"Don't Let Post- Thanksgiving Remorse Win The Battle..!

I had a wonderful and joyful thanksgiving. I'm not going into details, but I wanted to let you know. I hope you did as well. This time of year it was my immediate family around the table lavishing on food, wine and exchanging great conversation. One thing I decided to do though was give back. Yes.. I gave a portion of my food away in monetary value. As much fun as I was having with my family, I also knew that there were many people around the world, who just didn't have such a blessing and opportunity. So if you are feeling a little remorse after thanksgiving.......

Maybe it's not solely about the consumption of all the food you ate and great beverages you had. It could be something in your heart that is telling you "Did you give anything back this year for this Thanksgiving." It's not too late, so you should think about it. Great..! since you have complete focus now, let me tell you shortly why I'm writing this post to you.

Many people feel some form of remorse due to the amount of food and drink that they ingested at the thanksgiving dinner table. Individuals are already asking me, I think I consume too much carbohydrates and the amount of fat I just can't even count it because it's staggering. Oh my God! I think I'm going into cardiac arrest, or my pants is not going to fit me tomorrow. What am I going to do?

If you are thinking this way, I'll tell you what. "ENJOY" your post-thanksgiving, don't have any regrets or remorse about it. A weekend of lavishing on plenty of food and drink is not going to destroy your artery, deteriorate your bladder, and agitate your blood pressure to the point where you feel physiological and mental psychic feel threaten. That being said...

You need to think clearly of how you're going to get back on track and eliminate some of the bad extra sugar, extra salt, carcinogens, bad fats, and bad toxins that entered your body over that short weekend. I've done the extra work for you so here's what you need to do.

1. You don't need excess sugar in your muscle tissues and fat cells, because they will stay there and transformed into bad fat, especially around your gut. Worse case..they'll put up a fight with your adrenal glands to force them to give them an excuse to increase your stress hormone and stay there. So go to "September Archive" on this blog and look for "Hot Caribbean Tea Sensation"..follow the recipe but take away the sugar, as you don't need it this time and replace it with some fresh garlic, 2 pieces will do.

2. Every time you wake up in the morning start with a drink of water, not coffee. Many people have heard that before but ignore to do it, simply because they don't believe in the power of water or they just don't know what the heck does it do any way. It's not like it will effectively change my body physiological processes or make miracle in my life, some think. Are you serious? Ummmm..! you're wrong. Water is will speed up your metabolic rate to start the day with, and it will also get rid off some toxins in the blood and some of your other organs. It also allows you to replenish and hydrate your cell after a long night of fasting. It does so much more than that. So you see, you better drink it the first thing in the morning. Stop making excuses, get use to it.

3. Don't EVER skip breakfast. If you were concerned about that 1 or 2 pounds you added on your overall body musculature and skeletal structure (your frame) over thanksgiving, now you have a chance to correct it with eating a healthy breakfast for the next few days. Heck! you need to eat a healthy breakfast every day for that matter. It will help control your appetite, reduce your stress hormone, control your blood sugar, increase mental clarity throughout the day, and yes "help reduce fat"

4. Sleep and sleep. Your body needs to regenerate, recover, and repair itself. When you don't have enough sleep it will put your adrenal glands to a lot of work, which isn't so great. These guys are like the control center of your body, so if you work them too much eventually they will fail. The consequences can be devastating. Cortisol hormone love when you don't get enough sleep so does your other fat hormones, and Mr. Stress, you can't forget about this guy. These maniacs hormones, seriously, are just waiting for you to make this mistake and take control, and once they do, you'll see see increase in blood pressure, low energy, lack of mental acuity, less sharpen skills to do daily activities, lack of sex drive, lack of focus, and much more. So get your sleep on, preferably between 10 -11:30 pm you should already be in bed if you can.

Apply these little simple rules and let me know how things are going for you.

Ibsen Alexandre
www.bodybuzzfitness.com
www.luvself.com
Nutrifitwellness

Yesss...! It's Thanksgiving Once More

Yessss....! It's Thanksgiving once more. I know exactly what you are thinking, "FOOD and FUN" and lots of turkey. I'm not against you at all. In fact, I will be eating a lot. Let me tell you a quick secret, I'm on my vegetarian diet, and it's going great, but this weekend I'm going to bash my face in some nice marinated well-cooked turkey with plenty more on my plate. Yes..I get to cheat on my veggie friends :( this w/end.

But not so fast. Even though thanksgiving is a great gathering base on tradition of North American Holiday, where family gather around the table to talk, drink, laugh, joke around, with a night of great festivity, there are some precautionary measures to take and a myriad of critical things to keep in mind.

Of course, I will not be discussing all of them here with you, but I'll give you a few pointers. I'll be doing the same as well....so don't think you're in in this great battle of having super fun alone. Now, how exactly do you prepare for this wonderful festival. Here are a few 5 thanksgiving tips to follow:

1. Eat With Love: If you eat your food with love you'll tend to eat lesser portion. You'll take your time to masticate the food better and actually taste it, rather than rush and devour it all like a starving lion. Take your time when you eat, so you can allow the enzyme, saliva, the particles in your mouth, and your digestive enzyme to help you with the beginning of good disgestion.

2. Use less sugar and salt: You have to control the amount of sugar and salt you'll make the food with. And if you don't make the food, there are other ways to do that. Keep in mind that sugar (glucose) has the highest glycemix index, 100%, so it can enter the blood stream very quickly, unfortunately it needs somewhere to be stored. Usually, it will be stored in your adipose tissues (fats) and even your belly. The less you can ingest the better. If you didn't make the food (eat smaller portion with water) , and if it's a "drink" you can dilute it to reduce the sugar content....just add in a little water to it.

Sodium is not so friendly at time for your cells, and tissues, and some or your organs. But you need to remember always that it is a chemical that is vital to the body, which is a reason why it plays a major role in our bodily fluid regulation, water for that matter... because the cell needs to be balanced. Too much salt is not good for the body so does too little, you just need to use it in moderation, especially for this night of festivity. So don't go too heavy on the salt.

3. Monitor Alcohol Intake: Many of us like to get "Buzz" on thanksgiving, I know for some of you it's a great feeling and it makes you feel more socially accepted. Keep in mind that alcohol can pack on thousands of calories right before your eyes. A single beer might leave you in the dust at 750 calories, and most of it will be stored in your stomach (fat cells) region. You can try to drink red wine instead, or small dose of cocktails, at a slower pace and have more water in between to keep yourself hydrated. You'll do yourself a great favor.

4. Don't forget to eat breakfast: Eating a healthy breakfast in the morning with balance protein, carbs, and healthy fat in addition to fiber will curve your appetite better for dinner. You want to do that so you won't be in a starvation mode when you get to thanksgiving dinner. Also, you'll be a little bit more discriminating against your food choices and beverages choices.

5) Remember "WHY" You There For: Thanksgiving is not only about eating a bucket of turkey and devouring everything that one can put his/her hands on. It's actually more about family and friends. So lighten up a little, try to recap with your family and friends, get into the conversation, make it fun, socialize more and try to spend great quality time with them. In fact, when you do this, time goes by so fast, you will not be ingesting as much calories. Eating and socializing will be more equal.

Ibsen Alexandre
Nutrifitwellness
www.luvself.com

P.S: Do not feel guilty about your Thanksgiving festivity, and feel like you need to go to the gym the next day to lose 1000 pounds. The rule of thumb is very simple, follow the tips above and you'll be just fine.

Happy Thanksgiving To You... This piece is from George Winston

Get Your Common Sense On Track

Common sense is not so common sense. What do I mean by that? Many of you know the answer, but repetition is the mother of learning. I've been traveling quite a bit lately and I can tell you I see people walking around who don't use the power of common sense.

Around this time, it's when many people start "getting sick", at least that's the name it was given. I don't call it sickness though, I call it symptomatic stress. If you're not laying in bed, you are not sick. What the heck is "sick" anyway? It's just a word to deprive your non-conscious mind and create disturbance in your conscious world, therefore affecting your hormones, and homeostasis (your hormonal function, and body balance)

If you start coughing, you're not sick. If you start to sneeze you're not sick. If your core temperature rises a little higher, you're not sick. Heck..! you may think you are, I know I'm not. I guess that's the reason why I've never been sick since I was 13 years old. I'm not boasting here, but there are certain principles and law that the body demands and must be followed, if you fail to do so, you'll put it in jeopardy.

The body has its own way..... physiological processes, neurological processes, and much more in action every single day of destroying foreign invaders such as bacteria, microbes, and viruses to take a hike. That being said, you need to know the proper way and what steps to take to prevent these little monsters entering your bodily systems. And I'll say it here again, it's just adding a little common sense to the equation, especially during this time of year. Here are a few for you to refresh your memory. And if you don't know some of them, start applying them.

1. Drink more water, and I mean upgrade your water intake, especially in the morning. The water needs to be at room temperature in the morning so it can help rid of toxic easier.

2. Increase your Vitamin C. Get your hands on grapefruits and oranges (the fruits please..not the juice), and make sure you eat one every single day. If you want to know more about these fruits, and what they do, just go to www.bodybuzzfitness.com and check out Buzz Articles.

3. Use a natural hand sanitizer and carry it with you. Use it when you live the train, the supermarket, or if you're going to eat while you're out and don't have time to watch your hands. You can also carry a lime (cut in little pieces) with you in a small ziplock bag to watch your hands with, add some into your water or tea.

4. Wash your hands often, and keep the water running on them a little longer. Use some form of soap that has aromatic property in it, like orange oil, or lavender oil, to keep your hand moist and keep more bacteria off.

5. Drink more tea, not coffee. Herbal tea is what will help your kidney, liver, heart, and skin during this season more, not coffee. So try your best to drink more tea, once it becomes a habit you won't have to worry.

To get more tips in your inbox, www.bodybuzzfitness.com have weekly tips that are posted on the main site for FREE... so read them and use them for you healthy advantage.

Ibsen Alexandre
Nutrifitwellness
www.luvself.com

Marathon Adventure - Get Super Tips

Joe’s 2008 ING NYC Marathon Adventure

On Sunday, November 2^nd, Laura and I completed the 2008 ING NYC Marathon in 4 hours and 35 minutes. I know that the time is nothing to brag about, but the experience is nothing short of amazing! We started the day by waking up at 4:30am to catch our 6am ferry to Staten Island, where the race would begin. Once at the start, the racers were divided into 3 groups (orange, blue, and green), each of which had different start areas that merge together a few miles into the race. While waiting for the starting gun we were forced to stand and wait in the frigid November weather with nothing more than the clothes on our backs and the warm coffee provided by the sponsors.

Once the gun finally sounded, racers started to strip off their heavy sweaters and sweat pants to reveal their lightweight racing gear. (The stripped clothes that were discarded to the edges of the raceway were later picked up and donated by the race volunteers.) In order to stay warm as long as possible, we waited until just before the starting mats to discard/donate our layers. As we started across the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge (from Staten Island to Brooklyn) the incredible energy from the runners, and speakers blasting Bruce Springsteen’s Thunder Road, made us forget about our numb hands and feet, and focus on the adventure we had set out to complete.

The run through Brooklyn and Queens (miles 2-15) was filled with band after band playing upbeat tunes, including one band that played the Rocky theme song, over and over. The people watching the race were unbelievably cheerful (throughout every borough), and treated every runner like they were completing something historic. They gave high fives, bananas, water, sports drinks, candy, and inspirational yells.

Once we hit mile 15 and the 59th street bridge, (which led us over the East River into Manhattan), the sounds of the crowd faded and were overtaken by the sound of muffled footsteps. At the middle of the bridge we stopped for some stretching and a quick leg drain (which requires you to lie on your back with your legs stretching towards the sky). It’s called a leg drain because gravity transports (drains) the stale blood in your legs back to the heart, to be re-circulated and filtered. After our quick break we were ready for the remaining 10 miles. Back on our feet and nearing the end of the bridge, the soothing sound of footsteps changed into the intense applauding of the 1st Avenue crowd.

The 4-mile stretch from 1st and 59th street, all the way to the Bronx, is considered one of the best places to view the race, and is also the time when a runner’s body starts to disagree with his/her plans to finish the race. Luckily we were greeted by friends and family holding signs and snapping pictures, which made it easy to ignore our joints and muscles for the time being. All that changed when we hit mile 20, and the Bronx.

The Bronx was the quietest part of the whole race, and every runner could feel the drop in energy; but fortunately it’s short lived (only 1-mile). When we returned to Manhattan the crowd blasted the song YMCA, and all of the runners were singing and participating in the hand gestures. (It feels like one last hurrah before the lower body decides that it’s had enough, and starts to fill with immovable lead.) For most runners, that is the point when the mind starts to take over and run the race, but if the mind is weak, they will end up walking. I know this because it was not easy (or fun) having my legs filled with lead, while having to dodge hundreds of people who had lost the battle with their minds, and decided to walk.

From the point that we hit the top of central park (110th) to about 59th St, our run was mostly a blur. As a runner, your gaze moves from the cheering crowd to what is immediately in front of you, and your mind changes from happy go lucky to “Game Time”. Once we saw the 25th mile marker and hit the roaring crowd of 59th St, we knew the end was near, and started to feel the adrenaline flowing. It’s an unreal rush! The pain started to fade, and it felt like there was a strong wind at our backs. Before we knew it, we could see the finish line, and were sprinting past everyone as if we’d just started the race!

Everything felt great, and then we stopped; 4.5 hours of constant running followed by a prompt stop, and no space to move. There were runners with legs cramping and stomachs upset. We were corralled (along with thousands of other runners) into a half hour baggage/goodie line. Due to the build up of lactic acid, our legs felt like there was surging electricity pulsing with every second that we weren’t walking. In an effort to relieve the pain we would walk in place and massage our muscles, but all our bodies really needed was time to recover.

After finally getting our baggage, and flashy silver heat capes (to keep us warm), we met friends and family on Central Park West for some hugs and pictures. Most people say that right after the marathon you tell yourself that you’ll never do that again, but I couldn’t stop thinking that if I was able to run 26.2 miles, what else was I capable of?

I guess time will tell…

Joe Bauer

www.BauerConditioning.com

Lower Your Cholesterol The Right Way

I was reading an article the other day, "NY Digest" if I remember correctly. I stumbled upon this article about a drug for cholesterol name "statin". It's interesting to me how this article promoted the drug in such a manner that it will help people decrease their cholesterol and it is also good to take even if your cholesterol is normal, as some form of prevention.

Seriously...it's article like that promoting a quick fix rather than healthy habits that keep me up for more research and bring great healthy update to you. Below you can read a few steps to take to lower your cholesterol.

Stop smoking

If you smoke then you should try to quit, when you inhale the smoke from cigarettes and other tobacco products, your blood vessels become restricted and you will have a faster heartbeat. If your heart beats faster than this causes a temporary rise in your blood pressure, by quitting smoking you not only help to lower your blood pressure but you also reduce the risk of heart disease and heart attack.

Lose weight

Losing weight and getting enough exercise can help towards keeping your blood pressure down. If you are carrying too much weight around, your heart will have to work harder and faster and this can cause your blood pressure to rise which increases your chances of developing heart disease and stroke.

Limit your alcohol intake

Limiting the amount of alcohol you drink is also important, in some people alcohol raises their blood pressure by a lot, while others it doesn't seem to affect as much. You should drink no more than 1 glass of wine per day or one can of beer and if your blood pressure does rise through drinking, then you should quit drinking altogether.

Avoid excessive sodium

Some people can be affected by sodium and it causes their blood pressure to rise. If you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure then it is important to reduce the amount of sodium in your diet. You shouldn't add extra salt to your food and always check food labels for the amount of sodium foods contain.

Lower stress levels

If you live a very stressful life and easily become stressed then this can cause your blood pressure to rise, it is important to learn ways of dealing with stress and not let it build up. There are many self-help techniques that you can learn to help you combat stress, such as meditation, deep breathing exercises, yoga and

visualization.

Exercise and Exercise:
I can't stress it enough with people I encounter and who keeps on asking me questions about exercise related to blood pressure. Exercise will help with excretion of toxic in your body and your blood, it will help monitor your sodium intake, will help fight bad fats that may be imposing their powers inside your arteries. Just get off the couch and get involve in some form of physical activity.

Ibsen Alexandre
Nutrifitwellness
www.luvself.com

Four Quick Fitness And Health Tips You Should Know

Winter is approaching, right..! And many people are already getting sick. Ummm..! I wonder what exactly is going on with what we eat, the air we breathe and all those over counter drugs medicine that people take during the winter time. If you haven't ask yourself these questions in the past, today you should? Here they are:

Why am I always getting cold? Why do I always get the flu in the winter and some others don't? Why am I always tired? You can send me your answers via email if you want to. Even if you didn't I'll be writing soon about these questions. In the mean time, here's what I have for you today.

Four quick fitness and health tips you should know

1. Don’t let winter fool you... use common sense more. The old age, drink more water and increase your vitamin C (eat the orange instead of drinking the OJ). Your face could still use some for of aromatic oil or Shea butter for outdoor activities out in the sun, like skiing and sledding. That will come in handy very soon.

2. I know orange and coconut is very good for you, but still, you over eating them may not be such a great idea. Slow down the aging process by avoiding too much unnatural orange and coconut oil fragrances. These fragrances have psoralen in them, which reportedly speeds up the aging process.

3. Let me say this again one more time. Herbal teas are better for you than coffee, as caffeine in coffee can dehydrate you. And green tea is particularly a good choice of beverage. It helps with digestion, metabolize fat and is in part a natural diuretic, safe and mild.

4. Whole wheat bread is healthier for you than white bread. Whole wheat offers you more fiber, helping reduce the risk of cancer, diabetes, stroke, heart disease and other illnesses. So get rid of the white bread and get your hands on whole ground wheat or sprouted, of course if you are allergic to wheat you should stay away from it.

I'd love to hear your comments.

Ibsen Alexandre

www.luvself.com

nutrifitwellness

Quick Tips To Boost Your Metabolism

Since were are approaching major holidays, and most of us are going to be consuming a lot of food, and unfortunately a lot of it [i mean A Lot Of It really..] will be store as extra fat for a few. Therefore I think it's advisable to start boosting your metabolism. Well, you should have started that journey a long time ago, if you didn't, today I'll talk to you more about boosting your metabolism. Here you go....

Did you know that there are a lot of people who would give a lot to increase their metabolism? Of course you do. Despite that, these same people refuse to follow simple steps to boost their metabolism. So..having a high level of metabolism enables one to maintain burn fat and lose weight fast with the least amount of activity. Metabolism is the rate by which the body produces and consumes energy and calories to support life.

There are several factors that affect the metabolism of a person, such as the amount of muscle tissue, the frequency of the meals one consumes, genetics, stress levels, personal diet and activity levels. Metabolism slows down due to the following: loss of muscle because of not enough physical activity, the tendency of the body to cannibalize its own tissue because there is not enough food energy to sustain it, and the decrease of physical activity that comes naturally with old age.

Here are several ways to fire up your metabolism and turn in into a burning machine:

1. Build up on lean, mean body mass. It is only natural that metabolism decreases along with age, but it is possible to counter the effects. The amount of muscle a person has is a very strong determinant in the ability to burn calories and shed fat. So it goes without saying that exercise is essential. Build strength and resistance by working out at least twice a week, preferably with weights. Do easy exercises in between workouts. Simple tasks such as walking the dog and using the stairs in place of the elevator can already take off calories. The key is to match the amount of eating to the amount of activity one has. Here are some guidelines in getting the right exercise:

For strength training

-Increase the amount of repetitions of a particular exercise.

-Add the level of resistance

-Utilize advance exercise techniques if possible

For cardiovascular training

-Insert intervals between exercises

-Perform cross-training and combine the exercises

-Add up on resistance and speed

2. Eat breakfast. A lot of people are ignoring the fact that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Surprisingly, the ones who eat breakfast are thinner than the ones who do not. Metabolism can slow down considerably if breakfast is taken during mid-morning or if one waits until the afternoon to eat.

3. Avoid sugar. Sugar enables the body to store fat. It is recommended that a person consumes food that helps sustain an even level of blood-sugar. Additionally, progressive execerise 2-3 times a week should be in order to stabilize blood sugar.

4. Eat spicy foods. Hot cuisine with peppers can increase metabolism.

5. Sleep more. According to research, it is riskier for people who do not get enough sleep to gain weight. Also, muscles are regenerated during the last couple of hours of slumber.

6. Increase water intake. Water flushes out toxins that are produced whenever the body burns fat. Majority of bodily functions involves water, and lack of water causes the body system's operations to decrease its speed, and produces unneeded stress as a result.

7. Eat smaller meals. It is advisable to consume 4 to 6 small meals that are timed 2 to 3 hours apart.

8. Never skip meals. People tend to skip meals in order to lose weight, which is a big mistake since it slows down metabolism.

9. Plan meals in detail. Always prepare the right amount of food to be consumed at the designated intervals. Do not commit the mistake of eating meals in sporadic patterns.

9. Ditch the stress! Stress, be it physical or emotional, triggers the release of a steroid called cortisol, which decreases metabolism. Also, people tend to eat excessively when stressed.

10. Guzzle up on green tea. It can be used as a substitute for coffee. Tea has the ability to stimulate metabolism, and unlike coffee, it has no undesirable side effects when too much is consumed.

11. Include more energy foods in the diet, such as fruits and vegetables, beans and whole grains.

Achieving the desired body weight is never impossible if one has the determination and patience needed to stabilize the metabolism level, which plays an important role in weight loss. A person needs to realize that eating right and working out is not just a passing fancy, but a way of life.

Ibsen Alexandre

Nutristore

www.bodybuzzfitness.com

www.luvself.com

Make A Change And You Will Change

After an exhausting campaign for both senator for the race to the White House. There are two important short message I took away from this presidential campaign and they are: "Yes We Can" and "Change". What does that have to do with you, your fitness level and your health. Everything really.

If your thought process was "you can't lose 50 pound" well it's time to make a change and have much more definite plan of action to accomplish that. If your thought process was " I can't ever seem to gain muscle mass, get lean, stay in great shape". Well, look around you, around your kitchen, the people you surround yourself with. Are you getting some support to help you with this special goal of yours?

Are you telling the ones close to you that you will change your body and your health, and no matter how hard the obstacles get, you will continue and won't give up. You know, it's very interesting how some of us get so close, and I really mean it, very close to get what we want in life, then we give up.

If you believe and have the faith that you can change your bad health habits, and yes, I don't need to tell you what they are. I am sure you do. If you believe and have faith and want the best body you ever dreamed of, you will get it. However, you must be willing to sacrifice a little, you must change, and you must have conviction that you will do it and nothing won't stop you.

Ibsen Alexandre
www.luvself.com

Voting Can Also Affect Your Health and Body

Did you know that voting can actually affect your health and body? I truly thing it's a time to reflect and think about what you want and what you deserve especially in the health department. If you are registered to vote, remember to go and vote.

It's a civil duty that will help you in the long run. Yes, this blog is about health and fitness, but you know what...voting and politics is actually a small segment that can affect your health as well.

I believe it is very wise to make decisions base on what you want, your life, your loves one, and about "your health". So chose wisely in this election to whom ever you cast your vote for.

In the next couple of days, I'll be posting some great tips as we are approaching the biggest holidays of the year.

Ibsen Alexandre
www.luvself.com