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Soon people will be singing abot Auld Lang Syne and it will be time for you to start making your New Year’s Resolution. 2009 is almost over and 2010 will be here before you know it. While Christmas is 2 days away, it’s important to begin strategizing about how you are going to be better in the upcoming year. By the time New Year’s comes, it’s almost too late to plan your resolution. You need to be thinking about it now and planning for it now. For example, if you know that your health could be much improved then now is the time for you to be thinking about how you are going to improve your health. First set your goals for the new year. What would you like to have accomplished? Is that you need to lose weight because you want to look good, or do you need to lose weight for health reasons? Do you want to get toned so that you look better, or do you want better balance and just to feel better over all? This is going to help determine what your plan of actino will be.

Say for example your goal is to be a more well read individual. Then your plan is going to be to read two books a week. Pick out the books that you want to read and begin reading them. Keep a schedule. But whatever it is that you want to do in the New Year to be a better you, start planning now, because a better you, is a healthier you!

We’ve all heard of the song “Jingle Bells”, but who know that more could jingle than just bells. Well, if you have put on more than a few pounds this year than you know exactly what I’m talking about. So let’s cut to the chase. Christmas is almost here and it’s time that we get rid of our jingle bellies and let the bells do the jingling alone! Don’t wait for New Year’s to get here to start working on the weight loss. Start today and here’s how: First get on a good eating plan. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a “diet”. It can be something your doctor put you on, a recommendation from a friend, or a special diet like the Zone Diet. Don’t worry, you are allowed to cheat on whatever diet you chose on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. However, those will be the only two cheat days allowed! Eating healthy is key to getting rid of the extra jingle, so you have to make it a priority so that the jingling will stop by the new year!

Next, make sure that you are doing good exercises. Cardio is a great place to begin. Runing, walking, jogging, and swimming are great examples of good cardio. Also start your strength training. Get your self and Ab Lounge and train your stomach so that it begins to sink in and form a 6 pack ab. Incorporating these two things together, diet and exercise, will stop the jingling before you know it!

With Christmas just around the corner, everyone in your family is sure to have handed you their list of what they want and what they expect to see under the tree. It is almost certain that their lists are full of cool and hot items like electronics, clothing, jewelry, perfume, toys, shoes, games, gadgets, and the works. But this year make a change. Give your family the gift that keeps on giving. Give your family the gift of health. Instead of purchasing only the gifts that they requested, give them the gifts that they need. Aunt Bertha has been trying to lose weight for a long time and has not been successful yet. Give her a 6 month pass at the Heart Healthy Diet. For dear sweet Uncle Bruce, who everyone knows should be working out everyday, but he isn’tbecause he hates being outdoors, get him an at home gym; now he won’t have any excuses as to why he can’t shed those extra 50 pounds by Easter! You’re not being mean, you’re being a good neice.

Now everybody knows that your kids don’t take their vitamins like they need to so get them the vitamins and nutrients that they need and wrap them up some vitamins from The Vitamin Shoppe. Your family may not be 100% happy on Christmas Day when they wake up to discover that they did not get what they asked for. However, they will thank you later when they get to wake up to 20, 30 , 40, or 50 more Christmases because you helped to make them healthier and extend the length of their lives!

He’s making a list, checking it twice, gonna find out who’s naughty or nice! Santa Claus is coming to town! It’s that time of year again and it’s very hard to believe because it has come so very quickly! Christmas time is here, happiness and cheer, and this is definitely my favorite time of year. Okay enough with the Christmas songs. As I was saying, Santa Claus is coming to town and there is a definite need for you to make a list and check it twice. What list might I be referring to? The Health List! The year is coming to an end which mean that it’s time to do a health check to make sure that you are as healthy as you can be. First, when’s the last time that you went to the doctor to have your yearly physical? Ladies, when is the last time you had your Well Woman exam? If you haven’t done either of these this year, now is the time to get them done. It may be a hassle for you to go to the doctor, but it is well worth the time spent. Next, are you taking your vitamins everyday? You should be taking a daily multi-vitamin if nothing else. You can find these in a variety of places including your local pharmacy or a healthy food store like Vitamin World.

Next, are you eating a healthy diet. Meaning, is your diet full of lean meats, vegetables, fruits, healthy dairy, fiber, water, etc… You really need to check your daily intake of sugars and make sure that you have them under control. Fruits sugars are okay but articifical and white sugar are not. You should also be getting at least 40 minutes of exercise in every day. If you are not, consider getting a membership to a gym like 24 Hour Fitness. Finally, while you are making your list of gifts that you want for Christmas, remember to make a list of the health issues that you need to get resolved as a Christmas present to yourself!

Being healthy does not just involve working out and dieting. Many times people forget that our mental state is an important part of being healthy. If you don’t have a healthy mind, how can you have a healthy body? And how can you have a healthy mind, when you know that your finances are not in order? Well, all I have to say is thank God for the holidays, in particular, thank God for Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. Black Friday is the busiest shopping day of the year and also one of the days with the best sales. It’s a great time to shop and save money, and most importantly save your mental health! This is the perfect opportunity for you to stock up on all the great things that you need for your home, car, personal care, etc…If you are in need of new appliances for your home, go and get them. If you are in need of re-stocking your pantry after you cooked everything that you had for Thanksgiving, now is a great time to do that. If you and your wife or husband are interested in investing in your health and want to get an Air Climber, it’s guaranteed that prices will be cut for these kinds of items.

Or if youo are interested in starting your own at home gym, and would like to get the Weider Home Gym, Black Friday would be a great day to do that. These kinds of healthy savings will not only save your pocket book, but also save your mental health. It certainly feels good to know that you’ve saved money. So do yourself a favor: this year and every year to come, do your shopping on Black Friday and save yourself from paying too much for anything!

You may be wondering what exactly T-Day is, but if you do a little thinking, I’m sure you’ll realize that I’m talking about Thanksgiving Day! I am just so extremely excited for Thanksgiving to be here that I have written several posts about it! Family, friends, food, and fun are all the things that I’m looking forward to this year. However, this blog is about being healthy, so I can’t move on without discussing some health advice for this holiday. So here’s the best peice of advice ever: Don’t over eat. Enjoy all of the food but don’t over eat. When you get to the point where you start to feel sick, your stomach has reached the limit to what it can fit, and no sitting or standing position is comfortable, it means that you have overeaten. If you start wishing that you had eaten from the Slim Fast Diet Plan instead, just know that you’ve hit the wall, and that is not good. So don’t let it get to that point. Instead of trying to down it all in one sitting, eat several smaller plates  over the course of the day. For example, you can eat once at 11 am, again at 1 pm, again at 3 pm, 5pm, and finally 7pm.

This will be much better for your metabolism and your stomach. You won’t feel bloated, or sick and you will actually probably end up eating more food throughout the day. The difference here is that you will actually enjoy it instead of feeling like you need to run 10 miles on a Reebok Treadmill. And your body will have the time it needs to digest each small portioned meal. You may even feel like you have more energy, instead of feeling like passing out on the couch like you usually do after a Thanksgiving Day meal!

Every year, people look forward to Thanksgiving, not just because of the day they get of from work, but also because of al the great food. It’s the one time a year that people get in their kitchens and bake turkeys! But, did you know that turkey is one of the healthiest meats that you can eat? Well the truth is that it is. Turkey is not only lean, meaning that there is not a lot of fat on it, but it is also full of vitamins B and niacin (energy producers), zinc, potassium, selenium (a cancer preventative), and helps the body produce serotonin, a natural calmant. Turkey is extremely healthy is is great to eat not only around Thanksgiving, but year round. Eating turkey before a workout is great for boosting your energy levels and keeping you charged and ready for more. Because turkey is protein as well, you will be sure to have everything you need for a good and productive workout. For example, if you are going to do a 30 minute jog on your Proform Treadmills, then a bite of turkey will give you that extra boost you need to keep jogging all the way to that last minute!

Turkey is especially great for strength training. Building a good muscle core requires protein, which turkey is. So if you are going to be strength training with your Iron Gym, then make sure that you eat a little bit of turkey before you begin. You should also be getting some protein in after you workout so keep some turkey on hand for the end of your workout as well!

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and there is still so much to be done. There is grocery shopping to do, phone calls that must be made to determine who’s bringing what, and holiday dishware that must be pulled out from hiding and made ready for this year’s Thanksgiving Day feast! It is so exciting getting ready for all the wonderful foods and friends that are going to be shared this coming holiday. But with all this food, comes a great health concern. Over eating is never a good thing, and the holidays are notorious for being a time of year when people gain a significant amount of weight because of over eating.  You don’t want to overeat during the holidays, but you do want to be able to enjoy all the delectable delights that the season has to offer; after all, it does only happen once a year. So how can you enjoy yourself during the holidays, but not have horrible consequences to deal with in the new year? The answer is simple. Get healthy now. Start working on being healthier now, before the holidays are here. We only have a few weeks to go before Thanksgiving, but that does not mean that you can’t get a lot accomplished. First, start off with a good eating plan.  A good diet like the South Beach Diet or the Mediterranean Diet never hurt anyone. These good, wholesome meal plans can help you to shed as much as 5 pounds a week, which is a good jump start for the weight you may gain over the holidays.

Next, begin an exercise routine. You don’t necessarily need a Nordic Track treadmill to get into a good workout routine either. You can be creative. Go for a run in your neighborhood. Do some jumping jacks, push ups, crunches, and other simple exercises. Try to spend at least 40 minutes a day working out and you will be amazed at the difference. The bottom line is don’t wait for the New Year to begin. If you start now, there will be less damage done from the holidays and less work to do once they are gone! 

We all know that the unofficial nickname for the state of Missouri is “the show me state”. So today, people of Missouri, you are going to be shown how to be healthy and how to stay in shape. First and foremost, we all know the basics of hygiene: brush and flawce your teeth after every meal, wash your hands frequently (especially with swine flu going around), and take a daily multivitamin like the ones found at The Vitamin Shoppe to help keep your immune system up. Doctor’s often recommend taking extra doses of Zinc, Echinecea, and Vitamin C before, during, and after you get sick. Keeping a healthy immune system also requires that you eat healthy foods and get enough nutrition out of every meal. So you don’t need to be piling on pound of cake onto your dinner plate or cookie either for that matter. Make sure that you are eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, lean meats, and drinking plenty of WATER! Water is one of the best things you can do for your body as it flushes out toxins and other bad germs.

Finally, involve yourself in a regular workout routine. In future posts, good workout routine will be listed, but for now just get yourself moving. Get a membership to 24 Hour Fitness. With your first few workouts, you’ll have the opportunity to workout with a professional trainer. But even if you don’t, just do 30 minutes on a treadmill, and a few minutes in a workout class.

While the state of Missouri is the “Show-Me” state, it is also beginning to gain the reputation, as many other states are, of a people who need to get healthy. That being said, one of the biggest concerns that this state and most other states are having is that of the health of its citizens. It is estimated that less than 50% of people currently take a daily multi-vitamin on a every day basis. This is one of the simplest things that one can do to ensure one’s health. It’s getting to be flu season, and with this swine flu on the rise, it is extremely important that everyone make sure that they are getting all of the vitamins and nutrients that they need to maintain a healthy immune system. So what vitamins should you be taking? The answer is simple. You should be taking a daily multi-vitamin first and foremost. You can find this with a variety of manufacturers including at The Vitamin Shoppe.

There are also other vitamins that are great to take in addition to a multivitamin. Vitamins C, Iron, & Zinc are good for the immune system and are recommended by many doctors during the colder seasons. Prenatal vitamins are important to take if you are pregnant, and vitamin B is great for energy. Swanson Vitamins make a variety of different vitamins and have great prices. Remember, you should always consult a physician before you begin taking an vitamins, supplements, or medication.