Health

The last seven years, or so, at the Tour de France has shown a success story that is very uncommon. Winning seven Tour de France championships is a feat that will be extremely hard to duplicate. Lance Armstrong knew it could be done, even overcoming a life threatening bout with cancer.

While admiring the great courage of one man, we can learn from his experience. Many of us struggle to maintain our weight and keep our diets in top form. We cheat with snacks, fast food, and overindulgence. And it shows in the mirror.

Cycling is just one form of exercise that we have to choose from. The benefits are enormous:

• Anyone can cycle. Regardless of ability, we could all take a stroll around the neighborhood.
• Bikes for everyone. A bike can be purchased by even those without legs. There are no limits to what bike manufacturers have developed. You may have seen some of the new styles.
• Family activity. Kids love to bike, and they love to bike in packs. Join the pack.
• Cycling is transportation. It is possible to live without a car. Bike to the market, school, and work. It’s not as far as you think.

Aromatherapy is a well known holistic method for healing, but when boosted by the quickly penetrating carrier hemp seed oil, the healing potential is magnified exponentially. No other carrier oil can take the beneficial medicinal qualities of aromatic essential oils as quickly through the epidermis as hemp seed oil, so if your lotions and salves are missing it, you’re not doing your body justice, but it’s not too late?.

Many of you are familiar with local retailer Hemp Essentials at 624 Lincoln Avenue. But Hemp Essentials’ holistic bath and body line is also available elsewhere in town, and it’s a good thing- because this unbeatable skin line has just gone nationwide, and the retail store has just closed. Owner and formulator Heather Howell-Durand has moved her bustling factory to her home and will be opening a larger factory in Steamboat’s west end later this summer.

Those who have tried Hemp Essentials’ lotions, healing serums, or soaps for your dry skin or other malady, know that there’s something different about these formulas. Instead of waiting for weeks for something to work on your ailment, whether it’s physical or emotional, you feel better in days. And it isn’t because there’s something super-powered in the lavender essential oil, it’s because the essential oils are being taken through your epidermis on the wings of a super oil.

The only way you will ever follow through on an exercise program is to be sold out. The military calls them "lifers." These are people who are committed to something for the long haul. Are you a lifer? Could you be a lifer?

A lifer has a sold out mindset. He or she realizes that there will be potholes to go through; there may even be a sinkhole up ahead, but they get through it or they go around the situation. It may take support from others, but it gets done. You may not be a lifer today, but you could be if you don’t make changes now!

DECISION MAKING

I was named Mr. Michigan in the statewide bodybuilding contest in 1988. When I competed in bodybuilding contests, it took me a good month to decide if I really wanted to go for that particular goal. The decision process was well thought out. I realized the days ahead would bring doubt, frustration, pain, and at times, humility.

There is a huge market when it comes to vitamins. Every Walmart and Walgreens across the nation are stocked with shelves and shelves of vitamins and minerals. Do you actually know what vitamins are and how they can help you? The word vitamin is from combining ?vital amine by a Polish chemist Casimir Funk in 1912. Vitamin B1 was first isolated by Funk. He determined that B1 is one of the vitamins that prevented beriberi. Not much beriberi going around these days thanks to Funk. Vitamins are organic and function as catalysts for reactions. If these catalysts or vitamins are missing such as in a vitamin deficiency, the body can begin breaking down and you can become sick.

Do you know this year Florida will go through a surge in baby births? Think about it! More time spent inside last year. That’s what it boils down to with more babies this year. Fear motivation makes people bond in order to weather the storm. Sometimes, Mother Nature in her on little way brings people together.

Can hurricanes affect your weight loss goals? You bet it can! The obvious answer is, you are inside more, so the temptation to over eat is greater. The other way hurricanes affect losing weight is from an emotional level.

Storms can make us feel out of control, overwhelmed, and darn right scared. In search of security and control we turn to food for stability, comfort, and trust. Only to realize later on that all is well which ends well. Can we overcome such temptations is the much larger question? Sure we can. It will take some pre-planning, decision making and transfer of emotions.

Pre-planning:

In health circles there has been much recent talk about acid / alkaline imbalance. Let’s see if we can clarify how experts recommend we correct this imbalance.

The problem

Your body functions best when neither too acid nor too alkaline. Unfortunately almost all of us have become acidic due to diet, drinks and stress — both psychological and from pollution. Acids can build up in the body’s system causing the body’s pH to be out of balance.

The effects

According to Dr. Stefan Kuprowsky, "Acid wastes build up in the body in the form of cholesterol, gallstones, kidney stones, arterial plaque, urates, phosphates and sulfates. These acidic waste products are the direct cause of premature aging and the onset of chronic disease."

When this occurs, the body will restore its optimal pH by depleting certain minerals, such as potassium, calcium and magnesium, from organs and bones. In addition, your immune system may become fatigued from dealing with an excess of acid. Your body then stores acidic wastes in ‘hiding places’ such as muscles etc. rather than releasing the acids into the bloodstream. As Dr. Robert Atkins, the noted author, health and diet expert, notes: "Just about every condition I can think of, from arthritis to diabetes to cancer, is associated with acidity."

The human body is recognized as a series of colors, detectable only in the last fifty years with the technology of Kirlian Photography. The colors relate to the body’s subtle energy fields, known as auras and chakras. Although these fields have only been visible in recent years, healing techniques that enhance these energetic colors have been used since Egyptian times. By manipulating these energetic fields with various treatments of what is now known as "color therapy," the body can begin to regulate its energy accordingly. One of the newest color therapy methods is called Aura Soma. Steamboat is lucky enough to have an Aura Soma practitioner, Lena Steed, who uses this color therapy in her business, Advanced Massage.

Aura Soma was developed by British pharmacist and herbalist, Vicki Wall in the early 1980’s. The practice involves 100 bottles of mixed herbs, crystal essences, and essential oils. These bottles contain two colors split in half with an oil and water diversion, are used for emotional and physical healing, and can be used in conjunction with many other techniques.

Fat Loss Tip #4) Eat More Protein

Yes, it’s important to keep your protein intake high when dieting to make sure that you don’t burn off any muscle tissue in your quest to get ripped. But that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about taking in protein in order to boost your metabolism and burn more fat, in addition to helping preserve and build your lean muscle tissue.

In a study published in the American Journal of Physiology, one group was fed a high protein diet (just over one gram per pound of bodyweight per day) while the second group consumed a protein diet near equal to that of the RDA.

The group eating the high protein diet burned more fat than the group consuming protein near equal to the RDA.

One reason for this could be an increased thermic effect. The thermic effect of the RDA group was elevated 16% after eating.

However, in the high protein group the thermic effect increased 42% after eating, almost 3 times that of the RDA group.

Traditional strength training consists of performing one to three (or more) sets of exercises on a specific, isolated muscle group. One rep, or repetition, equals one complete movement of the exercise from start to finish. For example, for a bicep curl you might begin with your arm extended down by your side holding the weight, say a dumbbell, curl the weight upward to your shoulder by bending your elbow, and then lower the weight back to the starting position. That’s one rep. Do that 8-12 times and you’ve completed one set of bicep curls. Rest for 30 to 60 seconds to allow your muscle to recuperate and you’re ready for the next set.

Successive sets should be progressive, meaning that each one should be performed using "progressive" or increased resistance. In the case of the aforementioned bicep curl, you might do the first set using a 10-lb weight, rest for 30 seconds, then increase the resistance to 12 lbs for the second set, rest for 30 seconds, then finish up with a third set, again increasing the resistance by using a 15-lb weight. Congratulations! You’ve just worked out your biceps in the same way bodybuilders train their biceps in the gym.