Fitness tips to suit your Body-TypeWritten by Ms Namita Nayyar
Genetics play leading role in creating basic shape of your body and you have to begin with being realistic, so that you can do best you can, with what you have. Body type of an individual, is a word related to metabolism and genetic pre-disposition towards gaining fat or muscle or staying lean. All of us are programmed by birth to be tall and long-limbed, petite and short limbed, small framed or big-boned or whatever. It is better for all of us to begin accepting imitable things about our body type, and move towards improving on what can be improved.Genetics also determine where you are likely to gain weight, which at times might not be appreciable by you. No matter what you do, you might find that any extra pound you carry appears around your middle, on your hips and thighs or below your beltline. This clearly proves that women with different Metabolic rates and different body shapes need to workout differently. A woman who has a tendency to gain weight/fat easily will need to do more exercise than a woman who cannot gain weight no matter what. Physiologists have divided women into three basic body types : Ectomorphic: are lean, long-limbed and often tall. These woman have long torsos, slim hips and shoulders and small bones in proportion to their height. The Ectomorphic women generally have a very high metabolic rate making it difficult for them to gain both muscle and fat. They generally need less aerobics and should do anaerobic/strength building or Resistance training exercises with repetitions in range of 6-10 with a resting time of 45-90 sec between each set. The number of sets to be performed will depend on need for fitness or a particular sport. The aerobic workout should last for at least 20 minutes, 3 times a week for cardiovascular fitness. If you play a sport that requires physical conditioning, then you will need to vary routine for aerobic workout according to need of sport. If Ectomorphs desire to gain size, they should indulge in strength training repetitions of 6-10 with heavier weights with a resting span of 30-45 sec. Endomorphic : are short of limb and torso with more rounded bodies. They tend to store body fat easily and might also be big-boned. They generally tend to gain weight in lower part of their body. Endomorph women can be curvaceous like Madonna,or Pia Zardora. In reality many endomorphs spend their lives fighting fat. A cardiovascular workout of at least 30-40 minutes, 3-5 times per week is desired. Similarly, due to a serious need of increasing BMR to burn more calories at rest than fat, endomorphs need to take up a Strength training program composed of higher repetitions at least 12-20 reps (with 30-60 sec of rest between sets). Aerobic exercise is essential for weight loss, cardiovascular fitness and body-shaping, on other hand anaerobic exercise is essential to gain muscle and build strength.
| | Organic Food: Truth or Fallacy?Written by Margot B
Every food scare - about chemicals, additives, and genetically modified ingredients and mad cow disease, is followed by a rise in organic food sales.In most supermarkets we are able to find organic food; fresh produce, milk, eggs, cereal, frozen food, and even junk food. I prefer organic food, assuming it to be safer, more nutritious. But, notice that label on Organic Cow has changed - now it is "ultrapasterized," - this ensures that milk will stay fresh, allowing it to be shipped all over country. An organic TV dinner in frozen foods section advertises its chicken to be raised without chemicals and allowed "to roam freely in an outdoor yard", rice and vegetables grown without synthetic chemicals. The list of ingredients is extensive; natural chicken flavor, high-oleic safflower oil, guar and xanthan gum, soy lecithin, carrageenan and natural grill flavor - and with assurance that most of these additives are organic, and no doubt are. The organic food industry has become a $7.7 billion business, fastest growing category in supermarket, and has attracted attention of agribusiness corporation, which organic food movement always presented as an alternative. The biggest organic farms are owned and operated by conventional mega-farms. Agribusiness has sought to re-define romantic word 'organic' to make it as broad as possible; to make it easier for big companies to get into organic food business by allowing food additives, ascorbic acid to xanthan gum, and synthetic chemicals to be used in 'organic' food; a cow to feed on pasture; a factory farm to be labeled organic. These modifications will take effect next year.
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