Lose Weight by Having a Good Laugh

They say that laughter is the best medicine. There must be something to it because studies have shown that as little as 20 seconds of deep belly laughing equates to about three minutes of working out on a rowing machine in terms of the physical fitness benefits. And here’s a funny thing that enthusiasts of Hasya yoga, or Laughter Yoga, have known for a long time: Laughing it up—a lot—can lighten your load in more ways than one.

Developed by the Indian physician, Madan Kataria, Laughter Yoga subscribes to the belief that laughter has specific benefits for the body that are nothing to laugh at, which include:

Increased circulation.
Muscle toning.
Improved immunity.
Stress reduction.
Better digestion.
Strengthening of the heart and lungs.

But, how does one initiate a Laughter Yoga session when there doesn’t seem to be anything funny going on? Like all systems of yoga, warm-up exercises are in order, and many of them begin with a chant.

“Ho-ho and Ha-ha,” are the sounds emitted from students participating in a Laughter Yoga class offered by the University of Michigan Health System. There’s plenty of animation accompanying these chants too, as students parade around the room clapping their hands and moving their feet to the rhythm.

The next 30 or so minutes are spent stretching and practicing breathing exercises, intermingled with laughing out loud. But, it’s when specific laughter exercises are rolled out that things really begin to rip. The following is a sample of Laughter Yoga exercises designed to tickle your funny bone and target your physical and emotional hot spots. (By the way, kids, we encourage you to try this at home.)

Greeting Laughter Exercise. Put both hands together and then attempt to shake hands with other members of your group.

Milk Shake Laughter Exercise. Pretend to be holding a glass in each hand and then proceed to pour imaginary milk from one glass to the other, gleefully chanting, “Aeee” with each transfer of the milk shake.

Hearty Laughter Exercise. This exercise calls for you to raise your arms high in the air and, with your head tilted back slightly, laugh like you mean it.

Isn’t it funny that we need to learn how to laugh in the first place? For something so intrinsic, you would think it would be a skill easily performed on call, even lacking an episode of the Three Stooges. But, the truth is, we must become chuckle-challenged as we grow older since children laugh an average of 400 times a day, while adults typically chuckle a mere 15 times a day.

There’s another old adage that must have been taken from the secret knowledge of kids: Laugh and the whole world laughs with you. Laughter is indeed contagious. Feel free to infect as many other human beings as you can.

How to Lower Your Cholesterol Naturally

Believe it or not, cholesterol is good for you—at least to a point. Without it, your body wouldn’t be able to manufacture vitamin D, some types of hormones, or bile acid to digest your food. However, the body requires far less cholesterol than typically comes packaged in a fast food burger and fries to accomplish these tasks. In fact, too much cholesterol can clog your plumbing—literally.

The arteries function as little lifelines to deliver blood and oxygen to vital organs, such as the heart. When a high level of cholesterol is present, the circulatory system has to carry it through these routes along with blood and oxygen. If you think of this task as being burdened by trying to push small clumps of wax through a network of tiny tunnels, then it’s easy to see how trouble develops. Sometimes, the cholesterol can’t complete the journey and gets stuck. Cholesterol deposits form and less blood circulates because artery passageways become blocked.

The ABCs of Understanding Cholesterol Numbers

There are different kinds of cholesterol, but they all travel through the body on vehicles known as lipoproteins. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is known as the ‘good’ kind of cholesterol because they taxi more harmful forms of cholesterol out of the arteries and blood and back to the liver.

The ‘bad’ kind of cholesterol is low-density lipoprotein (LDL), so labeled since this is the stuff most responsible for forming cholesterol plaque.

Then there are triglycerides. These are a type of fat that are stored in the body as the result of taking in more calories than can be used.

When your doctor checks your cholesterol, however, he or she is actually looking at different number sets to get a complete cholesterol picture. For women, total cholesterol should be 200 mg/dL or less, with LDL cholesterol being 100 mg/dL or less and HDL cholesterol of 55 mg/dL or less.

Aside from managing your weight through a healthy diet and regular exercise, there are several natural agents that may help to lower your cholesterol numbers, as well as reduce your risk of heart disease.

For example, policosanol is a natural substance obtained from sugar cane that deters the lipid peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which has the sweet effect of lowering total cholesterol. Policosanol also stimulates the production of a special protein that helps to remove LDL cholesterol from the blood.

The extracts of grape seed and artichoke leaf also demonstrate cholesterol-lowering properties due to the presence of proanthocyanidins and cynarin, respectively. Forget about trying to pronounce these chemical helpers and just remember what they do instead—they increase bile production to remove excess cholesterol from the body and lower LDL cholesterol levels.

How you can put these natural substances to work for you? We’ve made it easy for you. Our Cholesterol Support is a patented formula of vitamins, minerals, and all-natural herbs that are guaranteed to lower your cholesterol levels without the unwanted side effects of prescription medication. And you guessed it-- Cholesterol Support contains policosanol and the extracts of grape seed and artichoke leaf, as well as other heart-healthy herbs. But, that’s not all…with Cholesterol Support, you’ll also get your daily-recommended allowance of essential nutrients, such as niacin, vitamin b-6, folic acid, vitamin b-12, and chromium.

Start loving your heart by lowering your cholesterol the natural, healthy way. Get Cholesterol Support today!

Lose Weight without Leaving the House

There are a lot of reasons why you might not be terribly keen about hitting the gym. For one thing, there’s a financial consideration when it comes to sign-up registration fees and ongoing monthly membership dues. For another, the location of the gym may not be convenient for you—and with the price of gas these days, driving those extra miles might be another financial strain. And let’s face it: Some gyms simply don’t provide an atmosphere where you can feel comfortable in a dowdy sweat suit instead of being hermetically sealed into work out garb fashioned out of a few inches of spandex. Who needs that?

Fortunately, your house or apartment provides the perfect environment to get a great work out in, no matter how you’re dressed. And you certainly can’t beat the location, can you? Your own home also has all the fitness equipment you’ll ever need, although you may not realize it. In fact, your home has everything that a professional gym or health club has to offer to help you to lose weight without getting out of your slippers or opening the front door. Better yet, it’s free!

Let’s take a tour of your abode right now so you can get started losing weight at home today!

Got canned soup? Even rinsed out milk containers or soda bottles can become effective weights when filled with water. Take a look around your pantry or recycling bin to see what’s available.

Define your deltoids in a doorway. Say goodbye to ‘mother arms’ (sorry, mom) when you tone up the deltoid muscles of your upper under arms. Just stand in any doorway with your arms at your sides. Then, with palms facing out, brace against each side of the doorway and push. Hold for a few seconds, release, and repeat.

Step up to stairway push-ups. For this exercise, it won’t be necessary to get down on the floor like you do when performing traditional push-ups. While standing at the foot of the stairs, reach forward and position your hands on the step that will allow you to push off while keeping your elbows shoulder height.

Bring up the rear with a chair. Stand in front of a chair or stool and take turns with each leg by standing on one foot while ‘stepping’ on the chair with the other. Believe it or not, you’ll feel the ‘burn’ in your butt in a matter of minutes with this simple exercise.

Burn calories by cleaning house. Domestic duties and household chores are a great way to keep your home and your figure fit at the same time. Here’s a rundown on the average number of calories you can burn in an hour per activity:

Mopping/sweeping: 220
Painting: 135
Scrubbing floors by hand: 400
Vacuuming: 175
Washing dishes: 120
Washing windows: 250

Get SMART: How to Stay Motivated to Lose Weight

Raise your hand if any of the following has ever applied to you:

The exercise equipment you were so excited about purchasing from that infomercial arrived with fanfare, only to be banished to the basement or garage six months later in its original packaging. Later still, it became a high-ticket item for your annual yard sale.

You promised yourself that you’d start a weight loss and exercise program at the start of the New Year, but life kept getting in the way and by the time swimsuit season rolled around you weighed more than before.

You swore off of fast food forever…except for Saturday night take-out delivery, during weekday lunch hours that are reduced to 15 minutes through no fault of your own and, of course, ‘special occasions,’ like whenever you’re feeling down, tired, irritable, or the that the price of your favorite fruits and vegetables is a gastronomic injustice.

Okay. You can put your hands down now. Chances are most of us would have arms flailing over our heads having lived through at least one of the above scenarios. So, know that you’re not alone. But, you can also take comfort knowing that you can prevent backpedaling on your weight loss goals by learning to walk your talk in small steps. To that end, the very first step is to become SMART about setting goals.

SMART is an acronym that stands for ‘Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Reward and Timely.’ It’s a tool to help you make realistic goals that can be accomplished in a reasonable manner and timeframe. Here’s how you can put the steps in SMART to work for you…

Step One: Specific. Committing yourself to a specific goal is much more likely to result in success than a vague one. For instance, compare these two goal-setting statements: “Lose some weight” or “Exercise three times a week.”

Step Two: Measurable. How will you measure your progress? Some sample methods might be a displaying a wall chart, keeping a diet journal, or simply asking yourself how you feel once a week on a score of 1-10. By determining how your expectations can be measured, each small achievement will help you stay on track toward your specific goal.

Step Three: Attainable. This goes hand-in-hand with Step Two. When you track your progress over a period of time and acknowledge that your final destination is a process, then your specific goal no longer seems out of reach.

Step Four: Realistic. If you honestly believe that your specific goal can be achieved because you’re willing (and able) to do the work to get there, then you’ll know that your goal is realistic.

Step Five: Timely. You specific goal should be governed by a defined timeline in which to accomplish it. That way, you can replace “Lose 10 pounds someday” with “Lose 10 pounds by September 1st.”

Follow these tips for weight loss and you'll be on your way to shedding the pounds and keeping them off--the smart way.

How to Whittle Your Waist While You Work

According to researchers at the University of Cincinnati, worksite-based weight loss programs benefit both sides of the time clock. For employees, the benefit is obvious—more activity equates to reduced stress and, hopefully, the shedding of a few pounds. The ROI (return on investment) for employers is a bit subtler: increased productivity and fewer sick days.

Looking at the big picture, however, employer-sponsored weight loss programs have the potential to have a far-reaching and long-lasting impact on public health overall. Specifically, such programs can reshape the way people think about fitness in general, and help to address America’s current epidemic—obesity.

It’s not hard to imagine how working out at work can affect the individual. After all, most adults of working age in the US spend at least half of their waking hours at work. But, without intervention, sitting at a desk from 9 to 5 can easily result in the dreaded secretary spread. In fact, according to a survey conducted by CareerBuilder.com, almost 50% of those polled admitted that their desk jobs rewarded them with extra pounds, with about 28% weighing in 10 or more pounds heavier than when they started.

How can you lighten your load when you go to work each day? We have some sure-fire suggestions for you try…

Don’t stand for sitting down all day. Or, rather, stand up for part of the day. Workstations designed so that you can adjust their height allow you to stand while working at your desk. The cost? Less than $400.

Invest in a headset for your phone. That way, you can make and receive your phone calls while walking around your office or on your way to the water cooler. Those little steps can quickly add up and help to burn more calories.

Don’t eat lunch at your desk. Gosh…how many of us are guilty of this? Actually, according to the American Dietetic Association, about 75% of us are, at least a few times a week. So, resist the urge to give 110% to your job by working through lunch, which can lead to mindless munching, often on the wrong foods. Instead, take your lunch to the cafeteria (the social networking is good for you too), or outside to a nearby park.

Be underhanded about your handedness. Huh? What we mean is, keep the less-than-dietetic snacks (and we all have a stash) in a drawer on the left side of your desk if you’re right-handed, and fresh fruit or other healthy choice on the right side. Researchers have discovered that we’ll usually lean toward the direction of our handedness to reach for a snack whenever hunger strikes.

Drink green tea at work. Studies have shown that green tea helps to burn calories. In fact, people who partake of the beverage daily lose an average of 2.4 more pounds per year than those who don’t.

Plug in the air freshener. Are you ready for this? Studies have shown that people exposed to sweet scents, such as vanilla, cinnamon, or apple, when they are hungry, lose an average of 30 pounds within six months! While you might think that food-like scents might stimulate the appetite, they actually suppress it.