Dark Chocolate Goji Berries Are Healthy And Delicious

By William Edgar

Who'd have thought that is would be possible for a chocolate treat to actually be good for you? Well now you can buy dark chocolate covered goji berries, which have a huge amount of health benefits. Goji berries have been part of the diet of Tibetans for centuries and are also a part of Chinese medicine. The health benefits of dark chocolate goji berries will allow you to treat yourself without the guilt, and improve your health at the same time!

The Goji berry, also known as the Wolf-berry, is the fruit of the boxthorn plant. It is a native species of South-east Europe and Asia. They are a small orange berry with most of the commercial supply being cultivated in China, in the north central region and the western regions. The fruit is mainly prepared in dry form, although it is also possible to make a delicious drink from its juice.

Goji berries are jammed packed with vitamins, minerals, amino acids and immune-enhancing polysaccharides. They are said to slow down the effects of ageing and many people in Tibet swear by them. Dark chocolate also has many health benefits. Combine the two, and you have a sweet healthy snack!

This fruit contains copious amounts of nutrients and phytochemicals. These include, antioxidants, plysaaharides, monosaccharides, phytosterols, caroenoids, amino acids and essential vitamins and fatty acids.

Goji berries are very high in antioxidants which have anti-aging properties. Antioxidants work by minimizing any damage from the free radicals that can cause harm to DNA and cells. This can seriously reduce the risk of disease. The fruit is also high in vitamin A, which also has anti-aging properties as it boosts the immune system and helps prevent heart disease.

Recent studies into the fruit have revealed that they can be extremely good for mental well-being and can even help prevent the onset of Alzheimer's disease. Other recently discovered health benefits include, increased happiness, and improved sleep. Goji berries contain 15 times more iron than spinach and has high levels of calcium, zinc and selenium.

Dark chocolate is also highly beneficial to health. Although it is high in fat, it is also high in antioxidants. having ingredients that are very good at slowing down the effects of ageing helping to lower blood pressure and improve overall blood flow. In turn, this helps the brain function and reduce the risk of strokes; it can also help prevent blood clots from forming.

Dark chocolate coated Goji berries are not only a tasty treat, they can also significantly improve your health. There are many excellent suppliers of these sweets, some of which offer fully organic products. Naturally Goji are one of these suppliers and are globally trusted. Feel free to check out this tasty new treat also with significant health benefits.

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Important Weight Loss Plan With Organic Foods

By Villette Martiniu

When you make a diet plan, by eating natural and organic foods it will be a healthier plan, even though there are many different plans to pick from. You may be counting your calories, thinking low-calorie foods are good for you, but many have ingredients that are actually bad for you. Organic foods can keep you feeling your best as you work at losing those extra pounds.

The best approach to your diet is not using foods that are low-fat, or fat-free, as a lot of dieters are taught. It is important to have animal products in your diet, because they contain saturated fats and they're need for good health. Of course, if you've chosen a vegan or vegetarian diet for ethical reasons, you can find healthy sources of saturated fat elsewhere, but high quality animal products can be a good source of it for non-vegetarians. Animals have been given growth hormones and antibiotics, and even pesticides from the foods they have eaten, so it would be a good idea to use meat or dairy products that are natural or organic. So if you eat animal products, stick to free range chickens and poultry, grass-fed beef and preferably products marked organic.

When you buy organic foods, you will be helping improve the environment, and at the same time your own health will be improved. In order to protect the land better, the farming that is non-organic, should change and become organic. This is a type of farming that works in harmony with nature, as opposed to simply trying to get as large a yield as possible.

Of course, if you're concerned about the environment, you should look for foods that are not only organic, but also locally grown as much as possible. Whether the food is organic or not, if it takes a long distance to transport the food, the amount of energy required is a lot. Sometimes you can find healthy foods that are not organic, that have been grown locally, but you will have to check them out individually.

It is important to be using the right cooking oil, when you are using organic food to get healthier. Not only are some oils healthier than others, but some lose most of their nutritional value and can even become toxic when cooked at high temperatures. It is one thing to use oil on a salad, but cooking with an oil that is damaged by the heat, means you need to be careful on your cooking oil, and that's why you shouldn't use olive oil. Some oils that have what is called a higher smoke point are high-oleic sunflower oil, coconut oil and avocado oil. Organic varieties of these oils that are pure, can be used safely for cooking. Partially hydrogenated oil, that contains trans fats, which is the unhealthy fat, and any unhealthy oils, like even ordinary vegetable oil, should be completely avoided.

Your diet plan should now have organic foods as an important part, since nowadays they can be found with little difficulty. In many ways you will feel much better by eating natural foods that are nourishing, and you will also lose weight if you add physical activity. The type of foods that you should be eating are organic rather than non-organic, but what these foods should be, you might want to check with someone who knows about food.

About the Author:

Villette Martiniu is a expert blogger known for writing on a variety of subjects. Her high-quality work can be seen at MLM success secrets and on network marketing success today

Fat Loss 101 - 'Commit to Making Better Choices'

In today's world it seems like everyone wants to lose weight when the goal should be fat loss. Losing fat isn't complicated it takes only a few things: a commitment to make better choices, a technology that works and a belief you can do it. I will tackle each topic separately. First topic: A commitment to making better choices.

A commitment to make better choices is priority number one. Every choice you make will lead you down two paths. One being the path your currently on. This is the path to unwanted weight and fat gain. The other path will take you to a leaner, sexier, healthier and more attractive you.
Making better choices is not rocket science. In fact when I question clients about what choices are better for them they choose the right answer 100% of the time. For example:

• What is healthier for you a; chocolate chip cookie or an orange?
• What is healthier for you a; green pepper or a Kit Kat Bar?
• What is healthier for you a; roast beef sandwich or a chicken wrap?
• What is healthier for you a; Big Mac or a happy meal?

Remember the question is, "what is healthier for you?" Not what do I like more.
It has been my experience; both as a person and personal trainer that our choices come down to this: Do we give ourselves permission to fail or succeed? For most it is failure. How often do you give yourself permission to eat an item not on your diet? I am insisting that you give yourself permission to be successful. When faced with your next meal choice give yourself permission to make the healthier choice.

I have looked at hundreds of food journals. Do you realize most eat the same meals from week to week? This means we are not looking to change 30 days worth of meals. In fact most also eat the same thing for breakfast, snack(s) and lunch. Dinner is typically the meal that varies most. Given this scenario you only need to work on making better choices for 3-4 meals.

Commitment to better choices also extends to physical activity. I will discuss working out in the next section. For now I want to focus on staying physically activity. Staying physically activity is a choice. It is a choice that many fail to make. I am no exception. If I am at home and can't think of any I want to do I can easily find myself lying on the couch and watching T.V. Now, look I realize from time to time we are tired and we need to rest.

But if you find yourself resting more than you are staying active there is a problem. Give yourself permission to get up and move. Do the dusting, vacuuming, cleaning, play with the kids, take a walk, clean your car, make healthy meals, enjoy a hobby, learn something new, but by all means avoid just becoming a lump on the couch. It never ceases to amaze me what we can accomplish when we give ourselves permission to be successful.

Making better choices in and of it self is a choice. It is you giving yourself permission to be successful. Step our of your comfort zone and make yourself proud of YOU. Be excited about what each day has to offer. Commit to making better choices today.
Next article I will discuss a technology that works.
 

Stay tuned for the second article in the series, Fat Loss 101 'A Technology that Works'. For more information visit http://www.DBJFitness.com
 

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Darrell_Morris

The Best Boxing Training Secrets For Fat Loss

CB: How do boxers get so lean, and what lessons can us average folk take from their regimens?
RP: I know this point is redundantly made but it's true.

People spend to much time training with cardio equipment. I have seen people train on cardio equipment, and their body's still look the same months later!
When the average person has had enough of walking around in their body they are in they usually think of hitting the pavement running. Or people will train with the typical cardio circuit of elliptical and treadmills etc...Training for long and very casual intensities. Raising cortisol levels, preserving fat, etc...

People who perform a boxing workout get lean from the intense anaerobic way they train. Boxers fight and train in rounds lasting from 2 minutes to 3 minutes in duration. The training done for that duration is generally at a higher intensity. The training equipment also demands you get lean by the way the bags have to be worked.

Put it this way to maximally work and move the heavy bag in the right manner burns allot of calories and takes allot of effort to do. Your body then takes the lean shape from the aftermath of this demand of it to put forth the work. Same thing for the punch mitts when used correctly your whole body is moving and working and in a more anaerobic and intense manner than aerobic training.

Many times people who cross train or want to learn boxing for self defense are amazed at how sore they are in different areas of their body from the workout. They are waking and working muscles that have been dormant for some time in a unison intense manner.

Metabolically speaking, as stated several times above since the training is predominantly anaerobic and because we use allot of intervals our metabolic rates are greatly increased.
Unlike the aerobic way people train where they only burn calories for the duration of their aerobic activity or training. With anaerobic interval work your metabolic rate is increased for hours even after training is complete as you obviously know.

CB: What's the role of slow cardio in stripping fat from a boxer's body?
RP: Not much at all....

We condition using sprints, sled work, sledge strikes, change of direction runs, sprint and run drills, but really speaking from a fighters perspective, nothing beats intense sparring to get in shape. We also perform intervals of heavy and fast punching on the bags and punch mitts.

As far as the average client, I'll never forget when I was working in Syracuse NY I was training an older guy named Tom. Tom couldn't lose any more weight in a satisfying way. He was on a plateau.
He was training aerobically only for the last 2 years playing musical chairs with the cardio equipment. He was very frustrated and bored that he couldn't drop and shed any more fat.

So upon working with him. I had him jumping rope, working the punch mitts, working the heavy bag and VERY easily he lost 14 pounds in 6 weeks! Not bad for previously being on a plateau! The pounds literally melted off. Because of the intense anaerobic way he trained and the muscles and movements he was using in training this way.

Fortunately for me communicating with the best strength and conditioning coaches and constantly reading and studying the best books keeps me abreast of what methods work best.

CB: How do you and other boxers get lean for fights in terms of nutrition?
RP: We start cleaning house!

Or should I say cleaning the fridge, freezer and cupboards. I have them get rid of the processed boxed, package, frozen packaged, canned foods. I have them stop eating then sugary cereals, soda, sugary juices, white breads, refined carbs, margarine, just garbage food period! This goes along way with improving performance, vitality, and weight loss obviously.

I then have them start to eat real whole foods. Foods that actually have a life source and will deliver nutrients and vitality to them.

So for weight loss having them eliminate the garbage foods and drinks and having them eating smaller meals frequently throughout the day works big time for weight loss on top of the kick butt training their doing.

It still amazes me on how many people skip breakfast. Or if they do have it, the typical sugar water called orange juice with a pop tart doesn't do it. I have them eat a better breakfast and make sure their dinner isn't the biggest meal of the day as their stomachs would suggest if it is.

My point is, typically people skip breakfast, eat a rather large lunch, and when they get home have a feast for dinner. That's obviously insane if you want to drop weight and get lean!
Don't eat less meals. Eat more meals frequently with less food for weight loss. Their blood sugar levels are more balanced and their moods and energy levels are far more enhanced by eating more frequently, like 5-6 times per day if possible.

I also have them drink half their body weight in ounces of water per day. (Many people are dehydrated) and I have them consume fish oils at their meals.
I also keep critiquing their eating habits and food choices for weight loss as needed...

CB: Do you use boxer's training techniques in your client's workouts? If so, what could I do to speed my fat loss?
RP: Boxing workouts are BIG in my clients workouts.

It's no wonder that the most popular classes in commercial gyms are martial arts classes.
Unfortunately many of those are watered down. By getting your eating habits under control and cleaned up and by jumping rope, shadow boxing, working the punch mitts, heavy bag, double end bag and speed bag you literally melt that fat off your body in a quick manner.

That's why I like to use boxing training techniques. Boxing training gets results.

People can get bored with the cardio equipment. You can be totally uncoordinated and not improve upon before or after getting on the bike or stair master.

Not when you jump rope and perform the rest of a boxing workout. That's why it delivers so much in one workout. All those bio-motor abilities you improve on top of shredding the fat from your body.

CB: What methods of strength training do you prefer? Do you use free weights or a lot of body weight exercises?
RP: Strength training methods will depend on the persons training age, background, weaknesses, needs, goals, and were we are from a fight.

So I have a lot of tools in the tool box I can use depending on the above scenarios.
Generally I start off with body weight exercises. I totally agree with what Alwyn Cosgrove says, "If we cannot stabilize and move our own body weight, we have no reason to use external resistance"
Once a person can handle there own body weight we use different strength exercises. We use squats, I'm particularly fond of front squats since we can work the often times weak thoracic extensors while also strengthening our legs. A boxer that has been at it for a while will will have an increased kyphotic posture along with pronated shoulders. So we need to correct this if we want to improve performance.

We also use dead-lifts, single leg work, posterior chain work, core strengthen with more transverse plain exercises, but we also perform reverse crunches they are a great abdominal strengthening exercise that also help in improving posture.

A lot of unilateral work. Also presses, split stance single arm pushes, pulls, rows, chins, pull ups, you name.

We use equipment ranging from db's, barbells, med balls, sand bags, kegs, sled, sledge hammer, I'm going to start using kettle bells more. Once again, these are all great tools we use depending on the situation.

Corrective exercises are used to keep the fighters muscle imbalances and posture in check.
I will say that generally fighters are bloody weak! So I like to improve and focus on maximal strength training. Hypertrophy training can be used if I have a fighter that wants to move up a weight class or needs a little more muscle.

For our dynamic training, I like to used med balls and other plyometric exercise for explosive power.
That pretty much sums it up as our training is ALWAYS evolving and improving as I continue to study and learn and as we progress in our own training.

CB: Do the boxing workouts require any special equipment?
RP: Yes the workout uses special equipment that is very affordable and can be purchased at sporting stores, or boxing equipment magazines.

You will need hand wraps, a jump rope, gloves, punch mitts, a heavy bag, double end bag, speed bag and a small timer that you can by at any store. You don't have to get all the bags at once you can still burn allot of fat with the jump rope and heavy bag alone. The other equipment just really speeds the results.
 

Grab a free special report of boxing fat loss secrets at http://www.theultimateboxingworkout.com
Rob Pilger of http://www.Pilgerstrainingsystems.com is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and Level II USA Boxing Coach. He has successfully trained people using the boxing workout for improved fitness levels, and improved performance in their chosen athletic endeavor. Rob is also creator of The Ultimate Boxing Workout DVD. Please visit http://www.TheUltimateBoxingWorkout.com to begin your quest for an improved physique.
 

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rob_Pilger