6 Ways to Avoid Colds and Flus Over the Holidays

It seems that nearly everyone catches a cold or the flu between the months of December through February. Most people think this is just the way it has to be, and germs just randomly attack people. Well, this just isn't true!
There are many ways to avoid these annoying and often depressing illnesses. Follow these 5 suggestions and you will significantly reduce your chances of falling prey to one of these nasty attacks!
1. Avoid sugar. As difficult as this may seem in during the holidays, it's the #1 reason people get sick! Sugar takes a big hit on your immune system, and opens you up to disease. If you absolutely cannot do without sweets for 6 weeks, pick and choose a few specific times when you allow yourself a dessert. The daily chocolate around the office will surely come back to haunt you!
2. Get enough sleep. If holiday demands are forcing you to cut down on sleep, you are also putting stress on your defense against germs. Winter is actually a time when you should plan to sleep a little more than usual, not try to get by with as little as possible.
3. Avoid Stuffing Yourself. Although it may be tempting to overeat during this time, this will cause your liver to have to work extra hard, and lead to you getting sick. Overeating any time is also a good way to gain extra weight, as your body stores some of what it can't use as fat. Stick with smaller meals more often and don't let others pressure you into eating too much "because it's the holiday season." Nibbling on appetizers for hours before a big meal can really do you in. Make sure you think about what you are eating and slow down on the alcohol!
4. Prioritize and Reduce Stress. Make sure you are prioritizing your work and daily activities so you don't become overwhelmed and stressed out. Keeping unwanted stress away is a big factor in staying healthy. Take up yoga or meditation, or just reserve 20-30 minutes per day that's "your time"- where you don't have to do anything or be anywhere.
5. Cook with Coconut Oil. For many years coconut oil was the preferred oil for Americans, until the Canola industry spread false rumors about it, claiming that it was bad for your health. Recent studies have shown that in fact by not eating coconut oil we are missing out on nutrients that keep our immune systems strong. It is the only "good" form of saturated fat. To stay strong, have a couple of teaspoons every day, either in your cooking or as part of a smoothie.
6. Aerobic Workouts. If you're going to miss a workout, make it an anaerobic one. Stick with your walking, jogging, swimming, cycling. Anaerobic workouts like lifting weights, or doing sprints, put more stress on the body, and skipping these occasionally during this time of year can actually benefit your health.
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Some Possible Benefits of Fish Oil and Omega-3

According to renowned research scientist Dr. Barry Sears, Medical Research is focusing more and more on the health benefits of high dose fish oil, which has long been considered by doctors around the world to be one of the most effective remedies for improving physical performance, treating depression and arthritis, and improving concentration and memory. Fish oil is also widely considered to be effective in preventing heart disease because of it's rich omega-3 component. In addition, new research suggests that high doses of fish oil may also be effective in combating Parkinson's disease, Attention deficit disorder, and other Neurological problems.
Fish oil has been linked to disease prevention. The US National Institutes of Health has also Recognized the benefits of DHA and EPA and has published Recommended Daily Intakes of fatty acids. They recommend a daily intake of 650 mg of DHA and EPA, and 4.44 g/day of linoleic acid. Researchers at Harvard Medical School have used high doses of fish oil to treat bipolar disorder, with considerable success. In addition, researchers in the United Kingdom have reported positive results in treating schizophrenia with fish oil supplements. Current medical research is also focusing on the use of high doses of fish oil during radiation treatment and chemotherapy, as well as for treating Fibromyalgia.
On the whole, there appears to be consensus that Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in fish oil promotes a healthy vascular system. Fish oil contains EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), both of which are omega-3 fatty acids. These particular omega-3 fatty acids may inhibit the progression of atherosclerosis.
Essential fatty acids are grouped into two families, omega-6 EFAs and the omega-3 EFAs. Omega-6 acids promote inflammation, blood clotting, and tumor growth, while omega-3 acids, found in fish oil and very few other sources, act entirely opposite, according to researcher Hans R. Larsen, MSc ChE.
According to Larsen, Scientists were first alerted to the many benefits of EPA and DHA in the early 1970s when Danish physicians observed that Greenland Eskimos had an exceptionally low incidence of heart disease and arthritis despite the fact that they consumed a high-fat diet. Subsequent research later discovered that the two fats or oils that they consumed in considerable quantities, EPA and DHA, were indeed very beneficial.
Dr. Sears states that the purity of the fish oil is the single most important factor to consider when taking it as a supplement. To manufacture pharmaceutical-grade fish oil requires extensive purification. In fact, it takes 100 gallons of health-food grade fish oil to make one gallon pharmaceutical-grade fish oil. It should be known by anyone taking fish oil supplements, that there are several medications which may have beneficial or harmful interactions with them. They are Cyclosporine, Pravastatin and Simvastatin

7 Simple Steps To Health and Fitness Success

Let's take a look at seven simple steps you can take right now to move you rapidly along toward your fitness goals.
Think on paper: Only about 3 percent of adults have clear, written goals. These people accomplish five and ten times as much as people without written goals.
Step 1: Decide Exactly What You Want. This will allow you to prioritize your tasks to that you are spending the most time on high value tasks that move you closer to your goals. If your goal is to add 20 pounds of muscle, there isn't much point in using up a lot of you training time by jogging 5 miles a day.
Step 2: Write It Down. Again, think on paper. Written goals are a powerful thing. They have an energy behind them that helps you move toward them that unwritten goals just don't have.
Step 3: Set A Deadline On Your Goal. Create a sense of urgency and positive pressure. Without a deadline you will procrastinate and do the little things that may damage your short term goals. If you are having "after" pictures
taken in three weeks then you are much less likely to swallow that bag of popcorn, than if you are just getting in shape...eventually.
Step 4: Make a list of everything you can think of that you will need to do to help you achieve your goal. Leave nothing to chance. The more planning you do ahead of time, the more likely you will stick to the plan and achieve your goals. The more prepared you are, the more success you will experience.
Step 5: Organize the list into a plan. Organize your list by priority and sequence.
Step 6: Take action on your plan immediately. Do something. Get started. Start building positive reinforcement and momentum RIGHT NOW.
Step 7: Resolve to do something every single day that moves you toward your major goal. And with fitness, you have to, don't you? Whether it is your workout, eating six high protein meals, etc. you should always be doing something that moves your forward toward your goals.
Don't just read these tips and nod your head. Activel use them. They will make a big difference, not just in your health and fitness goals but in your life in general.
Gregg Gillies

Gregg Gillies is a speaker, consultant, fat loss expert, trainer and author. He teaches fitness via his articles, books and courses at his web site [http://www.buildleanmuscle.com] . He is the author of two books: Complete information on his books, along with lots of free articles are available at his site. And while there, don't forget to sign up for his free newsletter, "Fit Physique".

Take Action Now and Achieve You

TAKE ACTION!
I swear, it seems as if there are more opinions regarding fat
loss than there are people. It's amazing. What's even more
amazing (and frustrating), is that most of them are wrong,
if not downright dangerous.
There is just way too much information for you to even get
started with a successful program, sometimes known as
"information overload".
There is so much information and so many differing opinions that you never even get yourself started. Or, you get started, but never give any particular program a chance, instead going from one to the other, in a "shot gun" approach, never giving anything a chance to make progress.
You need to pick a sensible program and decide to stick with it for a long enough period of time that you can measure your results, or lack thereof.
If you're like most people, fear, doubt and confusion are preventing you from moving forward and tackling your fat loss goals. This prevents too many people from achieving their goals in life, whether it be a successful career, or building their body.
Everyone feels the fear and doubt. The difference is that successful people move forward anyway and use these things as motivators to help them achieve their goals.
Do something! Hit the gym. Eat that nutritious meal.
You don't have to know everything to get started. Do a few weight exercises a couple of days a week, drop one thing in your diet that you know you shouldn't have. You can fine tune your program as you go, doing more and more of the things you need to do.
Forget about whether supplement a is better than supplement b or if turkey is better than chicken or should you have whey protein with casein or take them separately.
If you aren't doing the fundamentals correctly, these things just don't matter. This goes back to a previous article I wrote where I stated that things such as narrow grip, wide grip, etc. won't mean a thing if there are major flaws in the fundamentals of your training
program.
Forget about which supplement is better for what, whether you should be riding the bike or hitting the treadmill, if turkey has less fat than chicken.
Master the fundamentals first!
The fundamentals of fat loss include:
Perform high intensity weight training,
Burn more calories than you consume
Eat 5-6 small, frequent meals and never skip meals,
Taken in a few tablespoons of good fats such as flax seed or sunflower
Eat natural foods; avoid processed & refined foods
Drink a lot of water
Eat more fibrous carbs, fruits & vegetables,
Consume at least 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass
Perform high intensity cardio
If you're not doing all these things, and you're looking for the perfect supplement stack or the optimum periodization plan, then you are just setting yourself up for failure from the beginning.
Fitness Is A Lifestyle, Not A Diet
Do you know what is the biggest fat loss mistake made by beginners?
As many of you are aware, gym memberships always shoot up in January and February. All of the sudden, you can't get the equipment you want without a long wait. Don't worry, as you move into March, most of the newcomers will be gone because they've quit.
Results may come slowly for most of you, unless you are genetically blessed.
But if you stick with it long enough, if you resolve to make it a lifestyle and not a quick fix, you will get the results that you want.
Gregg Gillies

Gregg Gillies is a speaker, consultant, fat loss expert, trainer and author. He teaches fitness via his articles, books and courses at his web site [http://www.buildleanmuscle.com] . He is the author of two books: Complete information on his books, along with lots of free articles are available at his site. And while there, don't forget to sign up for his free newsletter, "Fit Physique".