Fitness Equipment

Can Hoodia Fit Really Help You Lose Weight?

By Mark Hall

Have you heard of the Bushmen of South Africa? Have you heard of their innovative discovery that has come in the limelight only in the recent past? If you have not, but heard of the words Hoodia you have every reason to read this article.

Hoodia is the name of a cactus plant that grows along the Kalahari Desert of South Africa. Although the benefits of weight loss accruable from the use of Hoodia have been discovered recently, it was long used by the Bushmen for a purpose similar to weight loss.

For thousands of years the Bushmen used Hoodia to suppress their appetite. Carrying food supplies on a hunting expedition can be inconveniencing. Therefore, to avoid this inconvenience the Bushmen would use Hoodia before a hunting spree so that they would not be plagued by pangs of hunger. Fortunately, Hoodia helped them suppress their hunger for at least 24 hours.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmoZd4LbbhQ[/youtube]

I know you are wondering how Hoodia, an African, plant can help you lose your weight. However, those people who have attempted to lose their weight through dieting do concur with me that hunger is the biggest stumbling block. Hoodia comes in handy at this point because it helps you keep hunger away and thus focus on your diet. Consumption of Hoodia does not lead to a direct weight loss, but it suppresses your appetite.

If you suppose that you can use Hoodia in place of a diet pill, you are wrong. It is just the starting step in your weight loss journey. For effective and efficient results Hoodia has to be accompanied with light diets and workouts. Therefore, with or without Hoodia you can never lose your weight without a change of your lifestyle. To lose weight successfully, you need to do the following things;

Keep away from junk foods. This can be achieved by ensuring that you throw away all the junks in your house. An easy access to junk foods will never help you keep away from them. Picture this! When are you most likely to eat a packet of chips? When it is about two miles away in a shop or when it is in your refrigerator? Stock the space that was occupied by junk foods with natural and healthy foods e.g. vegetables. It is natural foods that will help you lose weight quickly. Although you may not like the taste of these foods, you have to ensure that you purpose to lose weight.

A purpose will enable you to lose as much weight as possible. Never emulate celebrities but be yourself. Usually, many people diet because they have heard their preferred celebrities do diet. As a result, they find themselves dieting even when they are not overweight. Do not struggle with losing fat even when it is uncalled for.

Never equate happiness to a slim body. There is a perception that a slim body leads to a successful life, better jobs, better lovers and thus a happier life. This is erroneous thinking. If you stick to your plan you will without doubt hit your weight loss goals.

About the Author: Mark Hall Studies Ways To Help You

Lose 10 Pounds Fast

. Read His Free Report On The

Benefits Of The Lemon Diet

For More Information.

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Fitness Equipment

How To Install An Ultraviolet (Uv) Light Water Filter

By C. Reid Thornley B.Sc.

Many rural homeowners depend on a water well to provide their family with a safe and clean water source for drinking, food preparation, and for washing. Unfortunately many people discover that their once pristine well water has become contaminated with bacteria. This can happen when septic beds are placed too close to the well, or when surface water is allowed to enter the well cap.

At this point most homeowners look to modern technology to rid them of the bacterial contamination in their well. For many homeowners the top choice is an Ultraviolet (UV) water purification device. Installing a UV system is straightforward and only requires limited plumbing and technical expertise.

The first step to installing a UV system is determining where it should go. Ideally a model should be chosen that is capable of treating the water for the whole home. A model that will treat 10 gallons per minute will usually suffice. The ultraviolet system is plumbed on the main water line and should be the last piece of water purification equipment before the water is piped to the rest of the home. So, if a water softener or iron filter is present, the ultraviolet system should sit after the softener. It’s also important to note that a 5-micron sediment filter must be installed before all UV systems. The typical order of equipment for a home with a well is: well pump, pressure tank, water softener, 5-micron filter, UV system, tap.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXMkVF0HArk[/youtube]

From an installation standpoint, a UV system is really just a glorified piece of threaded pipe. Most home systems will have 3/4″ NPT nipples. It’s best to plumb the UV system with copper. UV light will quickly break down plastic to the point of failure so it’s not advisable to plumb the UV system with PVC or flexible plastic tubing. Many professional installers will use unions so that the UV system can be easily removed if servicing is required in the future. When attaching the unions or other fittings remember to use three or four passes of teflon tape to ensure a good seal. A putty crayon can also be used with equally successful results. Make sure the ultraviolet system is installed with enough clearance to allow the UV lamp to be inserted and removed. UV lamps need to be replaced yearly.

UV systems require standard 120V AC power. It’s always best to use a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) outlet when powering a device that is exposed to water. It’s also ideal to locate the power receptacle above the water lines. This way if any leaks occur, or when you change the UV lamp, water can’t run down the power cord into the receptacle. If you live in an area that experiences regular power interruptions it’s also a very good idea to plug the UV system into a surge suppressor. This may save you from having to replace the UV system’s expensive power supply.

The final step in the installation of a UV system is shocking all the household plumbing with bleach. By passing bleach through all the plumbing lines in the home the installer ensures that water that is treated by the UV system can’t be re-contaminated by bacteria growing in the plumbing lines. The easiest way to shock the lines is to open the 5-micron filter housing, remove the filter cartridge, and fill the filter sump with regular household bleach. Screw the sump back onto the filter housing and now go to each tap, toilet, faucet, and hose bib in the house and run it until you smell bleach. You may have to refill the filter sump with bleach several times. Once all of the lines are full of the bleach-water mixture it’s best to wait about two hours and then flush all lines with water until the bleach smell is gone. Remember to put the 5-micron filter cartridge back in the housing.

Remember, even though the UV lamp is not “burned out” after a year, it must still be replaced. UV lamps lose intensity over time and after a year a lamp does not have enough intensity to ensure that your water is being treated properly.

About the Author: C. Reid Thornley is a B.Sc. Biology and a former research associate for a world class water purification manufacturer. He has been a presenter for the US Water Quality Association and he now owns and operates

aQuatell – Ultraviolet (UV) Water Filters, Water Softeners, Reverse Osmosis Systems, Water Distillers, and Water Softners

.

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Fitness Equipment

Use Facial Exercise To Fix An Aging Face

By Cynthia Rowland

Desperate people do desperate things and surgery is one of those desperate things that aging Baby Boomers hope can “fix” their sagging faces.

This is exactly what the practitioners that dispense paralyzing and plumping injections along with surgeries of every kind hope you believe. Cha-Ching! Cha-Ching! Cha-Ching!

Recent reports disclose that many anti-aging modalities actually have the opposite affect; rather than slowing or stopping the aging process, some doctors now say that facial plastic surgery and injections may indeed speed up aging. Their reasoning is this: healthy skin that has been cut and sutured never really looks or acts healthy.

Faces that are injected and injected again and again may portray a freakish look that is not equated with youthfulness.

Once a face is either plumped up with fillers or paralyzed with Botulinum A that face may begin to appear distorted. It is difficult not to stare at a face that is distinctly different; the forehead does not move, the eyes have less expression and the overall facial prettiness has departed the scene.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqDqrG7DyjU[/youtube]

Many patients report dissatisfaction with the results they have via surgery and even injections. The dissatisfaction may be a result of a botched procedure but more likely the discontent is steeped in unrealistic expectations. “Too much, too little, too big, too little” are common plaints.

Once cosmetic procedures were reserved for ‘society dames’ and ‘actress types’ but now with generous financing possibilities, almost anyone who can afford monthly payments may now partake of these offerings. This instant affordability can be perilous to one’s health in many ways.

One very interesting side effect of surgery and injections is the seeming continuous desire for more. As one nearly 45 year old woman lamented, “My body, my body, my body – I still want to look like a pinup girl.” This woman regularly visits her plastic surgeon for plumping injections, Thermage, liposuction, paralyzing injections and has had various surgeries including a nose bob, breast implants and a blepharoplasty.

She has spent thousands of dollars in the past two years and is willing to spend even more chasing the elusive fountain of youth. Unbelievably, she does not express any satisfaction with her new looks. Her constant striving for a better looking face is akin to the gerbil on the wheel. Even now there are signs of facial distortion and if her current physician does not put on the brakes, she is likely to consult with other physicians who may take her money and fill her up with even more face altering chemicals.

How did she get on this fast track to destruction? Did a body dysmorphic disorder develop after consulting with numerous surgeons who repeatedly told her that many areas of her face and body could be enhanced with a little nip there, a tuck here and a prick of a syringe? Cha-ching!

Weaning a body from using more surgery and injections is tough because the aging process continues to occur.

Masking agents such as injections and other invasive anti-aging procedures that one enlists to stop an aging face are very temporary; even more alarming is knowing that the look of youthfulness will not return using artificial means that actually work against the body.

What is the quest that drives women and now men to seek desperate, temporary measures? It is the desire for a youthful face; one that appears lifted, tightened and toned.

If you can’t get that youthful face with surgeries and injections, what works?

Facial exercise works. Simple, yet specialized resistance and contraction movements will indeed give you the look of youthfulness. Cheeks, foreheads, jowls, pouches, double chins and more will look refreshed and revitalized without one prick of a needle or a cut or a suture.

Using just your thumbs and fingers wearing white exercise gloves you can safely and easily teach yourself the isometric movements that require only minutes a day. Your friends and family will begin noticing results in hardly anytime at all.

Just think – you can maintain a youthful look without any risk and the results are significant. Cha-Ching! Now you get to laugh all the way to the bank!

About the Author: Cynthia Rowland is widely recognized as an expert in all natural facial fitness. She has appeared on The View, NBC 4, Fit TV, HGTV and other popular shows. This author, speaker and television personality is leading the crusade to keep men and women looking vibrantly younger through natural techniques without spending their children’s inheritance. Discover how to look younger with Cynthia’s free report Facial Exercise the Evidence Doesn’t Lie

tinyurl.com/43e462

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Fitness Equipment

Personal Training: 3 Powerful Ways To Position Yourself As An Expert

Submitted by: Aaron Potts

Regardless of what profession you are in, it is critical that people believe that you know what you are talking about! You won’t find very many successful lawyers whose clients never win in court, or popular doctors whose patients are continually misdiagnosed. This concept obviously applies to personal trainers as well, and making sure you are viewed as an expert in your field is as important as having the knowledge to begin with.

It is helpful to be aware of the simple fact that a person’s perception is their reality, even if that perception is incorrect. Let’s use the example of the doctor in the above paragraph. If you heard through personal references that Dr. John Smith wasn’t a very good doctor, the chances that you would ever go see Dr. Smith are pretty slim. However, do you actually know for a fact that Dr. Smith is a bad doctor? No – you just have the perception that he is a bad doctor because that is what you heard. Do you see how your perception is your reality, and how Dr. Smith is unlikely to be getting any of your business?

Your mission is to make sure that you are always viewed as an expert in your field! Otherwise you will end up like poor Dr. Smith, and your list of clients will be short indeed, as will the life of your business. However, if you have done your job and created the impression that you are an expert in your field, then the opposite will hold true. People will have “heard” that you know what you are talking about, and your reputation and your business will grow as a result. In order to get to this desired end result, three effective ways for you to build your reputation include media exposure, writing books, articles, or success tips for your field, and approaching any given situation from a “position of power”.

Media Exposure

The most common ways to get viewed as an expert using media exposure include news programming on television, magazine and newspaper stories, and radio time. Each of these methods has one thing in common: mass exposure via a publicly accepted system of obtaining information.

Consider this point from your own perspective. If you see an interview on the news, read an article about a company in the newspaper, or hear about a professional organization on the radio, your natural instinct is to believe that the company or organization has a firm grip on the ins and outs of their product or service.

Why do you think that? Is it because the radio program included a long list of professional references for the company? Is it because the magazine article listed a passing grade by a professional review board or other certifying agency qualified to judge the advertised organization?

The answer to those questions is most likely “no”. Why then do you believe in the company’s ability to provide the product or service that is discussed? The answer is simple: because you were exposed to the company via a publicly accepted system of obtaining information. Whether that system was the six o’clock news, your local daily paper, or your favorite magazine, chances are that you believed what you read or heard simply because of WHERE you read or heard it!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GRs9qEmsE0[/youtube]

Ideally, all consumers – including professionals such as yourself – would use other additional methods to determine the qualifications of a company before purchasing their product or service, but in reality, does that happen very often? No, not really. Most people believe what they read and what they hear, and as a Fitness Professional, you can take advantage of that fact. Granted, you should not profess to be an expert if you aren’t, but assuming that you really do know what you are talking about, use the media to let others know, too!

Writing Books, Articles, and Success Tips

Comparable to the “expert” status that is afforded a company based on their mass media exposure, a similar assumed professional status can be taken on by any company or individual that publishes written works in their field.

Refer back to the power of the mass media that is referenced above, and you will see a very similar effect generated by published works. If someone writes a book, publishes articles, or generates a regular flow of “success tips” in any given field, it is automatically assumed by the reader that the author of the book, article, or success tip knows what they are talking about.

Is it true that the author is an expert in their field just because they know how to write or type? Of course not! However, the mass media phenomenon applies to published written works just as much as it applies to interviews done on the news, in magazines, or on the radio. The author is assumed to be proficient in the field that the book, article, or tip discusses, even though there is rarely indisputable evidence of the writer’s expertise included with the written works.

Again, it is not being suggested that you write books, articles, or success tips unless you really do hold expert status in your field. However, since the “assumptions of excellence” apply as much to the written word as to audio and visual exposure, take advantage of that fact and write as much and as often as you can!

As a side note, writing is also an excellent way for you to enhance your own knowledge in your field. Frequently during the process of writing a book or article, you are called upon to reference the sources of your information, and gathering that type of information expands your own knowledge, as well as your understanding of how to find information for similar projects in the future.

Assuming a “Position of Power”

Utilizing a “position of power” is one of the most effective methods of positioning yourself as an expert in your field. Approaching a situation from a position of power is simply the art of assuming that whoever you are talking to already perceives you to be an expert. Remember that a person’s perception is their reality, so as long as the other person believes that you are an expert, then in their eyes, you are!

For example, let’s use the story of a talented personal trainer who is applying for the position of Director of Fitness Programming at a small but successful local gym. We will call our imaginary professional Joe Trainer, and we will say for the record that Joe does indeed hold an effective track record in the personal training industry. His clients have benefited from his knowledge and guidance, and he has successfully changed many people’s lives in a positive manner. However, Joe Trainer has never been a “Director of Fitness Programming” before. Is he qualified for the job?

Let’s review Joe’s history. He has worked or worked out in dozens of gyms over the years. Joe has utilized all manner of fitness equipment, from paint cans in his garage when he was a teenager, all the way up through the most modern computerized workout machines available in some of today’s fitness facilities. Joe has put together hundreds of different workout programs for hundreds of different people over the years, and we have already determined that his client track record is excellent. Joe has also been called upon many times over the years to recommend fitness equipment purchases to his many clients, including a cost to benefit ratio analysis (in other words, if the equipment is worth the money). Joe has also been exposed to many different lines of nutritional supplements, dietary guidelines, and he has even taken aerobics classes and yoga from time to time.

Has Joe Trainer ever been a “Director of Fitness Programming” before? No. However, is Joe Trainer qualified for that position? Most likely yes! However, now Joe has a dilemma. He has scheduled an interview with the local gym, he really wants the job, but he is nervous about the fact that he has never really been a “Director of Fitness Programming” or a director of anything at all, for that matter. Joe now has 2 choices.

Choice number one is for Joe to go to the interview, ramble on uncontrollably about the hundreds of clients that he has successfully trained, babble about how many different gyms he has been in, and go into mindless detail about why he thinks Supplement A is better than Supplement B.

Do you think Joe will get the job? Let’s try a different approach.

Joe mentally prepares for the interview by reviewing the many different ways that his experience will benefit the facility. He puts together a few examples of how he successfully recommended or used one type of fitness equipment more effectively than a different type. Joe puts together mental notes about how aerobics and group exercise classes have added success to his training programs over the years, and how incorporating a cross training approach has kept his clients motivated and continually seeing results from their training programs.

By this point, Joe’s confidence in his ability to be a “Director of Fitness Programming” has increased, and he honestly believes that it is not him who is being interviewed, but it is he who is interviewing the facility. Joe doesn’t need this job – he has proven his ability to make a living as a personal trainer dozens of times over the years. He is applying for this position because he believes that he can be a great asset to the facility, and he wants to expand his experience in the field. In fact, the facility would be lucky to have him! For that matter, he may already be considering countering the posted pay scale with an increase if they want to hire him. After all, he is Joe Trainer, and his success record speaks for itself!

Now, do you think Joe will get the job? Pretty safe bet.

Is the Joe Trainer in the first example any different than the Joe Trainer using the second approach? No – we’re talking about the same person. What is different then? Joe’s belief in himself – and more importantly – Joe’s ability to show the facility how they would be missing a great opportunity if they didn’t hire him. It is Joe who is interviewing the facility, not the other way around. Joe assumed a “Position of Power” before he even got to his interview. He walked out with a new title and a nice salary, an increased confidence in his own abilities, and the opportunity to mold an entire staff of personal trainer into successful, results-oriented Fitness Professionals!

This same concept can also be applied when negotiating with potential new clients. Remember that you are the fitness professional. You are the one with the knowledge and the experience that the client needs. You are not asking them to be your clients, but rather you are giving them the opportunity to become your clients.

Conclusion

As you can see, as Fitness Professionals in the ever-growing field of health and physical fitness, we have many tools at our disposal when it comes to positioning ourselves as experts. However, we have an equal amount of responsibility to not utilize these tools unless we are 100% confident in our status as experts in our chosen disciplines. Use your knowledge and your tools wisely and appropriately, and you will see your professional and personal success grow beyond your wildest dreams!

About the Author: Aaron Potts is the author and creator of The Ultimate Complete Personal Training Business Kit, a quick-start kit and business guide for new as well as seasoned fitness professionals. Find out more about Aaron’s programs at

completepersonaltrainingbusiness.com

or his personal training site at

aaronspersonaltraining.com

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Fitness Equipment

Grapefruit Pectin Fiber Can Maintain Good Cholesterol Levels And More

By Darrell Miller

Grapefruit pectin fiber is a source of soluble fiber that can bind to cholesterol and inhibit the formation of atherosclerosis. It is also effective in maintaining good blood sugar levels, and promoting a healthy colon. However, before discussing how grapefruit pectin fiber works in these ways, it is first necessary to explain how they occur in the first place.

CHOLESTEROL LEVELS

First cholesterol. This is a steroid lipid, most of which is biosynthesized by your body rather than being present in your diet. Although it has a bad name health wise, cholesterol is actually essential to good health because it helps your digestive system break down fast, it strengthens cell walls and is a major ingredient in the manufacture of vitamin D by your liver. It is also essential for the formation of several hormones, including cortisone, cortisol and aldosterone by the adrenal glands, and also of estrogen and testosterone. A bloodstream without cholesterol is therefore not good for you.

Given that cholesterol is essential for good health, then why does it have such a bad press? The root cause of that is that cholesterol is not water soluble, and to be carried round the bloodstream to where it is needed it needs some transport. For that, it uses low density lipoproteins (LDLs). However, its not a return journey, and to get back they must use another form of lipid known as a high density lipoprotein (HDL). The protein part is water soluble, wile the lipid part can attach to the cholesterol and carry it around the bloodstream.

The problem arises with free radicals, which are oxygenated molecules that are generated by the bodys metabolism, and also created from pollutants, such as pesticides and cigarette smoke, and the UV portion of daylight. These can oxidize the low density lipoproteins so that they can be attacked by phagocytes (while blood cells) deposited as plaques in the artery walls. This hardens and thickens the arteries, reducing the hearts blood supply which in turn can cause strokes and heart attacks.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGKHFFpADpM[/youtube]

This can be prevented in a number ways, the major of which are by consuming plenty antioxidants in your food, mostly contained in phytochemicals (plant chemicals), reducing your LDL cholesterol levels to the minimum needed by your body, and also by increasing the HDL levels in your bloodstream by as much as possible.

Grapefruit pectin fiber can bind to cholesterol, and prevent it from being deposited in the artery walls by the oxidized LDL. A sixteen week double blind study (neither the subjects nor those carrying out the test and analyzing the results knew who were given the placebo) found that grapefruit pectin successful reduced the low density cholesterol level of 27 subjects by 10.8% and overall plasma cholesterol by 7.6%. These volunteers were at a medium to high risk of atherosclerosis due to a high LDL cholesterol concentration in their blood.

Animal studies have also been carried out, whereby animals were fed a high cholesterol diet, and those fed a high fat diet were found to have an average of 45% narrowing of their arteries, and those fed the same diet, but with added grapefruit pectin fiber, were found to have only 25% narrowing, thus corresponding with the results of the human volunteers.

BLOOD SUGAR

It is essential that you maintain a stable level of sugar in your blood since the body reacts to low blood glucose by making you feel hungry, and thereby forcing you eat. If you are trying to lose weight you will find it very difficult if your blood sugar levels fluctuate. Grapefruit pectin can reduce the rate at which carbohydrates enter your bloodstream, and therefore the rate at which sugars are absorbed.

Studies have also indicated that pectin can even out your blood sugar concentration, so that you experience fewer fluctuations or sudden spikes that can make you feel either very hungry, and so binge on carbohydrates, or very satisfied so that you eat nothing at all. The maintenance of a stable level of glucose in the blood is necessary for a normal life since it is that that determine your need to eat food. If your blood sugar is low, the desire to eat high calorie carbohydrate food is uncontrollable.

This is the theory behind the so-called grapefruit diet. You eat a grapefruit prior to a meal, and allow it to be digested. The grapefruit pectin will make you feel full and so eat less, so that you can eat normal foods, but still lose weight. Many people take the grapefruit pectin in supplement form for its ease and economy of use. It is also more convenient since you dont have to carry grapefruit around with you everywhere you go.

A Healthy Colon

Like any other soluble fiber, grapefruit pectin fiber is a dietary fiber that can help to maintain the health of your colon. In fact it is the only one of the basic four fibers of lignin, cellulose, hemicelluloses and pectin that is soluble. Although referred to as soluble, pectin softens and expands and provides substance and added weight to faeces in order to allow it to pass easier through your colon.

Other than ensuring the easy passage of your stool through your colon, and avoiding constipation, grapefruit pectin fiber can help to prevent excessive growth of bad bacteria in the intestine, and because it accelerates the passage of substances through the colon, there is less time for toxic or cancerous substances to be in contact with your bowel lining. It is that which causes bowel cancer, and grapefruit pectin fiber can help to prevent it.

Fiber can also help to prevent diverticulosis, where the intestinal wall develops small sacs and becomes weakened. It also prevents hemorrhoids, eases the symptoms of IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). In short, it offers many benefits for the health of your colon, and can help to cure many bowel conditions.

However, it is important that you don’t just rush into using any form of dietary fiber, but take it gradually. You start with a small intake, and then increase it slowly; since it is not absorbed through the intestine too much can lie in your colon and ferment, causing any number of intestinal problems. When used properly it can ease the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, but if used to excess, or too quickly, can actually cause the same symptoms, in addition to blocking the absorption of essential minerals such as iron, zinc and calcium.

Grapefruit pectin fiber can do a great deal for health, including maintaining good blood sugar and cholesterol levels, and helping to keep your colon healthy. It is available in convenient supplement form, but make sure that you drink sufficient liquid each day in order to prevent the fiber blocking your intestine rather than allowing free passage of waste product into, through, and out of your colon.

About the Author: More information on

Grape fruit pectin

fiber is available at VitaNet , LLC Health Food Store. http://vitanetonline.com/

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