Lack of sleep makes you fat and stupid

Sleep scientist from Universtity Regensburrg in Germany (where I finished my studies) found out in his study: A lack of sleep makes you "fat, stupid and sick".

Sleep researcher Professor Juergen Zulley from the Regensburg University Hospital in Bavaria said: "It makes you stupid because suffering from sleep deficiency diminishes your memory. Sick, because too little sleep can damage your heart, circulation, stomach and intestines. And fat because while we are sleeping are bodies release a hormone that reduces appetite.

"If the release of this hormone is interrupted because we are not getting a full night's sleep then we quickly feel hungry which causes most people to head straight to the fridge," he said.

He added in order to stay fit and healthy people should regularly have seven hours sleep a night.

I agree with this one! Lack of sleep is America's top health problem.

Fitness motivational poem

If you think you are beaten, you are;
If you think you dare not, you won’t.
If you like to win, but don’t think you can,
It’s almost a cinch you won’t.

If you think you’ll lose, you’ve lost.
For out in the world you’ll find
Success begins with a fellow’s will;
It’s all in a state of mind.

If you think you’re outclassed, you are;
You’ve got to think higher to rise.
You’ve got to be sure of yourself before
You can win a prize.

Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger, faster man;
But sooner or later the man who wins
Is the fellow who thinks he can.

It is a modified version of the poem “The Man Who Thinks He Can” by Walter D. Wintle.

How to Choose a Personal Trainer in NYC

ABC Channel 7 is bringing a story about how to choose a personal trainer in NYC. Their tips are:
Take a look at certification.
Ask for references.
Make sure the trainer has liability insurance and provides business policies in writing.
Look for a trainer who is able to assist you with your special needs.
Find out what the trainer charges.
Decide if this is someone you can work with.

I agree with ABC channel 7. The best way is to ask the trainer about his accomplishments. Many personal trainers are former world class athletes. Ask your trainer if he/she has experience in any sports. Did she or he compete in the past in any sports? See what the other people saying about your future trainer. Ask for references. Take a look at testimonials and trainer personality. See if you get along. Ask your trainer about his training methods. Check what kind of results the trainer delivered to ex clients. And on the end ask about education. Certification is good, bust most certifications are the joke. See what education background your trainer has. Does your trainer has only high school diploma or college degree? You would not go to the doctor who has no formal university education. Look at bachelor degree in Exercise and Sport Science, you won't go wrong.

Source: How to Choose a Personal Trainer

Treating Back Pain. Exercise for back pain

Do you have a back pain? Most people try to avoid exercising because of the pain in their back.
I will give your few tips how to treat your back pain. I had a lot of succcess in helping people here in New York City with back problems.
Move, exercise but carefully. In that way you will supply the pain area with blood, so the healing can begin (cells of the immune system in that region will be refreshed with a new blood).
Cool the hurting place with the ice. Cold ice cubes will energize the blood circulation and ease muscles and solve spannings.
Perform Back-strengthening and stretching exercises.
If you have back problems, do not stay in bed. That will make situation worse.
Lose weight. Each pound puts more load on the spinal column.
Practice sports. The best sports for your back are: Weight lifting, Dancing, Nordic Walking and swimming.
It is obvious that good connective tissue is important for a healthy back. With the correct nutrition you can impact the health of your connective tissue. The most important thing is: avoid over-acidification. It makes the connective tissue inelastic and leads to inflammations. Over-acidification develops, if you consume too much animal protein, white flour, alcohol and sugar.
Train your back correctly. If you do not know how, find a help of a good personal trainer. Many training methods will strengthen the backs and prevent spinal column problems in the long term. But please before your start any exercise programs, consult with your doctor.

Most back problems can be avoided if you exercise, eat healthy and take care about yourself. It is time to to enter a new world of health, fitness, and wellness - and to stay there.

McDonald's to put nutrition facts on packaging

McDonald's Corp. customers will soon know that the Big Mac they bought contains almost half their recommended daily fat intake just by looking at the wrapper.

In its latest measure to fend off critics that blame the world's largest restaurant company for contributing to a rising incidence of obesity and other health problems, McDonald's on Tuesday said it will start printing nutritional information on the packaging of its food.

Information including calories, fat grams, protein, carbohydrates and sodium is already available in brochures at McDonald's restaurants and on the company's Web site.

But putting it on the wrappers puts it right in front of the customer, McDonald's Chief Executive Officer Jim Skinner said.

"We think this the absolutely easiest way to communicate it," Skinner said in an interview. He added that the consumer can then choose whether or not to use the information in deciding what to eat.

One more things. It seems that Music burns fat. Take a look at this study

Overweight people have hard time finding a job

Overweight workers find it harder to get jobs than their slim counterparts, an online survey suggests.
The survey also found that one in 10 personnel officers would not want an overweight employee to meet a client. The same percentage believed they could sack a worker for being obese.

Overweight job hunters 'lose out'

Daily dog walks work off the pounds

US researchers have a new lead in the fight against fat - walking a dog can strip off more pounds than some of the best known weight loss programs.
A University of Missouri-Columbia study says that having a dog can help people get more exercise and lose weight.
"Our goal was to look for ways to increase the average exercise regimen, and we found being responsible for a pet, such as committing to walk a loaner dog, encouraged people who did not own dogs to walk more often and for longer periods of time.
Our first study group averaged a weight loss of 14 pounds during the one-year program," researcher Rebecca Johnson, an associate professor of nursing and director of the College of Veterinary Medicine's Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction, said in a prepared statement.
That 14 pounds of weight loss over a year is better than results reported by major weight-loss plans, Johnson noted.

Johnson's next study will involve people taking pets to the gym to see if the presence of pets as support companions can increase a person's self-esteem and get them to do other exercises along with walking.

Butternut Squash (pumpkins) are good for your health

Holidays are coming. We can see here in NYC on every corner squash (pumpkins) as a decoration. But did you know that it is not just good for decoration, it is good for you to eat?
Squash has Anti-Cancer Phytonutrients that will prevent cancer cell mutations.
Extracts from squash promote prostate health. Squash will help reduce symptoms of BHP (benign prostatic hypertrophy)
Squash is rich in beta-cryptoxanthin. And beta-cryptoxanthin lowers one’s risk of developing lung cancer.
Squash is rich in vitamin A (Preserves and improve your eyesight,
Helps you fight off viral infections).
Squash is rich in Beta-carotene. Beta carotene fights inflammation.
By the way squash is rich in potasium (lowers blood pressure) and vitamin C.
Fiber found in squash will prevent cancer-causing chemicals from attacking colon cells, causing colon cancer.

Music boosts sporting performance

If you want to get the most out of your fitness regime think carefully about the type of music you listen to while exercising, a UK study suggests.
Dr Costas Karageorghis, of Brunel University, found listening to the right songs before and during training boosts performance by up to 20%.

He recommends fast tempo music for high intensity exercise and slower tracks to help with the warm up and cool down.

The speed of the music is the key, whether it be classical, rock or pop.
Read more what music is the best for your workout

Loose weight, Have a better sex life!

Obese women who start to lose weight will also see an improvement in the quality of their sex lives, according to a U.S. study released on Monday.

Even a moderate weight loss reduced complaints of feeling sexually unattractive and led to improved desire, according to the study presented at the annual meeting of The North American Association for the Study of Obesity (NAASO) in Vancouver.

Got some extra weight to lose? You probably already know that you need to upgrade your eating habits and get more exercise.

But did you know that your iPod (or portable CD, radio, MP3, or cassette player) could help?

Getting Enough Sleep, Listening to Music and Optimizing Exercise Duration May Aid Weight Control

IPOD may jam off the pounds

The New Superfoods

Parsley, sage, rosemary and ... cinnamon? Pratt hasn't found a spice he doesn't like. "One study found that 10 grams of spice [roughly 2 tablespoons] contained as many health-promoting antioxidants as 10 servings of fruits and vegetables," he says. Virtually all spices are beneficial—and they're essentially free of calories. But Pratt singles out one study on cinnamon. The USDA found that half a teaspoon a day lowered blood-sugar levels in patients with type 2 diabetes and brought down their bad cholesterol. For a double benefit, try substituting spices for salt.

You will love this one:

Chocolate. Perhaps the best news is that dark chocolate (but not milk chocolate) is now a superfood. "It's not just the antioxidants that make it healthy," says Pratt. Dark chocolate contains substances similar to the heart-healthy compounds in green tea. The latest research focuses on flavanols. They help boost the production of nitric oxide in blood vessels, lowering blood pressure and improving blood flow. Pratt tested six brands for levels of these compounds. The winner? Newman's Own Sweet Dark Chocolate. It's even organic. Super, indeed.

Source: Newsweek

Article about me in NY Japion

NY Japion - The biggest japanese newspaper in NYC brought a story about me and my clients. Check out the lastest edition of NY JAPION

Health experts agree: emails are fattening

Doctors have hit on a cunning plan to transform fatties into slimline wonders: stop sending emails.
Health experts believe millions of hours of vital exercise are being lost every week thanks to the explosion in electronic messaging.

Once we walked to a colleague's desk to pass on a filthy joke or reveal what the boss and his secretary were doing in the photocopier room for three hours during the office Christmas party. Now it is easier to tap a short note on the computer, hit the send button and the world knows in seconds what has happened. It's great for gossip: bad for the figure.

As a result, Sport England, as part of its Everyday Sport campaign, is launching Email-Free Friday this week. Employers, it says, should introduce a ban on internal emails and get staff walking around their office - presumably to complain that they can no longer send emails.

'We're losing millions of hours of exercise through the explosion of email,' said Dr Dorian Dugmore, a health adviser to Sport England. 'People email colleagues who sit next to them, never mind those who work on the other side of the office. We have to change people's lazy attitudes.' Increasing activity levels by 10 per cent could save 6,000 lives and £500 million per year, as well as leading to one million fewer obese people in England, it is argued.

The idea also reveals a growing antagonism felt by many bosses to electronic messaging. John Caudwell, chief executive of Phone 4u, has banned his 2,500 staff from using email in the office.'We have email paralysis,' he said. 'If you have a cancer, you have to cut it out.'



The Observer: Health experts agree - emails are fattening

Sleep as important as diet and exercise for good health

Although you may think getting the right amount of sleep isn't that important, it is. Actually, good sleep habits are a big part of staying healthy.
While you're sleeping, your brain is still active. As you sleep, your brain passes through stages that are necessary for you to stay healthy. Sleep is actually food for your brain. About every 90 minutes while you snooze, your brain passes through four stages of sleep - from light to deep - then moves into one of the most important stages of sleep, known as REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, which is believed to be important in learning and memory.

As sleep progresses, your brain spends more and more time in REM stage, from about 10 minutes during the first cycle to over an hour at the end of 8 or 9 hours of sleep. So if you sleep for only 6 hours a night, and you use weekends to catch up, you may not get the same quality of sleep you would have if you tacked on an extra 2 hours each night during the week.

Sleep as important as diet and exercise for good health - The News Argus - Health & Fitness

Improve leg strenght

This exercise is great for people who have weak legs. What you have to do is go to hack squat machine and do not load any weights.
Use only body weight.

Flex hips and knees to descend until knees are just short of complete flexion. Raise sled by extending knees and hips. Repeat. Well that is normal hack squat exercise.
But try this one my way if you want to improve your leg strenght: Descend down extremely slowly and count for 60 seconds (so you will go down slowly for 60 seconds). Come down until hamstrings are parallel with the floor. Than go up but like this: Count for 60 seconds and come extremely slowly up.

To explain it again: You will come down (descend) in extremely slowly motion. Take your time to come down because you have 60 seconds. You legs will start shaking. You will see. Than when your hamstrings are parallel with the floor, start coming up. Go slowly here and take your time because you have 60 seconds to come up.

Do 3 sets of this exercise. And you will see results.

Jewish Diet

The Yo-Yo Diet Guide to the Jewish Holidays

Rosh Hashanah - Feast

Tzom Gedalia - Fast

Yom Kippur - More fasting

Sukkot - Feast

Hashanah Rabbah - More feasting

Simchat Torah - Keep feasting

Month of Heshvan - No feasts or fasts for a whole month. Get a grip on ourselves.

Hanukkah - Eat potato pancakes

Tenth of Tevet - Do not eat potato pancakes

Tu B'Shevat - Feast

Fast of Esther - Fast

Purim - Eat pastry

Passover - Do not eat pastry

Shavuot - Dairy feast (cheesecake, blintzes etc.)

17th of Tammuz - Fast (definitely no cheesecake or blintzes)

Tish B'Av - Very strict fast (don't even think about cheesecake or blintzes.)

Month of Elul - End of cycle. Enrol in Centre for Eating Disorders before the High Holidays arrive again.

Exercise amount more important than intensity

I read today in newspaper that Exercise amount is more important than intensity: "How much you exercise may be more important than how hard you exercise in terms of heart health, according to a study of sedentary overweight men and women. And, many will be happy to hear, exhaustive amounts of exercise are not needed for heart health. In journal CHEST, researchers from North Carolina report that people who walk briskly for 12 miles per week or for about 125 to 200 minutes per week will significantly improve their aerobic fitness and lower their risk of developing heart disease."

Kickboxing

Im a big fun of kickboxing. Kickboxing is one of my favorite sports. My favorite fighter is CroCop.

Kickboxing started in the US during the 1970's when American karate practitioners became frustrated with strict controls on martial arts competitions that didn't allow full contact kicks and punches. Many questions were raised when the sport began about the high risk of injury. As a result, safety rules were improved and protective clothing was added. As this is a relatively new sport there are no long-term traditions. The sport has undergone changes and been refined during the last two decades. Competitors use sparring, kicks, punches, kick blocks, shadow boxing, and wood breaking that is learned and applied under professional instruction.

If you combine kickboxing with cardio and you lift weights, you can get into an amazing shape. Kickboxing cardio is great for people who hate to do cardio in the gym. If you need a kick, try kickboxing cardio - KARDIOKICK!

The secret of longevity: Olive Oil

Ancient Greeks believed that Virgin Olive Oil is beneficial to human health and recommended it for afflictions such as: Dermatological problems, Lacerations and burns, Gynecological diseases, Inducement of vomit, Ear infections
and Birth control.
Did you know that the average per capita consumption of olive oil on Crete is the highest of the world. Anzel Keys' renowned study of seven countries, which was published in 1980, revealed that the health level of Cretans was the highest in the world. Cancers and cardio-circulatory disease were rare, since out of 100.000 people on Crete, there were only 9 deaths attributed to these diseases as opposed to 466 in Finland. It was further proven that this was largely due to the dietary habits of the Cretan people, whose basic ingredient is olive oil.

Do you have an Attitude of Champions?

We all love to see results. We all love to see our teams winning a game. But do you really appreciate the fact that they trained so much to be on the top? Do you know how many hours they spent in the gym?
Athletes have trained for years, woke up early in the morning for years to go to the training, gave their best in training when most people still were sleeping.
Do you have the will to prepare? When I used to be a swimmer, everybody loved when I won medals but I do not think that people understood how much it takes to prepare to be a champion. I used to wake up at 5 am and I would be in a cold swimming pool at 6 am freezing in first 15 min until I warmed up, when the most of my friends slept at home. At 7 am I have finished the training and most of the people were still in their beds. At 8 AM most people would start a day and my most difficult part of the day was finished. That is an attitude of champion.
“The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses - behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights.” - Muhammed Ali

Lance Armstrong (my hero) was diagnosed with cancer in 1996 and was given a 50% chance of surviving. HE DID NOT GIVE UP. He won seven consecutive Tour de France championships. He said NO to DEATH. He raised above and won. And that is an attitude of a champion.

Postworkout protein shake: Vanilla Chai Tea with Soy Protein

Today after the work out I did not have time to get my protein shake, so I have to buy something on the go. I went to a deli and bout Vanilla Chai Tea with Soy Protein from Bolthouse Farms. It is a smooth blend of soy protein, brewed green tea, and chai spices all naturally sweetened with a subtle hint of vanilla. In addition to energizing the body with a heart-healthy supply of protein, this delicious drink is brimming with nutrients like Vitamin C, B6 and B12, iron, zinc, magnesium, 18 amino acids, and 37 grams of isoflavonoids per serving.
It is a really good choice on the go. I like it a lot. It tastes great.
According to the New England Journal of Medicine, soy protein has definitively been shown to lower cholesterol levels. The FDA states, "A diet containing 25 grams of soy protein, also low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease." Combine that with the potent antioxidant properties of Green Tea and you are treating yourself to the most delicious and nutritious protein drink there is!

The Biggest Loser. Amazing Body Makeover

This is an amazing body transformation. Well first of all I want to let you know that Danny 1 year ago weighted over 310 lbs. Today he is a fit guy and he weights 175 lbs. He lost over 135 lbs.

This is the biggest body makeover I have ever done in my life. Soon I will post more shocking before and after photos of him.

Danny is still training hard in the gym and he is now looking better than ever in his life.


This is more than a story of survival. This is a chronicle of one young man’s journey inward … to save his life and make it count for something. This is not a story of blame. This is a story of the acquisition of self-awareness. This is a story of waking up and taking responsibility.


"Joe DiAngelo has discovered THE secret. His unique approach to total body transformation is achieved by diet, exericise, and improvement of the inner man. At 30 years old, I weighed 310 pounds and was dying. Together, we have transformed a lifetime of morbid obesity and inactivity into a life that I truly love. Anyone who thinks they are beyond help must meet Joe. He provides the tools necessary to change one's life. Everyone, including myself, had given up on me ... then I met Joe..." -- Danny Land

Atkins Exposed. Is Atkins Changing From Low Carb to Low GI?

Im really not a big fun of Atkins and their diet. Eating bacon, heavy cream and butter while you are dieting is a joke.
If you lift weights in the gym, you need carbs. PERIOD! But it seems that Atkins diet is changing toward low GI diet.
Atkins has relabeled all of their products using this new methodology
under the new "Net Atkins Count".
Colette Heimowitz, vice president of education and research for Atkins
health & medical information services: "Atkins is the original Low GI approach, and with the first products on
the market with labeling that reflects the actual glycemic impact on the body
a particular food will have. Consumers who are following any dietary program
can utilize the Net Atkins Count labeling to provide them with the numbers
they need to manage their health." Read more...

Let's see what other top nutritionist in the coutry are saying about Atkins Diet.
One of the nation's foremost nutritionists, professor emeritus Fredrick J. Stare, Ph.D. founded Harvard’s Department of Nutrition where he served as chairman for 34 consecutive years.
"The Atkins Diet is nonsense... Any book that recommends unlimited amounts of meat, butter, and eggs, as this one does, in my opinion is dangerous. The author who makes the suggestion is guilty of malpractice."
Please visit http://www.atkinsexposed.org for more info.

Monster Energy Drink - Unleash the Beast

Yesterday I tried Monster energy drink - low carb version and I have to say that it really works. It gave me a lot of energy for my workout. And it tastes great like Monster!

Is Bigger Better?

WARNING: After two years of slimming down menu options, fast food companies and restaurant chains are beefing them up again, literally, with new high-calorie additions. And to the dismay of nutritionists, Americans are eating it up.
Read more ...

Instant Motivation

" Opportunity often comes in the form of misfortune or temporary defeat."
Napoleon Hill

Green veggies helps prevent cancer

Eating vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli and brussel sprouts may prevent lung cancer.

The vegetables give 77 per cent protection - but only for people with inactive genes called GSTM1 and GSTT1 reports The Sun quoting medical magazine The Lancet.

The International Agency for Cancer Research said the veg contains chemicals called isothiocyanates, which prevent cancer forming.

Love Is Real Medicine

Did you know that Loneliness fosters cardiovascular disease?
Fortunately, love protects your heart in ways that we don't completely understand. In one study at Yale, men and women who felt the most loved and supported had substantially less blockage in their coronary arteries. Similarly, researchers from Case Western Reserve University studied almost 10,000 married men and found that those who answered "yes" to this simple question—"Does your wife show you her love?"—had significantly less angina (chest pain). And when researchers at Duke surveyed men and women with heart disease, those who were single and lacked confidants were three times as likely to have died after five years. In all three studies, the protective effects of love were independent of other risk factors.

Love Is Real Medicine -