Polar FT4 Heart Rate Monitor Watch

Polar FT4 is a heart rate monitor watch and a convenient training accessory for athletes and fitness enthusiasts. It also keeps count of the total amount of minutes, sessions and calories burned. You can record a total of 10 workouts in the Polar FT4’s memory. Polar is one of the biggest names in heart rate monitors due to its trusted brand. You're not taking any wild chances with Polar. 

Polar FT4 comes with a WearLink and Chest Strap. Compared to other chest straps, the FT4's is amazingly comfortable to wear. It's made in a soft material that's adjustable and flexible. It's not obvious if you're wearing it since you wear it about the same place where the band of a sports bra is The band fits a wide range of sizes.

The Polar FT4 comes in multiple colors: green, blue, bronze, silver/black and  pink/purple color. The wrist watch part has a good set of features and is not too hard to use. It’s easy to set it up and switch the display between time, heart rate, workout duration, calories burned and heart rate monitor relative to target range. It’s also suitable for swimming.

These are just a few of Polar FT4’s features:

• The Polar FT4 tracks your average and maximum heart rate of training: At the end of each training session you can see what your average heart rate and maximum heart rate were during your training session.  You can also see how much time you spent in your target zone.
• Polar OwnCal: The Polar FT4 calculates the number of calories burned during each training session. You can go back and look at past data to see how your latest workout compares to your past workouts.
• Totals: The Polar FT4 also tracks your total cumulative training time and calories burned.  It's pretty neat to be able to look back and see just how much work you've put in.  

We all have a target heart rate range based on our age, and knowing whether you're within this range or not, is key to maximizing your calorie burn during cardio sessions. I do believe in making the most out of each and every workout.  

If you want to start your weight loss adventure, you would definitely love the Polar FT4. It lets you know when you need to pick up the pace. Polar FT4 is a great asset to have for a healthier lifestyle. It's an excellent tool to provide feedback and make you work harder. Polar FT4 will keep you motivated and on target with your workouts. If you want a detailed heart rate monitor from a trusted company that is comfortable and easy to read, this definitely is for you.

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How To Tell If You have an Autoimmune Disease

An Autoimmune disease is considered a top 10 leading cause of death in women under the age of 65. Rheumatoid arthritis, type I diabetes, thyroid disease, lupus, psoriasis, multiple sclerosis and more are different types of symptoms all over the body that range from mild to severe Autoimmune Diseases. So what is an Autoimmune Disease? An Autoimmune disease is born when your body is working hard to defend itself against something potentially dangerous, such as an allergen, a toxin or an infection, and is unsuccessful to characterize between the intruder and parts of your own body. 

Confusing certain types of tissues for harmful substances, your body turns these antibodies against itself, inflicting damage in your organs. Autoimmune disorders are broadly grouped into two categories: (1) Organ-specific which means one organ is affected, while (2) Non-organ specific disorders mean more than 1 organ may be affected. There are close to 100 different immune disorders ranging in severity from mild to serious depending on which system of the body is under attack and to what degree. 

You must consult your doctor if you are experiencing the following symptoms. Chances are, you may have an autoimmune disease:

• Weight loss, insomnia, heat intolerance or rapid heartbeat

• Recurrent rashes or hives

• Difficulty concentrating

• Feeling tired, weight gain or cold intolerance

• Joint pain or muscle pain

• Abdominal pain, blood or mucus in your stool, diarrhea or mouth ulcers

• Dry eyes, mouth or skin

• Numbness or tingling in the hands or feet

• Blood Clots

• Hair loss 

An Autoimmune disease can affect any gender, but women are most likely to occur having the said disease. Genetics also play a big role in who gets autoimmune diseases, so if you have a family history of having the disease, you are at risk of having it too.

An Autoimmune disease can exist in so many different ways, affecting the thyroid, the brain, the skin, and/or other organs.  An Autoimmune disease in general cannot be cured but the condition can be controlled in many cases. Working closely with a doctor to review risk factors for infections, food intakes, as well as listening to you closely to discover how all of your symptoms are related is an essential part of getting well. Your doctor will help you find the main cause of your condition. A change in your lifestyle, such as a nutritious and healthy diet, regular exercise, rest, and stress management may be worked  into fighting/dealing an autoimmune disease. Your doctor will probably give you oral medications put you on a extensive diet by removing the inflammatory foods. 

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The Importance of A Leg Workout

For a lot of fitness enthusiasts, we do not give enough attention to the leg workout. Legs are often neglected because it may not be the first thing that people see on your body. Having a big chest and broad shoulders may look good to other people but the legs improve the appearance of the entire body. Legs after all, are what we use to move around everywhere. Whatever type of sport that you are engaged to,  most of your power comes from your legs - whether it's basketball, cycling, golf, bowling, swimming or the likes. If you take care of your legs now, the greater mobility you'll have when you get older. You'll go more places and see more things without worrying about how far your legs will take you.

The trick to getting nicely sculpted thighs and glutes is a good leg workout which specifically targets the following muscle groups: the quadriceps (front of the thighs), hamstrings (back of the thighs), and gluteals (butt). Building these muscles will increase energy and stamina in everything that you do, including climbing stairs, getting out of a chair, squatting to pick up a baby off the floor, or walking the grocery aisles. You want to develop these muscles in a balanced way for optimal function otherwise you end up with problems on balance, and trouble with normal daily living activities. When doing leg workouts, you should develop both legs in a balanced way. If not, it can pull the hips and pelvis out of alignment, which challenges stability and eventually leads to back, hip, knee, and ankle pain. You might have experienced that sometimes when you stand, walk, sit down and get up, or climb stairs, your knees wobble with a little side-to-side movement at the knee joint.  It’s the strength and support of the inner and outer thigh muscles that help control this wobble.  If your inner & outer thighs are not strong enough to support the knees and hold the legs in good alignment, you will have problems getting the knee joints to track properly and this can be a contributing factor to knee pain.

When doing overall body strength training along with a proper diet, you can reduce your overall body fat, which includes leaning out your thighs. It is very important to realize that you can't spot reduce fat from anywhere on the body - including thighs.

Leg workouts really are a hidden secret to your dream physique, I hope you realize that now if you didn't before! 

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Get Grooving with Zumba

I love to dance. It’s one thing that I love doing during my free time. It is my stress reliever. These days, whenever you open the television, dance competitions are dominating all the world. Instead of watching, what if you get off that couch and dance yourself? It’s a great way to keep your body and mind healthy. Dancing can help you lose weight, stay in shape, reduce stress, and you can even make friends. It is a fun way to keep fit for all ages, backgrounds, shapes and sizes. 

Not too long ago, I’ve tried Zumba, which is a dance fitness program that involves dance and aerobic elements. It incorporates hip-hop, samba, salsa, meringue, mambo and even martial arts. My friends and I would gather together a few times a week, crank up the music and dance our hearts out. Zumba is truly for anyone who can stand up and dance. No dance experience or skills are necessary. If you can shake your booty and like fun music, Zumba is for you. 

If it’s your first time to try it, loosen up and enjoy the experience! Don't take it too seriously. Don't worry if you are unable to get all of the steps the first time around: no one does. The steps will come easier after. Most of the time it really doesn't feel like you're working out at all—you just get caught up in the fun of the music and the moves. Before you know it, a whole heart-pumping hour has passed! If you like a good sweat, then you'll love Zumba.

Most Zumba sessions are an hour long. They begin with a dynamic warm-up and end with a cool down and some static stretching. The workout portion is broken down by song, each with a different dance routine and style. It's important to wear clothing that you're comfortable in, breathable and will wick sweat away. The room can heat up fast, so consider dressing in layers that you can remove. Sport a pair of light fitness shoes that allow you to pivot your feet easily.

Now, who doesn’t want to have fun getting fit? This dance fitness party aims to help you do just that. This is a great alternative to traditional fitness programs. It motivates you to get up and get moving with its signature Latin music beat. The speed of the beat also lends itself to making you work out faster than you might do otherwise. This helps your heartbeat to get to its target rate more efficiently.

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Keeping Your Brain Healthy for The Rest of Your Life

The Alzheimer’s Prevention Program (Keep your Brain Healthy for the Rest of Your Life) by Dr. Gary Small and Gigi Vorgan,  is a guide book on how to prevent having Alzheimer’s disease. The Alzheimer’s Prevention Program is about how to sustain your memory, incorporate foods into your diet and brain exercise. 

The book shares to us on how to eat right, meditation and most especially, using your brain. Dr. Small shared many cases where making simple lifestyle changes made huge differences in patient’s lives. He stressed out that everyone can make lifestyle changes that will improve their brain health. Included in the The Alzheimer’s Prevention Program is information about its known causes, statistics around one’s genetic weakness for getting the disease and statistics regarding the newest drug used in the treatment of Alzheimer’s.

It’s a very interesting read for anyone who fears Alzheimer’s in their future. The Alzheimer’s Prevention Program is really for anyone who is concerned that he may have the disease and comparison between normal memory loss in the aging process and the actual illness. What I like about The Alzheimer’s Prevention Program is that it was defined in a language or level that I can easily understand. It gives a clear history of the disease and how Alois Alzheimer presented the first report about the disease that was later named after him. 

About the Authors

Gary Small, M.D., is director of the UCLA Longevity Center. Named one of the world's leading innovators in science and technology by Scientific American, he appears frequently on Today, Good Morning America, PBS, and CNN. He is also author of the bestselling The Memory Bible.

Gigi Vorgan has written, produced, and appeared in numerous feature films and television shows. She is the coauthor of five other books with her husband, Dr. Gary Small.

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Eat for Health by Dr. Joel Fuhrman

Eat for Health enables you to finally conquer your cravings and food addictions while steering your taste buds toward healthier food choices. You will definitely gain a new perspective on food and eating that will change your life forever about Eat for Health. The whole point of Eat for Health is that you need to eat foods that are high on nutrient density scale. Nutrient density is figured by amount of vitamins and minerals per calorie. A few examples of Nutrient density are Kale, Spinach, some fruits and a whole lot more. 

Eat for Health has a four step approach to adopting this kind of diet. It will teach you to add more and more nutrient dense foods in a little at a time. I do agree with Eat for Health that higher vegetable and fruit intake will help one to feel healthy and more satiated if they are trying to lose weight. Dr. Joel Fuhrman, The author of Eat for Health would want you to realize that vegetables are the best form of food and if you focus on these and other nutrient-dense foods, it will help you live a long and healthy life. It is definitely motivating to read about what bad and good foods do to your body. These best foods in order are vegetables (especially greens), fruits, beans/legumes, nuts/seeds/avocados, and whole grains. Foods that should be limited are animal products, processed foods, white flour, sugar, and oil. We need to eat more foods that are in their natural state and less processed foods. 

You'll find out:

• An explanation of nutrient density, the critical concept which is the foundation of Dr. Fuhrman's dietary advice
• A scientifically proven system that shows you how to lose your food addictions and actually prefer healthy foods over low–nutrient food
• Advice on how to recognize and get rid of toxic hunger
• A gradual, 3-level program with custom menus so you can adjust the program to your individual needs and preferences
• Over 150 delicious and easy recipes that taste phenomenal and are easy to make
• Dr. Fuhrman's Aggregate Nutrient Density Index (ANDI), a nutrient scoring system to measure the nutritional quality of your diet
• Cooking techniques and shopping tips

Everyone should grab a copy of Eat for Health regardless of your current health situation. The title says it all.

“You cannot buy your health; you must earn it through healthy living.”

-Dr. Joel Fuhrman, author of Eat for Health

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THE 5 MOST POPULAR DIETS

There are literally hundreds of thousands of diets in the world. Some are for losing weight, others for weight gain, living a long and healthy life, etc. The word diet comes from Old French diete and Medieval Latin dieta meaning "a daily food allowance". The Latin word diaeta and Greek word diaita mean "a way of life, a regimen". A diet can be described as a set course of eating and drinking in which the kind and amount of food one should eat is been planned out in order to achieve weight loss or follow a certain lifestyle. Below is the list of 5 Most Popular Diets that are known worldwide:

ATKINS DIET

The Atkins Diet is a low-carb diet developed by Robert Atkins. He used the study to resolve his own overweight condition. He later spreas the method in a series of books. The Atkins Diet involves limited consumption of carbohydrates to switch the body’s metabolism from metabolizing glucose as energy over to converting stored body fat to energy. The Atkins Diet, also known as Atkins Nutritional Approach, focuses on regulating the levels of insulin in our bodies through diet. If we consume generous amount of refined carbs, our insulin levels will rise briskly and then fall immediately. Most people on the Atkins Diet consume a higher proportion of proteins than they normally do.

ZONE DIET

The Zone diet is a diet developed by Biochemist Barry Sears. It advocates consuming calories from carbohydrates and protein in a balance ratio. The Zone Diet aims for a nutritional balance of 40% carbohydrates, 30% fats, and 30% protein each time we eat. It boosts the consumption of good quality carbohydrates that is unrefined, and fats such as olive oil, avocado and nuts.

VEGAN DIET

Vegan is a type of diet that excludes meat, eggs, dairy products and all other animal-derived ingredients. Many vegans also do not eat food that is processed using animal products and products tested on animals. Vegans do not generally adopt veganism just for health reasons but also for environmental and ethical reasons as well. A vegan diet includes all grains, beans, legumes, vegetables and fruits. There are also many Vegan versions of familiar foods in the market such as vegan hotdogs, ice cream, cheese, etc. Usually, people who decide to go vegan, choose to go vegetarian first and then slowly omit eggs and dairy.

SOUTH BEACH DIET

The South Beach Diet plan is developed by Cardiologist Arthur Agatston and Nutritionist Marie Almon. Its primary function was to prevent heart disease,  but in the early 2000s, it quickly gained popularity as means to lose weight. The South Beach Diet is relatively simple in principle. It replaces "bad carbs" and "bad fats" with "good carbs" and "good fats." Agatston categorized the South Beach Diet into three phases, each progressively becoming more liberal. "Phase 1" lasts for the first two weeks of the diet. It eliminates all sugars, processed carbohydrates, fruits, and some higher-glycemic vegetables as well. Its main purpose is to get rid of the hunger cycle. "Phase 2" continues as long as the dieter wishes to lose weight. It re-introduces most fruits and vegetables and some whole grains as well. "Phase 3" is the maintenance phase and lasts for life. There is no specific list of permitted and prohibited foods. People who follow the South Beach Diet is expected to take what they have learned and apply it to their life without any guidance. 

RAW FOOD DIET

The Raw Food Diet or Raw Foodism is a practice of eating only uncooked, unprocessed and often organic foods or wild foods. Raw foodists generally say that at least three-quarters of food intake should consist of uncooked food. A significant number of raw foodists are also vegans – they do not eat or drink anything which is animal based. There are four main types of raw foodists: raw vegetarians, raw vegans, raw omnivores and raw carnivores.

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The 17 Day Diet: A Doctor’s Plan Designed for Rapid Results Book

The 17 Day Diet: A Doctor’s Plan Designed for Rapid Results is written in an easy to read format. Dr. Mike Moreno, who is the author of The 17 Day Diet: A Doctor’s Plan Designed for Rapid Results, wrote this in a very simple and straightforward manner, not to mention about his good sense of humor.

There are four cycles in The 17 Day Diet: A Doctor’s Plan Designed for Rapid Results and each cycle is 17 days in length: Cycle 1(Accelerate) is the rapid weight loss portion that helps take out sugar and fat storage from your system. It involves lots of lean protein and veggies and very small amounts of fruits and probiotics. Cycle 2 (Activate) It is the metabolic restart cycle with alternating low and high calorie days to help reduce body fat. It adds in lean meats, natural starches, and starchy vegetables. Cycle 3(Achieve) is about controlling portions and introducing new fitness routines. This involves breads, pastas, more fruits, and more snack options. Cycle 4 (Arrive) is a combination of the first three cycles (Accelerate, Active and Achieve) to keep good habits up for lifestyle change. On weekends, you enjoy your favorite foods. It is finding a happy and comfortable way to continue doing healthy eating  as a maintenance level. It is really about getting back to whole foods, just with a particular focus on certain categories for short periods of time. Some other things that would be helpful for someone who’s serious about The 17 Day Diet: A Doctor’s Plan Designed for Rapid Results was that Dr Moreno even explained how to keep the diet going while you're on a trip, on  holidays, or if one of your family members is on a totally different eating routine. Dr. Moreno also mentioned that 4 cups of coffee is still good for you---minus the sugar and creamer of course!

If you need to shed pounds fast and in a safe, effective, and lasting way, The 17 Day Diet: A Doctor's Plan Designed for Rapid Results book is for you!

“We’ve all pledged, promised and bullied ourselves to eat better and exercise more, but so many times even the best intentions fall short. I incorporate healthy habits into my work and home life and you can too.” –Dr. Mike Moreno, author of The 17 Day Diet: A Doctor’s Plan Designed for Rapid Results

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