Multivitamins Can Add Sparkle

Trying to decide if a multi-vitamin is truly necessary? The majority of studies, up to this point, had been done on the elderly. But now a new study shows that men between the ages of 30 and 55 may also benefit from supplementation.

The effects of multivitamins are most often researched in the elderly. This is one of very few studies to assess the relationship between supplementation with vitamins/minerals and psychological functioning in healthy groups of non-elderly adults. This study shows how a proprietary multivitamin and mineral supplement improves mood and mental performance while also reducing stress, mental tiredness and fatigue in healthy males.

Research into a vitamin and mineral supplement by academics at Northumbria University shows it improves mood and mental performance while also reducing stress, mental tiredness and fatigue in healthy males.

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Does Your Weight Really Matter That Much?

Thanks to Linda Moore with Slimming Resources for this guest post.

Whether it’s looking good or being vain about your appearance, weight does matter and so does size. Although each of us has a reason for wanting to lose weight, being slimmer does have it’s advantages. And although most people know how to lose weight, the problem they have is actually doing it. Rather than having to take medications for a number of health issues due to being overweight why not take action and fight against the battle of the bulge?

Just how serious is obesity? Well, it is estimated that in the U.K. alone 9,000 people die prematurely each year, due to obesity. What’s even more astonishing is that over 100,000 people in the U.S. Die each year, from obesity.  Being obese even shortens the lifespan of a person by over 9 years!

But there’s more. Obesity not only causes type two diabetes, it has also been associated with numerous health problems, such as high cholesterol high blood pressure, acid reflux disease and an array of psychological and emotional disturbances.

With so many health problems linked to obesity, it makes you wonder, why exactly do people allow themselves to me obese? The problem lies in their interpretation of what food is.

Too many people like to indulge in high fatty foods when they are stressed out or overwhelmed. This behavior becomes ingrained in their minds. They become used to grabbing high fatty foods whenever they feel stressed out. It is this association with food that ends up being harmful to their health. This behavior becomes repeated and eventually turns into a vicious cycle.

In order to counteract and change the thought process, the person must conclude to change their overall lifestyle. Below are some helpful tips to help you in your weight loss journey.

Weight loss tips

• Eat smaller portions of foods and avoid foods and drinks with high sugar and fat content

• Start exercising, even if it is only short segments for 10 minutes at a time. Your body needs to get used to physical activity, take it slow and work your way up.

• Even when times are tough, stick with it. No one is perfect and neither is your diet. If you make a mistake, don’t allow yourself to throw in the towel. Remember tomorrow is another day.

• Eat more foods from nature. It is always a good idea to eat foods that are not processed. Foods such as canned fruits and canned soups have a lot of added sugar and sodium in them. Always try to eat fruits that are fresh and make your own soups so you can control the amount of sodium in them.

• Do not starve yourself. A diet is meant to help you lose weight, it is not meant to cause your body to go into starvation mode. When the body is not given an adequate amount of food, it will make it even harder to lose weight, and it will make you feel miserable.

• Always consult with a doctor prior to starting any type of diet or weight loss program.

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What Can I Do Instead Of ________ ?

Alright, let's say you go into the gym and it's waaaaaaay too busy (or you are exercising at home with only one set of adjustable dumbbells) and you need some alternative exercises.

What can you do in place of dumbbell presses, dumbbell rows, split squats, etc.?

Well, here are 27 alternative exercises for you.

Situation #1 - You can't do dumbbell chest presses because all the benches are taken, so you can do...

- pushups
- close-grip pushups
- decline pushup
- elevated pushups
- off-set pushups
- pushups with your feet on the ball
- pushups with your hands on the ball
- spiderman pushups
- pike pushups
- or possibly the hardest two hand pushup of them all, decline close-grip spiderman pushups

Situation #2 - You're superset calls for dumbbell chest presses and dumbbell split squats, but you only have one set of dumbbells and you're set on doing the chest presses...what can you do for your legs?

- 1-leg lying hip extensions for beginners
- high-rep Bulgarian split squats for advanced
- high-rep split squats with your front foot elevated 4-6 inches
- 1-leg deadlifts
- 1-leg squats onto bench
- 1-leg squats standing on the bench
- deepstep-ups
- reaching lunges

Situation #3 - You're at the gym on a busy Monday night and your superset calls for dumbbell rows and stability ball leg curls, but all of the dumbbells are taken. What alternatives can you do using a pullup bar or smith machine?

Using the smith machine, you can do...
- inverted rows
- underhand inverted rows
- inverted rows with your feet on the ball
- inverted rows holding the ends of a towel hung over the bar (advanced grip strength there!)

Using the pullup bar, you can do...
- eccentric pull-ups
- regular pull-ups
- sternum pull-ups
- chinups
- side to side pull-ups

By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Get more workout substitutions along with the entire program and a 21-Day Trial at TurbulanceTranining.com

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