Beetroot - Can this wonder food promote good health in Bath?

Want to boost your stamina or lower your blood pressure? Try some beetroot.

When you were a child, your mother probably had to force-feed you beetroot at dinner. While this dark purple-red vegetable may have a strong flavour that didn't agree with your young taste buds, your mum was on to something. That's because beetroot has been found to have significant health benefits.

Whether you're an endurance athlete; are well over the hill; or if you suffer from respiratory, cardiovascular, or metabolic diseases, beetroot should be of special interest to you. What is it about beetroot that gives it such powerful qualities and how much do you need to consume to get its benefits? Your answers await!

Endurance Enhancement

Beetroot juice contains many essential vitamins and minerals, including potassium, folate, and vitamin C. Often mixed with other juices such as carrot, lemon, or apple to improve its taste, beetroot juice has an uncommonly high nitrate content. Thanks to that nitrate content, beetroot has some serious perks for those who drink it down. Scientists suspect that nitric oxide, the byproduct of nitrate, gives you the ability to exercise with less oxygen and gives you more energy than usual. This is possible because you can exercise for longer periods of time when less oxygen is burned by your muscles during exercise. Green leafy foods such as spinach and lettuce, as well as cabbage and radishes, are also rich in nitrates, but beetroot may be one source you've not tapped into yet. In the past few years, research has shown that juice from the beetroot has the power to increase your stamina, allowing you to exercise up to 16 percent longer than your normal limit. Yes, 16 percent. Starting to thirst for some beetroot juice yet? Then keep reading.

Drinking beetroot juice a few hours before training seems to give athletes a boost in their performance that can't be achieved through additional training. Studies have shown that individuals who drink two cups of beetroot juice daily for a week improve on their race times by one to two percent for a set distance.

While this may seem like a small amount to some, this is very significant for elite athletes for whom every second counts. Not a world-class athlete? Don't leave beetroot juice on the shelf. It may be just what your body needs to make exercising more tolerable or even enjoyable.

Reduce Blood Pressure

If you're looking for a natural, home remedy to lower your blood pressure, look no further than our good friend, beetroot. Because on top of enhancing your athletic performance, the nitrate found in beetroot juice has been found to lower your blood pressure, cutting your risk for stroke or heart attack.

A recent study found that drinking two cups of beetroot juice a day keeps your blood pressure in check for up to 24 hours. While this study was small and did not take place over a long period of time, the results are fascinating and warrant additional research into the relationship between beetroot juice and cardiovascular diseases.

More than Root

If you want to amp up your workout routine or lower your blood pressure, beetroot juice can't be the only weapon in your arsenal. To achieve these goals or overall health, you'll need to go with a healthy, varied diet full of fruits and vegetables, and exercise on a regular basis. Otherwise, all the beetroot juice in the world won't be enough to give you good health.

No Mas, Por Favor.

Beetroot juice is a great addition to your diet. Just be careful. Drinking too much of it can lead to purple urine, abdominal cramps, or diarrhea.

Get Sexy Obliques - Get a Flat Stomach in Bath!

Slim your waist, support your lower back, decrease back pain, and improve your posture. That's the power of your obliques.

Better known as side abdominals, oblique muscles are a pair of muscles that enable you to bend at the side and twist at the waist. External obliques are upper muscles on your sides, and the internal obliques are underneath them, crossing diagonally near the side of your abdomen.

Building stronger oblique muscles will give your core strength a boost and also lead to a ripped, toned stomach.

Many sports such as swimming, wrestling, and rock climbing give your obliques a great workout, but you can do more to beef them up. Just be careful. While strong obliques are important, if you make them too large, women will look bulkier than desired and men will lose that coveted V-shaped torso. But how can you make your obliques as strong as possible?

Use Oblique Technique

Doing oblique exercises the correct way will speed up your results and make your workout as productive as possible. An aerobic warm-up and stretches before and after your workout is a good start. While exerting during an oblique exercise, exhale. And don't sweat turning out dozens of repetitions. With your obliques, it is better to do few repetitions with proper form than more repetitions with incorrect form.

To avoid neck injuries, don't lift from your neck and keep your chin off your chest. When performing oblique exercises on the floor, maintain a comfortable distance between your back and the floor, careful not to arch or flatten your back.

Oblique Exercises

Ready to start pumping up your obliques? Then try the following exercises. Once you can perform six sets of 12 reps with any exercise that requires weight, you can increase the weight amount. Just remember that while building your obliques, you also need to work your lower back. Otherwise, you increase your risk of injuring your lower back.

Side Planks: Lie on your left side with your legs straight and your left elbow on the floor. While pressing on the floor with your elbow and left foot, raise your hips until your body is a straight line. Hold this position for 10 seconds and then relax. Repeat and switch sides. For a more difficult exercise, lie on your side with your hand on the floor. Tighten your core muscles and lift your hips until your body is straight. You may also want to lift your opposite arm in the air to make a straight line with both arms. Hold this position for 10 seconds and then release. Repeat and switch sides.

Side Bends: Another great oblique exercise is the dumbbell side bend. Holding a dumbbell in each hand, stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart, your knees bent slightly. From this position, bend to the left side until the dumbbell reaches knee level. Using your obliques, pull yourself back up. Bend to the right side next, lowering the dumbbell again to knee level and pull back up. Alternate sides until you've performed 6 to 12 repetitions per side.

Top 7 Weight Loss Mistakes Revealed - Lose Weight in Bath

Seven Mistakes People Make When Trying to Lose Fat


1. They fail to consider the consequences of their actions.

Alwyn Cosgrove (one of the top trainers in the business) once said, "I get my clients to think, "Will this help me or not? Is this a positive step or not?" If you can see every action that you take is either helping you lose fat or stopping you from losing fat, then you will start to make better choices. So remember that everything you put in your mouth is either for or against fat loss. And every exercise choice you make is either for or against fat loss. "Get that", Alwyn says, "and you’re a hit."

2. They neglect to control their insulin and blood sugar levels - 2 key factors in determining whether or not the body fat will come off.
If you eat processed foods you are guaranteed to elevate your insulin & blood sugar levels. If you do that, your body sends the message, “Store fat!”, and you won’t make any progress. So avoid white-flour based bakery products, sugary drinks, and almost any carbohydrate snack that comes in a bag or a box.

3. They train like it’s the 80’s.

Yes, I know. Eighties music is popular again. But that doesn’t mean ineffective training methods from the 80’s like light weights, low intensity steady state cardio, and endless low-intensity ab work should also make a comeback. That type of training should stay buried in the back issues of cheesy muscle magazines. Stick to strength training and interval training for efficient and effective body changing routines.

4. They don’t take 30 minutes to plan their next day’s food intake.

If you fail to do this, you will set your fat loss efforts back by a minimum of 72 hours. Without a good meal plan, you are left to hunt and gather food in the modern world. And that’s a recipe for fat loss disaster. You are bound to eat something processed if you aren’t prepared. You will lose the fat burning benefits from yesterday’s workout and it will take until the end of the following day to get back on track. An entire 72-hour period wasted.

5. They don’t eat enough vegetables.

It`s now pretty much common knowledge that you should eat fibrous vegetables at every meal to assist your fat loss efforts. By doing so, you’ll control your blood sugar and insulin - thus supporting the optimal hormonal situation for fat loss.

6. They screw up their hormones with poor lifestyle choices.

If you are out boozing and staying up late on the weekend, you are shutting down your fat loss and messing up the optimal hormonal environment for fat burning. I will talk a lot more about the optimal hormonal levels for fat loss, as I believe this is the underrated key to building your best body ever.

7. They don’t plan and monitor their training sessions.

If you are still going to the gym without a plan, then you are going to have a hard time losing fat. And if you aren’t recording your workouts and eating habits, then you aren’t losing as much fat as you probably can. To fix this mistake, start by getting on track with strength training and interval training. It’s guaranteed to get you lean.

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5 Foods You Must Avoid - Lose Weight in Bath

Buying local, fresh foods from Farmers' markets, organic farms, or from your local grocer can go a long way for your budget and your health. However, not everyone can benefit or wants to shop healthy. Here are the top five foods to avoid or minimize in your diet for a longer, healthier life and a leaner waistline, followed by the top five foods that will give you amazing health benefits.
 
 
Food #1 Low-fat Foods

Food labeling can be very deceptive when it comes to food geared for weight loss. Low-fat foods are one of the products to be careful about.  Just because the food says "low fat," does not mean the food is low calorie.  Be sure to check the label and see how many calories are typically in the product.  Most people associate low-fat foods with lower calories, so they tend to eat more. Do not be fooled by this deceptive labeling technique.
 
Food #2 Sugar-Free Foods
 
Sugar-free foods are geared to people with diabetes or at risk for developing diabetes. Sugar-free foods have low calories and no sugar. 
However, look at the label under sugars, and you will see something interesting. Sugar-free foods tend to have sugar alcohols, which is an ingredient designed to give it sweetness. Most of the time, sugar alcohol is made from sugar products, which can lead to increased calories. Sugar alcohols carry between 1.5 and 4 calories per gram. Not only do you get extra calories, but you also can get cramping, bloating, and other gastrointestinal problems if you ingest too much. 
 
Food #3  Commercial Smoothies

Normally, smoothies are associated with healthy eating. They have skimmed milk, fruit, and yoghurt, so they are considered a great, healthy food.  Some commercial smoothies, however, have many hidden calories from extra sugar.  Some smoothies are also made with ice cream, so you end up ballooning sugar, fat, and calorie content. Most of the time, the fruit in smoothies is blended up into fruit juice, or fruit juice is added.   This eliminates the fibre that is found in the skin of most fruits. My advice:  Make your smoothies at home, and leave the commercial smoothies on the shelf.
    
Food #4 Commercial Yoghurts

Yoghurt, again, has been considered a natural health product containing calcium, probiotics, and other products that have been shown to be beneficial to our health.  Look at the label again, and you might see something surprising.  When looking at the label, some of the first few ingredients in yoghurt are different forms of sugar. All this extra sugar can lead to weight gain and stubborn, hard-to-lose body fat. So again, read the label and see exactly what is in the product before you choose the yoghurt of choice.
 
Food #5 Sugary energy drinks including items with added vitamins and minerals
 
Energy drinks have been advertised as giving you that extra pick-me-up during the day, and a way to increase the intensity of your workouts.  Energy drinks can contain high amounts of caffeine and sugar, which gives you that initial pick-me-up, but you end up crashing hard later. Also, some drinks that have added vitamins and minerals, can have loads of sugar as well. So stop and think before you drink and choose something lower in calories and sugar, maybe something like coffee or tea.

Next, I am going to share with you 5 foods that are beneficial to your health, and you might not even know it.

Food #1 Swiss Chard

Aging can create many different problems for people. Wrinkles, lack of balance, and our eyesight can worsen, and are just some of the different things that happen with the aging process.  Swiss chard is considered a super food because of some of the amazing caroteniods that can be found in this leafy green vegetable.  Swiss chard contains high levels of lutein and zeaxanthin that have been shown to help with good eyesight. These two caroteniods have been shown to build up in the eyes, which help with the way light rays enter our eyes and are absorbed.

Food #2 Pepper, Especially Capsaicin

So most of you are probably asking why pepper is on the list. Pepper is a zero-calories food that can add a lot of flavor to your foods.  Not only does it pack a great punch to your foods, but capsaicin has been shown to have tremendous anti-inflammatory properties. It has also been shown to be helpful in fighting some cancers because of its anti-cancer effects.

Food #3 Wheatgrass

There are plenty of juices out there that contain Wheatgrass which is chock full of vitamins and minerals that will keep you healthy. Loaded with Vitamins, B, C, and E, this food can help to clean out your system and fight infections. Not only does this food contain essential vitamins and minerals, but it also is a complete protein. This food is full of the essential amino acids that our bodies require for building muscle. The high concentration of vitamins helps protect the body from stress that our bodies are under daily.

 
Food #4 Tahini

Tahini is now found in most grocery stores as an excellent source of all the B vitamins as well as calcium. B vitamins are essential in development of healthy cells in the body, especially red blood cells. B vitamins can also help in raising metabolism, and help our immune system become stronger.  Tahini also holds a surprising amount of calcium, zinc, and copper. The high levels of calcium can help keep bones strong and healthy, and might be responsible in fighting some cancers. Tahini also holds an abundance of fibre, specifically sesamin and sesomolin, which can have positive effects in lowering cholesterol.

Food #5 Avocado

This amazing fruit helps reduce inflammation through some of the carotenoids found in the green, fleshy part of the avocado. This vegetable also has a tremendous amount of fat, but the good fats that are beneficial to the body. The main source of fat is Oliec acid, which helps with fat absorption and also helps to lower the risk for developing heart disease. Avocados also have phytosterols, which keep inflammation in the body under control.

Starting with Stretches - Fitness Flexibility in Bath

Want to start your day off right? A stretch routine first thing in the morning is a great way to wake up your muscles and get your blood flowing.

While you may want to hit that snooze button over and over, a better way to start your day is with a few early morning stretches. Besides feeling good physically, stretching is mentally and physiologically beneficial as well. It improves your flexibility, circulation, coordination and balance, posture, and your mood.

With just 10 minutes of stretching added into your morning routine, you'll be prepared to face the day. Here are a few easy stretches to get you going.

Breathe Deeply

The simplest stretch to get started with is deep breathing. Sit up straight in a chair or even on the side of your bed. Rest your hands on your stomach and breathe in deeply. Exhale normally and notice the movement of your stomach. Repeat this exercise a few times, all the while breathing evenly, and progress slowly up to 12 repetitions.

Loosen Your Neck

Still sitting (or standing if you'd rather), keep your neck straight and move your head slowly forward as far as you can. Then slowly lean your head backward as far as you can. Repeat this movement a few times. Then smoothly and slowly roll your head in a circular motion. This will loosen up your neck muscles.

Relax Your Shoulders

Moving down your body, it's time to stretch your shoulders. After sleeping on your side, they may be especially tense. While sitting or standing in a balanced position, slowly and steadily lift your shoulders upward toward your ears, and lower them smoothly. Repeat several times. For another shoulder stretch, place your hands on your shoulders, move your elbows close together, and rotate your arms in a circle.

Stretch Your Sides

To stretch your side muscles, stand straight with your arms by your sides. Place your right hand behind your head and point your elbow out to your side. Bend your waist to the left, keeping your left arm straight, and reach down toward the floor. Hold this position for a couple seconds then stand up straight again. Repeat this stretch a few times and switch sides.

Loosen that Lower Back

This stretch will loosen your lower back and buttocks muscle. Lie on your back and bend your knees. Rest the ankle of your left leg on your right knee. Hold your right thigh and pull your leg toward your chest. You will feel a definite stretch. Hold this for a few seconds then relax. Repeat and hold for another 15–20 seconds. Switch legs and repeat.

Stretch Your Hamstring

Another important muscle to stretch is your hamstring, which runs from your buttocks down to below your knee. While lying on the floor, take hold of the back of one thigh and pull your leg to a 90-degree position, keeping your leg as straight as possible. Hold for 20 seconds, slowly lower your leg back to the floor, switch legs, and repeat.

Help Your Hips

One last helpful stretch to get you going in the morning is the seated knee raise, also known as seated marching. When done right, it improves your hip stability and your range of motion. Sit up straight in a chair and lift and lower one knee at a time as if you are marching. Lift both legs at least 10 times.

One Size Does Not Fit All.

Not only are stretches important before you exercise, they are also beneficial to start your day off right. However, you shouldn't expect your stretch to look identical to someone else performing the same stretch. Adjust your stretches to meet your needs according to your age and level of fitness. If you've had injuries in the past, take precaution and check with your doctor before beginning any new routines.

Not enough time for exercise? Rubbish!! - Get Fit in Bath

Is your schedule so full that it's hard to find time to work out? Here are six times to squeeze in some exercise.

You know exercise is vital to your health and well-being, and you've tried to fit it in. So why is it so difficult to make regular exercise a priority in your schedule? It probably has something to do with life. From work to kids to meals to errands to chores to sleep, fitting in anything else is virtually impossible.

But no matter how busy your life may be, you can find time to add more activity - if you're willing. Though a minimum of 30-minute increments of exercise are recommended, as little as 10 minutes can still make a difference. Squeeze in 10 minutes a day every day, and you'll rack up 300 minutes or five hours a month. How do you do it?

Fitting in Fitness at Home

Vacuuming, mopping, and scrubbing the bathroom. Like it or not, you probably spend time each week doing household chores. What great ways to be active! Instead of getting it over with as soon as possible, turn on your favorite dance tunes and work at a pace fast enough to get your heart rate up. Even while folding the laundry or making dinner you can stand on your tiptoes or do squats. And don't forget outdoor chores such as mowing the lawn, raking leaves, and gardening. These are excellent ways to burn extra calories all while doing normal activities around the house.

Lunch Break = Exercise Break

Tired of staring at the computer screen all day or dealing with cranky clients? Take a quick walk outside during lunch or other break times. If you'd like company, find a coworker to join you. Even better, if there is a gym near your workplace, use lunchtime to get in a quick workout. You'll return to work feeling energized to finish the day, unlike your coworkers who are ready to go to sleep.

Parking Lots and Elevators

Do you find yourself circling the parking lot to find the closest spot or standing in line waiting for a slow elevator? Turn these moments into exercise opportunities. Why not take the farthest parking spot and walking the distance to the door? You may actually end up saving time by walking instead of searching for a closer space. It's also a good idea to skip the elevator and use the stairs. You'll burn a few calories and don't have to worry about someone sneezing on you on the way up.

Get off the Couch

After a long day at work, relaxing on the couch and watching television or talking on the phone catching up with a friend is rather appealing. While it's fine to rest after a busy day, don't forget to take advantage of these exercise opportunities. Grab a couple canned goods out of the cabinet to use as hand weights. Sit on a stationary bike and pedal away while you watch your favorite sitcom or talk on the phone. Get on the floor and do some leg lifts, push-ups, sit- ups, stretches, or yoga positions. Also, get rid of the remote control. It'll force you to get off the couch to change the channel or better yet - it will make you want to turn off the television and get active.

Include the Kids

If you have children, you may find your time divided between taking care of kids and taking care of yourself. Why not do both at the same time? Involve your whole family in exercise. Get out and take a walk or ride bikes together after dinner. Instead of a family movie night, plan a trip to the zoo or go hiking in the mountains. Play a game of kickball or soccer together at a park. If possible, walk with your kids to school in the morning. Another fun activity is to take a fitness class along with your children. You may even want to join in their karate or tennis classes. Many gyms now offer "mommy and me" swim or exercise classes for mothers with new babies, so take advantage of them.

Be Social

The final way to add activity into your busy schedule is to include exercise in your social life. Join a dance club with a friend sign up for a softball team through the local recreation department. Not only is being part of a team a great way to stay committed and motivated to exercise, it is also a great way to have fun with friends.

Start Slow.

These five exercises are the most popular workouts for developing your lat muscles. As usual, if you've had previous back injuries or pain, be sure to check with your doctor before beginning an exercise program. And to prevent injury and strain, start slowly and work your way up.

Want to boost your lats?- Weight Training in Bath

Here are five of the best exercises to work the largest muscles in your back. 

Your latissimus dorsi, commonly known as lats, are broad, fan-shaped muscles in your middle to lower back that connect to all the other back muscles. While you may not give them much thought, your lats work to rotate and move your arms and shoulders. They also play an important part in your overall weight and resistance training and add width to your body that give your physique the unique "V" shape that shows you mean business.

Want to turn your body into a V-shaped beacon of musculature? Try out this handful of exercises.

Old-Fashioned Pull-Ups

You can use all sorts of machines to pump up your lats, but pull-ups are actually the best possible workout for your lats - as long as you do them the right way. To do a pull-up correctly, use your widest overhand grip. For a front pull-up, pull up until the bar touches the top of your chest and then let yourself all the way down. Don't jerk or swing your legs at any point in the motion, as this will subtract from your lats workout. Instead, make the entire motion in a controlled, fluid motion. For the best lats routine, start and end your back exercise routine with pull-ups.

Lat Pull Down

The second best workout for lats is the lat pull down, and there is a machine made just for it. So take a walk around your gym until you find the lat pull and have a seat. Whereas pull-ups require you to pull your weight upwards, the lat pull requires you to pull weight towards yourself. When doing so, use a wide overhand grip to grow your lats outward, or keep your hands close together and palms facing you to increases the thickness of your lats.

Seated Cable Row

The seated cable row machine includes a bench, footrests, and a cable. Sit down and pull the cable toward your body while sitting upright on the bench with your knees slightly bent. When you pull the weight, make sure you pull towards your lower stomach, and return the handle slowly, keeping your back straight the entire time. This motion works your middle back lat muscles as well as your arms.

Bent over Barbell Row

The bent over barbell row is another great workout for developing your back strength and thickness, as it works your lats and the rest of your back. To do the bent over barbell row, your legs must be slightly bent, your back should stay straight, and you ought to lean forward until you are almost parallel to the floor. Once in this position, pull the barbell up toward you until it touches your stomach. Pull the bar toward your mid to low stomach to develop your lower lats. Pull it toward the top of your stomach or chest, and you'll work your upper lats.

Bent over Dumbbell Row

While it may sound similar to the bent over barbell row, the bent over dumbbell row is a very different exercise. Whereas the bent over barbell row works your entire back, bent over dumbbell rows hone in on your lats. To do this exercise, place one knee on the bench and lean over, resting your hand on the bench. Stand on your opposite leg and hold the dumbbell with that arm. Lift the dumbbell off the floor and raise it up, pulling it close to your body at your chest or shoulder level. Lower the dumbbell slowly and repeat. Continue with the other side of your body. Try not to let your shoulders or arms do the work, and avoid performing barbell rows in the same workout as dumbbell rows.

Start Slow.

These five exercises are the most popular workouts for developing your lat muscles. As usual, if you've had previous back injuries or pain, be sure to check with your doctor before beginning an exercise program. And to prevent injury and strain, start slowly and work your way up.

Saving empty calories - Festive Drinks and Lose Weight in Bath

Mixed Drinks Get Skinny

Turning your fat-filled mixed drinks into something on the thin side.

If you're trying to lose weight or are just trying to maintain a healthy weight, you already know that desserts, fast food, and other high-calorie foods should be avoided. But while you may worry about what food you eat, don't forget that many drinks, including mixed alcoholic beverages, contain a high amount of fat.

So if you're looking forward to enjoying a cocktail on your next girl's night out - or you aren't afraid of your feminine side, you'll need to be careful about how many calories you swallow with your mixed drinks. The good news is that low-calorie mixed drinks are available.

Best Bet

So what are the low-calorie options when it comes to mixed drinks? First of all, choose cocktails mixed with club soda, fruit or vegetable juices, water, coffee, tea, sugar-free syrups, or artificial sweeteners. Avoid drinks with high liquor content - especially sweet liquors, since an ounce of the sweet stuff contains as many as 125 calories. Cocktails mixed with more than one liquor are also bad news. Don't believe it?

Consider this. The Long Island iced tea cocktail is made with several mixers and contains 780 calories per drink. In case you've forgotten, you probably only need 2,000 calories per day. Drink one Long Island iced tea, and you've killed more than one-third of your daily calorie allotment. And if you're really keeping score, a McDonald's Big Mac has a meager 540 calories by comparison! Seeking a better option? Go with a Bloody Mary, a Manhattan, or a highball, any of which contains around 150 calories per serving. Or try a flavored liquor on the rocks. These contain the added flavors you enjoy without the calories of added sweeteners.

More Than Just Calories

Unfortunately, when it comes to alcohol, it's not just the calories you have to consider. When you drink alcohol, it reaches your liver and is changed to acetate, a molecule that protects you from alcohol poisoning. Wonderful as this is, your body burns acetate before it burns fat. So every sip you take of alcohol causes your metabolism to stop burning fight and start burning acetate. How much can your metabolism slow down when you're drinking? Up to 73 percent. As you may suspect, this can dramatically increase the amount of fat in your body.

Besides the number of calories in mixed drinks, it is also important to remember that cocktails, like any alcoholic beverage, will lower your inhibitions, causing you to drink or eat more. In the end, these high-calorie drinks can put you in a mood for equally high-calorie foods.

Big, Fat Numbers

Not interested in turning your fattening and favorite alcoholic drink into something a little bit lighter? Then you can prepare to deal with a lot of extra calories. How many? Look below to see how many calories are in some of your favorite drinks.

•                Bloody Mary (5 ounces): 118

•                Chocolate Martini: (2 ounces each of vodka, chocolate liqueur, and cream; 1/2 ounces crème de cacao and chocolate syrup): 438

•                Cosmopolitan (4 ounces): 200

•                Eggnog with Rum (8 ounces): 370

•                Gin and Tonic (7 ounces): 200

•                Green Apple Martini (1 ounce each of vodka, sour apple, and apple juice): 148

•                Hot Buttered Rum (8 ounces): 292

•                Hot Chocolate with Peppermint Schnapps (8 ounces): 380

•                Long Island Iced Tea (8 ounces): 780

•                Mai Tai (6 ounces) (1.5 ounces rum, 1/2 ounces cream de along, 1/2 ounces triple sec, sour mix, pineapple juice): 350

•                Margarita (8 ounces): 280

•                Martini (2.5 ounces): 160

•                Mimosa (4 ounces): 75

•                Mojito (8 ounces): 214

•                Mulled Wine (5 ounces): 200

•                Pina Colada (6 ounces): 378

•                Rum and Cola (8 ounces): 185

•                Screwdriver (8 ounces): 190

•                Skinny Girl Margarita (4 ounces): 100

•                Spiced Cider with Rum (8 ounces): 150

•                Vodka and Tonic (8 ounces): 200

•                White Russian (2 ounces vodka, 1.5 ounces coffee liqueur, and 1.5 ounces cream): 425

Exercising in Bath and Blood Pressure

Exercising under Pressure

Tips to keep you safe while exercising with high blood pressure.

Consisting of two numbers, your blood pressure is a measure of how hard your blood pushes against your arteries when your heart is beating (this is the top number, systolic blood pressure) and when it is resting (the bottom number, or diastolic blood pressure). Ideally, your blood pressure should not exceed 120/80 millimeters of mercury while resting. If you live with high blood pressure, you may fear exercise, as lifting weights, running, swimming, and other activities can temporarily raise your blood pressure. However, having high blood pressure isn't a license to stay out of the gym.

Here's what you should know to exercise safely, even if your blood pressure isn't in tip-top shape.

Start Easy

Afraid of pushing yourself too hard too fast? There's nothing wrong with a little caution - especially if you're planning to exercise with a pre-existing condition, such as high blood pressure. Instead of going full force at the gym and then running three miles to get home, start out with a short walk, a light jog, or a gentle workout in the gym.

As you begin to know how your body responds to exercise, you can push yourself a little harder and longer. Just be careful. Unless you take other active steps to keep your blood pressure in check, you could suffer a sudden spike in blood pressure that could be extremely dangerous.

Don't Stress

To get the maximum benefits of exercise, you'll need to stress your body. However, you should be careful to avoid exercises that put sudden and intense exertion if you have high blood pressure. Some of these exercises include heavy weight lifting, push-ups, pull-ups, and even strenuous digging in your yard.

Already in pretty good shape? Been exercising a while in an effort to improve your high blood pressure? Your body should be prepared to withstand the added stress of intense exercises. But before launching into these strenuous and demanding exercises, speak with your physician or an exercise professional to ensure your safety.

Make It Routine

Want to put yourself at risk for dangerous surges in blood pressure at the gym? Then only go every once in a while, and work out as hard as you can. Prefer to keep your blood pressure in check and help it improve? Then you'll need to get to the gym at least three times a week for 30 minutes at a time.

Have lots of life to take care of and feel the urge to skip out on your workout here and there? Fight the temptation! With each visit to your local gym, you burn off calories and help your heart beat better. And when your heart is working as it should, your heart requires less effort to push blood throughout your body. Ultimately, this leads to something you'd love to achieve: lowered blood pressure!

Side Order of Healthy

Determined to get your blood pressure under control? If you've dedicated yourself to regular exercise, you've already taken a giant leap toward your good health. But you can't just stop with working out. You'll need to make some changes with what you put in your mouth on a daily basis.

Enjoy piling salt on your foods every chance you get? You're going to have to put an end to that. Instead of salt-ridden potted meats and French fries, add in more fresh fruits and vegetables to your diet. You'll also want to go with water more often than any other beverage, add some fiber to your plate, and if you've got to eat canned fruits, get the ones that are packaged in their own natural juice.

Prevent a stroke- Good Health Tips in Bath

Maintain your mobility, communication ability, and quality of life - for the rest of your life.

Want to live life to the fullest, enjoying your children and grandchildren for years to come?

Then you're going to have to take some steps today to give yourself the greatest possible protection against a life-changing or life-threatening stroke tomorrow and well into the future.

What can you do to arm yourself against one of the leading causes of disability across the globe? You're about to find out.

Put Your Food Where Your Mouth Is

As with most conditions, one of the first places to look for protection against stroke is your mouth. Pay careful attention to what you're putting in it every day, and do your best to make sure you're filling up with as much good stuff as possible.

Wondering what the good stuff is? It's what mama always told you to eat: fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Get at least eight servings of fruits and vegetables each day, and your likelihood of suffering a stroke drops drastically. At the same time you're amping up your good food intake, it's a good idea to curb your appetite for salty foods and foods that have saturated fat or hydrogenated fat, as these can actually lead to stroke.

Keep the Bad Stuff Away

Now that you know what you should be eating, there are a couple things you'll need to avoid putting in your mouth that aren't foods. The first is cigarettes. Despite what they may do for your mood, your nerves, or your image, smoking wreaks havoc on your entire body, including the arteries that go through your neck. When these arteries are clogged and damaged, stroke can result.

Second on the chopping block is alcohol. No, you don't have to cut alcohol out of your life altogether. But you do have to be smart about your consumption of it. Drink no more than a couple glasses of alcohol each day, and do your best to avoid high-calorie alcoholic beverages. These may taste good going down, but they don't help your body avoid stroke once they settle into your belly.

Work It Out Often

So you're eating the right foods, you've stopped smoking, and you're drinking more responsibly. However, there's still something else you should be doing every day to help your body fight against a potential stroke. You've got to get out from behind your computer desk, step away from your kitchen table, get up off the couch, and go to your local gym for a rigorous workout.

Get in at least 30 minutes of exercise five days a week, and you can reduce your risk for stroke by nearly 25 percent. Sound too good to be true? Talk with your physician to see what he or she thinks. Or better yet - get in the gym and start working out more regularly, with more intensity. The way you'll feel after a few good workouts should be enough to convince you that your routine is indeed leading to the greatest level of stroke protection you've ever enjoyed.

What You'll See

Recognizing stroke is key to a full recovery. Someone who is in the midst of a stroke will experience the sudden onset of the following:

•                difficulty speaking

•                severe headache with no known cause

•                confusion or difficulty understanding speech

•                changes in vision

•                loss of movement, tingling, weakness, or numbness in the face, arm, or leg - especially on only one side of the body

•                problems walking or maintaining balance

If any of these symptoms exist, don't waste time sitting around. Get to the hospital immediately. There is a short window of time following a stroke that allows the sufferer to sidestep many long-term consequences, but you've got to move fast.

Eating on Overtime- Diet in Bath

A few tricks to keep your diet healthy even when your job has you working late.

You've worked a long time to get where you are at your job. You've worked even longer to get yourself into healthy eating habits. Suddenly, you're at a pivotal moment when your job has you working over and you're stuck wondering how to avoid falling back into your unhealthy-eating ways.

What can you do to keep your diet and that of your family from suffering because of your late hours?

Plan Ahead

Is working overtime a given for you? Then stop making excuses and start planning ahead of time. Know you're going to stay late at the office or the work site a few days each week? Don't wait until you're working overtime to figure out how you're going to avoid dropping by the fast-food restaurant on the way home. Think about it a night or two ahead of time and do something about it.

What exactly can you do? Do what busy people across the planet do. Cook a week's worth of meals on your off days and toss the food in the freezer. That way, when you're pressed for time, all you have to do is toss dinner in the oven for a few minutes, and you're good to go. If you aren't motivated to cook a week's worth of meals at once, cook too much food every time you cook and eat on it for two or three nights. You'll get tired of eating spaghetti after two nights, but eating leftovers will save you an incredible amount of time and prevent you from making poor food choices.

Snack Healthily

Dinnertime should be a sacred time during which you sit down with the entire family to be together and discuss the day's happenings. While the meal itself is sacred, don't hold the time as such. Instead, have a little flex with your mealtime.

Have to stay at the office for another hour? Don't fret. Just grab a handful of carrot sticks or a dozen fresh blueberries to help you fight the temptation to grab a greasy pizza on the way home. And before you walk into your last meeting of the day, call your family and remind them that they can find healthy snacks in the kitchen cabinet. This way, they'll have a small and healthy snack instead of filling up on snack cakes and pudding cups.

Spread the Love

Want a great way to get out of spending an hour cooking when you get home after a grueling day at work? Show your family around the kitchen. Even youngsters can lend a hand in the cooking effort, and every minute you have someone helping in the kitchen is another minute saved, which puts you another minute closer to eating time.

Don't have a spouse or kids? Beg your roommate to help as you try to maintain a healthy diet despite a hectic work schedule. Living on your own? Then you may just need to cook all your weekly meals at one time after all. Or you may want to hunt down a business that specializes in cooking healthy meals and will deliver the meals to your home or even your workplace. That way, even if you're stuck working until the wee hours of the morning, you can enjoy a healthy and filling dinner.

When Dinner Is at Work

Sometimes, you've got to work so late that you're not worried about getting home in time for a healthy dinner. You're worried about getting dinner at all. But don't let these situations turn into a fattening take-out meal. Go potluck with your coworkers!

To do this, talk with your coworkers about the idea the day before you're stuck at work for the long haul. Have everyone bring one healthy food item, and have everyone sit down for dinner together. It may not be as nice as being at home, but sharing meal responsibilities with your work family is a surefire way to increase camaraderie, promote healthier lives, and help you get the night's work done in record time.

Eat Fresh, Seasonal Grub - Weight Loss in Bath

Wanna Be Healthier?

Eat more berries.

It seems a new fad diet hits the market every day. Sometimes, these fads take the world by storm, as people are anxious to cash in on the promises that such diets make. Eventually, these fad diets go the way of all fads and make room for the next fad to come along and take over the constant dieter's imagination.

But truly health-conscious people realize that good health doesn't come and go like fads. It's a lifestyle that requires vigilance and dedication. If you're beyond fads and are interested in adding another burst of good health to your life, it may be time to add some berries to your meals and snacks.

Why Berries?

Besides being able to fit a dozen of them in your hand for a snack, berries offer an array of health benefits. They're filled with fiber, vitamins (vitamins B, C, and K to name a few), minerals (iodine, manganese, and folate, among others), and everyone's favorite cancer-fighting chemical: antioxidants.

Doubtless God could have made a better berry (than the strawberry).-William Allen Butler

On top of this, each berry you consume during the day has special properties that make it particularly worth your while. For example, cranberries help you ward off urinary tract infections, strawberries lower your blood pressure and increase your good (high-density lipoprotein or HDL) cholesterol, blueberries are considered useful for fighting coughs, and blackberries are great at protecting you against heart disease. Want to get the biggest bang for your berry buck? Don't just eat one type of berry all by itself. Mix up a few types of different berries, and the accumulative result will be substantially greater than eating one type of berry on its own.

Believe it or not, there are more reasons to put berries higher on your priority list. Because not only are they delicious and full of great stuff for your body, but they're also low in calories and add no fat, cholesterol, or sodium to your diet. So by eating plenty of berries, you add nothing but good stuff to your body!

How Berries

No matter what time of the day or night, there is always an opportunity to add some berries. Want some easy ways to slip your favorite berries into your daily regimen? No problem.

Breakfast: Eating berries first thing in the morning is a great way to give your body a boost for the day. Add berries by tossing some cut-up strawberries or a handful of blueberries on top of pancakes; add blackberries to a cup of vanilla yogurt; or sprinkle some raspberries on top of your favorite cereal. When you're in a time crunch, spread some organic blackberry jam on a piece of toast or drink a glass of cranberry juice.

Lunch: It may seem obvious, but a small bowl of berries goes with just about any food on planet Earth. Mix a few raspberries and blackberries with some blueberries and strawberries, and you'll have a berry-tastic lunch that will make all your other lunches seem dull.

Dinner: You may not think that salads are the most exciting food, but berries can change that. With a few strawberry slivers, your green salad gets some much-needed color and flavor. Feel really creative? Find a recipe for berry-based salsa, make it up as directed, and add it on top of your favorite chicken or fish dish.

Snacks: Between meals and need something to keep your hunger at bay? Leave the candy bars and potato chips on the shelf and go with a couple handfuls of berries instead. Having a hard time finding fresh berries to snack on? Get a frozen bag of your favorite berries and have them ready for a cool treat!