Best Health Product Reviews

Heard a good weight loss tip lately? It’s amazing the number of seemingly small things you can do to help lose unwanted fat. You may never have heard of these tips before, and some of them may seem a little wacky, but they have all been tested and if you try a few of them you may be pleasantly surprised at the results. If the tip seems insignificant, remember that mountains are moved one scoop at a time and the healthy, fit body you desire is best achieved in baby steps.

Incorporate small changes each week in your diet and activity levels and the effect is cumulative. You can do small changes, right?

* This weight loss tip come from Sweden. Studies there have shown that if you eat barley for breakfast, the rest of your meals for the day will be less fattening. It seems due to the high amount of soluble fiber in barley, it takes hours to digest and it cuts the blood sugar spikes that cause your body to store fat. It is still working at lunch time (44%) and at dinner time (14%). You could try barley bread or mix the cooked grain in with oatmeal.

* A study from Japan brings us a weight loss tip that cutting your steak into strips or chunks may help you eat less. Cutting down portion size is made a little easier if you cut up your food. It seems that slicing a portion of food makes the portion appear larger and you feel more satisfied with less. Not so hard to try out this idea.

* Don’t exercise on an empty stomach. If you work out on an empty stomach thinking that your body will use fat as fuel, you will likely have little energy for the workout. During your workout, your body needs and burns carbohydrates and creatine for energy. The fat burning happens after your workout because your metabolism has been boosted by the exercise. So this weight loss tip is to have a small meal, heavy on carbs, an hour or so before you workout and you will have more energy and better results.

* Here’s a good weight loss tip for you if you are trying to stick to a diet but are tortured by cravings for triple chocolate brownies. Give into the urge and have a small portion, and then back off. Yes, you do have to practice restraint, but studies have shown that total deprivation is sometimes too hard to live with and giving in a little occasionally actually helps you stick to your plan. The majority of people in the study who gave in occasionally and satisfied their craving in a small way were far more successful at losing weight.

Being obese or over weight can cause a lot of problems with everyday living, travelling, socialising and your health. By losing even a few excess pounds you can enhance your life and reduce your risks of ill health.

Mobility is impaired by carrying more weight than is normal, putting a strain on your back and joints especially your knees. Carrying fat around your midriff makes you more susceptible to diabetes and obesity increases your risk of heart attacks and strokes. So it seems obvious that any reduction will bring down your risk of endangering your health. Cholesterol levels come down, your pancreas is more able to keep your sugar levels within normal limits and less fat in your body brings down your risk of a stroke.

Being slimmer makes travelling more comfortable, mobility eases, joints are relieved and breathing improves. You will feel more motivated and more positive about yourself so are more likely to continue exercising and eating healthily. Your skin and hair will improve giving you an over all feeling of well being.

Clothes will be easier and more exciting to buy, the choice will increase and you will be able to be more adventurous. Even though we are told every day that more and more of us are over weight there are very few shops on the high street that sell a full range of clothes in larger sizes. It is as we all know hard to lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle without really working at it but the benefits are such that they out weight the toil. Knowing that your health has improved and looking in the mirror and seeing the person you want to be is reward enough.

An introductory approach to cholesterol associated diseases & their testing:

Cholesterol is one of the lipids used extensively by our body for diverse array of functions. Cholesterol, along with some other lipids, forms important cellular structural components, makes steroidal hormones, & produces energy when decomposed. Cholesterol, at some levels, is produced by the body (without ever letting you know!) while it also finds its way in your body when you feast on that yummy creamy cake!

Cholesterol is broadly categorized, on the basis of its density, into following classes: * High Density Lipoproteins * Low Density Lipoproteins * Intermediate Density Lipoproteins * Very Low Density Lipoproteins * Chylomicrons

The levels of these cholesterol types reflect the state of health of your body. The blood cholesterol levels define degree and asperity of a cascade of diseases, like:

* Atherosclerosis & atherosclerosis associated cardiovascular disorders: Atherosclerosis is a stage of arteriosclerosis involving fatty deposits inside the arterial walls. This deposition of fatty acids is a long term process which, in due course of time, leads to narrowing of arteries and to be hardened. It results in the diminution of arterial elasticity leading to reduction in the blood volume passed through them thus, leafing out various symptoms associated with cardiovascular diseases.

* Vascular dementia & Alzheimer’s disease: Vascular dementia (or mental deterioration, in layman terms!) is caused when blood vessels deprive the brain of oxygen, as a result of which brain cells die. Some studies report high cholesterol levels to increase the risk of cognitive impairment.

A famous neurological disorder, Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive form of pre-senile dementia that results in impaired memory which is followed by impaired thought and speech and finally complete helplessness. It has been reported that much of the damage of Alzheimer’s is due to the deposition of a sticky protein, called beta-amyloid in the vital areas of the brain and unfortunately, higher levels of cholesterol are believed to accelerate the formation of beta-amyloid plaques!

* Miscellaneous effects like peripheral vascular disease (numbness in limbs due to high cholesterol levels in blood vessels, blocking the flow of blood), cancer (due to suppression of a tumor suppression gene by TGF) & pregnancy colligated complications (due to dramatic rise in cholesterol count during pregnancy) have been reported quite frequently.

All these monstrous diseases certainly require us to stay informed about our cholesterol levels & overall lipid profiles. Usually, cardiovascular disease risk index (blood HDL & LDL ratio) is obtained by monitoring pulse rates, blood pressure, ECG, checking kidney functions, listening to heart beats and large arteries. However, a general quick idea of cholesterol levels can be obtained by various easy-to-use handy equipments available in the market which can used individually to test cholesterol levels without any laboratory expertise.

These testing machines are able to measure Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglycerides & total cholesterol with a reasonable accuracy.

The ideal cholesterol level in the blood is less than 5mmol/l. While the cholesterol levels between 6.5 to 7.8mmol/l are termed as moderate, anything above 7.8mmol/l is termed as Very High Cholesterol & surely you wouldn’t want your meter read anywhere near to it! So, stay informed and eat healthy!

About the Author

This Article is written by Tarun Gupta, the author of TestCountry Health Information Resources, a longer version of this article is located at Cholesterol: An Overview, and resources from other home health and wellness testing sources are used such as TestCountry Cholesterol Tests.

Decide for sure that you want to quit. Promise yourself that you’ll do it. It’s OK to have mixed feelings. Don’t let that stop you. There will be times every day that you don’t feel like quitting. You will have to stick with it anyway.

Find reasons to quit that are important to you. Think of more than just health reasons. For example, think of:

How much money you’ll save by not buying cigarettes The time you’ll have for yourself instead of taking cigarette breaks, rushing out to buy a pack, or searching for a light Not being short of breath or coughing as much Setting a better example for your children

Write down all the reasons why you want to quit. List ways to fight the urge to smoke, too.

I will feel healthier right away.
I will have more energy and better focus.
My senses of smell and taste will be better.
I will have whiter teeth and fresher breath.
I will cough less and breathe better.
I will be healthier the rest of my life.
I will lower my risk for cancer, heart attacks, strokes, early death, cataracts, and skin wrinkling.
I will make my partner, friends, family, kids, grandchildren, and co-workers proud of me.
I will be proud of myself.
I will feel more in control of my life.
I will be a better role model for others.

Keep your list where you’ll see it often. Good places are:

Where you keep your cigarettes
In your wallet or purse
In the kitchen
In your car

When you reach for a cigarette you’ll find your list. It will remind you why you want to stop.

What’s in a Cigarette?

Your body gets more than nicotine when you smoke. There are more than 4,000 chemicals in cigarette smoke. Some of them are also in wood varnish, the insect poison DDT, arsenic, nail polish remover, and rat poison. The ashes, tar, gases, and other poisons in cigarettes harm your body over time. They damage your heart and lungs. They also make it harder for you to taste and smell things, and fight infections.

Smokings’ Impact on Others

Even a little second-hand smoke is dangerous. Second-hand smoke can cause cancer in non-smokers. It can also cause breathing problems and heart disease. People who breathe second-hand smoke get colds and flu more easily. And they often die younger than those who don’t breathe it. Pregnant women who breathe second-hand smoke have many risks:

They may lose their babies.
Their babies may be born small.
Their babies are more likely to die of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).
Their children may be cranky, restless, and get sick more often.
Their children are more likely to have learning problems.
Children who breathe second-hand smoke have troubles too. They are much more likely to have breathing problems such as asthma. They also get more ear and lung infections (like pneumonia).

Pregnant or thinking about having a baby?

There’s no better time to quit than now. Women who smoke have a harder time getting pregnant.
And you face more dangers if you do get pregnant:

You may lose the baby or have a stillborn (dead) baby.
Your baby may be born small.
Your baby is more likely to die of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Your baby may be cranky, restless, and get sick more often.
Your baby is more likely to have learning problems.
The good news is that quitting can help you have a healthy baby. It helps to quit at any time while you are pregnant. It’s even better to quit before you get pregnant.

These are some helpful tips to get you started on your way to a healthier, smoke free, feeling better about yourself life. Do everything you can to Quit! Read about the success of other people that were in the exact same position you’re in right now, and have overcome the nicotine addiction to live a happier, healthier life.

Every year, tens of millions of people undertake to retake control over their health and the shape of their body; and each year, tens of millions of people feel that they have “failed” because, try as they might, they just can not speed up their metabolism.

Your metabolic rate is the rate at which your body burns calories to maintain day to day metabolic actions and reaction, generally accelerating your metabolic rate the less fat your body will carry.

Stop dieting and start losing weight. Here are ten ways you can do to boost your metabolic rate.

1. Drink green tea. Green tea when drunk on a regular basis has been shown to accelerate the metabolism.

2. Consuming more spicy foods also help boost your metabolic rate but only for a short time.

3. Build more muscle. Muscle burns calories just by being there, your muscles burn calories even when you are asleep. Using muscle building to build muscle on a regular basis is a calorie burning investment for the future.

4. Drink plenty of water. Your body can not carry out its metabolic functions without sufficient water.

5. Never skip breakfast, you should have something to eat as soon as possible after waking up. After you eat your body gets the message that food is abundant and it’s safe to rev up the system.

6. Eat regular meals. Several small meals spread though out the day are best than one or two big meals. This tactic will reinforce that food is abundant message.

7. Don’t partake in fasting or low calorie dieting. When you fast or drastically cut back your calories intake your body gets the famine message and slow down the metabolic rate to conserve calories and stored food supplies.

8. Get plenty of exercise like walking, running, and swimming movement is a great way to boost metabolism and even after you stop exercising the metabolism keeps burning at an increase rate for a few hours.

9. Try to avoid stress, it causes your body to release hormones that slow metabolism.

10. Eat food which require a large percentage of the calories to digest them.

———————————————————–

By: Riki Chon

Article Directory: For more health and fitness tips visit Anti-aging-Secrets and The Benefits of Yoga Put your weight loss on Automatic Pilot. STOP Dieting and Start Losing Weight

What is HGH?

HGH stands for Human Growth Hormone. Human Growth Hormone is the naturally occurring substance from the human pituitary gland that plays a key role in young, active function of body, brain and sex organs.

Levels of Human Growth Hormone decrease as we age. By middle age and beyond, HGH levels have plummeted to a tiny fraction of their youthful levels — and science shows that there is a direct correlation between lost HGH and the typical signs of aging, such as weight gain, loss of interest in sex, sagging skin and muscles, wrinkled skin that lacks good tone and texture, flagging memory.

HGH supplementation has been shown to:

• Decrease fat, while increasing lean muscle
• Improve the look and feel of your skin
• Increase bone density, and even reverse osteoporosis
• Power up the brain, and maintain memory even during aging
• Boost the sex drive
• Tone and improve overall physical and mental well being
• Contribute to better sleep
• Improve mood, and banish depression and fatigue

How do I know HGH releaser products are safe?

Choose carefully to get the highest quality products from the options in this genuinely beneficial category. Go with a product from a company that has a good reputation, such as GenF20 HGH — this one attests to its safety and reliability. There are neither side effects nor known drug interactions with GenF20 HGH. This product is manufactured in GMP certified laboratories, that is, pharmaceutical quality labs of the highest standards. These are the kinds of safety checks to look for. Ask your doctor if you have specific concerns.

Some claims I’ve seen say you must have HGH by injection for it to work. If that’s true, how can tablets be effective?

Originally, HGH products were only available in very expensive injections of HGH derived from donors’ pituitary glands post mortem. The HGH molecule, it was discovered, could not absorb into the bloodstream by other methods because it is too large to pass through the walls of the digestive system. However, new techniques have created the tablet supplement that uses a formula to trigger and stimulate the pituitary gland to produce and secrete more HGH itself. The HGH goes into your body just as nature intended, in other words, through the glandular system — just as it did when you were in your 20s!

What side effects are there?

There are no known side effects with HGH releasers. Many studies have been conducted in all age groups, and no ill effects whatsoever have been reported. Just make sure the product you purchase is produced in a GMP certified laboratory.

How long can I take HGH?

Initially, it’s recommended that you take the product for about 6 months to bring your body’s HGH production levels up. At this time, you may wish to take a “pause” of up to 1 year, while you continue to enjoy the benefits of increased HGH. Your body’s new HGH production levels won’t drop dramatically during this time. Then you can repeat the process to enhance HGH production in the long term. If you are having trouble finding a product that outlines these specifications, we recommend GenF20 as a product you can’t go wrong with.

How quickly do HGH releasers work? How fast will I look and feel better?

You should plan to stay on the HGH supplement for at least 3 months when you begin your program. Results vary depending on your existing level of HGH when you begin, so for instance, people who have very low levels of HGH have more immediate results. Most people, regardless of current HGH level, report feeling better, sleeping better and having more energy right away, with improvement in appearance and muscle tone and other benefits generally becoming more pronounced over the first couple months.

Is HGH just for older adults?

Because the lowest levels of HGH are found in older populations, they’ll experience results most quickly. However, because HGH effects so many systems and organs, it has benefits for adults of any age.

I heard HGH was a very expensive treatment to obtain. Why are HGH tablets so affordable?

Advances in the engineering of amino acids that comprise this product mean the costs are only a small fraction of what HGH injections would cost. Originally, HGH injections could run as much as $15,000! Now you can obtain quality HGH supplementation affordably thanks to new scientific breakthroughs in understanding HGH and manufacturing effective releasers of HGH. We recommend GenF20 HGH as the best value around.

Is it possible to take too much of this product?

As with all supplements or drugs, you should stay within the guidelines established for you by the research community and pharmaceutical manufacturer. Follow the instructions as they appear on the label or product insert, as increasing the dosage usually results in product wastage.

How can I obtain these products and maintain my privacy?

Ordering online is a great way to discreetly get the product you want. Read the site carefully to find out how the manufacturer ships; if they don’t already ship in plain packaging that doesn’t reveal the contents, you may be able to request the service.

How about a guarantee?

You should insist on a guarantee, and make sure to read the fine print. Although all reputable companies offer them, not all companies that have them are reputable… Take extra time to read how the guarantee works, some products require a one year supply to be eligible for a refund, so shop carefully! If you have trouble finding a product you trust on your own, we recommend GenF20, as it features a straight forward guarantee that you can have confidence in.

For most people, aging is a mysterious human biological process. The process, just like any other scientifically proven development, is really far from being unexplainable. In fact, aging involves many theories and explanations on how this natural phenomenon happens to all human beings.

Almost all scientific explanations for aging are based on the observations of objects around us. The process is basically attributed to the principle that an individual, just like any animal and non-living, complex engines, tends to deteriorate or age as years pass by. Aging among humans have two types- the biological and chronological processes. According to experts, chronological aging pertains to the years you have been living while biological aging shows how much your body changes as compared to how you were from the past years as well as to other people who are of the same age as you. Since the biological process is what matters most in aging, you can now have more control over your health as it is now possible to prolong or slow down biological maturity by simply adhering to the currently available medical breakthroughs that can stop the aging process.

Theories in Aging

Theories and medical studies related to aging are exhaustively expounded so as to help people understand the principles of the process. One of the basic theories that explain why we change as we age is the genetic explanation. Early scientists claim that our biological aging processes are coded in our genes. The theory clearly explains that environmental factors can further affect our aging periods for pollutants can eventually degrade cell formations in our body. The flaw in this theory, however, is seen on the fact that since aging is basically mapped on our genes, we cannot do anything about it. As there are numerous legal and safe ways to keep our bodies healthy and younger looking, the theory is generally disregarded by today’s medical experts.

Meanwhile, stress is another prime factor that can affect the aging process. Known as the most complex theory on aging, stress apparently affects the growth and aging glands inside our bodies, particularly the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is considered the “Boss of all Glands” since it controls the hormonal release processes of all other glands in the body. When we experience too much stress, this gland will become less accurate, thus, leading to imbalanced hormonal level within our bodies and resulting to more damaged tissues.

Moreover, the free radical theory is probably the most widely accepted explanation on aging. Free radicals, or loose highly reactive body chemicals, are basically proven to be the main cause of tissue damage when over-exposed with these chemicals. While free radicals have a number of usages in the body, too much of these bodily chemicals can damage our cells and tissues.

Free radicals have adverse effects inside the body for these chemicals are highly reactive. These chemicals contain extra electrons that enable them to absorb electrons of other molecules. As the free radicals repeatedly do this, they eventually wear out the cells in our bodies as well as create new chemicals on the process. As the cells in our bodies wear out, we then experience the early signs of aging.

Effects of Aging on Sex

As explained earlier, we experience many changes as we age and these changes can be both psychological and physical. Unfortunately, our sexual vigor is among the things that inevitably changes as we get older. During our young age, we have a lot of energy for this activity, thus, enjoying its benefits and gaining experiences from it. But as we age, we tend to lose interest or have less energy for sex.

Hormonal changes are considered normal signs of aging. These changes, however, can significantly affect the levels of our sexual drive. As for men, testosterone production decreases due to aging and health conditions. The same goes for aging women since studies show that most females who are on the prime of their age no longer have the strong sexual vigor they once have when they are still young.

On the other hand, physical changes are not the only factor that can affect the sexuality of aging adults. The changes in our surroundings and environment can also alter the impact of sex on aging individuals. The values and concepts of sex invariably change during the various stages of our lives. If you are already in your fifties or sixties, you will see that the sexual beliefs and values of your time are very different as compared to the experiences and principles of the younger generation. Hence, physical changes and social influences can essentially affect the sexual drive of every aging individual.

How to Maintain Sexual Drive

The most effective way to improve and maintain your sexual ardor as you age is to have sex regularly. Just like in keeping your body fit and sound, regular and satisfying sexual performance can really train your body to respond well to sex. If you’re having a little trouble in the love department, try some GenF20 HGH. This wonderful supplement restores your HGH to youthful levels and not only can GenF20 give you more energy, but it can also boost your sex drive.

Learning the psychology of sex can also help you and your partner have a normal and satisfying sexual relationship. As an aging adult, you need to consider various factors that can affect you and your partner’s sexual activities. These considerations include proper medications, stable medical conditions, adequate foreplay, and appropriate positions. When these factors are seriously considered by aging adults who are experiencing problems with sex, they will definitely experience improvements on their sexual activities and relationships.

Overall, aging is indeed one of the components of life that we cannot prevent from happening. Although it is an inevitable process, aging is still a wonderful natural way of life that reminds us that we are alive and by far gained a lot of experiences from our existence. Although aging can be prolonged and even prevented, we will, one way or the other, still invariably experience the effects of aging, particularly in sex. To get passed this stage is as easy as exercising daily to maintain a healthy body. Engaging in a regular sexual activity will surely help your body maintain its sexual vigor even as you age.

Aging is one of the inevitable phenomena in human life. With aging, a typical person experiences a decline in efficiently performing simple tasks. Overall brain function also deteriorates, which fosters memory gap. With these drawbacks in aging, people would undeniably opt to maintain a younger state of being. Thus, scientists are on constant search for formulas that may serve as an effective solution to combat aging.

However, it must be understood that aging can be classified into two types: chronological aging and biological aging. Time is the main dictator of your age when you take a chronological view on aging. On the other hand, the biological take on the aging process considers how young your tissues are compared to how they are in the past and compares it to other people of the same chronological age.

Factors that Affect Aging

In the pursuit of finding the most effective answer to stop the human aging process, scientists must first determine the factors that serve as catalysts which foster this inevitable human phase. Based from these scientists’ findings, chronologically or biologically speaking, aging still occurs. One main catalyst of aging is excessive stress. Repetitive disturbances that are inflicted on the human body tend to pile up for a certain period of time, and when these disturbances prove to be too much to take, hormonal imbalance can occur which ultimately leads to damaged cells. Moreover, many scientists put the blame on the stress hormone which is termed as “cortisol”. Unfortunately, in contrast to other helpful hormones on the human body, the cortisol inflicts damage on the hypothalamus which is responsible for regulating good hormones for the body. This induces further stress on the body. The very bad thing about this is that unlike the other good hormones which decrease with age, cortisols increase in number as the human body gets old. This kind of biological trend certainly pulls the human body into an inevitable downward spiral of old age.

Cortisol is an internal factor that applies stress on the human body; however, there are external factors from the environment. Cells which are mainly responsible for generating new tissues get damaged whenever they are exposed to various pollutants. These cells also contain vital genetic information that is passed on to new cells that are spawned during cell division. These new cells can be damaged when these are exposed to environmental pollutants such as radiation and chemical contaminants. If these cells are damaged even to a slightest level, the information that they carry get faulty, which leads to cell damage among newly formed cells. This process repeats itself with every cell division and this ultimately leads to the aging of the human body.

Another cause of stress is the build up of harmful toxins in the body. Each cell in the human body takes on a dual role of a “pump” and a “filter”. It acts as a pump by letting in proper nutrition for the cells while hindering waste products from entering. This process constantly repeats itself and each cell works round the clock. The Membrane Theory of Aging postulates that over time, these process of filtering bad wastes or toxins becomes less efficient which then leads to aging. Moreover, scientists were able to determine that these toxin build-ups most likely occur in the lungs, heart, and skin which verify the probability of a typical person to experience complications within these areas of the human body.

Lastly, one of the most widely-accepted reasons behind the aging process is the Free Radical Theory. This theory basically believes that highly reactive chemicals known as free radicals are the ones responsible for breaking down tissues into a very degenerative state. In mild quantities, these free radicals are quite helpful to the human body. However, free radical in excessive amounts can already inflict damage upon the human body. These free radicals, being extremely reactive, have the capability to extract electrons from other molecules. Often times, free electrons tend to do it constantly that it wears down the cells that are responsible for maintaining the equilibrium of molecules which lost an electron. The perpetual process of extracting and repairing certainly tires out large number of cells which then starts the process of aging.

The Promise of HGH Supplements

By laying a solid grasp on these factors that lead to aging, scientists were able to come up with specific measures to, in the very least, slow down the process of aging. In the realm of nutrition, experts assert that to delay signs of aging, one must find the discipline in cutting down on the average amount of junk food intake everyday. One must opt to consume healthier food items such as fruits and vegetables plus take in snacks that are high in protein to aid hormone performance. Taking in Vitamin C and Vitamin E supplements can also slow down the process of aging.

However, one of the best options in delaying the aging process of the human body is taking Human Growth Hormone supplements. When you take this Human Growth Hormone supplements, you do not literally consume actual growth hormones, but rather, what you take in are “precursors” that aid the pituitary gland to produce hormones that are helpful in maintaining the human body in the peak of its performance state. In particular, the GenF20 HGH supplement uses proteins or amino acids in aiding the pituitary gland. But it was proven that there are three precursors that are more effective compared to other precursors. These precursors are Glutamine, Ornithine, and Arginine all of which belong under the “L” amino acids group while Arginine and Ornithine are well-known for their proficiency in producing growth hormones. This supplement is proven to improve the overall efficiency of the human body plus improve the human brain function as the human body age.

These recent discoveries on aging in tandem with the emergence of supplements that hamper the process of the human body’s aging, gives us a tinge of hope that we can look forward to a longer and better life with our loved ones. With its promising benefits, it’s no doubt that HGH supplements are truly the wave of the future.

He was 57 years old with diabetes since the age of 18, served in the military for 6 years. Was a successful salesperson for a well-known company in the lumber industry. He had started smoking at 18 with little health risk at the time and without knowing what the future would hold continued to smoke after that first cigarette.

Over the years, he had stopped smoking a few times with being successful when he did quit. As thing becomes upsetting in his life, he would turn back to smoking for the ability to calm down. As he thought, smoking would help with stress and anxiety that was in the life. As time went on, he continued to smoke. At the age of 42, he had a major heart attack ending up with five by passes and pacemaker for the heart. As everyone knows smoking is not good for the health. Doctors would tell him all the time this. He would hear of smoking stories.

His regular doctor after years of preaching the non-smoking slogan and said, “I see your mother could not get you to stop smoking, so I guess I won’t be able to either.

Ten years went on with him cutting down smoking, almost quitting, found him once again with more health problems. As being a diabetic, the right leg was losing feeling and the toes were turning colors. He had gangrene in the toes and to have all of them amputated. Life for him, he thought, was getting better now and yes continues to smoke but again less. Doctor prescribed some anxiety pills to help with the depression and anxiety going on in his life at that time. This did help with cutting down the number of cigarettes a day but he continued.

Two years later, he had a stroke that paralyzed his right side, sending him to a nursing home for a month to recover. Recovery was quick as he was always strong and did a great job at the recovery. Only to get out to smoke, smoking I think by now had become his passion. In addition, the smoking stories have not stopped him. The years went on and the health was stable until his foot, the right one that had the toes amputated had gangrene having the leg removed just below the knee. From there the health went done. Each day things become more difficult with only one good leg.

Couple of years later he ended up with rotor cup surgery, which after several weeks he had a major heart attack as that led to congestive heart failure. Within the course of 3 years, the health went down. He went blind, without getting up and moving a lot the lungs would diminish leaving congestive heart. Not eating properly, excising some on a regular basis, left him very ill and helpless. On December 28, 2005, Ken died in his home with smoking his last cigarette about 4 hours before he died. Ken never did give the smoking up even when health and life got better or worse.

He always told me he would die smoking and he did.

By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
www.BurnTheFat.com

Understanding the mind’s role in motivation and behavior is one of the most critical elements in fitness success. If you struggle with changing habits and behaviors or if you can’t get motivated, then even the best training and nutrition program is not much help.

A fascinating fact about your subconscious mind is that it’s completely deductive in nature. In other words, it’s fully capable of working backwards from the end to the means. You don’t need to know how to reach a goal at the time you set the goal. If you “program” only the desired outcome successfully into your “mental computer,” then your subconscious will take over and help you find the information and means and carry out the actions necessary to reach it.

Many people are familiar with affirmations and goal-setting as ways to give instructions to your subconscious mind. But perhaps the ultimate mental training” technique is visualization. In one respect, affirmation and visualization are the same, because when you speak or think an affirmation first, that triggers a mental image, being as the human brain “thinks” in pictures.

You can use visualization to plant goals into your subconscious mind. You simply close your eyes, use your imagination and mentally create pictures and run movies of your desired results. For example, in your mind’s eye, you can see the “body of your dreams”. If repeated consistently with emotion, mental images are accepted by your subconscious as commands and this helps with changing habits, behavior and performance.

Although there are some new and creative ways to use visualization, (which you are about to learn), this is not a new technique. Visualization has been used formally in the fields of sports psychology and personal development for decades and philosophers have discussed it for centuries:

“If you want to reach your goal, you must ’see the reaching’ in your own mind before you actually arrive at your goal.”

- Zig Ziglar

“The use of mental imagery is one of the strongest and most effective strategies for making something happen for you.”

- Dr. Wayne Dyer

“Creative visualization is the technique of using your imagination to create what you want in your life.”

- Shakti Gawain

“Perhaps the most effective method of bringing the subconscious into practical action is through the process of making mental pictures - using the imagination.”

- Claude Bristol

“There is a law in psychology that if you form a picture in your mind of what you would like to be, and you keep and hold that picture there long enough, you will soon become exactly as you have been thinking.”

- William James, 1842-1910, Psychologist and Author

Despite these glowing endorsements and a long track record, some people can’t get past feeling that this is just a “hokey” self-help technique. Rest assured, however, that visualization is an effective and time-tested method for increasing personal success that has been used by some of the highest achievers the world.

The Soviets started to popularize visualization in sports psychology back in the 1970’s, as detailed in Charles Garfield’s landmark book, “Peak Performance.” They dominated in many sports during that period, which validated visualization anecdotally.

In the last 10-15 years, there has been some groundbreaking new brain research which has validated visualization scientifically. Here’s something that was written recently by Dr. Richard Restak, a neuroscientist and author of 12 books about the human brain:

“The process of imagining yourself going through the motions of a complex musical or athletic performance activates brain areas that improve your performance. Brain scans have placed such intuitions on a firm neurological basis. Positron emission tomography (PET) scans reveal that the mental rehearsal of an action activates the prefontal areas of the brain responsible for the formulation of the appropriate motor programs. In practical terms, this means you can benefit from the use of mental imagery.”

So much for visualization being a “cheesy” self-help technique.

Although visualization is widely used today, even people who are familiar with it often don’t realize its many applications. Arguably the most common use of visualization is by athletes, musicians and other performers as a form of “mental rehearsal.” Research shows that “practicing in your mind” is almost as effective as practicing physically, and that doing both is more effective than either one alone.

A common use of visualization in the fitness context is “goal visualization.” In your mind’s eye, you can see yourself having already achieved your physique goal or your ideal goal weight. You can also visualize a specific performance goal such as completing a difficult workout or a heavy lift like a squat or bench press.

One creative way you can use mental imagery is called “process visualization.” Once you’ve set your goals, it’s easy to come up with a list of the daily habits, behaviors and action steps necessary to reach your goal. So write down the action steps and visualize them - the entire process, not just the end result. See yourself food shopping and grabbing fruits, vegetables and lean proteins, ordering healthy foods from restaurant menus, saying no to sodas and drinking water instead, and going to the gym consistently and having killer workouts. Some people visualize their entire “perfect day” as they would want it to unfold. When you do this as vividly, emotionally and in as much detail as you can, you will be neurologically priming your brain to carry out those behaviors.

The least known of all mental imagery techniques is called “physiology visualization.” An example would be picturing the fat burning process in your body or seeing the muscle fibers growing larger and larger. Using this technique, could it be possible that you might be giving subconscious instructions to your body’s cells, organs and tissues?

Well, consider the work of Dr. Carl Simonton, a physician and cancer researcher who taught his patients (as one part of a comprehensive program), how to visualize powerful immune cells devouring the cancer cells. I’m not suggesting that you can cure cancer or materialize a lean and muscular body just by visualizing, (there’s a step in between thought and manifestation - it’s called action - a step that many self help ‘experts’ forget to mention). However, thoughts and mental images are the precursors to action and the fact that a mind-body connection definitely exists makes this an exciting prospect.

Scientists have established the mind-body link in many contexts, and not just by the existence of a placebo effect. There’s also direct evidence as in the way emotional stress can contribute to physical disease. The mind does influence the body! The mere fact that a branch of science has been devoted to this area is proof that it deserves critical investigation and is not just the domain of infomercial self help gurus. The science is called psychoneuroimmunology.

Using “physiology visualization,” you could, even in the middle of a workout, imagine the fat burning process taking place, and visualize fat being released from adipose tissue storage in your abdominal region or elsewhere. You could see the free fatty acids entering your bloodstream, being carried to the working muscles and being burned for energy in the muscle cells. You could also visualize the physiology of muscle growth.

To make your imagery as accurate and detailed as possible, my best suggestion is to refer to an anatomy & physiology textbook that shows pictures of fat cells, blood vessels, myofibrils, motor units, sarcomeres, and cell organelles like the mitochondria, so you know what the structures look like. You could also get more details about the processes by looking up lipolysis, hypertrophy or beta oxidation.

Even if you had no idea what the internal structure and workings of the body were like, you could still use this method. Your body responds to mental imagery even if it isn’t anatomically correct. We know from the field of hypnosis that the subconscious mind responds well to metaphor – maybe even better than literal suggestions. Facts and logic are the domain of the conscious mind, while emotion and metaphor can slip right past the conscious and into the subconscious. Dr. Simonton often wrote about his young patients who created (metaphorical) mental images of immune system cells as “knights in shining armor”, slaying “the dragon” of cancer cells.

One of your greatest mental powers is imagination. You can visualize anything you want and you can embellish and exaggerate your imagery as much as you want. For example, you could imagine the free fatty acids being burned for energy in the “cellular powerhouse” - the mitochondria - and you could imagine the mitochondria as a fiery furnace… “incinerating” the fat! I think it’s a pretty cool idea to “see” your fat cells shrinking and visualize your body as a “fat burning furnace.”

Should you not believe that there’s anything to the physiology visualization technique, that’s ok, because we know that the subconscious is deductive. Just give it a goal, tell it what you want and it will get you there automatically by altering your attention and behavior. Therefore, we can be confident that physiology visualization will be effective even if only as a subconscious directive about your desired goal. If science someday provides us with conclusive evidence that visualization actually does cause cellular - physiological changes in the body, well, that’s just all the better.

About the Author:

Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder, certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) and a certified personal trainer (CPT). Tom is the author of “Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle,” which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using methods of the world’s best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting: www.burnthefat.com