What is it about exercise that makes it better than medicine? Well, for starters you can enjoy it when you are well-who needs medicine when feeling great? Another reason is this: The company you share exercising is almost always more cheerful than those you meet when sick. Something about hospitals and other places where sick people hang out seems to take the joie de vivre out of people.
Another reason I prefer exercise to medicine concerns attire. I prefer any kind of exercise equipment (e.g., Speedo briefs for swimming, running shorts, bike outfits and so on) to the gowns with the string in back we're required to wear for medical tests and procedures.
I'm guessing you, too, prefer exercise to medicine. Who does not? Yet, far more engage with medicine, including getting medical care, than engage in exercise. How irrational is that?
The advantages of exercise and medicine seem pretty obvious to you and me. Yet, it is NOT obvious to large numbers of Americans. If it were, exercise would be so popular we'd have to take a number and wait your turn to jog or walk on public roadways.
Now the American Heart Institute (AHA) is pushing exercise as a medical treatment. The new slogan of some medical groups is that exercise is the best medicine. Exercise is great for health and exuberant living-no doubt about that. But, don't let them medicalize it. It is not a treatment, it's not a cure all and nobody needs a doctor to prescribe exercise.
Only 22 percent of Americans get enough exercise to have healthy hearts, says the AHA. About 54 percent of Americans don't exercise at all! This almost sounds suicidal. The Surgeon General considers minimal exercise as that which burns 150 calories a day, or 1,000 calories a week. This amount of burning requires a 150-pound person to exercise for only 30 to 45 minutes-that's all. Dreadful!
I don't like to dwell on risk factors. Still, if you know someone who just can't seem to appreciate the POSITIVE benefits of exercise, remind him or her of some of the NEGATIVE things that can be avoided by relying on exercise rather than medicine.
Exercise strengthens the muscle with the best work ethic in the human body, namely, the heart. Regular exercise that reaches a so-called "target heart rate"-that's 60 to 70 percent of maximal heart rate, makes that muscle beat more efficiently. It also strengthens arteries and improves blood circulation. A few thousand studies going back nearly to the Middle Ages show that regular exercise lowers the risk of needing medicine for heart disease by half. Of course, it also lowers blood pressure and overall cholesterol levels while raising the level of HDL, the high density "good" cholesterol that helps remove the harmful LDL, or "bad" low density cholesterol, in your arteries.
Exercise benefits people at risk for diabetes, both type one and two. It helps maintain proper glucose levels, helps prevent large blood vessel and heart (cardiovascular) disease and reduces the need for insulin for those who have either type of diabetes.
Exercise is great for managing weight and toning, firming and the like-and by avoiding the plague of obesity; you also reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes and some cancers. You have to "spend" (burn) more calories than you consume or you will gain weight. Most experts claim that regular exercise decreases appetite (I personally have never found that to be true) and increases metabolism (definitely true!), so you burn calories more efficiently.
Exercise is excellent for reducing the pain, inflammation and stiffness of arthritis. Exercise increases blood supply to muscles. It also improves joint flexibility and strengthens muscles, tendons and ligaments.
Exercise is known to reduce the risk and relieve the symptoms of clinical depression and anxiety. One study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine reported that exercise improved mood after 16 weeks better than medicines, prescription antidepressants in particular. It does this by releasing endorphins and other brain chemicals that naturally improve mood while reducing pain.
As noted, these are just the negative good reasons why exercise is better than medicine, in my opinion. Don't you agree?
Look on the bright side and be well.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Ice Pops - For Kids And Grownups
The brand Popsicle has blown up into a well recognized and highly reputable desert that people of all ages continue to enjoy year after year. It is to no surprise the number of ice pops options, flavors, and combinations have multiplied and are only getting larger by the year. And with so many options to choose from, there is sure to be something for everyone.
When shopping for ice pops you have to start with the original flavors of orange, cherry and grape. These are the flavors that started it all and are still some of the top sellers for the company. Many say orange has been the number one seller for the company, but Popsicle says cherry is undoubtedly the most popular ice pop out there.
As you begin to look around another wildly popular option is the firecracker. This red, white and blue frozen desert on a stick is a true firecracker as it is full of flavor and deliciousness. It is sure to cool you down on a hot summer day and has the flavors that anyone and everyone will enjoy.
From there, the company has branched out and promoted characters and shows that are a hit to specific age groups such as SpongeBob Pop-Ups and Super Heroes. It is a minor twist that has kids of all ages going crazy for ice pops even though the flavors themselves are relatively similar.
If you are feeling adventurous, there are random flavors that are intriguing to many, but are out of the ordinary. For instance, one box offers consumers root beer, banana and lemon pie flavors to fancy over. And if you are a fan of candy, you have to try out the Jolly Ranchers popsicle that has each of the extraordinary flavors available.
Popsicle continues to branch out and offer consumers something new year after year. With AirHeads growing into one of the most popular candy items on the market today, it only makes since there would be AirHeads ice pops. In addition to this, another new option on the market today is Banana Mania! full of that banana split taste everyone salivates over.
The list of options for consumers to choose from literally is endless. There is an entire market of sugar free popsicles for people to rave over and even slow melt ice pops that have a touch of gelatin to keep the popsicle frozen just a little longer than the original. The bottom line is Popsicle has been and will continue to be a top choice for children and adults for many years to come.
When shopping for ice pops you have to start with the original flavors of orange, cherry and grape. These are the flavors that started it all and are still some of the top sellers for the company. Many say orange has been the number one seller for the company, but Popsicle says cherry is undoubtedly the most popular ice pop out there.
As you begin to look around another wildly popular option is the firecracker. This red, white and blue frozen desert on a stick is a true firecracker as it is full of flavor and deliciousness. It is sure to cool you down on a hot summer day and has the flavors that anyone and everyone will enjoy.
From there, the company has branched out and promoted characters and shows that are a hit to specific age groups such as SpongeBob Pop-Ups and Super Heroes. It is a minor twist that has kids of all ages going crazy for ice pops even though the flavors themselves are relatively similar.
If you are feeling adventurous, there are random flavors that are intriguing to many, but are out of the ordinary. For instance, one box offers consumers root beer, banana and lemon pie flavors to fancy over. And if you are a fan of candy, you have to try out the Jolly Ranchers popsicle that has each of the extraordinary flavors available.
Popsicle continues to branch out and offer consumers something new year after year. With AirHeads growing into one of the most popular candy items on the market today, it only makes since there would be AirHeads ice pops. In addition to this, another new option on the market today is Banana Mania! full of that banana split taste everyone salivates over.
The list of options for consumers to choose from literally is endless. There is an entire market of sugar free popsicles for people to rave over and even slow melt ice pops that have a touch of gelatin to keep the popsicle frozen just a little longer than the original. The bottom line is Popsicle has been and will continue to be a top choice for children and adults for many years to come.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
5 Ways to Make the Travel Worth the Money
Travel deals are available throughout our wonderful Internet marketplace. You can go to popular sites to find both the usual and exotic locations as long as you plan ahead and use your travel dollars wisely. We all know the first place to look for the best deals on travel is simply by searching for travel websites, but then spend hours looking for the right one; however, through our travel tips and your imagination, you can find a great way to spend a weekend or several weeks without much effort at all.
Finding cheap travel deals online starts with knowing what you are looking for first. If you simply search, you will find a large number of travel websites. There are travel websites that not only offer airline reservations, but hotel accommodations and car rentals as well. Many different types of services are available to find cheap travel tickets. There are large travel websites that can book across countries and there are smaller travel sites that only offer local or national packages. Where do we start?
1. Pay attention to Travel Packages: When you are ready to buy vacations on the cheap, choose a travel package where you can get everything you need. Include the plane ticket because usually if you buy cheap travel packages, you get to save money on those plane tickets that seem to always go up in price. Plus it'll be a lot cheaper than if you buy it at the airline or an air travel agent. You might not fly first class or business class but who needs them anyways if you get to the same landing destination at the same time.
2. Go with all inclusive vacations: Take one step further than travel packages, and go with an all-inclusive vacation where you are essentially purchasing your entire trip in a bundle. Rather than buying your accommodations, flight, food and entertainment separately, you pay for the entire vacation package upfront for one designated amount and you're done. This way you also budget most if not all of your expensive upfront and know what you're going to be in for. You can especially find good deals for all inclusive vacations designed for families with children or couples that want to get away. You'll need to be aware that some inclusive vacations are offered in the form of sell off vacations where you can purchase vacation packages and resort accommodations from other travelers, or perhaps those with a timeshare they are unable to use.
3. Check amenities along with checking out deals: You don't want to suffer just to save a few dollars. Is the airfare included in the overall deal? Airfares are big ticket items and depending on the package, it may or may not be a good bargain.
4. Give some time to plan your vacation: Don't wait till the last minute. It is usually cheaper to plan your travel further out. Time of year also plays an important part on great savings. If your plan is last minute, there are sites that specialize last minute travel as well so don't forget those but also be aware of the risks involved in case there are no deals at the last minute for where you are going.
5. Go where the demand is isn't too much to bear: Keep in mind that the higher the demand for a certain destination, the bigger the prices will get. Avoid locations that are expensive just because its currently trendy or a hot vacation spot during certain times of the year.
Prices for travel packages and inclusive vacations vary a lot from one period of the year to another, and in this ultra fast moving world of airline, hotel, and transportation changes, learning the best tips equals maximum savings for you. Discount travel packages are a necessity given the need to attract customers, and this competition brings together travel agencies, airlines, hotels and complex resorts to form alliances to earn your dollar.
Finding cheap travel deals online starts with knowing what you are looking for first. If you simply search, you will find a large number of travel websites. There are travel websites that not only offer airline reservations, but hotel accommodations and car rentals as well. Many different types of services are available to find cheap travel tickets. There are large travel websites that can book across countries and there are smaller travel sites that only offer local or national packages. Where do we start?
1. Pay attention to Travel Packages: When you are ready to buy vacations on the cheap, choose a travel package where you can get everything you need. Include the plane ticket because usually if you buy cheap travel packages, you get to save money on those plane tickets that seem to always go up in price. Plus it'll be a lot cheaper than if you buy it at the airline or an air travel agent. You might not fly first class or business class but who needs them anyways if you get to the same landing destination at the same time.
2. Go with all inclusive vacations: Take one step further than travel packages, and go with an all-inclusive vacation where you are essentially purchasing your entire trip in a bundle. Rather than buying your accommodations, flight, food and entertainment separately, you pay for the entire vacation package upfront for one designated amount and you're done. This way you also budget most if not all of your expensive upfront and know what you're going to be in for. You can especially find good deals for all inclusive vacations designed for families with children or couples that want to get away. You'll need to be aware that some inclusive vacations are offered in the form of sell off vacations where you can purchase vacation packages and resort accommodations from other travelers, or perhaps those with a timeshare they are unable to use.
3. Check amenities along with checking out deals: You don't want to suffer just to save a few dollars. Is the airfare included in the overall deal? Airfares are big ticket items and depending on the package, it may or may not be a good bargain.
4. Give some time to plan your vacation: Don't wait till the last minute. It is usually cheaper to plan your travel further out. Time of year also plays an important part on great savings. If your plan is last minute, there are sites that specialize last minute travel as well so don't forget those but also be aware of the risks involved in case there are no deals at the last minute for where you are going.
5. Go where the demand is isn't too much to bear: Keep in mind that the higher the demand for a certain destination, the bigger the prices will get. Avoid locations that are expensive just because its currently trendy or a hot vacation spot during certain times of the year.
Prices for travel packages and inclusive vacations vary a lot from one period of the year to another, and in this ultra fast moving world of airline, hotel, and transportation changes, learning the best tips equals maximum savings for you. Discount travel packages are a necessity given the need to attract customers, and this competition brings together travel agencies, airlines, hotels and complex resorts to form alliances to earn your dollar.
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