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The Keto Diet and Weight Loss

If you have had a desire to lose a few extra pounds, then perhaps you might have come across the ketogenic diet, which is popularly known as the Keto diet. It is a popular weight loss plan that promises significant weight loss in a short time.

But far from what most people believe it to be, diet is not a magic weight loss tool. Just like any other diet, it takes time, requires a lot of adjustment and follow-through to see results.

What is the Keto diet?

The keto diet aims to put your body in ketosis. This diet plan is usually low in carbs with a high intake of healthy fats, vegetables, and enough protein. This diet also emphasizes avoiding highly processed foods and sugars.

There are several types of Keto diets: standard, cyclical, targeted, and high-protein ketogenic diets. The difference in them depends on the intake of carbohydrates. The standard ketogenic diet is low carb, high fat, and adequate protein is most recommended.

Is the Keto diet safe?

Most critics of the Keto diet say that it is unsafe due to the emphasis on eating high in fat. This is guided by the misconception that fats are bad for you. On the contrary, healthy fats are actually very good for you.

With this diet, you get a lot of fat from healthy sources like avocado, nuts, fish, butter, eggs, coconut oil, palm oil, seeds like chia, and red meat.

How does the Keto diet help in weight loss?

So how does the keto diet really work and how does it help your body lose the extra pounds? When you eat a high carbohydrate diet, your body uses glucose from carbohydrates and sugars to fuel bodily activities. When you follow a ketogenic diet, you provide your body with minimal amounts of carbohydrates and sugars.

With a reduced supply of sugar and carbohydrates, glucose levels in the body become depleted, causing the body to seek alternative sources of energy. Therefore, the body turns to stored fats for energy, which is why the Keto diet leads to weight loss.

This condition where your body burns fat for energy other than carbohydrates is called ketosis. When your body enters ketosis, it produces ketones as a fuel source instead of relying on glucose. Ketones and glucose are the only two sources of energy that fuel the brain.

Benefits of Ketosis and the Keto Diet

In addition to helping with weight loss, putting the body in ketosis has other health benefits as well. Here are some of them:

  • Greater mental clarity

  • Enhanced physical energy

  • Steady blood sugar levels, making it a good remedy for epilepsy and diabetes.

  • Enhanced and enhanced skin tones.

  • lower cholesterol levels

  • Hormonal regulation especially in women

The ketogenic diet is one of the best diets you can follow to lose weight and improve your overall health. The diet can also be used for overweight children. There are numerous studies that support the diet showing significant results especially when combined with exe

Supplements for hair loss – To choose or not to choose?

For every person who suffers from thinning hair, there is a question that arises in their mind at least once in their life:

Are hair loss supplements useful for men and women?

Hair loss is not as serious a health problem as hair loss. In fact, it may not be a health problem at all. A daily drop of 50 to 100 threads is a normal scenario. Hair follows a specific growth cycle. Old hair falls out only to make way for new ones.

In this article we will explore whether hair loss supplements are really useful for maintaining voluminous hair.

Before we begin our investigation, let’s try to understand why hair loss occurs in the first place. There are 3 phases in which hair grows and develops. They are:

I. Growth or anagen phase

II. Cessation or Catagen Phase

third Resting Phase or Telogen

The growth phase lasts a much shorter period of time than the rest phase. It is during this last phase, which is Telogen, that the follicles begin to weaken. They stop absorbing the right amount of nutrition. This makes hair loss a perfectly natural phenomenon. Only when this loss occurs in excess does hair loss become a worrisome health problem.

Baldness or alopecia occurs when new hair does not grow as fast as old hair remains. The telogen phase begins to last longer than the anagen phase. The follicles remain weak for an unusually long time. The number of strong hairs decreases and the number of weak hairs increases.

The role of supplements in offering a solution for hair loss –

1. Maintain the Natural Cycle

Hair loss supplements help maintain the proportion between the three growth phases. They ensure that the Telogen phase does not exceed its designated time period. This makes the hair stay healthy for longer. They do not age before their time.

Hair loss supplements also increase the duration of the anagen phase. New growth takes place more frequently. The growth process occurs over a long period of time. Healthy hair remains for a long time and successfully outnumbers weak ones.

2. Provide nutrition like vitamins for hair

One of the main reasons why the follicles become weak is that they do not receive adequate nutrition. There are plenty of hair nutrients and vitamins that need to reach your scalp and follicles. Unfortunately, a hectic and fast-paced lifestyle sometimes does not allow you to follow a healthy and balanced diet.

It has caused the nutrition gap to become a common problem. Your hair needs large amounts of protein, vitamins and minerals. The daily diet does not provide nutrition in the best amount. Hair loss supplements have a high nutritional value. They are able to provide specific nutrition that your diet cannot.

Made-in-China Medicine Testing the Global Market

Many pharmaceutical companies in China hope to pass major international certifications, such as WHO, EU, and Australian certifications. “It is likely that 20 pharmaceutical companies will be able to obtain international certifications this year,” said Mr. Yu Mingde, vice director of the China Pharmaceutical Enterprise Management Association.

temptation from outside

2007 was another record year for China’s Western medicine export value, rising 56% to US$784 million. However, most of the drugs that went to big markets like Japan, Korea and Australia were the products of foreign companies in China, mainly in the form of export processing trade. Products made by Chinese domestic companies were exported to low-end markets such as Nigeria and Pakistan. Since Chinese pharmaceutical companies are still weak in proprietary R&D, most of their products are copycat generic drugs.

Yu revealed that “the big three markets of the EU, the US and Japan have different market systems than ours. For the same generic drug, the profits from selling to the big three markets are 5 to 8 times higher.” to those of China”. A more pressing problem is that almost half of pharmaceutical companies in China currently have idle capacities.

On one side is the high profit from international markets, on the other is excess capacity and fierce competition in the domestic market. It’s not hard to see why the Chinese government has been emphasizing drug exports in its healthcare industry planning, and “get out” has also become a consensus in the Chinese pharmaceutical industry.

Market access

The EU requires that access permits for medicines only be granted to companies within the jurisdiction of the EU. So if foreign companies want to sell medicines on the EU market, they have to set up local branches or find local partners. The FDA in the US also has similar requirements.

Yu suggested that in order for Chinese medicine products to enter the EU and US markets, Chinese companies can try arrangements such as local M&A, registration of local offices or seeking local partners, and local associations. they would probably be the easiest. It is understood that those companies whose products have passed EU certification, such as Hisun Pharmaceutical, Wuxi Kaifu Pharmaceutical and Shanghai Tianping Pharmaceutical, have chosen the path of association.

Yu, who has 30 years of experience in pharmaceutical management, noted that regulations, processes and even social cultures in foreign markets are “very different” from those in China. He suggested that for Chinese companies that are “testing the water”, in light of the reality of few foreign distribution channels, they can temporarily choose OEM or commissioned processing routes. Only when they become more sophisticated in this area can they go for mergers and acquisitions, local entity registration and brand building.

Zhejiang Reachall Pharmaceutical’s accelerated FDA approval in the US was a good example of smart leverage. In early 2007, Reachall was approached by a large US pharmaceutical distribution company and asked to produce ointments for the North American market. After a series of inspections, investigations and negotiations, a long-term cooperation agreement was signed between the parties. In the same year, an existing Reachall ointment product successfully obtained FDA certification in the US, and the first batch worth USD 300,000 was shipped to the US in November.

breaking the barriers

Since China’s entry into the WTO in 2001, many European, American and Japanese pharmaceutical companies have moved their production processes for raw materials and intermediate products to China. “Outsourcing of production has taught Chinese companies a valuable lesson in terms of international practices, environmental awareness, quality control, and patent protection, and this has greatly enhanced our international competitiveness and status.” Yu thought that behind the OEM orders and profits, China’s drug exports have to overcome the barriers of integrating international standards and advancing product quality.

Shenzhen Lijian Pharmaceutical General Manager Mr. Ouyang Qing said that in terms of macro aspects, drug market access rules between the Chinese market and major foreign markets are similar. The differentiation lies in detailed administrative aspects, such as certification, risk assessment and variable products. Yu also stressed that in addition to the certification of the finished product, some foreign markets will require the related certification of ingredients to maintain the stability of product qualities.

As for how to find the sweet spots, there may be some examples to follow. According to Mr. Ouyang, Shenzhen Lijian was previously in the business of exporting pharmaceutical ingredients, the good quality of which had won a long-term order for a German company. When Lijian decided to expand its value-added drug production business, the German company was simultaneously considering moving its production of OEM preparations from France and Italy to lower-cost markets. “So our German partner played a key role in Lijian’s obtaining EU certification,” Mr. Ouyang revealed.

And the key to Reachall’s rapid FDA approval in the US was the choice of products. Compound polymyxin B ointment is an over-the-counter (OTC) product in the US, and the FDA already had detailed requirements for ointment quality, directions, and labeling. This ointment was popular in the US and had gained acceptance in terms of efficacy and safety. On the other hand, Reachall was the first company in China to produce the generic version of the ointment, and the company had adopted FDA standards even when it was applying for certification in China. This certainly helped his international entry.

In order to participate in the global competition, the Chinese pharmaceutical industry must put effort into the integration of the certification system, English communication skills, product selection, and R&D. The managers of the company must also have long-term planning, instead of being opportunistic.

“Don’t underestimate the demand for Chinese generic drugs from international markets, which have already shown great interest and tolerance towards their Chinese counterparts,” suggests Mr Ouyang. Mr. Yu also thought that there will be more and more Chinese pharmaceutical companies entering major foreign markets. But Yu reminded that there will be a new level of price and variety competition to win multinational contract processing to order in China. The biggest advantages for Chinese companies are low costs and acceptable quality, but profitability will gradually decline as more and more followers try to grab a piece of the pie.

Proteins, carbohydrates and fats: what are they and why do we need them?

If you’re interested in your diet, whether it’s for weight loss or just healthier eating, you’ll need to know a few things about the 3 main food groups: protein, carbs, and fat. In this article I will tell you what each one of them is, why you need them and what foods they can be found in.

protein

Protein is a part of every living cell in your body, including skin, muscles, tendons, ligaments, hair, and the core of teeth and bones. It also plays a role in many other functions, such as hormones (such as insulin), infection-fighting antibodies, and red blood cells that carry oxygen throughout the body. One thing it’s not often used for is power production. Although it can be very easy, this only happens in cases of extremely intense physical exertion or hunger, where not enough carbohydrates are available.

It is made up of what are called essential amino acids and nonessential amino acids. Non-essential amino acids can be made in the body and there are 12, but essential amino acids cannot and all 8 must come from the food we eat.

Protein sources include meat, eggs, fish, cheese, and milk, but also nuts, beans, soy, oats, lentils, and peanut butter. Obviously, there’s no reason why a vegetarian shouldn’t get enough without resorting to supplements.

How much is enough?

Well, that depends on your weight and your activity level. The protein requirements of a person who does not have a physical job and who does not exercise can be calculated by multiplying their body weight in kg by 0.8.

So for a 60 kg (132 lbs) individual this would be 48 g.

However, if you exercise regularly this could increase from the 0.8 figure to anything up to 2g per kilo for a serious athlete or bodybuilder.

Protein provides 4 calories of energy per gram and should constitute approximately 15% of daily caloric intake. A diet in which protein intake is consistently too low, as is possible with a poor vegetarian diet, can affect the benefits just mentioned. But before you rush out and stock up on protein shakes, keep in mind that too much has its side effects, too. If you regularly have 30% more than you really need, you could be doing yourself more harm than good, in some cases causing liver and kidney problems, including kidney stones, which is just one reason certain high diets should be avoided. in protein and low in carbohydrates.

carbs

Carbohydrates have 4 calories per gram and should make up about 55% of your diet. They have various uses in the body. The main one is as an energy source called glucose that is stored in the body as glycogen. Glucose, which you may have seen as an ingredient in some energy drinks, is known as a simple carbohydrate that you may recognize better as sugar. This is absorbed into the body very quickly and won’t satisfy your hunger for very long, which is one reason why it should ideally be avoided if you’re trying to lose weight. It also has a quick effect on energy levels giving a quick physical and mental high that is soon followed by a crash.

In contrast, the other form, complex carbohydrates, take longer to digest and provide a slower, more steady release of energy and keep you from feeling hungry for longer.

Examples of complex carbohydrates are rice, pasta, potatoes, beans, and oatmeal.

The rate at which each carbohydrate is absorbed is known as the GI, glycemic index. Each food can be assigned a figure between 1 and 100 based on this, with pure glucose being absorbed the fastest and therefore assigned a GI of 100. At the other end of the scale, lentils have a GI of only 21 and would therefore be much better to keep you from being hungry for longer and keep your energy level more stable. High GI foods also encourage fat storage, and therefore weight gain, by forcing glucose and fats already in the bloodstream into cells for storage.

There are no risks associated with eating too many carbohydrates, other than that too much sugar can lead to diabetes. Not getting enough will lead to low energy levels, but not getting enough for prolonged periods can cause serious health risks if taken to an extreme.

fat

Fat has 9 calories per gram and should make up about 30% of your diet, as it actually has many vital uses in the body. These include protection of internal organs, insulation from cold, absorption and storage of certain vitamins, insulation of nerve cells, hair and skin health, and also as a source of energy. As you can imagine, not getting fat enough can cause a lot of health problems, but obviously this is not a problem for most people in the developed world who get too fat. As a result, they suffer from overweight, high blood pressure, and coronary heart disease.

There are 2 types of fat, and while both are a necessary part of your diet, saturated fat intake should be closely monitored. The main source is of animal origin and is solid at room temperature. Examples include butter, bacon, cream, and meats. What makes it so bad is the amount of cholesterol it contains, too much of which can contribute to heart attacks and strokes.

The other type of fat, unsaturated, comes mainly from plant sources and is liquid at room temperature. Examples include sunflower oil, olive oil, fish, and nuts.

Given the uses fat has in the body, very little, which can come with a very low-calorie, low-fat diet obviously has consequences. These include not being able to absorb and store certain vitamins, less healthy hair and skin, and an effect on nerve cells.

Basically the opposite of all the benefits I just told you about.

Light Dinner Ideas That Are Light, Easy, and Delicious

If you’re trying to trim your figure without sacrificing any fabulous flavor, there are plenty of light dinner ideas that won’t leave you spending hours in the kitchen after a long day at work and will leave your stomach satisfied. One of the easiest ways to reduce calories is to avoid starches in food. Gone are the days when starches like rice or potatoes were a dinner staple. Instead, opt for twice as many fresh vegetables or a piece of fresh fruit that will give your palette the feeling of having dessert without your tongue touching a pudding or piece of cake.

If you had protein left over from the night before, why not make a fresh and delicious salad for dinner? Take some sliced ​​lean beef and toss it with crispy iceberg lettuce, a small amount of blue cheese crumbles, some sautéed red onions, and some roasted red peppers and you’ve got a hearty, healthy dinner in minutes. The same goes for grilled chicken. Just dice it and add it to romaine lettuce, a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and a light dressing and you have a tasty, low-calorie Caesar salad for dinner. You can also use the Caesar option with grilled shrimp or salmon as a nice alternative. Salads are a great way to fit all your veggies into one meal, and adding a protein gives you the healthy fats and vitamins you need only in smaller amounts, so your stomach fills up faster, leaving you less hungry. return. per seconds

Take advantage of warm evenings and use your grill for a tasty meal. There are so many light dinner ideas you can use when working with the grill. A nice piece of fish with a spicy marinade is just the perfect light meal that won’t leave you feeling overly full. Combine that with some grilled veggies like zucchini, onion, and corn on the cob and you have a complete meal, and best of all, it’s easy to clean up! No need to scrub pots and pans!

Take care of your weight and your thyroid

Are you trying to lose weight but can’t? Or do you want to put on a few pounds but can’t, even after eating a lot of calories? Then it’s time for you to check your thyroid hormones. Your weight problems may be related to abnormal levels of thyroid hormones in your blood. In addition to being underweight or overweight, these abnormal hormone levels can also make you lethargic or hyperactive, bored or anxious, depending on whether your hormone levels are high or low.

The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped glans located in front of your neck. It secretes thyroxine, an important hormone that has an effect on most organs in the body. When the thyroid gland produces too much or too little thyroxine, it affects normal body functions. When thyroxine is produced in excess it causes hyperthyroidism and when it is less it results in hypothyroidism.

About two percent of the general population has hypothyroidism, where the basal metabolic rate (BMR) is decreased. Factors such as obesity, lack of exercise, and stress can increase the risk of hypothyroidism. Symptoms that a patient with hypothyroidism will exhibit include weight gain, fatigue, drowsiness, swelling of the legs and ankles, joint pain, constipation, feeling cold, dry skin, menstrual problems leading to infertility, and muscle cramps.

Here are some dietary tips to combat hypothyroidism:

• Raw cabbage, soybeans, cauliflower, radish greens, mustard, broccoli, legumes, bajra, peanuts, and lentils are considered goitrogenic (goiter-causing) and should therefore be avoided or be consumed in limited quantities.

• It is important to look for options when eating out since cauliflower and broccoli are widely used in salads; mustard is used in East Indian dishes and peanuts in most Maharashtrian dishes

• It is very important, therefore, to avoid these items or eat them in moderation, say once every fortnight or so.

Hyperthyroidism is a disorder of the thyroid gland in which an excessive secretion of thyroxine occurs with the consequent increase in the metabolic rate. Exophthalmic goiter or toxic goiter or thyrotoxicosis and Graves’ disease are different manifestations of hyperthyroidism. A patient with hyperthyroidism will experience signs and symptoms such as weight loss, rapid heartbeat, restlessness, irritability, hyperactivity, lack of sleep, tremors, heat intolerance, muscle weakness, menstrual disorders, swelling around the eyes, swelling in the neck, diarrhea, and increased body temperature.

These are some dietary tips to combat hyperthyroidism

• A liberal diet providing adequate calories, protein, vitamins, and minerals is indicated because patients become severely malnourished as the basal metabolic rate (BMR) increases, thus increasing the caloric requirement

• A diet rich in vitamin A, B complex and C should be increased to twice the daily requirement. The combination of legumes and wheat sprouts will enhance the B complex and C vitamins

• Foods rich in carotene such as papaya, mango, and fenugreek leaves will ensure vitamin A supplementation. Carotene will be converted to vitamin A in the body.

• The excretion of calcium and phosphorus is greatly increased in the urine. Therefore, foods rich in calcium and phosphorus like milk and milk products, dark green leafy vegetables and ragi should be a part of your daily diet.

• Quitting smoking, moderating alcohol consumption, limiting caffeine found in tea, coffee, cola and chocolate can lessen the intensity of symptoms as these habits can increase metabolic rate

Eating a balanced diet, getting enough sleep, exercising several times a week, and getting fresh air and relaxing are activities that will help you feel better. Healthy living is an important part of recovering from thyroid conditions. These suggestions will also help prevent future problems. Take care of your weight as well as your thyroid!

Health and Sugar – Extra Frosting on the Cake

America has a sugar problem, and it’s getting bigger every day. Did you know that an estimated one in four people has diabetes or is in a pre-diabetic condition?

In 1801, historians estimated that sugar consumption per person was about 8.4 pounds of sugar per year, which translates to about 2.2 teaspoons per day. Current consumption has ballooned to around 170 lbs. a year, or about a cup a day!

The increase in refined sugar consumption has created a nation of obese and malnourished people who eventually have to succumb to insulin to make it easier for blood glucose to enter cells for energy.

We are simply not aware of the relationship between health and sugar, which is not surprising, since sugar has many faces, a large part of which are much less obvious. Sugar isn’t just the sweet white stuff you sprinkle on cereal or add to coffee.

As for the obvious places where sugar is plentiful, there are cakes, cookies, cakes, and candy, which not only contain sugar, but are often loaded with excess sugar—more sugar than our taste buds require. In fact, there is an ‘extra icing on the cake’.

Then there are the soft drinks, sweetened with HFCS (high fructose corn syrup).

Also, all processed carbs are essentially sugar! In addition to the obvious places where sugar resides, it also hides in bread, bagels, cereal, canned goods, pasta sauce, crackers, yogurt, salad dressings, and peanut butter.

I have said this many times before, but it bears repeating. Learn to read food labels and do it for everything you consider putting in your shopping basket. Be aware of the many forms of sugar.

Most people are beginning to understand the dangers of high fructose corn syrup, the most common culprit. A highly concentrated and highly processed sweetener, it is widely used because it is cheap. As such, companies get untold mileage with just a small amount of HFCS. Be careful with products that have HFCS in the ingredients.

But HFCS is not the end. If you’re trying to avoid sugar, you should also look for corn syrup solids; fructose; dextrose; lactose; maltodextrin; ethyl maltol; barley malt; diastasis; sorbitol; modified corn starches; saccharose; and carob syrup.

To determine how many teaspoons of sugar are in a product, take the number of grams of sugar and divide by 4. So if a product has 28 grams of sugar, think about 7 teaspoons of sugar.

Examples:

• Half a cup of Ben and Jerry’s Chunky Monkey contains 28 grams or 7 teaspoons of sugar.

• A 16-ounce Starbucks Large Frappuccino with Strawberries and Cream, with whipped cream, includes 85 grams, or about 21 teaspoons of sugar.

• Big Gulp or Super Sized sodas are the worst and can have more than 20 teaspoons of sugar!

And while it’s tempting, don’t think of artificial sweeteners as part of the solution. Artificial sweeteners, such as Splenda, aspartame, and saccharin, present their own set of problems and should be avoided at all costs.

Offered plain or mercilessly marketed in the form of diet products or as products that are healthy or healthier than their ‘naturally sweetened’ counterparts, these sweeteners are actually nasty chemicals, possibly suitable for pesticides, but certainly not for human consumption. .

A good alternative to sugar is stevia, especially green stevia if you can find it. This herb is not only very sweet, but it also has health benefits and does not spike your blood glucose like real sugar. Agave nectar is also a better substitution.

Also, don’t be fooled into thinking that using more natural sugars like honey or raw sugar is a safe bet. If you have problems with blood sugar control, sugar is still sugar.

For many of us, an improved diet requires a better understanding of health and sugar, and usually translates to a reduction in our overall sugar intake.

At first, it may seem like something is missing: your body may even go into withdrawal, seeking sugar/sweetness like a drug.

Start dealing with your sugar cravings by adding sweet vegetables like carrots or beets, or snack on an apple or other fresh fruit. Although fruit has sugar, there are enough nutrients and fiber in these foods to slow digestion, preventing rapid spikes in blood glucose.

Eventually, you’ll learn to replace old sugar or artificially sweetened foods with better options. Your body will reward you, you will feel less irritable and more in balance.

What is lead free crystal?

When most people think of high-end glass, they think of traditional LED glass, for example, a wine glass that has that wonderful heavy-handed feel that shines with a faceted shine, and the lovely ring sing-song that resounds when you touch it. That kind of glass. For a long time, only LED crystal produced these exquisite attributes. While lead crystal is still extremely popular, there is another type of high-quality glass that can provide the same experience.

plain glass

“Normal” glass, such as a typical water glass, pint glass, glass baking dish, etc., is what is known as soda lime glass. Not particularly shiny or beautiful, but functional and in most cases much more durable than glass. Soda lime glass consists of several main ingredients: soda ash, lime, dolomite, silicon dioxide, and aluminum oxide, along with minor amounts of other ingredients called “clarifying agents.” These ingredients are melted in a furnace at a very high temperature. The melted liquid rests for a bit to allow the bubbles to come out of it; this is called “finishing out.” The glass is then formed using different processes depending on the purpose of the final product, i.e. drinking glass, window pane, windshield, etc. In the case of traditional glass, lead is added.

lead crystal

Traditional lead crystal adds another ingredient to the regular glass mix: lead oxide. The addition of lead produces a couple of unique attributes that make glass “crystal clear.” Soda glass contains structureless molecules, known as amorphous. There is no specific order, but they are tightly bound together, making soda lime glass more durable. The molecules in lead crystal have a distinct three-dimensional order. These molecules produce the sparkling glow in the glass. Crystal has a higher “refractive index” than normal glass and the higher the index, the brighter. Adding lead to glass also causes it to melt at a lower temperature and absorb less energy than soda glass. This is what makes the crystal sound when you touch it.

lead free crystal

While lead crystal purists will probably always use it, there is now an alternative with the same characteristics. This provides an option for those who enjoy high quality crystal but are concerned about the lead content in anything containing consumables. This is mainly relevant to decanters, which I’ll get to in a moment. When lead-free crystal is made, the lead is replaced by barium oxide (BaCO3). The introduction of barium oxide produces a glass with a comparatively high refractive index, subsequently increasing its brightness. Barium oxide is also lighter than lead oxide, making glass lighter while having about the same durability. For those concerned about the lead content in their glassware, as mentioned above, it really only raises a health issue for crystal decanters. The reason is that wine and spirits tend to keep in decanters for longer than a glass of wine. This produces a longer window of time for the lead to leach out. Personally, I don’t store wine in decanters for a long time; for me, it’s more about aeration and presentation, so I’m not concerned with the issue at all.

Lead crystal vs. lead free crystal

It really is just a matter of personal preference if you want to choose one over the other. There are several high-end crystal manufacturers who make exquisite lead-free crystal. I have used them a lot and the only real difference I have noticed is the variation in weight. Either way, wines taste much better in a high-quality crystal glass than in a regular glass any day of the week.

Health!

How do I start a personal training business?

Hello everyone! I’m going to show you how to quickly start a personal training business.

This is the #1 most frequently asked question! In the previous question, we talked about figuring out if this is the right industry for you. Now, we can get to the basics of building a very successful fitness business.

First, take an inventory of your skills and resources. Who do you know who would be interested in your services? Who do you know with connections to journalism, media and public relations, to help get the word out? How about other business owners you’re already friends with, so you can learn from and collaborate with them? In particular, finding a successful trainer with a great business is an amazing way to boost your success.

Second, you’ll want to get certified (even if it’s not required by law!). Yes, having a good certification is important to start with, but more on that later. You’ll also need liability insurance (discounted if you have certification), a release form, a Par-Q form, and other forms to keep track of your customers and legally protect yourself and your business.

Third, what kind of people and customers do you want to serve. You may not have a clear idea right now, and that’s okay, but keep this question in mind as you progress through your career and work with clients. Some good advice is to follow your passions, whether it’s bodybuilding, weightlifting, a team sport, a certain group of people, or even gardening, sailing, or skiing. Connecting with the people you are passionate about (their goals, personalities, skills, demographics, activities, etc.) is one of the keys to being very successful and making work feel fun and not boring.

Now, where would you like to work? In the gym? A private training studio? In the home? For a training camp? These are the most common fitness jobs, but other options include working in a physical therapist or chiropractor’s office, a senior center, and after-school programs or summer camps. In fact, one of the beautiful things about this industry is that there are so many people who need our help. There are so many different types of opportunities out there; There really is no limit to the types of jobs and work environments you can create for yourself and your business.

Keep in mind that most trainers just starting out work in a gym as it provides more structure, mentoring/training, and clients. It is very difficult to start your own business from scratch unless you already have contacts, experience starting a business, a loyal following, and a fair amount of exercise knowledge and experience under your belt. One of the upcoming key videos will show you exactly how you can tell if it’s time to pull the trigger and start your own business. If it’s not the time, this will show you exactly what you need to do to make sure your business launch is a complete success.

Superset workouts using the top-secret Escalated Density Training (EDT) technique

How much time do you really have to train? Do you have 5 hours to train a week? 3 hours? 1 hour? 30 minutes? Right now, quantify your total time.

Think hard about the things you do in your daily life that are not necessarily productive. Some examples may include watching TV, reading emails, etc.

I have often been distracted by an email I may receive from a friend or another author that has caught my attention for up to an hour. When I look at the clock on my computer, I realize I have a dozen things I need to do, just for my website.

That doesn’t include chores that need to be done around the house. So we all get distracted, but simply limiting the time we watch TV, email, and phone calls can save us a lot of time.

I’ve adapted a few things in the last few months that are helping me save some time for more important things. For example, instead of running to the TV to watch my favorite shows every time it’s on, I simply watch them online using services like Hulu.com.

This allows me to watch my shows AFTER I’m done with all my work. Simple productivity tips like that can save you a lot of time.

However… this is not a productivity blog.

Well… I guess it is. But instead of teaching you how to do more WORK, I show you how to shorten your workouts while improving your efficiency.

Fitness Productivity Tip: Time-Based Workouts

I have written about time based workouts before. Tabata intervals and other interval schemes are great if you want to maximize your workouts in a short amount of time.

However, one training method that I have only briefly mentioned is something known as EDT, or Escalated Density Training. EDT is a method developed by Charles Staley that allows you to do more work in a shorter amount of time.

EDT workouts are where you choose two exercises and alternate between them for a set amount of time. That’s all. It really is as simple as that. Well… there are some basic rules to follow:

  1. Select two exercises for different muscle groups. For example, don’t do wide-grip push-ups or Hindu push-ups. Instead, do wide-grip pull-ups and pull-ups. The chest and back muscles are opposite muscle groups. Another way to group your moves is to choose one move for your upper body and one for your lower body.
  2. The difficulty levels of the two exercises should be similar. If you’re doing mostly bodyweight exercises, choose exercises and repetitions that make “sense.” For example, if you can do 25 push-ups in a row, but only 1 pull-up, then that’s not a good combination.
  3. Before you create your workout, determine how much time you have to train throughout the week and how many days you want to train. For example, if you are training 4 days a week, for a total of 60 minutes in the entire week, then each workout will last 15 minutes.
  4. You’re going to need some sort of countdown timer. I have a great countdown tool on my cell phone that makes a loud annoying ringing sound once the time is up. Start your stopwatch, alternate between your two exercises, and keep track of how many rounds you do within your chosen time frame.
  5. Record the total number of repetitions you performed per workout. The idea is to perform at least one repetition the next time you attempt the workout.

Advanced Program Design with EDT

Let’s say you have more than 60 minutes a week to train. You can easily create longer workouts by adding more exercises to your workout. For example, let’s say you have 45 minutes to train per session. Here is a sample template of what a 45 minute workout would look like using the EDT method:

Superset #1: 15 minutes

  • Exercise 1
  • Exercise 2

rest 5 minutes

Superset #2: 10 minutes

  • Exercise 1
  • Exercise 2

rest 5 minutes

Superset #3: 10 minutes

  • Exercise 1
  • Exercise 2

If you only had 30 minutes to train, simply modify your work and rest periods accordingly.

Additional Tips from Coach Staley

Here are some direct tips from Charles Staley to help you maximize your EDT workouts:

  • “…the numbers don’t lie. And when your numbers go up, so does your metabolism, your strength and your physical capacity.”
  • Athletes tend to think in terms of thermodynamics: “Okay, if I treadmill for 90 minutes, I’ll burn at least 400 calories…and then if I only eat 1,400 calories a day, I should burn at least 2 pounds.” of fat a week!” It’s all about seeing how little you can eat and how to make exercise as painful as possible… reminds me a bit of the way anorexics think. Athletes don’t exercise, they TRAIN When you go to the gym or the training room to train, your mindset revolves around performance and PR. You’re trying to improve your performance… you’re trying to improve your technique. And when you think like that, your time in the gym becomes very uplifting and motivating, which leads to consistency and results. Bottom line: when you think and act like an ATHLETE, you tend to LOOK like an athlete. And I think THAT’S what most people are doing. seeking ultimately”.
  • “…that you are moving…that it hurts does not mean that you are progressing or achieving a result. Now, it is true that getting out of your comfort zone will imply some degree of discomfort, but that discomfort is a SIDE EFFECT of the work you did, it should not be the goal. Because when pain becomes the goal, you lose sight of the REAL goal, which is increasing work capacity and achieving new PR.”
  • “Density refers to the work to rest ratio of your training sessions: it’s basically how many repetitions of an exercise you’re doing within a certain time frame (for example, 50 repetitions in 15 minutes). Many people are mistakenly focus exclusively on increasing training intensity, or the amount of weight you can put on the bar.”