35 Reasons to add Acai berries to your diet today
December 23, 2008 | Leave a Comment
1. Acai has a protein content which is higher, ounce for ounce than that of eggs. Protein is an essential part of our bodies, comprising a large part of our organs and tissues, as well as skin, hair and nails. Acai proves to be a great source of protein for the body.
2. Acai has been used for centuries as a natural agent of detoxification - it helps to clear impurities from your body.
3. Acai helps your muscles work more efficiently, as well as assisting their recovery after a workout, due to acai’s high mineral and amino acid content.
4. Acai is also a favorite of athletes due to its lipid content, which gives your body the energy it needs to play sports; or just get through your busy day.
5. Acai helps to keep your stress level under control.
6. The antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties of the acai berry support sexual health and improve fertility by combating the effects of free radicals and pollutants which can reduce fertility.
7. Acai’s compliment of vitamins and minerals strengthen the immune system, leading to overall better health.
8.The antioxidants found in acai also help to reduce the effects of aging by preventing damage to your cells.
9.The antioxidants in acai can also help to prevent prostate enlargement.
10. The high calcium content of the acai berry helps improve bone health, preventing fractures and osteoporosis. Acai does a body good!
11. Acai’s calcium content also helps reduce menstrual pain and associated menstrual bloating - welcome news to women.
12. Acai supports heart health by reducing stress on your heart (this is because if acai’s anthocynanin content, especially 3-glucoside, which stimulates circulation easing nitric oxide production by endothelial cells). Acai also contains polyphenols - antioxidants which are especially good for your heart.
13. Acai’s essential fatty acid content helps reduce LDL (bad cholesterol) levels, while boosting HDL (good cholesterol) levels.
14. The sterols found in acai can reduce blood pressure; and it’s anthocynanins protect your circulatory system throughout your body.
15. Acai strengthens capillaries, which can help prevent retinopathy in diabetics; retinopathy can cause blindness. Acai also helps diabetics control their lipid and gucose levels. This is because that acai berry is actually considered low on the glycemic index.
16. The fact that acai is a low GI food means that it can regulate appetite, making it a great choice for those trying to lose weight.
17. A study which was recently reported in the Journal of Sports Medicine has shown that the beta-sitoserol in acai helps boost immune function by regulating lymphocyte activity and fighting against immune suppression.
18. A main causes of disease is immune system impairment due to free radicals; acai fights this with its antioxidant properties.
19. The Acai berry has anti-fungal, anti-viral and antibacterial properties.
20. Acai is an anti-mutagen, meaning that it prevents damage to your DNA (such as that done by mutagens and carcinogens).
21. Acai is high in dietary fiber, which improves the health and function of your digestive system.
22. Acai can help to treat GERD (acid reflux disease). This is due to the antioxidant properties of the acai berry, which assists in repairing and protecting the lower esophagus from the damage caused by GERD and its ability to reduce stomach acidity.
23. Acai even helps to heal ulcers by killing H. pylori, an ulcer-causing bacteria.
24. Acai’s anti-inflammatory properties help to control the symptoms of Chron’s disease.
25. Acai helps keep your skin looking smoother and more youthful - acai’s anthocyanins and phytosterols protect skin and connective tissues like collagen from wrinkles and damage.
26. Acai’s high antioxidant content can reduce your risk for some cancers, including lung, skin, breast and stomach cancers.
27. Acai can even help reduce the pain and inflammation of arthritis.
28. Acai is beneficial for asthma sufferers - its anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidants can lessen asthma symptoms.
29. A 2004 Archives of Neurology study found that a diet rich in vitamin C and in vitamin E (note: both vitamins are abundant in acai berries) can reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
30. Acai’s vitamin C and beta carotene help support eye health and can reduce the complications of macular degeneration, especially in diabetics.
31. Acai is beneficial to dental health as well - the calcium content helps strengthen and whiten teeth, as well as helping to prevent gingivitis and other diseases of the gums.
32. The omega-3 fatty acids in acai help maintain mental clarity and alertness.
33. Acai’s B vitamins help you to get a better night’s sleep, lower stress and produce the appropriate levels of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin.
34. Acai Promotes overall good health and wellness.
35. Acai won’t necessarily cure disease, but helps your body to heal by giving your immune system the nutrients it needs to maintain health.
Why I Love The HJ 720 ITC Pedometer
December 23, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Despite the fact there are a few good pedometers you can choose from at the moment, there are some pretty good reasons why you might want to consider an Omron HJ 720-ITC.
Firstly, this pedometer makes use of an improved system for measuring exactly what counts as a step or pace. In plain english, that means it’s more accurate at working out how many steps you’ve taken than other models.
So, for you and me, that means that we don’t have to bother with all that clipping it to our belt so that it works properly business. Instead, we just drop it into our pocket, bag or purse and off we go. Personally, I think this makes a big difference to people, especially those who are in a rush and have to make a quick decision about whether to take their pedometer with them or not.
The other great reason to choose the HJ 720-ITC is that it lets you download information to your computer. It’s actually got two levels of memory built into it - a quick 7 day memory, and a longer 42 day memory. You can view the last 7 days on the pedometer, but you can download the last 6 weeks worth of data to your PC.
The pedometer also comes with some special software called the Omron Health Management Package. You install this onto your PC and it allows you to view and manage the data with graphs and charts. It also works with other products from Omron such as their heart rate monitor and their blood pressure monitor. I think this is great for people that want to do more than just keep track of their walking or running progress.
I use the memory facility to track my activity from week to week and to see my improvements over time. Funnily enough, I find it also encourages me to do more exercise. I try to do a certain amount of exercise each week, and if my pedometer stats tell me I haven’t quite managed to meet my goal for a particular day, I always do a bit extra the next day to make up the difference. I know for a fact I wouldn’t bother doing that if I didn’t have the figures in front of me.
I was just thinking, I know the Omron HJ 720-ITC is a great gadget for myself, but wouldn’t it be a great gift for someone else? Why not buy them something that positively helps them maintain or improve their health? I think that would be a great way to show you really do care about them. Don’t you?
Get Fast Results with Ring Training
December 23, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Most people like to maximize fitness results by doing efficient exercises. Either you don’t have much time to train, or you’re not patient enough to doing long, drawn out workout routines. If this sounds like you, try ring training.
There are few other workouts that can give you efficiency that ring training can. Each exercise performed with rings requires muscles that wouldn’t be hit otherwise. Even common exercises like dips, pull ups, and push ups become much more difficult, and therefore, more efficient.
Rings are produced by a variety of companies, I prefer to use Elite Rings created by RingTraining.com. They’re simple to setup; just hang them from a pull up bar or any piece of stationary equipment, then get to work! No matter where you are in terms of fitness, you can use rings to increase your workout efficiency.
When you start ring training, you’ll realize that in order to do any exercise, you have to keep your entire body tight. This ends up working your major muscles, stabilizer muscles, and your core. Definitely an effective workout. What’s also great is how portable and versatile rings are.
What’s that? You’re a bodybuilder who is focused on gaining mass? No problem. Throw ring pushups or flys at the end of your chest workout to achieve an awesome pump. If you’re simply looking for some strength and conditioning, tie it into a full-body workout with rows, push ups, dips, flys, squats, and pull ups.
You can hit nearly every angle of you body with rings. Portability is huge. Take them to your gym, the park, anywhere where you can hang them and you have yourself a workout. And they weigh nothing so if you’re traveling, you don’t have to worry about lugging your kettlebell around for a workout on the road!
One of the best ring systems on the market are from RingTraining.com, who offers their Elite Rings product. RingTraining.com offers a fantastic system that is lightweight, portable, adjustable, and more. Ring training proved effective for the guys from the movie 300 and the results speak for themselves. You will get stronger in your major working muscle and throughout your entire body, and depending on how you train with them you will add muscle or achieve a nice lean body. Either way, you’d be missing out on something good by not adding them into your training regimen. Not convinced? Find anyone who has a pair and see if they’ve enjoyed using them or not. Below is a sample full-body workout using rings:
Full-body Ring Training Workout
Notes: Perform 8-12 reps in a circuit. Rest 30 seconds to one minute between exercises and 1-3 minutes between circuits
A: Ring Push Ups
B: Ring Pull Up
C: Rings Dips
D: Ring Standing Curl
E: Ring Tricep Extension
F: Single Leg Squat (holding rings)
G: Rings Flys
How To Get Strong, Build Muscle and Lose Fat With Only A Barbell
December 23, 2008 | Leave a Comment
I had a subscriber ask this question:
“Is it possible to build muscle, nuke fat, achieve peak condition and get maximum hard-body results if I don’t have a power rack and I only have access to a barbell? Not even an Olympic barbell, but one of those old crappy cement filled barbell sets”
I know exactly the weights this guy is talking about. I think most of us grew up with them right? They were basically cement weights covered in plastic, and over time the plastic busted up and the cement started to get busted underneath remember?
I guess I’m showing my age 
Anyways
YES! You can build strength and power with archaic equipment!
You just need someone to show you how. Luckily you met me. And luckily I just read most of Dan John’s awesome “From the Ground Up”.
In this outstanding little ebook Dan John explains the “Rapid Ascent Program”, which contains three workouts:
1. Pull Move
2. Press Move
3. Squat Move
And here’s how you did the program (from his book):
“The program was very simple. First, groups of four boys were given a bar. The bars were weighted from very lightmaybe 25 poundsup to perhaps close to 100 pounds. Each cohort of boys would lift one at a time, put the bar down, then the next boy would lift. The four would constantly move from lifter to watcherthe bar never stopped. The three sets (explained in just a moment) would not take very longin fact, sometimes it was hard to catch your breath in time for your next set.
The repetitions were incredibly simple
* Set Number 1 — 8 repetitions
* Set Number 2 — 6 repetitions
* Third set: 4 repetitions
The goal was simple: once you got all 18 reps (8+6+4), you added weight. If you started with a bar that was excessively light, the succeeding workout, you would be bumped up to the next weight and a stronger group. (Needless to say, actual variations could include making a whole new group with more weight, tooor whatever necessary to make the group work together).”
Sounds simple doesn’t it?
That’s the upside of this program!
You don’t need lots of equipment to build a hard body with muscles of steel… all while increasing your cardiovascular fitness and knocking out fat.
What you DO need is a little “do or die” perspective. You must make your mind up you surely WANT to reach your fitness goals, then you’ll find a way to utilize whatever equipment you have available to make it happen.
I like this program because it keeps up with the DoubleYourGains’ philosophy of training movement patterns instead of a bunch of exercises. The Rapid Ascent program has a press move (military press), a pull move (power clean), a squat move (front squat) and an explosive/hamstring move (power clean).
How to perform the “Rapid Ascent” program for cardio and fat loss:
Coach Dan points out that you could also get a great cardio workout and burn some fat:
“To “hurry up” the trainingas if it was required, there were times when Mr. Freeman advised bringing together the Power Clean and Military Pressesone clean and one press, repeated for a total of eight reps. This was completed with a lighter weight. One could also execute the Front Squats after the clean and presses, too. I have only done this onceand it was an incredible cardiovascular exercise.”
So if you believe you don’t have enough equipment to get into your best shape and reach your fitness goals you are incorrect. You are incorrect. You are incorrect.
As a matter of fact, you don’t even need a barbell. You can be on your way with the DoubleYourGains’ bodyweight program. You can do pullups on your door frame (for extra strong fingers) or just grab the top of a door and go to town (or a tree limb, anything you can hang from, and all that) Believe me, if THAT workout gets easy for you - you will be a certified STUD.
After that, as soon as you get hold of good Olympic barbell set you can start the DoubleYourGains’ 3-5 Program.
Achieve Muscle Weight Gain Quickly with HIIT
December 22, 2008 | Leave a Comment
I bet you’ve heard it repeatedly: you can’t build muscle up and burn fat at the same time. They say that building mass involves an increase in calories, while fat burning involves a decrease in calories. This old school wisdom is based partially in fact, but the concepts are being tossed on their ears with insights into interval-based workouts. The fact is, you can accomplish muscle weight gain at the same time as you burn fat if you add intervals to your workouts.
Interval training isn’t new, but it’s more widely understood, accepted, and practiced in recent years. While traditional cardiovascular activities were considered the only efficient ways to shed weight, and the only acceptable workouts for endurance athletes, high intensity interval training (HIIT) has been shown to be advantageous to athletes in all fields, and for folks with varying goals.
Standard cardio activity is often referred to as “steady state,” which essentially means that you work up to a certain intensity level and maintain that level throughout the training session. During the training session, your body gets 50 percent of its energy through your fat stores, and gets the remainder through your oxygen system, and by dipping into your glycogen and muscle deposits.
Interval sessions, conversely, consist of short maximum intensity intervals followed by lower intensity rest periods. HIIT sessions are muscle sparing and are quick, but pack a wallop. A fifteen-minute HIIT session can raise your base metabolism for almost 24 hours, enabling you to continue burning higher levels of fat for up to a day.
On top of this, because your muscles consume calories during every minute of the day, the more lean mass you have, the more fat you burn, even while you’re sleeping. Because HIIT not only spares your muscle, but also helps you build muscle up, your future fat burning ability is increased.
The bottom line is that regardless of your fitness goals, HIIT workouts can help you increase your overall fitness level with very short sessions. Better still, if your goals include muscle building and fat shedding, adding HIIT to your workout schedule is a no-brainer.