Given the benefits your body receives form a good sweat, you may want to make a conscious effort to ’sweat it out’ every day!

Deep sweating helps the body cleanse itself and replace older, dead cells. Sweat clears bacteria out of surface layers of the skin and from the sweat ducts. The process of sweating also helps improve circulation from the blood vessels dilating, and gives the skin a fresh look and feel. It also helps to remove toxins from our body, such as nickel, excess zinc, and other chemicals our body might have absorbed from the environment or from anything we’ve ingested.

When we exercise, small increases in body temperature speed up the metabolic process, which cause toxins stored in fat to be released and broken down. This process cools the body during sweating to help with the excretion of toxic materials in the form of oil and water.

So… if you had a way of getting these toxins out of your body, wouldn’t it be worth a little sweat?

In good health,
Anne

http://www.helpingyoucare.com/17931/10-foods-largely-responsible-for-9-of-10-americans-eating-too-much-salt-new-cdc-report-finds

High Blood pressure or hypertension may have no symptoms that you can see or feel.  It is sometimes called the silent killer.  It can lead to stroke, heart disease, eye problems, or kidney failure.  The first number is your systolic pressure.  This tells you how much the blood flowing through your blood vessel pushes against the vessel walls as your heart beats.  The second number, diastolic pressure, measures the pressure while the heart relaxes between beats. Normal is: systolic less then 120 and diastolic pressure less than 80. (i.e. 119/79) In older adults the first number is often high, but the second number is normal.  This is isolated systolic hypertension.

DO: Stretch, balance, coordination, core fitness

AVOID: Strength training with both arms overhead, systemic movements

That is, that refined grains — found in white breads, pastas and potatoes — are eaten faster than healthier whole grains.  So- not only can eating whole grains be better for your nutritional health, it can be said you will eat these fiber-rich foods more slowly.   Research came from the University of Rhode Island.

The second study found a link between eating speed and body mass index (BMI). The higher the BMI, the faster you eat. A lot faster. BMI is the Body Mass Index, a calculation based on height and weight.)

The case studies showed that whole grains require more chewing, and digestion starts in the mouth.  Makes sense.  If you have something highly processed, it doesn’t take as much to digest food, but whole grains take a lot more digestive energy to start breaking down.

So how can YOU eat more slowly?  Here’s a simple habit to practice- Let the food in your mouth get to your stomach before taking the next bite.  Oh yes, remember to eat more whole grains as part of a high-fiber, low-carb, low-sugar diet.

In addition to Chair Exercise,  warm water aqua therapy has proven to be safe and effective for Arthritis patients.

Understood… we need to define our expectations and make them manageable. Everyone is different and has different results and different goals.
If we we grade our progress just on weight-loss, frustration is a given.
Exercise can also help you….
* Move without pain
* Breathe easier
* Increase strength
* Improve your ability to perform everyday tasks.
* Increase confidence, reduce fear
* Relieve stress
* Improve balance
I could go on for a while here, but the point is is that progress can be measured in many areas. Some of the progress we make by exercising cannot be measured on a daily or even weekly basis.

Have faith that you are doing something good for you, and keep up the good work.

Stay strong,
Anne

As with so many aspects of life, this focus on results is an illusion.  The most important element to measure is EFFORT.  Looking at results can lead to disappointment, anxiety, excuses, and ultimately, abandonment of your goals.

There can be no subjectivity with effort.  No one can judge you if you are doing your best, not even the scale.

With respect to diet, your effort should concentrate on adopting a high-fiber, low-fat, low-sugar diet.  For some excellent no-nonsense, SUSTAINABLE food choices, visit http://eatthis.menshealth.com/home.  Don’t let the Men’s Health moniker dissuade you.  It’s good for both genders.

For exercise, the goal to shoot for is to schedule a time to be active, every day, preferably at the same time every day.  This is the best way to establish a habit (e.g. “Lifestyle”.)

This is what I mean by effort.  By practicing this daily routine, you are doing something that is measurable and therefore manageable.  It could be 10 minutes per day, could be 60.  A brisk walk, some chair aerobics, weight training – do what you enjoy and have fun.

The important thing is to keep your appointment with yourself.  If you can do this, you have accomplished something incredible!  Who cares what the scale says.  You kept your promise.  You did something good for yourself.  Nothing can take that away from you.

Healthy habits are choices you can build on.  Increase your activity time.  Reduce your ‘sitting’ time.  Make sure that you congratulate yourself for your effort.  Don’t degrade yourself because results don’t meet your expectations.

Stay strong ,

Anne