S.O.S.-Save our Supplements;

The big pharmaceutical companies as well as the united states government, under the guise of "caring" for its citizens, are at it again on a quest to take our supplements once again! By the way of international regulations, something called codex is conspiring to convince the american goverment to make laws restricting our access to vitamins and herbs. To make a long story short, if this goes through thses things wiilm happen;
1. No herb, vitamin, mineral, or natural agent will be permitted to be freely sold for any therapeutic reason whatsoever,
2. Consumer access to dietary supplements will be limited to no more than the existing RDA, (Considered obsolete by most experts, the RDA is nothing more than the bare minimum of a vitamin or mineral required to prevent a deficiency disease, and certainly not the amount needed to maximize health)
3. Dietary supplements without an RDA, which include the vast majority of dietary supplements on the market today, will be classified as drugs. (That means that popular supplements like omega-3 fatty acids, glucosamine, bioflavonoids, and coenzyme q10 will all require a doctor's prescription to obtain)
This is not about the goverment caring about its citizens, this is about pharmaceutical companies buying our goverment representatives for the benefit of their bottom line. They do not have any intrest in curing any diseases, there is too much money to be made from the diseases. They do not want anyone to be able to access the health promoting vitamins, herbs or other supplements that get in the way of their profits and the best way to do this is to buy as many goverment representatives as they are able and try to bribe or unwillingly convince these goverment reps that this is what is best for the people of the united states. we cannot let this take place, we should have a say as to the way we take care of our health as we know what is best for our bodies! If you want to help, go to the save our supplements box in the right column of this blog and put in your zip and it will help you contact your goverment reps. This is something we all need to be heard on, its time for the silent majority to speak up! Please help me save our right to take care of our selves as we see fit!

Presidential fitness;

On the day of the inauguration of the 44th president of the united states, i thought it would be different to look at some of america's unhealthiest presidents, well, the top ten anyway. Just follow the links for the rest of the list, it is an intresting look from a different angle at the presidents of the united states and how different they were as far as their health habits were concerned. Also, a little look at the current presidents' workout habits.
By Jocelyn Voo
Presidential Fitness
President Barack Obama knows a thing or two about fitness. In December, the Washington Post reported that he'd hit the gym for at least 48 days in a row, clocking at least 90 minutes each time. Photographers have snapped him playing golf in Hawaii on Christmas Eve, doing impromptu pull-ups right before giving a speech in Missoula, Montana, on the election trail, and playing a game of pick-up basketball (a sport he's played since he was a kid) with staff and Secret Service agents on Election Day.
Considering his well-documented gym habits and disciplined diet, the media has heralded Obama as the new face of presidential health. Of course, he isn't perfect -- the guy has been a longtime smoker (although he has resolved to quit, and has often been seen chewing Nicorette), occasionally chows down on cheeseburgers, has admitted to trying marijuana and cocaine as a teenager, and there's a history of cancer in his family. Still, his longtime physician issued a statement in 2008 that Obama is in "excellent health," citing his lean body mass, and normal cholesterol, blood pressure, and EKG levels.
But not all American presidents have been model specimens of health. Some of them far from it, in fact. Disease, injury, and destructive habits have run rampant in the 43 commanders-in-chief -- but while we can't totally fault George Washington for contracting malaria or smallpox (it was the 1700s, after all), we also can't really condone John Adams' habit of having bread and beer for breakfast at age 15.
Here, the 10 least healthy presidents in American history.
Next: 10. James Monroe

5 Foods To Boost Your Mood;

Wish you could find a way to perk up your spirits when you feel out of sorts? These foods might just do the trick!
1. Whole grains: "Carb-rich foods, like whole grains, stimulate the release of the brain chemical serotonin, which regulates appetite and improves mood, food cravings and sleep," says Debra Waterhouse, M.P.H., R.D., author of Why Women Need Chocolate. Try air-popped popcorn, a whole-wheat English muffin with jam or a whole-grain bagel with honey.
2. Spinach: Leafy greens are Mother Nature's best source of folate, a B vitamin that helps in the manufacture and function of serotonin.
Click here for more happy foods.

Healthy on the go snacks;

By Lisa Kovalovich
Out and about with nothing to eat? These healthy, low-calorie snacks will keep you shopping until you drop.
Fruit and Yogurt Parfait
It's a familiar story: You're out for what seems like hours, running errands, shopping at the mall, or driving all day, when suddenly you feel that growl in your belly. You're hungry, and you didn't pack a snack. You could succumb to the Cinnabon stand or grab some fries at the drive-through, but there are better options! "A nutrient-dense snack will give you that quick fix you need until you get home to prepare a real meal," says Linda McLachlan, RD, CDN, a New Jersey dietitian with Nutrition Matters, LLC. Here, six emergency snacks that are healthy and filling.
When fast food restaurants are all you have access to -- say, when you're on a daylong driving trip -- it's best to know your healthy choices. A McDonald's Fruit 'n Yogurt Parfait will fill you up thanks to the fruit's fiber, and sustain your hunger, thanks to the yogurt's protein. Whatever you do, avoid the fries. "They're nothing but junk!" says McLachlan.
Recommended serving size: 1 small McDonald's Fruit 'n Yogurt Parfait (hold the granola)
Calories: 130
Next: Wheat Thins and String Cheese

Intensity;

In every bodybuilding and powerlifting magazine you pick up has one or more references and or articles regarding the topic of intensity. There are as many opinions as there are answers on the subject and in one regard or another, most of them are correct, but at the same time the confusion raises more questions than it answers. As a beginning trainee graduates from a beginner to an inetrmediate lifter he or she will notice that the gains do not come as easily as they did in the very beginning. This is when a lot of lifters give up and when others decide to seek out the information needed to keep making those gains that came so easy at the start of their quest for a better body.
The simple answer is to lift heavier weights or shorten rest periods between sets or both, but inexperience will only get one hurt if these techniques are employed improperly. Impatience and inexperience will get most trainees hurt at some point, believe me i have learned this valuable lesson from experience! However that is only part of the simple answer, there are much more complex answers that i will hit upon in future entries but not today. Today i am just going to give you a piece of the puzzle i came to realize after reading an article from a little known trade magazine i happened to get my hands on.
Training to failure. I am sure those that have been around the iron game for a while have heard that before and you're probably saying, "What makes this so different?" You may have heard that before but how many of you have actually employed it in your training? I am not talking about negative failure such as forced reps and the like, i am talking about training to positive failure. Finishing a set only when you are physically incapable of performing another rep on your own, when the weight comes, hopefully safely, down with the knowledge that you took that set as far as you could go by yourself. This i have been employing lately in my training and it has put me in a new perspective mentally with a renewed vigor for training! If the exercise is performed with correct form till that last rep and the muscle is taken to positive failure growth must occur.
I began this style of training three weeks ago and it is not for the faint of heart, mentally of physically, but it works! I will keep you informed as to my progress and touch upon other methods of training to and past failure in future entries. Until then train hard and smart!,

Heart disease;What to look for;

Stay Ahead of Heart Disease While there are warning signs for heart disease, many people just don't know what they are. Learn from people who found out what to look for the hard way. And, once you know what to look for, be sure to stay ahead of the game with these five ways to stay alive. Connect: You aren't the only one interested in getting heart healthy. Connect with others who are trying to live life the right way on our Know Five to Stay Alive message board. Or, share your stories with others on the Heart Health message board.