Posts Tagged ‘Flexibility’

The Yoga Way to Health and Well Being

January 8th, 2010

Yoga is not a recent practice. It is a practice which through time, has developed and increased in significance and appeal worldwide. The rationale behind the appeal is greatly to do with the physical and psychological benefits experienced when integrating yoga into one’s daily schedule. Yoga can be viewed as a breath of fresh air in this fast paced lifestyle that we live in. The word yoga comes from the Sanskrit language and means “to integrate”. Yoga promotes a harmonious working together of the body’s components leading to both physical and mental training. Despite the fact that there are numerous forms of yoga; Hatha Yoga is still presently seen as one of the more commonly practiced yoga styles. Hatha Yoga consists of non strenuous physical exercise which aids in strengthening, stretching and balancing the body’s joints. Regular breathing is performed at the same time which aids in providing oxygen to the muscles, and in turn positively affects bodily structures and organs. The awareness required during yoga practice, ensures that mind and body have to work together to create a mind-body harmony which in turn promotes healing.Yoga will not be a quick fix for all your aches, worries and pains. However, with regular yoga practice your body will rebalance slowly and steadily, leaving you discovering the results for yourself. Physical benefits which you can anticipate are improved efficiency of the lungs, better use of your respiratory muscles, improved flexibility of the joints, improved coordination and muscle tone, maintenance of bone density, reduced risk of injury as well as the prevention of weight gain. Psychological benefits can also include an increase in self-confidence, decreased cravings for tobacco and food, better sleep, an increased ability to relax, improved concentration as well as a reduced likelihood of depression. Yoga differentiates itself from other exercises as it draws on the entire person as a whole.Half an hour of yoga a day, or 15 minutes of yoga twice a day, can easily be incorporated into any daily schedule. Some breathing techniques can even be practiced while working or driving home after a long day. A short routine for those of you spending hours staring at a computer screen is to take a few moments every day to glance at a distant object. This allows your eyes a moments rest from glare and a change of focus. Look left and right, up and down at least 5 times, blink at least 8 times to moisten your eyes and if it is at all possible, rest your elbows on a comfortable surface and close your eyes whilst covering them with the palm of your hands. If you can incorporate this with or without some breathing exercises, you will already be on the way to a healthier and possibly more focused lifestyle. Baby steps everyone…no one expects you to transform overnight.

Find spas and more wellness related information at: http://healthspaguru.com

Some Great Healthy Food Choices At Fast Food Restaurants

December 31st, 2009

Because there are not too many fast food restaurants that offer that many healthy choices on their menus, it seems like we are always stuck eating somewhere fast and unhealthy because we have not planned well enough and ran out of time. So since it is almost inevitable, how do we make the most out of a fast food meal without putting on the pounds?
The great thing is that many fast food restaurant chains are now required to post calorie information on their menu boards. This now makes it much easier for you to make a better decision of what you can and should order when on the run. Something to think about when ordering food is to be aware of the number of calories that are in salad dressings, cheese and sour cream. Although you may be thinking you are eating healthy while ordering a salad, you actually may not be because of the calories from those small additions. When you order a grilled chicken sandwich, order it without the mayonnaise. Restaurants have become much more conscious of menu alternatives like salads with low calorie or fat free dressings.
If you don not see these items, ask. They are often times available, just not displayed with the unhealthier choices.
A few general guidelines that may be helpful when eating on the go are:
1. Stick to the lighter menu options. Restaurants are offering more healthy choices on their menus. You must find the ones that you should be ordering to maintain a nutritional lifestyle. Healthy fast food eating is dependent on you understanding what is in the fast food items and making the right choice.
2. Understand the portion sizes. Most value sized combo meals are well over 1,000 calories. This is way too many calories for your body to burn through without leaving some to be absorbed as FAT. If they don not offer smaller portion sizes, ask for a takeout bag and eat it another day for another meal. I do this most every time that I eat out, even at the healthier restaurants. It is very important to control how much goes into your body every meal. Just because food may be healthy does not mean you can still eat twice as much as your body needs, you will not be able to absorb it all or burn through it, and
that means it has to go somewhere, your fat cells.
3. Order Food To Go. Research has shown that humans are more likely to eat more when they are eating out. So what does that mean? Avoid the situation to where you are likely to overindulge.
Even though it seems impossible, eating fast food in a healthy way is possible. You just need to pay more attention to the healthier options that these restaurants now provide you on their menus. This may be extremely difficult in the beginning because of the habits you have formed, but the payoff to your health is worth it.

To learn more about Healthy Food Choices, Health, and Fitness visit www.denipreston.com
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