Licorice – I always thought of this as a candy. But it is one of nature’s own energy boosters. Licorice is also known as “sweet root”. It contains a compound that is roughly 50 times sweeter than sugar and has been used in medicinal remedies for 1000 years. Licorice provides steroid like factors for the body’s own production of adrenalin. Your Adrenal Glands produce a number of steroid hormones which control glucose metabolism, electrolyte balance and produce adrenaline which is a stimulant to your heart, these combine to create anti-fatigue effects. Not only is Licorice an energy booster it is also used to prevent and treat stomach ulcers, lowers cholesterol and regulates cortisol.

B Complex Vitamins- B Vitamins are needed by the body in order to release energy from the food you eat and to metabolize energy from fat stores when necessary.  B Vitamins promote, energy, maintain the nervous system, improves immune functions, buffer the effects of stress, vital to proper digestion, and influence most internal organs. B Vitamins should all be taken together they are interdependent on how they operate.

Ginseng – Ginseng is a prized herb of Chinese medicine for more than 2000 years. Ginseng reduces weakness after illness, boosts energy levels, increased alertness, balances metabolism, improves blood flow, improves athletic performance and endurance, and regulates blood sugar balancing blood-sugar levels. Siberian Ginseng (Eleuthero) is used my many athletes to increase vigor and well-being. It increases the body’s stamina.

Cayenne Pepper – Cayenne pepper is made from dried pods of chili peppers. Not only does it spice up food it has also been used medicinally for thousands of years. It has been used to treat poor circulation, weak digestion, heart disease, chronic pain, sore throats, headaches, and toothaches. Cayenne pepper is the greatest blood circulation stimulant known. Blood flow takes nutrition and healing to your cells and carries out and removes waste materials.

Thermogenic Herbs – Thermogenisis is the process by which the body converts fats into energy. These herbs can be found in Green Tea, Oolong Tea, and Black Tea. I have always used a cup of tea as a way to unwind; I might have to rethink that.

Potassium Aspartate – Potassium is a mineral that is important in the transmission of nerve impulses, regulates muscle function, the production of energy, and the maintenance of normal blood pressure. Potassium works closely with sodium to maintain the body’s balance of fluid. Potassium maintains the balance of fluid inside the cells while sodium maintains the balance of fluid outside the cells. So if you find yourself needing more energy.

Check your vitamins and minerals make sure you are getting all the B-Complex Vitamins and enough Potassium Aspartate. If that doesn’t do it some herbal supplements may help. Herbal supplements can have side effects and are less regulated by the FDA. If you are currently on medications or have a chronic condition, be safe, check with your doctor before you begin taking any supplements. And make sure you obtain products from reputable sources. Beware of Energy Drainers: Poor Diet; Lack of Exercise; Stress or Fatigue

Ironically, these terms are supposed to make things easier. Actually, the often serve to make things more complicated! And furthermore, it’s even more frustrating when you read labeling regulations issued by the US Food and Drug Administration. These labels talk about “reference product”, percentages, and nutrient components. Huh? Nicole Haywood, author of Absolute Beginner’s Guide to a Lite and Healthy Lifestyle, decodes this whole labeling business and puts it in layman’s language.

• nutritional facts – this information provides data about your daily nutrient needs. These facts are based on 1 serving, and people are surprised at how much more they consume than just one serving. The calculation of calories is based on this one serving principle, so labels will say: Calories 250 Calories from fat 110 This means that the number of calories from fat is arrived at by multiplying the total grams of fat per serving by nine (there are nine calories per one gram of fat; in this case, there are about 12 grams of fat).

• ingredient list – ingredients are listed from high to low weight, so if the first ingredient is sugar, that means that the product contains high amounts of sugar. As a general rule, the longer the ingredient list, the more processed the food. Try to buy products that have a short ingredient list!

• health claims – these come in three classes: those that meet significant scientific agreement (e.g. “high in calcium, reduces risk of osteoporosis), those that are qualified health claims (FDA ruling is not that clear, there are nuances to the definition), and structure/function claims (be wary when you read a label containing something like “maintains immune function”).

• nutrient content claims – when a label says “light” or “lite”, this means that the product has 1/3 fewer calories than a standard product or over 50% less fat, or over 50% less sodium.

The next time you go grocery shopping, allot an extra half hour so that you can read food labels and understand them properly. Next time you see the words “lite” or “fat-free”, try to remember what these really mean. Shopping in a hurry isn’t smart shopping. You can miss out on the fine print, and end up with a product that has zero nutritional value. More information is available in nutritional books and references. Just make sure that your material is relatively recent, because the US FDA revises labeling requirements frequently.

 Myth: Aerobics is better for shaping up than weight training.
 Fact: To transform your physique, you must train with weights.

 Myth: Weight training is only for young athletes. 
 Fact: People of all ages should be weight training.

 Myth: The longer you exercise the better. 
 Fact: Too much exercise prevents results.

 Myth: Muscles grow while you’re working out. 
 Fact: Muscles grow while you’re resting and recuperating.

 Myth: Lifting a weight is what stimulates muscle growth. 
 Fact: Lifting and lowering a weight stimulates muscle growth.

 Myth: A certain number of sets and reps get the job done. 
 Fact: High-intensity effort produces the best results.

Going back to the question of cardio or weights or both – an intelligent answer is, you guessed it: both. Even without excess pounds, the heart is a muscle, and a muscle needs to be used or else you lose it. The heart has to be in shape, just as your arms, quads, and biceps need to be in shape. If you pump oxygen (cardio) and you pump iron (weight training), then imagine what dividends you will reap long term.

Time Constraints
If time constraints are preventing you from combining both cardio and weights during your workout sessions, then divvy up the week so that you can do cardio three days a week, and then weight training for the other three days. Vigorous sports that you engage in on the weekend can be banked into your cardio quota. In fact, any sustained or continuous activity that gets your heart rate up (maximum of 85% of your top-level aerobic heart rate) during a 30-minute cardiovascular session is excellent. Indeed, the research doesn’t lie. High-intensity training burns fat more efficiently – up to 50% more – than low-intensity exercise. It also speeds up your metabolism, keeping it revved up for some time even after the workout. And since there’s a need for the element of variety in fitness programs, combining or alternating cardio/weights fulfills this requirement. The chances of dropping out because of boredom are lower.

When someone is unhappy with the size or shape of their nose, they have the option of a “nose job”, scientifically known as rhinoplasty. Due to medical and technological advances combined with the increasing popularity of the procedure, it has become less expensive and more attainable for many more people. If you are considering going in for rhinoplasty, then you need to understand how it works.

The rhinoplasty procedure is started by cutting open the nose either along the front or along the sides, depending on what modifications is being made. The skin is pulled back and the cartilage is exposed. If the patient wants a smaller nose, the surgeon will file away at the cartilage until it is down to a more desirable shape. If the patient wants a nose that is less wide, the surgeon will usually cut out a pie-slice shaped segment of cartilage from each side, along with a small ribbon of skin. The patient may want a straight nose made out of his concave nose. If that is the case, the doctor will add a synthetic material to round out the parts that are lacking cartilage. After adding or subtracting of cartilage the doctor applies necessary ointments to get the cartilage to start healing up into one solid piece again. Then the nose is carefully stitched up to avoid scarring. Once healed (and this will take time) you have your new nose.

The upside you have the nose you always wanted. The downside it still is relatively expensive. You also have the possibility of permanent scarring. If a stitch is slightly wrong the scar tissue can build up for years to come. If you are still interested in rhinoplasty find a plastic surgeon with a great reputation. Make an appointment and talk with him or her to see if you are a good candidate for the procedure.

An average adult has 206 bones in their body. People can have different number of rib bones and bones in their hands and feet that make doctors average the number of bones in a skeleton. Bones themselves can have different densities. We know this from people who have thinning bones due to Osteoporosis.

The interesting thing that is substantiated on this quest is heavy people with a BMI over 33 never get Osteoporosis. They have greater bone density. Bone density is increased when you do activities that put stress on the bone structure like weight lifting or in this case carrying around excess weight.

So is there truth to the heavy weight, big bones, big frame? Not really. Bone weight depends on how much a person’s entire body weighs. Bones make up around 15% of a person’s total body weight. While people do have different frame size, most who weigh too much for their height do so because of excess body fat. Body builders are the exception. Remember muscle mass weighs more than fat and lean muscles make you look thinner (so if you have lots of muscles you may weigh more but look thinner).

Most weight charts take into effect your frame size. Many weight charts have 10 pound increments in each frame size; small, medium, and large. That is a 30 pound swing for any given height, so if you look at the chart and say to yourself, "I’m big boned and should weight more than that", well, maybe 10-15 pounds.  Being big-boned or small boned doesn’t justify a 20-25 pounds differential from a normal size person. If you are truly convinced you are not overweight just big boned. Buy a body fat scale. These scales can actually measure your fat percentage. But don’t count on insurance companies changing your premiums; they strictly go by their charts. Remember to continue to treat your body with care so that it can help you to do all the things you enjoy.