Archive for April, 2012

1 Minute Yoga by R. Mohan

by on Sunday, April 29th, 2012

1 Minute Yoga™, written by R. Mohan and illustrated by Andrea Preda is a manual of exercises you can do at your convenience by harnessing your body rather than taking any stimulants or chemicals.

The exercises are easy to do either in a minute or some minutes each. It targets different parts of the body and based on your requirements you can do any of those particular exercises.

Who wrote it?

According to the description, it is written by R. Mohan and illustrated by Andrea Preda.

What does 1 Minute Yoga cover?

The description calls it a manual of exercises you can do at your convenience, using your own body rather than stimulants or chemicals.

Is it written for beginners?

The description calls the exercises “easy to do”.

What will I learn from it?

The exercises target different parts of the body, and you can choose the ones that match your requirements. Each takes a minute or a few minutes.

This summary is based on the book description on the Amazon page.

What counts as a break from sitting?

Movement breaks during a working day matter. The WHO physical activity fact sheet advises people of all ages to limit time spent sedentary and notes that some activity is better than none. A minute of stretching and slow breathing between tasks is a reasonable way to follow that.

Slow breathing is also a recognised relaxation technique. The NCCIH relaxation techniques page lists breathing exercises, such as slow, deep diaphragmatic breaths, among the practices that help bring about the body’s relaxation response. Try breathing in through the nose for a count of four, out for a count of six, and repeat for a minute.

Short stretches can be a pleasant pause, but they are not a substitute for medical treatment or regular exercise. If you have pain, dizziness or a medical condition, speak with a doctor before relying on any routine.

Related reading on this blog: A Ten-Minute Yoga Routine for Low-Energy Days: Six Simple Moves and What Is Yoga?

Book: 1 Minute Yoga by R. Mohan
View this book on Amazon (affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no cost to you)

The Art of Thai Yoga Massage

by on Friday, April 27th, 2012

This DVD set is part of a greater project that is designed to aid the research in Traditional Thai Massage and find the ways to integrate it with other forms and modalities of bodywork and movement education.Disc #1 will guide you through the basic exercises of Thai Yoga Massage with narration. These 130 exercises give plenty of options for an energy balancing full body massage session. Performing all the exercises in one session aren’t called for but picking exercises mindfully based on receiver’s needs, will easily round up a 2 hour session.Disc #2 will give you an uninterrupted overview of each body position of Thai Yoga Massage. The sequences follow the basic structure of the energy balancing massage session but most likely not as a regular session would flow.The material on this DVD can be best used with the book of THE ART AND KNOWLEDGE OF THAI YOGA MASSAGE and with the beginner Thai Massage course offered by CenterPoint Shiatsu and Massage School in Minnesota, or with any training course in Thai Massage where supervision is available. The material IS NOT intended to be a “watch and do” type of thing.This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com’s standard return policy will apply.

View this book on Amazon (affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no cost to you)

Natural Weight Loss: Eat Right, Keep Moving

by on Thursday, April 26th, 2012

Natural weight loss: eat right, keep moving

Eat right, keep moving.

You have probably read everything you need to know about how to avoid becoming overweight. The advice is simple to follow, but it is not easy for many people: around four in ten adults in the United States now have obesity, according to the CDC.

Of course, once we are overweight, we usually want to lose weight for a number of reasons, some to do with health, others with looks.

It is never too late to start. But the truth is that it is much easier to prevent putting on pounds than to try to lose them later on. And if there is one thing we all know, it is that weight gain is likely to happen if we do not take steps to stop it.

Health experts say that most people who lose weight tend to regain it. They go back to their old eating habits, even after they have learned to enjoy healthier eating, and they return to sedentary ways, even though they enjoy exercising.

But despite the forces that promote weight gain, you can stop it from happening, experts say. And there are plenty of good reasons to avoid excess pounds, reasons that go beyond vanity or social acceptance.

In fact, some health experts argue that the case against excess weight is more than cosmetic. They say it takes a heavy toll on people’s physical health.

The way to losing weight naturally

The nuts and bolts of eating right and maintaining a healthy weight are not all that complicated. Most people already know pretty well what is best, so natural weight loss is mostly a matter of putting that knowledge into practice.

A sensible way to lose weight is to stick to a diet that is rich in complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, beans and vegetables, high in fiber, moderate in protein, and low in saturated fat and added sugar.

A complex carbohydrate is a baked potato. Fat is the sour cream and butter you should not pile on it. Fiber is vegetables. Fat is the oil you should not fry them in. Protein is a serving of beans, lentils or lean meat. Fat is the gravy you should not pour over it.

Health experts also point out that dietary fat is a very concentrated source of calories. In addition, when you eat excess calories from fat, your body stores them as body fat more efficiently than excess calories from other sources.

On the other hand, it helps to avoid the so-called “fat-free” trap. Manufacturers keep coming out with low-fat or fat-free versions of their best-selling foods, but Americans keep getting fatter anyway.

One of the big delusions of the 1990s was that no fat meant non-fattening. The truth is that you often get just as many calories from the no-fat version, even if the calories are not coming from fat.

The label fat-free can become a trap if you start to think you can eat larger portions of foods that are advertised that way.

What is more, it is a good idea to answer hunger with healthy snacks. Some experts suggest spacing meals and snacks through the day, for example a nutritious snack between lunch and dinner, if that helps you avoid getting too hungry.

When you feel the urge to snack, a healthy choice such as a slice of whole-grain toast is a better alternative. Skipping meals and then snacking on whatever is at hand usually makes it harder to control your eating habits and your weight.

Remember, if you wish to lose weight naturally, you have to keep track of everything you eat and everything you do. Natural weight loss means that you do not have to use special gadgets or aids just to lose weight.

Losing weight naturally is a journey, not a fad. It takes a lot of determination and self-control to reach and keep a healthy weight.

View this book on Amazon (affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no cost to you)

A Simple Guide to Yoga by Frances Kean

by on Monday, April 23rd, 2012

An excellent introduction to the ancient Indian art of yoga. The book contains a step-by-step method for mastering the basic postures, breathing, relaxation, and meditation. The CD provides harmonious music to enhance the workout.

Yoga is the union of body, mind, & breath — the key to achieving good health. The postures, or asanas, restore strength & flexibility to the body, while relieving stress & calming the mind so that it become clear & focused. As interest in Yoga continues to grow at an amazing rate, here is a book for anyone — young or old — who wishes to discover the ancient Indian practice or return to it after some time away. The illustrated book begins with everything you need to get started, then presents the basic yoga postures in two sections, beginner & intermediate. It contains easy-to-follow sections on breathing, relaxation, & meditation. Also includes the ‘Yoga Relaxation Music’ CD which provides harmonious & uplifting music to enhance relaxation sessions.

Book: A Simple Guide to Yoga by Frances Kean
View this book on Amazon (affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no cost to you)

Herbalife Weight Loss Products: What to Know Before You Try Them

by on Friday, April 20th, 2012

Herbalife weight loss products: what to know before you try them

Genetics plays a real role in obesity, but your habits matter a great deal too. Your genes can make you more likely to gain weight, but they do not decide your weight on their own.

For most of us, genes set a range for our weight, and our food choices and activity decide where we end up within it.

Nonetheless, most of us tend to put on weight as we age. And if there is one thing we cannot prevent, it is aging. But we can avoid eating more and exercising less as we get older. Above all, you need strategies for controlling what you eat, strategies that work.

Some people turn to weight loss products. These include products sold as diet pills, but also products described as herbal or nutritional. One well-known brand is Herbalife.

What Herbalife products are

Herbalife’s best-known weight loss products are meal replacement shakes, along with teas and supplements. They are not a breakthrough in herbal medicine; the shakes are mainly protein powders with added vitamins and minerals.

Popular products include the Herbalife Formula 1 shakes in flavours such as strawberry, tropical fruit and vanilla.

Users often say that the shakes taste good and are easy to use. Prices vary, and over months the cost can add up compared with ordinary healthy food.

The claims, checked

Here is a look at the advantages that are often claimed for these products.

1. Claim: you lose inches as well as pounds, and the products tone and shape the body and stop fat from coming back. No product tones the body; only exercise builds muscle. And like any diet, weight lost with shakes often returns when people go back to their old eating habits.

2. Claim: the products help you lose weight and give your cells the nutrients they need every day. A shake can replace a meal with fewer calories while providing vitamins and minerals, but it does not give everything a varied diet does, such as plenty of fibre.

3. Claim: the products taste good, which is why so many people are satisfied. Taste is a matter of preference and says nothing about whether a product works.

4. Claim: you can eat more of the foods you love without worrying about gaining weight. This is not true. You still need to eat fewer calories than you burn to lose weight, unlike what is promised for some diet pills or weight loss patches.

5. Claim: the products help you cut calories, so losing weight works better. This is the part that holds up: studies show that meal replacements can help people lose weight when they are used as part of a calorie-controlled diet.

Some products are also said to curb your appetite while you lose weight. Protein and fibre can help you feel full, but there is no magic effect. Be aware too that case reports have linked some Herbalife products to liver problems, so talk to your doctor before trying them, especially if you have a health condition, take medicine, or are pregnant or breastfeeding.

The bottom line is that preventing weight gain means eating fewer calories when you are not active enough to burn them off. If you want to try these products, use them as one part of a balanced diet and an active lifestyle, which is the real key to losing weight and keeping it off.

In the end, healthy habits are what will help you reach the weight you want.

Herbalife weight loss supplement with green leaf imagery for healthy fat reduction.

Herbalife Weight Loss Product: How to Weigh in With Lower Fat