10 Reasons To Drink More Water - Learn About The Health Benefits

10 Reasons To Drink More Water - Learn About The Health Benefits

reasons drink more waterHow much water are you currently drinking? Now I don't mean as in tea or coffee, I mean as in pure, clear, nothing-added-to-it water? Do you enjoy the taste of water or do you chug it down as something that you "have" to do? Do you know how much water you should be consuming everyday? Is it 56 ounces, 64 ounces or 112 ounces?

Everyone knows the common recommendation that you need to drink at least eight, 8 ounce glasses of water daily. But for many, especially those who are physically active, you need almost twice as much! When in doubt, shoot for ten 8 ounce glasses of water per day. I personally drink roughly 2 gallons a day!

Need some incentives to drink more water? Here are the top 10 reasons why you should be drinking more!

    Did you know that your body is made up of roughly 50-75% water? Your body uses water in all its cells, organs, and tissues to help regulate its temperature and maintain other bodily functions. Because your body loses water through breathing, sweating, and digestion, it's important to rehydrate by drinking fluids and eating foods that contain water.

    The amount of water you need depends on a variety of factors, including the climate you live in, how physically active you are, and whether you're experiencing an illness or have any other health problems. Fun Fact: This means that 2/3 of your body weight is actually water, the rest is you!

    Dehydration. You should always want to stay in a state of hydration. This is especially important as being dehydrated can become extremely critical if not addressed. Your body loses fluids when you engage in vigorous exercise, sweat in high heat, or come down with a fever or contract an illness that causes vomiting or diarrhea. Fact: Even losing 20% of your total body water could result in death. If you're losing fluids for any of these reasons, it's important to increase your fluid intake so that you can restore your body's natural hydration levels.

    If you're ill, your doctor may also recommend that you drink more fluids to help treat other health conditions, like bladder infections and urinary tract stones. If you're pregnant or nursing, you may want to consult with your physician about your fluid intake because your body will be using more fluids than usual, especially if you're breastfeeding.

    reasons drink more waterWater does more than just quench your thirst and regulate your body's temperature, it also keeps the tissues in your body moist. You know how it feels when your eyes, nose, or mouth gets dry? Keeping your body hydrated helps it retain optimum levels of moisture in these sensitive areas, as well as in the blood, bones, and the brain. In addition, water helps protect the spinal cord, and it acts as a lubricant and cushion for your joints and cartilage tissues.

    Bloating or retaining water. This is a common concern for women, that feeling of being bloated or feeling like you're retaining extra water. Staying hydrated will help combat bloating while keeping you hydrated.

    Digestion. Your body's digestive system starts with the saliva, the basis of which is water. Proper digestion relies on enzymes that are found in your saliva to help break down foods and liquids, and to assist in dissolving minerals and nutrients. Water is also necessary to help you digest soluble fiber (this is a good thing), as fiber can dissolve easily and benefit your bowel health by making well formed, soft stools that are easier to pass.

    Adequate water intake enables your body to excrete waste through perspiration, urination, and defecation. The kidneys and liver use it to help flush out waste, as do your intestines. Water can also keep you from getting constipated by softening your stools and helping move the food you've eaten through your intestinal tract. However, it should be noted that there is no evidence to prove that increasing your fluid intake will cure constipation.

    Not sure if you're hydrated? Are you still thirsty after drinking water? Check your urine. Is it pale yellow to clear? How do you feel? If you're drinking enough, your answer will be YES!

    Water helps to keep your skin clear and youthful, your eyes bright, your smile brighter and your weight lighter!

The Benefits of Water in Review
Most people who are in good physical health get enough fluids by drinking water and other beverages when they're thirsty, and also by drinking a beverage with each of their meals, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you're not sure about your hydration level, look at your urine. If it's clear, you're in good shape. If it's dark, you're probably dehydrated. Now that you know how important the benefits are of drinking water, what are you waiting for?

Bodyweight Bodybuilding - 4 Body Weight Exercises For Maximum Muscle

A few years ago I gave up the iron game. 15 years of lifting heavy stuff in gyms made me bigger and stronger, but it was also causing 5 to 6 nagging reoccurring injuries and mental burnout. In a desperate attempt to alleviate my pains I turned to bodyweight style exercises for a solid month. At first, my goal was to lose as little strength and muscle as possible while I let my body and mind heal. I figured that if I worked really hard I might even be able to maintain my strength levels through such calisthenics training.

You can imagine how surprised and pleased I was to discover that I was bigger and stronger at the end of that month of doing nothing but bodyweight exercises! My injuries were almost all gone and my mind was flooded with fresh motivation, but never had I experienced such a rapid growth in strength and muscle.

It's now 3 years later and I'm still doing bodyweight style bodybuilding. I'm bigger, faster, stronger and far healthier than I ever was while worshiping the iron. This article isn't about how weight lifting is bad or that you should not do it. I have nothing against weight lifting and don't wish to discourage anyone from it. My goal is to spread my enthusiasm for these bodyweight muscle building exercises which are far more potent than people often give them credit for.

The heart of bodyweight bodybuilding consists of these 4 potent exercises:

Pull-Ups - Lat pulldowns can't hold a candle to the exercise that is the first choice for military and law enforcement personnel. The real beauty of the pull-up is that it's extremely functional and requires lots of stabilization, unlike using machines. It's also very friendly to your spine and lower back since your lower body just hangs in the air unlike using free weights. It's powerful, functional, and easy on the spine. What's not to love?

Dips - What, no pushups? Hey pushups are great, but when it comes to really blasting the heck out of your pushing muscles in a safe and effective way, I highly recommend dips. Some folks are afraid of shoulder issues with dips. Yes, you do have to be careful but later on I'll discuss some ways to help make dips super safe and comfortable.

Lunges - Squats are great, but the fact of the matter is that your legs were largely designed for mobility. In fact, most of the work your major leg muscles perform will be to move you from point A to point B. Lunges work your whole lower body in a mobile fashion. They are also great for making your heart rate sky rocket and improving stability in the hips and knees.

Single Leg Squats - Squats rule, we know that, but the basics of leg strength isn't doing squats with a million pounds on your back. It's squatting down and standing back up on one leg with rock solid control (while holding a million pounds).

All 4 of these bodyweight exercises share common traits that make them insanely effective at helping you build lots of muscle and functional strength.

    Each exercise pits your entire body against gravity. The most functional strength you can ever build is the ability to move your entire body in relation to the earth. If you can do that you can do anything as far as mobility and sports performance. It also ensures that every ounce of your body weight is used to create as much tension in the target muscles as possible.

    These exercises require minimal equipment and time. One of the secrets to building a lot of strength and muscle is to use methods that you can maintain a consistent program with for as long as possible. Many muscle building programs are great, but they require so much time and effort that the person only sticks with it for about 6 months to a year. These 4 exercises only require a set of gymnastics rings and maybe a pair of cheap adjustable dumbbells. This simple setup ensures that you'll be able to workout almost anywhere at any time thus making it far easier to stay consistent for years to come.

    bodyweight bodybuilding exercises muscleThese exercises are easy to load with extra weight. A little extra weight can go a long way with these 4 moves. Even an extra 30 pounds can feel like a ton when doing single leg squats. The dips and pull-ups are easy to load up with just a simple dip belt. You can even just use a length of rope or chain if you like. The leg exercises are easy enough to load up by simply holding onto something heavy. Weights, rocks, sandbags, chains, and even small children can work well for weighted lunges and squats.

    All 4 exercises require a lot of stability and control. You don't need stretch bands and balance disks to make exercise functional. All of these moves require balance and stability at every joint in your body. This is especially true for your power joints like your hips and scapula. This stability is also what helps to protect your joints and surrounding tissues. If you feel like something is tight or an issue, move slowly and spend a little extra time isometrically holding the weak points of the move. This will help ensure stable and healthy joints for years to come.

    These exercises will endlessly challenge your skill levels. Adding volume and intensity is fine, but the bulk of strength comes from learning to do your exercises with a higher level of skill and proficiency. You could do nothing but pull-ups and dips for the next 20 years and still learn how to improve your technique. There is no limit to how far you can go!

    These exercises evenly work the entire body through a satisfying range of motion. I have nothing against focusing on a few areas of the body. However, if you want as much muscle and strength as possible, then compound moves are where it's at. These moves work your entire body without leaving a single stone unturned. All of your major joints are flexed and extended in a large range of motion ensuring optimal muscular development and strength.

    Building a routine around these exercises is a piece of cake. You can do a full body routine with 3 sets of 10-12 reps of each exercise. You can do upper body and lower body splits with 2 exercises in each workout. You can even do a simple 3 day split routine between push, pull and leg workouts.

So if you've ever wondered if you can make your strength training super simple, yet still very effective then I highly recommend these 4 bodyweight exercises. They work great on their own and can even be incorporated into a traditional weight lifting routine as well.

Make sure to visit my profile page on ShapeFit.com and let me know if you have any questions and I will help you out with any concerns about bodyweight based bodybuilding.

Even Your Fat Cells Need Sleep, According to New Research

In a study that challenges the long-held notion that the primary function of sleep is to give rest to the brain, researchers have found that not getting enough shut-eye has a harmful impact on fat cells, reducing by 30 percent their ability to respond to insulin, a hormone that regulates energy.

Sleep deprivation has long been associated with impaired brain function, causing decreased alertness and reduced cognitive ability. The latest finding — recently published by University of Chicago Medicine researchers in the Annals of Internal Medicine — is the first description of a molecular mechanism directly connecting sleep loss to the disruption of energy regulation in humans, a process that can lead over time to weight gain, [type 2] diabetes and other health problems. The study suggests that sleep's role in energy metabolism is at least as important as it is in brain function.

"We found that fat cells need sleep to function properly," said study author Matthew Brady, PhD, associate professor of medicine and vice-chair of the Committee on Molecular Metabolism and Nutrition at the University of Chicago.
Brady said body fat plays an important role in humans.

"Many people think of fat as a problem, but it serves a vital function," he said. "Body fat, also known as adipose tissue, stores and releases energy. In storage mode, fat cells remove fatty acids and lipids from the circulation where they can damage other tissues. When fat cells cannot respond effectively to insulin, these lipids leach out into the circulation, leading to serious complications."

Esra Tasali, MD, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Chicago and co-senior author, led the recruitment of six men and one woman, all young, lean and healthy. Each volunteer went through two study conditions, at least four weeks apart. In one, they spent 8.5 hours a night in bed for four consecutive nights. In the other, they spent 4.5 hours in bed for four nights. Food intake, strictly controlled, was identical under both study conditions.

On the morning after the fourth night following both the long and short sleep conditions, each volunteer took an intravenous glucose tolerance test, which measures total-body insulin sensitivity. The researchers performed a biopsy, removing abdominal fat cells from the area near each volunteer's navel. Then they measured how these fat cells responded to insulin.

The researchers assessed insulin sensitivity at the molecular level by measuring the phosphorylation of a protein called Akt within fat cells. Akt phosphorylation is a crucial early chemical step in the cell's response to insulin.

After four nights of short sleep, total-body insulin response decreased by an average of 16 percent. The insulin sensitivity of fat cells decreased by 30 percent. This reduction is comparable to the difference between cells from obese vs. lean participants or from people with [type 2] diabetes versus non-diabetic controls.

They found that the sleep-deprived study participants had a decreased response to a range of doses of insulin. It took nearly three times as much insulin to provoke half of the maximum Akt response in volunteers who had been deprived of sleep.

"Sleeping four to five hours a night, at least on work days, is now a common behavior" said study author and sleep specialist Esra Tasali.

"Some people claim they can tolerate the cognitive effects of routine sleep deprivation," said co-author Eve Van Cauter, PhD, the Frederick H. Rawson Professor of Medicine and director of the sleep, metabolism and health center at the University of Chicago. "In this small but thorough study, however, we found that seven out of seven subjects had a significant change in insulin sensitivity. They are not tolerating the metabolic consequences."

The study was one of the first to bring together sleep research experts and biologists focused on energy regulation and metabolism in adipose tissue. The impetus came from a sleep-research graduate student, Josiane Broussard, PhD '10, lead author of the study and now a Society in Science-Branco Weiss fellow at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. She wanted to combine her interest in sleep and metabolism with research at the molecular level.

So she pulled together a team for this project that included the two sleep researchers, Tasali and Van Cauter, plus two specialists from the University of Chicago Kovler Diabetes Center, David Ehrmann, MD, and Brady, who studies how insulin regulates energy storage in fat and liver cells.

They focused on fat cells because of their direct links to metabolic disruption and weight gain. These cells store energy for the body, are exquisitely sensitive to insulin and help regulate appetite.

Witnessing the direct effect of sleep deprivation on a peripheral tissue such as fat at the cellular level "was an eye-opener," Broussard said. It helps cement the link between sleep and [type 2] diabetes and "suggests that we could use sleep like diet and exercise to prevent or treat this common disease."

Brady said the study opens up many new questions.

"What signals from sleep loss affect the fat cell? What effect does dysfunctional fat have at the whole-body level?" Brady wondered. "And if we can deprive healthy people of sleep and make them worse, can we take sick people, such as those with the common combination of sleep apnea, obesity and [ type 2] diabetes, improve their sleep and make them better? That's the missing link in the sleep-obesity-[type 2] diabetes connection."

This study is "a valuable contribution to the understanding of the causal pathways by which reduced sleep duration may directly contribute to [type 2] diabetes and obesity," according to an editorial in the journal by Francesco Cappuccio, MD, DSc, and Michelle Miller, PhD, of the University of Warwick, in Coventry, United Kingdom. "These results point to a much wider influence of sleep on bodily functions, including metabolism, adipose tissue, cardiovascular function, and possibly more."

Is Dumbbell Fitness Strength Training Worthwhile?

This article will explain why dumbbell fitness strenght training may be exactly what you need. If you are looking for one piece of equipment that can build muscle, increase strength, accelerate your weight loss and increase your cardio workout look no farther than the dumbbell. The dumbbell has become lost in the sea of overly developed workout machines. It seems like every year a new technique for weight loss and strength training is developed. But the basic dumbbell is still the most versatile exercise equipment you can buy.

The very design of the dumbbell makes them extremely versatile. You can add weight as you progress in your strength training. You can use them for single arm exercises or bilateral arm exercises. Dumbbells can be used in chest development, arm development, leg muscle development and development of all the other major muscle groups.

Dumbbells can be used for heavy lifting to increase your strength. While most bodybuilders are looking to increase their muscle mass, the everyday man or woman is looking for exercises to build strength for the jobs and sports that they engage in everyday. This is where heavy lifting with the dumbbells come into play. Doing specific exercises with heavier dumbbells will build your strength and strengthen your core to stabilize your body. With dumbbell lifting you can improve your lung and heart function and burn off excess fat.

It is important to remember that the dumbbell training we are talking about is not the wimpy, lightweight, dumbbells that are advertised for toning and sculpting. We are talking about the good, old fashioned dumbbells that are heavy and have the ability to burn more fat and increase your strength in a very short amount of time.

It is important that you do warm up, stretching exercises before you start your dumbbell strength training. Warming up the muscles will enhance flexibility and help you to avoid damage. After your exercise, the proper cool down is vital to the repair and recovery of muscles so that they can be ready for the next session.

Eating a well balanced diet high in proteins will enhance your dumbbell strength training. Don't cut out the carbohydrates, because you will need those for energy and stamina. The most important thing that you can do for your body during and after a workout is to drink plenty of water. This will help flush your body of toxins that may have been released during your workout session.

The dumbbell may look like a simple piece of exercise equipment, but it is the best that you can get for strength training and fat burning. Follow an exercise regimen with your dumbbells that consist of slow lift sets, quick lift sets and a combination of the two. The results that you achieve will astound you and you will wonder why you haven't taken up dumbbell fitness strength training before now.

Understanding The Term Yoga

The term yoga is a common word in the Sanskrit language, which is the language in which most of the Yoga scriptures are written. It also happens to be one of the most versatile Sanskrit terms, having a whole range of meanings that extend from simple "union" to "team," "constellation," and "conjunction." It is derived from the verbal root yuj, meaning "to harness, yoke, prepare, equip, and fasten."

The male practitioner of Yoga is referred to as a yogin or yogi and the female practitioner as a yogini. Common synonyms are yoga-vid meaning "knower of Yoga" and yukta meaning "yoked one". Sometimes the word yoga-yuj, meaning "one who is yoked in Yoga" is used. A master of Yoga may be referred to as a yoga raj ("king of Yoga") or yogendra (from yoga and indra, meaning "lord").

In addition to yoga and yukta, the verbal root yuj also yields the old Sanskrit word yuga, denoting "yoke," which is the literal yoke placed on an ox and the yoke or burden of the years. It is probably in the latter, metaphoric sense that yuga is applied to the four great world cycles, which according to Hinduism, continuously revolve, thus creating history. At present we are believed to be in the final world age, the kali-yuga, in which spirituality and morality are at their lowest ebb. The kali-yuga is the Dark Age, which is destined to terminate in a convulsive cataclysm, accompanied by a major purging of humanity. Thereafter a new Golden Age will begin, starting the four-phase cycle all over again.

The term yoga is closely related to a number of words in various Indo-European languages, including the English yoke, the German Joch, and the Latin iugum, which all have the same meaning. In a spiritual context, the word yoga can have two primary meanings. It can stand for either "union" or "discipline." In most cases, both connotations are present when the term yoga is applied. Therefore, dhyana-yoga is the unitive discipline of meditation; samnyasa-yoga is the
unitive discipline of renunciation; karma-yoga is the unitive discipline of self-transcending action; kriya-yoga is the unitive discipline of ritual; bhakti-yoga is the unitive discipline of love and devotion to the Divine, and so on.

What does the term unitive mean? It describes Yoga's disciplined approach to simplifying one's consciousness and energy to the level where we no longer experience any inner conflict and are able to live in harmony with the universe. In addition, unitive specifically refers to the goal of many branches and schools of Yoga, which is to realize our essential nature, the Self (atman, purusha), by consciously uniting with it. This understanding of Yoga is characteristic of those teachings that subscribe to a nondualist metaphysics according to which the Self is the ultimate singular Reality underlying all events.

Yoga and Health: An Alternative Form of Exercise

Yoga has long been used as an alternative form of healthy exercise. Today, a variety of yoga schools have become popular, so if you want to try this technique of healing and preventative health, research them all before signing up for a class. Yoga can be very helpful if you are suffering from pain or disease, but, as always, discuss this change in your exercise regimen with your doctor before you begin so that you can be sure yoga will work for you.

Iyengar is the yoga of props and slow pose progression. Correct form is important, and so your instructor will stress this. It is an extremely useful kind of yoga for beginners to try, and people with disabilities or physical restrictions can also use Iyengar yoga. Props that are used help people overcome back and joint problems. Iyengar yoga, in short, teaches the fundamentals, and so this is an important kind of yoga to use if you are new to yoga.

Power yoga, or Ashtanga yoga, is the most athletic form of yoga and used by those who want a difficult work out. Flexibility, stamina, and strength are all heavily stressed with this form of yoga, and meditation is not as important and usually not taught at all. A warm temperature is beneficial to this style to lessen muscle strain, so power yoga can also be combined with hot yoga, which is a highly physical workout done in temperatures of 100 degrees or even more in some cases. Breath control is important here, and the progression is swift to maximize athletic benefit. Ashtanga yoga is not as beneficial for beginners and can be especially difficult for those who are not accustomed to exercising. Hatha yoga can be viewed as the opposite of this, and is a more relaxing kind of workout that is concerned not only with physical well being, but also with mental and spiritual healthiness. Most types of yoga include aspects of Hatha yoga, and these techniques are important for beginners to learn.

Kundalini is a more spiritual type of yoga exercise, and includes chanting, guided relaxation and meditations, and visualizations. It can be done by anyone of any religious practice, although yoga first began with Eastern religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism. Kundalini heals the body, emotions, and mind. Posture and breathing is important in this type of yoga, and those overcoming addiction have found Kundalini especially helpful.

Other kinds of yoga may also be beneficial to you and your health. Be sure to choose a routine that is not too easy or, on the other hand, too difficult. Talk with your doctor or a yoga instructor for more information.

Beginners Course About Using Free-Weights

Free weights are bars with weight plates on each end. The long bars are called barbells and the short bars are called dumbbells. It takes two hands to hoist a barbell. You can lift a dumbbell with one hand (although you might do some exercises using two hands on a single dumbbell).

Barbells and dumbbells are called free weights because they're not attached to any chains, cables, or weight stacks. You are free to do with them whatever you want, although we recommend using them for strength training.

At most gyms, you can find a wide array of dumbbells, lined up from lightest, usually 3 pounds, to heaviest, as much as 120 pounds. At larger gyms, you also find a selection of bars with plates welded to each end, starting with 20 pounds and increasing in 10-pound increments. Virtually every gym has bars without weight plates on each end. The bar alone usually weighs 45 pounds. To increase the weight, you attach round plates with a hole drilled through the center and secure the plates with clips called collars.

An assortment of these weight plates - typically from 2'/2 pounds to 45 pounds - sits on a rack near the bars. If you want to lift 75 pounds, you add a 10-pound plate and a 5-pound plate to each side of the 45-pound bar. After you're finished, be sure to remove these plates and put them back in their proper place. Otherwise, you risk unfriendly stares from the staff and the guy who uses the bar after you.

Free weights are a lot more versatile than machines. Whereas a weight machine is designed for one particular motion, a single pair of dumbbells can be used to perform literally hundreds of exercises. For instance, you can push dumbbells overhead to work your shoulders, press them backward to tone your triceps, or hold one in each hand while you squat to work your thighs and butt muscles. You can change the feel and emphasis of an exercise by simply changing the way you grip the bar or dumbbell.

Another important benefit of free weights is that they work your muscles in a way that closely mimics real-life movements. Machines tend to isolate a particular muscle so that the rest of your muscles don't get any action; free-weight training requires several muscles to move, balance, and steady a weight as you lift and lower it.

Free weight exercises allow you to strengthen muscles that wouldn't get much work if you were doing isolation exercises with machines. Some people find that they gain strength and increase in size faster when they do the majority of their exercises with free weights. Finally, you'll never look more impressive than when you're slinging around massive hunks of metal.

There are some drawbacks of using free-weights, however. For some novices, free-weight exercises are hard to get the hang of. You need more instruction than you do with machines - there are a lot more mistakes to make and injuries to avoid.

Also, free-weight exercises require more balance than machine moves. And If you're short on time, a free-weight workout probably will take you longer than a machine workout. Instead of simply putting a pin in a weight stack, you might have to slide weight plates on and off a bar.

And lastly, don't think that barbells and dumbbells are for advanced weight lifters only. Beginners can use 'em, too. However, anyone using free weights needs to be very careful, even with lightweights.