Archives for December 2011

10 Natural Foods That Fight Colds & Flu

As the year draws to a close you are probably winding down, enjoying the festivities and preparing for your New Year celebrations. Unfortunately, the end of the year also brings with it an increased risk of contracting the common cold and the flu. These viral infections can leave you feeling weak, tired and in the worst cases completely bed ridden. The good news is that you can protect yourself by supplying your body with the right foods. Making the correct dietary choices gives your body the fuel it needs to supercharge your immune system and fight these nasty infections. Today I will be … [Read more...]

12 Weightless Workouts You Can Try This Christmas

A few days ago I discussed 9 fun family exercise ideas you could try this Christmas. However, sometimes it is just too cold or too icy to go outside. In fact sometimes you just don’t fancy the cold and would prefer to stay inside. If that happens don’t worry – you can still fit in some exercise. Whilst a gym and open spaces certainly give you more options when it comes to exercise, they are not essential. Today I am going to be proving that point by listing 12 weightless workouts you can perform within the comfort of your own home. You don’t need any equipment for these workouts – just you … [Read more...]

The Free Fitness Tips Christmas Diet Checklist

Christmas is a time when your diet usually takes a back seat. Tasty treats are always on offer, alcohol is flowing constantly and you will probably eat more 3 course dinners this month than you will have done for the entire year. Whist it is almost inevitable that your diet will suffer over Christmas, if you follow a few simple steps you can make sure it does not completely fall apart. Today I am going to give you those steps with the Free Fitness Tips Christmas Diet Checklist. 1) CONSUME LOW CALORIE ALCOHOL Don’t get too excited when reading this. I’m not saying you need to make sure … [Read more...]

The Xanthophylls Explained

WHAT ARE XANTHOPHYLLS? The xanthophylls are a group of phytonutrients (plant based chemical compounds that have various health benefits in the human body) that can be found in a wide range of fruits and vegetables. They can also be sourced from certain types of seafood and certain spices. Whilst you can technically survive without these natural nutrients, they are all powerful antioxidants that keep your body’s cells safe from free radicals (harmful by-products that are released during oxygen based reactions) so should definitely be included as part of your diet. In this article I … [Read more...]

9 Fun Family Exercise Ideas You Can Try This Christmas

As I have discussed in previous posts, fitting in exercise around Christmas is extremely difficult. The weather is cold and icy plus you have plenty of social commitments which take up the time that you would normally reserve for exercise. The good news is that you can still get some physical activity over the festive period if you are a little creative. 1 way to fit more exercise into your day is to look at your meetings with family as an opportunity to exercise. Don’t worry. You’re not going to be marching them down to the gym when all they want to do is have a relaxing afternoon. Instead … [Read more...]

Are You Doing Stretching Exercises? Beware Of These Mistakes

Hello everyone. Today's article is a guest post from Kate Wilson who writes for DIY Health. ----- Exercising is indeed the finest way to keep fit. Not only does it ensure a disease free life, but it also raises your levels of patience, endurance and persistence. Although there are a variety of exercises which one may resort to, stretching exercises are undoubtedly the best. There are numerous benefits which one may reap by indulging in routine stretching exercises. This is precisely why it is extremely important to do these exercises in an appropriate and correct manner. Enlisted here … [Read more...]

7 Benefits Of Jogging During The Festive Period

Your first thought when reading the title of this article was probably one of confusion. After all, the cold weather and the low daylight levels are not exactly what you would describe as ideal jogging conditions. However, if you look a little deeper jogging is actually one of the best exercises you can do over Christmas. In this article I will be explaining why by providing you with 7 benefits of jogging during the festive period: 1) IT CAN HELP YOU AVOID CHRISTMAS COLDS & THE FLU During the festive period you are much more susceptible to the common cold and the flu. Whilst there is … [Read more...]

Lutein Explained

WHAT IS LUTEIN? Lutein is a carotenoid and phytonutrient (health boosting, plant based chemical compounds which are not classed as essential nutrients) that can be sourced from green leafy vegetables. In this article I will be providing a detailed breakdown of lutein and discussing its role in the human body. WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF LUTEIN? Lutein was discovered around 1930 and it was identified in the macula lutea (an oval shaped, highly pigmented yellow spot close to the centre of the retina of the human eye) in 1945. WHAT ARE THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF LUTEIN? Lutein is a powerful … [Read more...]

The Benefits of Balancing High Impact Activities with Yoga

Hello everyone. Today's article is a guest post from the freelance writer Melanie Slaugh. ----- When people start exercising it’s not uncommon to get swept up into the ideology that more is more and the only way to get into great shape is to do a lot of high impact, heart pounding activities. High impact activities like running, high intensity interval training (or HIIT) and plyometric exercises all have their place in working out. However doing too many high impact activities can be hard on your joints and leave you physically and mentally fatigued and burned out. This is why doing a … [Read more...]