Lose Weight | Gain Muscle| Nutrition Facts

I am sure that when you embark upon your quest for a better body, you realize that you will have to use some sort of equipment to achieve this goal.  The problem is that for many reasons,  you are not keen on the idea of enrolling in a commercial gym.  Can you still achieve your goals with a home gym?  Absolutely!  In this article, I will show you that the magic of the home gym lies in simplicity and consistency – not in fancy equipment.

The 2 Key Advantages of the Home Gym

1. Convenience –  You can’t deny the convenience of the home gym.  Private.  Personal.  Available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.  And – you don’t have to leave your house, find parking and then fight for the best pieces of equipment at the busiest times of the day as in a commercial gym.  And when you shower, since it is at home afterward – no worry of athlete’s foot!
2. Simplicity –  Contrary to what anyone might want to tell you, you do not need the most expensive nor the most complicated equipment.  In fact, if initially all you had was a floor to do push ups and leg lunges, and a doorway chin-up bar to do pull ups, you would have all that you would ever need until you got additional equipment.

The 2 Keys to Success in Using the Home Gym

1. Progressive Weight Resistance –  Let me get right down to the point, you cannot develop the best body possible without the use of weights, that is, the use of barbells and dumbbells.  You can mess around with pilates, yoga and Richard-Simmons-style-jumping-jacks all you want, and you will not develop anything more than a chubby frame that can do aerobics a little better than the chubby person sitting next to you who does nothing.  You don’t even need to get all of your pieces of equipment all at once; you can begin little-by-little, adding on more and more in stages.  These are the stages that you might purchase your equipment:
   • Dumbbells (2)
   • Barbell (1)
   • Barbell/Dumbbell Plates (25 lbs. – 10 lbs. – 5 lbs. – and 2 ½ lbs)
   • Workout Bench (for doing the bench press)
   • Squat Rack (for doing leg squats)
   • Sit Up Bench (for doing sit ups and leg raises)
   • Doorway Chin Up Bar (The Iron Gym®)

You can later add more and more pieces of gym equipment as you can afford and can comfortably fit in your workout area.  You can start your gym with as little as $125.00.

1. Consistency of Use –  More important than any combination of gym equipment or where you choose to workout is your consistency of using it.  Who do you think would have the better body – the person who is the member of the ultra-modern, ultra-fancy gym who works out once or twice a month, or the person who has a modest but efficient gym, but one who works out everyday?  Yes, you guessed right!

The home gym can indeed be the key to your physical fitness success.  You can do it.  Train like the super-fit movie stars train – in their home gyms.  Where else?

Please leave your comments.

Yours in health,

Charles Prosper

“The 12-Week Fitness Guru”

Cranberries are a type of slightly tart and acidic red berry that are rich in vitamin C, along with many other health benefits.  One benefit that stands out is that they are excellent for fighting infection.  In this article, you will discover 5 marvelous and amazing benefits of the cranberry.

Some Basic Facts About The Cranberry

Cranberries are a fruit and native plant of North America.  Our Native Americans were the first to use the cranberry as food. The botanical name is Vaccinium Macrocarpo.

The 5 Amazing Benefits of Cranberries

Benefit Number 1 – They Counteract and Soothe Urinary Tract Infection – Many studies have conclusively shown that cranberry juice has beneficial effects on the urinary tract.  The reason why this is so, is because the juice has the therapeutic property of reducing the number of bacteria adhering to the lining of the urinary tract such as in the urethra which is the tract which allows urine to be expelled from the body, located in the penile shaft of the male and internally in the female.

Cranberry juice acts as a bactericide (an agent which kills bacteria in the body) and helps to reduce the acidity of the urine thus disrupting and making difficult the development of kidney stones.

Benefit Number 2 – They Can Help Counteract and Overcome Asthma Attacks – Take fresh, whole cranberries and crush them.  Boil them with their skin in distilled water, and drink it once the mixture has cooled off.  Cranberries can effect relief from asthma attacks because their naturally active ingredients are similar to the drugs prescribed by doctors to control asthma – but – without the side effects!

Benefit Number 3 – They Reduce Bad Cholesterol – Laboratory results have shown that cranberry juice drunk on a daily or regular basis helps remove and lower “bad cholesterol”.

Benefit Number 4 – They Prevent Ulcers – Recent studies have shown that cranberries have the ability to prevent peptic ulcer by inhibiting the adhesion of bacteria to certain areas of the stomach lining.

Benefit Number 5 – Cranberries Contain An Anti-Aging Agent – Exciting new research has shown evidence that cranberries can possibly help protect the brain from neurological damage.

Now, go out and make cranberries a part of your regular diet.  Eat the fresh berries, or you can purchase 100% fresh pressed bottled cranberry juice in your nearest health food store.  Warning.  The pure 100% variety of this juice is pricey.  A 64 ounce bottle of 100% pure cranberry juice can cost you about $59.00.  (But prescription medicines are much more expensive – and they do come with a lot of side effects.) Good health is what we are talking about here.  And, what price good health?

Yours in  health,

Charles Prosper

“The 12-Week Fitness Guru”

P.S. Leave your comments.  Thanks.

The benefits of green tea have been known and been used for thousands of years in Ancient Asia.  When you discover the miracle of these magical green tea leaves, you might be tempted to call it the world’s most wondrous green drink!

Some Basic Facts About Green Tea

Green tea was used for medical purposes almost 4000 years ago.  The Ancient Chinese used it particularly for headaches and for depression.  The botanical name is Camellia Sinensis, and the way that it is processed is unlike that of black tea which most of us are familiar with.  Green tea leaves are withered and steamed versus being fermented like black and oolong tea leaves.  Unlike black tea leaves, green tea leaves have only a very small amount of caffeine, caffeine which causes insomnia and nausea in some people.

Green Tea Is A Powerful Antioxidant

What this means, in simple terms, is that green tea has a protective chemical agent called catechins which scavenge and protect our body from the harmful  effects of cells (called free radicals) that are cells damaged and deranged by the effects of air pollution that we breath and the residual toxins and pesticides still present in the commercial fruit and vegetables that we eat.  These deranged free radical cells attack the healthy cells of the body. Anti-oxidants set up a protective wall to shield the body from the attack of free radicals.  The antioxidant level of green tea is a hundred times more effective than vitamin C, and it is twenty-five times better than vitamin E in protecting our immune system.  This in itself is reason to drink several cups of this marvelous tea everyday.

The 7 Incredible Benefits of Green Tea

Benefit Number 1 – It Accelerates The Fat-Burning Metabolism – You can expect an increase in fat oxidation and fat reduction as a result of taking a cup of this tea, especially just before your weight training or aerobics.

Benefit Number 2 – It Reduces The Risk of Heart Disease and Heart Attack – There have been studies to show that taken on a regular daily basis, it  reduces the risk of thrombosis.  (Thrombosis is the formation of a clot of coagulated blood, called a thrombus, which attaches itself inside a blood vessel and causes blockage to the free circulation of blood.)

Benefit Number 3 – It Reduces the Risk of Esophageal Cancer – The esophagus is the long tube that runs down from the mouth to the stomach; after being chewed and swallowed, the food enters the esophagus, making its way down to the stomach.  This vital organ can be kept healthy through the drinking of grren tea on a daily basis.

Benefit Number 4 – It Reduces the Level of Bad Cholesterol in the Blood – Green tea improves the ratio of good to bad cholesterol.

Benefit Number 5 – It Is Used To Treat Rheumatoid Arthritis – Rheumatoid Arthritis is a condition that leads to inflammation of the joints and surrounding tissues.  The tea acts as an anti-inflammatory agent.

Benefit Number 6 – It Is Used To Strengthen the Immune System – The immune system essentially is a system of special cells, proteins, tissues, and organs that protects against germs and microorganisms and become the body’s defense against disease and infection.  This tea fortifies the all-important immune system.

Benefit Number 7 – Drinking Green Tea Helps Reduce Plaque and Bacterial Infection in the Mouth – In addition to being an anti-inflammatory agent, the tea can help prevent cavities as well as strengthen tooth enamel.

If you would like to make green tea a part of  your healthy diet, you can look for it in the coffee and tea section of your supermarket.  So, go green.  Green tea that is.

Please leave your comments.

Yours in health,

Charles Prosper

“The 12-Week Fitness Guru”

The banana is one of the most nutritionally dense fruit that you can eat.  Did you know that the banana has more than 17 amazing health benefits? After reading this article, you will never look at a banana in the same way again.  This I promise you.

Basic Facts About Bananas

Banana is the common name for the herbaceous plant of the botanical classification genus Musa. There are various types, colors and textures of bananas, however, the yellow-sweet variety that most of us are familiar with is the yellow Cavendish banana. The banana is grown in tropical climates like Ecuador, Colombia or the Philippines and are also grown in at least 105 other countries.

A Quick Banana Tip: Never put an unripe banana in the refrigerator!  The reason is that once you refrigerate a banana, it will never get any riper.  It will stay at whatever stage of unripe-ness that you stored it.  Green bananas will ripen naturally when kept away from direct sunlight, outside of the refrigerator and at room temperature.

The 17 Amazing Health Benefits of the Banana

1. Provides Quick Energy - Bananas have three types of natural, healthy sugars which are: fructose, glucose and sucrose.   Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute bodybuilding workout.

2. Reduces the Risk of Blood Pressure and Stroke - The banana is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt which makes it the perfect fruit to help control blood pressure.  Too much sodium, a.k.a salt, is known to raise the blood pressure.  The potassium in bananas helps to counteract and combat sodium in the body.

3. Helps to Alleviate the Symptoms of Depression - Because bananas contain tryptophan which is a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin.   Serotonin is known to make you relax and helps you to sleep better thus improving your mood and generally making you feel happier.

4. Helps to Alleviate the Symptoms of PMS (Pre and Post Menstrual Syndrome) -  The vitamin B6 that it contains regulates your blood glucose levels which can indeed affect your mood.

5. Helps to Improve Anemia - The high iron content in bananas can stimulate the production of blood hemoglobin, and so can help in cases of anemia.

6. Helps to Avoid Morning Sickness - Pregnant?  Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep your blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

7. Helps to Relieve Constipation - Bananas are high in fiber.  By including bananas in your diet, you can help to restore your normal bowel action. You can overcome this problem naturally – without resorting to harsh chemical laxatives.

8. Helps to Relieve Heartburn - Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body.  So if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing your stomach.

9. Reduces Itching of Mosquito Bites –  Try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin.  Many people have found it successful at reducing the swelling and irritation of insect bites.

10. Provides Relief from Minor Burns -  Peel a ripe yellow banana.  Now mash up the banana, and then wrap it in a cloth or paper towel around the area.  Tape it in place with some surgical tape.   Pain relief should begin in moments.

11. Helps to Alleviate the Conditions of Ulcers - The banana neutralizes over-acidity in the digestive tract and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.  It is used as a dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness.

12. Helps Alleviate Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) - Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a mood disorder in which people who have normal mental health throughout most of the year suddenly experience a mood swing in the winter also known as winter depression or the winter blues. Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

13. Helps People Trying to Quit Smoking and Tobacco Addiction –  Bananas can help people trying to give up smoking. They contain vitamin B6 and B12 as well as potassium and magnesium all of which help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

14. Helps to Alleviate the Effects of Stress -  When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises and thereby reduces our potassium levels.  Potassium is very important to the homeostasis of the body which is the overall healthy balance of the body.  Potassium is a vital mineral which helps to normalize the heartbeat, sending oxygen to the brain and regulating the body’s water balance. When these important functions are knocked out of balance by stress, they can be  placed back into balance with the help of the high-potassium snack of the banana.

15. Benefits the Kidneys and the Bones -  The high potassium content of the banana suppresses calcium excretion in the urine; this action minimizes the risk of kidney stones.  Also, the suppression of calcium excretion minimizes the loss of calcium from the body thus reducing the risk of osteoporosis.

16. Helps to Calm the Nerves –  Because bananas are very high in the B vitamin complex, they can help calm and soothe the nervous system.

17. Helps to Prevent Muscle Cramping During Strenuous Exercise -  The high potassium content of the banana is the mineral that promotes full contraction and extension of muscle movement.  This is why a banana before a body building workout does wonders for enhancing your routine.

So, forget about just eating an apple a day.  When compared to an apple, the banana has twice the carbohydrates,  four times the protein, five times the vitamin A, three times the phosphorus and twice the other vitamins and minerals of an apple.  Not only that, it is very rich in potassium, and hands down, it is one of the most economically-priced food values around.  The banana rocks! Now, let’s all shout together – “A banana a day keeps the doctor away!”

Please leave your comments.

Yours in health,

Charles Prosper

“The 12-Week Fitness Guru”

If you are a man or if you are the spouse of a loved-one who is a man, you want to know about this herb -  saw palmetto.  There is a mountain of evidence that points to the fact that this herb may keep the male prostate gland healthy even to the point of preventing and protecting it from the development of the dreaded and deadly disease of prostate cancer which can affect men over 50.  In this article, you will discover a simple, safe solution to avoid and prevent an avoidable and preventable condition.

What Is The Prostate Gland

The prostate is a small, walnut-sized structure that makes up part of a man’s reproductive system. This gland wraps around the urethra which is the tube that carries urine out of the body.

What Usually Happens As Men Age Over 50 (Enlargement of the Gland)

A common occurrence of a large percentage of men over 50 is an enlargement of the prostate gland.  This in and of itself does not indicate a definitive pathological condition, but regular medical checkups for early detection is always advisable and important.  The exam that is given is to detect the level of PSA (prostate specific antigen) which, in short, is the measurement to indicate pathological activity. When the doctor says the PSA measurement is high, then there is cause for concern.

What Are The Possible Symptoms of Prostate Problems?

The majority of the symptoms listed below can occur with prostate cancer, but they can also be associated with conditions that have nothing to do with this malignancy.  Possible prostate problem symptoms are:

• Urinary dribbling, especially immediately after urinating

• Urinary hesitancy (delayed or slowed start of urinary stream)

• Urinary retention

• Pain with urination

• Pain with ejaculation

• Pain with bowel movement

• Lower back pain

As always, when in doubt, see your doctor.

Once discovered in an advanced stage, the treatment options for prostate cancer are:   surgery, radiation therapy, hormonal therapy, chemotherapy and cryosurgery (the freezing of the malignant cells).  I am all for emergency treatment when necessary, but I have always been a fanatical advocate of prevention. You know, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Enter (drum roll please) the incredible, amazing, health-promoting herb known as – saw palmetto.

Some Basic Facts About Saw Palmetto

This herb also goes by the botanical name of (Serenoa repens) which is a berry that grows naturally within the southeast part of the United States. 

The 5 Blessed Benefits of Saw Palmetto

Benefit Number 1 – Decreases the Size of Enlarged Prostates -  Studies have shown that for some patients there was as much as a  60% reduction in the size of an enlarged prostate after regular use of this herb.

Benefit Number 2 – Relieves Symptoms of Difficult Urination

Benefit Number 3 – Reduces the Urge of Excessive or Frequent Urination

Benefit Number 4 – Relieves Residual Urination (Incomplete Urination)

Benefit Number 5 – Counteracts Inflammation and Swelling of the Prostate

If you are over 50, I strongly recommend the addition of saw palmetto gelatin capsules as a regular part of your diet. You can usually find them at almost any health food or nutrition store.

Now, let me emphasize clearly one thing.  A prevention is not a cure.  The message however here is clear, keep your prostate healthy throught prevention and care – and you will never, ever have to worry about having to find a cure.

Please leave your comments.

Yours in health,

Charles Prosper

“The 12 Week Fitness Guru”