Omega-3s fall into the category of healthy fats because they have so many benefits. These essential fatty acids reduce inflammation, stabilize your mood, lower your cholesterol, and have been found to reduce your risk of coronary heart disease. The RDI of omega-3s is 1.1 grams per day. It’s easy to get your fill since omega-3s come from a variety of sources including fish, flaxseeds, walnuts, soybeans, and omega-enhanced foods. Are you getting enough? To find out, check my chart after you read more.

Do you think you’re getting enough omega-3 fatty acids in your daily diet?

There are weight loss shakes, pills, surgeries, and diets galore, and now scientists are attempting to create a weight loss injection. The injectable drug has helped rodents decrease their weight by 25 percent in just one week. You can almost hear the voiceover for the infomercial.

Scientists have combined two natural hormones into a single drug that both suppressed the appetite and increased the metabolism in rats. This new drug is said to mimic the effects of gastric bypass surgery. Tests on humans won’t happen for a few years though, so don’t give up your gym membership just yet.

If this shot sounds too good to be true, it probably is. We’re always looking for a quick fix when it comes to slimming down, but if permanent weight loss is your goal, eating right and exercising is the way to go. It may take a lot more time to see the results you’re after, but at least you’ll know you did it in a healthy way that’s sure to last.

When thinking of food as medicine, we have gotten a little reductive. By trying to find the one active ingredient that makes a food healthy, we have forgotten about the food itself. Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish have been found to fight inflammation and reduce depression. But popping a fish oil supplement, rather than eating the fish, means you are missing out on the minerals and lean protein fish provide.

Here’s another reason to add one to two servings of fish to your weekly menu. In an international breakdown of nutrition and mental health by country, researchers found that as fish consumption went up, depression rates went down. In countries where people eat the most fish — Japan, Thailand, and Hong Kong — the rates of depression were low. Conversely, countries with low fish consumption had higher rates of depression, including the US, New Zealand, and parts of Europe.The secret ingredient is the omega-3s. Rather than taking a supplement, try eating the fish for all the nutrition this lean protein can provide.

If you ask many women what the most intimidating aspect of the gym is, you’ll almost always hear the weight room. One reason is that big, strong, sweaty guys hang out there, and as FitHoney reader NCflower put it, it’s “Man Land.” I can relate to what one of my friends said — “I would feel like a wimpy little girl amid all of the testosterone.” Many women don’t like it when men stare at them as well, particularly a common occurrence in “Man Land”!

So how can you move past feeling intimidated? Reader Jabbadoo has some great advice. She says, “I’m not intimidated by anything . . . because my trainer helped me become strong and smart about it all! Seriously, if you feel intimidated, work with a trainer a few times and ask a ton of questions. Then you will be completely confident on your own!”

A wise plumeria9 says, “Come on girls! Don’t let the men take over the entire weight room. Most guys are not there for the entertainment . . . If there is a piece of equipment that I am interested in using, I will watch people use it and see how they do it, then I try it and see if it’s for me.” Yes, you can learn a lot by watching others at the gym. Just make sure they know what they’re doing, and use proper form.

I agree with what kclulu says as well: “Everyone looks dumb at some point at the gym if they are challenging themselves and trying new things. If you want to try a certain lift or exercise look it up on Google; they have a video of just about everything you can think of. That way you can learn the right form and for certain exercises you can practice a little at home, so you feel more confident busting it out in front of people at the gym.”

As for those sweaty guys staring at you, syako says, “it’s easy to ignore them.” Worst case scenario? Find a women’s only weight room! You won’t regret the fitness and well being that comes as a result of lifting!

For some people, stepping into a new fitness facility can induce a hyper-self-conscious feeling that’s reminiscent of the first day at a new school. While this affects people of all shapes and sizes, heavier individuals may struggle with this more than others, as suggested by the growing popularity of yoga classes for overweight students over the last 10 years.

The New York Times highlighted classes with names like Buddha Body Yoga, Yoga For Round Bodies, and MegaYoga. Besides body-image issues, yoga classes geared toward heavier students have the advantage of teaching modified poses when they would otherwise be nearly impossible, allowing people to experience yoga when they might otherwise miss out.

Usually, anything that gets people moving is an ace in my book, but this topic has me torn. Classes for overweight students might seem as harmless as women-only gyms, but this feels more like an issue of acceptance. Fitness classes aren’t limited to students who are already fit, and this could be viewed as segregation, suggesting the presence of heavier individuals isn’t welcome in other classes. What do you think — are the classes cool or not?

I am very suprised I just recently heard about this aspect of yoga. The founder of Bikram Yoga, Bikram Choudhury, has been sponsporing yoga competitions all over the world for a number of years. Apparently the competitive aspect of yoga is part of its tradition as Bikram points out here.

The yoga I practice, Ashtanga, is very intense and demanding physically yet I’ve never considered competing in it. I am torn as to if its a good idea or now, I love the competitive aspect of some of the sports I do, but am not sure it fits with what yoga means for me.

If you’ve ever tried a yoga competition let me know what it was like!

How many days a week do you wish you could get home from work and just relax? Now think about how much more you’d want to relax if your job involved working out hours a day and you’ll know how I feel. For years I’ve occassionally used kava kava root as a safe and natural way to relax, but wow does it taste bad!

I happened to be talking to a client about relaxing on long flights when she mentioned trying a kava kava supplement. When I commented on the bad taste she was suprised and showed me her supplement, a drink supplement from a small company called Ulive.

I tried the “u chill” drink supplement and was suprised at both its good taste and the nice feeling of relaxation it provided. I put it in some peppermint tea and it added a delicious flavor.

I hope to eventually try more of their products soon!

You can check out Ulive’s site here:

ULivelife.com

I am constantly extolling the benefits of weight lifting as essential for both fitness and weight loss goals.
A lot of my clients are apprehensive about starting out, but there is no reason to be. Lifting weights isn’t just for men
either, weight training is essential for sculpting women’s bodies as well.

The following are a few tips for those new to weight training. Hopefully if you aren’t already you’ll give it a try soon!

1. Compound movements are key.

How often do you see guys at the gym pumping away with bicep curls with nothing to show for it? The problem is single muscle exercises are very
poor at improving your fitness and toning. Instead of single muscle exercises, compound movements like squats, dumbbell presses and the like are essential.
By doing compound strength exercises you make your life much easier. You can achieve the same results with literally 1/10 of the work by properly utilizing
your muscles.

2. Technique, technique, technique.

I am sure you’ve seen plenty of examples of poor technique at your gym as well. Grunting, straining, uncomfortable looking movements are not essential
and can even be dangerous. If you’ve never done an exercise before, make sure you get help from your fitness club’s staff. If you aren’t a member of a gym,
at least take the time to research proper technique online. Don’t be fooled by exotic sounding exercises that claim to be the greatest ever, chances are
it isn’t.

3. WEIGHT training
I can’t tell you how many women I see spending large amounts of time every week lifting weights who are accomplishing absolutely nothing because
they aren’t actually lifting anything. The truth is, weight lifting isn’t easy, you will get sore, and you will break a sweat! You don’t have to worry
about getting “big”, women do not have the same hormones as men which puts on bulk muscle. If you aren’t sore, you aren’t training!

At the same time many men overlift and cause injuries. You shouldn’t be struggling with the weight, and remember especially if you’ve taken some time off
or its your first time with a certain exercise, start out with a manageable weight.

4. Don’t get frustrated!

Weight training takes time and patience. You won’t be strong and toned overnight. Make sure you stick with your program, get proper amounts of protein,
and then reap the benefits. Building muscle not only makes you look great, but it makes maintaining your weight easier. Muscle burns calories 24/7, so
even when you aren’t working out, you are burning more calories.

Results like this have taken lots of hard work but you can reach your goals. Just do it!