Exercising on the Cheap: Finding cheap exercise equipment

Exercise may be tough to fit into a busy day, but outfitting your home gym is easier than you think. You home gym can be as lavish (mega-machines and expensive cardio equipment) or as simple (a good pair of athletic shoes) as you like and, for a budget-minded, it doesn't have to cost a thing.

When I first started working out, I didn't have much of a budget. I was in college and what little money I had went towards food (Ramen noodles) and drink (beer, of course). What I didn't know was that I could've made my own set of weights without spending an extra dime. The nice thing about weight training is that anything with weight will work--a dumbbell, a full water bottle or a sock full of sand...your body doesn't know the difference.

There are plenty of things you probably have in your house right now that could serve as weights--you just need to be a little creative to get started:

Making Your Own Weights

Whether you're outfitting a home gym or traveling, there are a variety of things you can use as dumbbells such as:

• Full Soup Cans. These are great for lighter weights. Some larger cans weigh up to a pound (or more) and could be used for upper body exercises.
• Full Water Bottles. A large water bottle (say around 33.8 fluid ounces) can give you a little more than 2 pounds when full of water. Fill it with sand, rocks or change and you get even more weight.
• Computer Bags or Small duffel bags. My husband carries around a small computer bag so stuffed with crap, it weighs about 10 pounds. Because computer bags usually have handles, these can be great for exercises like bicep curls, lateral raises or one-armed rows. Small duffel bags with handles can be filled with books and used for lower body exercises like squats, lunges and deadlifts.
• Milk or Orange Juice Jugs. Save your old milk jugs and fill them with sand, change or water for weights with ready-made handles
• PVC Pipes. I had one client who filled PVC pipes with sand, capping them off with duct tape to avoid spillage. This is a great idea since PVC pipes come in all shapes and sizes, many of which fit perfectly in your hand.
• Tennis balls and cans. Shawn Keith, certified personal trainer, recommends filling tennis balls and tennis cans with sand or change for some great handheld weights.

Most of these materials can be found around your house or at your local hardware store. If you're not into making weights yourself, there are some other alternatives for finding cheap equipment.

Cheap Exercise Equipment

If you don't mind a little bargain-hunting, you can find cheap exercise equipment in a variety of places such as:

• Garage Sales and Craigslist. Almost always you can find exercise gear at garage sales and on Craigslist, some of it's even worth buying. Pick up the newspaper to find weekend garage sales in your area-- you are guarantee to find something.
• Play it Again Sports. This store buys and sells used (and new) exercise equipment. If you have one in your area, it's worth checking out especially for their dumbbell selection, which is usually pretty good.
• Classified Ads. Americans love to buy things...especially exercise equipment. They also love to sell things...especially exercise equipment they never used. Check your newspaper for cheap gear--you can often find some great deals.

What Not to Skimp On

While it's a fine idea to bargain-hunt, there are a few crucial items you shouldn't skimp on. Learn from my mistakes and make sure you spend good money on:

• Portable CD players or MP3 players. If you're using your walkman for exercise, you'll want something sturdy and waterproof. Make sure you get decent headphones too.
• Heart Rate Monitors. I bought a HRM from Target for about $20. Guess where it is now? In the trash, my friends. I'm not saying they're completely useless but cheaper versions can be bulky, uncomfortable and not terribly accurate. Stick with companies known for quality HRMs like Polar.
• Treadmills, Elliptical Trainers or other cardio equipment. This is definitely one area where you get what you pay for.
• Athletic shoes. Your shoes may be the most important piece of equipment you own--if you don't have supportive shoes that fit right and match your sport, you could have problems with injury or discomfort. Think quality--if your feet don't work right, nothing else will either.

Creating a home gym with little or no money is easy if you're on a budget. Anything with weight can be used for strength training exercises, so don't be afraid to get creative and break the rules a little!

By Paige Waehner, About.com Guide

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by our Medical Review Board

Decode your food cravings - The urge to scarf can be a clue to your body's nutritional needs

Who hasn't been there: in the throes of a food craving so intense that having Jillian Michaels appear in the flesh wouldn't hold you back from that bag of chips ... or greasy slice of pizza ... or chocolate confection. But why exactly are these common food joneses so powerful?

FeaturePics stock Do you crave chocolate? It's basically an antidepressant in dessert form, says Alan R. Hirsch, M.D., head of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago and the author of "What Flavor Is Your Personality?"

"Cravings definitely have a physical component, but they also give some insight into the type of person you are," says Alan R. Hirsch, M.D., head of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago and the author of "What Flavor Is Your Personality?" Hirsch should know: He's studied the cravings, food choices, and personalities of more than 18,000 people for over 25 years. Here's something to take away from your midday vending-machine runs or late-night fridge raids besides extra calories.

When you crave salty food
What it says about your body: If nothing but the saltiest french fry will do, you may have a mineral deficiency. Studies have shown that women who eat low-calcium diets want salty foods more than those who get enough of the bone builder, says Michael Tordoff, Ph. D., a researcher at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, an institute that studies taste and smell. One possible reason: Sodium temporarily increases calcium levels in the blood, which tricks the body into thinking the problem is solved. But you may have a shortage of other minerals too. In animal studies, researchers have found that a lack of potassium, calcium, and iron causes test subjects to devour table salt

What it says about you: You go with the flow. Hirsch's research describes salt lovers as having an "external locus of control," meaning they believe that outside forces, not their own actions, determine their fate.

When you crave chocolate
What it says about your body: You reach for the chocolate because the flavor makes you swoon — but it does that because it stimulates the release of serotonin, Hirsch says. It's basically an antidepressant in dessert form that your body instinctively seeks out when your happy chemicals are bottoming out and you need a quick lift.

What it says about you: That depends on what type of chocolate you long for:

• Dark chocolate: You're the life of the party, a social butterfly, and right in the mix of the team project at work.
• Milk chocolate: You're the quiet, introspective type. Your idea of a perfect afternoon is a solo run or one-on-one time with a good book.

When you crave spicy food
What it says about your body: If you're having trouble cooling down, your body may crave a fiery taste to make you perspire. That may seem counterintuitive, but it helps explain why Mexican food would be popular even when temps are scorching. Some research also suggests that people become addicted to the rush of spicy food — the spiked blood pressure, accelerated heart rate, and rapid breathing, says Tammy Lakatos Shames, R.D., a co-author of “The Secret to Skinny.”

What it says about you: You love order, dislike wasting time, and sweat the details.

When you crave sweets
What it says about your body: This is a lot like a chocolate craving — lusting after sweets could indicate that you're looking to boost your mood. Or it could be that you're just low on energy. The body absorbs refined sugars of the candy variety faster than any other type of food, giving you immediate fuel, Shames says.

What it says about you: Sugar fiends tend to walk toward the wild side, Hirsch says. He describes them as hedonistic, with few regrets. They also like to stand out and feel special.

When you crave sweet + salty
What it says about your body: Your body needs glucose and sodium to function properly, so when the cells get sluggish (and you get tired), you reach for the chocolate-covered pretzels to get them revving, Hirsch says.

What it says about you: You're a loner, but a whiz, too. According to Hirsch's data, people who think a potato chip dipped in chocolate sauce is a match made in sensory heaven tend to be creative but private, to the point that they appear standoffish.

Source:
By Bridget Doherty

updated 11:07 a.m. ET, Sun., Nov . 22, 2009
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33589896/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/

15 Ways to Boost Your Memory in Your 30s, 40s, 50s, and Beyond

Istockphoto

Can’t find your keys … again? Whether your momentary memory loss is linked to doing too many things at once or just a bad case of menopausal brain fog, you don’t have to put up with it. In fact, experts say you can instantly boost your chances of remembering where you put your keys—and everything else you keep forgetting—if you start treating your brain right (no matter your age). Our simple lifestyle changes will help you stay sharp as the years go by.

The 30s
Floss every day
What do loving licorice and hating the idea of flossing have in common? Both can contribute to plaque on your teeth, which is surprisingly bad for your brain. “The plaque between teeth can cause an immune reaction that attacks arteries, which then can’t deliver vital nutrients to brain cells,” says Michael Roizen, MD, co-author ofYOU—The Owner’s Manual: An Insider’s Guide to the Body that Will Make You Healthier and Younger. Solution? Floss every day. Can’t remember? Keep the floss where you store your morning makeup.

Multitask at the gym
Just as working out can keep your body in good shape as you age, stretching your brain can keep it in top form, too. And doing them together is double the fun: Do a crossword puzzle while riding a stationary bike or listen to language lessons on your iPod while running. Scientists say that working the body and mind at the same time revitalizes brain cells. Don’t like multitasking? Hit the crossword right after the gym, when your brain is energized.

Go fish
Look to the sea for healthy ways to feed your brain. DHA, a type of omega-3 fatty acid found in salmon, trout, and some fortified foods such as yogurt, is a super saver for your memory. “DHA decreases arteria linflammation and improves repair of the protective sheath around nerves,” Dr. Roizen says. “The result is less age-related memory loss, less Alzheimer’s disease, less depression, and a quicker mind.”

The 40s
Steal your kids’ toys
There’s a new version of that Rubik’s Cube that you loved as kid. It’s the 3-D-like Rubik’s 360, and it’s probably good for brains of any age, because it sharpens flexible problem-solving skills, says neuropsychologist Karen Spangenberg Postal, PhD, president of the Massachusetts Psychological Association. The key: As you play, you’re working on your memory, strategy, and spatial skills—all required for improving brain health—at the same time. What if you always found the Cube endlessly frustrating? No worries: Any game that stretches your thinking is helpful.

Just do it
Elevating your heart rate three times a week for 20 minutes—even just by walking—bathes your brain in oxygen and helps it grow new cells. “Aerobic exercise is two to three times as effective as any known brain-training activity,” says Sam Wang, PhD, associate professor of neuroscience at Princeton University and co-author of Welcome to Your Brain: Why You Lose Your Car Keys but Never Forget How to Drive and Other Puzzles of Everyday Life. If you have no time for the gym during the week, that’s OK: Recent research shows moderate to vigorous exercise even just once a week (say, a weekend jog) makes you 30 percent more likely to maintain your cognitive function as you age.

Start a bridge club
If book clubs bore you and dinner parties leave you exhausted, then maybe a brisk game of bridge is just what the doctor ordered. The combination of strategy and memory in bridge challenges the brain to learn new information and exercises cells so they don’t die, Dr. Postal says. Plus, socializing while playing cards adds a level of unpredictability that gives your brain a charge—something solo games don’t offer. Bridge is definitely on the comeback, so you can learn to play through a community college or continuing education program, or hire a private instructor for lessons.

The 50s Plus
Use chopsticks
“Studies show that engaging the concentrated areas of nerve cells in your fingertips directly stimulates your brain,” says Maoshing Ni, PhD, author ofSecond Spring: Dr. Mao’s Hundreds of Natural Secrets for Women to Revitalize and Regenerate at Any Age. Truth is, any fingertip activity—using chopsticks, knitting, or even rolling a pen or pencil between your fingers—also helps your brain by boosting your circulation. And good circulation helps eliminate waste products that can prevent nutrients from reaching your brain.

Play electronic games
No, you’re not too old for a Wii or one of the new handheld brain-exercise games. And it may even be good for you, since simply trying something new gets your brain juiced, says neuropsychologist Reon Baird, PhD, of the Long Beach Memorial Medical Center. “When that something new is a video game, you’ll stimulate different parts of the brain that you don’t normally use on a day-to-day basis,” she says. Try Brain Challenge for the Wii or Brain Age for the Nintendo DS. If that’s too techy for you, play along with Wheel of Fortune or Jeopardy! on TV, Dr. Baird says. Challenge your know-it-all spouse to make it more fun.

Be careful with meds
If you ache every time you work out and never sleep well due to night sweats, there’s a pill for that. But be careful: Research in Clinical Interventions in Aging reveals that nonprescription sleep aids may cause some “cognitive impairment”—like confusion— in older adults. How much is unknown, but you’re probably familiar with the next-day grogginess. And the medicine known as diphenhydramine (found in many allergy medications and nighttime pain pills) has an “anticholinergic” effect; it blocks communication between nerve cells. Talk with your doctor about other remedies like relaxation or cognitive therapy for sleep problems.

Best brain foods for everyone!
Studies suggest that natural chemicals in these foods, spices, and drinks combat cognitive decline.

• Asparagus
• Blueberries
• Cocoa
• Coffee
• Egg yolks
• Indian curry
• Red wine
• Rosemary
• Salmon
• Tomato sauce
• Walnuts

Source: By Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen

From Health magazine
http://living.health.com/2009/08/24/15-surprising-memory-boosters/3/

Why Canned Soups Can Be Dangerous to Your Health

The food processing world is reeling right now one day after a shocking new series of tests released by Consumer Reports revealed that many leading brands of canned foods contain Bisphenol A (BPA)—a toxic chemical linked to health risks including reproductive abnormalities, neurological effects, heightened risk of breast and prostate cancers, diabetes, heart disease and other serious health problems.

BPA is used in the lining of cans and the toxin leaches from the lining into the food. According to Consumer Reports just a couple of servings of canned food can exceed scientific limits on daily exposure for children.

The federal government is currently studying the dangers of BPA and advocates are calling on the FDA to ban the use of BPA in food and beverage packaging by the end of the year. Companies in other industries, including Wal-Mart, Target, Nalgene, and Babies R Us have already made commitments to stop using BPA.

Consumer Reports’ tested 19 name-brand canned foods, including:

• Soups
• Juice
• Tuna
• Green beans

The results were discouraging. Nearly all of the tested canned foods were contaminated with the endocrine disrupting chemical bisphenol-A (BPA), and this included organic canned foods as well. BPA was even found in some cans labeled “BPA-free”!

According to their estimates, just a couple of servings of canned food can exceed the safety limits for daily BPA exposure for children.

The current US federal guidelines put the daily upper limit of safe exposure at 50 micrograms of BPA per kilogram of body weight.

However, this limit is based on studies from the 1980s, and does not take into account the findings of more recent animal and laboratory studies, which have found that far lower doses of BPA may still pose serious health risks.

The Worst Offenders

According to Consumer Reports’ testing, the levels of BPA can vary greatly from one can to another, which makes sense when you consider that the BPA leeches from the lining, and a variety of factors, such as heat, can influence the rate of leeching.

In general, canned green beans and canned soups had some of the highest BPA levels of the foods tested. The worst offenders during their tests included:

• Del Monte Fresh Cut Green Beans had BPA levels ranging from 35.9 ppb to as much as 191 ppb
• Progresso Vegetable Soup had BPA levels ranging from 67 to 134 ppb
• Campbell’s Condensed Chicken Noodle Soup had BPA levels ranging from 54.5 to 102 ppb

BPA and Your Immune System

That low-level exposure to BPA can be hazardous to your health has been established (but hotly debated and denied by industry) for over 10 years. According to Washington State University reproductive scientist Patricia Hunt,

“Exposure to low levels of BPA -- levels that we think are in the realm of current human exposure -- can profoundly affect both developing eggs and sperm.”

But fetuses and infants are not the only ones at risk. Researchers are also finding that BPA exposure can affect adults.

There are more than 100 independent studies linking the chemical to serious disorders in humans, including:

• Prostate cancer
• Breast cancer
• Diabetes
• Early puberty
• Obesity, and
• Learning and behavioral problems

As an example, a study published in the Environmental Health Perspectives last year, found that BPA promotes the development of Th2 cells in adulthood, and both Th1 and Th2 cells in prenatal stages, by reducing the number of regulatory T cells.

This could have a profound effect on your health as Th1 and Th2 are the two “attack modes” of your immune system.

Based on the type of invader, your immune system activates either Th1 or Th2 cells to get rid of the pathogen. Th1 (T Helper 1) attacks organisms that get inside your cells, whereas Th2 (T Helper 2) goes after extracellular pathogens; organisms that are found outside the cells in your blood and other body fluids.

When your Th2 are over-activated, your immune system will over-respond to toxins, allergens, normal bacteria and parasites, and under-respond to viruses, yeast, cancer, and intracellular bacteria, because as one system activates, the other is blocked.

Industry is Putting Up a Fight

Consumer safety advocates are currently calling on the FDA to Ban the use of BPA in all food and beverage packaging. Industry, of course, is fighting back. They dismissed Consumer Reports’ findings above, stating that: “The use of bisphenol A (BPA) in can linings is both safe and vital for food protection.”

Personally, I believe BPA is neither safe nor vital for food protection.

Remember, you’re not just consuming traces of BPA from a can here, and a can there. You’re also exposed to BPA from a host of other sources. Not to mention other chemicals that act in a similar fashion as BPA. When added together, it can amount to a significant amount of damage, especially in children.

What Can You Do NOW?

It’s important to realize that you have a CHOICE, and by exercising it, you can influence industry to do the right thing.

For example, you can avoid canned foods entirely and stick to fresh fruits and vegetables, or switch over to brands that use glass containers. Choosing fresh foods is clearly your best option -- ideally organic (to avoid exposure to pesticides), and grown locally (to reduce environmental impact and help your local economy).

In addition, Change.org has started a petition asking Campbell’s to live up to its new “nourishing people's lives everywhere, every day” slogan, and be a leader of the industry move away from the use of BPA laden packaging.

Sources:

Posted by: Dr. Mercola
November 24 2009 | 21,419 views
Change.org November 4, 2009

ConsumerReports.org December 2009

Food Politics November 3, 2009

Related Links:

Don't Put Your Coffee in Plastic Cups

Where to Find BPA-Free Products

5 Ways to Keep BPA Out of Your Food

Top 5 Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes

There are some things that you cannot change that increase your chances of getting type 2 diabetes:

Risk factors that you cannot control include:

• Family history. If you have a parent, brother, or sister who has type 2 diabetes, you have a greater chance of developing the disease.
• Age. The risk for getting prediabetes and type 2 diabetes increases with age. And the number of children being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes is increasing. Usually, children who get type 2 diabetes have a family history of the disease, are overweight, and are physically inactive.²
• Race and ethnicity. African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders are at higher risk than whites for type 2 diabetes.³
• History of gestational diabetes or having a baby weighing more than 9 lb (4 kg). Women who have had gestational diabetes or who have had a large baby are at higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes later in life.³
• Low birth weight. People who weighed less than 5.5 lb (2.5 kg) at birth are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes later in life.⁴

There are some things you can do to reduce your chances of getting diabetes or reduce your chances of developing complications from diabetes:

• Lose weight. Your risk for type 2 diabetes increases as your weight (or body mass index, BMI) increases. Your risk also increases if most of your body fat is in your belly area. Reaching and staying at a healthy body weight can reduce your risk.
• Get more exercise. Getting enough exercise lowers your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.⁵
• Eat foods that are good for you. Eating a lot of sugary foods, red meat, soft drinks, and fast food can increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.^{6, 7, 8} Eating whole grains, nuts, and vegetables can decrease your risk.⁹
• Quit smoking. This change may reduce your chance of having complications from diabetes.
• Get treatment if you have prediabetes. If your fasting blood sugar levels are in the range from 100 mg/dL to 125 mg/dL, you are at increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes.¹⁰
• Get treatment if you have high blood pressure (hypertension). People who have blood pressure levels above 140/90 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) are at greater risk for type 2 diabetes than people who have blood pressure below 140/90.³ The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends diabetes testing for people who have blood pressure higher than 135/80.¹¹
• Get treatment if you have high cholesterol. People who have high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels of 35 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or less, or triglyceride levels of 250 mg/dL or more are at higher risk of developing complications from type 2 diabetes.³

Other conditions that put you at risk for type 2 diabetes—and that are also linked to obesity and a lack of physical activity—include:

• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a hormone imbalance that interferes with normal ovulation.
• Metabolic syndrome, a group of abnormal physical findings related to the body's metabolism.

If you are concerned about diabetes, you can take a test to determine your risk of getting the disease. If you are at risk, you can discuss with your doctor how to make healthy changes in your life. If you want, your doctor can refer you to health professionals who are trained to help you make your own easy-to-follow plan for eating and exercising. No matter how and when you start, it is important to remember that even small changes can lower your chances of developing diabetes.

Source: http://www.health.com/health/condition-article/0,,20187881,00.html