What are the health medicinal benefits of garlic?

Garlic belongs to the onion family and is one the most-used medicinal plant. It has a strong odor, but its health giving and preventive properties make it well worth suffering the effects.

Lets explore the health medicinal benefits of garlic:

• Fresh garlic, eaten daily can reduce chronic acidity of the stomach
• Chew whole roasted garlic cloves to improve circulation
• Fresh garlic eaten regularly will reduce the need for antibiotics
• May prevent some cancers, stomach cancer
• May reduce the attacks of allergic asthma and hay fever
• Helps reduce high blood pressure
• Antioxidant
• Decongestant
• Boosts the immune system
• Anti fungal
• Antiseptic
• Helps prevent heart disease

Tip: The smell of garlic on your breath can be reduced by eating an apple, drinking a little lemon juice, or eating parsley.

As you can see the health medicinal benefits of garlic outweigh any bad breath that one may encounter. The more you learn about these health foods and what they can do, the healthier and happier you'll be.

I want to share a few drills I learned awhile ago that have worked great. Theses are the 4 best golf putting drills that will cut strokes off your game. It's very important to practice these drills in sequence. This warm up prepares the muscles and your mind and body for putting. Please ask your strength and conditioning specialist for additional exercises.


Drill 1
· On the putting green, take the flag stick out
· Place the flag stick 18-24 inches.
· Walk 5 paces from the hole.
· Mark the spot
· Take 20 balls
· Stand in right putting form with ball middle of legs foot away from body
· Watch the path of your hands as you putt the ball
· Same length of swing on backswing and follow through
· Putt all the balls so they end up between the hole and flag stick

Establishes: hand path, rhythm, distance control

Drill 2
· Again, place the flag stick 18-24 inches behind the hole
· Place a marker 3 feet away.
· Take 20 balls
· Stand in proper putting same as above
· Make all 20 in a row, start at 4 feet, same routine

Establishes: hand path, rhythm, distance control, focus

Drill 3
· Place flag stick 18-24 inches behind hole
· Take 5 balls
· Place ball at 3 feet
· Take the next 4 balls and place them one behind the first ball 18 inches apart
· Object is make all 5 balls in a row
· If you miss any of the balls, start over

Establishes: hand path, rhythm, distance control, focus

Drill 4
· Pick a hole with a good amount of break
· Place flag stick 18-24 inches behind hole
· Place the ball 5 paces away from hole. Progress with distance as you make shots consistently
· Stand behind the ball 5 paces. Bend down and establish which way the ball is going to break towards the hole
· Stand in between the ball and the hole on the side that the ball breaks towards. Bend down and establish the amount of break and when and where it breaks.
· Stand opposite of the hole 5 paces minimum. Bend down and look at the break from that view. Now you should have 3 different views of the break of ball to help with reading the green.

Establishes: hand path, rhythm, distance control, focus, reading the green

Hope these drills help and take your game to the next level.

The top 9 reasons why you should eat cabbage. Cabbage has anti-inflammatory properties and contains chemicals which can prevent cancer. Traditionally, the Romans ans Egyptians would drink cabbage juice before big gatherings to prevent intoxication; cabbage seeds are said to prevent hangovers.

• Cabbage is great anti-inflammatory
• Cabbage contains lactic acid, which acts to disinfect the colon
• Used to reduce headaches
• Reduce the pain of rheumatic disorders
• Soothes eczema and other itching skin disorders
• Anticancer
• Draws out infection
• Red cabbage leaves are the basic ingredient of a good cough syrup
• Applied to bruises and swelling to encourage healing

Caution:

Do not eat red cabbage raw, because the high levels of iron can interfere with gut absorption and irritate the gut, causing constipation.

Avoid cabbage if you suffer from goiter, or take MAOI antidepressants.

Whats so good about honey? Honey is the sweet liquid produced by bees from the nectar of flowers. All honeys are mixtures of the sugars fructose and glucose and water, orgainc acids, and minerals and vitamin traces.

What is special about honey?

• Helps to retain calcium in the body
• Honey helps to balance acid accumulations in the body (because of the large amount of potassium it contains)
• Sedative
• Anti fungal
• Possibly aphrodisiac
• Few minerals and vitamins, along with amino acids
• Antibacterial, for external and internal infections
• Gargle with honey water to soothe a sore throat and ease respiratory problems
• Honey and lemon mixed together are a great remedy for coughs
• Eating a little local honey will sensitize you to pollens in the area-acting as a natural remedy for hay fever and all its symptoms

As you can see there are more uses of honey than your probably familiar with. So next time you see that honey bee flying around, say thank you for all the wonderful benefits its brings.:)

How much water should a person drink per day? As a personal trainer, I get that question asked on a daily basis. First lets look at all the features and benefits of water.

Pure water is clear, colorless liquid made up of hydrogen and oxygen. Water is the most abundant substance on planet earth. Humans are comprised of about 75% water. Water is necessary for maintaining most body processes, such as transporting nutrients and waste products around the body in the blood. Blood is 80% water.

Uses of water:

• Dilutes toxins in the body and expels them
• Aids in kidney action
• Prevents constipation
• May contain some naturally occurring fluoride to protect teeth
• Drink plenty of water if you suffer from edema
• Drink water to counter the effects of a hangover and illness
• Hard water may play a role in preventing hypertension and heart disease
• Drink water if your fatigued-most common cause of dehydration is fatigue

These are just a few of the positive benefits of drinking water. I also have heard such claims that it may even prevent some cancers and ease arthritis.

What I tell people when they ask me, how much water should a person drink per day, is to take your weight, divide that number by 2, that's how many ounces of water per day you should drink. Example: Say I'm 200 lbs, 200 divided by 2=100-I should drink 100 ounces per day.

Note: Water should be filtered before its drunk if it contains impurities. Bottled mineral waters may be high in sodium.

Why is Earth Day so important? It's important because it makes people aware of what's happening to our earth and whats our part to help this Global Warming issue. I have to admit, I have seen more progress with the media getting this out there, than in the past. I personally have seen 4 TV programs in the past week focusing on Going Green. It really comes down to the little things. They say if we start changing our light bulbs out with the CFL's bulbs, this simple act can have great rewards. The two big TV programs were Oprah and 20/20. Great information. I know I'm going to do my part. First thing is to buy some CFL light bulbs.

Here's one clip from the Oprah show. (One of those simple things you can do is to reduce your use of paper napkins…by just one a day! "Napkins make a huge difference," Elizabeth says. "We use 2,200 of them a year, per person on average. Six a day. So if we all gave up one napkin a day, we could save a billion pounds of paper waste … from going to landfills a year." )

So why is Earth Day so important? I think saving the planet from our own demise is one good reason. Please do your part, its going to take all of us to make this change. And yes you do make a difference.

Whats a good high protein weight gain diet? I have heard and read many things about a high protein diet. Is it healthy? Well that depends. Some bodybuilders say eat 1 gram of protein per 1 lb you weigh. I have also heard some experts mention consuming 1.6 grams of protein per 1 kilogram.

What's correct? It completely depends on how your body metabolizes protein. Understand, if you do consume more protein than your body can metabolize, it will store as fat. I don't agree with someone taking high protein shakes, say something like 50 grams per serving. There is no way your body can use all that protein at once.

If you're truly trying to gain weight, the most effective way is every 2-2.5 hrs consume some protein in meal or if that's challenging, a protein shake would be your best avenue. Your looking to eat around 20-35 grams per meal, depending on your needs. A high protein weight gain diet, can be healthy if done correctly. I would recommend consuming 1.6 grams of protein per 1 kilogram you weigh, if your trying to gain muscle. If your not seeing the results you want after a month or so, you can always go up.

Example: I'm 220lbs, I take 220 divided by 2.2(1 kilogram)=100 x 1.6 =160 grams of protein I need per day to pack on the muscle.

Here are some more protein shakes that I like to consume on a daily basis.

Berryvanilla Shake
1-cup skim milk or soy
½ cup frozen strawberries
1 tsp honey 1 tsp honey
1 scoop Juice Plus Complete Vanilla
¼ cup of ice-4 cubes 240 calories
30 grams of protein

Orange crusher
1-cup orange juice
1 banana
1 scoop Juice Plus Complete Vanilla
¼ cup of ice-4 cubes 283 calories
23 grams of protein

Mocha Shake
1-cup skim milk
1 tsp of instant coffee
1 tsp honey
1 scoop Juice Plus complete Chocolate
¼ cup ice blend for 20 sec 217 calories
30 grams of protein

Peanut butter shake
1-cup skim milk or soy
½ cup vanilla low fat yogurt
1tsp peanut butter
1 scoop Juice Plus Complete Chocolate
1 tsp honey 278 calories 35 grams of protein

To really learn your body, you will need to experiment and see whats works and what doesn't. Once you start seeing the results, the excitement will keep you motivated and hopefully on your way to new goals and achievements.

Building muscle is always challenging and eating the right foods is one of the more important factors. If you're really trying to gain some serious weight you must consume protein drinks. It's one the easiest ways to consume enough protein per day to meet your requirements Here are a few of my favorite homemade milkshakes to gain weight.

Vanilla Complete
1-cup apple juice
1 scoop Juice Plus complete vanilla 1
¼ cup ice blend for 20 sec 226 calories

Banapple Shake
1-cup apple juice
½ banana
1 scoop Juice Plus complete vanilla
¼ cup of ice-4 cubes 296 calories

Chocolate Complete
1 cup skim milk
1 scoop Juice Plus complete Chocolate
¼ cup ice blend for 20 sec 196 calories

Chocholatebanana Shake
1 cup skim milk
½ banana
1 scoop Juice Plus complete Chocolate
¼ cup ice blend for 20 sec 248 calories

I like drinking my shakes right after a good workout. That's one of the best times to consume a protein drink, your body needs these nutrients to start repairing your body and muscles.

I would also suggest adding a serving of some omega 3 fatty acids to all your drinks. I hear it protects the heart and brain.

The avocado and nutrition of this fruit stands out as one of the best. Most people know avocados are good for us, but why? Avocados are a fruit rich in Vitamin A, some B complex, C, E, and potassium. They also contain some protein and starch, as well as being a good source of monounsaturated fats. They are considered to be the perfect food-a complete food.

The avocado and nutrition:

• Traditionally used for sexual problems
• Helps with skin disorders
• Great antioxidant
• Used to treat circulatory problems
• Eat regularly for digestive issues
• Antibacterial
• Anti fungal
• Eat an avocado a day when recovering from illness
• Flesh of a ripe avocado soothes sunburned skin

Caution: Do not eat avocados is you have been prescribed MAOI antidepressants. Take care and eat healthy, your body will appreciate it.

Why is tea better than coffee? Tea is the beverage made when the processed leaves of the tea plant are infused with boiling water. Green tea is made from the tips of the shrub Camellia sinensis, black tea is made from fermented dried leaves. An essential oil, called tea absolute, is distilled from black tea. Both are used for medicinal purposes.

Here are a few and uses of tea:

• Provides folic acid, some potassium, and magnesium.
• Contains flouride which will help with dental issues.
• Acts on the nervous system to control the respiratory and digestive systems. The tea may help in the treatment of diarrhea, hepatitis, and gastroenteritis.
• The flavonoids in tea may destroy bacteria and viruses.
• Teas astringent properties make tea bags useful for minor injuries and insect bites.
• The leaves of green and black tea may be beneficial in the prevention of heart disease ans stroke.
• Green tea may help prevent cancer if it consumed on a regular basis.

Few concerns:

• It can prevent the absorption of iron and interfere with the effectiveness of sedative drugs.
• Drinking tea to excess can cause constipation, indigestion, dizziness, palpation's, irritability, and insomnia.

So next time your about to order that coffee drink, make that change and try a tea, its really that much better for your health.

Why are walnuts good for us? Being a personal trainer, I need to give my clients recommendations on different snacks that are healthy. Nuts are a great snack and to be more specific walnuts are very healthy for you. But do you know the benefits of walnuts, other than there good for us? Here are a few things you probably didn't know.

• Fresh walnuts can encourage circulation
• Since they are rich in potassium, they will keep the heart healthy
• Eat walnuts for heartburn and diarrhea
• Fresh walnuts can help to soothe colic and dispel gas
• Walnut oil, added to to salads can help ease the discomfort of irritable bowel syndrome and act as a mild laxative
• I'm sure you'll like this one, they are known to be an aphrodisiac

Plain and simple, eating healthy has many more benefits than you even know about. Just start!

We all have heard that carrots are good for your eyes, but what other benefits do carrots have?

1. Energizing properties
2. Cleanses the system of impurities
3. Contains calcium, which benefits the skin, hair, and bones
4. May help in the treatment of eye problems
5. Useful in the treatment of respiratory conditions
6. May help relieve skin disorders
7. May help to overcome many glandular disorders
8. Carrots may help to regulate the menstrual cycle
9. Anti-inflammatory
10. Antiseptic

Caution: Eating an excessive amount of carrots may turn your skin orange. Also avoid eating large quantities during pregnancy.

Recommendations: Drink fresh, raw carrot juice daily to energize and cleanse the body. It will help to relieve the effects of stress and fatigue, and boost the body after illness.

Listen, once you start feeding the body the nutrients it needs, the difference you feel will be unreal. The energy alone is worth it. So what's stopping you?

5 great golf exercises that can take your game to next level. I have trained many golfers and most golfers never think about starting a golf exercise program. Once they start and see the results they wonder why they didn't start sooner. For your benefit here are few great golf exercises.


CHEST PRESS - 1 ARM STANDING
Reps : 8-12
Sets : 2-3
Intensity : 70-80%
Tempo : 2-0-2

Preparation :

• Start by standing in a squat or straddle stance.
• One elbow out to the side in line with shoulders with opposite hand resting at the side or on hip.
• Using a neutral grip, align the wrist and elbow on the pressing arm.
  

Movement :

• Brace spine by drawing your lower abdomen in, maintain hip and foot positioning.
• Maintaining proper posture, start movement by pressing hand straight forward and across the midline of your body.
• Allow the torso and hips to rotate slightly towards the pressing hand.
• Check alignment and positioning and repeat press, alternating sets with other hand.
• It is important not to let your back arch or flex at any time during the movement.
• This exercise can be performed in the incline or decline motions for variation.

ROW - 1 ARM STANDING
Reps : 8-12
Sets : 2-3
Intensity : 70-80%
Tempo : 2-0-2

Preparation :

• Adjust cable arm as shown.
• Stand in a stable staggered stance position.
• Assume slight lunge position, maintaining good posture with arm outstretched.
  

Movement :

• Brace Spine by drawing your lower abdomen in.
• Maintaining proper posture, start movement by pulling handle in neutral grip position toward the body, elbow down and drawing back just past your side.
• Check alignment and positioning and repeat pulling movement.
  It is important keep good posture and not bend at the waist.
• Keep feet flat on the floor to maintain balance and stability.
• Variation: Change to a barbell grip and finish movement with elbow abducted from side for rear deltoid emphasis.

LUNGE - MULTIPLANAR
Reps : 8-12
Sets : 2-3
Intensity : 70-80%
Tempo : 2-0-2

Preparation :
Stand in proper alignment with hands on hips and feet straight ahead.

Movement :

• Draw your belly button inward toward your spine.
• While maintaining total body alignment, step forward descending slowly by bending at the hips, knees and ankles.
• Use your hip and thigh muscles to push yourself up and back to the start position.
• Repeat directions on opposite leg and then progress to side lunges followed by turning lunges.

COBRA - PRONE ON SB
Reps : 10
Sets : 3
4 sec hold

Preparation :

• Lay in prone position with stability ball under sternum.
• Legs straight, and core and glutes activated.
  

Movement :

• Brace the spine by drawing your lower abdomen inward.
• Squeeze glutes and SLOWLY draw the shoulder blades backward (retraction) and downward (depression) while externally rotating the hands so the palms face away from the legs.
• The chin should be tucked in while lifting the torso off the stability ball. Hold position for recommended time.
• As strength increases, repetitions may be held for longer periods. Do not allow the head to extend backward.
• The chin should stay tucked.
• If client complains of discomfort in the low back, have him or her concentrate on squeezing the glutes (do not externally rotate the hips). Keep feet straight ahead throughout the entire exercise.

REVERSE TRUNK CURL - WITH SB
Reps : 10
Sets : 3
Intensity : Bodyweight
Tempo : 3-2-1

Preparation :

• Lie supine on the floor.
• Press shoulder blades and arms into the floor.
• Hold ball between heels and buttocks.
  

Movement :

• Press the shoulder blades and arms into the floor.
• Pull pelvis to ribs, lifting the seat off the floor.
• Lower hips with control.
• Keep knees stacked over the hips.
• NOTE: Hip flexion/extension should be minimized as the motion being trained here should be lumbar flexion/extension which is a relatively small ROM.

In future post, I will address more great golf exercises & stretches to improve your game. Please consult your Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist to address your specific needs.

Many people want to lose weight and usually as fast as possible. Here are 7 ways to lose weight fast.

1. Cut down your soda intake in half, yes that means the diet sodas too
2. Stop drinking those high calorie coffee drinks. These drinks cause weight gain. The calories are empty, which means no nutritional value.
3. Learn to read a food label and find what foods your putting in your body( if you cant pronounce the ingredients they probably aren't good for you). Those ingredients might be causing weight gain.
4. Exercise more than what your doing. 10 minute walks help more than you think.
5. Resistance training/weight training- this will elevate your metabolism up to 24 hours after your workout. Burn more calories than you can imagine.
6. No more sugar & sweeteners-donuts, candy bars, energy drinks, etc.
7. Eat small frequent healthy meals(4-5 a day) 300-500 calories. Try a balance of carbs, protein, and fats in each meal. You might not see the weight come off as quick with this tip, although it will set your metabolism up to lose weight in the future.

I hope these are simple tips that will help you lose the weight that most of us want to lose. If you have any questions please let me know.

With the way obesity is growing in children and teenagers, there's no doubt that a youth fitness workout program has to be the norm in the future. Where does it really start? I believe it comes from the parents. Parents must open their eyes and start taking some responsibility in their children's health. It breaks my heart to see an overweight or obese teenager struggling. You know that their self esteem and confidence are at a low.

Not only are the parents responsible, but the schools should be held responsible as well. Have you seen the food they are given at lunch. Pizza, tater tots, donuts, and sodas are just a few of the foods these kids are consuming.

What's really scary is this epidemic has grown so fast, I'm not sure we really know what to do. Well it begins with us, the parents, the teachers and the fitness professionals of the world. Lets give these kids a chance for a successful life, they are our future.

Youth fitness workout programs should be the norm in every school or after school program. I'm willing to do my part. My heart goes out to these kids. If anyone needs support with this issue please contact me and I'll set up a plan of attack.

Being a personal trainer you see many different aliments with clients, but I would have to say the most common is back pain and to be more specific its lower back pain. Clients always want to know, how to relieve their back muscle pain.

The common issues related to lower back pain:

• Tight hamstrings
• Tight hip flexors
• Weak abdominal
• Weak lower back muscles

There could be other issues going on with you posture alignment and previous injuries that are causing your lower back pain. So, I highly recommend seeing a back specialist before any stretching and exercise regime.

A few simple exercise and stretches that can be done to prevent lower back pain:

• Stretching the hamstrings
• Stretching the hip flexors
• Crunches
• Bridge/plank
• Prone cobra

If you would like a Free routine with pictures, please subscribe to my blog and email me with your request. Take care of your health, its your responsibility.

I train many junior athletes and most want to gain weight or should I say muscle. Fast ways for teenagers to gain weight are not always the healthiest ways. I suggest to all my athletes to increase their calorie consumption by 5oo per day with a equal ratio of protein, carbs and fats. Anymore than that might be too much too soon creating fat instead of the desired muscle.

One the biggest reasons they don't' gain weight fast is their calorie intake. They eat few meals and usually not the right nutrients. I highly recommend a meal replacement shake for individuals that find it challenging to eat all those calories.

One very important factor for gaining muscle would be recovery time. When athletes first start training they really don't understand the importance of rest. They feel the more they spend in the gym the bigger they will get. This is completely false. When your at rest is when your growing and building those muscles.

Feeding those muscles the right nutrients at the right time is another big factor for gaining muscle. Right after the workout is one of the most important meals of the day. I would recommend a protein drink with fruit and flax seed oil. We need to feed those muscles the nutrients that are best at building muscle, and that's amino acids.

Fast ways for teenageres to build muscle:

• Eat 500 more calories a day than your normally do
• Train hard at least 3-4 times a week
• Rest and recovery your muscles as fast as you can
• Consume meal replacements and protein drinks
• After your workout consume the right nutrients for your body to grow
• If your not seeing results change what your doing

The exercise of the month is a new addition to my blog. Its a link on the top right of my blog. Here you will find articles and exercises that relate to your needs and goals. There will be a combination of general fitness information as well as sport specific topics. I encourage all my subscribers to tell me what they want to see in future posts.