Lose Weight and Lower Blood Pressure With DASH Diet

What we want is to not need the Doctor. Though I don't think we can avoid these highly trained professionals, we can use their services only for preventative care. One problem that arises from aging or being over weight is elevation of our blood pressure. We can reduce this or prevent it by regular exercise and proper eating. This article considers the diet approach to this but does not advocate a sedentary lifestyle.

DASH refers to Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. Hypertension is high blood pressure which is a pressure above 134/84. The DASH diet is an eating plan that reduces sodium (salt) and emphasizes the proper energy balance to reach an ideal body fat percentage.

DASH was investigated by scientists supported by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. Their findings indicate that the best diet is low in fat from meat, dairy and cooked foods. The diet is rich in fresh fruits and vegetables with whole grains, nuts, fish and poultry. Sodium daily intake of 1500-2300 mg per day combined with the other eating habits prevented blood pressure elevation.




If the calories were restricted just enough for energy balance at an ideal weight, DASH also reduced obesity and overweight problems. This diet deals with the causes of hypertension and obesity very well. The thing that scientists could not study was the motivation needed to get on it and stay on it.

Others have studied the motivational and self talk needs of people trying to control and lose weight. There are techniques that when learned and applied make the effort more effective long term. It is possible to lose weight above ideal body fat percentage and keep it off. This ability is a set of skills and habits that can be learned and practiced. Most of the problems encountered are common and are well documented.

Often our Doctors and others involved in our health care are not well versed in teaching or able to teach these because of understanding, time constraints and no interest in doing so. The responsibility becomes yours for your health. Many people find this over whelming. It does not have to be that way. There are a few things every person can do to make this better.

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Muscle Recovery - Post Exercise Muscle Growth

Muscle recovery time is a critical factor to consider when working out to build muscle. There are reports out there that suggest as you do more training, your muscle recovery will get faster. This statement is a bit misleading and needs to be clarified before discuss this topic any further.

When you do the same type of exercises while lifting the same weight for the same duration and complete the same number of reps every time you workout, then most likely there will eventually be a faster recovery time. However, to build bigger muscle, this approach isn't the right way. To gain muscle, there is a need to add weight and reps every time you do a workout. Thus, your workout is never the same and you recovery is not really sped up much.




I am talking about after your initial start to training here. Because of course if you have not trained for years then go back to it, in the first month or so, you will recover faster as time goes on, but this is just from pre-conditioning your muscles. After you have been training a while your muscle recovery evens out.

The more training you do, the heavier weights you must lift, and more improvement in strength is needed to lift that weight. With more work, you need longer muscle recovery.

Exercise like lifting weights induces controlled muscle damage, and thus causes muscle growth as it repairs that damage. This is the basic principal behind working out. Tear down to build up.

Advancing the training of your muscle groups will continue to generate muscle soreness because of the tearing down of muscle. Therefore a greater amount of muscle recovery is needed. No sports drink in the world containing any special post exercise nutrition magic will give you the kind of recovery you need. Only resting the muscles can do this.

Once the muscle is completed with the post exercise recovery process there is a particular time frame when it is optimally ready to be reworked. This time varies with the individual, your diet, amount of sleep, and a few other factors. Trail and error with your workout routine and recovery time will show you the best time frame for you to build muscle. A good rule of thumb is to keep a 48 hour minimum recovery time between working a particular muscle group. Depending on the level of muscle damage, advanced practitioners may need to wait 72 hours plus to have complete muscle recovery.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Troy_Cleido/914621

HIIT Workout - How to Get a Six Pack Quickly Without a Gym Membership

A quality HIIT workout, combined with a good nutrition plan is crucial when it comes to getting a flat stomach. If you want to know how to get a six pack quickly, you MUST understand the power of HIIT training and a good HIIT workout.

I've written about high intensity interval training before, but I'll give you a brief rundown on interval training. Interval training involves alternating high intensity work with lower intensity work. A good example would be sprinting the straightaway on a running track and jogging around the turns.

So why is a HIIT workout so effective when it comes to getting flat abs?

First, HIIT cardio burns calories during the workout itself.

Second, do to the intensity of the workout, you burn calories for up to 39 hours AFTER the workout is over. Typical cardio does not have this benefit of boosting your metabolism like this.

Besides those great benefits, interval training also allows for a lot more variety than typical cardio. This helps two more ways.




First, it can help with your motivation since it keeps you from getting bored (does anyone look forward to pedaling a stationary bike for 60 to 90 minutes?) and it can help prevent overuse injuries that can be brought on by doing the same cardio over and over again.

You also don't need expensive home fitness equipment, like a stationary bike or treadmill. You also don't need to make a trip to the gym for these workouts, either.

You can do HIIT training inside or out, use tons of great bodyweight exercises and throw in minimal equipment for an endless amount of variety.

Here's a great HIIT workout you can do outside to burn serious amounts of body fat.

Grab a couple of dumbbells or kettlebells and head out to a track, or any open field, basically any place you can run (without getting hit by a car!).

Place one dumbbell or kettlebell at one end of the field or track (I have a soccer field nearby and can put one at either end).

Now job around the track or field (if you have a space that you can't go around but can go up and back, place one at each end).

Every time you get to a dumbbell or kettlebell, perform an exercise.

How to Get a Six Pack Quickly - The HIIT Workout

This consists of four laps.

Lap 1

• Jog
• 20 kettlebell swings
• Jog
• 30 bodyweight squats

Lap 2

• Jog
• 20 Kettlebell snatches (10 per arm)
• Jog
• 30 push ups

Lap 3

• Jog
• 30 Mountain Climbers (15 per leg)
• Jog
• 20 kettlebell presses (10 per arm)

Lap 4

• Jog
• 10 Burpees
• Jog
• 20 Kettlebell swings

The HIIT workout is finished!

If that seemed too easy for you, try using a heavier dumbbell or kettlebell next time, or build up to a few more laps. You'll shred some serious fat doing a workout like two or three times a week.

If you're looking to get a six pack quickly, you'll want to give HIIT training like this a serious try.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Gregg_Gillies/1090