When trying to get faster, bigger, and stronger for football, you need to use every weapon in your arsenal. Your football strength and speed training program needs to be excellent, your diet 90% on point (at least) and your mental training and football skill building all need to be constantly improving.

For those of you who fit this description, supplements can help. There are certain supplements that can help you get faster and stronger for football…if all the other factors are in place!

I’m always hesitant to talk about supplements for football training. While there is a short list of products that can really help your football training, they are not magic bullets. And, as any coach reading this will know, we’ve all had “the conversation:”

Player: Coach what supplements can I take to get bigger?

Coach: Well, what are you eating every day?

Player: Well, I had some cheerios, a Red Bull, a burger and a snickers bar today.

Coach:…head explodes.

So, before we get into the subject of how to use supplements to get faster and stronger for football at all, first realize that they are, as the name implies, supplements. As in, they supplement your normal eating, they don’t replace it. If you’re not eating correctly, start. Then, when you have that down, you can worry about supplements.

Second, some of the best supplements for football players are both very cheap and not very well hyped. It’s hard to justify rolling out a major ad campaign for a $5 bottle of something…that’s better saved for the $75+ bucket-o-worthless-chemicals.

When it comes to supplements to improve football ability both in the weight room and on the field, go:

Simple
Cheap
Effective
Know why you’re taking what you’re taking

Here are the Top 6 Supplements to help you get faster, bigger, stronger and more explosive for football.

1. Protein

Five of the 6 supplements in this list are what we consider “base supplements.” They’re not exciting, but they work and they are necessary. Protein powders being the base of the base.

Can you train without taking a protein shake? Yes, of course. But, why would you? I know some guys use this as a badge of being “hard core,” whatever the hell that is…but, really, do you want to be that guy sitting in the gym eating chicken out of a Pyrex bowl, stinking the place out?

Protein is excellent for football training, especially to high school and college players because it is so easily carried around. You can quickly drink it in the halls, on the way to class or at your locker. You can try, as I did in vain, to eat actual food in class, but, most teachers get mad when you pull out giant roast beef sandwiches (no, I don’t have enough for everyone, damnit)

It’s also very cheap. While it may seem that putting out $25 – 35 up front is expensive, the truth is most protein shakes, made at home with two scoops in water, come out to around $1.77. For 50+ grams of protein and minimal carbs and fat, that’s impossible to beat.

And, its ideal post workout. You train hard so get the nutrients into your system as quickly as possible. This helps you recover faster. Recover faster – train harder – get bigger, stronger and faster on the field. Simple.

But, let’s clear one thing up…protein is just food in liquid form. No more, no less. All the bells-and-whistles and marketing hype is just that. Don’t expect to start drinking a few shakes and wake up looking like Arnold.

Start off with two shakes per day. One between breakfast and lunch and one post workout. A lot of experts are suggesting you drink 1/3 pre workout, 1/3 during, and 1/3 of your shake after lifting. This is fine as long as your stomach can handle it. In the summer, it can be tough so test it out and see how you do. Your shake does no good for you if its coming out instead of going it.

Favorites around here are IronTek’s Whey, Muscle Milk, CytoSport Gainer, and Optimum’s 100% Whey

2. L-Tyrosine

L-Tyrosine is one of the most exciting supplements I’ve ever come across for football. It is an absolute life saver on those days where no matter what, you just can’t seem to get your brain right for the game. This isn’t a base supplement but it’s a staple around here. Most people have never even heard of this amino acid, so what’s the big deal?

Again, it’s tough to hype up a supplement that costs less than 10 bucks.

L-Tyrosine is a precursor to adrenaline and blocks the movement of Tryptophan (the stuff in Turkey that makes your fat uncles fall asleep after Thanksgiving dinner) across the brain. This gets you “up” without becoming jittery or cranked out like Ephedrine used to do.

This is huge for both training and football games. Combined with some caffeine it is an unbelievable pre-game/workout supplement…capable of waking you up, firing up the CNS and getting your brain right.

Don’t over use this stuff. Like everything else on Earth, the more you use it, the more the body adapts. In-season, save it for game day. In the weight room, save it for the big P.R. days.

About 45-mins pre lift or pre-game, take 3 – 4 L-Tyrosine caps. You can combine these with a caffeine tablet for maximum effect. You can also use one of Joe DeFranco’s “DeFranco Energy Bars,” if you need a pre-training meal, as these have a lot of quality protein and a nice dose of Tyrosine and caffeine.

3. ZMA

ZMA might be the most underrated supplement in the world when it comes to recovering from training. Studies have shown that athletes, especially football players, are deficient in magnesium. The harder you train, the more the minerals are burned up.

This can lead to poor sleep quality and achy joints.

By taking ZMA (Zinc, Magnesium and vitamin B6) you get a much more restful, deep sleep. This alone makes it almost anabolic in nature. Studies have shown that simply by supplementing with ZMA you can increase your testosterone levels.

You spend a ton of time training, lifting, running, practicing football – you have to balance that with an equal amount of recovery and there’s nothing better for recovery than sleep.

Biotest’s ZMA is probably the best out there, you should definitely go with that to start.

4. Caffeine

This one is tricky. If you’re under 18, I’d stay away from this one. I realize most high schoolers drink coffee and those femme latte-crap drinks, but, something about putting caffeine in pill form causes problems. Plus, you’re young, you should be wired through the roof anyway.

For the more mature football player, caffeine tablets can be a life saver. They get you focused, get the nervous system fired up, and wake you up. This is especially helpful after a long day of classes, work, or playing PS3.

Most guys just drink coffee but this can be problematic. Most convenience stores water down their brew to the point that you’re essentially drinking acidic, brown water. Even places like Startbucks and Dunkin Donuts can be inconsistent in how much caffeine per cup you’re getting.

Best bet is to but a bottle of caffeine tablets. They’re super cheap and safe. One tab is equal to a cup of coffee. And, all you need is one. They are much more potent than actually drinking your caffeine.

Take one tablet 45-minutes prior to a big workout, practice or game. Again, save it for the big ones…if you keep hammering away, it’ll lose it’s effectiveness. You should take a week off of caffeine every 8-weeks or so. That means completely; no tablets, no coffee, no diet soda. If you are really suffering during that week then you’ve been over-relying on the stuff.

If you really want to have a huge day, combine one caffeine tablet with 3 – 4 L-Tyrosine tabs. If you can, drink this down and take a very short nap (15-minutes). As you wake up, the cocktail will start kicking in and by the time you hit the gym or the field you’ll be ready to kill.

5. Fish Oil

This is another base supplement and something about it just bores the hell out of most football players.

Who cares about heart health? Don’t you know high school football players are Unbreakable like Bruce Willis?

Even if we put the heart-health benefits aside, Fish Oil is still extremely useful for football because of it’s anti-inflammatory properties. Every time you lift, every time you practice, and especially when you play a game, you are creating inflammation. The longer you stay this way, the longer you’re sore, tight, and unable to train at 100%. The quicker you squash inflammation, the faster you can get back to training or the field at full strength. This alone is invaluable.

Back when I played in High School, I was much stronger than anyone, setting school records by my junior year. Everyone would break my chops and ask what special supplements I was taking, steroids I was jabbing in my butt, or some special creatine water I’d drink. Truth is, and this is disappointing to most people, that I got that way because I was absolutely obsessed with recovery. I’d go crazy to sleep extra, eat right and kill inflammation as quickly as possible. Because of this, I could train more than everyone.

Think about that next time you have an extra 20-bills in your pocket. Are you going to buy some faux testosterone pill and pee out your money or are you going to do the smart thing, make the boring choice and get some Fish Oil so you can recover faster and train harder than everyone?

6. Multi Vitamin & Mineral

Another boring, base supplement that is absolutely indispensable. If you want to perform at the highest possible level, every cell in your system has to be functioning properly. Taking a good multi vitamin & mineral can help ensure that your body is replacing the nutrients that your burning up in your training. And, despite what most know-it-alls will tell you, you do need extra vitamins and minerals. Maybe the average American fat-ass who sits on the couch playing video games doesn’t need them, but, a football player does.

Even if you eat a ton of different protein foods and “eat the rainbow” in vegetables, there’s no way you’re getting in all the minerals you need. The fact that most football players are woefully deficient in magnesium, zinc and copper should tell you why you need to supplement.

But, you have to get a good product. Taking Centrum will get you no where. A good multi product will require you to take 2 – 3 pills per day to get the full dose. Take one with breakfast, one pre-workout, and one at night. This ensures that you get a nice, steady flow of nutrients and you replace anything you lose quickly.

Venom Diet pills priced at about $75/ bottle of supplies has found some success in burning the fat and aiding weight loss for a lot of people.

How does it work?

The makers of the pill claim that it enhances the body’s metabolism and hence burns the fat faster. It is recommended to take in large quantities of water and do mild exercises that promote the metabolism to get even better results. You will anyway feel a lot of thirst for water while you are on a venom pill diet. It also has the properties of an appetite suppressant, which further contributes to losing weight.

Is it Safe?

Like all diet pills, it will have its share of concerns. Even if it gets you the result you want, it cannot be for long term. People who have used it have reported gain of weight on stopping of the dosage. A dependency of this kind is not healthy, considering the side effects that could come with it. Further, the ingredients of the pills do not by any chance build confidence. It has a very high concentration of Caffeine and we all know this is not something healthy to get addicted to. It can also cause jittery feeling at times. If you are sensitive to caffeine or susceptible to headaches, just stay away from venom diet pills.

So many people these days resort to pills, surgeries and other harsh treatments for weight loss. Despite the fact that these treatments are dangerous and can potentially cause permanent damage to the body, the companies that offer them still keep offering such products and treatments so that they do not go out of business. The best effective alternatives to weight loss are both easy and inexpensive and that’s the primary reason why we tend to overlook them. The right treatment to weight loss will not only result in you losing weight forever but also restore your body to proper functioning and keep you at the top of your health.

Most of us have been through a time when we had plenty of good intention with corresponding dwindling action. Maybe you have promised yourself to go jogging every morning, got a great start, and then by the third week suddenly found yourself too busy at work, sleeping in late, or any of a number of excuses. Maybe these excuses kept getting stronger and stronger until jogging became a thing of the past. Or maybe you decided to turn over a new leaf and walk the dog twice a day or go swimming with the kids each week and somehow it never really happened. And gyms make a good profit from people who join and end up never setting foot in the gym but continue their memberships in hope – or pretence – of fitness. In other words, when it comes to exercise, there may be plenty of good intention but an equally plentiful measure of inaction. There are 7 main emotional blocks in your path that you need to release so you can move forward. Perhaps one or more ring a bell for you.

1. One block is to have every intention to exercise but not a clear mental image of yourself doing it. By image, I mean a clear visualization or a clear feeling in your body of doing the exercise. If you cannot imagine yourself doing the action, chances are that you will not do it.
2. Another, and perhaps even bigger, block, is a hidden emotional fear. If your unconscious mind does not feel that it is safe for you to exercise, then it will do everything it can to stop you.
3. Another block is about how you see your role. For example, a man who sees his role as always having to work to support his family and please his boss will find himself working all hours in the office or taking clients to dinner and almost never exercising.
4. Another block is self-consciousness. If you worry about going to the gym because you feel you will be compared to the fit members or feel too self-conscious in gym clothes, then this will be such an unpleasant experience that it can soon end altogether.
5. A big block is limiting beliefs about yourself. For example, if a girl was discouraged from taking part in boyish sports when a little girl, she may have the illogical belief that sports are not for girls; and so she may find herself inexplicably missing out on swimming, jogging, karate, and all the things she really would love to do.
6. One thing that most would-be exercisers never get around to is specific goal-setting. It is one thing to want to be fit, but without a clear goal to aim for, it is hard to stick to it. Just being fit is too general a goal.
7. Another common mistake is to have a great long-term goal but without any intermediate steps planned. It is then all too easy to get discouraged and give up.

If you want exercise motivation but somehow never stick to a plan, maybe you can recognize one or more of these blocks. The next step is to take action to release these blocks from your path. There are many ways to help you, including writing down your feelings and progress, and also EFT tapping or Reiki to change your energy to that of a exercise motivation. Take one step at a time, release anything in your path to success, and you will surely get there.

Among the many sports that man has ever played, perhaps, bowling is the most popular among all. With over 50 million players in the United States alone, bowling is definitely one sport that is a cut above the rest.

Among the many reasons this particular sport has remained at top of is the fact that it is a highly flexible sport. It promotes easy adjustment methods that are why many children and adults alike can take part in this remarkable game.

About 95% of bowlers consider bowling as a sport that can be exploited as a recreation, a form of relaxation, a societal factor, and a competitive nature as far as sportsmanship is concerned.

The simplicity of the game contributes to its adaptability. Because its rules are easier to understand, more and more people are engaging in this sport, not because of competition but basically because they want to enjoy the time with their friends or family.

With all these advantages, many people are still not aware of the health benefits that bowling can provide. They just thought that the activity could promote physical vigor and it stopped there. What they do not know is that the health benefits of bowling is more than just building stamina and releasing energy.

So for those who are not yet aware of these benefits, here is a list that you should know:

1. Promotes good muscle exercises

Merely walking along the lane, while attempting to make a strike or a spare, is enough to exercise the muscles in your legs. It resembles that of the “walking exercise” that most health buffs do; the only difference is that there is more weight involved. This is because in bowling, your hands are holding the bowling ball.

Consequently, as you swing around to hit the pins, the flexing and stretching provides adequate exercise for your tendons, joints, ligaments, and muscles in the arms.

2. Fat burning

As your muscles flex, turn, and twist in every swinging motion that you make while playing bowling, these moves can actually promote the burning of some accumulated body fat.

3. Builds friendships

One of the health benefits that can be derived in bowling is based on the kind of relationship that is being built with your friends or family. As some psychologists contend, building social relationships can actually promote better performance of the heart muscles. Emotional stress can shorten the lifespan of an average person.

Indeed, there can be no better or enjoyable way to live a healthy life than bowling can.

Many people wonder if is okay to use weight loss medications such as appetite suppressants with the Medifast program. Here’s an overview of the medications that are okay to use with Medifast and those that aren’t.

First, let’s take a look at what medications are available. There are only a handful of different ones that are approved by the FDA specifically for weight loss. The most well known are Meridia, which suppresses appetite and helps increase your body’s fat-burning ability; Phentermine, which decreases your appetite and stimulates your metabolism; and Orlistat, which partially blocks your body’s ability to digest and absorb the fats you eat.

Both Meridia and Orlistat (also known as Xenical) are approved for long term use. Phentermine is approved only for short term use because it can be potentially addictive. With your doctor’s approval, both Meridia and Phentermine can generally be safely used with the Medifast program. Orlistat, on the other hand, should not be used with Medifast at all because the meals are already very low in fat and you need some fats in your diet for certain vitamins.

All of these are only available from your doctor if you fit certain criteria related to your BMI. If you have obesity and health conditions that are related to it though, you may want to discuss the options with your doctor. Be sure to tell your Doctor about Medifast too so you can discuss the best way to use it along with any medication.

Also, I should mention that there is also an over the counter medication that is similar to Orlistat. This is Alli. You’ve probably heard of it already. Since you shouldn’t take Orlistat while using Medifast, you also shouldn’t take Alli. Because it is a fat blocker, it can mean that you will be getting too little vitamin D and other important fat-soluble vitamins if you use it in conjunction with Medifast.

Before you decide to ask your doctor about a prescription though, you might want to give the Medifast program a try for a few weeks by itself. Because of the way the program works, most people who use it to lose weight find that they don’t really get that hungry after the first three to five days.

Because Medifast is high in protein and provides adequate fiber it works to give you a sense of satiety which should keep you from getting hungry. Also, once you are in the fat-burning state known as ketosis, that tends to suppress your appetite as well. So most dieters do fine without needing an additional appetite suppressant. However, if you do find that you still need to curb your hunger and you’d like extra help, there are definitely weight loss medications you can take with Medifast. You’ll just need to talk to your doctor about them to see if there’s one that is appropriate for you.

For the proper care of your reptiles a routine schedule can be followed on a daily, weekly, monthly, bi-annually and annual basis. The following is a bearded dragons care sheet, listing the essential functions to keep your dragons happy and healthy.

Daily:

• Feed your lizard and replace water bowl with fresh water

• Remove the feeding dishes and clean them after feeding

• Clean the feeding area of any uneaten food

• Clean the substrate of any toilet or fecal matter

• Check your dragon for any visual signs of sickness or problems with skin shedding

• Spend some time with your pet out of the enclosure

Weekly:

• Bath your bearded dragon

• Trim the reptile’s toenails

• Clean the enclosure thoroughly, clean all the items like branches and rocks

• Clean your cage surroundings including the underside and back of the tank

• Check that all the heating and lighting equipment are in working order

• Take your dragon outside for basking in the sunshine

Monthly:

• Remove all the components of the cage and wash the tank with a bleaching agent. Let it dry completely under the sun.

Bi-annually:

• Remove and replace an inch of the top layer of the substrate for all the cages that you keep outdoors.

Annually:

• Visit your veterinarian. Take your pet with samples of feces to check for any parasites or diseases.

In addition you have to be aware of the nutritional needs of your juvenile and adult dragons. Below is a list of the basic food proportions and the variety needed to make up a healthy diet for your bearded dragon thus ensuring a healthy and long life for your reptile.

For Juveniles and adults:

• 50 percent: – insects pre-fed and gut loaded consisting of crickets, mealworms, wax worms and once or twice give them a pinky mice.

• 30 percent: – green vegetables rich with calcium example alfalfa, collard greens, mustard greens, dandelions, spinach greens, cabbage, broccoli and green beans.

• 10 percent: – other vegetable example zucchini, bell peppers, grated carrots, tomatoes and sprouts.

• 10 percent: – other foods example bread, cereal and commercial bearded dragon food.

Adults can be fed once per day and juveniles twice daily. Young dragon’s vegetables should be chopped in smaller pieces and given smaller insects so they can be eaten easily. For hatchlings, as they are growing rapidly, should be given more protein and fed twice a day. Their food ratio should comprise 60 percent protein, 25 percent calcium rich vegetables and 15 percent other food.

By making a care list for your dragon you reduce the risk of forgetting to carry out one of the chores and neglecting your pet.

Your dragons should be taken out of its cage every now and then so to properly handle your pet there are some do’s and don’ts:

1. Don’t grab him by its tail or limbs.

2. Don’t grab him suddenly without warning.

3. Do make slow and gentle approach.

4. Do place a finger under the chin and extend under its body.

5. Do move the hatchlings with the perch they are lying on.

6. Do support the dragon in the palm of your hand, its head facing away from you.

7. Don’t press and squeeze any part of its body.

8. Don’t grab him in your fist if it is suddenly running away. But rather block its path by one hand and by caving in with your fingers gently lift it up.

Amino acid products are becoming a very popular component of a boxing training program. Athletes of all shapes and sizes can make use of amino acids because they provide a huge range of benefits. They are of course natural compounds, and your body utilizes them in a near infinite amount of ways. Take a look at how you can benefit from them as a piece of your boxing training program.

When most people think about amino acid products they think about building muscle and strength, and this is true. Aminos are the building blocks of proteins, which are the building blocks of muscles. They are necessary for muscle repair, growth and recovery, and if you want to build new muscle mass you need to be ingesting enough amino acids.

As mentioned, most people realize that but what most people don’t necessary think about is that they make for excellent muscle recovery supplements. They will help your body repair your muscle mass in less time, allowing you to get back in the gym and back to training. You will also be able to prevent injuries from reoccurring, and you’ll notice less pain and nagging strains as well.

In addition to serving as muscle recovery supplements, they can also help to improve the strength of your entire frame. They target the bones, joints, ligaments and cartilage, providing an all-over boost to your strength and fitness. You will immediately notice the difference in your performance and what you’re capable of.

With amino acid products this is still really just the beginning. They can be used for just about anything. Some can actually serve as a natural energy booster, while other products and supplements can help your focus and concentration. You can find both complete amino acid products and those that offer or specialize in just one key amino acid. The most popular of these products are those focusing on L-Glutamine and L-Arginine.

It’s also important to realize that many of these are actually essential for your diet, which means that your body can’t produce them and therefore needs to ingest through through diet and supplementation. Therefore, using some of these products will enable you to meet all of your dietary needs, which can have a wide range of health benefits as well.

For a boxing training program, your body and your performance can reach entirely new levels as you take advantage of amino acid products. As muscle recovery supplements and in many other ways, they will increase the results that you see and keep you in action for more of the time with less pain and aggravation.

The P90X personal fitness program is best described as an advanced personal fitness training program. It is meant to be implemented at home through a combination of exercises and dietary modifications. It is aimed at people, who already have decent levels of physical fitness, but who aspire to “take it to the next higher level.”

It is worth noting that most of the physical training programs available on the market today are designed for people, who recognize themselves as physically unfit and are simply aspiring to attain basic physical fitness. Unfortunately, the designers of physical fitness training programs seem to have forgotten that there is another group of people, and that is those, who are already reasonably fit and want to be fitter. This is the group for which the P90X was designed. However, other groups of people can benefit from its exercises as well.

Structure of the P90X personal fitness program

As mentioned earlier, this is a program with efficacy based on exercises and dietary modifications.

The specific physical exercises used in the program mainly fall into five categories:

1. Cardiovascular workouts

2. Strength training workouts

3. Yoga moves

4. Stretching exercises

5. Plyometrics

These are stretched over a 90 day period and divided into 13 weeks. Participants need to work out 6 days a week. Individual daily workout sessions are supposed to be less than one hour.

The dietary modification aspect starts with a high protein and low carbohydrate phase. Percentage of proteins in the diet is increased progressively. This is accompanied by a commensurate increase in the rigor of physical exercises.

Objectives of the P90X personal fitness, and how they are achieved

The key objective of P90X personal fitness program is to get rid of “plateaus” that frustrate those working towards advanced personal fitness. These plateaus manifest when the body adapts to physical exercises and creates a situation, where exercises no longer yield desired outcomes. Thus, a person performing strength training is likely to see improvements in physical strength initially, but regardless of how hard he or she works, there are no further gains beyond a certain point. The person has reached a plateau.

To get rid of plateaus, designers of the P90X personal fitness programs devised what they refer to as “muscle confusion” strategies. With the help of these, growth is sustained throughout the personal fitness program. Thus, people, who attained what appeared to be their “highest potential'” in terms of physical fitness, are actually able to progress to higher levels of fitness.

The objective of the dietary modification aspect of the P90X personal fitness program is to provide participants with the “fuel” they need for often rigorous exercises. This is mainly achieved through the use of a carbohydrate-rich “athletes” diet.

The other day, I had someone email me and basically say: “I’m very interested in the Medifast diet. I’m very intrigued by the dramatic results my friend has had, but I want to know if I can just substitute the Atkins shakes in the grocery store for the Medifast ones.” I have to say that probably the majority of questions that I get about this diet have to do with the shakes.  There seems to be a perception that this plan is defined by them.  I understand this somewhat.  These items are tasty, filling, and pretty convenient, so there is a lot to like about them.  But, there are only one of many food choices.  However, I’ll answer the question about substituting the Atkins shakes in the following article.

Why Medifast Shakes Are So Popular And Are Beyond Comparison:  I believe that these shakes get so much attention because they are known to be pretty tasty while still being very low in calories and carbohydrates, and very high in protein and fiber.  There are not a lot of diet foods which are able to retain a decent taste and texture while being so sound nutritionally.  This combination (along with the other foods) puts you body in what I called the promised land which is technically defined as ketosis.  In this metabolic state, your body begins to turn on and burn it’s fat stores because you aren’t giving it the excess carbohydrates that commonly help with this job.

If you pick up and examine say a slim fast shake, you’ll see that there is really no comparison.  Most “diet shakes” are really full or sugar, calories, and carbs and therefore aren’t nearly as effective in getting you into ketosis.

Medifast Shakes Versus Atkins Shakes. Which Is Better?:  OK, let’s take a look at them side by side. I’ll be looking at the chocolate royale for Atkins and the dutch chocolate 55 for Medifast.  And know that I’m evaluating them based on their ability to get you into fat burning mode. (Although I do have to say that the Atkins shake has that chalky after taste that is nasty and typical of so many diet foods. I don’t find this on the 55 version. ) Any way, these two shakes are pretty similar in terms of protein, carbs, sugars and fiber.  In all of these categories, either would get you in ketosis (so long as you ate either diet’s meals for the remainder of the day.)  However, the chocolate royale has a whopping 170 calories per serving.  This is almost double the dutch chocolate’s 90 calories.

I find this to be a deal breaker. That’s almost like consuming two meals (at least in terms of calories) instead of one.  The whole point to this is to keep your calories low so that you can get in fat burning mode.  Why go through all the work and trouble and then consume a product that has twice as many calories?

What Are You Really Saving With The Atkins Shake?: I asked the person who sent the email why she wanted to substitute the other shake? She said she liked that she could pick them up at the grocery store and she perceived them to be a bit cheaper.  This actually isn’t really true.  These shakes average out to be well over $2 each. This is about what you would pay for Medifast too, sometimes less. 

And, I can’t stress this enough.  You are eating a variety of foods on this diet, and many of them aren’t liquid.  You will also eat eggs, chili, oatmeal, bars, etc.  And, most people place monthly orders and have the food shipped right to their door.  You don’t need to buy grocery store products on top of that. If you do, you’re spending more money than you need to for something that has many more calories than what you would get other wise.

If you use coupons or discounts, you can basically get 5 Medifast meals each day for about $8 each day (less then $2 each.)  But, if you add on a grocery store shake or two onto this, you’re bumping this up to $10 -$12 per day for food you don’t need that is giving you more calories.  It’s just unnecessary when they provide you with everything you need.

Our hands are often overlooked when we think of our health. Hands need the same care, stretching and exercise as every other muscle and joint in our body. We expect our hands to help us daily in almost every activity that we do from eating, to holding a book, or using the computer keyboard and mouse. To avoid injury and reduce the effects of arthritis hand exercises are very helpful.

Hand dexterity exercises were designed to stretch and massage the muscles and joints in the hand resulting in creating greater strength, flexibility and coördination. Most of these exercises feel good and make you hands stronger and more agile as well as preventing loss of function and weakness as we age.

Isometric exercise means tensing a muscle and holding it for 15 to 30 seconds while maintaining the tension. Isometric exercises are especially beneficial to people who have limited range of motion.

You can fit in exercise almost anywhere, anytime, with minimal equipment.

Exercise one: The wrist flex

Extend arm in front of you, palm facing up (as if you are pushing against a wall). Grab the fingers using your other hand and gently pull them back towards you-holding for 20 seconds. Repeat on other wrist. You have completed 1 repetition. Try to do a set of 3 repetitions.

Exercise two: Grip Strength

To improve your grip there are 3 small pieces of equipment that will help you. All are small and easily portable. First is a grip device that consists of two handles connected by a spring. They are available in most sporting goods departments-purchase one that is right for your current hand strength.

A Squeeze ball is an excellent tool to have on your desk. Squeezing it not only strengthens your handgrip but is also a great stress reliever.

A small weight is another easy, simple to use and inexpensive way to increase your handgrip.

When doing grip exercises it is best to alternate hands, try to do the same number of repetitions on each hand.

Increased hand strength helps with everyday tasks such as opening jars and keeping your grip on a heavy object.

Exercise Three: Hand Flexibility

This exercise needs no equipment.

Place both hands together and palms touching and push your hands together, hold for 10-20 seconds.

Bonus:

Isometric hand exercises that strengthen hand grip also have a positive effect on lowering blood pressure in adults.

Performing these exercises several times a day is simple, feels good and will increase strength and dexterity. Your hands will feel better, have better blood circulation and help reduce pain and discomfort while performing basic daily activities.