So, you have built up a diet and exercise routine that you have been diligently following for a while now, and are beginning to see the results that you have been waiting for, but, you are scheduled to go on vacation. That means that you will be far away from the park you run in, the gym you loiter in, and the kitchen that you depend on. However, that does not mean that you have to forfeit the healthy lifestyle that you have been working so hard to maintain! You want to be able to enjoy your vacation guiltlessly and come back to reality without any regrets. So here are a few tips to help you do just that!

1. Incorporate physical activity into every day of your travels, in as many instances as you can. Take the stairs instead of elevators, wherever possible. Avoid shortcuts. Opt for longer trails to get places. Walk to nearby attractions instead of hailing cabs. Doing so will also help you save money and see things you would have missed, by choosing mass transit.

2. Invest in portable fitness gear. A pair of running shoes, a couple of toning chords, and your favorite workout DVD are all light and portable, so bring these things with you wherever you go, and make a commitment to make use of them during your travels.

3. Create a gym with what you have. While you may not have the tools you are accustomed to, realize that you can carry out a fitness routine wherever you are, just by being creative. Most likely you have been working out long enough to have memorized specific fitness moves that are highly effective. You know that dips can strengthen triceps. You know that lunges can work your thighs and butt. So bring these moves with you when you travel and schedule a time, each day, to practice them in the space that you have. Furthermore, be creative! A sturdy chair serves the same purpose as a weight bench, and a rocky mountain can add a new twist to those leg lifts. You might not have what you are used to, but you can certainly make use of what you have!

4. Dine with lighter choices. Yes, you are on vacation, so you won’t be the one cooking yourself those healthy meals. Instead, take a break and have someone else do it! Many people are under the misconception that spoiling your stomach means ingesting food that is unhealthy. Don’t hold that same belief. Spoil yourself by ordering food that is both tasty and healthy, without having to do the work of cooking it! You will thank yourself later, when you realize that you won’t have to add ten pounds to the memories of your vacation.

Click the following link for a workout routine that can be done, absolutely anywhere.

Happy Travels!
http://www.thebrainmuscleworkout.com/sky_workout.html

An Apple a Day Keeps the Belly Fat Away...

Remember how mom used to say, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Well there may have been more truth to that statement then you gave mom credit for. Simply put, apples are amazing!

Retaining only about 80 calories a piece and being chock full of Vitamin C, apples are relatively low in sugar and exceedingly high in health benefits. Research has suggested that apples may strengthen bones, lower cholesterol, decrease the risk of lung, breast, liver, and colon cancers, minimize brain cell damage that may lead to Alzheimer’s disease, and even decrease asthmatic symptoms in children.

Now, as if all of these benefits aren’t enough to convince you to incorporate apples into your regular diet plan, there is another. Increased research has also demonstrated that an apple a day helps keep the belly fat away!

Apples are extremely high in dietary fiber. Fiber is a substance that helps the body digest food by binding itself to molecules within the body and then pushing those molecules outward (so to speak). In doing so, fiber tends to decrease hunger and the need to overeat, as fiber influences the chemicals within the body that cause a person to feel full, faster than other foods.

To maximize the benefits of this appealing and appetizing fruit, try snacking on an apple twenty minutes before mealtime. Besides a plethora of health benefits, snacking on apples before meal time may help satisfy hunger and make you less likely to consume an excess of foods that are not beneficial for your waste line.

Click the following link for a healthy meal plan that apples can surely be a part of!:

http://www.thebrainmuscleworkout.com/weightloss.html

How Can I Commit to Exercising Daily, When Life Leaves Me Short of Time?

Let’s face it, life gets in the way. We might wake up every morning with exceedingly high aspirations about what they would like to accomplish that day, but go to bed that night, only checking off half of the things on our list. Why? Life got in our way. Unfortunately, we cannot control all of the things that interrupt our plans on a daily basis and we most certainly cannot control the clock by asking it to slow down and give us more time, so we have to come to terms with the fact that there will be days when we cannot accomplish EVERYTHING on our to do list. It’s okay to be okay with that. However, it’s not okay to use that as an excuse not to exercise.

So how do we ensure that life doesn’t get in the way of our workout goals?

There are some things in our daily routines that we will refuse to sacrifice, not matter what the day brings. Getting dressed, bathing, even that morning cup of coffee, (for some), always manages to get done, despite what unexpected events occur within our lives. A workout needs to become one of those things!

Time management is a tricky feat for some. However, planning a schedule and then committing to that schedule, can eliminate time management problems. Many people make early decisions about when they will wake up, when they will leave for work, and even when they will break for that coffee. Once a specific time is set and a schedule is put in place, these decisions don't need to be made anymore. They go from being decisions to being mental commitments. They are just not options anymore. (Think automatic pilot.) The same needs to be applied toward the decision to exercise!

To ensure that exercise plays a significant role in your daily life (despite any circumstances that impede on your day), we must start to look at exercise as a ritual that cannot be sacrificed. Prior to the start of a hectic work week, plan a specific time and duration of your day, that you are going to commit to exercise. Do this for each day of that week and take the time to add these appointments to your calendar. Most importantly, look at these appointments with sincerity and attend to them as though they are necessary parts of your day.

Planning a duration of time to work out is easier when one has in mind what kind of fitness routine they would like to accomplish each day. Here is a link for a 12 week exercise program that is broken down into time intervals. This program may get you started on planning and scheduling a workout routine into your week.

http://www.oprah.com/article/omagazine/health_omag_200603_fit

Yes, life gets in the way sometimes. However, if we refuse, life won’t get in the way of those daily commitments that make up our lives. So make exercise one of them!

What is NYTimes saying about exercise and the brain?

There was a great article that was published by the New York Times, which was recently been brought to my attention. The article: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/16/what-sort-of-exercise-can-make-you-smarter/#comment-389171

pertains to the positive impacts that exercise can have on the human brain. I’d like to follow up with this article by stating that it isn’t exercise alone that may positively effect brain function, but rather, the type of exercise that may induce positive intellectual effects. For, it is apparent that a great deal of proof has been offered to lead us to believe that exercise offers multiple benefits to the human body including the potential to enlarge a person’s intellect. At this point, I think it would be foolish to disagree. Furthermore, I think it would also be foolish to neglect the idea that if exercise has the potential to increase intelligence, then there must be specific types of exercise that may be more effective than others in doing so.

If a person was trying to improve their skills in reading, for example, he/she would be more likely to select quality literature to learn from, over a comic book, or an article from a local, politically incorrect newspaper. Similar conditions can be applied to the issue of exercise and the brain. If one seeks to exercise in order to improve their brain power, one should choose exercises that are more likely to offer them such benefits.

Visit http://superbodysuperbrain.blogspot.com/for further information on this issue!

Change Your Routine and See Better Results!

Webster defines the word routine as: regular, typical or everyday activity, a commonplace task, a chore, or a duty. If you have been exercising for some time now, but have stopped seeing results, it may be because your exercise, “routine,” has fallen under one of these definitions.

The human body is adaptable. That means that after repeated exposure to a new stimulus (an environment, a food, and even a physical task) your body will grow to get accustomed to this new stimulus. Your body will only shape itself just enough to handle this new stimulus and then, eventually, your body will stop changing altogether.

So if you want to start seeing results again, try starting a new routine! That doesn’t mean you have to change what areas you target during exercise, it means you may have to change how you go about targeting them. For example, If you usually do sit back squats to strengthen your legs, try spicing that move up a bit by replacing it with a, “Flying Squirrel.” Not sure how to fly like a squirrel? Click on the following link to learn this maneuver, along with others that can serve to put a new spin on your workout routine.

http://www.thebrainmuscleworkout.com/sky_workout.html

Does Sweating Help You Loose Weight?

Quite often I see people exercising while dressed as tough they are ready to go camping in Alaska. Many people believe that wearing excess clothing while working out helps them lose weight faster. This is a great misunderstanding.

Heavy clothing may make your body perspire more rapidly. However, sweat does not impact permanent weight loss. Your body sweats as a means of regulating your body temperature, so that you do not overheat. Any weight you may loose from this process is a result of the water that has been excreted from your body.

Water makes up about 60 % of your body weight. It is necessary for your body to breathe, grow, digest, and excrete waste. The water that you excrete in the form of sweat will eventually need to be replaced by drinking extra fluids after a workout. Thus, any water weight that is lost from sweating is only temporary.

Your body can permanently lose weight by burning calories. Calories are energy that is used up by your metabolism, through metabolic activity. Metabolic activity occurs both naturally, through inner body activities (such as breathing and digestion) and supernaturally, through external physical exercises (such as walking and running).

Some activities burn more calories (energy) then others. Sweating actually does burn calories, because your body uses calories (energy) to maintain your body temperature. However, your body actually burns more calories (energy) when it is attempting to keep your body warm then when it is attempting to cool your body down.

Sweating also leaves people feeling uncomfortable, thereby increasing their likelihood of prolonging fitness activities for longer durations of time. So, forget about trying to, “Sweat off,” the weight. Leave your snow suites at home and opt for a more efficient, and much healthier workout, by dressing comfortably.

Click here http://www.thebrainmuscleworkout.com/sky_workout.html to see 7 exercises that you can do to kick your metabolism into gear and really burn those calories!

Catch Some Zzz's to put your whole body at ease.: Why is Sleep So Important for Your Brain?

Whoever coined the slogan, “You snooze, you lose,” was definitely not referring to people with fitness goals. Most individuals are aware that following a healthy diet and getting an adequate amount of exercise are essential to a healthy lifestyle. However, many neglect to accept the fact that diet, exercise, and rest, all work hand in hand.

Sleep gives our bodies time to heal. Sleep helps us stay more alert throughout the day. Sleep also allows us to achieve higher levels of performance during exercise. Moreover, according to the Better Sleep Council (BSC), individuals who get adequate sleep are more likely to engage in higher intensity workouts. Yet, sleep isn’t just good for our bodies. Sleep is also good for our brains!

Those who are familiar with the internal functions of body and the brain know that, our actions are a result of the internal communications made between the brain and the central nervous system. Sleep isn’t just essential to our eyes and our muscles. Sleep is also needed to regenerate certain parts of the brain, so that it may continue to function properly.
Neurons are the parts of our body that send messages to our brains. Neurons are what control our speech, our movements, and even our emotions. After long periods of sleep depravation, neurons may begin to malfunction which may ultimately have a negative impact on person’s physical and mental behaviors.

Interestingly enough, exercise and sleep appear to go hand in hand. Doctors who treat patients with insomnia and other sleeping disorders, often prescribe exercise as a means of regulating sleep patterns. In fact, the National Sleep Foundation recommends that individuals who suffer from sleep deprivation introduce at least 20 to 30 minutes of exercise into their daily routine.
So what does this all mean? If exercise is the box and dieting, the wrapping, be sure to include a shiny ribbon (ENOUGH SLEEP) to give your body the complete package.

For more information on neurons and how they impact the brain, visit:
http://www.thebrainmuscleworkout.com/neuron.html

5 Tips to Salvage Your Diet While Dining Out

Planning to dine out but afraid to destroy your diet? Here are 5 simple things you can do to help you salvage your weight loss goals!

1. Share. Group dining is a great way to sample foods that may not be diet approved without causing you to botch your diet by consuming too much of the foods you should be limiting.
2. Plan for leftovers. Before you even view your entrée, commit your mind to the decision that you will bring some of your entrée home. Eat slowly and, as soon as you begin to feel satisfied, request that the rest of your entrée be packed for home. This will prevent you from eating too much, all at once.
3. Loose the bread plate. If you give up your bread plate in advance, you will be less likely to reach for a slice of bread and since you know you are going to be ordering an entrée, avoiding the bread will help you save room for more nutritious food options.
4. Skip the dressing and put the sauces on the side. In many cases, restaurants pack the majority of calories they induce into their foods, into the sauces that glaze and coat them. One serving of a garden salad at The Olive Garden, for example, is about 120 calories without dressing, and 350 calories with! Save yourself the extra cardio by requesting lighter options.
5. Don’t even look at the dessert menu. A kid doesn’t ask for candy, unless it’s waved in front of his face. Avoid the temptation of indulging in dessert, by rejecting the option of seeing what the restaurant offers.

For more information on dieting and weight-loss, visit http://www.thebrainmuscleworkout.com/nutrition.html

No Pain, No Gain???

It doesn’t surprise me why many people cringe when they hear me say the word, exercise. After all, today’s society is currently inundated with work-out philosophies that embrace a, “No pain, no gain,” mindset. As a result, so many individuals are turned off by the idea of exercise. They rule themselves out of the group of people who are expected to benefit from exercise.



I’ve heard, all too many times, the phrases, “I can’t do that,” “I’m too old for that,” “I don’t have time to exercise,” and, “I’m just too exhausted to work out.” For some, these may be excuses. To others, they are truths. In either case, they are wrong!



When I work out, I feel great. My attitude, my self esteem, my energy, and my mental acuity all skyrocket! No matter how busy I am, no matter how old I get, and no matter how exhausted I feel, I know that I will always have room in my life for my workout. I know this because I am committed to a workout routine that does not pain me. My workout routine supports me!



My workouts don't call for the shed of blood, sweat, and tears. I don't stop my routines by fainting, crying, or panting so hard that I can't breathe. My workouts call for focus. The power I achieve comes from within. The secret is within my brain. Most astonishingly, I actually walk away from my workouts with a smile!



Fitness is not for anybody. Fitness is for everybody! Whether your personal goal is to increase your energy, improve your attitude, lose weight, maintain weight, or maintain excellent health, fitness can help get you there. A workout shouldn’t be measured by minutes or miles. A workout should be measured by mental sensation.



To provide this mental sensation, you need to start training your brain. Begin to concentrate on your work out. Add that needed concentration by adapting simultaneous muscular activities into your workout routine. A workout that integrates such movements can be done by people of all ages and all fitness types. These actions will challenge you, not defeat you.



Don’t let your workout get the best of you. Let yourself get the best of your workout!



Click the following link to learn six exercises which can provide you with a brief workout routine that is both mentally challenging and physically satisfying.

http://www.thebrainmuscleworkout.com/redbook.html



Don't forget to keep an eye out for a FABULOUS upcoming book on the subject of Fitness and the Brain, written by founder, Michael Gonzalez-Wallace and titled, "Super Body Super Brain," soon to be released May 10th, 2010!!!