I’ll keep this quite brief as the basic introduction to pull ups has already been covered.

Chin ups: Now that you can happily do 5 assisted chin ups, 3 times over, its time to take away the foot support. Jump into the top position, then lower half way and pull back up. Try to do 3 repetitions. Do this two more times with the standard 1 minute rest in between, making it 3 sets.

Lower offs: Continue the lower offs the same as before, but this time, try to do each one as slowly and as controlled as you physically can.

Isometric Holds: These are exactly the same as before, but this time there will be an extra position. Once you have completed 10 seconds at the 90-degree position (the second position), then lower until your arms are at the 135-degree position. Basically you are almost at the full bottom position, but your arms are still bent. Hold this for 10 seconds then let go. Rinse and repeat 3 times after a 1 minute recovery.

Hanging: Now you have managed to hang for 20 seconds, its time to up the ante! You are now going to attempt 1 minute! You do this by gradually increasing by a few seconds each day. Do not worry if you feel like your hands are burning or slipping off, keep gripping! This will stand you in great steed later on when we have you doing 20 pull ups in a row and you need that grip to last!!! This exercise will toughen your hands as well. If, however, you do not want rugged, calcified hands, some simple moisturizing hand lotion should do the trick of keeping your hands as delicate as they were before! The good news is that you only have to do this exercise once, not three times as before.

To recap, this is what you need to do in this order:

Chin Ups: 3 x 3 sets with a 1 minute recovery between each set.

Lower Offs: 3 x 5 sets, unassisted, with a 1 minute recovery between each set.

Isometric Holds: 3 x 10 seconds in all 3 positions, unassisted, with a 1 minute recovery between each set.

Hanging: 1 x 1 minute, then enjoy the rest!

Notice that the order has now changed. Hanging is no longer at the beginning, but at the end. This is to strengthen your grip even more, as it will be the last exercise that you do, plus it will allow your upper body to stretch at the end of what you may find quite a strenuous workout.

The chin ups are first as they will require the most strength. Be focused, believe you can do it and pull with all of your upper body muscles, not just your arms. Contract your back and push your shoulders upwards. If you still are unsuccessful with this, maintain the original assisted chin ups routine. You may find it easier to up these to 6-8 reps for each set, but try your best to use as little support from your feet as possible.

Again, try to do this routine 3 times a week, and then once you can comfortably do 3 sets of 3 chin ups, plus the 1 minute hang, then move on to the next session that will be in the next article.

Best of Luck!

The athletes who have mastered the pull up are gymnasts and climbers, not bodybuilders and weight lifters. Although I’m sure many bodybuilders can do quite a few pull ups, it is the athletes who are training exclusively with their own bodyweight who have really benefited from this awesome exercise.

The fact that both gymnasts and climbers have lean, sculptured bodies, with no fat on them, along with flexible, powerful limbs and rock solid core strength, is a testament to the effects of exercising with your bodyweight. The pull up is the basis for their strength training, and should actually be the basis for any athlete, or indeed anyone wanting to become lean and fit.

However, for many who have not exercised in a while and have let their strength go, the pull up can feel like a very daunting and almost impossible prospect. This is especially so if you are a woman. Let’s get one thing clear; it’s all about mind set!! There is no real valid reason why a woman in her sixties cannot do as many pull ups as a man in his twenties!! This may seem a bit of an extreme statement, but allow me to explain.

When referring to pull ups, I always like to include the true masters of bodyweight exercises: the primates! No other species of mammal is as strong, pound for pound as the apes and monkeys. In particular, the strongest of them all is our ginger friend, the Orangutan! It was once reported that an Orangutan in a zoo enclosure managed to toss away a log with just one arm. This was a log that 7 male zoo keepers had failed to lift together, earlier that day. The orangutan in question was an elderly female. In fact throughout all the primate kingdom, the female species prove to be not much weaker, and certainly not less capable, as the males. The reason for this is that they do the same amount of bodyweight exercises, pulling their bodies through the trees, leaping up and down, and pushing off the ground.

I’m not going to go into the particulars of primate strength and fitness here (that will be covered in another article), but I would like to point out that not only can we benefit from bodyweight exercises like the primates, but, in fact, we can benefit in the same way, because we are primates! Everyone of us should be lifting our bodies through space regularly, every day, and then no-one would be obese, nor would they suffering from heart disease, arthritis or diabetes; but this is an entirely different topic. The point I am trying to make is that whether you are male or female, young or old, fat or thin, you are a primate! You are designed by nature to exercise in this way. If you begin to exercise with your own bodyweight, I promise that you will become lean, fit, strong, powerful, virile and even flexible. And no girls, you do not have to build arm muscles the size of Arnie’s left leg to do it!!!)

Now although I do not believe it is good to run before you can walk, sometimes its good to just be thrown off at the deep end, and that is why I am beginning this bodyweight series with pull ups.

If you cannot do even one pull up, do not despair as this is what I am here for. There are a number of important things to remember about pull-ups:

Firstly, a pull up is not just about the arms, but mainly about the back.

Secondly, pull ups are core body exercises, which means they will activate all the core muscles; upper and lower abdominals, obliques and lower back.

Thirdly, as well as strengthening the muscle, pull ups will stretch and increase the strength of the ligaments and tendons throughout the arms and shoulders.

Now you maybe beginning to understand why the pull up is so beneficial; it basically incorporates the entire upper-body.

So when you begin your pull up routine, keep in mind that it is not just with the biceps that you are pulling, but with the latissimus dorsi, trapezius (muscles of the back), rectus abdominus, serratus anterior, obliques (core abdominal muscles) and the anterior deltoid (front of the shoulder). If you do the pull ups properly you will also activate the triceps and forearm muscles (of which their are many!). Therefore when you begin to pull, try to pull with your back as well as your arms. Use your core muscles to stop you from swinging.

In this article I’m going to start with those who cannot do a single pull up. You will need a pull up bar, or a ledge/rope/bar/rings/holds/grove/etc.., with which to perform these exercises. I will always refer to the apparatus as a ‘bar’, but simply replace this term with whatever you have available to you. You will also need a chair or table.

These are the four exercises with which you need to begin. With all of them try varying the grip on the bar each time; overhand, underhand, alternated hands, close together hands, wide apart hands, etc… This will activate the muscles at different angles and increase your grip strength in the same way a climber moves his/her body into different positions to scale a rock face, or a monkey climbs a tree!

Let us begin.

Hanging: Simple hanging from the bar will strengthen you in the same way it strengthens monkeys. It will improve your grip, strengthen your ligaments, tendons, triceps, shoulders and back. If you cannot hang for more than 10 seconds, allow your feet to support some of your weight on the floor. If the bar is to high off the ground for you to do this, then this is when you can use the chair or table as support. Try to load as much weight onto your hands as is as comfortable as possible, Hang for at least 10 full seconds. Ideally you want to be working up to hanging from the bar with your feet off the ground for 20 seconds. Do whatever you can, then rest for 1 minute, then repeat two more times, making it 3 sets in total. Every day you return to this workout, try to add a few more seconds. This is also a great way to warm up the upper body before dong the other exercises.

Isometric Holds: Isometric refers to isolated movement. It is the same principle as the hanging, in that you are holding a position. In this case you will be holding the position with your chin above the bar, hands to shoulders, arms totally bent. This is a much harder exercise than hanging. You may have to jump up to get into this position. Ideally you want to be holding for at least 5 to 10 seconds, eventually 30 seconds. Again, if you cannot physically hold your entire weight in this position, use the chair/table to support as much of your weight as you need. Once you have completed this, lower your body so that your forearms are bent exactly 90 degrees from your biceps. Your head should be level with the bar. Hold this position for the same amount of time, with the foot support if necessary. These isometric holds will strengthen your biceps, as well as your grip, shoulders and back. Do 3 sets in the same format as the hanging.

Lower offs: With these you begin in the same position as the first isometric hold; with your chin above the bar, hands to shoulders, arms totally bent. You will then lower your body as slowly as you can until you are hanging. Repeat this 5 times. Then rest for 1 minute and then repeat this 5 repetition set two more times. If you need loaded foot support, then simply bend your knees as you lower your body.

Assisted Chin ups: Chin ups are far easier than pull ups as they only go half of the way. Often the two are confused with one another. A pull up is when you pull your body from straight-arm hanging all the way up until your head is above the bar. A chin up is when you only lower your chin below the bar, then pull it back over the top. This causes you to bend your arms fully at the top, but no further then ninety degrees at the bottom of the movement. Basically you will be moving between the two isometric hold positions. Begin with your arms bent at ninety degrees with your feet on a chair/table, with knees bent. Then pull up, using as much of your upper body as possible until you reach the top. If your foot support is at the right height from the bar, your legs should be almost straight by this position. Then lower your body back to the ninety-degree position. This is 1 chin up. Try to do 5 in succession. Rest for 1 minute, then repeat 2 more times, making 3 sets. If you find you can do this without the foot support, then great, get to it! You are half way there to doing your first full pull up!

These exercises should be done in this order 3 times a week. Progressive exercises from this will be covered in part 2 of this article series.

Here are the exercises in a simple workout format, with the numbers you should be completing before moving onto the workout in the next article:

Hanging: 3 x 20 seconds sets, unassisted, with a 1 minute recovery between each set.

Isometric Holds: 3 x 10 seconds at each hold, unassisted, with a 1 minute recovery between each set.

Lower Offs: 3 x 5 sets, unassisted, with a 1 minute recovery between each set.

Assisted Chin Ups: 3 x 5 sets with a 1 minute recovery between each set.

Keep trying until you have reached these numbers, it shouldn’t take you too long. Providing you can hang for at least 10 seconds to begin with, then you should be able to reach these goals within 1 to 2 months. Try to do this routine 3 days a week, eg. Monday, Wednesday, Friday.

Note: If you cannot even hang for the 10 seconds, begin hanging with the foot support and slowly build up the time until you can hang freely. This may be because you are over weight, in which case you will need to do some gentle cardiovascular exercise to burn the excess fat, before you can lift your bodyweight. If it is simply a strength issue with regards to the grip, which may be the case with many women, then keep your eyes skinned for my article on grip strength that is coming soon.

Best of Luck!

Just as with blueberries, cherries contain a high amount of anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are an antioxidant that has been proven to help reduce pain and inflammation. In fact, in 2004, the US department of agriculture proved that sweet cherries ranked among the 20 most anti-oxidant rich foods in the world. The antioxidants found in tart cherries, are thought to be responsible for the lowering of inflammation that is linked to heart disease and diabetes. These cherries reduce the risks of developing type 2 diabetes by significantly lowering insulin and fasting glucose levels (basically a pre-diabetes indicator) which are major signs for developing type 2 diabetes. Cherries are safe for diabetics because the sugar they contain is levulose, which is absorbed directly into the blood stream without first being transformed by insulin.

The anthocyanins, which is the red pigment in the cherries’ skins, have also been proven in various animal studies, to help reduce weight, even on a high fat diet. This probably because they have been shown to significantly lower blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. So if you want help losing weight, it might be worth turning to the cherries!

Dark, sweet cherries are nutritive, detoxifying, laxative, plus stimulating to the nervous system, the vital organs and the glands. They have powerful anti-phlogistic and anti-putrid properties which allows them to combat the harmful effects of animal proteins putrifying in the intestinal tract. In fact raw cherry juice is so detoxifying that it protects an infant’s sensitive systems against all sorts of digestive disorders.

Most importantly, cherries are the most powerful medicine in the world for eliminating gout and reducing the pain and inflammation of arthritis. In fact, the US Food and Drug Administration apparently tried to restrict cherry growers from working with scientific bodies in studying the effects of cherries as a way to censor the fact that cherries are such powerful medicine for gout and arthritis. The problem for them is, that unlike drugs, cherries are extremely safe. They are effective and fast-acting for eliminating pain and swelling. Eating just a few cherries a day reduces uric acid in the body which prevents gout from reoccuring.

Just as with the grapes in a previous article, dark cherries are the most medically effective, especially when they are consumed raw. If you are looking to use grapes, blueberries or cherries as a cure to any of the ailments mentioned in the last few articles, then it is wise to cut out all other food from your diet and basically fast on these foods. Many western doctors would laugh at such a cure, but all oriental doctors and Russian doctors take this style of treatment very seriously. If that leaves you in doubt, it might be worth your time researching which cultures have the highest instances of problems such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, arthritis and so on. Unfortunately you will discover it is the west by a long way. To me, that means the medical community is not doing its job properly and it should cause you to call into question a lot of its methods. With that in mind I recommend you try fasting on these fruits if you suffering from one of the particular ailments mentioned. If there is not much time left for you, then I suggest you do it now! Otherwise wait for an in depth article I will be doing on fasting later on. If you are not an extreme case, and are just being sensible, by inquiring about how to maintain your health, then well done!!! For you, an addition of just six cherries a day is all you need to stop the on set of arthritis and other nasties creeping at your door!

Another thing that cherries are good for is curing insomnia. The University Of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio discovered that the tart cherry called Montmorency contained a significant amount of melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone produced in the base of the brain, in a gland called the pineal gland. It is what causes you to feel sleepy at night. However, the  production of melatonin can be disrupted by stress, aging, staying up late and artificial lighting. This is why the elderly have problems sleeping, that and a weak bladder!

You can put a stop to sleepless nights and even the aging process by increasing your melatonin levels. The food with the highest melatonin levels is the tart cherry, especially the Montmorency variety. However, if you are not fond of cherries, you will also find peanuts and  almonds to be effective in this arena as they contain tryptophan. Tryptophan will increase brain serotonin which can then be converted to melatonin. Bananas also contain melatonin, but not enough to be effective for inducing better quality sleep on their own.

So there you have it; the cherry. The remedy for arthritis, gout, diabetes, high blood pressure, inflammation, pain, intestinal problems, sleep disorders and even the aging process! What do you think? Is it worth implementing cherries into your daily meal plan?

If you are interested in learning more about what foods you should be eating in order to lose weight then go ahead and check this out:

www.modelsmealplans.does.it

If you are looking for more information on dieting for your health, then I would recommend you purchase this series of ebooks from Healing Gourmet:

www.healinggourmet.does.it

They explain everything in a clear and concise manner, so that you can fully understand what you should be eating in order to stay in good health, or to regain your health when you have let it slide. If the latter is the case, you must not delay. The longer you put it off the worse it will become. Act now!

Blueberries have three benefits to them; they are a cure for a variety of ailments, a prevention for a number of life threatening diseases and an anti-aging marvel. Lets begin with their ability to cure.

Blueberries have a fantastic amount of micronutrients, particularly high levels of vitamin C and K. This is one of the reasons why they have proven to be a great laxative. So if your constipated, try a cup of blueberries. As well as that, they are also a superb blood cleanser and detoxifier, so if you’ve had a heavy night out, this maybe a good thing to help cure that hangover. The fact that they have a large effect on the brain, which I will cover later, may also be a contributing factor to their possible ability to help with a headache. They have been found to lower cholesterol, blood pressure and certain affects of heart disease, due to their high levels of reservatrol (this phytochemical was covered in detail in the last article on grapes, so I will not repeat myself here) and other flavonoids that are extremely important for superior health. These phytochemicals will help reduce inflammation too. All in all, a powerful little berry.

As well as being able to cure these problems, regular consumption of blueberries will have a preventative measure. In fact, the antioxidant content of blueberries has been proven by the US Department of Agriculture in 2004 to be so high that it tops the list of fruit tested as the best source of antioxidants. Of all the food tested with ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity), blueberries came second. You’ll have to read my other Super Food articles to find out what topped the list!! Seriously though, considering all the available fruits out there that are antioxidant-rich, that is impressive for a small berry. This is one of the reasons research has shown that blueberries have anti-cancer effects.

An example of its antioxidant ability can be seen in Rutgers University’s recent findings that certain compounds called proanthocyanidins, in blueberries, promote urinary tract health. They also reduce the risk of infection by preventing bacteria from adhering to the cells of the urinary tract wall lining. One reason for this may be that they are extremely high in an essential dietary mineral called Manganese. Manganese essentially finds its way to the liver and kidneys where it is stored, and also the brain. However, it is essential for all mammals as it is one of the main detoxifers for the extremely toxic effects of superoxides. The fact that blueberries are crammed full of manganese does not seem like a coincidence.

It has also been found that when feeding blueberries to animals who have been abjected to experimental strokes, that the blueberries actually lowered the resulting brain damage. Even the leaves from the blueberry bush seem to contain a compound that stops the replication of the Hepatitis C virus. Unfortunately it has not yet found to be a cure, but it has been found to be a very effective inhibitor.

However, the thing that the blueberry is probably most famous for is the title; ‘The Brain Berry’. As with the disease prevention, this is due to its high content of antioxidants, which have been heavily linked to the prevention and reversal of age related mental decline, such as Alzheimer’s disease (Interestingly cranberries also have a similar effect on Alzheimer’s disease, so if you can’t find blueberries because they are out of season, they will make a good alternative). Various tests that have been conducted on both mice and rats, have found that blueberries not only slow age related loss of mental capacity, but they also increased the retention of signal-transmitting neurons, plus they decreased the oxidated stress on the brain. In fact the process of oxidative stress is considered to be the reason behind many of the dysfunctions and diseases associated with aging. This basically means blueberries will help increase your memory, when you are old and afraid it might fail and fight off those nasty radicals that would be the cause for this. Just remember to eat your blueberries!!

Jim Joseph, director of the neuroscience laboratory in the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center (HNRC), has began testing the effects of blueberries on humans and preliminary results show people performing 5–6% better on motor skills tests when consuming a cup of blueberries every day.

So there you have it, they increase your memory and mind power, fight cancer, slow the aging process and can even help you with not being able to go to the toilet. A super food indeed!

If you are interested in learning more about what foods you should be eating in order to lose weight then go ahead and check this out:

www.modelsmealplans.does.it

If you are looking for more information on dieting for your health, then I would recommend you purchase this series of ebooks from Healing Gourmet:

www.healinggourmet.does.it

They explain everything in a clear and concise manner, so that you can fully understand what you should be eating in order to stay in good health, or to regain your health when you have let it slide. If the latter is the case, you must not delay. The longer you put it off the worse it will become. Act now!

The French generally tend to eat higher levels of animal fat, but despite this they have a low amount of incidences of heart disease in France. This has lead nutrionists to coin the term ‘The French Paradox’. The paradox has been contributed to the above average consumption of red wine in the country. It is thought that the polyphenol antioxidant in grapes, called Resveratrol, has many health benefits, such as the reduction of platelet aggregation (harmful blood clotting) and the increase of vasodilatation (the widening of blood vessels which lowers blood pressure).

However, Resveratrol’s benefits do not stop there. As well as reducing the risk of heart disease, it has also been linked to inhibiting all cancers, Alzheimer’s disease, degenerative nerve disease, rheumatism, gout and viral infections, including AIDS! This is why grapes have been called ‘The nectar of the gods’! This is also why there are entire sanatoriums in Russia devoted to curing cancer by placing their patients on an exclusive raw, dark grape fast. The grapes are able to detoxify all the organs and tissues by restoring the integrity of starved cells. There have been some incredible cases of people being cured of both cancer and AIDS by simply fasting for 1-2 months on 2-4 pounds of dark grapes per day.

Yet grapes prove most effective as an everyday cure for constipation and gastritis. It is said that if you are suffering from severe gastritis, only eat the pulp and juice of 2-4 pounds of raw black grapes for the next few days. This should clean you out completely within just 48 hours! Any type of grape can be used, but the black variety are considered the best due to their nutritional content.

You can also simply use grapes as a detoxifier, in which case both the skin and seeds should be eaten along with pulp and juice, and no; a grapevine will not begin growing in your stomach if you eat the seeds as some people believe! Admittedly most those people are under 10 years of age, but maybe you are an advanced reader for your years and need some reassurance!! On a serious note the grapes will detoxify the blood, kidneys, liver and alimentary canal, which ultimately will detoxify your skin too.

The pips and skins contain powerful bioactive agents, such as oligomeric, which allows them to alkalise the bloodstream and digestive tract. This is important as pretty much all cases of poisoning, disease or breakdown in the body are due to a serious build up of acid in the cells. Oligomeric is another antioxidant that has been found to help with the prevention of heart disease and cancer.

The skins of grapes are actually very nutritious, which is why red wine is considered more beneficial than white wine, since it is only red wine that is fermented with the skins. The amount of fermentation time grape skin spends in contact with a wine, determines the wines resveratrol content. White wine as a result contains far less antioxidants than red as it is fermented after the grape skins have been removed.

The other important thing to learn about raw grapes is that they are a fantastic source of energy due to their sugar content. These sugars are exactly those used in cellular metabolism: glucose, fructose and a little levulose. This means that the sugars are absorbed into the bloodstream instantaneously, ready to be metabolised. It is things like this that have lead grapes to be called ‘The queen of fruits’ and raw grape juice to be named as ‘vegetarian milk’ owing to its ability to sustain nursing infants deprived of mother’s milk. It’s definitely a better option than homogenised and pasteurized cow’s milk! Quite simply, grapes are one of the best detoxifiers out there. They can cure the most deadly of today’s diseases, and they will give you the energy you need to live either a healthy lifestyle or to regain your health.

If you are interested in learning more about what foods you should be eating in order to lose weight then go ahead and check this out:

www.modelsmealplans.does.it

If you are looking for more information on dieting for your health, then I would recommend you purchase this series of ebooks from Healing Gourmet:

www.healinggourmet.does.it

They explain everything in a clear and concise manner, so that you can fully understand what you should be eating in order to stay in good health, or to regain your health when you have let it slide. If the latter is the case, you must not delay. The longer you put it off the worse it will become. Act now. Eat some raw grapes today!

So garlic is one of natures super foods for human beings, but there is a slight catch. You see, the active component in garlic; ‘allicin’, which is garlic’s defense mechanism against attacks by pests, is only active when in RAW garlic. Allicin is amazing, being a powerful antibiotic, antiviral and antifungal agent. It has proven to be even more effective than penicillin in some cases. Yet it is at its most potent when the garlic is at its most raw. Dr. Daniel Reid states why this is so in his book The Tao of Health, Sex and Longevity (p.81-2):

“When you cut a clove of raw garlic, a neutral vegetable substance called alliin mixes with a plant extract called alinase to produce the potent allicin factor. The characteristic odor of fresh cut raw garlic is caused by this powerful enzyme reaction. The garlic pills, garlic oil and other odorless garlic extracts sold in health-food stores are devoid of the allicin compound and are therefore therapeutically useless.”

However, if you’re like me, and find raw garlic quite difficult to stomach, there are some other options: Onions, leeks, scallions, shallots and chives. All of these vegetables are from the same genera, and all contain allicin, but it is garlic that is by far the most potent. So if you can’t stand the thought of eating raw garlic, then you can resort to the others just listed, but if you can then here are some more of the benefits of this amazing super-food:

1. It is a rich source of sulfur compounds that keep your body chemistry in balance. This aids garlic’s ability to lower blood pressure, cholesterol, atherosclerosis (when an artery wall thickens as the result of a build-up of fatty materials such as cholesterol and the aggregation of platelets (basically stops the blood clogging up!). This all contributes to its ability to help prevent heart disease.

1. Sulfur compounds are also thought to be responsible for garlic’s cancer fighting abilities.

1. In ancient China, fresh raw garlic was applied to the back using hot compression, in order to eliminate tuberculosis (TB). By penetrating the skin, the therapeutic factors of the garlic were able to destroy the bacillus in the lungs that caused the TB.

1. Allegedly, garlic can help regulate blood sugar levels and has been shown to prevent some cases of diabetes.

1. For many years in traditional Herbalism and today in modern Naturopathy, garlic has been used as a cure for removing worms and other parasites from the alimentary canal. In some cases it has even successfully been used as an anal suppository!

1. It has even been reasonably successful in helping to cure certain AIDS suffers!

1. From a day-to-day point of view, it will boost your immune system, improve your liver and gallbladder function, and remove any excess of lead and other heavy metals that may have found their way into your body.

1. From a workout point of view, garlic supplementation in rats has proven that garlic boosts testosterone levels, when coupled with a high protein diet. So all you body builders out there could save a fortune on HGH solution or Tiberalis Testeris, and just consume lots of garlic instead! It will also give a boost to your libido. Don’t overdo it though as too much raw garlic can cause nausea, indigestion and diarrhea.

1. Halitosis is another negative side effect of too much garlic, or is it? In recent clinical trials, 2.5% garlic was mixed into mouthwash. Although the participants reported an unpleasant taste and halitosis, it was discovered that the garlic had good antimicrobial activity within the mouth. A temporary solution to garlic breath is to eat parsley.

10.  For all you athlete’s foot suffers out there, try crushing some raw garlic on to your feet. Leave it there for half an hour everyday, before washing with water. Remember that garlic has antifungal properties, so it will work to relieve you of the discomfort.

11.  If that wasn’t enough, then there are some spiritual beliefs concerning garlic as well. For centuries, in central Europe, garlic was used to ward of evil spirits, werewolves and vampires. People still use it to ward off real vampires today, such as the mosquito! In Chinese Daoism six black cloves of garlic were used to intensify the flow of chi or energy in those striving to be immortal. In Hinduism and Jainism, garlic is used to warm the body and also stimulate desires. However, in Islam, the odor associated with garlic means that those who have eaten garlic are not welcome into a mosque for the reason of not making others inside uncomfortable with the smell!

Oh well, garlic is amazing, but there is no escaping that stench! If you would like to know more about other great super-foods, then keep checking this blog as I’ll be posting many more.

If you are interested in learning more about what foods you should be eating in order to lose weight then go ahead and check this out:

www.modelsmealplans.does.it

If you are looking for more information on dieting for your health, then I would recommend you purchase this series of ebooks from Healing Gourmet:

www.healinggourmet.does.it

They explain everything in a clear and concise manner, so that you can fully understand what you should be eating in order to stay in good health, or to regain your health when you have let it slide. If the latter is the case, you must not delay. The longer you put it off the worse it will become. Act now. Eat some raw garlic today!

What is not a good thing is this silly idea people have about toning the body. It is such a popular myth that you can just ‘tone up!’ with some easy high repetitions, such as bicep curls with a couple of kilos in each hand. This is about as useful to your goal of losing weight, as it is to spend the night in the pub, lifting a pint glass up and down! Neither of these methods will help you lose weight.

The truth is that your body will never just tone, firm or tighten, when using these specific ‘toning‘ exercises. There are only two things your body can do. Gain or lose. It can only gain or lose fat and muscle. You cannot tone fat or muscle. Therefore, what you need to do is to lose fat and gain muscle to get that ‘toned’ look. The exact opposite of what most my clients think they want to do.

The trouble is that when people think of the word ‘muscle’, or the phrase ‘gaining muscle’, they all think of a certain US Governor! Whether you are attracted or repulsed by this idea, put it out of your head NOW! It takes a lifetime of obsession, a natural talent (or frame) and a fortune in steroids to gain a body like that! You are not going to look like that unless you put in a ridiculous amount of hours down the gym for the next decade! So when I say you need to gain muscle, I’m not talking Arnie sized pecks and biceps here, I’m just talking about building a little more mass on top of what you already have. Plus it’s only muscle you’re going to increase, not the fat. The fat you will burn, the muscle you will build and the more ‘toned’ you will look.

This can be achieved as mentioned in the previous articles by doing high intensity exercise within a 45 minute time period. Exercises that have been proven to burn fat and give you that lean, muscular look are full bodyweight exercises, such as squats, press-ups and pull-ups.

The real truth about this though is that it’s not easy. It takes dedication and discipline, as well as a belief that you will succeed. There are, however, methods that are quicker than others and so if you want to learn about them, I suggest you visit:

www.FatBurningFurnace.does.it

This will give you all the information you need to lose weight with complete instruction.

Otherwise re-read through the last 5 articles to discover the truths and faux pas behind losing weight.

On an endnote, I would like to talk about the ultimate myth of all: Losing weight! You see if you have been reading my articles you may have realized that the real goal is to lose fat, not weight. Sure, fat weighs a certain amount and if you lose it then surely you will lose weight, right? Well, not necessarily, especially if you have been exercising and gaining lean muscle, which is three times heavier than fat. You may in fact become slightly heavier due to the increase in lean muscle. Before you gasp in terror, please let me point out that being lighter does not indicate good health anymore than being heavier. It certainly does not indicate how attractive you will look, how good you will feel, or how active you will be able to be. It only indicates the weight of a flabby lazy body, or the body of a Greek god or goddess, both of which could weigh the same, but that is the only similarity. So I urge you to stop focusing on losing weight and get on board the ‘losing fat’ train instead, which stops off at ‘gaining muscle’ station and eventually will reach its destination at ‘body beautiful and healthy!’ At the end of the day, what you are really saying is that you want to get leaner and in better shape.

Best of luck. Remember: It is only through hard work and determination that we persevere.

If you hit the treadmill in most gyms you will often come across a chart of some kind detailing the correct fat burning and calorie burning zones according to your age. These charts will often have the fat burning zone as being 60% to 65% of your maximum heart rate (MHR). This concept of 60% to 65% as a method of losing weight has been around for quite a while. The reasoning behind this is that you can sustain exercise at this level of intensity for far longer, than if you are training at an 80% to 90% of your MHR. This is true, but that does not mean that you will lose more weight. In actual fact, when you finish a hard interval session, where your HR has been 80% of your MHR, your body continues to burn fat whilst recovering. It can do this for up to three days, depending on the intensity of your workout! However, with steady aerobic exercise this is simply not the case, where little, if any, calories are burned in the recovery phase.

People who advocate this fat burning zone of 65% MHR reason that you can run comfortably for 45 minutes at that heart rate, but you cannot lift a bench press for the same amount of time with your heart rate at 80% of your MHR. Well, of course you can’t, but then if you took that weight off the bench press and placed it in a rucksack, then put it on your back as you ran, I can guarantee that it will not be so comfy! In fact, you will probably end up walking, rather than running, because your heart rate would be getting too high! You can see why I think this is a silly argument. It is, however, possible to workout out hard for 45 minutes at an intense level by constantly changing the exercise, as in circuit training. This, I promise, will burn significantly more fat than a steady jog.  The good news is that with just 15 minutes of this type of high intensity workout, you will still burn more fat calories than 45 minutes of running! So not only is it more effective, but it takes only a third of the time.

It should be remembered that when you begin exercise, your body burns sugars and glycogen (carbohydrates) to fuel the muscles. It is only when you increase the intensity of your exercise that this sort of fuel quickly comes to an end. This only leaves fat and oxygen to be burnt instead. You will burn fat in the low heart rate range, but you will burn a lot more calories and fat in the high intensity range. Now proportionally, you burn more fat calories in the lower intensity workouts, but you will still burn more fat in the higher intensity workouts, as well as other calories (thereby seriously increasing your ability to loose weight), and you will also have the benefit of continuing to burn fat after the exercise while your body recovers. Winner!

The University of NSW in Australia has done research on the most effective way to burn fat using interval training and recommend that you sprint for 8 seconds, followed by a 12 second recovery. If you are struggling with this, simply increase the recovery time. The studies showed three times more weight was lost using this method then steady jogging. You need only work like this for 20 minutes to get maximum effect. However, it is worth spending 10 minutes warming up and stretching before you workout, and 10 minutes afterwards to cool down and stretch as well. So in total you will still spend 40 minutes doing the workout, but remember, you will burn three times more fat.

If you have found this information useful and wish to learn more about losing weight, check out our other articles. For a more detailed description of what you as an individual need to do to lose weight complete with instruction, visit:

www.FatBurningFurnace.does.it

Best of luck. Remember: It is only through hard work and determination that we persevere.

“We’ve all been told at one point in our lives that we should avoid eating meals late at night as it will lead to weight gain. However, our research in rhesus monkeys, which are considered an excellent model for studying primate (man and monkey) obesity issues, showed that eating at night is no more likely to promote weight gain than eating during the day.”

The researchers had been observing the monkeys for over a year and they noted that they actually ate 6 to 64 percent of their calories at night! This is very comparable to humans who do almost exactly the same: 24 to 65 percent apparently.

“It was really interesting to see that the monkeys who ate most of their food at night were no more likely to gain weight than monkeys who rarely ate at night,” said Elinor Sullivan, an OHSU graduate student conducting research along with Cameron at the Oregon National Primate Research Center.

So you see it is a myth that eating late at night causes weight gain, the monkeys proved it! What does cause weight gain is the over indulgence in high calorie, sugar and fat food. If you are not exercising regularly to burn it all up, it doesn’t matter when you eat, the food will still make you fat, whether you eat at 8am or 8pm.

So the truth about this myth is what you eat, not when you eat it. You see the trouble is that when you are trying to eat healthily, its really easy to lapse at the end of the day when you are suddenly very hungry and don’t want to go to bed feeling like this. So you begin gorging on ice cream, chocolate, or whatever yummy treats you can get your hands on to satisfy that sweet tooth.

The problem is that foods such as these, that raise your insulin level, cause a blockage of the human growth hormone (HGH) Somatotrophin, one of the hormones produced by your pituitary gland, which aids in both muscle gain and flat loss.  The pituitary gland also controls your endocrine system, which is instrumental in regulating metabolism and growth, among other things. Block this with insulin and you lower your metabolism.

If you do not exercise, then the body easily stores insulin, as it has not been transferred into glucose and spent by the muscles. This has actually fuelled the myth that eating late causes you to put on weight as 60 percent of the HGH Somatotrophin is produced in the first 4 hours of sleep. Although this is correct, it still makes no difference because the insulin is stored. Therefore it does not matter when you eat the rich in sugar food, as the insulin will be stored, and it will block the Somatotrophin, whether you ate it at night or at lunchtime. This is, of course, if you haven’t exercised.

So, if you are hungry, you can eat late, but you must eat the correct foods, otherwise you will gain weight at anytime of the day or night.

The best way to deal with this is to obviously not eat foods that will increase your insulin levels. These are things like cake, sweets, chocolate, ice cream, biscuits and greasy food in general. Foods that are sweet, but won’t send your insulin levels into overdrive are strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cherries, kiwi fruit and mangoes, for example. If you want them even sweeter, you can eat them dried. The great thing about fruit is that you can eat as much as you want and it won’t make you fat. Nuts such as almonds or pistachios are a good late night snack food too. They are high in fat, but also high in protein. It’s also worth remembering that the fats in nuts are the fatty acids actually needed to metabolise food.

So you see, if you stick to snacking on natural food that will digest quickly, is healthy for you, and won’t slow your metabolism down; then you can eat as much as you want, whenever you want. Provided you exercise, then eating these foods, even late at night, will actually help you loose weight, rather than gain it. I hope you enjoy your new healthy midnight feasts!

If you have found this information useful and wish to learn more about losing weight, check out our other articles. For a more detailed description of what you as an individual need to do to lose weight complete with instruction, visit:

www.FatBurningFurnace.does.it

Best of luck. Remember: It is only through hard work and determination that we persevere.

In order to achieve that elusive six-pack or flat stomach, crunches or sit-ups will help in the long run, in terms of toning and definition. However, if you have not already burnt the fat over the extra-costal and oblique muscles, then no matter how many sit ups you do, you’ll see limited results.

The real secret to burning unwanted fat is NOT to do sit ups! That is if you are not doing any other exercises either. What I mean by this is that the sit-ups should be of the least priority. It is far more beneficial to focus on core exercises that will cause the body to vibrate, sweat, tire and burn calories more effectively. For example, a simple press up will actually work the core of the body better than a standard sit up, if the correct form is maintained. More importantly, a full bodyweight exercise, like the press up, will cause the body to burn fat.

There are far more diverse and efficient exercises than the standard press up that will help you loose weight. The more you use your entire body as a single unit, the more intense the workout, the more fat you will burn. One of my favourites is the burpee. For those of you who do not know what a burpee is, here is the explanation:

• Begin in the press up position; hands flat on the floor under the shoulders, arms locked straight, body level, with toes on the floor.
• Shifting all the weight onto your hands, hop your feet in between your hands so you are now in a squat position. Breathe in as you hop the feet in.
• Stand up straight with your arms by your side. Breathe out as you stand up.
• Breathe in as you squat back down, placing your hands back where they were originally.
• Breathe out as you shoot your legs out straight, back into the press up position.
• This is one repetition.

Most of you will now probably recognize these from your school days when your PT instructor forced you to do the standard gym exercises. As a child you may well have found this boring. As an adult you will find this exhausting and very beneficial in your fight to loose weight.

If you are not the healthiest of people, try doing just 10 or 20 of these. You will find that you will be huffing and puffing in no time from only a minute or two of this exercise. You wouldn’t get that same feeling from a steady jog or a few sit-ups. Remember; breathing hard means an increase in metabolism. An increase in metabolism means an increase in fat burning.

If you are already quite active, but want to loose a little extra weight, try doing 50 of these. You’ll be amazed at the results! If you really want a challenge, then you can make them a lot harder by adding a full press up into the mix when you begin in the press up position. Once you have completed the press up, hop the feet in between your hands and carry on as usual.

To make it harder still, try jumping as high as you can off the floor instead of simply standing up. Then return immediately to the squat position. The burpee, with an added press up and jump, makes this exercise very difficult. I challenge you to do 50 of them! It should take you no longer than five minutes. I guarantee you will be seriously out of breath and tired to boot. You will have worked your entire body, including your abs, far more effectually than any sit-up or crunch. Feel the fat shed off your body in no time! Give it a go.

If you have found this information useful and wish to learn more about other great exercises for losing weight, check out my other articles. For a more detailed description of what you as an individual need to do to lose weight complete with instruction on these amazing exercises, visit

www.FatBurningFurnace.does.it

Best of luck. Remember: It is only through hard work and determination that we persevere.