- Sun Salutation
Begin in a standing position and exhale as you sweep the arms up and overhead. Exhale and engage the abs as you tip from the hips and lower into a Forward Bend, with hands on the floor or feet–bend the knees if you need to. Inhale and come up until the back is flat and exhale into forward bend. Inhale and come back up, sweeping the arms overhead until palms touch. Repeat the series 4 to 8 times.
- Standing Cat Stretch
Lower into a squat with the hands on the thighs, back arched. Pull the abs in and round the back up towards the ceiling. Lower and repeat 15 times.
- Pelvic Tilt on the Ball
Lie at an incline position on the ball with the hips down, head supported by the head and feeling a stretch in the abs. Without rolling on the ball, squeeze the hips up then lower and repeat for 15 reps.
- Bridge
Lie face up with knees bent and hands at your sides. Slowly, uncurl your spine off the mat, one vertebrae at a time until you’re in a bridge position, body in a straight line from knees to head. Arch up as high as you can, squeezing the back, then lower back down by slowly uncurling the spine onto the mat. Repeat for 5 reps.
- Knees to Chest
Pull the knees into the chest with the hands behind the knees. Try to keep the tailbone on the floor to stretch the lower back. Hold the stretch for 15-30 seconds.
- Spine Twist
While lying face up on the mat, bend the right leg and place the right foot on the left knee. Slowly twist to the left while taking the right hand straight out on the floor, the left hand gently pressing on the right knee. Relax into the stretch and feel it in your lower back and hips. Hold for 15-30 seconds and repeat on the other side.
- Cobra with Leg Lift
In a prone position, place the hands next to the chest and squeeze the lower back to push the chest off the floor. Keep the shoulder blades pulled down. Lift the right leg off the floor and hold for two seconds, lower and repeat on the other leg for 15 reps on each side.
- Child’s Pose
From the previous exercise, push back onto the knees then sit back on the heels as you stretch the arms straight out in front of you, forehead resting on the floor. Breathe and relax the muscles of the back. Hold for 15-30 seconds.
- Lower back stretch
Sitting on the floor with your right leg forward and straight, cross the left leg over ensuring both feet are in contact with the floor. Use the left arm for support. Slowly rotate your upper body to the left and look over your left shoulder. Place your right elbow on the outside of your left leg and push gently to the right. Reverse position and look the other way. Repeat twice on each side.
Filed under: Body on February 4th, 2010 | 1 Comment »
Guava Syrup Sweetened with Xylitol(100% natural, Sugar free, Low carb, Vegan, Kosher, Gluten free,Low Glycemic Index (7)
Natures Flavors is pleased to present this 100% natural sugar free syrup sweetened with xylitol. This syrup is made without the use of preservatives it is pasteurized and does not need refrigeration until after you open it the first time.
Research has shown that Xylitol reduces the formation of plaque on teeth and also kills the bacteria that cause cavities within the mouth. This low carb sweetener tastes as good as sugar but with a much lower calorie count.
It also tastes sweeter than sugar so you use less of it which helps to reduce the overall calorie intake. But the other feature that should be considered is that this is a natural low carb product the first of its kind. Many sweeteners like Splenda and sucralose are not natural and in the case of Splenda are chlorinated sugar molecules which are not natural. Other artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and aceulfame potassium leave nasty after tastes in your mouth.
Nature’s Flavors Xylitol sweetened syrups are truly a first in diabetic and low carb syrups.
Filed under: Food on December 22nd, 2009 | No Comments »
Filed under: Body on December 2nd, 2009 | 1 Comment »
LONG-term mobile phone users could face a higher risk of developing cancer in later life, according to a decade-long study.
The report, to be published later this year, has reportedly found that heavy mobile use is linked to brain tumours.
The survey of 12,800 people in 13 countries has been overseen by the World Health Organisation.
Preliminary results of the inquiry, which is looking at whether mobile phone exposure is linked to three types of brain tumour and a tumour of the salivary gland, have been sent to a scientific journal.
The findings are expected to put pressure on the British Government – which has insisted that mobile phones are safe – to issue stronger warnings to users.
Filed under: Body, Disease, Mind on October 30th, 2009 | 2 Comments »
Could daytime napping or poor sleep habits at night lead to an increased risk of developing elevated blood sugar? Believe it or not, the answer is yes.
A study1 published earlier this month in the journal Diabetes Care found that individuals who napped less than an hour a day increased their risk of developing elevated blood sugar by 23% and those who napped for more than one hour a day increased their risk by a whopping 55% compared to people who did not take daytime naps. When researchers looked at night sleeping, they found that people who slept on average less than five hours a night increased their risk of developing elevated blood sugar by 46%. The authors concluded that day napping and short night sleeping are associated with increased risk of elevated blood sugar.
Another study2 presented earlier this year at the Diabetes United Kingdom Annual Professional Conference in Glasgow further supports that napping can adversely affect blood sugar levels. Researchers from the University of Birmingham studied the sleeping habits of over 16,000 people and found that individuals who napped, even only once a week, had an increased risk of developing elevated blood sugar by 26%.
How could such a simple pleasure be so harmful to your health? Researchers have noted that waking up from a nap activates hormones with certain mechanisms in the body that prevent insulin from working effectively. Additionally, people who take naps tend to get less exercise than those who do not nap. It is well known that regular exercise has been medically proven to help inhibit elevated blood sugar. Also, naps can disrupt night time sleep which can lead to impaired glucose tolerance.
I have to be honest, I love to take a nap on a Saturday afternoon, but I’m going to seriously rethink this. Like so many other people in this country, I frequently do not get enough sleep. Aside from elevated blood sugar, inadequate sleep can lead to impaired immunity, poor concentration and an increased risk of accidents from decreased alertness. Ideally, you should get at least seven or eight hours of sleep per night. For me, this typically happens only once a week.
Filed under: Body, Sleep on October 30th, 2009 | No Comments »
