Fitness Destinations has gone GOOFY! Goofy with the Goof Troupe, that is! If you think you've ever seen an opportunity to be healthy and make some money at the same time, I invite you to look at something completely different: The Goof Troupe!

The Goof Troupe site itself is going to be revamped in the next week or two to better explain the principles and the methods, but you are welcome to take a look at Stage 1 right now.

Also, the weight loss Success Groups have officially launched, and this is a great opportunity for you to manage or participate in local meetings that help you to stay on track via a solid nutrition program, supplementation where needed, and expert guidance.

You can also bring in a part or a full-time income with the Success Groups, so if health and/or money is of interest to you, then click here for more info!

Our articles this week include some great basic information about The Fitness Principles by Donita Riplez and also some powerful tips on Conquering Your Food Cravings by Kelly Hayford!

Enjoy and have a great weekend!

Please forward this email to anyone in your circle who can benefit from any of the information contained in the Fitness Destinations Journal, or who can utilize the site itself to help them with their health and fitness goals!

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Fitness Article - The Fitness Principles

By: Donita Riplez

Almost everywhere you go today, you are approached in some manner about health and physical fitness. The fact that a large percentage of Americans are considered obese has helped increase the marketing of diet, physical fitness, and health products. You’ll be reminded of health and fitness on TV, in magazines, on the radio, the news, at work, almost everywhere you go you’ll see something about physical fitness.

With all this commotion about fitness, have you joined the team and started your path to total fitness? If not here is a brief description of the standards of physical fitness and what you may do about your current fitness level.

Most experts agree there are five basic components of fitness. They are:

1)Aerobic Endurance- Your level of aerobic endurance measures your ability to do moderately strenuous activity over a period of time. It’s a measurement of how efficiently your heart and lungs work together to supply oxygen to your body during exertion and exercise. This fitness component is also called aerobic fitness.

2) Muscular Endurance- Muscular Endurance measures your fitness level by your ability to hold a particular position for a sustained period of time or repeat a movement many times. One example might be to lift a five-pound weight 20 consecutive times.

3)Muscular Strength- The ability to exert maximum force. It is possible to have greater muscular strength in one area, than another. For example, you may have great strength in your arms, while lacking strength in your legs. One example might be lifting the heaviest weight you can possibly lift.

4)Flexibility- Flexibility fitness measures the ability to move a joint through its full range of motion or the elasticity of the muscle. This is how limber you are.

5)Body Composition- This fitness area measures the proportion of fat in your body as compared to your bone and muscle. It does not refer to your weight in pounds or your shape.

If you are weak in any area or need to begin a general overall fitness plan, there are basically three areas of exercise you should concentrate upon to make improvements. They are stretching, aerobic activity, and strength training. Each of these areas is very important to your overall fitness level. Eating a healthy diet will also contribute greatly to your overall fitness level.

Remember, it is never too late to improve your fitness level. Regardless of your physical fitness level, your age, or the length of time it has been since you last exercised regularly, it’s never too late to start and maintain a good fitness routine. Your body is designed to move. If you don’t use it, you lose it. It is just that simple.

About the Author

Donita Riplez is the owner of fitness DC, which is a premier resource for fitness information. For more information, go to http://www.fitnessdc.com

Fitness Article - Curb & Conquer Your Food Cravings Part II - Balancing Your Body-Mind System

Copyright © 2006 Kelly Hayford, C.N.C.
Award-winning author, "If It's Not Food, Don't Eat It!"
http://www.FoodFitnessByPhone.com

Last time we talked about the importance of properly nourishing your body-mind system in order to diminish or eliminate cravings for health-robbing foods. Equally as important is balancing your body-mind system, particularly with regard to your emotions and blood sugar.

Imbalanced blood sugar can lead to almost unbearable cravings for poor quality foods, especially caffeine and sweets. Although giving in and indulging in delectable confections may give you temporary relief, doing so will only make things worse in the long run. Regularly consuming stimulant foods such as caffeine, alcohol and sweets is what causes and perpetuates the cycle of wildly fluctuating blood sugar levels and cravings in the first place.

Once you're hooked, it's like being on a biochemical roller coaster. Soon after you consume the soda, coffee, pastry or other stimulant, you're feeling pretty cheery. Then-pheeeeeew --- boom!-your blood sugar crashes and you feel like taking a nap or strangling somebody for your next "fix." Or both.

In addition to causing strong food cravings and fatigue, imbalanced glucose levels are also notorious for causing headaches, insomnia, brain fog, excess weight that won't go away and of course, pronounced emotional imbalance. This may show up as depression, irritability, anxiety and often, swinging from one mood to the next.

If you want to truly balance your emotions and conquer your food cravings, you must stabilize your blood sugar! Following these dietary recommendations will help:

1 ~ Eliminate or relegate stimulants to rare occasions, including: caffeine, chocolate, refined salt, alcohol and refined carbohydrates (sugars, high fructose corn syrup, white refined flour, etc.)

2 ~ Eat animal protein or whole grains within an hour of waking up.

3 ~ Eat three balanced meals daily and feed cravings for sweets with protein.

4 ~ Substitute stevia extract for concentrated or artificial sweeteners, as this natural herbal sweetener is known to balance blood sugar levels.

5 ~ Snack on a handful of wolfberries, also known as goji berries, which help support pancreatic function.

When it comes to supplementation, as we discussed in Part I, you will also want to be sure that you're taking both a green food and broad-based whole food supplement -regularly and abundantly. In addition to supplying the body with an array of vital nutrients, these two products are also very effective in stabilizing blood sugar. Which means a double dose of assistance in your endeavor to curb uncontrollable urges for poor-quality foods.

Once your blood sugar levels are maintained in balance regularly, you will notice that both food cravings and emotional upsets will subside significantly. This could take a few weeks to a few months depending on the person and to what degree efforts to reverse this condition are followed.

Therapeutic-grade essential oils can help you through this transition period and to establish and maintain an ongoing sense of well-being.

1 ~ Bergamot and Cinnamon are both helpful for general cravings and addictions. (I once had a client who put a few drops of Bergamot on her feet every day and within a few days her irresistible cravings for salt and salty snacks completely went away!)

2 ~ Because Fennel and Dill help balance blood sugar levels, they are especially effective in clearing an unhealthy desire for sweets.

3 ~ Ginger, Lemon, Peppermint, and Spearmint may help with emotional eating and/or overeating.

NOTE: Make sure you are using therapeutic-grade essential oils almost exclusively available from a few select distribution companies. DO NOT expect to get the same results from perfume- grade aromatic oils, which is what is available at most retail outlets.

Use your intuition and experiment to see what works best for you. Consult reference guides to essential oils for more recommendations.

Most people experience a dramatic reduction in their food cravings within a short period of time after following the preceding recommendations. Balancing and nourishing your body- mind system for the long haul, however, is a process that will take a bit of time to integrate as a lifestyle. Time well spent, as the rewards are great and will affect every area of your life!

If you find yourself struggling with suggested changes or that they are not as effective as you would like, chances are you also need to thoroughly cleanse your body-mind system. More on this third piece of the curb-and-conquer-your-food-cravings puzzle in Part III.

About the Author

Kelly Hayford, C.N.C., is the award-winning author of "If It's Not Food, Don't Eat It!" As a former junk food junkie turned nutrition and health coach she has helped thousands reverse dis-ease, and restore their health, energy and natural weight. For tips, talks and teleclasses on healthy eating and holistic self-care, visit: http://www.FoodFitnessByPhone.com or call 303.746.8970