DIET

Diet which contains 80% to a good health is the amount of food we consume and the word diet often implies the use of specific intake of nutrition for health or weight-management reasons. Dietary habits are the habitual decisions an individual or culture makes when choosing what foods to eat. This may be due to personal tastes or ethical reasons. Individual dietary choices may be more or less healthy.

Proper nutrition requires ingestion and absorption of vitamins, minerals, and food energy in the form of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Balanced Diet plays a significant role in the quality of life, health and longevity. It can be define as consumption of all the classes of food in the right proportion.

When we remove the “T” at end of the word “DIET” it means DIE which implies that most people actually eat to die and not live, that’s why it is very necessary we balance our diet always

WHAT MAKES A BALANCED DIET?

A balanced diet means getting the right types and amounts of foods and drinks to supply nutrition and energy for maintaining body cells, tissues, and organs, and for supporting normal growth and development.

World Health Organization (WHO) uses an illustration called the CHAIN OF LIFE to represent this

Among these six nutrients, which one do we eat more?

The answer: Carbohydrates and protein. Our diet lacks the other four nutrients.

Among the six nutrients, which one is more important? LIPIDS and STEROLS

Lipids and Sterols feed our cells and make it more permeable for nutrients.

Example of healthy cell with lipid and sterols

Nutrients gets in and waste gets out easily

Example of unhealthy cell without lipid and sterols

Nutrients can't get in and waste can't get out either 

There are certain things a healthy cell contain that actually makes it healthy while there certain things unhealthy cells also contains that makes it unhealthy

Percentage as to how we should take these nutrients

Fat and Carbohydrate (Sugar)        -           5%

Proteins                                              -           15%

Fruits & Vegetables                          -           30%

Whole Grains                                     -           50%

Below is a healthy food pyramid

Fats and Carbohydrate

Eat little because it is dangerous to health. The end product of carbohydrate is Sugar

Many people believe that weight gain is mainly due to eating too many carbohydrates.  In fact, people gain weight because they eat too many calories, which is not the same thing: calories come from carbohydrates (4 calories per gram), proteins (4 calories per gram) and fats (9 calories per gram). Most people consume too many refined carbohydrates such as white bread. We tend to eat more of this because of the fact that its more cheaper and easier to get.

Eating simple carbohydrates such as cake, candy and chocolate causes the body to experience rapidly fluctuating glucose levels. Studies have shown that these sudden changes in glucose can make you feel hungrier faster than normal. The increase in appetite can also cause overeating at the next meal; studies suggest calorie intake increases by 150 to 500 calories after glucose fluctuations. Eating too many carbohydrates can contribute to weight gain. In a normal diet, carbohydrates are broken down in the body and used as energy. Any excess carbohydrates are stored as blood glucose. Your body can only hold so much glucose, so once your glucose store is maximized, the excess glucose is converted to fat, and unwanted weight begins to appear.

Beyond the issues of weight gain, appetite control, and energy levels lie serious health concerns associated with eating too many. Insulin is the hormone in the body that is used to control glucose levels after eating carbohydrates. Insulin resistance occurs when the body is so flooded with insulin that the body becomes immune to insulin levels. This causes the body to think that it needs more insulin. As the body continues to produce excess insulin, the excess is stored in the blood, which can lead to Type 2 Diabetes. Other effects of insulin resistance can include high cholesterol and high blood pressure. There are no outward symptoms of insulin resistance, but a blood glucose test can be used to determine if someone is insulin resistant.

Although eating carbohydrates in excess can be damaging to your health, it's important to keep in mind that healthy sources of carbohydrates, such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables are an important part of a balanced diet.

In addition, while there may be good reason to prevent rapid rises in blood sugar, especially for people with diabetes, simpler advice includes avoiding refined carbohydrates and empty calorie foods, and consuming plenty of fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains.  Simpler advice also includes limiting calories and portion sizes if weight control is your goal.  In short, you can eat a healthy diet without ever having to consult a nutritionist.

Protein

Eat little: protein has high cholesterol which is dangerous to health.

Health Benefits

Proteins are the building blocks of any living organism. They are composed of chains of 20 different kinds of amino acids. Proteins constitute life in the form of enzymes, antibodies, hormones, hair, nail, bone, teeth, hemoglobin (blood protein), neurotransmitters, skin or as the basic components of any cell in our body.

Proteins are indispensable for growth and maintenance of every kind of cell in our body. Body development, replenishment of lost blood, healing of wounds and scars, replacement of dead cells, and hair and nail growth need proteins. Proteins in the form of enzymes, hormones and antibodies promote healthy metabolic and physiological processes, and boost our nervous and immunity systems. In situations when fat and carbohydrate food sources are not providing adequate calories, proteins are degraded to generate the calories our body needs.

The 8 essential amino acids that we need to intake through our diet

Tryptophan

Helps with the production of serotonin, promoting health sleeping patterns; combats depression, stabilizes mood, alleviates stress, assists weight control and aids in the control of hyperactivity in children.

Lysine

Essential for bone growth and development (especially in children), maintains the body’s nitrogen balance, assists in absorption of calcium, helps to produce enzymes, hormones and antibodies and aids the recovery of surgical procedures and sporting injuries.

Methionine

A great antioxidant, which aids digestion, muscle strength and helps to prevent brittle hair and fat build up in the liver and arteries.

Valine

Maintains the body’s nitrogen balance and helps with tissue repair and muscle metabolism.

Leucine

Helps to repair damage to the skin, bones and muscles, and therefore a great aid to recovery after undergoing surgery.

Isoleucine

Delivers energy to the muscles.

Threonine

Another amino acid that hinders the build up of fats in the liver; it also helps your body to sustain the correct balance of protein.

Phenylalanine

Synthesizes the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinepthrine, which help us to stay alert; phenylalanine improves mood, memory and learning capacity, helps to alleviate pain and also acts as an appetite suppressant.

Sources of Protein

CHOLESTEROL

We all know that protein is supposed to be good for us, but what does it do exactly? Protein is essential for a balanced diet, because it builds muscle and collagen. According to the director of health promotion & communication at Harvard University, Dr. Lilian Cheung, protein is the building block of enzymes, hormones, immune factors and many other molecules that are critical to the body. Harvard’s online magazine, Nutrition Source, states, “Adults need a minimum of one gram of protein for every kilogram of body weight per day to keep from slowly breaking down their own tissues.

Back in 1983, researchers first discovered that eating more protein increases your "glomerular filtration rate," or GFR. Think of GFR as the amount of blood your kidneys are filtering per minute. From this finding, many scientists made the leap that a higher GFR places your kidneys under greater stress.

This goes to red meat lovers as well as for fish fanatics and egg enthusiasts: because a healthy diet doesn't have to be restricted to chicken breasts and grain burgers. Grilling a lean slab of beef tenderloin without heavy sauce or greasy sides is a good way to get protein. And though eggs have been frowned upon in the past, they can actually be a good addition to a diet, as long as the yolk, which contains the bulk of fat and cholesterol is removed

Here are few examples of what we are talking about 

Your body makes cholesterol, and you get it also when you eat eggs, meats, and dairy products. When you have more than your body needs, cholesterol can cause plaque to build up in your arteries. This thick, hard plaque can clog your arteries like a blocked pipe. Reduced blood flow can lead to a stroke or heart attack.

Cholesterol Hazards to the body

If there is a clog in a coronary artery, your heart gets too little blood and oxygen. Without enough oxygen, your heart becomes weak and damaged. If the plaque breaks open, a blood clot may form on top of the buildup, further blocking blood flow and a blood clot can also break off and flow to an artery in another part of the body. If a clot completely blocks an artery feeding your heart, you have a heart attack.Plaque buildup can also keep your brain from getting enough blood and oxygen. If a clot completely blocks an artery feeding your brain, you have a stroke

LIME JUICE

Kick starting your day with a glass of fresh lime water can protect you from numerous health diseases.

Lime water is the best solution for enhancing the performance of your natural digestive system. Whether you are suffering from heartburn or bloating, a glass of warm lime water can help you immensely in getting rid of indigestion as well as abdominal gas. 

When it comes to purifying the body naturally, nothing can be better than a glass of lime water. It flushes out all toxins from your bloodstream and rejuvenates you completely.

The high potassium content of lime is essential for keeping your blood pressure under control. So, consuming lime water every day is essential for staying away from hypertension or high blood pressure.

Vitamin C is one of the most vital nutrients that can give a boost to your immune system. As lime water comprises adequate amount of this vitamin, regular intake of it can result in a stronger immune system. Good immunity is the first and foremost condition needs to be fulfilled for getting a sound respiratory system. Lime water can enhance your immunity to a great extent, which eventually helps to keep cold, cough, flu, sore throat, etc. at bay.

Vitamin C, which works as an antioxidant and fights against damaging free radicals to prevent the substantial increase of cholesterol levels in the body. Therefore no cholesterol build-up is found in the internal walls of the blood vessels and the entire cardiovascular system remains well.

Gout patients can also be benefited by lime water. The disease is a result of excessive accumulation of harmful uric acid as well as free radicals in the body and lime water is helpful in curing both of them. Flavonoids present in the drink serves the purpose of a detoxifier and eliminated uric acid from your internal system, while the vitamin C works as a free radical scavenger.

Fresh lime water accelerates the formation of urinary citrate in the body, which helps in decomposing kidney stones and averts the production of new crystals at the same time. As mentioned previously, the presence of potassium is high in lime water. It is helpful in eliminating waste materials from kidneys, keeping the urinary bladder free of toxins, avoiding the abnormal growth of prostate, removing calcium deposits from the urinary tract and so on.

According to scientists, lime is effective in providing protection against cancer to some extent. It contains certain compounds called limonins and kaempferol, which turns the fruit into a good anti-carcinogen. Kaempferol promotes regulated cell division, while limonins fight against breast, mouth, lungs, colorectal, skin and stomach cancers significantly.

Flavonoids present in lime are responsible for its antibiotic and antiseptic properties. Hence, drinking lime water every day in the morning can help you stay away from a number of infections.  Lime water is a true blessing for overweight people. Due to its zero fat, zero cholesterol and low calorie content, it is always ideal for losing body weight fast and effectively.

Lots of oral problems, such as acute pain in tooth, bad breath, bleeding gums etc. can be cured by consuming fresh lime water in a regular manner.

Why spend money in purchasing expensive skincare products when you can get all those lime water benefits.

Drinking lime water is an excellent way to restore your age. Being loaded with antioxidants, it prevents free radicals from damaging the skin cells and repairs the damages caused by UV rays at the same time. As a result, you get young-looking skin for a longer period.

Lime water helps to keep your skin nourished and hydrated, thereby reducing several issues like wrinkles, dry skin, patches, blemishes, rashes etc. Vitamin C content of lime is very efficient in detoxifying the blood and making your internal system pure. Furthermore, it smoothens out the procedure of digestion, which facilitates the absorption of essential nutrients by cells. All these result in a healthy, clear and glowing skin.

Lime water can improve your skin tone to a great extent. Regular intake of it synthesizes a fair amount of collagen in your body, which firms the skin and gives you a soft and toned look.

Daily intake of lime water helps you meet your fluid requirement. It reduces dandruff dramatically, which eventually helps you combat the serious issue of hair loss.

Untimely graying of hair can be treated with lime water successfully. Regular consumption of lime adds extra shine and smoothness to your tresses.

WATER

Most people today do not realize the importance of water to our overall health. True health cannot occur without proper hydration of the body. Your total body contains about 60 to 70 percent water. Blood is mostly water, and your muscles, lungs, and brain all contain a lot of water. Your body needs water to regulate body temperature provide the means for nutrients to travel to through all your organs. Water also transports oxygen to your cells, removes waste, and protects your joints and organs. When the body does not receive a constant, reliable supply of fresh water, it has to ration what's available and cut back on certain functions in order to make the supply go round. Essential systems like the brain are prioritized, others are impaired or cut back until the brain has had its needs met. The skin, being the least important, is rationed the least amount of water. 

Chronically dry skin and/or dandruff are signs of advanced bodily dehydration, as are asthma and hyperventilation. Other signs of mild dehydration include chronic pains in joints and muscles, lower back pain, headaches and constipation. Constipation is a sign of water starvation, as the body's intestinal peristaltic action extracts every precious drop of water from your food, to save losing it, creating gridlock. Another sign to the lack of water in the body is a strong odour to your urine, along with a dark yellow or amber colour indicates that you may not be getting enough water. Note that riboflavin, a B vitamin, will make your urine bright yellow. Thirst is an obvious sign of dehydration and in fact, you need water long before you feel thirsty. The thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.

Water makes up more than two thirds of human body weight, and without water, we would die in a few days. The human brain is made up of 95% water, blood is 82% and lungs 90%. A mere 2% drop in our body's water supply can trigger signs of dehydration: fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on smaller print, such as a computer screen. (Are you having trouble reading this? Drink up!) Mild dehydration is also one of the most common causes of daytime fatigue.

Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%.The biggest trigger of daytime fatigue is lack of water.

Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic maths, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.

Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, breast cancer by 79%, and developed bladder cancer by 50%.

Most of us have become CHRONICALLY AND DANGEROUSLY DEHYDRATED (especially the elderly), since we have decided that water is too bland to drink and instead replace it with tea, coffee, beer, wine, sodas, flavored water and other chemical-laced water alternatives. These alternatives do not hydrate the body as many are diuretic (water expelling) in their effect because of their chemical composition. 

Water expert Dr. Fereydoon Batmanghelidj maintains that asthmas, allergies, diabetes, arthritis, angina, stomach upsets, chronic intestinal complaints and certain others degenerative illnesses are the bodies many cries for water, complaints which are dramatically improved with a consistent and long-term intake of fresh, clean water. Flushing the body with a constant long-term supply of good clean fresh water, is a superb way to assist with detoxification and hydration and is especially important for anyone with cancer. Your body requires approximately 2litres of water a day for optimum health.

  

A great time to start your daily intake of water would be very early in the morning, a glass or

two about ½ an hour prior to breakfast, as the body is detoxifying and repairing from 4am until 12 noon. Drink a glass of water half an hour before a meal and then may be two glasses around three hours afterwards for optimum health. So it would make sense to get into the habit of drinking plenty of clean water on a daily basis, get your kids into the habit for without this essential habit you simply will not be healthy. If you drink tap water ensure that a carbon filter is attached to produce chlorine and solvent free water to drink. Avoid plastic bottled water which can be contaminated with chemicals from the plastic. Mineral water in glass bottles is fine. In the event that you live in a fluoridated area, reverse osmosis or back wash filters should be used to remove the fluoride poisons.

Importance of water to the body system

Water is the medium for various enzymatic & chemical reactions in the body. It moves nutrients, hormones, antibodies, & oxygen through the blood stream & lymphatic system. The proteins & enzymes of the body function more efficiently in solutions of lower viscosity. 

Water is the solvent of the body & it regulates all functions, including the activity of everything it dissolves & circulates.

Water helps regulate our body temperature through perspiration, which dissipates excess heat & cools our bodies.

We even need water to breathe! As we take in oxygen & excrete CO2, our lungs must be moistened by water. We lose about 1 to 2 pints of water each day just exhaling.

Asthma is frequently relieved when water intake is increased. Histamine plays a key role in regulating the way the body uses & distributes water & helps control the body' s defense mechanisms. In asthmatics, histamine level increases with dehydration. Our defense for the body is to close down the airways.

The kidneys remove wastes such as uric aced, urea & lactic acid, all of which must be dissolved in water. When there isn't sufficient water, those wastes are not effectively removed, which may result in damage to the kidneys.

Water lubricates our joints. The cartilage tissues found at the ends of long bones & between the vertebrae of the spine hold a lot of water, which serves as a lubricant during the movement of the joint. When the cartilage is will hydrated, the two opposing surfaces glide freely, & friction damage is minimal. If the cartilage is dehydrated, the rate of "abrasive" damage is increased, resulting in joint deterioration & increased pain.

The actively growing blood cells in the bone marrow take priority over the cartilage for the available water that goes through the bone structure.

Rheumatoid joint pain frequently decreases with increased water intake & flexing exercises to bring more circulation to the joints.

75% of the upper body weight is supported by the water volume that is stored in the spinal disc core. 25% is supported by the fibrous materials around the disc. The spinal joints are dependent on different hydraulic properties of water which is stored in the disc core. Back pain is frequently alleviated with hydration.

Brain tissue is 85% water. Although the brain is only 1/50th of the body weight, it uses 1/20th of the blood supply. With dehydration, the level of energy generation in the brain is decreased. Depression & chronic fatigue syndrome are frequently results of dehydration.

Migraine headaches may be an indicator of critical body temperature regulation at times of "heat stress." Dehydration plays a major role in bringing on migraines. Dehydration causes stress & stress causes further dehydration.

Benefits of Water to the body

It Prevents Sickness

If you often fall sick, it could be that you're not drinking enough water. Water plays a crucial role in maintaining a healthy a lymphatic system. When this system is balanced, your body can properly fight off infection that tries to enter into the body. Studies have also shown that dehydration leads to higher cortisol levels and, in turn, stress and sickness.

It Hydrates Your Cells

After a long night's rest, it is common to wake up dehydrated. Hydration first thing in the morning is important, because it increases the rate at which new muscle and blood cells are produced. A hydrated body allows for a healthy flow of oxygen, allowing you to stay alert and energized.

It Aids in Weight Loss

Consider water a wake-up call for your digestive system! Drinking water on an empty stomach in the morning boosts your metabolism heading into the day. In fact, research shows that an increase in water consumption leads to an increase in the rate at which people burn calories as opposed to storing them as fat. Water also fills you up, curbing your appetite. Chances are that starting your day off with a It

Detoxifies the Body

Water, especially lemon water, is a natural detoxifier. Drinking water flushes out toxins and impurities. Not only does this keep you healthy, but it also leads to clear skin. Water purifies the colon too, allowing for the proper absorption of nutrients. While a plain glass of water is great, adding lemon increases the rate of urination in the body, maximizing enzyme function and stimulating the liver for detoxification. Healthy glass of water instead of a sugary latte will help you make smarter choices throughout the rest of your day.

Increased nutrient absorption

 Drinking water on an empty stomach purifies the colon, making it easier for your body to absorb nutrients.

New cell production

 Our blood is composed of about 83% water, while lean muscle tissue is approximately 75% water.  Early morning water consumption increases the daily production of new blood and muscle cells.

Clear, moisturized skin

 It’s no coincidence that it’s called the “fountain” of youth.  Water helps to purge toxins from the blood, which helps keep your skin glowing, moisturized and clear.  This gives you a more youthful appearance, and over time visibly reduces signs of aging.

 Balanced lymph system

Your lymph nodes act as filters for foreign particles and are important in the proper functioning of the immune system.  Lymph fluids circulate throughout the body, helping you perform multiple daily functions – including balancing your bodily fluids and fighting off infection.

Water is a natural healer on its own and could also solve some health issues some drugs might not properly heal that's why its very important and essential to the body system

EXCERCISE

Exercise is a very important factor to consider if you really want to have a good health. Now don’t confuse exercise with stress. A lot of people stress themselves thinking they are exercising. Exercise should be a conscious effort,

History

The benefits of exercise have been known since antiquity. Marcus Cicero, around 65 BC, stated: "It is exercise alone that supports the spirits, and keeps the mind in vigor. However, the link between physical health and exercise (or lack of it) was only discovered in 1949 and reported in 1953 by a team led by Jerry Morris. Dr. Morris noted that men of similar social class and occupation (bus conductors versus bus drivers) had markedly different rates of heart attacks, depending on the level of exercise they got. Bus drivers had a sedentary occupation and a higher incidence of heart disease, while bus conductors were forced to move continually and had a lower incidence of heart disease.

Categories of Exercise includes

Flexibility Exercise

This type of exercise mostly requires stretching parts of our body to make the whole joints as flexible as possible 

                                                  

 

Benefits of Flexibility Exercise and Physical Activity

Enhance thinking and quick decision 

Reduce the risk of premature death

Reduce the risk of developing and/or dying from heart disease

Reduce high blood pressure or the risk of developing high blood pressure

Reduce high cholesterol or the risk of developing high cholesterol

Reduce the risk of developing colon cancer and breast cancer

Reduce the risk of developing diabetes

Enhanced work, recreation, and sport performance

Reduce or maintain body weight or body fat

Build and maintain healthy muscles, bones, and joints

Reduce depression and anxiety

Improve psychological well-being

Aerobic Exercise

Imagine that you're exercising. You're working up a sweat, you're breathing hard, your heart is thumping, blood is coursing through your vessels to deliver oxygen to the muscles to keep you moving, and you sustain the activity for more than just a few minutes. That's aerobic exercise (also known as "cardio" in gym lingo); any activity that you can sustain for more than just a few minutes while your heart, lungs, and muscles work overtime. In this article, I'll discuss the mechanisms of aerobic exercise: oxygen transport and consumption, the role of the heart and the muscles, the proven benefits of aerobic exercise, how much you need to do to reap the benefits, and more

Aerobic activity is often coined either High Impact or Low Impact. The basic difference is that one foot always stays on the floor and supports the weight of the body in low-impact aerobics. High-impact aerobics include actions that take both feet off the floor, thus causing more jarring of the joints when the body weight hits the floor again. An example of Low Impact is walking while High Impact is jogging or jumping up and down.

The point is not to make physical activity an unwelcome chore, but to make the most of the opportunities you have to be active.

Aerobic Exercise

Skating

Rowing

Bicycling

Skipping

Jogging

Brisk Walking

Racket Sports

Swimming

It is important to start at a low intensity and increase this over the following few weeks as the exercise feels easier. For example, 35 minutes of walking, jogging or a combination of walking/jogging may be sufficient to leave you rather breathless and fairly tired at the start of your program, but as the weeks go by, you may need to increase the pace or introduce jogging up some shallow hills to achieve a further increase in fitness. To continue to increase your fitness level, you will have to increase the time spent exercising aerobically to an hour per session for up to five sessions per week.

Walking up the stairs instead of using the elevator will also do a great contribution to the health too.

Playing actively with the kids will be a good thing and make them get used to it as time goes on

Benefits of Aerobic Exercise

Increased maximal oxygen consumption 

Improvement in cardiovascular/cardiorespiratory function (heart and lungs)

Increased maximal cardiac output (amount of blood pumped every minute)

Increased maximal stroke volume (amount of blood pumped with each beat)

Increased blood volume and ability to carry oxygen

Reduced workload on the heart (myocardial oxygen consumption) for any given submaximal exercise intensity

Increased blood supply to muscles and ability to use oxygen

Lower heart rate and blood pressure at any level of submaximal exercise

Increased threshold for lactic acid accumulation

Lower resting systolic and diastolic blood pressure in people with high blood pressure

Increased HDL Cholesterol (the good cholesterol)

Decreased blood triglycerides

Reduced body fat and improved weight control

Improved glucose tolerance and reduced insulin resistance

Strength Exercise

Strength exercises make your muscles stronger. Even small increases in strength can make a big difference in your ability to stay independent and carry out everyday activities, such as climbing stairs and carrying groceries. These exercises also are called "strength training" or "resistance training."

Lifting weights

Using a resistance band

             

   
   
    


Benefits of Strength Exercise

Increased muscular strength

Increased strength of tendons and ligaments

Potentially improves flexibility (range of motion of joints)

Reduced body fat and increased lean body mass (muscle mass)

Potentially decreases resting systolic and diastolic blood pressure

Positive changes in blood cholesterol

Improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity

Improved strength, balance, and functional ability in older adults

Regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your health. It can help

Control your weight

Lower your risk of heart disease

Lower your risk for type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome

Lower your risk of some cancers

Strengthen your bones and muscles

Improve your mental health and mood

Improve your ability to do daily activities and prevent falls, if you're an older adult

Increase your chances of living longer

Advantages to using Strength Exercises

There are many advantages to using strength exercises.

Muscle Isolation

Performing strength exercises require that your body be securely held in place for optimal muscle isolation. This means that strength exercises are most effective at isolating specific muscles to produce optimal workout results.

Lowered Risk of Injury

Because your body is held securely in place the chance of injury is oftentimes lowered as a result, compared to say using dumbbell exercises where you would need to pick up heavy weights from the floor, etc. 

Speed

Strength exercises require little in the form of setting up or manipulations of the equipment required. Since most equipment are designed for a single strength exercise, this means that very little time is wasted, which leaves you more time to actually work out.

Why this may be construed as one of the disadvantages of strength training- This scares women like crazy. We are afraid to lift anything over 3 pounds because we do not want to look like one of the guys. Don’t worry! You won’t bulk up! It is so hard for women to add tons of lean muscle mass and even harder for women to look muscular and ‘cut’. Women need strength training just as much as the guys. It is the best tool we have for fat loss.

Fitting regular exercise into your daily schedule may seem difficult at first. But even ten minutes at a time is fine. The key is to find the right exercise for you. It should be fun and should match your abilities.