Tips On Using Leg Press Safely

By Saloni Saxena 15 Apr, 2019 Leave a comment

One of the most popular piece of fitness equipment is the leg press which helps you to build muscles in the key areas of your legs. It might seem like an easy to do exercise but what really matters is whether you are doing it properly or not. If you understand how to use it well to keep your form, you will be able to maximize the benefits of building your strength and thereby also prevent any physical injury.

There are generally two types of leg press machines: standard horizontal leg press and 45 degree leg press. The 45 degree leg press usually comes with a recline seat to a certain angle while you press your legs upward in a diagonal direction. Both of these leg press machines are used in strengthening the muscles in your quadriceps, glutes and hamstrings.

How To Begin

  • This applies to all fitness equipments, when you begin you need to ensure you use it to only a certain extent. You should not be lifting too much or else you will start feeling excessive pain.
  • When you exercise do not forget to breathe, and don’t hold your breath for too long. Focus on exhaling when you exert pressure and inhaling when you release.
  • If you are not sure how to begin with, take help from your trainer and they will show you how to adjust with it safely. You can ask him to keep a check timely to see if you are using it correctly.

Body Positioning

Here are some positions you need to maintain while using a leg press machine:

  • Rest your head and back comfortably against the padded support when you sit on the machine.
  • While your heels are flat and your hips are wide apart, place your feet on the footplate. Place your legs at a 90 degree angle from the knees. Make sure that the feet are not too high or else you will have to stress your buttocks. If you place it too low you will feel too much pressure on your knees.
  • Your feet and knees should be aligned and don’t bow them inward or outward.
  • Don’t raise your bottom from the seat or else you will have to keep moving the seat backward.
  • Make use of the assist handles to give you support when moving the leg press so that your head and spine can be in position.

How To Maintain Form

One of the most important thing to keep in mind when you are using leg press machine is to see ensure you are not moving excess weight, which is why maintaining proper form is a prerequisite.

  • Place your heels flat on the footplate and slowly push the platform with your abdominal muscles, away from your heels and forefoot. Do not put pressure on the foot front or your toes to move the pad forward.
  • While keeping your head and back flat on the seat, extend your legs slowly while exhaling.
  • Now while you inhale, return the footplate to the position where you started and slowly bend your knees. In doing so make sure that your back and feet are flat.

Safety Measures To Keep In Mind

Here are 5 safety measures to keep in mind when working out on a leg press machine:

  • If you are a beginner, start with a set of 10 leg presses and you can repeat for two or three more times.
  • You need to have full control over your body when you are doing leg press. Do not rush into completing a set and let your leg collapse when you are finishing one movement.
  • Adjust comfortably on your seat and make sure you do not raise your hips when you are in motion.
  • Your head should be steady and lie comfortably against the seat. If you feel jerks on your head it means you are putting too much pressure and using too much weight.
  • If you feel pain on your knees, it is advisable to not push further and give some time to build up.

Make sure that you workout on your leg press safely and keep the movements slow to begin with. It does not matter how many times you repeat it if you do not keep a check on the weight. Putting too much stress while working out on a leg press can cause unwanted pain on your lower back and knees and it could affect you in the long run so be careful while lifting.…

People Are Ditching Their Pharmaceuticals for Cannabis

By Saloni Saxena 22 Mar, 2019 Leave a comment

Life expectancy grows each time more every year, and it is mostly given to people having wider access to a more natural, healthy and holistic way of living. And as marijuana being a natural herb and medicine, many people are recurring to cannabis to treat their medical conditions.

This increase in the number of people opting for medical marijuana could be seen by researchers in the last few years. Researchers found out that states with a legal medical marijuana program have seen a decline in the number of Medicare prescriptions for pharmaceuticals used to treat anxiety, depression, chronic pain and others that are often listed in the states medical cannabis program.

There are innumerous reasons why people are ditching their medicines for cannabis and we’re going to tell some of them.

Marijuana has barely any side effects

Marijuana has generally fewer side effects than standard medications, mostly for being a herb. There are lots of patients who suffer from the side effects of standard medications that sometimes impairs their daily life and marijuana is also helpful treating a bunch of side effects of these medications.

Patients treating HIV/AIDS and cancer often use marijuana as an alternative to managing the side effects of their treatment, helping to reduce their nausea, vomiting, pain, and anxiety.

It can be used by children with epilepsy

Marijuana has been widely used for treating children with epilepsy, especially those who have already tried several treatments and none of them helped. There are several testimonials of parents saying that once their children started taking a CBD-based medication, they either stopped having seizures attacks or had fewer seizures since then.

Not to mention that recently the FDA approved a medication that it’s CBD-based to treat people who suffer from two of the rarest forms of epilepsy, the Dravet syndrome, and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.

It is helpful in treating chronic pain

The opioid crisis is something that pretty much most of the Americans are aware of. Many U.S. residents suffer from chronic pain and they often treat it with opioids. However, the risks of opting for an opioid treatment is also known by most of them.

According to a report of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are currently 50 million Americans suffering from chronic pain, which is 20% of the adult population of the country. Now, imagine how many of these people consume opioids. A result of this great number is that approximately 115 Americans die of an opioid overdose.

 

In order to change that, many states such as Illinois, Pennsylvania, and New York approved laws that allow patients with opioid prescriptions to opt for medical marijuana.

In fact, researchers discovered by analyzing opioid prescriptions covered by Medicare Part D between 2010-2015 and Medicaid between 2011-016, that states that allowed medical cannabis had 2.21 million fewer doses of opioids prescribed comparing with the other states that don’t allow the use of medical marijuana.

Aside from all these reasons mentioned above, there are also many other conditions which can be treated successfully with marijuana such as anorexia, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, Crohn’s disease, Alzheimer, depression, arthritis, migraines and it goes on.

Knowing all this information about how medical cannabis can be so helpful, most people tend to choose and substitute pharmaceuticals for cannabis. And it is expected that these numbers keep growing.

If you live in one of the U.S. states that has a medical marijuana program and wishes to get a medical marijuana card or if you’re finding problems locating a dispensary near you, visit our website Veriheal and learn how you can do all these things without leaving the comfort of your home.…

10 Healthy Grab-and-Go Foods

By Saloni Saxena 2 Feb, 2019 Leave a comment

You’re headed to parts unknown for a weekend road trip, and you realize that you have not packed a thing to eat. During the week, you have worked really hard to make good food choices that promote a healthy lifestyle. So why blow all of your hard work on the weekend?

Here are a few tips that might help you stay on track. Convenience stores really market themselves to SAD (standard American diet) followers, so you might stand out in the crowd looking for kale on the interstate. But, you can survive and eat well.

Ten Grab and Go Items to Stay Healthy

1. Fresh fruit is everywhere. Have an orange, apple, or banana for a refreshing snack.

2. Ready-made salads. They might not be your salad ideal, but they will be packed with fresh veggies. Just make certain to check the expiration date. For dressing, skip the packet of high fructose corn syrup and artificial flavoring, and head to the iced-tea area and snatch a few lemon wedges. Freshly squeezed lemon juice makes a great dressing.

3. If drive-thru is your thing, do not lose hope. Again, skip the burgers and fries, and order a salad. And fast food places always have lemon for your salad dressing.

4. Fast-food plain baked potatoes. Get a potato, and a salad. Top the potato with the salad. It will be super tasty. And that potato is satisfying and packed with Vitamin C!

5. If pizza is your thing, give this a try. Now, mind you, in the ideal plant-based pizza world, there would be a whole wheat crust. If that isn’t being offered, order a pizza “hold the cheese,” add broccoli, onions, peppers, olives, and any other veggies that will add color and texture, as well as taste, to this delicious pizza.

6. With frozen yogurt shoppes popping up everywhere, this might be a great place for a fun dessert. Hold the swirl of frozen stuff, even if its vegan, and opt for just the fresh fruit at the “fixings bar.” The vegan “screams” are loaded with sugar.

7. Skip the sodas. Did you know that on the “soda fountain machine” there is a white button that you can push for a nice glass of cool water? And on some of the newer machines, you can even find seltzer? Plus, it’s almost always free!

8. Maybe you are at a diner. There aren’t a lot of healthy options at most diners. But, a good alternative is an “A-L-T.” Avocado, lettuce and tomato sandwich. Ask to have your whole grain bread toasted, and use one piece of the avocado as “mayo.”

9. Need something crunchy? A few options might grab your attention. Low-fat potato chips might fit the bill, BUT, if they are made from “potato flour,” they generally contain unwelcome ingredients. So, stick with REAL potato chips that are low fat. Even better, just skip the chips and grab a carrot.

10. If numbers 1-9 don’t work, turn around, drive back home and run into the house and throw some veggies, hummus, low-salt pretzels, bottled water, and fresh fruit in a cooler.

Weekend getaways are always fun, and you may as well eat healthy foods so that you enjoy your excursion even more.

Happy trails!…

A Visual Timeline of Perishable Food

By Saloni Saxena 10 Jan, 2019 Leave a comment

Do you constantly find yourself throwing out spoiled food? Does it seem like you have to go to the grocery store every day in order to enjoy fresh produce? Well with a little strategy you can shop just once a week AND enjoy fresh fruit and vegetables all week long. Here is a visual timeline of perishable food; simply match your meals to your food’s natural lifespans:

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5 Drug Store Foods to Avoid

By Saloni Saxena 22 Dec, 2018 Leave a comment

If you’ve been to any big-box stores lately, maybe you have noticed that there might be a pharmacy somewhere in the grocery store. Someone thought, “Let’s make this one- stop shopping.” Buy food, get your prescriptions filled, then check out, and your day is complete.

Hippocrates said ““Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” But I am not sure that this is what he had in mind.

At the same time pharmacies were popping up in your favorite grocery store, something else was happening. The local chain-pharmacy decided to add a mini-mart to the planogram of their stores.

Heading to the pharmacy, whether it be for diapers, hair gel, or a one-on-one with the pharmacist, you can now see has a plethora of groceries for you to choose from. But, do not be fooled, because the reality is that there is NO real food at the pharmacy.

A quick review of five items at the drugstore, and you make the call if these are good things for you to eat:

5 Drug Store Foods to Avoid

1. Whole Wheat Bread

looks healthy. But the flour is enriched, and it is loaded with high fructose corn syrup.

2. Instant Oatmeal

Just skip it. The preservatives alone add so much sodium. My local drug store didn’t have any “old-fashioned” oats. Boo.

3. Wheat Crackers

The word “wheat” is the grabber, but again, sugar, oil, and enriched flours are the real deal.

4. Breakfast Cereal

If you like loopy, fruity cereal, you might do well. But, the reality is that cereals like shredded wheat are few and far between.

5. Plant-based milks

There are none.

And, wouldn’t it be nice if your local pharmacy had a basket of fresh fruit at the checkout? Even Starbucks offers fresh fruit at the register. Have never seen fresh fruit at the pharmacy.

What to do? Looks as though the best bet is to head to the grocery store, get your diapers, or whatever, head to produce, grab some fruit and veggies, then, head home.

It’s interesting that foods with added salt, fat, and sugar are easily found at the drugstore. And at the back of the pharmacy, people are getting medications to help fight hypertension, type-2 diabetes, and heart disease.

Eat real food. Feel better. And soon, you won’t need the medication, because delicious, fresh foods will be your medicine.…

Healthy by Default!

By Saloni Saxena 10 Nov, 2018 Leave a comment

For Lasting Health: Change “Default” Eating Behavior the Easy Way

Jennifer Silverberg, owner of the popular Facebook page and healthy eating blog, Eat Yourself Well, has spent years inspiring others to make healthy lifestyle changes. As our guest today, she identifies the biggest barrier to change, and the key to breaking through the barrier and creating successful, stress-free long-term health.

“Our culture makes unhealthy decisions the easy, ‘default’ choice, virtually 24/7,” she says. “That means that most people, when they’re hungry, have to navigate around at least a dozen junk food opportunities before they get to a good choice. That is a tremendous strain on your willpower, at the times where you are most vulnerable. Food marketers take full advantage of this.”

Jennifer says that the key to successfully building new, healthy habits is deliberately creating a space where you make healthy habits the “default,” easy choices. “I like to think of it as an arms-reach life preserver floating around my clients, made up of real food choices that support their health,” she says.

This requires a little pre-planning and offers the following three top tips.

“Think of the places where you spend the most time, particularly the spots where you are when you become hungry, or bored: your desk, your bedroom, your car. Make sure that the easiest foods for you to get to in these places are the ones that you want yourself to choose.”

“If meals are a hassle, and you find yourself ‘making do’ with last-minute pizza delivery or similar, consider meal services that deliver fully-cooked, healthy meals to your home. For one to three weeks, put the ‘what’s for breakfast, lunch, and dinner’ choice in the hands of an expert. But don’t compromise with fake packaged foods, insist on real food beautifully prepared,” she says. She recommends services like Real Food Works, a healthy meal delivery service out of Philadelphia.

Use the marketer’s trick in reverse: Make it least convenient to get the foods you least want yourself to choose. Rather than making foods “off-limits” and thereby turning them into obsessions (yes, we’ve all done that), Jennifer recommends “leaving the ice cream at the grocery store, so it’s always a car ride away.” You may find yourself “settling up” for a little plain yogurt with some fruit instead.

Think about the 4-6 “life preserver” changes you can make this week, to make healthy eating easier than making poor choices. Let us know what changes made the biggest difference, in the comments below.

Jennifer Silverberg, Eat Yourself Well

Jennifer has over 20 years experience as a Marketing executive, consultant and entrepreneur across multiple industries including adult and child nutrition, packaged foods, and much more. Her experience has given her unique insights into the methods used by food marketers and other influencers to erode the very meaning of the word “food” … resulting in blind consumer acceptance of what constitutes an “acceptable,” or “normal” diet, and “acceptable” or “normal” health. Today, she turns those principles on their heads to help clients regain vibrant health as easily and naturally as they once gained weight. Jennifer’s dream: If you beloved this article and you simply would like to get more info pertaining to buy Deca Durabolin generously visit our web-page.…

Winter Blues? See your Grocer, Not Your Shrink!

By Saloni Saxena 8 Nov, 2018 Leave a comment

“It’s like clockwork – I know that when every year when the days get shorter, colder, and darker, I’ll have several clients – who have been eating healthfully for months – start to struggle with a bit of the blues. This tends to set off powerful cravings for so-called ‘comfort foods’ high in refined processed sugar, carbohydrates and fat,” says Mary Smith, Director of Health Coaching for Real Food works, a healthy meal delivery service serving the NE U.S.

She notes that people who give in to these cravings soon learn that these foods actually work against them, contributing to their fatigue and depressive mood. In turn, this increases their cravings for more junk food … not a pattern anyone wants to take into the holidays!

“It’s time for a new definition of “comfort,” Mary says. She points to studies like a recent one from the British Journal of Psychiatry that shows how a whole, the plant-based eating pattern is a strong protective measure for combating depression. Individuals eating a diet rich in plant-based whole foods (heavily loaded with vegetables, fruits, and fish) were less likely to experience depression than those who ate fast foods, processed meats, refined grains and high-fat dairy products.

Mary has seen this in action. “We’ve had great results, with clients saying they’re enjoying their first holiday season with full energy. I love it when they get into January or February and realize they haven’t had so much as a sniffle all season, and they’ve had the energy to burn. That’s the value of real ‘comfort foods’!”

What to buy during the winter months? Mary recommends getting as many fruits and vegetables as you can, focusing on the ones deepest in color, for the highest nutritional value. When grocery shopping, reach for winter berries like cranberries, citrus fruits, beets, vibrantly colored carrots, and dark leafy greens such as kale, spinach and radicchio. She adds, “These foods, low in calories and high in nutrients and fiber, not only chase your blues away, but also aid in weight management and reduce your risk of chronic diseases.”

Want to try plant-based eating, but wish you had a personal chef to make it beautiful, delicious, and convenient? Real Food Works’ healthy meal delivery service might be your newest and most supportive BFF this winter. Beautifully prepared, great-tasting meals rich in seasonal vegetables arrive at your doorstep weekly, making it easy to stay healthy and happy all season. For more information, check out the plan options.…

Why All the Buzz About Soup Cleanses?

By Saloni Saxena 18 Apr, 2018 Leave a comment

It looks like 2015 is the year of the soup cleanse! Everywhere you look in magazines and websites, you’re hearing about the latest addition to the wellness arsenal … which is also one of the oldest foods in the world: soup!

Real Food Works is in full agreement with this new trend! In fact – full disclosure, as usual – we have our very own soup “cleanse” and would love for you to try ours! But first, we want you to understand what you should and should not expect from a cleanse.What a Soup Cleanse is NOT:

  • A Cleanse is NOT a Get-Out-of-Jail-Free card that clears “toxins.” Whole, fresh foods do help your body clear the toxins that can accumulate from chemically-created foods and the environment, but no soups (ours or others’) have magic cleansing powers beyond those of the vegetables themselves.
  • A Cleanse is NOT a long-term weight loss solution. Yes, it is a way to have a lower calorie load for a day or two (most soup cleanses are 600 – 800 calories for the day), but they do not have enough calories for sustained use.

What you CAN get from a Soup Cleanse:

  • A day of fresh, clean flavors that will help retrain/reset your palate to enjoy and crave healthier foods.
  • A day high in fiber that will help you stay full (even at lowered calories), and also help your digestive tract stay healthy.
  • A day of high-nutrient-density eating that will help energize your body at the cellular level. Those “recommended 5 servings of veggies?” You’ll leave that in the dust!
  • A tasty break from having to cook your own meals.
  • A delicious introduction to new flavor combinations you may not have thought of before.
  • And you get all of this without the blood sugar surges and dips you get with fruit cleanses, because soups are vegetable-rich and full of fiber.

Knowing all of this, if you’d think you’d like to try a Soup Cleanse, we’d love to have you take a look at ours at http://soup-cleanse.com/.

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