A Life Unhindered

Ever imagined how life would be like if we stop wanting for more, if we stop and take a deep breath and step back to see what we actually have RIGHT NOW? Wouldn't it be great if we actually say to ourselves," Yeah, I'm happy. I am where I'm supposed to be.". Do you think we'll ever get to that point?

Let's face it, the world we live in today is a world full of compromises. It is also a world riddled with dilemmas and issues yet to find reasonable basis not to mention solutions. Oh, we haven't gotten to the "solutions" part yet. Did you notice that anybody who is anybody out there seems to have a solution in mind for one of our problems. It can be in the form of a product or a service but the premise is the same; to solve a problem we may be having. All in the name of sound progress and efficiency, you might add.

Well, let's take a minute to imagine, just imagine for a second, what if we lived in a world devoid of material   things, devoid of schedules, devoid of tension and stress? Can you find your place in it? Putting the question more aptly, can you function in such a world? Do you know what your assets really are in this imagined world? My point in all this is that we often forget what our blessings really are and that we get caught up in the hubbub of everyday world that we forget to appreciate the little special things that are granted to us.

Living a life unhindered means some changes must be put into action. We cannot sit around idealizing such a world without putting at least some effort to see it to fruition. Living a life unhindered means you have to learn to let go of a lot of things. You have to let go of your desire for material things, your ambition for more money, the many different causative factors which put stress into your daily life. It also means having an open mind. You have to be mindful of what your options are. Remember that the path of least resistance is the best way to take. Learning to see through situations and changes in your life enables you to be more in control; to be able to step back every once in a while and see things in perspective gives you more freedom to exercise your power to choose what is best for you and when.

Lastly, learn to count your blessings. Don't wish for a fuller cup when you don't see a half-empty cup as being half-full. Don't want more than is necessary. Be forgiving and be more giving. When you learn to do these things a special feeling begins to dawn unto you. It is the feeling of being light, being content, being worry-free. Leave what you can behind. Carrying excess baggage only slows you down. Remember that life is about journeying and not simply just living. Don't try to find yourself in the universe of things. Chances are, more often than not, you are already where you are supposed to be. You just don't realize it yet.

Learn to see with your mind's eye and learn to feel with your heart. Don't be wasteful of your emotions. Rest when you can. Work when you aren't resting. Love all the time. Share what you have and share your gifts and skills. Learn to acknowledge the resounding truth that you are never alone and that you will never be complete until someone completes you. Respect the world around you. Listen to what mother nature teaches us over and over again. Learn to be a conservationist. Clean and green is not just a movement, it's a way to save a planet. When you finally get old and sit in that little stool of yours out back in the garden somewhere, take a deep breath. Recount back the years and just like the beautiful large tomatoes you see yourself planting someday, your life was indeed beautiful and unhindered. 

Live a life unhindered. Start now.

Fat Loss Factors You Need To Know

Weight loss solutions have been perhaps one of the biggest, if not the biggest, focus of any pharmaceutical company out there and primarily because of the huge demand for weight loss products which can run the gamut from diet pills, weight loss drinks, herbal teas, and pretty much anything and everything in between. The amount of products available for the consumer is unbelievably astronomical and yet people still jump on any new fad, online weight loss programs, exercise dvd's, pills, and exercise equipment with the sole hope of shedding those unwanted pounds.

Let's be honest with ourselves, who doesn't want to look good wearing clothes several sizes or inches smaller than what they normally wear. I can tell you pretty much everything that is health related in losing weight but what concerns most of us the most is how we look and how we feel after losing all that flab. The truth of the matter, however, is that there is a vast majority of you out there who do not really understand how your body utilize and store fat. Furthermore, fat is essential in the metabolic processes that run our bodies. To even add further to that simple truth is that adipose cells or adipocytes have key physiologic roles that our bodies can't do without.

So when you see a bodybuilder claiming to have only 1% or 2% body fat you have to think if that is even healthy. And by the way, measuring body fat with calipers is not the most accurate way to measure fat. The adipose under your skin is not the only place your body stores fat.  Fat can be stored in the omentum, the liver, the renal fat pads, and even in your long bones, among others. So what do we really need to know about fat loss? So before you engage in any quick weight loss tips or rapid weight loss diets some groundwork needs to be covered first.

Firstly, our body breaks down food into three basic building blocks or macronutrients; complex carbohydrates, fats in the form of lipids and triglycerides, and proteins. These macronutrients will be broken down even further into metabolites which our bodies will utilize to replenish our cells, to power our daily activities, to maintain our physiologic processes. The rule of thumb is whatever your body does not burn or use up gets stored. Stored energy is packaged in the form of fat handled by your adipose cells. So from this key knowledge we can deduce the first fat loss factor tip. Since most of what we eat comes from food groups high in complex carbohydrates, sugars, and fats, simply altering the ratio or percentage of food we consume from those food groups greatly affects the way our body's ability to utilize food nutrients. 

Secondly, how we eat and how much of what we eat should depend on the amount of work or activity that we do. Unfortunately, that is not the case since a great percentage of us are obese. In other words, we consume more than what is necessary. So the second key knowledge we have to realize in our quest for weight loss is how we understand what appetite and satiety really means. In essence, these two are medical terms which essentially cover how our body responds to hunger and how it responds to having been satiated. So here is the second fat loss factor tip;  we can control our appetite by eating frequently but in small increments. It is when we do not eat for long periods that we tend to eat more than what we really need. Satiety can be had by eating more of foods that are essentially low calorie and drinking more fluids. You see, stretch receptors found in the stomach tell our bodies that it already has it's fill hence we feel full. The fuller you feel the lesser you eat.

The third topic we need to cover deals with activity in the form of work or exercise and inactivity. What I am essentially getting at is metabolism. Metabolism, as many of you may not know, is controlled by many factors such as hormones ( or imbalance of hormones), diseases ( whether acquired or congenital in nature), and age ( as we get older our metabolism goes down). For or purposes, however, let us assume that metabolism is governed by the amount or lack of activity that we do. So here is the third fat loss factor tip; always be in constant motion. Always keep moving. You don't have to run or spend 2 hours in the gym everyday. You can do little things like take the stairs instead of the elevator, do more house chores, clean out that yard , etc. The fact that you are always about prevents your metabolism from slowing down and resetting itself. Remember this key knowledge, it is your metabolism which makes you fat!! It dictates when your body will start storing fat instead of utilizing it. Remember also that protein and carbohydrates that are unused are still stored as fat.

Lastly, there are other key points we need covering but will have to reserve them for future posts. Issues like mindset, emotional control, and others need to be covered in greater detail not just in passing. So until next time, do come back. JowelMD signing off but not signing out.