looking, lizard skin!

Now how do you apply it to your skin? Easy... 1 teaspoon of milk and a couple squirts of honey. Massage into your face evenly and leave on for 20min. Rinse and dry. You'll notice smoother, clearer looking skin!

If you really want to try the high-end stuff, you can purchase Royal Jelly for even better and quicker results. There's so much on Royal Jelly, I'll have to save it for another post but it usually goes for $100 or more for a bottle.

PS. I'm sorry for being MIA with these posts. This term is exhausting and I've got quite a bit on my plate at the moment. I'll do my best to post more frequently. In the mean time, keep up with your resolutions!!

Tip of the day for the rest of your 2011 days...

Greek yogurt. One of the healthy food trends of 2011.

So what are the benefits?

Greek yogurt is a rich source of proteins. Compared to a conventional yogurt which contains normally 10-12g of protein, Greek yogurt contains 20g of protein.

Greek yogurt also contains a low quantity of sodium. Food these days contain so much sodium and this can be harmful for people with heart problems such as high blood pressure. So Greek yogurt is a good alternative to conventional yogurt.

For those who are conscious about carbs, Greek yogurt contains less carbs than the conventional yogurt. Conventional yogurt contains about 14-17g of carbs while Greek yogurt contains less than 9g.

For those who are lactose intolerant, Greek yogurt contains less lactose sugars compared to the conventional yogurt.

Greek yogurt also maintains that thick, creamy texture that most people look for in yogurt without the use of artificial thickeners.

Greek yogurt sounds awesome eh? Remember, too much of one thing is never good so it's best you mix up your intake of Greek and conventional yogurts. They both contain probiotics and they are both good for you!