Workout Smarts

Do you want to cut out wasted time on getting fit? Then learn 8 moves to keep you fit. For women there are workouts for specific body types. For men there are training guides.


Most of us can use all the tips on fitness that we can get.


There are no more excuses to working out no matter where we find ourselves. The trick is to take the 'short-cuts' and 'lazy' out of it. Working out at work, for instance, just got easier.


No matter what our age, strength training is an essential regiment to our wellbeing. Learn about the benefits and  equipment in a strength training user guide.


When it comes to working out, safety should be a given. The proper execution of beneficial exercises and knowing the exercises that do more harm or are useless will help you reap the rewards. I've had to eliminate exercises, and also change my execution because I was doing it wrong. Here are exercises that can do more harm than good.

Superfoods Part 10

No you haven't missed Superfoods 1-9, the 10 is just a parody to say that the topic is vast and ever growing. We are still discovering Superfoods in diverse regions of the world, so this topic is ever ongoing. Lets just say that this is a Superfood primer or introduction.




The thing that Superfoods do among other things is build our immunity, fight diseases, fight cancer, help maintain weight, and the list goes on. So much is written about Superfoods. Some have their favorites, and some target weight loss.  On this list I learned a few new ones. We are so bombarded by Superfoods that some have doubts about the claims. Well I know that they have improved my overall well being, so I have no doubt that the benefits outweigh the doubts. I failed to see the title "Doctor" in the author of the article, so that pretty much debunks his claims.


The main benefit in most Superfoods can be determined by its bright color. The color is what tells the Superfood's Superpowers!

Health Journal 8

We all know how important oral hygiene is in a healthy lifestyle. Dental hygiene is a healthy practice that can prevent major problems including heart disease. You might want to avoid the mouthwash regiment because it can actually raise your blood pressure. A study that found that mouthwashes were beneficial included the ingredient chlorhexidine, which is not available in OTC mouthwashes in the USA.




Winter isn't over yet, and you can build a strong immune system through your nutrition. Yes, the magic powers of foods is coming to life. What can't foods prevent?


Since February is Women's Heart Health Month, maybe we should eat for a healthy heart.


Foods can even help one manage their diabetes.


When does good healthy nutrition go bad? Well we don't really talk about it, but gas comes to mind. Now you can know the food culprits and how to rectify the problem.


I am not a cereal consumer and don't really recommend or endorse them. If you are trying to lose weight and crave the traditional morning cereal, get the best ones!


Foods communicate with us through their colors. They signal their health benefits to our overall well-being. And their colors communicate their benefits to us. It might be to your advantage to learn the health benefits of the rainbow!

Body Benefits From Foods

There really are various benefits that foods deliver to the body. Specific foods can really help your body with various issues. Eating healthy is a resolution not too hard to keep. Foods benefit the body in so many ways.


The benefits of eating the right foods will help fight disease and cancer and even boost one's immunity.

Alcoholic Benefits

I feel that I should start by saying that every time we talk about the benefits of alcohol, we need to point out that moderation is the key. If you were to consider alcohol a medicine, you can understand why too much can be harmful. If the benefit is one or two drinks a day, four won't be beneficial to us. Skipping a day or two does not mean you can drink more to make up for lost time. Much like taking medications, this can be dangerous.

Alcohol is good for so many aspects of your health. Cancer, colds, and other illnesses you would never have thought of can be prevented with alcohol. Alcohol also has the benefit of improving your sex life.

Again, alcohol is like a prescribed medicine. Too much can kill the benefit and may also lead to an overdose.

Fitness and Motivation

When it comes to exercising, I can't say enough. It is a requirement if one is pursuing a healthy lifestyle. Moving helps us maintain our weight and benefits our overall health, particularly the heart. Exercise has other surprising benefits.

Starting an exercise regiment can be a challenge for those unprepared. When you're starting out, begin by finding the right exercise program for you. Don't be embarrassed to ask for help or use a personal trainer. They're free with most gym memberships. You should always remember to warm up before you start exercising.

Keep a journal and keep track of your fitness exercises and routines. This will give you an idea of what works. Make sure you consult your doctor before beginning any exercise routine. Start slow and don't just jump in, otherwise you might get discouraged.

Exercises don't have to be hard and some are so easy, a couch potato can do them. There are even ways to exercise at work. If you are lacking in motivation, maybe you should consider buddying up!

Interval exercise, where you alternate bursts of intensive effort with more relaxed ones, can benefit your weight, heart and lungs.

Our overall health relies on exercise as being part of the formula. There is no magic formula to avoid this aspect. We should strive to engage in some form of activity each and everyday.

Yoga and Health

When yoga comes to mind, I think about balance. A balance of the body, a balance of the mind, a balance of emotions, and you get my point!

Yoga balances the emotions by helping you find serenity. Yoga benefits the body by increasing flexibility, strength and posture,  to name a few. Here's a place to get started on a yoga endeavor. You can also check this site for further information for both the beginner and advance.

Aside from a healthy balanced diet, yoga can cover the rest of the overall healthy lifestyle. It is a great resource that if mastered, will be highly beneficial in so many aspects of life!

Coffee Bi-Polar Dilemma

Besides what we hear about wine that is healthy, not healthy, healthy, not healthy, etc., for you, coffee has to be the King of the on again/off again health issues. Coffee has been linked to possibly fighting Alzheimer's, You can Google all the benefits of coffee, but still you do have the negatives about coffee.

The key to the benefits of coffee is moderation. The limit is 2 cups a day, but more than four, may present a problem. Too much coffee might make you blind. That study declares more than three might cause this problem.

Many of us would say that we do keep it at 2 or 3 cups a day. If these cups come from a coffee specialty store, you can double the servings(and the calories!). Your beverages and food might contain caffeine, which may give you a false sense of the bigger picture.

Medications, both prescription and over-the-counter, may contain caffeine, especially weight loss and appetite suppressant. When it comes to anything healthy, moderation is the key.

Mediterranean Health

It seems that nowadays the Holy Grail of lifestyles is the Mediterranean Diet. A secret I encountered when I lived in Southern Europe is that each season produces its own fruit. What this means is that you live off the land because the land will always bare some kind of fruit(fruit meaning food in general). Since I am a firm believer that eating local foods is a foundation to overall health, it will be discussed elsewhere.

Sometimes the foods have to do with one's heritage, as a health benefit to a person's nutritional benefits. The Mediterranean nutrition is something that will benefit everyone in some way. Here is a shopping list for the Mediterranean Diet. Here are some recipes. Personally I would cut back on dairy and limit it to yogurt and cheese only. Take note of the Pyramid because you will find many differences from the Pyramid or My Plate we use in the United States.

The benefits of this diet, if done right, are very beneficial. The other aspects to this lifestyle is that the meals are shared and eaten in a social setting. You also get plenty of exercise through physical activities. These are the true combinations of what makes this diet as healthy as it is. You can't expect to eat Mediterranean-style foods and live a sedentary lifestyle and hope for optimal health. It just won't work. More info here.

You can't get too much information on the Mediterranean Diet, and only you can determine what to eat. Just to add my comments on the last link, salt should be substituted with other spices, but in Europe there are many dishes that are heavily salted. To the list of fish, I would like to add the barramundi. Extra Virgin Olive Oil should be used in salads, while regular olive oil should be used for cooking. Take note, REAL olive oil comes from only ONE country. If it comes from more than one country such as Italy, Greece and Spain, for example, it is a mixture of oils that take away from real olive oil benefits.

I still say to limit your dairy and only consume yogurt and cheese. I consume 4 oz. of yogurt each morning and cheese on occasion. I avoid milk as much as I can. I don't agree with only one glass of wine because in Europe they consume 2 glasses of wine. One with their lunch and one with their supper.

Again, keep in mind that the diet involves not only nutrition, but eating meals with families and friends, and physical activity and exercise.