Shape Up America

Obvious Reasons Why You Should Get Enough Sleep!

By admin | September 23, 2008

Here are some one-liners why we need to get enough sleep. Common sense reasons that no one pays attention to.

Obvious Reasons Why You Should Get Enough Sleep

Burn calories while doing nothing. While asleep, your body burns calories.
A lack of sleep can affect your ability to lose weight, instead you gain weight.
Recharge your brain and regenerate brain cells.
Get to your job on time!
Make your meetings on time!
Get to your school on time!
You’re more alert and better focused
No need for coffee
Get more things done faster, smoother and smarter
Easier to have a nice day
No more dark and puffy circles under eyes
Lower your blood pressure
See things with a fresh eye, clear head and happy eyeballs
Better mood, feel happy just because you’re well rested
Look freshened up and even smarter
Won’t feel drained, tired and wasted
Contribute more at work, class or any other environment
Won’t get the urge to catch ZZzzzs during meetings or after lunch
More alert and likely to try newer things
Improve memory and retain more information
Better and upbeat mood
Easier to think clearly
Increase your creativity
No need for daytime nap
Do assignments on time and better
No oversleeping and missing appointments, tests etc.
Have fun during exercise
More alert while driving
People will stop saying you look tired and F****d up
Less likely to get sick
Nicer to family, co-workers, team mates and people in general
Body heals quicker if you get hurt
Feel good and feel healthier
Ready to learn more
Comprehend things better
Pay attention better
Better grades, better job performance
Fewer dumb mistakes
Remember people’s names and events easier
No sleeping on the wheel
Less road rage
Minimize stress
Actually enjoy the weekend by not sleeping it away
Have time to eat breakfast
Build more patience
React quicker
Make better decisions
Your muscles get to rest
Easier to get up in the morning
No need for junk food for extra energy
Enjoy more hours during the day
This list is almost infinite! There are just too many reasons to keep on adding!

Topics: Productivity, Sleep | No Comments »

Eating healthy fast food

By admin | September 17, 2008

Is there such a thing as healthy fast food? What is fast food anyway? It’s basically food that get’s prepared fast. You can choose to make it healthy or not so unhealthy. One obstacle to healthy eating at fast food restaurants is the lack of knowledge of the nutritional content of your favorite items.

In the article posted on helpguide.org, here is a list of top tips for healthy eating at fast food restaurants:

Make careful menu selections - pay attention to the descriptions on the menu.
Look before you leap - check out the chain’s website.
Don’t be afraid to special order.
Watch portion size - share or bring a portion home.
Watch your salt.
Avoid buffets – even seemingly healthy ones like salad bars.
Remember soda is a huge source of hidden calories.
Eat mindfully.

For a complete list and the entire article click here.

Topics: Nutrition | 2 Comments »

Starting Monday…

By admin | August 1, 2008

“Starting Monday…” I will start exercising and eating healthy. For now, let me just enjoy this food so leave me alone.

Here comes “Monday”. I don’t know…I’m not feeling it..I think as long as I exercise regularly, I can eat whatever I want. I think I’ll just eat normally but go to gym regularly so everything balance out.

Here comes “Monday evening”…Damn I’m so tired, I can’t make it to the gym tonight, I will start going Tuesday morning.

“Tuesday morning”….Damn I wish i had slept early so I could have woken up early for gym. I shouldn’t have stayed late watching that “Terminator” movie for the 10th time…KFC was great but now I regret eating that too. I’ll definitely go to gym this evening.

“Tuesday evening”….Damn I have to work late tonight, can’t make it..I have to order in too…Mario’s sound good.

Life goes on…weeks pass, months pass and a year pass with everyday spent the same pathetic way of denial and regret.

Are you on the same boat? What really motivates a person to make a change in life? I’ve been struggling with this for so long.

Perhaps taking it easy and not thinking about being so fat maybe a good start.

Topics: FatGuy | No Comments »

Is There a Laziness Gene?

By admin | July 30, 2008

Just found a great article at time.com about laziness and where it originates from. I’ve been looking for a cure to laziness for awhile but never got around finding that perfect solution to rid it out of my system. Anyway, this new article at least explains that it’s not entirely my own fault that I’m so damn lazy.

Have you ever wondered why you can’t get off the couch and exercise — despite paying for an expensive gym membership, despite your New Year’s resolutions, even despite the doctor’s scolding at your last check-up? Turns out that your inertia may be coded right into your genes.

Read the entire article here.

Topics: FatGuy, Productivity | No Comments »

Moderate Exercise Useless For The Obese

By admin | July 29, 2008

Just saw a nice article posted on Time.com. Obvioulsy over weight people have to work harder to lose and keep weight down but now a study is out on this topic. Obesity experts agree that daily exercise is essential for good health, but whether it can successfully lead to long-term weight loss is a question of much debate.

What has become increasingly clear, however, is that the conventionally accepted advice — 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity most days of the week — is probably insufficient to spur any real change in a person’s body weight. A study published July 28 in the Archives of Internal Medicine adds to the burgeoning scientific consensus: when it comes to exercise for weight loss, more is better. It suggests that obese people would have to exercise at least an hour at a time to see any significant difference in their weight.

Read the full article here.

Topics: Fitness | No Comments »

California bans restaurants from using trans fats

By admin | July 26, 2008

California is joining the health crusade against artery-clogging trans fats. Violations could result in fines of $25 to $1,000. Food sold in their manufacturers’ sealed packaging would be exempt.

Read the entire article here.

Topics: Nutrition | 2 Comments »

The Underrated Banana

By admin | July 25, 2008

Banana. Containing three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose- combined with fiber, a banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world’s leading athletes.

But energy isn’t the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it the perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit’s ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex, UK) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch …to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and …make you feel happier.

Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief. Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, rub the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight: Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps [potato chips]. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a “cooling” fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer, tryptophan.

Smoking: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body’s water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be re-balanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes: According to research in “The New England Journal of Medicine,” eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster [Brit-speak for band-aid] or surgical tape!

So, you see, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around.

Maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, “A banana a day keeps the doctor away!”

Topics: Nutrition, Productivity | No Comments »

Low-carb diet best for weight, cholesterol

By admin | July 17, 2008

The Atkins diet may have proved itself after all: A low-carb diet and a Mediterranean-style regimen helped people lose more weight than a traditional low-fat diet in one of the longest and largest studies to compare the dueling weight-loss techniques.

The study concluded - average weight loss for those in the low-carb group was 10.3 pounds after two years. Those in the Mediterranean diet lost 10 pounds, and those on the low-fat regimen dropped 6.5.

Read the full article.

Topics: General | No Comments »

So Many Reasons to Get Enough Sleep!

By admin | July 14, 2008

Many of us don’t seem to realize the benefit of a good night’s sleep including myself. If I’m lucky, I occasionally get up to 8 hours of sleep. It’s almost impossible at this day and age for many of us to sleep 8 hours straight, there are just too many frigging things going on.

http://www.geocities.com/happyfreakshow/ills.html

Sleeplessness

Many Americans average about 5-6 hours but it varies with the individual and their lifestyle. Some people require more sleep to function properly and others may not need as much to get through the day. Doctors say we should all get 8 hours of sleep but I’ve heard many doctors staying awake 30+ hours straight overlooking patients in the emergency room!

On average sleeping less than six hours a night can affect people’s reactions, coordination and judgment, posing serious risk to with regard to specific activities. It’s understandable that we live in a different day and age, a fast paced environment of running around in circles all day. Sadly, whether we like it or not, we need to change our lifestyle to accommodate sleep. Otherwise, we’ll slowly deteoriate into more of a retarded Americans than we are now.

The following is a large list of articles explaining the awesome benefits of sleep including tips and techniques you can implement to make it as efficient as possible.

Articles, Research, Tips and Techniques on Improving Your Sleep

Video Documentaries About Sleep

Note: All these links are for informational purposes only, I simply collected as many articles related to sleep for my own reference.

Topics: Sleep | 2 Comments »

Tips to self improvement

By admin | June 27, 2008

There are so many different situations that we face in our daily lives. These can be good things or bad things and if we mentally aren’t prepared or do not prepare ourselves, it can really affect us on long term basis. Here are some things you can do to improve your ability to better deal with situations.

Move on. It’s very important to realize that whatever occurred in the past cannot be changed. Whether you cry over it for days and reenact different scenarios in your mind with different ending. What’s happened has happened so it’s time to move on, regroup your thoughts and feelings and look forward to making the best of things.
Be Optimistic. There are two ways of looking at things: a negative and a positive way. If you embrace anything with a positive mindset, the end result may not be as bad as you thought. If you look at it from a negative outlook, you’ll probably suffer through out.
Be Hopeful. Always stay hopeful and on the upside of every situation you’re in. If you have your beliefs set to a positive outcome on things, you’ve already achieved success. Hope builds keeps a person sane, increases confidence and builds strength.
Think Loose. Don’t see things in black-and-white categories. If your performance falls short of perfect, don’t see yourself as a total failure. Some people like to pursue perfection in everything they do, that is too much pressure. Don’t pick out a single negative detail and dwell on it exclusively. It’ll only distance you away from reality.
Be Rational. Don’t assume that your negative emotions reflect the way things are. Be rational about things, don’t let your emotions cloud your thoughts and reasoning. Think before you say and do something.
Don’t label yourself. If something don’t work out, don’t label yourself as a loser and a moron. Pick yourself up, encourage and keep going. Don’t see yourself as a cause of some negative external event which you were not even responsible for.

Click on my previous article to see a large list of tips to improve thyself.

Topics: Productivity | No Comments »

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