One of the most perplexing problems that diabetics face is weight loss. Many doctors insist it is a simple matter of consuming less calories than are burned. And, in a perfect world that works. But most diabetics will insist that there is more to it, because when they do the same things as non-diabetics, they get no results, while their non-diabetic friends drop pound after pound. Fad diets do not work, diet products do not work, even exercise shows little or no results. The struggling diabetics are right– there is more to it than just cutting calories.

Diabetes is caused by eating a bad diet, and a good diet is a key part of regaining control. But it is the bad diet that has placed a number of conditions in place that must be understood in order to win the fat war. There are a number of interrelated circumstances that contribute to making diabetic weight loss difficult. First, let’s look at how the problem originated, then we can investigate how that information can lead to reversing the problem.

Years of bad diet, containing fats, sweets, high glycemic index foods, prepared foods and dairy products caused inflammation. A complete detailed explanation of how inflammation caused diabetes can be found in the “Diabetics Handbook” (see below). The following will be a gross oversimplification, due to space limitations, but hopefully, it will demonstrate the important aspects of the problem. Pro-inflammatory substances (pro-oxidants) are normally used by the body to fight disease and infection (via the immune system). They play many important roles in the body including digestion, and even breathing. Normally, the body uses antioxidants to control these processes. However, years of bad diet, which is characteristically very low in antioxidants, causes an immune system to lose the ability to shut down. Consequently, the immune system begins to attack healthy cells causing serious damage. In type I diabetes, the beta cells (insulin producing cells) are destroyed. In type II diabetes many cells are damaged setting up a condition known as insulin resistance. Insulin resistance occurs when the body’s cells cannot properly communicate when using insulin to uptake and burn glucose.

When the body digests food, particularly carbohydrates, it is converted into glucose. Glucose is distributed throughout the body in the bloodstream by the liver. The liver will normally control fat levels. When very high levels of fat are in the bloodstream, due to diet, the liver cannot process it all. It begins to fill its cells with sacs of triglycerides (converted glucose for storage) and it places the excess in the adipose tissues (belly fat).

The brain, vital organs and muscle tissue rely on glucose which provides energy to function. As these organs use glucose, the liver will place more in the bloodstream to replace it. In a perfect world, the organs and tissues would use it efficiently, and hopefully in proportion to the amount produced by food. Insulin resistance reduces the amount of glucose that is absorbed and stored by the organs and muscle tissue. Add to that, the fact that most diabetics lead a sedentary lifestyle, meaning that they get minimal amounts of exercise resulting in much less glucose being burned.

When the body is impaired by insulin resistance (type II diabetes), the cells do not use as much glucose. The body senses that glucose levels are building up in the bloodstream, so it instructs the pancreas to release more insulin. The body now has high glucose levels and high insulin levels in the bloodstream. Insulin is a hormone that performs many functions, besides allowing cells to absorb glucose. Insulin will also attempt (vigorously) to remove excess glucose from the bloodstream by placing it in storage as fat. Once in storage, insulin will block the process of breaking fat down to remove it from storage. Many doctors say that the presence of high levels of insulin in the blood causes unnecessary water retention in the body, which is a factor in weight gain. This is a key aspect of beating diabetic obesity, which means that insulin regulation is very important. Insulin also acts on the brain. It promotes cravings that result in eating more and on the liver to manufacture more fat. The liver removes insulin from the bloodstream, but insulin causes fat to be deposited in the liver which, in turn, prevents the liver from removing insulin from the bloodstream. People with belly fat store too much fat in their livers (fatty liver disease – see below), which prevents the liver from removing insulin. consequently, insulin levels rise higher and higher, which can contribute to heart attacks and more abdominal obesity.

Also, fat in the abdominal area functions differently than fat elsewhere in the body, such as the hips. Blood flow from the belly fat goes directly to the liver. The blood flow from other fatty areas, such as the hips, goes into the body’s general circulation. Belly fat has an efficient blood supply and has as more receptors for cortisol (a stress hormone). Cortisol levels vary throughout the day, but will elevate and remain elevated if the body is under stress. High stress and high cortisol levels promote fat deposits in the belly area. It goes to the belly area because there are more cortisol receptors there. Chronically high cortisol levels kill neurons in the brain. They also interfere with neurotransmitters (such as dopamine and serotonin – the good mood neurotransmitters) which leads to depression and feeling more stressed. Depression is common in diabetics, which adds to the problem since depression causes a stress type reaction in the body. In other words, depression promotes the development of belly fat.

The fat that is stored in the adipose tissue (belly fat) is also a characteristic of diabetes. That means that diabetics are genetically prone to belly fat. Belly fat (central obesity) is associated with higher rates of cardiovascular disease, and several types of cancer as well. Heredity plays a role in overall body type (apple vs. a pear shape). Genetics accounts for 25-55 % of the tendency to develop the most serious diseases associated with abdominal fat, the remainder is lifestyle. As belly fat builds up, it does several things. First, it stops the production of the hormone leptin, which normally would curb appetite. Second, it causes insulin resistance to further increase, which has obvious consequences. The cells use less glucose, the body produces more insulin, and guess what… more fat goes into storage. Fat storage is the body’s way of following ancient mechanisms designed to protect the body during lean times. Cave men would sometimes go long periods of time between successful hunting campaigns. So the body learned to take advantage of good times to prepare for the bad times. The body converts glucose into glycogen and triglycerides which are very efficient methods of storing energy.

When the cells of the liver fill up with triglyceride fat sacs, the liver’s function is impaired. It cannot process fats efficiently. It quickly runs out of room to store more fat, and when the body’s tissues and organs are not using as much, the liver simply puts it all into storage as belly fat. The number of fat cells a person has is determined at birth. The numbers remain constant unless the fat cells become full. When they become full, the cells will divide creating new fat cells. The new cells will remain throughout the balance of the person’s life. However, a successful diet will reduce the size of the fat cells. Fat cells are fed by blood vessels in the belly area. Each fat cell is in contact with at least one capillary. The blood supply provides support for the metabolism. The blood flow will depend upon body weight and the overall nutritional state. The number of vessels will increase during fasting or high demand for glucose. Increased numbers of blood vessels can contribute to increasing blood pressure. The heart simply has to work harder to supply the additional vessels.

A liver that has many cells filled with triglyceride sacs is called a fatty liver NAFLD (nonalcoholic fatty liver disease). Any diabetic that has large amounts of belly fat likely has a fatty liver. Fatty liver develops early in the process because of high levels of triglycerides in the bloodstream. Diabetic fatty liver’s second stage is called NASH (nonalcoholic steatohepatitis), meaning that it is not caused by alcohol consumption (but similar), and it mimics damage caused by hepatitis diseases. Oxidation of cells begins to occur causing cell damage. The third stage is cirrhosis which is very serious and dangerous. The first stage of fatty liver is not particularly dangerous, and will go away with proper treatment. Fatty liver is difficult to diagnose. The only reliable test is to conduct a biopsy to determine how much fat is present and if any scarring is present. Biopsies are rarely conducted, because the medical industry cannot agree on how it should be interpreted. The symptoms of NAFLD are nondescript, non-existent or mimic symptoms of other diseases. Certain blood tests will display the presence of certain liver enzymes that are common in hepatitis, which would signify the presence of NASH. Fatty liver will seriously complicate the weight loss process.

Parasites will virtually stall weight loss efforts. Parasites are more common in diabetics than a non-diabetic person, due to their weakened state. Unfortunately, western medicine doctors have little training in recognizing the presence of parasites. Few people are trained in testing for them. Most common tests have a very low accuracy rate. Treating parasites with drugs is rarely effective because they have a very narrow range of effectiveness. There are over 100 common species found in humans and treatments are very specific to specie. Parasites escape diagnosis in as many as 70 chronic diseases, and are now believed to be instrumental in the development of many chronic diseases.

When parasites are present, patients will have virtually no success in losing weight. Reduced portion sizes, carbohydrate counting or elimination, or even vigorous exercise will not produce results. Parasites inflame the lining of the digestive tract, and slow nutrient absorption. They eventually spread to all areas of the body, including vital organs. They disrupt hormonal balance, blood sugar regulation and alter the metabolism. Parasites eat the nutrients ingested, or they eat the host. They leave the host with empty calories, which triggers cravings and over consumption of food (urges to pile it high on a plate). They virtually take over control of the body.

Parasites release toxins that overload the kidneys and liver. The weakened state leads to further reductions in metabolism. They hinder the maintenance of beneficial flora in the intestinal tract that can lead to over production of yeasts. Overdevelopment of yeasts lead to the development of allergies, gas and bloating. Their acids damage organs, breakdown muscle tissue and cause the central nervous system to become sluggish. The body will react to increased acid levels by producing fat cells to store the acid, thus removing it from the system. A lower metabolism encourages the production of fat cells.

The good news is, by now, the reasons for difficulty in losing weight are clearer. So how does one beat these powerful mechanisms? Start by getting rid of any parasites. The safe bet is to assume that they are present, because they probably are present. There is an extensive listing of symptoms, and how to cleanse the body of parasites in the “Diabetics Handbook”. Also read about glycemic index and load. Modify the diet to eat only low glycemic index foods. Stop eating any of the pro-oxidant foods, especially processed foods, which is basically anything in a box or can that has ingredients that you cannot pronounce, or it’s unknown as to why it is in there.

Then assume that you have a fatty liver, because you probably do to some extent. This is the tough part. The most success comes from combining a series of techniques. Fasting and exercise are effective to break the cycles and burn liver fat. But it must be done correctly. If liver and/or kidney damage is present a doctor should be consulted. An alternative to fasting is to start eating 6-8 very light, low glycemic index meals per day, instead of three large meals. That will reduce the glucose spikes that exacerbate the process.

Change the diet. Stop eating the pro-oxidant foods. Processed foods are poison to diabetics, which cannot be stressed enough! Processed flour is very bad for diabetics (actually for everybody). Sodas are high in pro-oxidants and phosphoric acid, drink green tea instead. However, be careful, some bottled green teas have additives in them, including phosphoric acid. Stop drinking coffee. Eat only very lean cuts of meat. Stop eating sweets, sugar substitutes and dairy products. Never cook food at high temperatures (over 400 degrees F) or microwave food. That means that grilling and broiling are out. Microwaves kill as much as 97% of the living nutrients in food. Steaming, stir frying in olive oil or boiling food is best. Diabetics should eat fruit if their system does not react to them (glucose spikes). Pineapple and bananas are very high in natural sugar. Eat low glycemic index foods only. Take a good quality multivitamin daily, such as Rejuvenage 40+, which is sold on the internet. If a multivitamin is being taken, compare the product label to the sample label posted on the internet. This particular multivitamin has the broadest coverage of nutrients found on the market. Eat lots of fiber, especially water-soluble fiber.

Glucose management can be improved if sodium levels are managed, and fiber levels are kept high. Sodium slows the insulin response, which means higher sodium levels can be an advantage for hypoglycemia. High sodium levels prevent a quick rise and fall in insulin levels, and subsequently reduce the blood sugar highs and lows commonly experienced with hypoglycemia. Sodium, along with ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and biotin are among the most important factors in reducing erratic glucose level changes; even between meals. Manganese, chromium and niacin/niacinamide control glucose response as well as the liver’s storage of glycogen. Potassium, vitamin B6, and vitamin C can both, help stabilize, or interfere with glucose management depending on whether a patient is prone to be hypoglycemic, or hyperglycemic. Lower amounts are recommended for patients that are prone to hypoglycemia, and higher amounts for patients that are prone to hyperglycemia. On the other hand, high amounts of potassium can reduce manganese and chromium. High amounts of vitamin C can lower manganese and stimulate insulin. Vitamin B6 stimulates magnesium and potassium, but lowers manganese. It can become complex. It should be noted that too much sodium in the diet is never a good thing.

Eliminate candies, honey, sodas of all types, donuts, cereals (especially sweetened), cakes and bakery goods, over ripe fruits, fruit juices (unless diluted), sugar (both brown and white), syrups (corn, maple and molasses), glucose, sucrose, fructose (of any variety), dextrose, maltose, or any substance ending in “ose”. Eliminate all artificial sweeteners except Stevia. Most of the bakery goods contain synthetic additives, along with processed flour, both of which are highly pro-oxidative.

It will be necessary to start exercising to maximize the burning of glucose in tissues. Power walking for approximately 45 minutes, preferably daily, will burn upwards of 300 calories each day. Exercising other major muscle groups is important. The fasting and exercise program should be alternated with non-fast and exercise programs (3-5 days each). Depending upon health conditions, choose between a water or a juice fast. The water fast is more aggressive. Don’t lose weight too fast. It can damage the liver. Most people lose 3-5 pounds after the first several days and an additional 3-5 pounds the next day, it will level off at a pound per day after the initial loss. It is customary to not lose weight during the non-fast phase. Then repeat the cycle. The “Diabetics Handbook” covers a variety of programs, the most aggressive being a 30 day fast, which will totally detox the entire body as well. It is known to release toxins present since birth. Fasting is safe, and very effective. Exercising a muscle does not get rid of fat over the specific muscles that are exercised. The only way to reduce a fat belly is to lose weight overall, and any type of exercise will help accomplish that. There’s a growing body of research showing that the fastest way to burn off belly fat is by a combination of weight training, aerobic exercise and modified diet. Bear in mind that increased muscle mass, from exercise, will increase body weight as fat is lost.

Physical activity is clearly beneficial for diabetics, including lowering blood glucose levels. However, physical activity can make levels go too low, causing hypoglycemia for up to 24 hours afterward. For those taking insulin, or one of the oral medications that increase insulin production, the breaking of routine (fasting) by having a snack, may be required if the glucose level goes below 100 mg/dL. Adjusting medication doses before physical activity can help avoid hypoglycemia. For some diabetics, it may be necessary to consult a doctor while on aggressive programs. A snack can prevent hypoglycemia, provided that it is a low glycemic index food. Extra blood glucose checks, especially 2 hours after strenuous exercise, may be advised. Place increased emphasis on maintaining blood sugar levels. Hold them as close to normal as possible. In type II diabetes that will reduce the amount of excess insulin in the bloodstream. If insulin-dependent, or type I diabetic, avoid taking more insulin than is required to maintain control. Many diabetics assume that more insulin than is needed is not necessarily a bad thing. This is a critical phase that requires lots of testing and focus. The combination of lower insulin, lower glucose levels and vigorous exercise will allow the body to quickly start burning the liver fat. It takes up to 12-16 hours for the body to start drawing fat from the liver. Exercise will increase the metabolism. However, understanding the metabolism will be helpful, because the metabolic rate will change throughout the process. Exercise reduces stress levels. If high stress is an issue, try stress reducing activities such as deep breathing or meditation. Be certain to take antioxidant supplements during the fasting process. Several recent studies show that omega-3 fats can reduce output of another stress hormone, epinephrine (aka adrenaline). Start taking 4000IU of fish oil twice daily. You cannot overdose on fish oil. The body will produce large amounts of free radicals, which will require large amounts of antioxidants to be controlled. Be certain that 100% of the daily requirements of vitamins and minerals is consumed.

In summary, modify the diet; learn what to eat and what not to eat; take a good quality multivitamin every day; get the glucose levels in tight control; manage the insulin levels; manage the sodium levels; exercise vigorously daily; manage stress; eliminate the possibility of parasite infestation; and consider fasting techniques. Learn as much as possible about diabetes, food, and how to cleanse and maintain all of the vital organs.

If this appears to be a lot of hard work, it is. But it is not unusual for diabetics, that have not had any dieting success at all, to lose 30 pounds the first month. The key to total diabetes control, and improved health, is to lose the belly fat. It is paramount. As the belly fat goes away, it will become increasingly easier to win the fat war. Blood sugar control will become easier, blood pressure, triglyceride and cholesterol levels will improve. Go to http://www.diabeticshandbook.com for a free daily nutrition log, which will make tracking nutrition easier.

Baby Food Diet caused a lot of fuss in Hollywood because there are so many celebrities using this kind of plan to attain their sexy body. That is why there are also many people all over the world trying this plan for them to be able to attain their own goal of having a sexy body. Baby Food Diet plan basically consists of baby foods. We all know that baby foods are organic food because they are meant for babies. That means they are designed to help the babies attain their nutritional needs in just a single scoop. That is why, for just a little serving, you can get a lot of vitamins and minerals essential for your body. However, you need to learn the advantages and disadvantages of the said plan for you to be able to decide if this is the best diet plan for you.

These are the advantages of Baby Food Diet Plan:

Because they are mostly organic, you are sure that what you are eating is not detrimental to your body. You are assured that you will have vitamin packed foods and at the same time, they contain nutrients essential to your body. And the best thing that you can have is that they only contain a little amount of sugar and fats so you do not have to worry if you will gain weight!

The disadvantages of the plan is, because it is in a small container, your problem would be you will not be satisfied at all. And it will result to cravings and if you cannot discipline yourself, it might lead to a serious problem.

But no worry, Baby Food Diet Plan is effective if you will only do your part of disciplining yourself and the diet plan will do the rest!

When you are having acute disc-related symptoms like sciatica and/or severe low back pain, there are some exercises that should be avoided until such time as the major symptoms subside and the sciatica is gone.

The most important thing to avoid, particularly if you have sciatica is any kind of hamstring stretch. Hamstring stretches should be avoided with sciatica and other acute symptoms are present. The reason why you should avoid hamstring stretches is that although tight hamstrings are sometimes a contributing cause to low back problems, if you try to stretch the hamstrings when you are having acute disc-related symptoms, there is a tendency to stretch the sciatic nerve and its component nerve roots as well. If those nerve elements are already irritated, stretching them will only make things worse – often MUCH worse.

You may benefit from hamstring stretches once the nerve irritation subsides as part of a rehabilitation program, but wait until you are feeling better. Another type of exercise to avoid when you are having major symptoms is abdominal strengthening, such as with sit-ups or crunches (partial sit-ups). Again, although weak abdominal muscles do contribute to back problems, the time to start reconditioning the abdominal muscles is not when you have sciatica or major back pain.

Sit-ups and crunches increase pressure in the spine, and may greatly increase pressure on sensitive, already irritated nerves. Wait until your symptoms have subsided before doing any abdominal exercises, and start with the easier exercises discussed later in this article.

How do you train your vertical leap to play better in basketball? First, assess your needs, as well as your time frame and vertical jump goal, in inches.

It is important to know your jumping ability and strength level before setting up a training program. Once realized, you can design a program with your coach or trainer. Training programs should include repeated workouts followed by periods of recovery. The program covers the entire year.

Here is a three-step, yearlong exercise program to train vertical leap ability in basketball players.

1. For the first three months, concentrate on building up strength, especially lower body muscles, through weight and resistance training exercises. Starting slow with 3-5 sets of a load of 50%-60% load of one repetition maximum (1-RM) at 15-20 repetitions done 2-3 days per week and building up to 80%-90% 1-RM at 4-8 reps of 3-5 sets done 3 days per week, separating each session by 2 days.
2. On the fourth month, start plyometrics or jump training. It is relatively simple but demanding and must not be overdone. It uses the body weight only, done 2 to 3 days per week at 8 -12 reps and no more than 120 ground contacts per session. Plyometrics include rim jumps, depth jumps, cone hops with change of direction sprints, lateral cone hops, cone hops with 180-degree turn, depth jump with 180-degree turn, low post drill, catch and pass with jump-and-reach.
3. Follow with 6 months of combination weight training and plyometrics to maintain muscle power. You should do 1 or 2 sessions of weight training and 1 or 2 sessions on plyometric training and rotate them. Remember not to do the same exercises all the time, or your muscles will stop being challenged, and you won’t increase your jumping power.

Jump higher tips to keep in mind:

• While exercises are important, getting ample rest is crucial to the success of any training, and should not be neglected. You can have two months of rest with light exercises or take an entire week off every 6 to 8 weeks.
• As with any exercise program, it is important to consult with your physician before starting on one. You can injure your body easily, especially your knees and your Achilles tendon, if you train too hard.

VO2max is the key factor in athletic endurance. Currently it is the best predictor of performance in many sports. However, only a very few people know that VO2max is tightly linked with the breathing pattern and body oxygenation of the athlete at rest. Hence, if the athlete changes their unconscious breathing pattern at rest, his VO2max will also change.

Patients with heart disease, diabetes, chronic fatigue, and many other diseases have low body oxygen content 24/7. They suffer from tissue hypoxia (low oxygenation), excessive anaerobic metabolism, and high blood lactate already at rest. Hence, when they have even light exercise, anaerobic energy production sharply increases, lactate quickly rises, and experiences of pain and physical exhaustion are the outcomes.

Oxygen delivery cascade (from outer air to body cells) and tissue oxygenation depend on our breathing. How? Hundreds of physiological studies proved that the more we breathe at rest, the less oxygen is delivered to tissues. Consider the basics of oxygen transport.

When we breathe more than the medical norm (which is 6 l of air per minute), our arterial blood is almost fully saturated with O2 (up to about 98%) and cannot get much more additional oxygen. However, during overbreathing we exhale (or lose) more CO2 and hypocapnia (CO2-deficiency) in all body cells causes 2 negative effects in oxygen transport:

1) Vasoconstriction: our blood vessels are CO2-sensitive and CO2 is a powerful vasodilator. (This effect explains, according to tens of medical publications, why we can easily pass out or faint due to heavy voluntary hyperventilation.)

2) The suppressed Bohr effect: the Bohr law governs oxygen release in tissues; O2 is mainly left in those parts and organs of the body which have high CO2 content (or metabolically active). When we hyperventilate, less O2 is unloaded in all tissues since CO2 is a chemical catalyser of this release.

Indeed, dozens of published studies found that ALL sick people with asthma, heart disease, diabetes, epilepsy, cystic fibrosis, etc., breathe at least 2-3 times more air than the norm and suffer, as a result of overbreathing, from tissue hypoxia (see my other articles for these references.) They usually breathe about 15 l/min instead of 6, while utilizing less than 10% of inhaled oxygen (over 90% is breathed out).

During maximum exercise humans can have up to 150 l/min for minute ventilation. Thus, if sick people start mild exercise and they require 10 times more energy than at rest, they will breathe about 10 times more or about 150 l/min, but this is near the human physiological limit.

People with normal minute ventilation at rest (6 l/min) during the same mild exercise (10 times energy expenditure increase) will breathe about 60 l/min. Such breathing is much lighter. It indicates their better fitness and can be done strictly through the nose.

It is not a surprise then that the amount of freely available oxygen in normal people is high or about 40-60 s (breath holding time after exhalation and without any pushing themselves for better numbers), while sick people can hold their breath for this special test (again, it involves usual exhalation and no stress at the end of the test) only for 10-15 s of oxygen. This completely confirms the main practical law of respiratory physiology: more breathing means worse tissue oxygenation.

However, if an athlete learns how to breathe much less than the norm 24/7 or only about 2 l/min at rest or during sleep for minute ventilation, their body oxygenation will be about 2-3 minutes. During the same mild exercise (with tenfold metabolic rate) their minute ventilation will be only about 20 l/min (or slightly more than the sick people breathe at rest). There are, indeed, two well known facts that (a) fittest athletes breathe less during exercise and (b) when an athlete is in his peak shape his breathing during races is much lighter.

Such breathing retraining can be achieved within 1-2 months. It will result in very light breathing at rest (only 3-4 breaths per minute even during sleep) and greatly increased VO2max values, up to 10-15%.

This short respiratory review in exercise physiology explains why numerous Soviet elite athletes, including many Olympic champions, used the Buteyko breathing method, as a secret weapon, for superior sport performance. Tens of Australian Olympians also learned the same breathing technique during recent years.

For those suffering hiatus hernia symptoms Mixed Martial Arts training can assist as part of a plan for natural treatment. However martial arts and MMA fans who have found themselves with a hiatal hernia need to be careful when and how they train to avoid triggering symptoms.

Those with acid reflux problems like GERD, acid reflux disease and hiatus hernias MMA training and diet can sometimes be a challenge. Though at the same time sufferers from these conditions can greatly benefit from martial arts training even if they never plan on jumping into the UFC octagon. Obviously the training, exercise and a healthy diet can even help prevent many other health problems from developing.

Hiatal hernia symptoms just like GERD and acid reflux include regurgitation of stomach acid and stomach contents (food and liquid), heartburn and chest pain. A large part of the battle with hiatus hernia symptoms involves diet and exercise which are also two of the biggest factors in Mixed Martial Arts training.

If you have been training heavily or have been taking part in MMA competitions and have been experiencing symptoms, you may have a hiatal hernia and not know it. Diagnosis can be performed by a doctor using an s-ay. A hiatus hernia occurs when part of the stomach and the lower esophagus slides up through the hiatus (hole) in the diaphragm. Or when part of the stomach squeezes up through the hiatus next to the oesophagus. Those with a hiatal hernia need to be careful not to do themselves further injury. But building strength in core muscle can help prevent getting a hernia and help with symptoms. The potential link between GERD and hiatus hernias means those with a hiatal hernia should spend extra time focusing on the center body and abdominal.

Part of the root cause of hiatus hernia symptoms is digestion. Exercise and training promote better digestion and a good metabolism. This will prevent food from sitting in the stomach too long and creating the potential for heartburn. This doesn’t have to mean grueling training for hours on end, but hitting a martial arts other workout class or the gym for 30-60 minutes 3-5 times a week can go a long way towards helping hiatus hernia symptoms as well as regular walks. If you suffer from gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), acid reflux or other hiatus hernia symptoms you need to be careful when you work out. Avoid working out after meals as bending over or laying down can trigger hiatus hernia symptoms.

Diet can often appear like an issue for those who are serious about their MMA training and that have hiatus hernia symptoms. It may seem like the goals you want to achieve and what it takes to avoid irritating symptoms requires two opposite diets. Because it is highly acid foods like eggs and meat that are the worst culprits for causing high production of stomach acid, but are the same foods that are favoured by those desiring to pack on muscle. Thankfully there are plenty of foods that can be added to your diet to keep you healthy while helping you keep in great shape. Martial artists and fitness fans also often plan there meals in a way that is very effective for eliminating hiatus hernia symptoms. Most often it includes eating 6-7 small meals during the day as opposed to a couple larger ones and promotes staying well hydrated with 6-10 glasses of water a day. Treatment is also best combined with other natural remedies and home cures for balancing stomach acid and preventing reflux.

The kettlebell is a primal piece of workout gear. It’s a cannonball with a handle, plain and simple. There are a variety of weights and sizes to choose from, and there are even a few lines of “rubberized,” colorful kettlebells due to the growing popularity of kettlebell workouts in southern California.

But what are kettlebell exercises good for? Strength and weight loss training to begin with. Kettlebell training incorporates fluid, intense motion to work the core, lower back, lower body, and shoulder muscles. It combines the endurance of a cardiovascular workout with the power of strength training. It requires concentration and body control. A kettlebell workout can be a rewarding training method for weight loss and strength, but it is not for the “casual gym dweller.” Following are three basic kettlebell exercises to get started.

The Swing

Every activity has a basic move. The yoga beginner learns the downward dog, the tap dancer learns the single time step, the boxer learns the straight right, and the kettlebeller learns the swing.

Lower your body to a squat position: feet at shoulder width, weight on heels, shoulders back, kettlebell between legs.

Grab the kettle bell with both hands. Rise upward while pushing your hips outward. Use your core to swing the kettlebell out and upward. Assist with your lower body and shoulders, but do not use your arms or rely on shoulder strength to swing the kettlebell. Legs and hips are the driving force of the motion.

Once the kettlebell reaches its zenith, now you can actively use your shoulders to return the kettlebell to the beginning position.

Clean and Press

Once you’ve got the swing down, this is the next kettlebell exercise to master. Perfect for weight loss training, the “Clean and Press” begins with the basic swing, but then transforms into a press once you bring the kettlebell to your shoulder.

Start with a basic swing, but keep your elbows tucked in as you bring the kettlebell up.

Once the kettlebell reaches shoulder height, drop back to a half squat. Bring your elbows underneath the kettlebell as you dip down.

Now press the kettlebell above your shoulder, rising to a stand, and finish with the kettlebell raised above your head.

Slowly lower the kettlebell and swing back to the squat position.

Turkish Get Up

This kettlebell exercise is for the advanced kettlebeller. It’s basically a complicated way of standing up. But it utilizes a wide variety of muscles, more strength than weight loss training, but definitely a great addition to the oeuvre of kettlebell exercises.

Lie on your back, and hold the kettlebell straight up with your left hand, elbow locked.

Prop yourself up with your right hand. And pull your left foot toward your buttocks.

Plant your right knee on the ground. Follow through by placing your left foot on the ground. You should be halfway into a kneeling position at this point.

Finally, stand up. Keep in mind, your elbow should be locked for the entire exercise and you should keep your eyes on the kettlebell the entire exercise as well.

Mastering the Turkish Get Up can take some time, but it can drastically improve your weight loss training regiment.

Videos!

For videos demonstrating the correct methods for all of these kettlebell exercises, take a look at this kettlebell workout article.

Asphalt work requires an entire set of specialized skills and tools. In order to keep roads, driveways, and parking lots safe, attractive, and lasting, asphalt crews have to have what they need to do their jobs well. One of those most important pieces of asphalt equipment is the paving lute. In terms of asphalt work, a lute is a long, metal instrument rather like a rake, used to smooth out the surface of the asphalt after it’s poured. The lute is often a straight edge on one side and a serrated edge on the other, and the sides are used alternatively to spread and smooth the asphalt while it’s still malleable.

Lutes are simple tools, but it takes some know-how to discern which lute is best for which job, and how to use them right once you’ve chosen. Here are 5 tips for how to choose a lute for asphalt work.

1. Aluminum is fine, but magnesium is better. Although lutes have traditionally been made out of aluminum, some companies have recently gone to making them from magnesium. Magnesium is a slightly heavier, more durable, and somewhat more expensive choice for a paving lute, but most people now think that it’s worth the extra investment. Magensium lutes won’t turn your ands black over long periods of use like aluminum lutes will, and they seem to last longer and break less than their counterparts do.

2. Handle length is important. Your crew should really have several paving lutes of different lengths to choose from. Your skilled lute men won’t all be the same height, and will need lutes of different lengths. Also, different projects will require different reaches-that is, the distance a lute man has to reach across the pavement in order to smooth it properly. Some will require longer, some shorter, handle lengths on the lutes.

3. Handle weight matters. Lute men have to smooth out thick, viscous material made from rocks and rubber. They do this through repetitive casting of the lute and drawing it back, an action that works the muscles of the shoulders, arms, and back. A heavy handle can cause more strain on the lute man than is necessary. However, a heavier handle might be exactly what you need for certain types of surface material, especially if it’s very thick or requires a very long reach. You should stock several weights of handle and head for your lutes.

4. Width. For broad expanses of paving, a wider head on the lute will get more smoothing done in less time. However, for corners or tight areas of parking lots or driveways, a smaller lute with a narrower head might be the more appropriate tool.

5. Flexibility. Paving lutes often get twisted, turned, and pulled during asphalt work, with great amounts of pressure put on them due to the sticky nature of the asphalt. A flexible but strong lute can bend with the pressure so that it doesn’t break, yet still be solid enough to push against resistant material.

For such a simple, straightforward tool, a lute used for asphalt work has to be well-made, strong, and fitted for the job it does. If you have a seal coating business or asphalt crew, it’s a good idea to have several good lutes on hand, so your lute men always have what they need to get the job done.

Knee pain is the most common ailment of the body. Ironically the knee is the most complicated joint; it bears virtually all the body weight while performing straightening, bending, twisting and rotating functions. All these functions increase the risk of knee injury. Whereas the more acute knee injuries like torn ligament and cartilages are more prevalent in sports involving jumping, running and turning.

However these injuries are caused when the knees are overworked. These pains gradually develop over days or weeks and gradually worsen over time. When muscles and tendons are overstretched microscopic tears occur (the prevalent pain is usually as a result of inflammation). Avoid chronic problems by giving the tear time to heal. Knee pain is usually caused by the following:

1. When the knees are overworked over a short period of time- this usually occurs when one indulges in very strenuous exercises after a very long exemption.

Usually, the risk of knee injury is higher with age- it can lead to knee osteoarthritis, which is a gradual disintegration of the cartilage.

2. Runner’s knee-It is usually found in young people and it is a diffuse pain behind the knee cap. The pains usually get worse after activities such as running and climbing.

There are various solutions or ways of preventing knee pain through exercise but they all center on developing the muscles and supporting the knee.

Knee injuries require time to heal; exercises should be done gradually by increasing the count, and should be stopped once you experience any pain. During these exercises the muscle will tear and after the process of healing the muscle becomes bigger and stronger. These exercises help to correct the problems in the knee joint. Here are some of the exercises required to solve and prevent knee injuries and pain:

Knee exercise for runners – by indulging in this form of exercise you will get to muscle groups in the body like the quadriceps and hamstrings.

Leg raises – this is a simple exercise and it can be done at home.

Standing leg raises – this kind of exercise needs support and it is very similar to the leg raises.

Single leg dip – this exercise strengthens the knee and squads. It also requires support on both sides.

Wall squat – this is a simple compound quad exercise for runners. However, the quadriceps strengthening contraction is possibly the safest, easiest and most recommended exercise you can perform to avoid knee pain and injury. You can always do most of these exercise even while watching television especially if you find difficult to fix exercise in to your program. For optimum result, adhere to the recommendations of the experts like the fitness trainers, gym instructors as well as your physical therapist.

It is important to note that the most feasible way of protecting your knee from injury is by developing and strengthening the muscles around the knee.

Cardio exercises are a must when it comes to being fit or shedding fat, but that does not mean you do not have options. Cardio does a lot for your health in general, it increases your metabolism, burns fat, makes your heart and blood vessels healthier, decreases your blood pressure, increases your stamina, improves your sex life and the list goes on.

With all that I have stated doing the same thing day in day out might bore you so much that you could forget the benefits of cardio, so I’m going to give you other alternative ways to do your cardio that are not the traditional, steady pace jogging or cycling that everyone associates with cardio.

What most people think is that the longer you do an activity such as jogging the more you will get out of the workout, which is not true but may be true if you are talking about steady pace cardio. Doing something like jogging for a long distance is also time consuming and if you do too much cardio or too long of a distance you might find that it holds you back in terms of muscle gain, if that is what you are after.

How to get creative with your cardio:

First thing you can try is to change your traditional cardio workouts into more fast paced, interval sessions. What I mean is you can train in short intense intervals by timing yourself on a bike or treadmill and increasing the intensity in each interval. This would not require a lot of time and you would have one hell of a workout. In fact you will be burning calories long after you have worked out, but your time spent working out would be less than if you did the traditional steady pace stuff.

You could try doing sprints which is another form of interval training, running between cones. Taking short breaks and doing it again and increasing the distance and trying to run as fast as possible, short break again increasing the distance a little and go at it hard again, you get the idea. This would be a short intense and fun workout, obviously its short because it takes more effort and we can’t sprint for long distances or long periods of time. The cool thing with sprints is that you get the benefits of traditional cardio and you built lean muscular legs, you have noticed that sprinters are jacked compared to long distance runners.

Other cardio exercises you could try includes martial art such as MMA, Kick boxing, karate etc. You could also play sports if you have time such as soccer, tennis, hockey or any other high activity sport. You could try swimming if you love the water; swimming is one of the better forms of cardio since it has less impact on your body and joints because the water supports your body weight.

There are a lot of alternatives to traditional cardio, it’s up to you to find the ones that you like best, most of them are just fun and most people do not even know they are doing a cardio exercise. Just think of dancers they do cardio and have fun the same time. So go out there and find what works for you, no more excuses and no more boring cardio sessions.