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Hollywood stars have millions of dollars in movie deals to motivate them to keep out of the kitchen - in addition to millions of dollars for nutritionists, personal trainers, private chefs and more.

Yet these healthy celebrities who value clean living and wholesome food are often genetically blessed (just like supermodels). Healthy values and doing everything “right” only maximizes their bodies’ potential. And who can blame them? If I were in that income bracket, I’d probably have that kind of help too!

The “behind the scenes” of the entertainment industry thins out those who do not fall into the above-mentioned health category. Obviously kept as hushed as possible, the hard party scene is well known for dramatic weight loss in a very undesirable way. And until these stars get caught by police or paparazzi, they often claim their thin figure is the result of hard work at the gym, combined with the latest “miracle diet” that they’ve been secretly paid to endorse.

You don’t read about the hangover that took three days to get over and that during that recovery period, they couldn’t stomach anything. Also, you don’t read about the cigarettes that curbs their appetite so they can skip meal after meal.

It’s a sneaky scene out there, and these bodies are defining society’s vision of the body beautiful.

If sales of tabloid magazines are anything to go by, millions of men and women around the globe compare their bodies to these images.

In my opinion, if you can embrace a healthy lifestyle with nutritious habits and daily exercise, it’s you that these drugged-out celebrities should be looking up to.

If all you have is will power, excellent time management and a dedication to work out daily as well as to stay nutritionally on track, then that in itself is an achievement.

So what if you don’t look like “them?” By the time we get out of our teens we’ve usually stopped beating ourselves up over not looking like a supermodel, so why spend your adult life wanting to look like someone who you have no idea what they’ve had to do to get there?

It’s normal for health buffs and people on a “shape up for summer” mission to overindulge on occasion: whether it be to down a carton of orange juice in a day; mindfully polish off a bag of animal crackers; or, have three servings of Special K (with chocolate sprinkles) cereal during your much-anticipated hour of television, simply because of the “it-all-fits-in-one-bowl-so it’s-only-one-serving” excuse.

The key is to make these indulgences rare.

The first step is to buy smaller bowls. The second step is to get a kitchen measuring scale and get real with your portion sizes. If your exercise load demands two or three servings, go for it. If it doesn’t, don’t.

The third step is write down every thing you eat for a month (including portion sizes). This can be a real eye-opener. Better yet, keep an online food diary such as www.fitday.com.

Cat Smiley is two-time Canadian Trainer of the Year and author of The Boot Camp Workout. For training information, visit

www.catsmiley.com

The average woman will gain between 25 and 30 pounds during her pregnancy, but how many women do you know that have gained upward of 50 pounds or even more? Keeping your weight gain in check can be difficult when you’re eating for two, but with the help of a personal trainer, you can ward off the inevitable excess baby weight.

Studies have shown that exercising throughout your pregnancy is not only good for your body, but good for your mind as well. Exercising makes you release endorphins which in turn can make you feel happier, and more stable. With the inevitable rapid moods changes and decreased energy that pregnant women experience, prenatal exercise can be very beneficial to both husband and wife! Prenatal exercise can also have a positive impact on the length of delivery and post partum weight loss. A woman who has more muscle tone and cardiovascular endurance will fare better in a labour room than one that does not. This is a true marathon event, and you want to be ready.

If you’re the type of woman who already likes to exercise and has a program in place with a trainer, there is no need to slow down just yet. With your physician’s approval you may continue your program until your body starts to slow you down. If you are not currently exercising and want to begin, you may also do so, but you need to be careful about going into it with your eyes open. Pregnancy is not a time for weight loss goals, but instead, healthy weight gain goals with the forward focus on post natal weight loss.

During pregnancy, there are many issues to be concerned about such as gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, and lethargy. At the 2002 annual meeting of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Dr. Tanya K. Sorensen stated that vigorous exercise during pregnancy appears to reduce the risk of pre-eclampsia. Exercise can help keep all of these conditions from occurring, and utilizing a personal trainer can help you get the most benefit from your workout. Just as you would during your regular sessions, your trainer will modify exercises for you as she sees fit, and tailor a program to meet your specific needs. You and your trainer will decide what feels best for you at each stage of your pregnancy, and you will feel at ease exercising knowing you are doing exercises that are good for both you and your expanding belly.

Most non- pregnant women who exercise solo have a program in place that they vary infrequently due to lack of fitness knowledge and uncertainty about technique. More than ever, those things are important during pregnancy. You don’t want the same routine in the first trimester as in the third, and a trainer can help with that. The type of workout that you get with a personal trainer is so customized to your specific needs throughout your pregnancy that you don’t need to worry about doing an activity that might not be in your best interest. Proper technique and choice of exercises are most important during this crucial time since you could do more than just pull a muscle; you could effectively harm your baby.

Any questions or concerns you have about your program can be brought up and discussed with your trainer to make you feel completely confident that you are executing each exercise properly.

With the guidance of a personal fitness trainer, your prenatal workout should be worry-free, full of interesting exercises, and preparing your body for the biggest workout yet.

written by Nicole Palacios
Experienced certified fitness leader and personal trainer in North Vancouver, BC, Canada. She is the creator of Stroller Fitt. Her website is Perfectfit.ws

What if you could have it all? 6 Steps to Living your Best Life Simply put, people want more out of life. The 80’s were a time of wanting more money, the 90’s more time and now it is more fulfillment. Statistics Canada (Sept., 2004) reported only 32.6% of Canadians surveyed report being very satisfied with life.

So, how does one achieve fulfillment while also juggling the responsibilities and demands of life; career, family, health, money, relationships, community, recreation and personal growth? This is a very important question as life is an integrated whole with each area interdependent on the other. As more people begin to understand that the true measure of success is the attainment of life balance, they may also gain awareness that true life balance means including everything you want in life, or having it all. The 6 keys to living your best life are:

1. Design your Ideal Life
Dare to imagine new possibilities - what do you really want? If you were to eliminate the ’shoulds’ and start owning who you are, being all of your best self, what would that look like? What is your personal definition of success? What do you love? What are you passionate about? Spend some time focusing your energy and getting clear on what you really want to create for yourself.

2. Visualize Success
Create a picture of a future you having achieved your ideal successful life. Fully associate with that vision, what do you see, what does it feel like, what are you saying to yourself? Make it as compelling as possible, make a collage to represent this vision.

3. Utilize the Law of Attraction
Everything in the universe is energy, start projecting the kind of energy you would like to see come your way. Knowing that success breeds success, start living ‘as if’ by creating success for yourself now in your attitude and outlook. Coming from a place of fulfillment and happiness, notice what shows up in your life. Make today your best day.

4. Practice Extreme Self Care
Develop a strong relationship with SELF, tune into your intuition using meditation or journaling. Honour your needs, feel and express your emotions fully. Take great care of your mind, body and spirit.

5. Clear the Path to Success
What obstacles are in your way? Be honest with yourself about the beliefs you may have that continually limit you from getting what you want. What are you tolerating in life? When these things are handled, it increases your energy and clears a space for what you want to show up. 6. Ask for It! When we ask for what we want, it inspires others and empowers us as humans to really go for it. Connect with people, share your dreams. Draw on the power of partnering and synergy by allowing others to support and help us. I read a very inspiring quote that says ‘The Question I am asked daily by the world; was that all you wanted?’ -Genine Lentine We only get one chance in life; this is not a dress rehearsal. The only limit to what you can have in your life is the size of your imagination, and the level of your commitment to making it happen.

written by Lisa Argue
Success Coach and president of Effective Focus Success Coaching in Vancouver, BC. Effectivefocus.com is her company’s website.

Today Qigong is most often referred to as any set of breathing and Qi circulation techniques that are capable of improving health, preventing illness, and strengthening the body. Qigong is slow meditative exercise for the body, the breath, and the mind.

‘Qi’ is the vital force behind everything, everything is ‘Qi’ at differing densities; quoting Einstein, “matter = energy times the speed of light squared”. ‘Gong’ is cultivation, effect, attainment. Qigong can be translated as ‘cultivation of vital force’. It regulates the balance of Yin Yang energy returning the body to a balanced, normal physiological state.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the human body is treated as an integral system of interrelated networks with different physiological functions. This integral system uses the energy pathways to link the organs and other human systems into a unified whole, making the communication and interaction between parts of the body possible. The energy that flows in the energy pathways is called Qi. It extends internally to the organs and externally throughout the body, completing and interrelated system of networks.

Traditional Chinese Medical Qigong is a compilation of effective preventative, healing, and strengthening exercises derived from a long history of the Chinese peoples experience with nature and living in harmony with it.

Qigong is studied not merely for the health and strength of the body, but as an attempt to understand human nature and its interactions with the environment and the universe as a whole. Realizing that humans are part of nature, any attempt to understand human physiology inevitably involves the study of wholism.

From commoners to scientists, martial artists to government officials. Qigong studies span the masses of the Chinese population.

Supporting Research into the Health Benefits of Qigong

Qi Gong is a practice which combines relaxing movement, breathing and visualization. It is a tool to make Qi circulate in order to preserve one’s health, cure diseases and prolong life. The consistent practice has been shown to foster development of a profound inner calmness and non-reactivity of the mind, allowing individuals to face, and even embrace, all aspects of daily life, regardless of circumstances.

Science has proven the complementary healing effects of Qigong in medical science. Qigong can relieve chronic pain (including low back (6)), reduce tension, increase activities of our immune system (even at the genetic level (2)), improve heart health, mediates neuroendocrine responses (10), improve eyesight, and influence blood flow & biochemistry (1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 10). There is also proof of its positive effects on depression (4), and stabilization of the autonomic nervous system and the emotional state (5). It induces a state of relaxation via the induction of alpha brain waves and the release of serotonin (8). Jang & Lee randomized study put forth Qigong as an effective complementary therapy for managing the symptoms of PMS (9). It has also been concluded that visualization was an effective intervention for long-term smoking cessation and abstinence in adult smokers (3). The Division for Research and Education in Complementary and Integrative Medical Therapies, Harvard Medical School, study of the ‘Use of mind-body medical therapies’ stated that ‘much opportunity exists to increase use of mind-body therapies for indications with demonstrated efficacy’ (11).

The cultivation or preservation of ones health through the complimentary practice of Qigong plays an integral part in any persons path to wellness and the accomplishment of their goals. Join a class, read a book, buy a video.

written by Spence Pentland
Fertility specialist; the President of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Association of British Columbia (TCMABC), and practices at Acubalance Wellness Centre (http://www.acubalance.ca/) where he treats only Men’s reproductive health mens.health-info.org and Women’s fertility issues infertility.health-info.org.

From birth to young adulthood, the prostate grows from about the size of a pea to about the size of a walnut. Most men experience a second period of prostate growth in their mid- to late 40s. At this time, cells in the central portion of the gland - where the prostate surrounds the urethra - begin to reproduce more rapidly. As tissues in the area enlarge, they often compress the urethra and partially block urine flow. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is the medical term for this condition. It should be noted that the prostate may also become enlarged due to bacterial infection, the term used for this condition is acute or chronic bacterial prostatitis. There is also another non-bacterial form of chronic prostatitis which is actually more common than its counterpart, the cause for it is unknown.

Prostate enlargement affects about half of men in their 60s and up to 90 percent of men in their 70s and 80s. The presence or absence of prostate gland enlargement is not related to the development of prostate cancer.

Conventional treatment depends on your signs and symptoms and may include medications, surgery or non-surgical therapies such as acupuncture, herbs, and nutritional supplements.

Signs & Symptoms Prostate enlargement varies in severity from man to man, and doesn’t always pose a problem. Only about half the men with prostate enlargement experience signs and symptoms that become noticeable or bothersome enough for them to seek medical treatment. These signs and symptoms may include:

*Weak urine stream *Difficulty starting urination *Stopping and starting again while urinating *Dribbling at the end of urination *Frequent need to urinate
*Increased frequency of urination at night (nocturia) *Urgent need to urinate
*Not being able to completely empty the bladder *Blood in the urine (hematuria)
*Urinary tract infection *Pain in the lower abdomen *Discomfort during ejaculation
*Fever and chills (infection)

< Traditional Chinese Medicine Traditional Chinese Medicine generally sees the condition of prostate enlargement as an accumulation of Dampness and Heat in the lower portion of the torso (low Jiao), or as cold that has entered the Liver channel, quite often accompanied by a Kidney deficiency as an underlying root. This condition gives rise to all the troubling urinary symptoms listed above. Acupuncture, moxibustion, and laser acupuncture displays good results in helping restore normal urinary function (Luo YN et al. World Journal of Acupuncture-Moxibustion), and Chinese herbal therapy has been shown to eliminate the root causes of prostate enlargement. Together, Chinese herbal medicine and Acupuncture are an important choice in overcoming the battle with prostate enlargement. In one study, electro-acupuncture was also shown to help chronic prostatitis cases that were unresponsive to conventional therapies (Ikeuchi T, Iguchi H).

Treatments with acupuncture (traditional, electro, laser) and moxibustion (heat therapy) are usually once per week unless there is considerable pain 2-3 treatments per week for 1-3 weeks may be warranted. Chinese herbal therapy will be administered in the form of daily tea, pills, powders, or drops. Some nutritional supplements and western herbal therapy may also be recommended. Diet will also be reviewed from a traditional energetic point of view to help eliminate anything that may be aggravating the prostate condition.

Chronic non-bacterial prostatitis The most recent scientific research claims that chronic non-bacterial prostatitis has unknown etiology (the cause is not known). This is an unfortunate situation considering it is more common that it’s infectious counterparts, acute and chronic bacterial prostatitis.

Symptoms include pain and discomfort in the pelvic region or CPPS (chronic pelvic pain syndrome), some low back pain, frequent urination, and an unfinished feeling after urination. There is usually no history of urinary tract infections (as in bacterial prostatitis), no redness, and patients do not obtain symptomatic relief with antibiotics.

There also seems to be more of a feeling of ‘cold’ (rather than ‘heat’ which would be associated with the infectious bacterial prostatitis). It should also be noted that emotional problems such as depression and erectile dysfunction more often than not accompany this chronic condition and should be properly diagnosed and treated.

Treatment Studies and Research Some men say they find relief with NSAID’s (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), although this is an avenue that cannot be undertaken forever as they suppress the immune system.

The Merck manual is quoted saying that hot sitz baths and prostate massage are two of the best ways to provide symptomatic relief.

A recent study showed the benefits of alternative therapies including phytotherapy (quercetin, bee pollen) and physical therapies such as acupuncture (Shoskes and Manickam, dept. or Urology Cleveland Clinic Florida). The relief from acupuncture displayed that there is a neuromuscular component to chronic prostatitis. This is further proven in another study done by Chen and Nickel at the King Street Medical Arts Centre in Mississauga Ontario Canada where acupuncture successfully ameliorated symptoms in men with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome.

Another study performed by Chen, Gao, Liu, and Shen at Zhejiang College Hangzhou showed promise with the use of laser acupuncture.

Other herbal supplementation has received scientific recognition as of late; pygeum for urinary symptoms, saw palmetto and quercetin for pain, and beta-sitosterol to aid with urinary flow.

Moxibustion, a form of heat therapy used with acupuncture has also shown improvement in patients that participated in a study at Fushun Municipal Hospital, and another showed significant improvement at Nanjing Medical University when a combination of antibiotics and acupuncture were used in the treatment of CPPS and chronic prostatitis.

Years of empirical evidence also gives hope to those that seek out the aid of a qualified Chinese herbal medicine practitioner.

written by Spence Pentland
Fertility specialist; the President of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Association of British Columbia (TCMABC), and practices at Acubalance Wellness Centre (http://www.acubalance.ca/) where he treats only Men’s reproductive health mens.health-info.org and Women’s fertility issues infertility.health-info.org.

Exercise during and following pregnancy may seem like a foreign concept to you, but it is an essential item on any active woman’s to-do list. During pregnancy, you may remain active with a doctor’s consent; however, strenuous postnatal exercise is not recommended for 6 weeks following the birth. Even though your regular cardiovascular and strength routine will have to wait, there are gentle exercises you can do immediately following the birth.

Following are 6 exercises for prenatal and postnatal women. These exercises are recommended for women with no known contraindications, and should be followed according to your own body cues.

1. The Kegel- both pre and post natal
Muscles- Pelvic Floor
Lying on the floor with your feet out in front of you and your knees bent, just relax and let your body weight sink into the ground. Imagine you are urinating, and then stop the flow of urine. Simply engage in a small contraction of the sphincter, and then a relaxation. You can do this exercise as a progression- start lightly, build your way up, hold, then slowly release. You may do this sitting up in a chair, or in any position that is comfortable. Build your way up to 2 sets of 30 each day.

2. The Bridge- pre natal>
Muscles- Gluteus Maximus Lying on the floor with your feet in front of you hip distance, and your knees bent, squeeze your buttocks and slowly raise your hips up off the floor. You may keep your arms down by your sides. Keep your belly pointed toward the ceiling, not dropping to your side. Hold on top for 5-10 seconds, then release back down to the floor. 2 sets of 15

3. The Cat Stretch- pre natal
Muscles- Up: strengthens abdominals, Down: stretches lower back On all fours, take your hands under your shoulders and your knees hip width apart. Start with a neutral spine, keeping your head in line with your spine. Slowly roll your spine up toward the ceiling like a cat stretching. Think of pulling your abdomen in toward your spine. Slowly release down past your starting point and gently arch your back. 2 sets of 15

4. Ball Crunches- pre natal
Muscles- Abdominals
With an exercise ball propped against a wall, lean back on your ball until your buttocks are about 6 inches from the floor. Feet are on the floor in front of you about hip width apart. With your hands across your chest, and your chin tucked, slowly curl up, imagining your abdomen curling forward into a C shape. Exhale as you roll forward, inhale as you roll back slowly. You do not need to curl up very far. 2 sets of 15

5. Pelvic Tilt- post natal
Muscles- Abdominals
With your back flat against the floor and your knees bent, take your legs hip width apart and drop your arms by your sides. Take a deep breath in, and as you exhale, slowly roll your pelvis towards your shoulders, pressing your back deeper into the floor. Do not lift your hips up off the floor. Stabilize your abdominals as best as you can. Build up to 2 sets of 20

6. Belly Button to Floor- post natal
Muscles- Abdominals
With your back flat against the floor and your knees bent, take your legs hip width apart and drop your arms by your sides. Take a deep breath in, and as you exhale, think about drawing your belly button down to the floor. Relax, and then repeat. As you are doing this exercise, think about the belly flattening and compressing. You belly button should be pulling itself right down against your spine. 2 sets of 20

written by Nicole Palacios
Experienced certified fitness leader and personal trainer in North Vancouver, BC, Canada. She is the creator of Stroller Fitt. Her website is Perfectfit.ws

The World Health Organization (WHO) references acupuncture as being an effective treatment for the management of many types of pain, both acute and chronic.

There are 3 proven mechanisms that explain how acupuncture relieves pain;

1. Gate Theory
Once inserted, the needle activates the myelinated nervous system fibers which ultimately stops the pain message from getting to the T-cells in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord (closes the ‘Gate’). Therefore the pain message does not transmit to the thalamus/cortex in the brain (these areas normally interpret these messages and make you feel pain)

2. Opiate Theory
Once inserted, the needle activates the midbrain to release beta-endorphins into the cerebral spinal fluid and met-enkephalin into the plasma. This cascade causes the release of other neurotransmitters that block the sensations of pain. Both endorphins and enkephalins are naturally occurring opiate-like substances produced by the body in situations that require analgesia. Opiates are the fundamental compounds that Pharmaceutical painkillers such as codeine and morphine are built from.

3. Antihistamine Theory
Once inserted, the needle activates a process which regulates (reduces) the amount of histamine and bradykinin in the blood. These substances are what causes inflammation and pain when chronic or acute injury occurs.

Traditional Acupuncture Theory

Energy (Qi) circulates within the body through a series of pathways called meridians, similar to blood vessels. Wherever blood flows it brings with it nourishment and life giving qualities to the surrounding tissues and organs. Qi is the vital force necessary to keep the heart pumping so that blood will be transported as needed. More broadly, Qi gives that same life force to every single cell, tissue, muscle, organ, and gland in the body. Therefore, a blockage of the flow of Qi anywhere in the body will inhibit the amount of nourishment that reaches our cells, tissues, muscles, organs, and glands.

Many things can cause Qi to become blocked: poor diet, physical trauma, emotional trauma, inherited weakness, many disease processes, and chemical, physical, and emotional stress, just to name a few.

By inserting fine sterile needles at specific points, blockages of Qi that cause pain are cleared and smooth flow is restored. Once this is accomplished, pain will vanish.

Treatment Protocols

It is not uncommon for there to be significant relief after just one treatment. Most often with acute pain, between 2-4 treatments for 1-3 weeks is usually required to obtain optimal pain relieving effects. As for chronic pain, 1-2 treatments per week for longer durations is usually necessary.

Any pain condition may involve combination with other pain relieving modalities (yoga, fitness rehabilitation, physiotherapy, etc). Herbal salves and preparations along with certain recommended supplements may also enter the scope of treatment. Other traditional techniques such as cupping and moxibustion are also frequently employed. You may also be asked to perform some simple techniques at home or work between treatments to aid treatment efficacy.

written by Spence Pentland
Fertility specialist; the President of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Association of British Columbia (TCMABC), and practices at Acubalance Wellness Centre (http://www.acubalance.ca/) where he treats only Men’s reproductive health mens.health-info.org and Women’s fertility issues infertility.health-info.org.

When a man receives a diagnosis that his sperm is not able to get his wife pregnant, a state similar to shock may ensue. This seems to manifest as a type of post traumatic stress disorder. The man may then go through some, or all of the following ‘D.E.E.P.’ mental, emotional, and physical stages;

Denial: ‘not me!’, numbness, depression [*this exacerbates the stagnation of Qi].

Emotional: ‘why me?’ anger, hypersensitive, over-reactive, sad, withdrawal, poor mental function, *humiliation, shame, isolation, ‘is anyone else going through this?’ [*the Liver and Heart share this load].

Ego: central to being a man is the role of keeping the special woman in their life happy and protected. Being the ‘provider’ is also fundamental. Some men feel so inadequate with their inability to provide a child that some may even push for divorce.

Physical: damaged pride & shame are a breeding ground for sexual dysfunction, along with a wide array of physiological signs and symptoms (from insomnia to poor digestion, headaches to back pain).

It should also be noted that when a couple decides to go through A.R.T. (artificial reproductive techniques) many invasive procedures and medications are administered to the woman. This can affect the ‘protector’ aspect of a man, breeding fear for her health, and guilt towards being powerless to keep his wife out of harms way.

Chinese medicine and acupuncture, diet and lifestyle changes, proper supplementation, Qigong, education, and proper counsel to regarding the D.E.E.P. implications of male infertility, will restore confidence, and produce profound effects that show not only on a semen analysis, but also in the everyday wellness of the man and his relationship with his wife.

written by Spence Pentland
Fertility specialist; the President of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Association of British Columbia (TCMABC), and practices at Acubalance Wellness Centre (http://www.acubalance.ca/) where he treats only Men’s reproductive health mens.health-info.org and Women’s fertility issues infertility.health-info.org.

Baby has been here for some months now and is cute as a button, but you still have a little extra around your midsection, or a little something around the hips. Isn’t all the extra fat supposed to just melt away after the baby is born? All the books tell you that nursing will help you regain your figure, and once you’re running around after your active little one, you will shed those last few pounds. How can you regain your pre-pregnancy body once and for all?

Exercise and Proper Nutrition
These are key components in achieving your goal body. Dieting is a no win solution, lifestyle changes are. Take a look at your typical day. During baby’s naptime, you probably feel like you need to clean up. This is valid, but this could also be your chance to burn some fat!! With one hour of nap time (ideally), you could do an exercise video, go for a jog, or if you have home equipment you could use that. The American Council of Sports Medicine (ACSM) advises a minimum 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise five days per week to obtain weight loss. During this time, you want to make sure your exercise intensity will be most advantageous for you. To find your target heart rate the ACSM advises you to take 220 - your age; multiply that number by.6 (lower range) and .9 (higher range). The beginner should stay near the bottom range while the more advanced exerciser should be closer to the middle. Take your heart rate while you’re exercising to find out if you’re working hard enough.

You should also add some strength training. A well toned body will tend to burn more calories at rest and thus become a more efficient fuel burner for you. Lifting light weights will not make you bulk up or look masculine, but instead will increase your muscle tone and your metabolism. Start with low weights and high repetitions. 1-3 sets of 12 -15 repetitions is a good start for building muscular endurance. A variety of exercises for upper and lower body, beginning with larger muscle groups and working your way down to smaller muscles is the way to go. You can do this regimen 2-3 times per week and get results.

If you don’t have time for both cardio and strength training, try doing just one or the other and alternate days. You can also exercise while your baby is awake, making him a part of your routine. Babies love music and movement, and they will enjoy having you lift them into the air from the floor (chest press), or hold them while doing squats, or whatever creative maneuver you can come up with. Try to do abs at the end of your routine every second day. There are many abdominal exercises that you can do with your baby, such as: abdominal crunches holding baby up on top of your knees; plank, having baby lie on the floor directly in front or beside you as you hold your body weight up on bent elbows and toes, keeping your body long and straight like a board; standing twists holding baby are great for working the waist. Use your imagination and enjoy this workout time with your baby if that’s what it takes to fit it in.

Try getting outside with other mothers for walks. You can discuss your babies while you’re burning calories. The longer the walk, the better!

What are you eating these days? I know, things happen on the fly and it’s hard to make healthy, balanced meals every day. Try to be more conscious about what you’re eating, and also when you’re consuming food. Avoid eating right before bed, as your body has no means of burning those calories. During the day, strive to eat 5-6 smaller meals to make your body metabolically more efficient.

Try putting up a sample menu of easy to prepare, healthy meals to inspire you throughout the day. Remember that the more brightly colored the fruit or vegetable, the more nutritious it is. Red, orange, and yellow are colors worth eating.

Moderation is a good theme to implement when it comes to eating for weight loss; allow yourself a treat now and then but don’t go overboard.

Goals
Having a game plan is important. Sit down and think about what you really want, and write it down. What do you need to do to fit into those jeans again? Do you need to lose 1 or 2 inches around your waist? Maybe an inch around your hips? Set and try to reach definite, specific goals. Short term goals should be attainable within a few months while long term goals should be reached in about a year. Put your goals in a visible place so that you see them daily and are reminded of what you’re working for. Maybe keep the jeans out so you see them more often and want to wear them even more. Telling others about the goals you’ve set will make them more concrete and make it harder for you to forget about them.

Hiring a personal trainer is always an option for some people, whether you want to spend the money for that service is up to you. If you feel that you’ve tried everything and are getting nowhere on your own, maybe it’s worth a try.

Whatever you decide to do, make it your own personal mission, and don’t worry about what other people are doing. Every body is different and will lose inches and pounds on its own schedule. With regular cardiovascular exercise, light weight training and good eating habits, you’re sure to say goodbye to your baby fat in no time! Good luck and have fun!

written by Nicole Palacios
Experienced certified fitness leader and personal trainer in North Vancouver, BC, Canada. She is the creator of Stroller Fitt. Her website is Perfectfit.ws

The number of marijuana grow-ops and drug seizures has dramatically increased over the last few years.

There are many other serious community consequences associated with these crimes. Marijuana grow-ops are continuously linked to property crimes and crimes of violence. In addition to finding stolen property inside these homes, Police have investigated several home invasions where thieves have broken into grow houses to steal the marijuana crop being produced. Some recent home invasions involved innocent families that had moved into a previous grow-op house or were living close to one and were mistakenly victimized. It is important, therefore, to spot a grow-op and report any suspicious activity to the authorities.

The following are characteristics of typical grow-op houses, many effects of which can still be visible after the house has been vacated:

• Suspects do not appear to regularly attend jobs but drive expensive vehicles.
• There are dark coverings over some of the windows to prevent the escape of bright hydroponic lights.
• Rooms in the house or outbuildings seem to be illuminated all the time.
• There is heavy condensation on the windows. Absence of frost or snow on the roof when other houses have frost or snow. Or growers put fans in the window to increase air circulation that blows the curtains around.
• There may be an unusual number of roof vents, or unusual amounts of steam coming from vents in cold weather.
• A variety of extra measures have been taken to protect the house, i.e. new fencing, guard dogs, bars on the windows etc. Entry is exclusively through the automatic garage doors. Residents are hardly ever seen out of their cars.
• There is a strange odor emanating from the house (pungent and skunky).
• Sounds of electrical humming, fans or trickling water. There are also construction noises associated to accommodate a marijuana production facility.
• There is unusual or modified wiring on the exterior of the house.
• The hydro meter can be seen spinning unusually fast. Growers have most of their lights on for at least 12 - 18 hours at a time.
• Localized power surges or browning - neighborhood residences or units experience unexplained power surges or decrease of power that dims lights and slows down appliance use, with the return of normal power flow about 12 hours later.
• Residents avoid all contacts with neighbors.
• Children’s toys and bikes are left outside but there are no children seen at the residence.
• Quantities of growing equipment and supplies are seen to be taken into the house, shed or garage, yet there are no flowers or garden at the house. Often these supplies are purchased in winter.
• There are pots, soil, hoses and nutrients scattered around the property.
• The house can appear to be vacant, the yard is not well-tended, and flyers are accumulating at the door. Residents are seldom seen (garbage is rarely put out to the curb).
• There are hoses running from doors or windows on the exterior of the house.
• Instances of visitors parking down the street and walking to the house. There is excessive vehicle and/or pedestrian traffic day or night at unusual hours.
• The occupants appear to have moved in at night.
• It is never possible to see activity at the house but there is lots of garbage.

written by Luigi Frascati
Real Estate Agent based in Vancouver, British Columbia. He He holds a Bachelor Degree in Economics and maintains a weblog entitled to the Real Estate Chronicle at realestatechronicle.blogspot.com