Unique Holiday Gift Ideas

Have you thought about what you are going to give those people on your “hard to shop for” list? Instead of another tie for your dad or music CD for your sister, why don’t you give them a truly unique and invaluable gift? I’m talking about the gift of fitness.

The gift of fitness is something that you can give to just about everybody on your shopping list, from your parents, to your spouse, a friend, your siblings, an employee or co-worker, even your children. And it’s a gift that is invaluable to everyone. After all who doesn’t want to look better, feel better, and be healthier?

And, it’s a gift that you can truly feel proud to give. When you give someone the gift of fitness, you are helping him open a door to better health (both physically and mentally). I can’t think of a more thoughtful gift that shows the recipient how much you care about their well-being. By giving the gift of fitness you are providing them with unlimited health benefits.

Of course, we all know that exercise can help people stay slim and fit. But, do you also know about all the other great benefits of exercising? Daily physical activity reduces stress and can help you sleep better. Fitness has been linked to reducing the risk of some diseases and to warding off depression. Researchers also believe that strength training can help prevent osteoporosis. Not to mention that exercise also improves self-esteem, increases stamina and ultimately helps you be able to do continuous work for longer.

I bet a lot of people on your shopping list would find these fitness benefits incredibly invaluable. If the people on your list are like most of us, they’ve probably even mentioned how they want to drop a few pounds of just get in better shape. In fact, experts say that about 62% of Americans are currently on a diet. By giving the gift of fitness you are helping provide them with motivation (which is one of the biggest obstacles in getting fit). They may feel more motivated to actually get fit because they don’t want to feel guilty for ignoring such a thoughtful gift (this is especially true when you give an online personal training gift certificate, which is a great motivator).

Avoid Gaining Weight This Holiday Season

This holiday season don’t be trendy – avoid the Seasonal Seven (the average weight most Americans gain between Thanksgiving and New Year’s). That’s one trend you don’t want to participate in!

I know what you are thinking – the holidays are a time for fun and indulgence. You don’t want to think about fitness during that time. You want to enjoy yourself. Don’t worry! The festivities don’t have to be eliminated or avoided. You can have a fabulous time while also maintaining your weight and your fitness regimen.

The secret to achieving a holiday season that is both full of fun and also includes fitness is found in moderation. There are two typical approaches to the seasonal festivities: 1) throw all healthy habits out the window and indulge in every guilty pleasure 2) starve and binge approach (for example, you eat nothing all day long to allow yourself to overindulge in party food). Of course, neither approach is successful at maintaining a healthy, fit lifestyle throughout the holiday season.

As mentioned above, the key is found in moderation. With a moderate approach both to what you eat (or don’t eat) and how much exercise you do (or don’t do), you can avoid packing on extra weight AND also partake in all the fun of the season. So this season, get a head start on the New Year instead of starting January with extra pounds to lose.

Here are some tips to help you:

Create a plan ahead of time. Before the holidays sneak up on you, create a plan for incorporating fitness and good nutrition into your daily routine. Evaluate your holiday schedule and then determine how much time you will realistically have available to devote to working out and/or eating healthy meals.a

Weight Loss - Quick And Easy Way To Lose 5 Pounds

Anyone can loss 5 pounds rapidly and easily, but always should check with the doctor first if he or she has any health issues or they are taking prescribed medications. While there are numerous diet programs on the market these days, obesity continues to be a serious problem. Now it is time to stop wasting the money. In fact, when diets do not work much, the psychology of weight loss determines awho does or does not lose weight. And the best part it is free, so people may put their checkbooks away and spend that money on their new slimmer wardrobe instead.

Psychologically, people are programmed to fail at dieting. Dieting equates to depriving ourselves of food which means hunger to the subconscious. However, the commitment and determination can re-program the subconscious for success in weight loss by developing new habits and a plan. People must think of their new eating habits as a financial windfall to a happier lifestyle. Once people understand this and follow a 'plan' the pounds will come off. A good business person never starts a new business without a proper plan and developing new eating habits will take a good plan, too. The plan one can use to lose five pounds in five days, by following these simple steps.

Water consumption is the key to losing weight. A 16 ounce glass of water before every meal is vital. It gives people the sensation of feeling fuller; resulting is less food consumption, while flushing toxins from the system. People should eat five small meals daily consisting of one low fat dairy product, two fruit, two veggies; three meals should include one whole grain and 4 ounces uncooked weight white meats or fish.

People must avoid eating anything deep fried in oil, cooked in oleo or butter ingredients. Instead steams cook the food with water and season with garlic, ginger, lemon, pepper, turmeric, vinegar and onion instead of salt. Using a salt free butter substitute is OK to add more flavors.a

How Does Chiropractic Work?

Like other holistic health practitioners chiropractors look at the body as a whole when they treat you. If a joint is misaligned or damaged then the smooth functioning of the body can be disturbed causing inflammation, pressure on nerves and resulting medical problems.
Chiropractors know that stress, poor posture and accidents, including sports injuries and auto accidents can all stop the body from functioning properly. Almost any aspect of health can be adversely affected by problems in the spine.
For example, impingement on nerves connected to the stomach could be the cause of some digestive disorder. Chiropractic manipulation of the spine at the point where these nerves exit from the spinal cord through the vertebra can remedy such a disorder.

What happens during a chiropractic treatment?
Your first session with a chiropractor often involves an assessment of posture and mobility of joints. The chiropractor might also ask you to bend, raise your legs, test your reflexes, take your blood pressure or even an X-ray to build up a more detailed picture of a problem.
As with osteopathy, chiropractors try to track down restricted or excessive joint movement, especially in the spine because these problems are the cause of inflammation, swelling and pressure that leads to pain and illness.

A chiropractor might use some massage to loosen stiff muscles before performing the manipulation techniques. Manipulation usually involves a sharp, precise thrusting movement of a joint to set it. Some chiropractors avoid forceful thrusting manipulations and instead rely on more gentle movements and stretches.
Chiropractic will provide an effective long-term management of a condition. Patients usually return for regular “maintenance” treatments to prevent them regressing.

Benefits Of Chiropractic Care

There are many reasons why you should consider chiropractic treatment. The benefits of chiropractic care are manifold. Those that find themselves with problems in their body often do not realize that chiropractic care can often relieve these problems without the side effects of many other treatment options. Usually relief can be found by seeking out the help of a good chiropractor.

What Can Chiropractic Treatment Do For Me?

There are many benefits to chiropractic care.

Here are just a few of the ways you can get pain relief through chiropractic care:

• Decreased arthritis and pain in joints
• Relief of pain in all areas of the body
• Reduction of spinal pressure resulting in less pain in the extremities
• Increased flexibility and range of motion in joints as well as soft tissues like muscles
• Fewer muscle spasms throughout the treated areas
• Increased range of motion in joints
• Better balance and coordination
• Increased energy, self esteem and an overall sense of well-being

There are additional benefits of chiropractic care as well. When you properly align the spine as it should be, you relieve pressure throughout it. This often allows your body to heal itself naturally. For example, chiropractic can help your joints to heal and soft tissues to regenerate.

The conditions which chiropractors treat are as varied and as vast as the nervous system itself. The examination of the spine to evaluate structure and nerve flow and range of motion is what makes chiropractic different from other health care methods. All chiropractors employ standard procedures of examination to diagnose a patient's condition and arrive at an optimal course of treatment.

Establish Safe Weight Loss Goals To Lose Weight Super Fast

Even though there are numerous diet programs and specialty fitness equipment readily available, people are still struggling with weight loss. While most people would love to lose weight super fast, most people have trouble losing any weight at all because they set unrealistic weight loss goals. If you are wondering What is best way to lose weight quickly, you may have tuned into the popular television show, The Biggest Loser, to see what methods the contestants are using. It's easy to get the wrong idea about weight loss when you see the contestants dropping weight in double digits in a week's time. You have to remember that, while this show features real people losing real weight, they have a full time personal trainer pushing them and must adhere to a strictly regulated program. In the real world, this simply isn't feasible.

How Much Weight Loss is Recommended?
While the figures vary on safe levels of weight loss, two pounds a week is a pretty safe standard to follow. If you try to lose weight super fast and at a higher rate than this, it will be difficult to maintain this level for very long. If you lose weight any slower than this, you may end up getting frustrated. One of the main reasons this pace works so well is that it's not all that hard to burn and trim the number of calories needed to reach this goal. Some people can do this by simply cutting out their sugar-laden sodas, but others will have to do a bit more. When you want to know What is best way to lose weight quickly, you should remember that you have to burn or trim 3500 calories in order to lose one pound of fat.

Best Methods to Lose Weight Super Fast
While you have very likely been flooded with advertisements for miracle supplements and exercise equipment that will make it easy to lose weight super fast, you should remember that losing weight is simpler than that. You will have to monitor the number of calories you consumer and the number of calories you burn. You can find the nutrition information on the labels of any products you purchase at the grocery store. If you dine in restaurants, you should take some time to check the calorie counts and nutritional value of a restaurant's menu. You can usually find this information online. The larger chain restaurants provide this information online, but the mom and pop diners generally do not.

The Myths Of Depression Explained.

With depression never straying far from the media eye, whether in a popular television series, a national celebrity or on the daily news, it is far to easy to believe the misconceptions surrounding depression and mental illness. This easy to read article aims to distinguish some of the myths and explain where these come from, the truth behind them and how thinking about depression away from these myths can provide a far more effective basis on your steps to treatment.

Myth 1: Depression is just a medical disease.

This is simply not true, while modern science can only further our understanding so far it is essential to understand depression as an illness that is completely different, and so requires different treatment to say, asthma or diabetes. It is helpful to understand depression as a combination of factors including those that are social, biological and psychological. Therefore treatments that require solely on medication alone often fail and much more support and advice is needed.

Myth 2: Depression is not real medical illness.

Despite what we have stated above depression should be regarded as a medical condition, while it is not just a medical disease depression can effect not only thoughts and moods but also the body. Like a medical illness depression can have both biological and genetic causes. The key to the successful treatment of depression is to treat it with flexibility and understanding, which must occur as a balance between viewing depression as medical, but not wholly so.

Myth 3: Depression is a normal part of life.

Unlike popular myth depression is simply not just feeling down in the dumps. People who have depression are also not just suffering from a short term spell of ‘the blues’, instead depression can last a lifetime and has a much deeper effect than just feeling upset for a while.

French fashion

Fashion has been an important industry and cultural export of France since the seventeenth century, and modern "haute couture" originated in Paris in the 1860s. Today, Paris, along with London, Milan, and New York City, is considered one of the world's fashion capitals, and the city is home or headquarters to many of the premier fashion houses, including Balenciaga, Céline, Chanel, Chloe, Dior, Givenchy, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Hermès, Lanvin, Rochas, Vuitton and Yves Saint Laurent.^[1][2]

Obesity Rate Falls for New York Schoolchildren

The number of obese New York City schoolchildren fell by 5.5 percent over five years, federal and city officials said Thursday, offering a glimmer of optimism about one of the country’s intractable health scourges.

The decline, documented by annual fitness exams given to most of the city’s kindergarten through eighth-grade students, was the biggest reported by any large city. Over all, the rate of obesity dropped in New York City to 207 children per 1,000 in the 2010-11 school year, down from 219 five years earlier, meaning that 20.7 percent were still considered obese.

“This comes after decades of relentless increases,” Dr. Thomas A. Farley, the city’s health commissioner, said Thursday. While the 5.5 percent drop may seem slight, he said, “What’s impressive is the fact that it’s falling at all.”

The results, published Thursday in a report by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, showed that the declines in obesity were sharply higher among middle-class children than among poor children. They were also higher among white and Asian children compared with black and Hispanic children, and among very young children — those entering kindergarten or first grade — compared with older children.

“Because of coordinated, sustained action I am happy to say our children are benefiting from our campaign against obesity, which has plagued communities here in New York and across the nation for nearly three decades,” Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said.

Mr. Bloomberg said the 5.5 percent drop translated into roughly 6,500 fewer obese children in the public schools. He said that an overwhelming majority of parents think their children are fit and at a healthy weight, but that “the facts tell a different story.”

Dr. Farley attributed the progress partly to the city’s aggressive advertising campaign against sugary sodas, which he said may have altered what parents were providing to their children. The city has also tried to add healthier options to school lunch menus, enacted strict rules on the calorie and sugar content of snacks and drinks in school vending machines, and even put limits on bake sales, a move that caused some grumbling.

Buoyed by the results, city officials also announced Thursday that the restrictions on school vending machines were being expanded to machines in all city buildings, and that they were forming a multiagency task force to recommend further initiatives to combat obesity. Dr. Farley also noted that salad bars were now in cafeterias at many schools, including Public School 218, near Yankee Stadium, where the mayor and the commissioner announced the results at a news conference.ort Services, showed off a salad bar in the cafeteria of P.S. 20 on the Lower East Side.

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Question What has your school been doing to encourage healthy habits in students?

Respond

Dec. 15, 2011, 1:24 p.m.

By Anemona Hartocollis

3:23 p.m. | Updated The number of obese New York City schoolchildren fell by 5.5 percent over five years, federal and city officials said Thursday, offering a glimmer of optimism about one of the country’s intractable health scourges.

The decline, documented by annual fitness exams given to most of the city’s kindergarten through eighth-grade students, was the biggest reported by any large city. Over all, the rate of obesity dropped in New York City to 207 children per 1,000 in the 2010-11 school year, down from 219 five years earlier, meaning that 20.7 percent were still considered obese.

“This comes after decades of relentless increases,” Dr. Thomas A. Farley, the city’s health commissioner, said Thursday. While the 5.5 percent drop may seem slight, he said, “What’s impressive is the fact that it’s falling at all.”

The results, published Thursday in a report by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, showed that the declines in obesity were sharply higher among middle-class children than among poor children. They were also higher among white and Asian children compared with black and Hispanic children, and among very young children — those entering kindergarten or first grade — compared with older children.

Still, the drops held up to some extent across all grades, races and economic levels.

“Because of coordinated, sustained action I am happy to say our children are benefiting from our campaign against obesity, which has plagued communities here in New York and across the nation for nearly three decades,” Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said.

Mr. Bloomberg said the 5.5 percent drop translated into roughly 6,500 fewer obese children in the public schools. He said that an overwhelming majority of parents think their children are fit and at a healthy weight, but that “the facts tell a different story.”

Dr. Farley attributed the progress partly to the city’s aggressive advertising campaign against sugary sodas, which he said may have altered what parents were providing to their children. The city has also tried to add healthier options to school lunch menus, enacted strict rules on the calorie and sugar content of snacks and drinks in school vending machines, and even put limits on bake sales, a move that caused some grumbling.

Buoyed by the results, city officials also announced Thursday that the restrictions on school vending machines were being expanded to machines in all city buildings, and that they were forming a multiagency task force to recommend further initiatives to combat obesity. Dr. Farley also noted that salad bars were now in cafeterias at many schools, including Public School 218, near Yankee Stadium, where the mayor and the commissioner announced the results at a news conference.

Across the country, recent studies have shown childhood obesity rates remaining flat or slightly increasing. Los Angeles County, which has also conducted a campaign against sugary drinks, had a decline of 2.5 percent during the same period, according to a study by the U.C.L.A. Center for Health Policy Research and the California Center for Public Health Advocacy.

The study was cautious in its language, warning, “A causal relationship cannot be inferred between the fitness interventions implemented by New York City in schools and the decrease in prevalence of child obesity described in this report.” But it said the decreases in obesity “might” indicate that changes in the school or home environment were important.

Obesity experts said that given the stubbornness of the problem, even a small reduction in obesity was an affirmation of public health initiatives.

“We’ve seen nothing but bad news for the last 10 years,” said Marlene Schwartz, deputy director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University. “I feel like that’s finally starting to turn around.” Dr. Schwartz said younger children, who respond better to adult direction, and children in more affluent families, which have the resources to change, were the easiest to reach, so it was not surprising that they improved the most.

Dr. Farley said the fact that obesity had declined more among younger children was not surprising because it is easier to prevent weight gain than to lose weight. The city has trained 4,000 elementary school teachers to provide in-class physical activity breaks, the study said, and has tried to limit video and TV time in child care programs.

The Rob Ford Weight Loss Program

Toronto's Mayor Rob Ford is a big man.And not just in a political "big man around town" kind of way, but in a 300+ lbs of former football player turned politician kind of way.And in keeping with his political promise to stop the excessive

A Health Habits Plan to Eliminate Obesity – Part 2

A few days ago, I published Part 1 of my Health Habits Plan to Eliminate ObesityIn that post, I identified the two main causes for obesity:Medical causes which require medical intervention – ie pharmaceuticals or surgery Lifestyle

Best Body Workout – 2011 – Week 48 – Day

Day #2It's the last week for this workout - keep reducing the rest periods. WORKOUT WARM-UPCircles – Starting with the ankles and moving all the way up to your neck, gently make circles with all of your joints – 10

Best Body Workout – 2011 – Week 48 – Day

Week #48 - Day #1Last week for this workout - set some new recordsNot including warm-up exercises, this workout is made up of 4 HIRT circuits.I want you to move as quickly as possible between sets, keeping rest periods

The High Cost of Failing Artificial Hips

Medical and legal experts estimate the hip failures may cost taxpayers, insurers, employers and others billions of dollars in coming years, contributing to the soaring cost of health care. The financial fallout is expected to be unusually large and complex because the episode involves a class of products, not a single device or just one company.

The case of Thomas Dougherty represents one particularly costly example. He spent five months this year without a left hip, largely stuck on a recliner watching his medical bills soar.

In August, Mr. Dougherty underwent an operation to replace a failed artificial hip, but his pelvis fractured soon afterward. The replacement hip was abandoned and then a serious infection set in. Some of the bills: $400,776 in charges related to hospitalizations, and $28,081 in doctors’ bills.

“I’m sitting here on a La-Z-Boy meant for someone who is 80 and I’m 55,” said Mr. Dougherty, who lives in Groveland, Ill., and works at Caterpillar, the heavy equipment manufacturer. His bills are “five times as much” as he paid for his home.

Exercise and Physical Fitness

There are 1,440 minutes in every day. Schedule 30 of them for physical activity!

Regular exercise is a critical part of staying healthy. People who are active live longer and feel better. Exercise can help you maintain a healthy weight. It can delay or prevent diabetes, some cancers and heart problems.

Most adults need at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity at least five days per week. Examples include walking briskly, mowing the lawn, dancing, swimming for recreation or bicycling. Stretching and weight training can also strengthen your body and improve your fitness level.

The key is to find the right exercise for you. If it is fun, you are more likely to stay motivated. You may want to walk with a friend, join a class or plan a group bike ride. If you've been inactive for awhile, use a sensible approach and start out slowly

Push Ups on the Pilates Ball

• It's recommended to do this exercise on a yoga or exercise mat to prevent your feet from sliding; however, you can do this on the floor without a mat as well. Have a small Pilates ball under each hand. Set up in the push up position, with your hands directly below your shoulders and your body forming a straight line.
• 2 Keeping your core engaged, inhale and bend your elbows, keeping them close to your sides. Go down as far as you can without collapsion

Nina Ricci Handbags at Barneys 2009

You may like the Nina Ricci Leather Besace Bag (Nattier Dark Green) Leather flap front bag with push-lock closure, leather and chain shoulder strap and leather trim. Magnetic closure at rear pocket. Nina Ricci jacquard fabric lined interior with two organizational pockets. 12" x 15.5" x 3". 19" shoulder strap drop. Available in Nattier Dark Green. This particular handbag is Barneys style #: 500127941 You can view this bag at the Barneys New York website.

Biker Chic Boots at Steve Madden 2009

Are you feeling like a biker chic? Or possibly, you actually are a biker chic. Either way, Steve Madden currently has a quote un quote biker chic boot. Have you seen the Veronna. These simply designed, knee-high boots create a tailored look for any outfit. Try these with a blazer and jeans. Leather upper material Synthetic sole, 1' heel, 14' circumference, 13' shaft height.

Rag & Bone Silk and Merino Wool Gift Blankets at Barneys For Holiday

Looking for a good gift for a guy or gal... Try the Waffle knit wool blanket with tassel fringe. It has adjustable black leather carrying handles which makes it perfectly easy to grab and bring for a picnic or other activity. 47" x 88". Available in Navy. Wool. Dry clean. Barneys style #: 500467654 Rag & Bone Asiri Blanket.

Founded in 2002, rag & bone had one very clear vision in mind: to make clothes that they and their friends would love to wear every day. With no formal fashion training, Marcus Wainwright & David Neville set about learning how to make jeans. They believed that denim represented the history, authenticity and fundamentals of classic work wear that they would strive to reflect in their designs. Learn more about Rag & Bone.

If you are interested, you can learn more about silk and wool (these fibers are used in the blanket).

Shop at Barneys.

Silk by Rupert James

Blonde, beautiful Victoria Crabtree is the mistress of a wealthy Italian garment manufacturer, bored with being a kept woman, hungry for security and stability with the man she loves. Three women
three generations set on a collision course. Their lives and conflicting ambitions become tangled as Christine handles the divorce case that could give Victoria the man she's wanted for her own for so long
but which could wreck her daughter's career at the same time.

Silk follows Christine, Isabelle and Victoria through courtrooms, showrooms and bedrooms where they search for love, success and revenge.

'Taking on the gossipy tone of the very best Jilly Cooper novels and giving it a modern twist, this is a 21st century bonkbuster with attitude. If you secretly wish Dynasty had never ended and enjoy reading Lace whenever you take a sick day, this is the book for you. Pass the cocktail shaker
' Elle Magazine

Rupert James is a celebrity and fashion journalist. He lives in London and is married to a barrister.