- If the advertisement claims that you can tone up while lying in bed watching the tube, save your money for the Miracle Mop. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS "THE NO SWEAT WORKOUT THAT WORKS."
- Beware of the phrase "guaranteed or your money back." READ THE FINE PRINT. The manufacturers may promise that you'll lose 4 inches in one month - IF you stick to THEIR recommendations of a low-fat diet and a more vigorous exercise program.
- Don't be impressed by expert endorsements. Don't think for one second that some 3-time Mr./Ms. Universe built his/her biceps with some plastic contraption that looks like something from Star Trek: The Next Generation.
- Don't whip out your credit card just because a product is not sold in stores. Matter of fact, most of these gizmos are sold in stores -- or they will be in 1-2 months. The product is most generally cheaper in the store, and you can test the product first to see if you like it.
- Beware of phrases like "three easy payments." One gadget claims to cost "Not $60! Not $50!" but "just 2 easy payments of $19.95." Add the shipping & handling, and it costs $46.85.
- Don't be impressed that a product was "awarded a U.S. Patent." You could patent a nose-hair clipper for mice if you wanted to. To get patent, all you need is an ORIGINAL idea, not necessarily a GOOD one.
- Don't believe that a gadget will enable you to build strength and lose fat simultaneously. Consider the Thigh Master commercials: a drop-dead gorgeous model zips up her pants and says, "Thank you, Thigh Master. I never thought I'd fit into these jeans again."
- Don't be persuaded by scientific mumbo jumbo. Product manufacturers love to throw around big words. Many of these terms, such as omnikinetics, are not even accepted by the medical community.
- Don't believe that some new contraption is better than free weights or machines. One manufacturer claims that "with free weights or machines, getting the right form is impossible," but with its gizmo, "there's no way to use the gadget improperly."
- HIDE YOUR CREDIT CARD between 12 am - 4 am. At that hour, everything looks good. Just go to bed.
Monday, October 30, 2006
Ten Commandments of Buying Infomercial Fitness Gadgets
10 shocking Facts About So-Called "Trustworthy" Fitness Solution Sellers
- There are more fat-free/low fat foods, health clubs, diet centers, exercise equipment options, and "miracle drugs" than ever.
- Millions of dollars are spent on research to isolate the "fat gene" without any significant outcome.
- Some "sugar-free" foods are, in fact, loaded with sugar.
- Not enough emphasis on bone-building, metabolism-boosting, body shaping, lean muscle mass.
- Over-promising and under-delivering.
- Chromium Picolinate.
- The FDA.
- If something is sold in a health food store, shouldn't it be healthy?
- Lack of integrity
- Some programs still advocate dramatically restricting calories.
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Start Losing Weight
- Cut 500 calories a day. Registered dietitian Paul R. Thomas, co-editor of Eat for life, says, "In general, if you cut 500 calories a day every day, that's a pound a week."
- Stay in motion, Independent of weight loss, exercise strengthens joints and bones, lowers blood pressure and improves the efficiency of your cardiovascular system. Walking or jogging a mile burns about 100 calories. Certain ordinary activities burn about 150 calories: gardening for 30 to 45 minutes, raking leaves for 30 minutes.
- Get high-tech help -- free. Visit the Shape Up America! "cyberkitchen" at www.shapeup.org enter your age, height, weight, normal activity level and gender, and you'll be told what changes to make in your diet and physical activity in order to lose the recommended pound a week.
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Diabetes
Sleep Problems
Friday, October 27, 2006
Osteoarthritis
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Low Energy Levels
“Imagine carrying around a ten – pound sack of groceries all day,” says Dr. Susan Yanovski of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. “Extra weight on your body tires you the same way.” Four years ago Scott Talbot, a 36-year-old businessman, weighed 195 pounds, felt sluggish and wanted to slim down. His energy level went up after he started dieting and exercising. “I began to feel good about the way my clothes fit and the way I looked,” Talbot says. “Once I saw some improvement, it psyched me up. I wanted to keep going.” Ultimately Talbot lost 45 pounds, and he’s kept that off for three years. “We find that as people’s body images get better, they walk and act with more confidence,” says Kelly Brownell, professor of psychology at
High Blood Pressure
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is among the top reasons people go to the doctor. Overweight adults are two to three times more likely to be hypertensive. Fortunately, the condition is as sensitive to weight loss as it is to weight gain. A ten-pound loss tends to lower blood pressure by about four points, that's significant. Several studies offer evidence that even moderate amounts of weight loss can prevent hypertension, and can help hypertensive patients lower their risk for stroke. One group of researchers, working with 975 hypertensive patients, found that 37 percent of the subjects who lost an average of ten to 12 pounds were able to safely go off their blood-pressure medication. In this unpublished study and in other trials, weight loss proved to be more effective short-term treatment than stress management or reduction of salt intake
High Cholesterol
Elevated cholesterol levels are more likely to be present in overweight people. But a number of studies indicate that for most people, moderate weight loss decreases the amount of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the "bad" kind that clogs your arteries; conversely, it may raise the level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the "good" kind that cleans out your cardiovascular system. According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, LDL cholesterol levels above 160 (under 130 is desirable) put you at high risk for suffering heart disease, heart attack or, indirectly, stroke. At the University of Minnesota Medical School in