You can perk up those breasts!

Every woman comes to a time in her life when she becomes self-conscious of her breasts. As we age, just as the rest of our bodies, our breasts tend to loose their shape a bit.  Even though it's hard to believe that someone else is going through the same thing, trust me we all are.  Hope is not far off is the good news.  With several different steps to choose from you can be well on your way to perkier breast as fast as you can pick up some dumbbells.  Breasts are composed primarily of fatty tissue and mammary glands encased in fragile, stretchy skin. Breasts themselves cannot be physically changed by exercise, but by strengthening the supporting chest wall and improving upper body posture you can inprove their appearence. for the pectoral muscles, upper back and shoulders.The muscles  directly underneath your breast are called the pectorals. They are partly responsible for the "perkiness" of your breasts. The pectoral muscles should be exercised to create a firmer, more shapely appearance.  Here are some excellent varieties of exercises that you can start easily.  For best results, try 5 different exercises each workout.  It's not only good for your muscles to work them in different ways, but also good for your mind as well. 

1. Swimming.  Swimming is a good exercise for toning the breasts and it provides an aerobic benefit at the same time. For best results perform the freestyle or crawl strokes. A good swimming form should feel like you are climbing a water latter. tall, nestled up to the wall, squeeze the pectoral muscles and make movements, as if you are breast-stroke swimming. Do a hundred slow strokes, keep your pectoral muscles tense all the time. 
2. Push-ups. Push-ups work many muscles at one time making it one of the most universal exercises. Push-ups work the pectoral muscle group of the chest, as well as tricep muscles on the back of the upper arms. A strong chest wall, combined with toned upper arms, help to physically lift and visually enhance the bust line.
3. Dumbbell Press. Lie on your back on an exercise bench. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing your feet and the inner edge of the dumbbells touching the outer edge of your upper shoulder area. Raise the dumbbells so they are over your chest and your arms are straight. Do not, however, lock your elbows. Lower and repeat. Do between 8 and 12 repetitions.
4. Dumbbell Fly.  Lie flat on a bench and hold two dumbbells over your chest with your elbows facing outward and your palms facing your chest. Lower the dumbbells using a wide arc until they are level with your shoulders, then bring them back up to the starting position. Keep your elbows slightly flexed throughout the movement.  Keep your feet on the floor and your back on the bench. You may want to use a spotter to help you with this exercise for safety purposes, especially if you are using heavier weights. Repeat 8 to 12 times.
5. Dumbbell Pullovers. These are done lying on a flat exercise bench with your feet planted on the floor. Hold one dumbbell vertically with both hands, lifted so it's positioned over your face and your arms are straight. Lower the weight behind your head, bending your elbows as you move your arms back but don't allow your elbows to flare out. Raise the dumbbell back to the starting position. Keep your back flat on the bench during this exercise. Do 8 to 12 repetitions.
6. The Fly.  Lie on your back on a bench or across the corner of your bed, with your feet on the floor. Hold a dumb-bell or whatever you are using as a weight, in each hand. Stretch your arms out fully to your sides, pull your tummy in and slowly lift both arms up so that they are pointing towards the ceiling, to meet each other.  Breathe in as you raise your arms and breathe out as you lower them to the starting position. Do 10-12 repetitions.
7. Chess Press.  A bench chest press is ideal for pectoral muscle strengthening. Lie on your back on a weight bench, with feet flat on the floor, or knees bent and feet on the bench. Grasp a dumbbell in each hand,light weights to start, with elbows bent so that the upper arms are parallel to the floor and perpendicular to your body, and palms facing towards your feet. Straighten elbows, extending arms and pressing the dumbbells towards the ceiling, keeping the weights gliding upwards in a straight, vertical line. Slowly lower to starting position and repeat.  You can also lie on a mat with dumbbells and extend your arms out at shoulder level. Raise

Some other exercise that are good fillers, but serve their purpose are jogging, brisk walking, rowing or jumping rope. Also try applying pressure to your back while standing. Simply stand tall facing the wall and lean against it with your hands. Press against the wall as hard as you can, as if you want to move it, keep on pushing for 10 seconds. Relax, shake your hands. Do a set of 10 repetitions. Hopefully, now you feel confident that you can achieve firmer breasts with little to no money, just a little time and effort.  

healthly tips for a good jump start

Health eating doesn't have to be negative

Modifying your diet to eat healthier can sometimes seem impossible, out of reach, or even expensive. Often we find we don't take into consideration the fact that we need a certain intake of daily vitamins to live healthy and protect our bodies, mind, and basically to preserve our happiness. There are a million different steps you can take to improve and lengthen your life. 
In many ways changing your diet doesn't have to mean changing everything at once or even in several cases dramatic change at all.  Just making small steps can make a big difference in many ways such as building energy, fighting disease, as well as weight lose and more.  examples:

1) Drink Water!!!!  Water is sugar-free, fat-free, basically free of everything and extremely good for your body. Water also flushes the body off toxins that could harm it. Six eight ounce glasses a day , plus, is a fantastic goal to start with in improving your health. Start replacing your other drink choices with water and remember, water is the best thing to have to rehydrate you in any situation. Keep in mind, 2/3 of the body consists of water, and it is the main component of human body. Muscles consists of 3/4 of water. It Protects us from sprains and muscle aches as well as headaches. The benefits go on and on, but I am sure you are getting the point. Every cell in your body needs water from head to toe.

2) Eat breakfast!!! I can only begin to tell you how important that morning meal is.  Best way to describe it would be like a shower to start your health and energy that day. Yes, I am aware of how busy most lives are and how there is a rush in most households every morning. Regardless, make it a routine in your house. Eat within an hour of waking to kick-start your metabolism.  Remember though, let's keep it it healthy right!!! Of course we know that the donuts, coffee cakes, left overs aren't the most likely to be on the list of good jump start foods. Unhealthy breakfast foods are basically the very ones you would assume were, the waffles, pancakes, muffins, most cereals, bagels, fried eggs, bacon, sausage, and other fried foods. So of course the healthy ones are also going to be the ones you expected, the fruits, oatmeal, whole grain such as a English muffin or cereal with milk, and as often as possible try to add as many proteins and other vitamins to your most important meal. Try two eggs for breakfast with some apple slices and yogurt.  Add a eight ounce glass of milk and I'd say you are ready for a good day. Mix it up with healthy grains, gluten-free are the best, fruits, and proteins and keep in mind that a good start to the day can only be positive. 

3) Get some sleep!!!! Sleep is absolutely necessary to healthy life. It's as important to health as eating properly and getting proper exercise.  Lack of sleep causes a number of health problems that tickle into other kinds 0f problems. Lack of concentration, prevents tissue repair such as skin damage caused by the sun and other hazards.  It is also healthiest for your heart and overall health if you get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night. When your body is sleep deprived it goes into a state of stress.  Getting more quality sleep will help you remember and process things better as well. Which, let's face it, we could all use more of.
4) Monitor what you eat!!!!! I am not saying ban any certain groups of foods or give up all your favorites. The foods you put into your body should be carefully chosen and enjoyed. I'll be honest and say vegetables are a great way to get nutrients, energy, and build health.  That goes for most fruits as well.  Vegetables and fruits are high in fiber and they make you feel fuller after eating.  there are many reasons to eat more fruits and vegetables a few are  for your health, your sex life, and to reduce risks of cancer, stroke, heart disease, and other diseases, plus the very important reduction of high blood pressure. Fruits might be sugary at times, but a diet rich in vegetables and fruit slow the absorption of sugar into your bloodstream, lowering the risk of diabetes. Fruits and vegetables are high in fiber too which makes you feel full, and in it curbs sweet tooth.  Fruits and vegetables are naturally low in calories and what beats that? . It's practically unheard of to get fat on fruits and vegetables alone. So why not add more of then to your diet?  Also, remember that eating health can also influence those around you and prompt them to eat healthier as well.

These are some excellent tips on jump starting your healthy living and getting in the right frame of mind and starting you way towards a better you.

Fruits hard at work.

How hard are the foods you are eating working for you?
Are they blocking and fighting everyday toxins?
Are they giving you all the vitamins and nutrients your body needs on the daily?
Do they help you burn fat?


Most of us, I'd hope, would agree that fruits and vegetables are the first foods that come to mind when thinking about healthy foods.  We would also be correct in that assumption. Most of our fruits carry antitoxin that aides in the protection of cells in the body, which prevent us from disease and other illness.  Vitamins are also heavily found in fruits. Learn more about the benefits of vitamins at In everyday life we all want to be as fit and health as possible.  Although, we would like to do it the easiest and fastest way possible with the best results possible.  Unfortunately, this could easily cause even more health issues.  I am not saying that there are not some short cut easy was to achieve better health, because there are a million, what I am saying is that think twice before you hurl yourself into a strict diet of sorts.  A good way to start on your journey to total health and fitness success is to start eating right.  Start picking up and eating those fruits, vegetables, high protein meats, etc;  Something as simple as a handful of walnuts or a apple a day could add years to your life.  It's simply amazing when you look at it from that perspective.  We have all heard the famous saying " A apple a day keeps the doctor away", but it holds more truth than most will give credit.
  Apples rank very high in antitoxins. Red apples especially are the highest and contain natural anti-inflammatory, anti-allergens and have been very successful in the treatment of skin and prostate cancers. Just one medium sized apple alone contains the vitamins B1,B2,B3 B5,B6,B9 and C, as well as the minerals calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium. It's been proven that women that eat at least one apple a day are at least 25% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than of those who opted out on their daily apple. Women who eat at least one apple a day are 28 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who don’t eat apples.
Oranges carry ample amounts of the most famous vitamin, C. Vitamin C helps aid in the fight against attacks on the immune system, such as the flu or common cold.  Oranges have as many health benefits as apples do honestly. Oranges are also high in Iron and Vitamin B6, essential in the production of red cells in the blood, which carry oxygen from lungs to cells. Besides vitamin C, oranges are mainly known for their high source of calcium, which is important in our strength of bones and teeth. Oranges are helpful in preventing several other diseases, like arthritis, asthma, bronchitis, tuberculosis, pneumonia, rheumatism and diabetes. The fruit is low in calories, contains no saturated fats or cholesterol, but is rich in dietary fiber. Just remember to be careful of vitamin C overdose and acidic levels that can cause serious health issues.
Apricots aren't one of the most popular fruits or cheapest either, but I think it has a lot to do with the lack of information put out there of the awesome benefits of this small fruit. (In comparison with apples and oranges at least!) Apricots provide Vitamin C, iron, calcium, zinc, magnesium, potassium, and fiber among other nutrients. The fruit contains a lot of beta-carotene which helps in the defense of several kinds of cancers and retina protection. Apricots are secret weapons against insomnia. It's high amount of amino acids boosts
serotonin levels which regulates sleeping patterns and helps you achieve a deeper more peaceful sleep.  Try one before bed and see if it helps you sleep any better.

Tomatoes, yes remember they are fruits not vegetables, have been found to help cut the risk of bladder, stomach, and colon cancers in half when eaten daily. They contain large amounts of vitamin C. They also contain vitamin A, potassium, and iron. Though raw tomatoes are great for you, cooking them increases the intensity of the benefits.One of the best things about tomatoes is the benefits in making canned tomatoes and tomato sauce are just as viable and beneficial as fresh tomatoes would be.  They don't lose their umph I guess you could say.  Many health experts have found the benefits of tomatoes are believed to be associated with the natural chemical that makes it red, Lycopene. Lycopene is the most common organic pigment in the human body. Unbelievably, the amount of lycopene in tomatoes that is available for use by the human body is increased when cooked. Making tomatoes even healthier for you.

Dragon fruit is one of the most unique fruits and runs on the more expensive side of fresh fruits. It is high in vitamin C and is said to be one of the best antitoxidant among the fruits.  It prevents free radicals and protects from cancer. Regular consumption of the fruit aides in fighting against cough and asthma. Dragon fruit acts like a multivitamin and helps to improve and recover the loss of appetite. The fruit has also shown signs of improvement in weight loss. Overall, dragon fruit has to be one of the most healthiest things to eat.
  Bananas, of course, we all associated with having tons of potassium which plays a key role in heart health and muscle function as well as bone and kidney health. Bananas are one of the highest sources of naturally available vitamin B6 which aides in helping the body to make hemoglobin and maintain proper blood sugar levels. They are also a wonderful source in dietary fiber. Bananas have got to be one of the cheapest and easiest fruits to find in the local markets. They usually run around $0.50 a LB. in the states.
These are just a few of many fruits that aide in the protection and health of our bodies. Remember Vitamin C and antitoxins are found in fruits of all backgrounds. So for the most part, you can't really go wrong with picking up a piece.



Vitamin packed Fruits

Of course we are all aware of the fact that fresh fruits and vegetables are good for our health. They contain many of the vitamins that our bodies need to perform properly and most effectively, such as vitamin A,B,C,D, E and many more. What many of you don't know is why these vitamins are so essential and which fruits are best in providing them.
The most known and widespread is probably vitamin C.
The body requires vitamin C to form and maintain bones, blood vessels, and skin. (Vitamin C is also known as ascorbic acid) It also needs to be replenished daily.  It helps produce collagen. (a protein needed to develop and maintain healthy teeth, bones, gums, cartilage, vertebrae discs, joint linings, skin and blood vessels) Other health benefits of vitamin C are that it helps fight infections, lessens the risk of heart disease, helps regulate cholesterol levels, and is often praised for fighting off the common cold or flu. 
Fruits high in vitamin C include oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruits, tangerines, pears, bananas, papayas, strawberries, mangoes, blackberries, blueberries, kiwis, pineapples, watermelons, raspberries, cranberries, cantaloupes.  
The next is, well we will just go down the line shall we, vitamin B.  This vitamin plays a important roles in metabolism, healthy muscle tone, healthy skin, and cell growth.  It serves as a great immune system booster and needs to be replenished daily.Fruits high in vitamin B are bananas, oranges, and grapefruits.
Vitamin A is best known for its health effects on the eyes and the vitamin is extremely important to color vision and it also plays a role in immune function and antioxidant activity. Good sources include mangoes, papayas, and apricots. 
Vitamin K is less mentioned but don't think that makes it any less important than others like C.  Vitamin K plays a critical role in blood clotting and bone health.  Avocados have a high source of vitamin K. Other fruits that provide the vitamin are black and blueberries, mangoes, pears, and tomatoes.
Vitamin E serves a lot of the same roles and benefits of vitamin C. It is a great source in body tissue protection and a winkle fighter.  It has been said to have a ability to soothe and heal broken or stressed skin tissue. Many of the berries such as black, blue, and boysenberries  carry larges amounts of vitamin E. Kiwis and mangoes also contain a good amount of the skin protecting vitamin.
All these and many other vitamins, are essential to our everyday health. If boosting your immune system and giving yourself overnight energy, health, and overall better appearance only takes a few steps starting with eating right then why wait any longer? Start with these simple, everyday, fruits in your diet.  When craving something sweet reach for a few berries or a mango.  It really is that easy to start on a healthy track of living.  Like I stated before, you have to begin somewhere and eating right holds the most benefit. 

Glycemic Index

One of the most important things to keep in mind on your journey to overall health and fitness is to watch the foods, and such, that you put into your body. Some foods contain more acid, sugars, carbohydrates, salt, and other factors that contribute to the health of your body. Often you will here the term glycemic index or GI. Glycemic index is a numeric rating system that measures one food's ability to raise blood sugar against another's, the effects of carbohydrates on blood sugar levels.  Only foods that contain carbohydrates have a glycemic index value. Any food that has a GI value of 100 or more will raise your blood sugar just as pure sugar would.
This doesn't mean that all Carbs are bad or you need to give up some of your favorite foods. The glycemic index of a food is defined as the area under the two hour blood glucose response curve following the ingestion of a fixed portion of carbohydrate. A low GI food will release glucose more slowly and steadily where as high-GI food causes a more rapid rise in blood glucose levels.  For those whom are trying to achieve a positive exercise regimen that produces results, keep in mind that it's been proven a higher GI level will help in energy recovery after exercise. Although, many would claim that foods such as carrots and potatoes are dangerous to your health other would argue that they are the opposite. Some of us, more than others, have to pay close attention to these levels such as diabetics. Many modern diets rely on the glycemic index such as the South Beach Diet. Yet some would say that foods like chocolate cake, that carry a lower GI level are easier to work off, so they are not as unhealthy as others would state.  This is one of those crazy things that has many a opinion and factors.  I mean, how on earth is chocolate cake possibly good for you? 
Here I will list some everyday foods and their glycemic levels:
Potatoes 120
Parsnips 97
Sweet Potatoes 85
Corn 85
Rutabaga 72
Carrots 70
Green Peas 50 - 70
Fructose - 12-25
Glucose - 85-111
Honey - 32-87
Lactose - 46
Milk, regular  11-40
Skimmed milk - 32
Sugar free- 14-23
White bread - 64-87
Whole wheat bread - 52-87
Muffins, cakes, pancakes, waffles etc - vary between 38-102
Rice Cakes - 61-91
All bran - 30-51
Bran buds - 58
Corn flakes 72-92
Corn Chex - 83
Fruit loops - 69
Rice chex - 89
Quick cooking oats - 66
Instant cream of wheat - 74
Grains
Barley - 22-48
Barley, cooked - 50
cornmeal boiled in water - 69
long grained white rice - 50-64
Short and medium grained white rice - 83-93
Brown rice - 66-87
Rice pasta - 40-92
Apples - 28-44, average 38
Raw apricots - 57
Dried apricots - 31
Under ripe Banana - 30
Over ripe Banana - 52
Cherries - 22
Dates - 103
Grapefruit - 25
Grapes - 46-49
Pears - 33-42
Plums - 24-53
Strawberries - 40
Carrot juice - 43
Cranberry juice cocktail - 52-68
Grapefruit juice - 48
Orange Juice - 46-53
Pineapple juice - 46


Hopefully, This helps a bit.  As I have stated before, please keep in mind or rather take into consideration that these foods and their glycemic levels effect us in different ways.  Ultimatlely, eating healthy, reasonable portions of foods, with a daily exercise regime the average person can stay healthly and fit throughout their lives. 
 

How important is Exercise

Often we hear about the benefits of exercise, but rarely do you hear about the consequences of lack of exercise to your body.  Exercise effects every part and aspect of our bodies whether it positive or negative.  It effects us from our bones, our muscles, to our organs and exterior.  Bone and muscle are living tissue that respond to exercise by becoming stronger. Young women and men who exercise regularly almost           always achieve greater peak bone mass than those who do not.  For most of us, our bone mass peaks sometime in our 30's.  As time goes on, we of course lose bone and muscle mass.  Exercising allows us to maintain muscle strength, coordination, and balance, which in turn helps to prevent falls and related fractures.
Benefits to exercise
Regular exercise is necessary for physical fitness and good health. It reduces the risk of heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes and other diseases. It can improve your appearance and delay the aging process and help you stay looking and feeling much younger throughout life. It also is proven that exercise improved mental health as well.  What more do you need  to know than that?  Still not convinced? No worries, I'll continue.
In exercise, your body uses energy to keep going. When sitting around or being inactive you are putting you body and health at serious risk.  Your muscles will become flabby and weak. Your heart and lungs won't function efficiently. And your joints will be stiff and easily injured. Doesn't sound like something I am interested in how about you?  You can lead a more active life with better mobility and flexibility. It's a proven fact. On top of that, exercise is a great factor in the healing and recovery process from injuries and illness. Once you begin to exercise regularly, you will discover many more reasons why exercise is so important to improving the quality of your life.
Some things to keep in mind
Exercising with weights and other forms of resistance training develops your muscles, bones and ligaments for increased strength and endurance. Your posture can be improved, and your muscles become more firm and toned. Resistance training exercises build lean muscle. Building lean muscle will speed up your metabolism, allowing you to burn more calories. The more muscle you build, the more calories you'll burn. The more calories you burn, the more body fat you'll lose. Exercise will improve the function of your heart and lungs. Stronger lungs can more efficiently deliver oxygen to the body during times of need, while a more powerful heart delivers precious blood to muscles and organs. Exercise will keep your body weight in a healthy range. In a closing note, remember that stretching and flexibility play huge roles in basic and extreme exercise.  Always, keep in mind that your body is fragile in it's own right and try not to push it too hard or you could not only backtrack process, but put yourself in more danger than good.

Health is serious folks

Seems like every time we turn the corner, in this day in age, that the main concern in life is almost anything but health.  I mean real health not the average check-ups at your doctor office, or the vitamins you take daily, not the water filter you add to your faucet, or the millions of medications you can get prescribed to you these days.  It's not any of these things.  Health is a over-all body necessity!  Mind, body, and soul type deal.  The things you eat, drink, inhale, touch, and in anyway come in contact with contribute to your health. 
The first step to achieving total body health is to get the right mindset. Until you are ready to commit to yourself and the rest of your life then it's very easy to start to slip back into old "unhealthy" habits.  I have recently found there is a lot of power in writing down your goals and holding yourself accountable.  If you can daily visually see your goals you will be more likely to pursue them. Start with one main thing that you want/need to do to start your steps towards a healthier fuller life.  Perhaps you want to start jogging, or eating less processed foods, maybe you want to try smiling more during the day.  Smiling is proven to release " good energy" into the body which makes it easier to again reach those goals we just talked about setting.  It doesn't matter what it is just pick something.  You have to start somewhere to go anywhere.

Health Definitions

Here are some definitions of some words that will appear on this site often.  Read them. Know them. Practice them.

Fitness (noun)
 1. The state or condition of being fit; suitability or appropriateness.
 2. Good health or physical condition, especially as the result of exercise and proper nutrition.

Wellness (noun)
 1. The condition of good physical and mental health

Health (noun)
 1. The overall condition of an organism at a given time

 2. Soundness, especially of body or mind; freedom from disease or abnormality.

Exercise (noun)

 1. Activity that requires physical or mental exertion, especially when performed to develop or maintain fitness

 2. An activity having a specified aspect

Body (noun)

The entire material or physical structure of an organism. The physical part of a person.

 2. The largest or principal part of an organ

Beauty (noun)

  1. A quality or feature that is most effective, gratifying, or telling

  2. The quality that gives pleasure to the mind or senses and is associated with such properties as harmony of form or color, excellence of artistry, truthfulness, and originality.

Determination (noun)

 1. Firmness of purpose; resolve

 2. The act of making or arriving at a decision

 3. A fixed movement or tendency toward an object or end.

Diet (noun)

 1. The usual food and drink of a person

 2. A regulated selection of foods, as for medical reasons or cosmetic weight loss

Toning (verb)

 1. To make firmer or stronger.

 2. The normal state of elastic tension or partial contraction in resting muscles

Workout (noun)

 1. A session of exercise or practice to improve fitness

 2. A strenuous test of ability and endurance.

Adrenaline (noun)

 1. a hormone that is secreted by the adrenal medulla in response to stress and increases heart rate, pulse rate, and blood pressure, and raises the blood levels of glucose and lipids

Aerobics (noun)

 1. A system of physical conditioning designed to enhance circulatory and respiratory efficiency that involves vigorous sustained exercise

 2. A program of physical fitness that involves such exercise.

Heart Rate (noun)

 1. The number of heartbeats per unit of time, usually expressed as beats per minute

Pulse (noun)

 1. The rhythmical throbbing of arteries produced by the regular contractions of the heart

Firming (verb)

 1. To make or become firm

 2. Marked by or indicating the tone and resiliency of healthy tissue