The acai berry diet is gaining popularity among health enthusiasts. Consumer reviews on the diet have been on the positive side for the obvious reason that it is safe, effective and healthy on the mind and body. Of course, there will be negative reviews and avowed critics of the acai berry diet but these have been few and far between so far. As with any new health supplement, there is always a period in which it will be hailed as the answer to al of man's health problems – but after this initial period, most of these products can not endure the rigors of scientific investigation. What is interesting to note is that even though this little berry has been around now for quite some time, its popularity is in fact increasing. This alone is a powerful testimonial to this special fruit's nutritional benefits.

Reasons for Popularity

Said popularity of the acai diet is based on many valid reasons. First, the supplements come in pills, powder and juice forms. These can be easily taken with every meal either on their own or as additions to one's favorite food items.

For example, the powder can be used as toppings, added to dressings and used in cooking dishes while the juice can be added to favorite beverages like freshly-squeezed orange juice. This is possible since the acai berry powder is relatively tasteless, thus, its ability to combine with other ingredients without adding unpleasant aftertaste.

Second, acai has been proven by modern medical science to possess one of the highest ORAC levels among the identified superfoods including blueberries and pomegranates. ORAC is the measure of antioxidant levels in fruits and vegetables.

Freeze-dried acai has ORAC of 3,500 units. (In contrast, its closest rival of blueberries only has an ORAC score of 2,400 units) Take note that the higher the antioxidant levels, the better for one's health.

Third, acai berry has fat and cholesterol-burning properties. This spells good news for the metabolic rate.

The abovementioned acai berry properties are just a few of the reasons for the superfood's popularity. You will discover that many uses have been found for the acai berry diet, which will be discussed in the next section.

Popular Uses

With a superfood as its basis, the acai diet offers many benefits depending on the individual's original intent for adopting the natural diet. These benefits include:

• Weight Loss – As previously mentioned, the acai berry has fat and cholesterol-melting properties. Losing weight then becomes a faster process with the acai berry diet since the fats and cholesterol in the body can be eliminated faster, too. Other ways by which acai helps in effective weight loss are through safer appetite suppression, faster metabolism and better nutrition.

• Colon Cleansing – Acai berry possesses antibacterial and anti-cancer properties helpful in cleaning the colon of its buildup of putrefied feces. Its antibacterial quality kills the harmful pathogens lurking in the colon while its anti-cancer property may prevent the formation of cancerous cells.

• General Health – Of course, the acai berry diet is most useful in the maintenance of good health. The high levels of antioxidants in acai helps in lessening the risks for cardiovascular diseases and chronic degenerative illnesses like diabetes and Alzheimer's.

The acai berry diet is not just about losing weight contrary to the typical conception of a "diet". It can be adopted the whole year-round to keep you healthy in mind and body – no side effects, thankfully. Of course, a proper diet of fruits, vegetables and whole grains as well as a moderate exercise program as part of a healthy lifestyle is a must in an acai diet, regardless of the intent for its adoption.

There are guys out there who have been working out for a while now and they have seen little to no results in terms of muscle gains. Those guys begin to question whether it is possible for them to get fitness model ripped, or whether they are fighting an uphill battle which they will eventually lose. The road to being ripped and shredded is definitely filled with lots of blood, sweat and self doubt.

The funny thing is that most guys who work out for a long time without seeing results will eventually lose this uphill battle because they have lost hope, they feel they received a bad deal at birth in terms of bodybuilding genetics. The interesting part about all this is that most people are not born with what is considered good “bodybuilding genetics,” but what people should know is that with enough hard work anyone can become ripped and shredded. Yes it may be easier for others to gain muscle, they may have the perfect body type but what counts the most is not what we are born with or without, what matters is what we do with what we have.

Some people have a harder time packing on mass whilst others struggle to keep their weight down, it seems like everything they eat turns to fat. All those people can overcome whatever “weakness” or “disadvantage” they are born with and build ripped muscular bodies. This situation is like a sports person who is very talented but is lazy and does not train, and a person who is not that skilled but is a hard worker in that sport, if you were a coach and you had to choose who to play you would play the hard worker because you know he will last and be effective during whole 90 minutes (if the sport is soccer) not someone who will not be useful for most of the game because he can’t keep up just hoping for a moment of brilliance. In muscle building you are like the hard worker, you are not someone born with great muscle building potential but you use what you have and you make the best out of it. We all can’t be Usain Bolt but if we train hard every day, and consistently we would be able to run pretty fast and even challenge the Usain’s of this world if the start slacking.

Before you give up thinking that your genetics are working against you, you should assess your diet, many people think that they are eating healthy food which is conducive to muscle building when they are actually not, many people trying to gain muscle often under eat which makes it difficult to gain muscle mass. Also check that you are training each individual muscle enough, and make sure that you give your muscles enough rest time because muscles do not grow in the gym, they grow outside the gym. During your training make sure that you are not lifting weights that you can do 20 reps for only for 10 reps, increase the weight so that the weight challenges you, you need to be struggling by that last rep. Do not have long rest periods between sets; try to make your workouts intense, you don’t need to spend a lot of time in the gym if you are working out right.

There are a lot of things you might be doing that would cause you not to see the growth you want. Tweak you workout, do not give up in the middle of the battle, and fight on. If you don’t believe you will gain muscle and you think your genetics are against you, then you have already lost. Forget about genetics; think about proper nutrition, pumping iron (experiment with different rep ranges & sets), and cardio and you are on your way to being ripped and shredded. If you believe and visualize that you will be shredded and work hard towards that end goal then it will happen.

On a few separate occasions, I’ve heard people from various health occupations declare that protein is “overrated.” It seemed to me those folks were thinking of “body” protein – for muscle building and the like – rather than brain protein. This brief article covers the top 3 reasons to take a different view of protein.

1. Protein provides amino acids.

Amino acids are the precursors of several key brain chemicals – dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. Those neurochemicals affect the brain in a number of ways.

Dopamine and norepinephrine boost alertness and brain reward. Norepinephrine and serotonin improve mood and help fight depression and other “off” moods. All of them are brain feel-goods.

2. The female brain turns over serotonin at a faster rate than the male brain.

As a result, women need protein throughout the day. That provides the amino acid tryptophan in sufficient quantities to help the brain make enough serotonin and prevent various mood issues.

In addition, protein foods provide B vitamins. Vitamin B-6 helps to make serotonin synthesis (or re-synthesis) possible.

3. Protein is the macronutrient that offers the highest satiety.

Satiety is the feeling that we’ve had enough food and don’t need to go back for more. One underlying reason for this is that protein triggers production of cholecystokinin (CCK). It’s the most powerful satiety hormone the human body produces.

Yes, there are quite a few other reasons to eat protein, but let’s stick with these 3 for this article.

The above reasons are compelling ones to keep eating true protein foods – fish, chicken, grass-fed beef, free-range organic eggs, shellfish, and more – throughout the day. If you’re against eating animal products, by all means substitute high-quality protein powders.

Vegetable proteins are having their moment right now. But for some people, the amount of protein available in kale, for example, won’t provide enough protein to make big changes in the brain. Vegetable protein powders, though, offer more.

Whatever form of protein you decide to use is up to you, of course. Just don’t skimp on protein if you’re seriously interested in alertness, better moods, and greater satiety.

This short article identifies ten tips to improve your Judo groundwork (Ne Waza) skills.

All Judo players could drastically improve their Ne Waza or “groundwork” techniques by attending a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school – you will quickly learn the geographic hierarchy of positions rarely discussed in Judo.

Don’t start with both knees on the ground – use ‘Combat Base’ when beginning ground work with one knee down and one knee up.

Don’t knee fight – in both Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Judo it is common to see both partners fighting aggressively from the knees – in reality nobody fights from the knees. Try to co-operate with training partners and take turns for one partner to start in a bottom position.

Never lay flat on your front, especially during Ne Waza practice. This results in failing to utilise your training time to improve your techniques and skills. Nothing of value is learnt by laying flat on your front and trying to protect your neck from your opponent. Reserve this for the competition mat only and you can learn to defend your neck more effectively from other positions.

Never try to choke your opponent when you are in his guard (the guard is where Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu players lay on there backs with their legs either wrapped around you or the legs are between you and them). There is a high chance that you will be armlocked or reversed if your opponent has even basic Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills.

Learn to use the modified scarf position – the standard head and arm position is less stable, especially when you are lighter and / or smaller than your opponent. Therefore instead of holding your opponent around the head, which may give access to your back or being reversed, grip under your opponent’s armpit.

Ask more experienced practitioners for advice – if a training partner applies a technique that are unfamiliar with, ask them to show it to you and any counters or defences that they also know. This will further develop your knowledge and skills.

Practice holds and skills during Ne Waza – in both Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu schools there is often an emphasis on winning by any means and all-out sparring. Whilst sparring is essential, try to spar with a particular skill, objective, or even position in mind. Agree with your sparring partners to repeatedly work on your escapes, holds, etc.

Keep a training diary – record your performance, submissions, holds, successes and learning areas.

Search the internet for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu sites as you will often be able to find techniques that will address areas requiring improvement.

Follow these tips and you should drastically improve your Ne Waza skills. In the next article, I will address 10 simple tips to assist Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners in improving their stand-up and throwing skills.

Glyn Powditch of JudoBJJ and SBG Manchester

BJJ purple belt

Judoka

MMA Instructor

© Glyn Powditch 2008

Using pressure cookers for your everyday cooking is the best way to cook food in a faster manner while also retaining nutrients and saving energy. But if you are a rice eater and want to remove starch from rice, what would you do? You would use a diet cooker or a stainless steel pressure cooker that comes with the option of removing all starch from rice!

Starch is made of glucose and is a carbohydrate. Thought it is an intrinsic part of a person’s diet, if you use it too much, it can lead to weight gain. If you are diabetic, you better stay away from starchy rice. The best way to do so is to use an Ultra diet cooker which comes with a starch remover. How convenient, isn’t? And healthy, of course.

If you use a traditional pot for cooking rice, which is not very convenient for modern times, owing to the lack of time, there was one advantage. Starch would be taken out as rice would boil. However, in a typical stainless steel pressure cooker, the starch is not removed.

How does a diet cooker work?

In such a scenario, what do you opt for? Presenting a diet cooker which brings you the best of both methods. These diet pressure cookers come with a starch remover with perforations at the bottom. All you need to do is use rice, pour water and wait for the whistle. Once the cooker cools down, you can remove the starch remover containing rice and notice that all the starch has trickled down to the bottom of the cooker. This is a traditional method that incorporates the modern concept of quick pressure cooking. What’s more, the starch remover or utensil comes with a neat handle lending it a basket-like appearance, so it is easy to hold it and take off from the cooker.

The stainless steel pressure cooker also comes with a high-impact bonded base so cooking is super fast and uniform. The base ensures that food doesn’t get stuck to it or get burnt.

Cut down those calories!

By using a diet cooker, you can effortlessly do away with at least 30 calories for every meal. Isn’t that a huge step towards a healthy diet and weight loss programme? Regular pressure-cooked rice is high on calories as all the starch gets re-absorbed into your cooked rice.

The other aspects you need to consider about pressure cookers include the material that the cooker’s body is made of, and the safety valve. Also find out about the finish of the diet cooker, both inside and outside (a mirror finish on the outside and a coating of satin inside), the material that handles are made of etc, so that you bring home a diet cooker that is perfect in every way.

Find out about the warranty and its validity as well. Ensure that you follow the method of cooking mentioned in the instructional manual and follow up with regular maintenance.

There are many falsehoods that have developed over the years regarding aging and strength. As someone who has worked out all my life they have always seemed liked excuses to me, but they are things I hear all the time. Here are a few of the “LIES”, let’s call them what they are, I’d like to put to rest.

LIE#1: You naturally put on weight as you get older… WRONG!

Stop blaming those expanding love handles on getting older! In fact, of any other challenge, this is the simplest to combat. There are four factors which contribute to middle age weight gain: slowing metabolism, lower testosterone, poor diet and lack of exercise. Look at that list. Two of the four factors are completely within our control. It’s time to stop blaming those expanding love handles on getting older. It’s just an excuse. All you need to do is make the right food choices and take care with what you eat. That tiny change alone will stop the onset of weight gain.

But when it comes to strength, here’s another myth to bust…

LIE #2: As you get older, you naturally get weaker… WRONG!

I’ll show how wrong this lie is. Research from the University of Oklahoma found that over an eight-week period a group of middle-aged guys (35-50) succeeded losing body fat and building muscle. But that’s not all. Compared with a group of college-aged guys over the same period, the older guys lost MORE body fat and gained MORE muscle. So, let me say this again: None of this is inevitable. Yes, you’re susceptible… but it doesn’t have to be your future. Getting older isn’t the problem. (And any guy who blames age for their performance is making excuses.)

You don’t have to accept these lies.

LIE #3: As you age, you naturally lose energy… WRONG!

There’s one everyday reality that hits you harder than anything else: always feeling tired. To feel that overwhelming exhaustion every day is, well… exhausting. You wake up tired. Yawn your way through the work day. And then spend the evening slouched on the sofa unable to keep your eyes open.

And you pay the price.

You spend less quality time with your wife. Less time with your kids. Every activity is a struggle. Before you thought nothing of heading out to do any number of outdoor activities… now, you’re lucky if you make it through the evening. Your energy levels start on a downward spiral when your lack of energy reduces your activity level. It becomes a vicious cycle.

But here’s the thing about what I call the Energy Spiral. It goes up as well as down. Find the energy and get back into daily activity and the spiral turns upwards. More energy = even more energy. Reinvigorating your body to release enough energy to keep increasing energy levels needs to be a major part of any program.

LIE #4: Injuries are just going to happen as you get older… WRONG!

Remember what you were like in your 20s? Knocking around the gym. Lifting big. Huge gains every week. Eating whatever you wanted with no side-effects. And then what happened when you hit your 30s? Change happens. A nag turns into an ache. The gains take a little bit longer. The fat clings a little harder to your body than it used to. The realization hits: we’re not invincible. Progress is painful. What worked for you as a 20-year-old kid doesn’t work for you now.

It’s perfectly natural. Your body changes. But NONE of the programs reflect that change. They expect you to try nailing it like you did in your youth… and when you don’t get results, frustration sets in. You try working out harder. And for longer. Yet the results stall. Your energy starts dropping and soon you’re exhausted, frustrated or, even worse, injured. It doesn’t have to be that way. With the right program you can avoid injuries!

It’s worse than hitting a plateau. And it’s not just a case of changing it up or trying something different. The next stage is all about motivation…

LIE #5: Motivation is much harder to come by as we age… WRONG!

Of course, it’s not your fault. When you hit your 30s, life gets in the way. You mature. Your priorities change. Your days fill up with the everyday rigor of spending time on your career. You dedicate your free time on evenings and weekends to your family. Hanging out in the gym or sweating it out for hours on end stop having the same appeal. Your motivation wanes. Your diet slips. Life gets in the way. Your priorities may have changed… but your body still needs attention

As you can see, NONE of these issues are physiological.

Our challenges are not about our body. They are around what we choose to do with our body. These are the same challenges for every guy, like you and me. You may be experiencing one or more of these right now… you may be going through all three. By challenging and resolving each of these issues, you can turn back the clock. Deterioration and decay doesn’t have to be your reality.

I’ve found a program that works to help you overcome these lies we’ve all been told. Known as 40 Strong I think if you’ll give it a try, you’re going to be achieving the kind of results you did in your 20’s.

40 Strong is about you doing what you love to do when it comes to activity. This program is about choosing different ways to be physically active. Liking what you’re doing for exercise is the key to longevity and long-term results.

Because if you truly like something, it will be very hard to stop doing it.

I always like going back to children when it comes to explaining exercise and being active. Most of the children in this world have one thing in common; they like to play. Playing is exercise. Kids run, jump, twist, climb and move their bodies with tremendous power, strength and agility. As we age, we lose that ability. Not because we got older, but because we stopped moving like that every day and this point is missed by many experts in the field of strength and health. This program is about adding recess back into your life and having that time everyday where you get to play in different ways. In doing that you will regain energy, muscle, mobility, confidence and your life will be forever changed.

Kettlebell workouts are the most effective strength training exercises that also combine the benefits of cardio exercises. The secret lies in the design of kettlebells where the individual's center of gravity is slightly off, thus, encouraging the muscles to work harder to keep the body's balance on an even keel. In fact, kettlebell exercises work the entire body since these are basically compound exercises. It must be emphasized, however, that most exercises can also be considered as isolation exercises because specific muscle groups are engaged during the movements.

Here are a few examples of these exercises that can be included in kettlebell workouts. If you are doing these exercises in a fitness center, it is a good idea to ask for assistance on proper technique, form and execution from a personal trainer. Keep in mind that kettlebell exercises may be the best in strength and cardio workouts but you can quickly injure yourself with improper technique.

1. Two-handed American Swing – The two -handed American swing is considered as a better exercise than the Russian swing although it boils down to personal preferences. This is because the swing involves more major groups of muscles including the hips, back and shoulders. The swing also increases the balance, coordination and flexibility of the shoulders.
2. One-arm Swing – This works in the same manner as the two arm swing albeit with a difference – it demands more strength from your entire body since only one hand does the lifting. The exercise strengthens the muscles in the abdomen, lower body, and the arms while also improving on the hips.
3. Turkish Getup – Do not underestimate the difficulty of the Turkish getup especially as it involves changing positions from lying down to standing up, all while gripping the kettlebell in one hand. This is, bar none, the single most effective whole-body exercise in all kettlebell workouts! It is effective in strengthening shoulder and scapular stability, in extending the thoracic spine, and in improving stability in the core, hips and lumbar spine, among others.
4. Renegade Pushups – Yet another kettlebell exercise that strengthens the entire body is the renegade pushup. The pushup part works on the chest (pectoralis) muscles, the back of the upper arms (triceps), and the front of the shoulders (deltoids) as well as the core muscles (lower back and abdominals). The rowing part develops the middle back muscles (rhomboids), the front muscles (biceps), and the forearm muscles while the plank position engages the core muscles.
5. Windmills – This is also a full- body exercise with emphasis on the chest, core and shoulders as well as the arms. Plus, windmills make for a tough-guy workout from the eyes of a casual observer because of the complexity of the move.
6. Goblet Squats – The goblet squats work the muscles in the forearm, shoulders and hands as well as the legs, glute and core. Several variations are available such as the kettlebell on a bottoms-up or a bottoms-down position.

There you have And it, 6 Effective and fun kettlebell exercises the That you can do on your own, or with the professional coaching from a personal training fitness for a studio .

Keep in mind, these kettlebell exercises require practice and repetition in order to begin to feel comfortable with the various movements. But you will soon start to see the results.

Beginning from this month, get ready to reduce excess abdominal fat from your body with 4 common spices that have being research-proven to lose belly fat fast instead of wasting your money on diet pills or weight loss pills.

You may not be aware, but it is important you know that diet or weight loss pills depending on the type and the ingredients used to make them can cause heart problems, high blood pressure, liver problems, organ damage, headaches, nausea, increased heart rate, anxiety, restlessness, breathing problems, stomach problems and addiction to the pills or supplements. There is no substitute for healthy eating and regular physical activity when it comes to reducing stomach fat and losing weight.

To reduce excess abdominal fat, regain your inner natural balance, lose belly fat and be in the best shape of your life, it is important that you know the 4 common spices that can help you get a flat stomach, improve your brain function and naturally lower bad cholesterol.

Here are the 4 common spices that can help you to reduce excess abdominal fat without rigorous exercises:

1. Ginseng: Adding ginseng to your food daily will help to reduce your blood-sugar levels. Reduction of blood sugar leads to the production of less insulin – the hormone that tells your body to store fat especially around your stomach region.
2. Cinnamon: Studies have shown that cinnamon can reduce the risk of diabetes and lower bad cholesterol. If you want to lose belly fat naturally, learn to add some quantity of cinnamon on your breakfast cereal or toast in the morning. You can also add 2 teaspoons or two cinnamon sticks in a cup of boiling water. Leave for 30 minutes, sieve and drink as tea. You can drink this tea first thing in the morning and before you go to bed at night.
3. Cayenne Pepper: Several studies have shown that Cayenne pepper is the best natural spice for losing weight and belly fat. Cayenne pepper aids in increasing your body’s metabolism. Adding cayenne on a regular daily basis to your meal can boost your metabolism by 30% to burn of excess abdominal fat. It is also known to reduce appetite and beneficial to the heart.
4. Ginger: It helps to increase the rate of metabolism thus helping to burn fat and reduce stomach fat. It increases the pH of stomach acid, reducing its acidity, lowering the rate of gastric secretions, and increasing digestive enzyme activity.

Nobody is telling you to use these 4 common spices alone to help you lose weight. You only need to practice adding the spices to your everyday healthy meals to give your body the extra boost to reduce excess abdominal fat and ward off harmful diseases associated with tummy fat.

Upper or lower back pain is, unfortunately, a big part of life for many people. If chronic back pain keeps you down, there are several things you could be considering to help reduce this pain.

The sad part is it can be very difficult to get rid of back pain altogether. The good news, however, is with a few smart lifestyle changes, you should be able to move beyond it and return to leading the active lifestyle you desire. While it may still trouble you at times, if you learn how to manage it, it doesn’t have to stop you from leading the life you want.

Here are three steps you can take to help avoid feeling pain so often…

1. Prolonged Periods Of Sitting. We live in a day and age where many of us are sitting for hours at a time each and every day. We maybe work for eight hours straight and often only get up briefly for a couple of minutes to use the washroom.

All of this leads to acute pain in the lower back area, especially if you are not taking care to use proper posture.

Three ways to overcome this include…

• sitting on an exercise ball rather than a traditional desk chair for a few hours each day. Sitting on an exercise ball will engage your back more, strengthening your abdominal muscles and core strength. Strong abdominal muscles support your back, and core strength means improved posture, balance, and stability.
• get up at least once each hour and walk around for five minutes. Movement is critical.
• consider taking a brisk 20-minute walk over your lunch or coffee break. A quick walk can make a world of difference regarding how much back pain you experience.

If you do engage in these three steps, you will find your back and body will feel far healthier.

2. Abdominal Crunches. Next, you will also want to refrain from doing too many abdominal crunches. Avoiding abdominal crunches does not mean you should not work your abs, though! In fact, it is the opposite. If you fail to work your abs, you are setting yourself up for back pain down the road. Strong abs are a must for the best abdominal support.

Just avoid crunches, which tend to place too much strain on the lower back. Try planks, lying leg raises, or decline twisting sit-ups in the machine instead.

3. Stress. Finally, beware of your stress levels. While it may seem like there should not be a connection between stress and back pain when you feel heavily stressed you will have tension in the muscles affecting your back. Over time this can lead to tightness and this tightness often goes on to cause back pain.

Take deep breaths throughout the day and focus on keeping your back, shoulders, and neck relaxed. It will make a difference over time.

Keep these three points in mind. What can you be doing today to put an end to your back pain?

Lemon Verbena (Aloysia triphylla) is just one of the special herbs cultivated on the Greek Island of Crete. Crete is of course home to the Cretan Diet which has been scientifically proven as the healthiest diet in the world and is a close cousin of the Mediterranean diet.

Lemon Verbena is a small deciduous perennial shrub renowned for its citrus lemony fragrance, and smells wonderful. When crushed, the leaves of this wonderfully fragrant plant give off a gorgeous lemon citrus aroma.

It reportedly has many health benefits including acting as an anti-depressant and digestive aid, helping with metabolism. A tea made from the leaves of this herb is very calming and mildly sedative too.

Although not native to the Greek Island of Crete, lemon verbena has become a firm favourite with the Cretans to use as a tea or tisane. It is becoming renowned as an herb for weight loss and for helping reduce cellulite.

This versatile herb is sold on the Greek Island of Crete at farmers’ markets and village shops as a diet tea. Packets of the fresh smelling dried leaves of this plant are often labelled as a “Slimming Tea” or “Tea for Weight Loss.”

Along with drinking the weight loss tea, women are using the herb as an aid to reducing cellulite. A top tip for this is to use lemon verbena as a scrub.

To make a good homemade cellulite reducing scrub, grind some of the dried leaves and mix in with ground oatmeal. Add some olive oil to form a paste. Use each day before showering to tackle stubborn cellulite.

So both internally and externally, lemon verbena can be used to enhance health and beauty!