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Of course we all know the importance of stretching but do we really take the time to do it? At one time I didn’t. It seemed like a waste of time and I really didn’t know what to do. After getting tired of the tension in my neck and the pain in my low back, I decided to learn more about proper  stretching. After some research, I discovered this book: Stretching, 20th Anniversary Revised Edition

This book has been around for over twenty years and can be considered the bible of stretching.  It covers every muscle group in the body with simple illustrations that will allow you to start stretching immediately.  Sometimes all you need is the knowledge of what to do in order to get started.

Make the decision to  start today.  Start stretching and keep stretching.  Soon you’ll be amazed at the increased flexibility and relaxation that comes with a good stretching routine. Now along with a regular routine, any time I feel muscle tension  or stress I grab this book.

According to a recent Japanese study, broccoli may be good for your stomach.  Fresh broccoli sprouts contain a biochemical called sulforaphane, which has been shown to be a potent defense against the bacterium (H. pylori) often associated with ulcers, gastritis, and stomach cancer.   Researchers suggested that eating as much as 2.5 ounces of broccoli sprouts a day may elevate levels of protective enzymes although they caution that broccoli cannot be considered a cure for gastrointestinal illnesses or prevent stomach cancer.

Broccoli is very low in Saturated Fat and Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Protein, Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Thiamin, Riboflavin, Pantothenic Acid, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Selenium, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Folate, Potassium and Manganese.

Raw broccoli spears are a great low calorie snack.  Serve up with some low fat ranch dressing or some other dip (I like southwestern dip).

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I think we all know that fast food is evil :-)  Yet there are times when it is convenient.  Unless you want to brown-bag it when traveling, sometimes its hard to avoid the ubiquitous greasy spoon.

So what should you do?  Arm yourself with a little knowledge.  I’ve included links below to nutrition guides for several popular fast food restaurants.  Many of them provide relatively healthy alternatives if your willing to try them.

Arby’s | Bojangles’ | Burger King | Chick-fil-A | Hardee’s | McDonald’s | Subway | Taco Bell | Wendy’s

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Think you can do 100 consecutive pushups? Maybe with some discipline and a plan.  You provide the discipline and HundredPushups.com will provide the 6+ week plan. I was pleasantly surprised at how well I progressed.  But around week 3-4 it starts getting tough. The great thing about this plan is that it allows repeats or do-overs. Having trouble this week? Just do last week again. The end result - 100 consecutive pushups and a great upper body workout.

Workout with America’s Personal Trainer - Tony Little! Wide selection of DVD’s to choose from.

In order to significantly reduce the amount of “empty” calories in your diet, soda needs to be eliminated or at least reduced.

It is much harder for people to track the calories consumed from liquids.  You say, “I can read the nutrition labels and calculate exactly how many calories I have consumed!”  True, but because drinking liquids lacks the physiological and environmental cues associated with eating, like chewing your food, sugary sodas do not keep you full or satisfied like eating.  This argument is not very valid since most people don’t use soda as a meal replacement.  But even if you drink sodas with your meal, at about 100 calories a serving, it starts to add up.  Consider one 20 oz. soda:  2.5 servings, ~250 calories.  Just one soda at each meal, not including breakfast, and that’s 500 “empty calories”  a day. Add a couple more sodas at your snack times and that’s a whopping 1000 calories a day!  That’s a large chunk of your normal daily caloric requirements.

So start today.  Find replacements for soda.  Maybe try diet soda.  I have found Fruit2O to be a nice substitute. And I will occasionally have a diet soda. When I cut out the sugary sodas, I lost about 10 pounds in a few months.

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Wecome to Fatt.org - Fitness with an attitude - dedicated to healthy living and fitness. Fatt.org features diets, fitness routines, supplements, and motivation for your weight loss quest. Most of all, we believe that attitude is everything - what you think, say and believe has an impact on you physically. So a healthy attitude is critical to diet and fitness success.

The hardest thing to do in any endeavor you undertake is to take the first step. There are always so many reasons not to. Fear of failure or embarassment will always kill your plans. But you must make up your mind to start. Commit to the idea of a healthy lifestyle. As always with great risk, there is great reward.

After you commit, the results will follow. According to the proverb, “As he thinketh in his heart, so is he”. Your thoughts are powerful. When you control them, you have control over your body. It is very difficult to have the will-power to control your eating or exercise routines if you believe you are a failure or that your goals are unachievable.

So your thoughts and beliefs are critical. Controlling them is the first step in any endeavor - in this case a healthy lifestyle that includes diet and exercise.

Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, the providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way.

- William Hutchinson Murray (1913-1996), from his 1951 book entitled The Scottish Himalayan Expedition

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