HEALTHY EATING PLATE

5 Dangers of Diet Soda

GOOD MORNING

Six Pack Abs Workout Routine

Increase Your Life Energy

9 Blood Building Foods to Fight Anemia

http://positivedrugs.com/

Almonds are healthy snacks:

BARBELL BENCH PRESS

PROTEIN IS KING

PROTEIN IS KING

COMBINE SOLID FOOD AND SUPPLEMENTS

Use supplements in combination with solid meals to ensure that you are getting your daily macronutrient (protein, carbohydrates, fat) quota. In general this represents 5-6 small meals and 2-3 shakes. Put small amounts of food in your body every 3 hours. Protein should be consumed at an amount representing 2-3grams per kilogram of bodyweight. If you weigh 80kgs, you should aim to get 160-240grams of protein per day. Around 70% should come from solid food and the rest can come from supplements.

PROTEIN IS KING

As you all know protein is a very essential macronutrient for bodybuilding. Ingested proteins are digested into amino acids which are then used up by the body to make body proteins (enzymes, hormones, muscle tissue etc). As mentioned above, for hard training athletes, the minimum amount of protein is 2-3g/kg of bodyweight per day. This daily protein amount should be spread into 6-7 small intakes. Dot not make the mistake of consuming too much protein at one go as the body has a limit to how much protein it can absorb and assimilate in a meal. Aim roughly for 30-40grams of protein per meal.

Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. Most amino acids can be synthesized by the body and are thus called “non-essential” amino acids. Some amino acids cannot be made by the body and thus should be obtained from the diet. They are called “Essential” amino acids.

Vegetable proteins (low Biological Value) have been considered “inferior” to animal proteins (High Biological Value) because they do not supply the full spectrum of amino acids. Some essential amino acids are lacking in vegetable proteins. For example, soy protein lacks the essential amino acid methionine. Vegetarian bodybuilders therefore do not rely on only one protein source and rather combine different (complementary) protein sources. This ensures that they are getting the full spectrum of essential amino acids. Lacto-vegetarians can use milk and dairy products to obtain their protein. Lacto-Vegetarian bodybuilders also have a very strong ally by their side in the form of Whey and Casein protein which are dairy proteins of very high biological value. Notable vegetarian bodybuilders include Mr. Universe Bill Pearl, former IFBB Pros Steve Brisbois, Andreas Cahling, India’s new IFBB Pro Varinder Ghuman and also numerous impressive natural bodybuilders.

Good animal sources of protein for the bodybuilder include chicken, meat, fish and eggs. The sports supplement market is loaded with protein supplements of all types and brands, each claiming to be superior to the other. The amazing variety of protein supplements can be confusing to the unaware bodybuilder but to help matters I will publish soon a guide that lists the various protein supplement types.

http://www.bodybuildingnfo.com/?p=106

5 Cancer Causing Foods

5 foods to stay away from to help avoid carcinogens, such a helpful list, and really nothing surprising about it. Hot dogs, soda, fried potatoes, donuts, and charred meat, note it doesn’t say all meat, the charring is the bad part. Memorize it, avoid these foods, be healthy, provide good fuel for your body.

BULGARIAN DUMBELL SPLIT SQUAT

Benefits of Turmeric

Acupressure points of the hands

8 minutes away from a better day

Sympthons of Inner Peace

5 ADVANTAGES OF DRINKING WATER IN THE MORNING

The Ultimate 30-Minute Resistance Band Workout

Bananas are powerful!

6 ways to naturally relieve mosquito bites

KILLER KARDIO

THE 30-Minute, No-Gym BODY WEIGHT WORKOUT

The Hours and Quality of Your Sleep

Did you know that the hours and quality of your sleep has a huge impact on your mood, energy, and ability to handle stress? The way you sleep, and the amount you sleep affects directly your waking life, including your mental sharpness, productivity, emotional balance, creativity, physical vitality, and even your weight, so it is kind of a big deal. If you can identify with this, you may need to get on a healthier sleep schedule.

Sleeping is actually the way your body prepares you for the day ahead, so if you want to use your entire potential for your daily activities, mental and physical, you will need quality sleep. This does not mean you have to choose between sleeping and your responsibilities, the magic about this is that when you start getting the sleep you need, your energy and efficiency will go up. You must take this as seriously as  nutrition and exercise, losing even one hour of sleep can affect your ability to think properly and respond quickly. Remember as everything in life, quality before quantity. You can sleep many hours per night but if the quality is poor, you will feel unrested during the day.

So how many hours do we need?

Most healthy adults need between seven and a half to nine hours of sleep per night to function at their best, but since every person is different the best way to figure out if you’re meeting your sleep needs is to evaluate how you feel as you go about your day, if you are feeling energetic and enthusiastic and alert, these are good signs of quality sleep.  But if you are not sleeping the amount you should, you may not even remember what it feels like to be wide-awake, fully alert, and firing on all cylinders. The problem with this is, it affects your daily life situations.

Why is this, you may ask? As I told you earlier it is kind of a big deal, while we are sleeping a lot is going on in our bodies and minds. Sleep has many stages and they are all different and equally important.

There are two main types of sleep; the first is the Non-REM sleep, which consists of four stages of sleep, first is Stage 1, transition: in this stage you are just beginning to fall asleep, you are easily awakened. It lasts about five minutes. Next Stage 2, light sleep: in this stage you are finally asleep, your body begins to relax and your body temperature decreases. It lasts about 20 minutes. Then, Stage 3, deep sleep: in this stage your brain waves are extremely slow, and it is very difficult to wake you, in fact if you awaken you will feel groggy and disoriented for several minutes. The most damaging effects of sleep deprivation are from inadequate deep sleep, in this stage your body repairs itself and builds up energy for the day ahead.

Finally there is REM sleep, where dreaming occurs. In this stage your body movement increases but your arm and leg muscles are paralyzed. In this stage, your eyes are moving back and forth, it is known as Rapid Eye Movement sleep. This stage begins 70 to 90 minutes after you fall asleep.  This stage is really important because your brain consolidates and processes the information you’ve learned during the day, forms neural connections that strengthen memory, and replenishes its supply of neurotransmitters, including feel-good chemicals like serotonin and dopamine that boost your mood during the day.

You should try to get at least 7 hours of good quality sleep per day, keep a sleep diary so that you can record how many hours of sleep and quality per day and how you felt during the day as well. Whenever you can forget about alarm clocks and go to sleep with no distractions, and allow yourself to wake up naturally you are sleeping the proper number of hours at good quality for you.  Remember, this is very important for the health of your body, and your mind, make it a priority.

Low Back Pain Exercises

Exercises that stretch and strengthen the muscles of your abdomen and spine can help prevent back problems. If your back and abdominal muscles are strong, you can maintain good posture and keep your spine in its correct position.
If your muscles are tight, take a warm shower or bath before doing the exercises. Exercise on a rug or mat. Wear loose clothing. Do not wear shoes. Stop doing any exercise that causes pain until you have talked with your provider.

12 thing you shouldn't tolerate

How sitting too long affect the body

http://positivedrugs.com/

Stretches and Exercises to Improve your Posture!

Have you noticed that when you sit or stand the correct way, you actually look 10 years younger? Yep, our posture is like the window to our health, kind of like our eyes are the window to our soul. It is a well known fact that good posture conveys confidence, poise and leadership. But how you look is not as important as how you really are, poor posture often develops back and neck pain, tightness and stiffness, and increased injury among other drawbacks.
Thankfully there are many simple exercises and stretches you can incorporate into your daily routine that will align your muscles and body properly allowing efficient movement because your body’s muscles and joints are balanced and supported.
So what can you do to improve your posture?
You can work to improve your posture by practicing corrective strengthening and stretching exercises every day or at least 2-3 times a week for 15-20 minutes per session.

1. Strengthen Your Core
It is important to have strong core, since they keep your back healthy and resistant to pain and injury; they also hold your body upright, improve balance and enable you to move your body with greater control and efficiency
• Try these exercises:
Crunches
Side planks
Crunches with twist
Standing side blends
Plank hold
Back extensions
Swimming

2. Fix Rounded Shoulders
You can improve your posture by strengthening the weak upper back muscles, while stretching tight muscles in the chest, shoulders, lats and hips. As soon as you improve the strength of your upper back the chest becomes more flexible, the shoulders naturally pull back improving the posture.
• Try these exercises:
Reverse dumbbell flys
Rows with resistance band
Standing chest stretch
Torso Stretch
Standing quad stretch

3. Neutralize Tilted Hips
When viewed from the side, your hips should be neutral and level, it is important that you strengthen the weak muscles in your hamstrings, glutes and abs, while improving the flexibility of your thighs and hip flexors.
• Try these exercises:
Bridges
Leg curls (with ball)
Single leg hamstring flexion (with ball)
Standing squad stretch
Kneeling quad and hip stretch

4. Retract a Forward Head
Most people think of the back and shoulders as keys to good posture, but the position of your head and neck is just as important. By fixing the tight and weak areas of the neck, your head will once again center itself just above the shoulders, which may decrease chronic neck pain caused by these imbalances.
• Try these exercises:
Neck retraction exercise
Headrest exercise
Neck stretches

Try these exercises at least 3-4 times per week and you’ll notice the difference within the days, to improve your posture it is also very good to practice Pilates and Yoga. As your posture improves, you will look younger and thinner and appear more confident and trust me, this is the real road to happiness. You have nothing to lose, but a bad posture, and some pain.

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/fitness_articles.asp?id=1407

World's Fastest Workout

Why Do Glute Bridges?

I’m often asked what’s a good exercise for the gluteus and hamstrings. Bridges are one of the most underrated and underutilized exercises for working those muscles. The bridge is an excellent exercise to isolate and strengthen the gluteus, hamstrings, core stability muscles, hip/lower back as well as improve spinal stabilization. Most people do this exercise without added resistance, but that’s a mistake (see “tip” below vid). Done with added resistance, there’s improved responses, as all muscles require added resistance (vs volume) to adapt and get stronger. And NO, they are not just for women!!! 

Bridges are a highly functional exercise that can lead to both functional improvements as well as visual. For example, one practitioner of Brazilian jiu jitsu I know said “This is a key exercise for anyone who competes in jiu jitsu tournaments. Strong bridge makes all the difference in escaping. I work bridges hard.”

Bridges are an exercise that have both expected and unexpected benefits both functionally (for various sports) and visually, for bodybuilders, figure/fitness, or the average person looking shape up and strengthen the area. It’s also used for both rehab and prehab. Personally, I tend to incorporate it into lower body days. A typical workout might look like: front squats, RDLs, Bridges, and planks, or a workout I did the other day geared more toward conditioning/GPP/conditioning was a complex of:

Sand bag step ups
Slayer Barbell Bridges
High/low Prowler sprints
Did three circuits of the above then some planks and side planks. My butt was sore for days!

Tip: most people do bridges with body weight only as adding additional resistance comfortably is not always easy. The Slayer Barbell allows for as much added resistance as you could want in perfect comfort, which is one of many exercises this bar allows. If not using a Slayer, try putting a foam pad around an Olympic bar (so the bar does not dig into your hips), or try a plate across your lap, or a heavy medicine ball. None of those options are as comfortable and smooth as using the Slayer Barbell, but experiment with those options and see what works for you. As with any body weight only exercise, your own weight will only get you so far and added resistance will be needed for continued increases in strength, etc.

http://projectnext.net/?p=58

Fruits that can chang your life

FITNESS MYTHS

The real cancer killer

Cancer is one of the worst and most common diseases; it affects nearly 1 in 3 people at some stage in their life. It is well known that food is one of the most common causes for this terrible disease, so the better way to prevent it or fight it is by having a balanced diet and lifestyle.
The available options leave you feeling incredibly ill and disable you for months, or even years, this is the main reason why so many cancer patients are turning to alternative medicine to help cure them of the disease.

Nature is full of natural treatments for many illnesses, in this specific case (cancer) soursop has been found to be 10,000 times stronger than chemotherapy at attacking and killing cancer, but of course pharmaceutical companies do not want you to know this since they cannot patent natural chemicals.
These companies are trying to re-create the chemical structure in order to make synthetic acetogenin that can be patented and marketed to its full potential, one reason why they don’t support publically this plant’s miraculous effects against disease and illness.
Nature is the cure, we are aware that this plant is powerful, you don’t need a drug made from the plant, all you need is the delicious plant itself. Fight diseases hand in hand with nature.

For those who say there is not any “credible scientific research” on this fruit: Do you know how much a “credible scientific evidence” costs? Probably tens of millions of dollars, and who might pay for that? NIH? NSF? Pharmaceutical companies? Pharmaceuticals lobby against anything that damages their profit, and NIH and NSF don’t care about “natural alternatives”. The profits that each individual patient brings for pharmaceutical industry is more than a million dollars and they never want to lose that profit. So there might never be a “credible scientific research” for this fruit or any other natural remedies in near future!

Here are couple of peer-reviewed articles that suggest strong anti-cancer properties of soursop for patients with different forms of cancer such as pancreatic cancer and a form of skin cancer:

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#1: Those of you who know someone with pancreatic cancer know this is one of the worst forms of cancer with a high morbidity. I personally have lost a family member to it and this cancer goes so rapidly that you can’t even imagine! Now this study, performed both in-vivo and in-vitro, shows that the active agents in soursop inhibit the generation of pancreatic tumors and their metastasis which may lead to generation of new drugs:

Cancer Lett. 2012 Oct 1;323(1):29-40. doi: 10.1016/j.canlet.2012.03.031. Epub 2012 Apr 1.
Graviola: a novel promising natural-derived drug that inhibits tumorigenicity and metastasis of pancreatic cancer cells in vitro and in vivo through altering cell metabolism.
Torres MP, Rachagani S, Purohit V, Pandey P, Joshi S, Moore ED, Johansson SL, Singh PK, Ganti AK, Batra SK.
Source
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Omaha, NE 68198-5870, USA.
Abstract
Pancreatic tumors are resistant to conventional chemotherapies. The present study was aimed at evaluating the potential of a novel plant-derived product as a therapeutic agent for pancreatic cancer (PC). The effects of an extract from the tropical tree Annona Muricata, commonly known as Graviola, was evaluated for cytotoxicity, cell metabolism, cancer-associated protein/gene expression, tumorigenicity, and metastatic properties of PC cells. Our experiments revealed that Graviola induced necrosis of PC cells by inhibiting cellular metabolism. The expression of molecules related to hypoxia and glycolysis in PC cells (i.e. HIF-1α, NF-κB, GLUT1, GLUT4, HKII, and LDHA) were downregulated in the presence of the extract. In vitro functional assays further confirmed the inhibition of tumorigenic properties of PC cells. Overall, the compounds that are naturally present in a Graviola extract inhibited multiple signaling pathways that regulate metabolism, cell cycle, survival, and metastatic properties in PC cells. Collectively, alterations in these parameters led to a decrease in tumorigenicity and metastasis of orthotopically implanted pancreatic tumors, indicating promising characteristics of the natural product against this lethal disease.

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#2- Another study focuses on the benefits of soursop in skin cancer in-vivo (live animals). Many previous studies suggest the promising benefits of soursop in killing cancer in vitro (live cells in test tubes), but this study shows the benefits on live mice:

Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2012;13(6):2533-9.
Chemopreventive potential of Annona muricata L leaves on chemically-induced skin papillomagenesis in mice.
Hamizah S, Roslida AH, Fezah O, Tan KL, Tor YS, Tan CI.
Source
Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
Abstract
Annona muricata L (Annonaceae), commonly known as soursop has a long, rich history in herbal medicine with a lengthy recorded indigenous use. It had also been found to be a promising new anti-tumor agent in numerous in vitro studies. The present investigation concerns chemopreventive effects in a two-stage model of skin papillomagenesis. Chemopreventive effects of an ethanolic extract of A. muricata leaves (AMLE) was evaluated in 6-7 week old ICR mice given a single topical application of 7,12-dimethylbenza(α)anthracene (DMBA 100 μg/100 μl acetone) and promotion by repeated application of croton oil (1% in acetone/ twice a week) for 10 weeks. Morphological tumor incidence, burden and volume were measured, with histological evaluation of skin tissue. Topical application of AMLE at 30, 100 and 300 mg/kg significantly reduced DMBA/croton oil induced mice skin papillomagenesis in (i) peri-initiation protocol (AMLE from 7 days prior to 7 days after DMBA), (ii) promotion protocol (AMLE 30 minutes after croton oil), or (iii) both peri-initiation and promotion protocol (AMLE 7 days prior to 7 day after DMBA and AMLE 30 minutes after croton oil throughout the experimental period), in a dose dependent manner (p<0.05) as compared to carcinogen-treated control. Furthermore, the average latent period was significantly increased in the AMLE-treated group. Interestingly, At 100 and 300 mg/ kg, AMLE completely inhibited the tumor development in all stages. Histopathological study revealed that tumor growth from the AMLE-treated groups showed only slight hyperplasia and absence of keratin pearls and rete ridges. The results, thus suggest that the A.muricata leaves extract was able to suppress tumor initiation as well as tumor promotion even at lower dosage.

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#3

Cancer Lett. 1995 Sep 4;96(1):55-62.
Tumor cell growth inhibition by several Annonaceous acetogenins in an in vitro disk diffusion assay.
Oberlies NH, Jones JL, Corbett TH, Fotopoulos SS, McLaughlin JL.
Source
Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy and Pharmacal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-1333, USA.
AbstractThe cell inhibition activities of several Annonaceous acetogenins, covering the three major structural classes of bis-adjacent, bis-non-adjacent, and single tetrahydrofuran (THF) ring compounds and their respective ketolactone rearrangement products, were tested in an in vitro disk diffusion assay against three murine (P388, PO3, and M17/Adr) and two human (H8 and H125) cancerous cell lines as well as a non-cancerous immortalized rat GI epithelial cell line (I18). The results demonstrate a dose-dependent inhibition of cancerous cell growth, while non-cancerous cell growth is not inhibited by the same dosages. All of the acetogenins, irrespective of their various structural types, inhibit the growth of adriamycin resistant tumor cells and non-resistant tumor cells at the same levels of potency. These results show that the Annonaceous acetogenins are an extremely potent class of compounds, and their inhibition of cell growth can be selective for cancerous cells and also effective for drug resistant cancer cells, while exhibiting only minimal toxicity to ‘normal’ non-cancerous cells.

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#4- Another article here suggests that the alcohol-based extract of the soursop leaves has strong anti-inflammatory benefits and also reduces the pain. As you know many forms of skin cancer cause a lot of pain in the patients. So this study might open the door for production of new natural based drugs for people who suffer from those pains. Here is more information:

Int J Mol Sci. 2010 May 6;11(5):2067-78. doi: 10.3390/ijms11052067.
Antinociceptive and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of the Ethanol Extract of Annona muricata L. Leaves in Animal Models.
de Sousa OV, Vieira GD, de Jesus R G de Pinho J, Yamamoto CH, Alves MS.
Source
Departamento Farmacêutico, Faculdade de Farmácia e Bioquímica, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Campus Universitário, Martelos, 36036-330, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil; E-Mails: glauciemar@gmail.com (G.D.-V.V.); jose.pinho@ufjf.edu.br (J.J.R.G.P.); hytomani@yahoo.com (C.H.Y.).
AbstractAntinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of the ethanol extract from Annona muricata L. leaves were investigated in animal models. The extract delivered per oral route (p.o.) reduced the number of abdominal contortions by 14.42% (at a dose of 200 mg/kg) and 41.41% (400 mg/kg). Doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg (p.o) inhibited both phases of the time paw licking: first phase (23.67% and 45.02%) and the second phase (30.09% and 50.02%), respectively. The extract (p.o.) increased the reaction time on a hot plate at doses of 200 (30.77% and 37.04%) and 400 mg/kg (82.61% and 96.30%) after 60 and 90 minutes of treatment, respectively. The paw edema was reduced by the ethanol extract (p.o.) at doses of 200 (23.16% and 29.33%) and 400 mg/kg (29.50% and 37.33%) after 3 to 4 h of application of carrageenan, respectively. Doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg (p.o.), administered 4 h before the carrageenan injection, reduced the exudate volume (29.25 and 45.74%) and leukocyte migration (18.19 and 27.95%) significantly. These results suggest that A. muricata can be an active source of substances with antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities.

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#5- Although this study is performed on Annonacin, extracted from apple custard, this compound is also found in Soursop. This research also suggests strong anticancer properties of this compound in various cell lines.

Life Sci. 2003 May 9;72(25):2853-61.
Annonacin, a mono-tetrahydrofuran acetogenin, arrests cancer cells at the G1 phase and causes cytotoxicity in a Bax- and caspase-3-related pathway.
Yuan SS, Chang HL, Chen HW, Yeh YT, Kao YH, Lin KH, Wu YC, Su JH.
Source
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan 807, ROC. yuanssf@ms33.hinet.net
Abstract
Annonaceous acetogenins are a group of potential anti-neoplastic agents isolated from Annonaceae plants. In this study, we purified annonacin, a cytotoxic mono-tetrahydrofuran acetogenin, from the seeds of Annona reticulata and analyzed its biological effects. Herein, we have shown that annonacin caused significant cell death in various cancer cell lines. T24 bladder cancer cells at the S phase were more vulnerable to the cytotoxicity of annonacin. Furthermore, annonacin activated p21 in a p53-independent manner and arrested T24 cells at the G1 phase. It also induced Bax expression, enhanced caspase-3 activity, and caused apoptotic cell death in T24 cells. In summary, these results suggest that annonacin is potentially a promising anti-cancer compound.

http://positivemed.com/2013/06/06/the-real-cancer-killer/

Bye Bye Arm Jiggle ( A Quick 15-minute Arm Workout )

Bye Bye Arm Jiggle ( A Quick 15-minute Arm Workout )

When you wave good-bye do your arms keep jiggling after you stop moving? Many of us like wearing strapless and tank-style tops, which expose the upper back, shoulders, upper chest, and arms, so you may be interested in the following exercises, that shape all those places, it takes no longer than 15 minutes. Do these arm exercises one after another with no rest in between. Repeat the circuit, resting a minute between circuits and you’ll see the results in no time at all! Tip: Start with a lower weight dumbbell, according to your fitness level. 2 pounds is enough for a beginner, 8 pounds for the very fit. Don’t increase the weight until you’ve mastered perfect form.

http://positivemed.com/2013/05/08/bye-bye-arm-jiggle-a-quick-15-minute-arm-workout/

SHIATSU SELF MASSAGE

http://niuse.wordpress.com/tag/decision-making/

Sassy Water for Flat Belly Diet

This is another version of the fat flush water, it also promotes energy and good health. I think it sounds delicious, it will be in my refrigerator in the next few days! This drink can play a huge role in your flat belly diet! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 liters water
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 medium cucumber, sliced
1 medium lemon, sliced
12 small spearmint leaves

Place all ingredients in a large pitcher, let blend together overnight, the next day drink the whole pitcher during the course of the day. Hello fast weight loss!

http://positivemed.com/2013/02/17/sassy-water/