When organizations such as the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition publish statistics like ones that say only one-third of adults get the recommended amount of physical activity every week, do you ever wonder why the other two-thirds don’t exercise? Most people just accept the numbers without giving them a second thought, while some go the judgmental route and assume the non-active people are just lazy. However, it could simply be that they never got in the habit of exercising.

If you analyze your day, you will see that your habits get you through it. You put the same amount of sugar in your coffee each morning, and you probably have the same food for breakfast almost every day. You leave for work at the same time, and your evening routine is probably somewhat scheduled and automatic, too, right down to the time you go to bed.

No, not this kind of habit. Change your behavior, not your clothes, to lose weight, get fit, and stay healthy.

Being a creature of habit isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Habits can actually work to your advantage, and the really great thing is that you can change ones that don’t benefit you or form new ones that do work for your good. Life coaches and inspirational speakers motivate people by listing habits of highly successful people. Why not get motivated by imitating the habits of the fit and healthy?

Make a Commitment

People who are fit and healthy don’t play hit and miss with their food choices and workouts. They don’t view eating healthy and exercising as something they’ll do for a couple of weeks once or twice a year long enough to lose weight. Instead, they recognized long ago that being fit does not come from a crash diet or boot camp. It is a lifestyle, and they commit to it.

Give Yourself Some Slack

Factor in meals or entire days for your favorite “cheat” foods. Cutting yourself some slack with workouts, too, will keep life from derailing your fitness goals.

Making a lifestyle change doesn’t mean no more goodies or never getting a day off from the gym. It’s actually the reverse. According to LIVESTRONG, highly fit people go into their fit and healthy lifestyle change with significant slack built in known as the 85/15 Rule. It means eating healthy most of the time, but allowing themselves to indulge up to 15 percent of the time. In seven days, that translates to one entire cheat day or three to four cheat meals spread out over the week. That makes healthy choices way more doable.

As for working out to lose weight or just stay in shape, give yourself some leeway there, too. Set a high and low goal, such as working out three to five days each week and plan the days and times, too. That way, if you can only get in three days of exercising before life intervenes, you can feel good about having met your goal. On the other hand, if you can get in four or five days consistently, you can consider those weeks exceptionally successful and can feel even better about missing a few days on your “short” weeks.

Make it Fun

Take a fun fitness class or compete with yourself or a workout buddy to make exercising enjoyable.

Fun exercise might sound like an oxymoron, but fit people know that workouts they enjoy are ones that they’ll be more likely to stick with. In an interview with Parade Magazine, Biggest Loser Trainer Bob Harper says workouts that challenge him are what he considers fun. Take a kickboxing class or do your cardio on a computerized bike with animated scenery–or even take your workout outdoors. You can also turn your exercise into a competition whether it is with a workout buddy or with yourself. See how much farther you can bike or run, or how long it takes you to move up to the next heavier dumbbells in the gym. When you can start to enjoy your workouts, you’ll be amazed at how anxious you are to do them.

Stick With It

Sure there will be times when you want to just quit. Sticking with it despite that urge is what makes highly fit people successful in reaching their goals.

You’ve probably heard that it takes 21 days to form a new habit. The Huffington Post says that isn’t actually an accurate number. According to “Psycho-Cybernetics,” the original publication where that number appeared, it takes at least 21 days, but can take up to eight months or maybe even more to ingrain a new habit. The point here is that you need to stick with exercise and healthy food choices if you want to be fit and healthy. Yes, there will be days when you just don’t feel like it and, yes, there will be times when your strength, weight loss, or both plateaus. MyFitnessPal points out that one of the habits of healthy people is that they continue with their fitness routine no matter what. They embrace the challenge and recognize tough-going as an opportunity to switch up their workout routine or try different types of healthy cuisine. There won’t be a time when you’ve “made it,” but that shouldn’t discourage you. Welcome the opportunities for change and celebrate every victory no matter how big or small–and keep on going.

Like you don’t have enough to worry about, now the CDC reveals that you have about a 40 percent chance of developing type 2 diabetes during your lifetime, according to Health Day. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Diabetes Statistics Report actually has more than just that bad news to pass on, such as the fact that 30.3 million Americans are estimated to have diabetes. Also, nearly 7.2 million diabetics are undiagnosed and, therefore, go untreated.

Diabetes carries a cost of roughly $245 billion (say it like Dr. Evil: beel-yin) in overall expenses. Additionally, complications from the disease can result in other issues such as

• nerve disease
• loss of hearing and/or eyesight
• kidney and/or heart disease
• high blood pressure and cholesterol
• hypo- and hyper-glycemic crisis
• amputations

Diabetes-Curing Diet

Sure, diabetes can be reversed with the right diet–but how many people want to limit themselves to 850 calories of liquid nutrition per day?

One of the first things diabetics get used to is watching everything they eat, and being careful about your diet is definitely an effective way to control the disease. A recent study in the Lancet showed just how effective. Participants were put on a rigorous diet for the year-long study and monitored for another 6 years. For over half of them, the diabetes went into remission without the need for medication.

Sounds great, right? Well, it depends on how well you’d do on a liquid diet that consisted of about 850 calories per day. That’s what the researchers meant by “rigorous.” Sure, the participants only had to be on the liquid diet for about 3 to 5 months, but even after they went back on solid food, the diet for the rest of the year was still very structured.

Exercise: The Missing Element For Controlling Diabetes

“Cardio and resistance training” may soon be the indecipherable scribble on your doctor’s prescription pad.

So, what if there was a way for you to eat a little more freely and still prevent or reverse diabetes? Actually, there is. Physical activity could be the diabetes solution you’re looking for.

Even if you’d rather rely on a vial of insulin and a syringe the rest of your life, your doctor might soon be prescribing exercise as part of your treatment if he hasn’t already. The Wall Street Journal reports that doctors have jumped on the Exercise is Medicine bandwagon. Initiated by the American College of Sports Medicine, it’s a program that promotes regularly including exercise alongside medication as part of health-care providers’ treatment of patients.

How Exercise Works for  Diabetes Control

Muscles are more sensitive to insulin and readily absorb glucose from the blood to use as energy when working out.

If all you know about exercise and health is that it gets your heart rate up, you need a quick course in Effects of Exercise on the Body 101. As Health explains, your muscles’ sensitivity to insulin increases when you exercise. This is especially important for diabetics because insulin assists in absorbing glucose from the blood into the muscle cells for energy. It’s the reason patients can manage diabetes with exercise. Their bodies can regulate blood glucose levels more effectively, reducing their dependence on insulin. There are even instances when patients who have added consistent exercise to their weekly routines have been able to get off insulin treatment altogether.

Multiple Benefits for Diabetics

The benefits for diabetes with exercise go beyond controlling blood sugar and decreasing the need for insulin injections. MedlinePlus says that regular physical activity is vitally important to diabetics because it helps

• manage weight by building muscle and burning fat
• increase blood flow and circulation, having a positive effect on blood pressure
• improve energy levels and reduce stress

If you refer back to that shortlist of secondary complications that can arise from diabetes, you’ll understand why these additional benefits are so significant for people battling the disease.

Best Exercise Plan for Controlling Diabetes

High Intensity Interval Training with resistance bands is ideal exercise for helping control diabetes.

If you’ve led an inactive lifestyle thus far, you won’t be able to jump right into a high-intensity exercise program. Start out slow, such as walking 10 to 20 minutes a day and taking the stairs instead of the elevator when possible. You’ll eventually want to work up to 2 hours of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity each week, as advised by the CDC. You’ll also want to include resistance training at least two days a week. When you’re looking for the absolute best plan for controlling diabetes, it’s a combination of strength training and aerobic activity. In an interview posted on Medical News Today, Dr. Ronald Sigal said the results of a study he authored revealed that, although aerobic exercise and resistance training each on their own was effective for controlling blood glucose levels, subjects who participated in both enjoyed doubled benefits–and those benefits are magnified even more when you eat a healthy diet.

Once you’re up and “running,” so to speak, participating in resistance bands training with a HIIT workout is an excellent choice for exercise. You’ll take care of your resistance and cardio with one quick workout. Additionally, a HIIT workout routine  offers variety to keep your workout interesting and fresh, and it increases your fat-burning potential and improves the regulation of your blood glucose levels for up to 24 hours after your workout.

Exercise Tips for Diabetics

Consult with your doctor to ensure the exercise you’re starting is appropriate for you, and to set a range for your blood glucose levels.

It’s wise for anyone to consult with their doctor before starting an exercise program, but it’s essential for patients with diabetes to do so. Your physician will recommend an optimal range for your blood glucose levels and will also advise you on avoiding hypoglycemia during and after your workout. Make a plan each week to schedule when and how long you’ll work out. If you carve that time out beforehand, you’ll be more likely to stick to your workout agenda. If you need some support or motivation, find a buddy to workout with. You’ll be more inclined to keep an appointment with a friend, and there will be someone there to help if you feel your blood sugar dropping too quickly. Track your physical activity in some tangible way, such as writing what you did each day on the calendar, or even creating a weekly spreadsheet. Also, the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse recommends rewarding yourself for meeting your weekly workout goals as well as hitting weight and blood sugar milestones. Eliminating your reliance on insulin is reward in itself, but it’s nice as well as motivating to have short-term incentives to look forward to.

If you’ve struggled with losing weight, restrictive diets that claim to be the best diet for fast weight loss or the best diet to lose belly fat sound like the answer. If you just quit eating fat, if you just quit eating sugar, if you just quit eating carbs, then you’ll finally lose weight. The problem with that strategy is that there’s not much left that you can eat. Plus, when you go at the food pyramid or the healthy plate with a machete and hack away most of the food groups, the result won’t be a healthy diet.

Sometimes science comes up with the “answer” to your dieting woes, creating products in the lab that will supposedly allow you to indulge in foods you crave without having to deal with the fat or calories. But here’s the hitch you should have seen coming: the ingredients Nature makes are healthier for you than ones cobbled together in a lab. Your body knows how to process and deal with real sugar and real fat. It isn’t quite sure what to do with sugar and fat substitutes, however, and that can result in health issues including weight gain, which is what you were trying to avoid in the first place.

The Not-So-Sweet Truth About Sugar Substitutes

“Sugar free” doesn’t automatically mean healthy.
Image by theimpulsivebuy/Flickr

Harvard Health points out that five artificial sweeteners have been approved by the FDA as safe for human consumption. Sure, the FDA’s process has determined that they aren’t likely to give you cancer, but that doesn’t mean they’re the healthier alternative to real sugar. Neither will they make your diet healthy and help with weight loss. In an interview with Harvard Health, obesity and weight loss specialist Dr. David Ludwig revealed that, because artificial sweeteners are so much sweeter than actual sugar–and even high-fructose corn syrup!–they over-stimulate your sugar receptors. That can result in an intolerance for foods that aren’t as intensely sweet, meaning you’ll be turned off from eating healthy things like fruits and vegetables.

Additionally, artificial sweeteners tend to be addictive. They make you crave more sweets which you feel justified in eating because they’re sugar free, right? That usually results in weight gain rather than being a solution for it. A study originally published in the British Journal of Nutrition showed that subjects who drank an average of three diet sodas each day were twice as likely to be overweight, even obese, as the participants who didn’t indulge in diet drinks.

Scientific American says that part of the weight gain issue with sugar substitutes is that they upset the balance of bacteria in your digestive system, interfering with your body’s ability to properly digest food and extract energy, even from nutritious foods. But their nefarious actions don’t stop there. Artificial sweeteners also encourage populations of bacteria that turn energy into fat and send it for storage to your tummy, thighs and hips.

On top of all of that, research published on the American Diabetes Association website concluded that drinking diet sodas daily was associated with 67 percent greater risk for type 2 diabetes as well as a 36 percent increased risk for metabolic syndrome, a condition that includes elevated abdominal fat as well as high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol.

The real sweet thing about turbinado sugar is that it has nutritional value.

If you’re going to contend that common white table sugar isn’t healthy either, you’ll get no arguments here. Granulated sugar goes through so much processing that empty calories are all it has left to offer you in the end. According to Livestrong, however, turbinado sugar goes through minimal processing and is the product of the first pressings of sugar cane. Also known as raw sugar, turbinado sugar has a high moisture content so, measure for measure, it has fewer calories than white sugar. Another bonus is that the chemical-free processing procedure leaves turbinado sugar with a significant amount of nutrients including

• potassium
• calcium
• magnesium
• phosphorus
• iron
• copper
• niacin
• manganese

And! One teaspoon of turbinado sugar only has 5 grams of complex carbohydrates, a definite diet win.

Making the Case for Fat

Weight gain is more likely when you eat foods made with fat substitutes, so you’re better off opting for the real thing.

If you’ve been following along, you know that we’ve already covered the subject of fats in your diet, but it bears bringing up briefly again to discuss the weight gain that is likely if you opt for fat substitutes instead of going for the real thing. ABC News reported on a study that found that a diet that included fake fat resulted in higher weight gain than one that contained basic, plain and simple natural fat.

It seems one of the major issues is the same as with artificial sugar: fat substitutes screw up your body’s ability to effectively control what it eats. They also interfere with digestion and metabolization of food so, once again, energy is turned into fat and packed onto your “problem areas” for storage.

You’ll be happier and healthier if you simply combine a real food diet with exercise to burn calories.

Instead of trying to outwit Nature by “tricking” your body with fake fat and sugar substitutes, just go for the real thing — but, for the love of all that’s holy, do it in moderation! Having permission to eat real sugar and real fat isn’t the same as eating as much of it as you can cram into your cakehole. The best way to lose weight is a diet and fitness program that includes sugar and healthy fats — yes, even real butter — along with an exercise regimen. Your body was designed to move. People who eat the good stuff then work it off with exhilarating exercise lose weight more effectively and keep it off in the long haul.

Increasing the cash in your pocket is serious incentive for getting fit and healthy.

For some, losing weight and getting back into shape isn’t enough motivation to work out and eat healthy. They think about it, and they’d like to be thinner and feel better in general, but the thought of doing the work or depriving themselves of favorite foods stops them even before they get started. If you’re one of those who need more incentive to finally act on your intentions to start a fitness exercise program and get healthy, consider all the ways that doing so will positively affect your budget. Ah, money talks!

Eating Healthy Saves $$$

You don’t have to give up eating out. Just save that for dinner excursions once a week or so, and cook at home the rest of the week.

Eating healthy will save you money on day one. When you prepare your breakfasts and lunches at home instead of grabbing a quick bite at the diner or from a fast food drive-thru, you’ll have an extra $50 or more each month. Cut out the candy bars, sodas and other vending machine “treats” during the day, and your savings go up. Yes, you’ll still need to eat breakfast and lunch, and no one says you can’t snack at all if you’re not eating chips or slurping a frappé. Your healthier alternatives, though, will be less expensive because microwaving an egg and a half (one full egg plus one egg white), seasoning it with a sprinkle of Italian seasoning and sliding it between two halves of a whole-grain bagel costs less — and is tastier — than buying a breakfast sandwich at a convenience store or fast food joint.

The Department of Health and Human Services offers some tips for making sure you save money when you opt to ditch the restaurant scene and eat healthier. For instance, plan your meals and make a list, then stick to it when shopping. Buy in bulk and buy in season, and plan your meals according to what you have on hand. Also, cook at least two large meals each week, so you have healthy leftovers for the rest of the week.

Fewer Doctor Bills

Working out boosts your immune system, cutting down on doctor’s visits and saving money.

You won’t get sick as often if you start a workout program, so you won’t have as many doctor’s visits to pay for. According to ACE Fitness, studies have shown that people who engage in a moderate exercise program on a regular basis see immediate, positive effects on their immunity, but they also get cumulative effects for long-term strong immunity. One study ACE references showed that simply walking at a moderately fast pace for as little as 40 minutes a day cuts the occurrence of sore throats and colds in half.

What’s more, a study published by the Journal of the American Heart Association found that exercise can put a huge chunk of change back into your pocket. Depending on whether you’re already fairly healthy or if you have a serious health issue such as heart disease, exercising can save anywhere between $500 to $2,500 each year on medical expenses. That’s like getting paid to exercise.

Save Money on Meds

Medications are expensive, but working out can reduce or even eliminate the need for prescriptions.

The CDC says that lack of exercise is linked to chronic diseases that force patients to rely on daily medication to function and survive. These include heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. The solution is exercising to reduce or even eliminate your need for some medications. Building muscle through exercise reduces your chances of incurring injuries requiring painkillers, but the endorphins released while you exercise along with getting your blood flowing to all parts of your body act as natural painkillers. The endorphins also act as natural anti-depressants, too.

A workout program that includes resistance training and cardio exercise will keep your heart healthy, reducing your chances of developing cardiovascular disease. As mentioned above, that can save you money on medical care expenses as well as medications but other diseases can be avoided or even reversed with exercise. According to Dr. Mercola, research has shown that exercise and healthy eating can help control and in some cases even reverse diabetes, eliminating the need for costly insulin. A vigorous fitness exercise program will help you sleep better, too, saving you money on prescription or OTC sleep medications.

Curb Your Clothing Budget

Working out maintains your weight, so no more constantly shopping for new clothes in different sizes.

When you exercise regularly, your clothing will fit better and last longer because your clothing size won’t be constantly changing. Reader’s Digest Best Health points out that once you lose weight, you should splurge on a few new outfits for your new physique, but don’t hold onto your bigger clothes. The plan is not to need them in the future. Instead, donate them to Goodwill or another charity store. Not having your “fat pants” in the closet to fall back on will be valuable incentive to maintain your trimmer figure–plus, the donation is tax deductible. Cha-ching!

Save on Transportation Costs

Save gas and parking money and get your cardio at the same time!

Exercising will increase your endurance along with your fitness, and that suddenly makes alternative transportation not only doable, but logical. You’ll be capable of walking and biking to places including work, grocery shopping, or a friend’s house. Walking and biking everywhere may not be feasible all the time but even if you do it a few times a week, you’ll save money on gas and parking as well as wear and tear on your car. Plus, you can count your commute toward your weekly cardio exercise — score!

Advance Your Career

Getting fit can increase your income by improving your job performance and overall outlook on life.

You don’t have to work in the fitness industry for your health and fitness workout plan to positively affect your career, and that will do more than save you money — it will increase your income. Personal trainer Julia Derek points out that the health benefits of working out are important for self-employed people because it reduces sick days as well as making you stronger so you can give your business serious effort and attention. Even if you are salaried or punching the time clock for an employer, if you aren’t fit and healthy you’ll tend to be depressed and tired more than those who exercise regularly. When you don’t feel good mentally and physically, your job performance suffers and, don’t kid yourself, your boss will notice. On the other hand, if you’re energetic, happy and mentally alert, you’ll perform at peak and be on the fast-track for raises and promotions.

Won’t Getting Fit and Healthy Cost Me Money?

Up until now, maybe part of your excuse for not getting fit and healthy was that you think it costs money to do it “right.” It’s true that you could fork out some serious cash to hire a trainer, join the most expensive health club, and/or outfit your home with home fitness equipment, but none of that is necessary. There are plenty of home gym equipment options that cost less than $400 and offer a wide range of exercises to give you the most for your money. However, there are tons of cardio exercises and ones for building muscle that don’t require specialized equipment — and some don’t need any fitness equipment at all.

Splitting the cost of a personal trainer with others helps make fitness more affordable.

As for the expensive personal trainer, you have access to the public library and the world wide web. You have all the health and fitness knowledge in the world at your disposal. Keep in mind, though, that some health clubs and even free-agent personal trainers offer group training sessions that allow more than one person to split the cost of the trainer’s time. That gives everyone the benefit of working out with a personal trainer without the high price tag. Investing in one or two group training sessions will give you some starter knowledge and experience to fuel your money-saving workout plan. Just imagine how great it will feel to watch your waistline shrink while your bank balance expands.

This week, TargitFit is pleased to post an article by John Hawthorne, which originally appeared on beergifts.com.

Milk is for babies. When you grow up you have to drink beer. – Arnold Schwarzenegger

We all know the phrase, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Of course, this is a ridiculous statement with almost no truth to it. Eating one piece of fruit per day isn’t going to magically ward off sickness, like some sort of powerful fruit of eternal life. An apple per day keeps the doctor away only if you throw the apple at the doctor, which we don’t recommend. Usually.

There’s another, similar statement, that is much more accurate: a 24 pack of beer per day keeps the jobs away.

Unfortunately, as delicious as beer is, we can’t recommend drinking a case of beer per day. If you do, there’s a good chance you’ll end up living in a van down by the river.

Plus, beer, like anything in excess (sweets, sweatpants, Nicolas Cage movies), isn’t good for your health. If you feast upon too much beer in a single day, your body will begin to go on strike, demanding better working conditions.

But how much beer is too much? How much is healthy? Is it a bad sign if you’re drinking beer in the shower (probably)?

Let us guide you on a beerlicious tour of your body, helping you understand how to treat your body without cheating your body.

(Note: We’re not doctors. This isn’t intended to be medical advice. Talk to your doctor before making any medical decisions.)

How Much Beer Per Day Is Too Much?

Let a man walk ten miles steadily on a hot summer’s day along a dusty English road, and he will soon discover why beer was invented. – Gilbert K. Chesterton

Most guidelines state that moderate beer consumption is safe for your health. For men, that’s between 2-3 beers per day and for women that’s 1-2 beers per day (sorry ladies).

We know that some of you are reading this and thinking, Perfect! I’ll drink three 60 oz beers per night!

Nice try. The 2-3 limit is based on drinking 12 oz beers. Pint glasses you can fit your head into don’t count.

Now, we should note, there is some disagreement about exactly how much is too much. As Katie Kelly Bell notes:

In the UK, their Department of Health states that men should limit consumption to no more than 3-4 units/day and women to no more than 2-3 units/day…but take note, their unit is only 8 grams, and an American unit is 14 grams. Overall though, the UK guidelines allow for a bit more flexibility. The French Ministry of Health and Sports suggests no more than 30 grams (roughly 3 drinks) per day for men and women alike.

We’d all probably really like Spanish doctors from the Basque region, where the Department of Health & Social Security counsels men and women to no more than 70 grams a day, or roughly seven drinks a day.

So here’s what we recommend. At the end of the day (or whenever you like to relax), sit down with a cold craft beer or two. Drink them slowly. Savor them. Taste the hops and malt and grains. If you’re drinking an IPA, enjoy the sweet bitterness that only that beer produces.

If you’re worried that you’re drinking too much, you have two options:

• Drink less
• Move to Spain

The point is this: be smart with the amount of beer you drink. It’s delicious, and in moderation it’s the nectar of the gods. Don’t drink until you’re hammered and convinced that everyone is your best friend and that world peace is achievable.

Is Beer Good For Your Health?

I’m gaining weight the right way: I’m drinking beer. – Johnny Damon

Some look at this question and scoff. They assume that drinking beer is healthy in the same way that eating glass is healthy. The next time you encounter someone like this, you can shove science in their face.

Beer Has Nutrients. No beer, isn’t in the same category as organic, gluten-free, cage free kale, but it certainly does have nutrients. These nutrients include trace amounts of calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium, fluoride and silicon.

Beer also contains some antioxidants, which help your body eliminate harmful toxins.

Beer May Strengthen Your Bones. Check this out beer haters. A recent study by the Journal of the American Medical Association discovered that moderate drinkers were 38% less likely to develop osteoporosis. Another study showed that moderate drinkers have a 20% lower risk of fracturing a hip.

Milk does a body good. So does beer.

Beer May Reduce the Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes. A number of studies have shown that moderate consumption of beer can actually reduce your risk of Type 2 diabetes by up to 30 percent. Beer May Boost Cognitive Health. Most people associate drinking beer with people slurring sentences and being unable to answer simple questions. Nope. Some studies have indicated that light to moderate drinking later in life can actually slow cognitive decline. So instead of playing all those brain games to try and stay sharp, just drink a few pints.

Beer Can Improve Your Digestion. In 2012, a study was published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry that showed that some beers can trigger the release of gastric acid in the stomach. Gastric acid is a key component in digestion and also helps control the growth of unhealthy gut bacteria.

Obviously, drinking too much beer isn’t good for your health. Your liver won’t be your biggest fan if you’re downing a case every night after work. But drinking beer in moderation can be very good for your health. So, to quote Homer Simpson, “Shut up liver!”

What Does Beer Do To Your Body?

I do condition my hair with honey and beer. I smell like the bottom of a beer barrel for days afterwards, but it’s very good for the hair. – Catherine Zeta-Jones

Beer affects your body in a number of ways. None of these is problematic if you drink in moderation.

Beer alters your brain’s neurotransmitters. The reason you feel a little fuzzy when you drink beer is due to the way beer interacts with your cerebellum, which helps with coordination, and cerebral cortex, which is responsible for thinking, memory, and learning.

Beer dilates your blood vessels. Why does your face turn beet red when you have a few drinks? Because alcohol causes your blood vessels to dilate and more blood flows through them. That blotchy skin isn’t because you’re embarrassed, it’s because you’ve tossed back a cold one.

Beer sends you to the restroom. Alcohol is a diuretic, meaning that it causes you to have to urinate more frequently. This is why you find yourself going like a racehorse after just a few beers.

Beer can lower your blood sugar. Alcohol inhibits your liver from converting glycogen into glucose, which then causes your blood sugar to drop. A simple way to avoid this is to eat a hearty meal beforehand.

Does Beer Have Health Risks?

Beer, it’s the best damn drink in the world. Jack Nicholson

Beer, like every other good thing, has health risks when consumed in excess. There’s nothing particularly new or profound about that. There are health risks if you eat fast food every day or watch too much Netflix.

One of the best ways to avoid drinking excess beer is to drink good beer. Beer that was made with care. Beer that wasn’t mass produced in a giant warehouse. When you drink good beer, it’s an experience. You’re not pounding down fifteen beers in order to pass out on the couch. You’re savoring a few delicious, flavorful beers that have an amazing flavor profile.

Don’t cheat yourself by drinking terrible, cheap beer. Invest in something that will make you want to slow down and appreciate what you’re drinking.

Conclusion

There are few things better in life than beer. And thankfully, beer can be good for you when consumed in reasonable, moderate, not frat party amounts. It can help your digestion, be good for your heart, strengthen your bones, and help you relax.

Most importantly, beer can make you happy. We’ve all had the experience of coming home after a long, hard day and enjoying a delicious beer.

There’s simply nothing like it.

This article was originally published on beergifts.com.

If you’ve been thinking about joining a gym, there are plenty out there. Statista reports that there are over 36,500 health clubs in the U.S. open and ready to help people reach their goals. On the other hand, tt’s understandable if you don’t join one. Maybe you don’t live near one of those thousands of facilities; maybe you don’t want to sign a contract to get affordable rates; or maybe the hours of business don’t sync up with your schedule. Those excuses don’t mean that you can’t get fit. With a few pieces of equipment, you can have 24-hour access to the best home gym on the planet.

Kettlebells give you more options than simple dumbbells.

Kettlebells: Valuable Versatility
Kettlebells aren’t new in the world of workouts, but they’ve made a comeback in popularity. According to Fitness, the equipment’s versatility makes kettlebells trainer favorites, allowing them to add useful moves such as swings to strength training regimens. You’ll only need three kettlebells to start. In his book “The Ultimate Kettlebells Workbook,” Dave Randolph advises that you get one lighter-weight kettlebell for pressing overhead, on heavier-weight for lower body work and one that falls in between the two for dynamic exercises. You won’t have to buy additional kettlebells until you’re ready to move up in weight.

Cardio is Crucial for the Best Home Gyms

Get your cardio on a treadmill, elliptical, or rowing machine – or get a special stand that turns a regular bike into a stationary bike with the twist of a couple of screws. Image courtesy of Gedgetsworld.in.

You need cardio options along with resistance to create the best home gym, but you don’t have to invest thousands in club-quality equipment to get a decent aerobic workout. Exercise trainer stands are an affordable way to turn a street bike into a stationary one for effective indoor cardio workouts. Quality stands have dials that adjust tension on the rear wheel so, much like in Spin class, you can simulate going up and down hills. Human Kinetics recommends using an old bike if this is the cardio route you favor. That’s because the stand holds your bike stationary and prevents it from moving freely. This puts a great deal of pressure on the frame and may end up impairing how it handles if you try to ride it outdoors again.

The Benefits of Bands

Bands are a safe form of resistance plus they provide a refreshing change from traditional weights.

Resistance bands are some of the best pieces of equipment for home gyms, according to WebMD. Jim Stoppani, Ph.D., says that bands supply linear variable resistance (LVR), a condition in which resistance increases as you work through the motion of an exercise, and that’s great for building muscle. You may have seen guys at the gym attaching chains to free weights to generate LVR, but you won’t need chains if you equip your home gym with a TargitFit Trainer. It uses resistance bands to perform over 115 gym-quality exercises, earning it the title of the best home gym. Skeptical? In Roy M. Wallack’s LA Times article comparing portable exercise equipment, TargitFit was the only piece that garnered no “dislikes” and was described as having the “closest real-gym feel.”

So, what are you waiting for? Get started building the best home gym right in your own home today!

Casamigos Tequila
Image by Dominick Lockyer

Yeah, it’s true. We just published an article about how alcohol affects your workout, but if you read it thoroughly, you’ll remember that it doesn’t have to derail your exercise regimen altogether. In fact, it turns out that one specific type of alcohol actually assists in weight loss.

After reading about how Randy Gerber and his pal George developed a brand of tequila and sold the company for (pinky to lip) one beelyun dollars, we remembered stumbling across an interesting study that showed tequila can help you lose weight.

The Research

The Royal Study Of Chemistry published a paper in which the researchers found that agavins–fructans from the agave plant–aren’t digested like typical sugars are. They actually act more like fiber in the digestive system. That alone is good news because, although agavins are sugars, they won’t raise your blood sugar level, but that’s not really the ultimate benefit. The researchers found that in as few as 5 weeks, agavins promoted peptide secretion which was useful in regulating appetite. The difference in that short amount of time was significant enough to show lower triglycerides and less weight gain, leading the researchers to conclude that agavins could be useful in controlling obesity and metabolic disorder.

Applying the Science

Rather than drinking cocktails made with sugary mixers, opt for tequila and soda over ice, garnished with citrus fruit and maybe a sprig of mint.

Don’t uncork the Petron just yet…we know the traditional train of thought is that if a little is good, more is better, but that is where everything usually goes wrong. Too much of anything isn’t good, and no studies have yet come up with a recommended amount of agavins for health or weight loss. If you’re looking to tequila for help losing weight, make it a substitution choice rather than your whole plan.

That means still keeping alcohol intake to a minimum, but choosing tequila–agave tequila specifically–over other types of alcohol when you do imbibe. Also, remember that tossing it in a shaker with super-sweet mixers will defeat the purpose. That makes drinking it straight a better choice–shots or poured over ice– the best would be to serve it with soda and citrus wedges. Diluting the tequila in that way will keep it from going straight to your head.

Be Smart

Get exercise out of the way before raising a glass of agave tequila with friends.

Tequila is still liquor, so in order for it to not hinder the exercise part of your regimen, you’ll want to time your drinking appropriately. The agavins may help in weight loss, but the alcohol can reduce protein synthesis which interferes with muscle building. Additionally, it can obstruct nutrient absorption and dehydrate you, both issues that get in the way of an effective workout. That’s why it’s best to work out before you drink, then take the following day off for recovery. You’ll have all the energy and hydration you need, your body will be able to perform optimally, and you’ll be ready to go again after your rest day. Salud!

This week, TargitFit is pleased to offer some healthy living advice courtesy of guest blogger, Henry Moore:

Photo Credit: SnapwireSnaps, Pixabay

Getting rid of a bad habit may seem like something that’s easier said than done, but there are ways to go about it that aren’t as difficult as you may think. From binge snacking to overspending to smoking cigarettes, many people have a bad habit they’d like to get rid of. When you’ve decided it’s time to kick your bad habit, start by considering why you should stop partaking and then think about ways to reverse it. Each bad habit brings its own dangers, and solutions vary depending on the specific habit. Below are three bad habits and how to kick them. 

Bad Habits That Are Health-Dangers

Spending too much time on the couch watching TV is a double whammy. First, the more TV you watch, the less physical activity you’re getting. A lack of exercise increases your odds of being overweight. Second, if you’re sitting around watching TV, you’re more likely to drink too many beers or sugary sodas or binge-snack, and those snacks are typically high-fat, high-calorie, processed snack foods.

Leading a stressful life is a bad habit that can be easy to overlook, but having an unhappy lifestyle releases large amounts of stress hormones that lower immunity, slow digestion, and increase your blood pressure and blood sugar. “Nature intended stress to be a short-lived fight-or-flight response to a threat, but modern life can lead to chronic stress and to far-reaching impacts on your health,” warns Reader’s Digest.

You may not think of sunbathing as a bad habit either, but skipping sunblock accelerates the aging of your skin. The sun destroys the elastic fibers in your skin, so instead of looking firm and smooth, you will have wrinkles, blotches, freckles, and discolorations. More importantly, sunburns are a huge contributor to cancers of the skin. Don’t forget tanning salons, which raise your risk for skin cancer and wrinkles.

Breaking the Habit 

When watching TV, follow the 2/30 rule, which states that 2 hours is the maximum anyone should spend watching the tube in one day, and you should definitely participate in at least 30 minutes of exercise. Mindlessly surfing channels increases the time you spend watching, so only turn the TV on when you have something specific to watch. Make a point not to eat while watching TV. If you’re going to watch TV for two hours, you might as well exercise while you watch by walking in place or performing sit-ups and pushups.

Practice the art of refraining from getting stressed so easily. Your reaction to triggers determines your stress level. Next time you feel a stressful situation developing, make the conscious decision to manage it and stay calm, rather than letting the situation manage you. It helps to learn a formal stress-relief process, such as yoga, meditation, and deep breathing exercises. Pessimism is a learned behavior, so counter it by rediscovering optimism. It can keep stress at bay and help you regain your happiness. Diet and exercise play major roles in stress levels, so make healthy eating and working out part of your daily routine. Also, experiment with letting loose sometimes. Being an adult doesn’t mean having to suppress fun. Remember to enjoy yourself.

Take back your skin health. Start by scheduling an annual checkup with a dermatologist. Educate yourself on the danger signs of skin cancers and always wear sunscreen if you’re going to be outdoors, even if it’s cloudy or in the winter. If you’re forgetful, keep a bottle near the door of your house and in the car. It only takes a minute or two to apply sunscreen, and that’s two minutes that could save your life. For prolonged sun exposure, don’t forget to reapply your sunscreen. Stay in the shade when you can, and wear a hat and sunglasses. If you’re after the glow from the sun, use a lotion with a self-tanner.

Be a Better You

All of these changes above require a level of self-discipline, whether it’s remembering your sunscreen or getting off the couch during commercial breaks. It doesn’t matter what your bad habit is, you will need self-discipline to break it and re-train yourself with good habits. It may be hard at first, but the healthy changes doing so brings to your mind and body are worth it.

About the Author:

Henry Moore enjoys travel, running, cooking, baking, and reading. His favorite place in the world is Venice, Italy. He believes travel can change you, and good health preserves you. He combines both in his work on FitWellTraveler.

In this, the final installment in our four-part series on muscle and fat myths, we’ll set the facts straight on muscle weighing more than fat. It is a misconception that you’ve likely heard or read before–maybe even here on these very blog pages. It’s never our intention to mislead, but the reason this myth gets passed on and repeated so often is that it is almost true–clearing up the inaccuracy lies in comparing volume rather than actual weight.

What Weighs More: a Pound of Feathers or a Pound of Iron?

Image by Next TwentyEight

Ever come up against this brain teaser? The initial response from anyone who doesn’t take about 3 seconds to think it through is that feathers are lighter than iron, but a pound is a pound, no matter what you’re weighing. According to Shape magazine, it’s simply that muscle tissue is denser than bulky fat tissue, so a pound of fat takes up more space than a pound of muscle. To be fair, if you’re comparing the same mass amount of muscle and fat, yes, the muscle will weigh more. However, comparing the volume of a pound of muscle to a pound of fat, it’s not like comparing apples and oranges. It’s more like grapefruits and tangerines. American Council on Exercise Professional Trainer Jason Greenspan says a pound of fat is grapefruit-sized and a pound of muscle is approximately as big as a tangerine.

The Type of Tissue Makes a Difference, Too

Muscles are active even when you aren’t, so they’ll still be burning fat and calories long after you’re done working out.

Muscle and fat tissue are almost opposites when it comes to tissue type. While muscle is an active tissue that burns more fuel–i.e.: calories and fat–than other types of tissue, fat is considered adipose tissue, according to Science Daily. Even within adipose tissues, there are sub-types of fat, but the Encyclopedia of Sports Medicine and Science says fat tissue is less active metabolically speaking, so it doesn’t matter a whole lot whether you have mostly white fat or brown fat. If you are carrying more fat than muscle, most of that tissue is sitting there doing pretty much nothing for your metabolism.

The Scale is a Liar

Though you can’t necessarily trust the scale to tell you how lean you are, the tape measure will never lie to you.

These facts about fat and muscle mean you can’t count on the scale to accurately measure how you’re doing on your weight loss goal, especially if you are following the best weight loss advice which is to incorporate cardio and resistance training with diet modification. The exercise will build muscle while the entire program will simultaneously help reduce fat, resulting in the number on the scale staying at the starting point for awhile or even going up a bit, even as you’re seeing yourself slimming down. Many times, the pounds you see on the scale could undermine your confidence and resolve, so it’s best to track your progress in other ways. Use a tape measure to assess your problem areas such as your waist, hips, and thighs. Pay close attention to how your clothes fit, and don’t be afraid to look in the mirror–naked. Once you start seeing more muscle definition and less jiggly bits, you might say “goodbye” to the scale forever.

Many people want to get rid of fat in certain areas of their bodies, but you can’t target specific spots for fat loss. Image by Debra Roby

It’s Week Three of our four-week series, and this time around we’re re-visiting a topic that has been touched on in the past. This one merits review because it is a stubborn myth that just won’t die: spot-reducing fat. From ab rockers to electric belly belts to balance boards that have you twisting the night away–the flood of workout equipment that targets fat deposits on specific areas of the body confirms that, no matter what research and reality proves, people desperately want to believe they can burn fat from their “problem” areas. That doesn’t mean you can’t get rid of the excess baggage around your midsection or the ample acreage in your back 40. You just need to understand what works best to reduce fat, but it helps to have patience, too. 

Not To Bust Your Bubble…

If you’ve got time and the energy to do crunches for 2 hours, you might be able to lose a miniscule amount of belly fat.

If you’ve been desperately searching for proof that you really can spot-reduce, you may have come across the study published in the American Journal of Physiology which found that, in certain cases and with specific exercises, spot reduction of fat can occur. HOWEVER, the loss was minimal–Train Magazine compared it to trying to reduce the amount of sand on a beach by removing a few grains. The part of the research to latch on to is that increasing blood flow seemed to be the key to kicking up fat burning in certain spots. In the study, researchers did that by having the subjects perform one exercise for 2 hours. Don’t have that kind of time or willpower? We have a solution for you in just a second… 

How Your Body Burns Fat

When you kick into fat-burning mode, your brain will pull fat resources from all over your body rather than one specific spot.

The liver is your body’s go-to source for energy, according to Bodybuilding.com. It stores glucose which it dispenses into your blood stream throughout the day to supply the energy your body needs to function and to perform every physical activity you do. When you burn more energy than your liver has stored, your body has to tap into excess energy that has been stockpiled elsewhere, i.e.: fat deposited on various parts of your body. Yale Scientific points out that you can’t control where your body takes that fat from. Rather than burning fat from your abs, if you’re doing 100+ crunches for instance, your brain will flood your bloodstream with hormones that will tell fat cells all over your body to release a bit of what they’re holding, kind of like passing the hat for contributions. 

An Effective Fat-Burning Plan

Include resistance training as part of your “spot reducing” plan–the muscles you build will encourage fat loss from your entire body and they’ll look great once the layer of fat is gone.

Earlier we stated that you can reduce fat from your problem areas if you have patience and a plan, so here it is: cardio, sculpt, and adjust your eating habits. Cardio exercises–particularly ones performed in high-intensity intervals–are an effective way of increasing the amount of energy your body burns, and fine-tuning how and what you eat will help ensure you burn more calories than you take in to perpetuate the process. You don’t even have to go on a crash diet, especially if that type of plan hasn’t worked for you in the past. Start with small adjustments like ditching soda and drinking more water, switching to skim milk, and eating more fresh vegetables and fewer pre-packaged foods, then continue to adjust from there. 

As for sculpting, the Huffington Post points out that resistance training will tone the muscles beneath the fat you want to get rid of, so they’ll be strong and sculpted even before the fat comes off. However, resistance training serves another purpose, too. According to WebMD, muscle burns more calories than fat does, even while you sleep, so your body will become more efficient as you build your muscles in preparation for bringing them out from beneath the fat.