Are you aware of what Omega-6 Fatty Acids are? Let me explain.

Omega-6 are listed as: Linoleic acid; sunflower, sesame, corn and soybean oils.

They are found in: Frozen and processed foods.

What’s the big deal? Ideally, you should eat three omega-6 fatty acids for every omega-3 fatty acid you eat. But the ratio in most Western diets is between 10:1 and 20:1.

Excess intake of omega-6 can raise blood pressure and increase your risk of heart disease.

How to avoid it: Eat fewer processed foods. Purchase omega-3 supplements found in fish oil pills and flaxseed oil with care since these supplements often contain omega-6 along with omega-3.

Starting a low calorie diet to lose weight is not a good idea. Let me tell you why. Drastically cutting your calories puts your metabolism into what’s known as “starvation mode.” As your calorie intake is reduced, your body actually thinks you are fasting and will conserve calories rather than burn them at a regular pace. Studies show that when your caloric intake drops too low, your metabolism will reduce its output by as much as 30%.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine if you’re going to follow a low-calorie weight loss diet, women shouldn’t eat fewer than 1,200 calories a day and men shouldn’t eat fewer than 1,800 calories per day. Otherwise, the reduction in your metabolism will ultimately sabotage your weight loss efforts. Healthy weight loss occurs with a 1-2 pound reduction in body fat each week, although you may initially lose more weight at the beginning of a diet. Starvation diets are unhealthy and really unsafe. Eat right, exercise daily and the weight will come off in due time.

Why do men burn more calories than women, even when they’re doing the same amount of work? It’s because men have more lean muscle mass. Each pound of muscle that you have burns about 35 calories every day, while each pound of fat you’re storing only burns about two calories a day. That’s a really big difference! If you’re interested in burning more calories, you have to incorporate weight-lifting into your weekly exercise routine. Not only will you burn a bunch more calories during a combo workout, but lifting weights regularly will also help to build the lean muscle mass you need to turn your body into an efficient calorie-burning machine. Spending just 2-3 days every week in the gym pumping iron and 3-5 days doing cardio is a good start to losing fat and gaining muscle.

Two Wolves
One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.
He said, "My son, the battle is between two "wolves" inside us all.
One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.
The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather:
"Which wolf wins?"
The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

Man, this really hits home. Let's all try to feed the "Good" wolf in everything we do!

Newsbyte:

Caffeine Cuts Muscle Soreness: StudyA small study found moderate doses of caffeine equal to 2 cups of coffee could reduce post-workout muscle pain. Researchers suggest caffeine may block the body's receptors for adenosine, a chemical released in response to inflammation. The findings may have particular relevance for people new to exercise, since they tend to experience the most soreness.
As Reported by MSNBC

Every one of us will face decisions this year. Some will be small decisions with little consequence while other decisions will have far reaching effects in our lives. Let's just mention one....to lose weight or not to lose weight. Both can have far reaching consequences. Before you decide to lose weight, you might want to figure out the cause and what you are going to do about it.

Your metabolism probably gets blamed for a lot of things – your most recent weight gain and your struggle to get the extra pounds off. Unfortunately, unless you suffer from hypothyroidism or some other metabolic disease, you don’t get to blame it for your weight problems.

What is metabolism anyway? Your metabolism is basically a series of biochemical reactions by which your body turns the food you eat into energy. Everyone has a basal (or base) metabolic rate, which covers your body’s basic needs, like breathing, blood circulation, and cell growth and repair. These metabolic needs account for about two-thirds of your total calorie needs each day. In addition to your basal metabolic rate, your body burns energy when you eat so you can digest and break down your food. Digestion only accounts for about 10% of your total daily calorie needs. Finally, after your basic energy requirements and digestive needs are cared for, your metabolism also takes care of any physical activity you do, like sitting up, walking, running, and playing sports. This is where you get to play a part in how many calories you burn each day. If you lead a fairly sedentary lifestyle and still eat as much as you did when you used to be active, you are to blame for your weight gain – not your metabolism. If your “slow metabolism” has been the scapegoat for your weight problems, here’s your wake up call.

It's a new year. If you need to make some changes, do it! And, if you need help making those changes, ask! There are so many good trainers and nutritionists out there. Save your pennies and hire them. You can do it!