Straight Health offers easy to understand and accurate information on health, nutrition, diets and exercise. With this RSS feed you can stay up to date with all the new articles, FAQ and top 5 lists that are updated. http://straighthealth.com/ Exercise means different activities for different people. Whatever your favorite form of exercise is, you need to incorporate a wide range of activities. More specifically, you need to include elements of flexibility, cardio and strength training into your routine. http://straighthealth.com/pages/articles/earticles/flexibility-cardio-strength-training.html When you're starting a strength training routine, you can take one of two paths. You can do a full body workout or a split routine. Depending on what your goals are, these two routines can have different effects. http://straighthealth.com/pages/articles/earticles/full-body-vs-split-routine.html If you're having trouble creating an exercise routine, here's a program just for you. The SH Trainer was created to make workout routines in seconds. It asks you a few questions about your weight, height and activity level to create a workout routine that includes elements of flexibility, cardio and strength training. It only takes a few minutes and you don't need to sign up or provide an email address. http://shtrainer.com When you're trying to lose weight, your main goal is to create a calorie deficit (burn more calories than you take in). The bigger your calorie deficit, the faster you'll lose weight. Some may ask, Why not try to eat as little as possible? http://straighthealth.com/pages/articles/darticles/starvation-mode.html When you're trying to lose weight and build muscle, the question is often, "Which one should I do first: lose weight or build muscle?" This question is looking at the problem from the wrong angle. http://straighthealth.com/pages/qna/lose-weight-build-muscle-first.html If you want to help the environment while being healthy, eat less. This will cut the amount of energy needed to grow and transport food while decreasing your risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer. http://tips.straighthealth.com/tip/2008/711.html The most difficult part of any journey is starting out, and this goes double for entering the world of fitness. There is so much information available everywhere you turn, just deciding where to start can keep you from starting all. http://straighthealth.com/pages/articles/earticles/starting-out-routine.html A hard gainer is someone that finds it nearly impossible to put on muscle or weight no matter how much they eat. These people are cursed (or blessed) with a very fast metabolism that seems to instantaneously adjust and burn off any extra calories that are taken in. http://straighthealth.com/pages/qna/hard-gainer-gain-weight.html Getting a six pack seems like the ultimate way to show everyone you're healthy and in shape. To help you achieve this milestone, there are plenty of diets, books and contraptions out on the market. But do any of these solutions actually work? Here's the actual truth. http://straighthealth.com/pages/articles/sarticles/truth-about-abs.html So you're wondering why you don't have a perfect midsection? You can start with your exercise routine (or lack of one) and work your way over to the kitchen to check out your eating habits. These two factors are the biggest reasons why people can't seem to get that toned body. http://straighthealth.com/pages/five/reasons-you-dont-have-abs.html When most people think about exercise and losing weight, they automatically picture running, biking or swimming - a high intensity workout that burns a large amount of calories. They focus all their effort on cardio and completely ignore any of the benefits a strength training routine has to offer. http://straighthealth.com/pages/articles/earticles/strength-training-weight-loss.html Want some free gas? I know I do but I'm not eligible. You on the other hand, are, and by sharing your thoughts on the health poll of the week, you can win a free gas card to help with high prices. http://tips.straighthealth.com/tip/2008/0629.html If you've ever watched The Biggest Loser on NBC, you probably noticed that they lose a lot more weight than the recommended 1-2 pounds per week. You might also be curious as to how they achieved such a fast paced weight loss so that you can create your own Biggest Loser diet and exercise plan. http://straighthealth.com/pages/articles/sarticles/biggest-loser-diet-exercise-plan.html There are some people that find it impossible to lose any weight and then there's you. It seems no matter how much you eat and how little you move, you can't put any weight or muscle onto your body. http://straighthealth.com/pages/articles/sarticles/cant-gain-weight.html Our children have been getting fatter and fatter over the past few decades. The CDC now states that about 1 in 5 kids are overweight. This is up from 1 in 20 back in the 60's. So why is this a problem and who's to blame? http://tips.straighthealth.com/tip/2008/0623.html It wasn't long ago that no one really cared about health or the environment. While these two issues seem very far apart, our own well being is directly associated to that of our planet. http://straighthealth.com/pages/articles/sarticles/environment-and-your-health.html "Arm flab" is the buildup of fat that many women and men get on the back of the arm. It covers any definition from your tricep muscle and hangs down in an unsightly manner. http://straighthealth.com/pages/qna/get-rid-arm-flab.html A good spotter will watch out for your safety as well as allow you to feel confident enough to push your body farther than what you're accustomed to. Rather than picking the first person you see, a spotter needs to have some traits that will let them do a good job. http://straighthealth.com/pages/five/spot-good-spotter.html Back before cars were invented, we walked around a lot which meant we weren't fat and didn't have to spend hundreds of dollars on gas each month. People back then didn't walk for exercise, they walked because it was one of the only modes of transportation available to them. http://tips.straighthealth.com/tip/2008/0615.html Having a job that forces you to sit in a cubicle or office all day presents some interesting challenges if you're trying to lose or even maintain your weight. The same basic rules that apply to everyone else will help you lose weight: eating less than you burn will cause weight loss. http://straighthealth.com/pages/articles/sarticles/lose-weight-stuck-at-work-all-day.html With high gas prices here to stay, there has never been a better time to ditch your car and pick up a good bike, pair of running shoes or even a set of roller blades. This calculator will help motivate you by estimating how much gas money you'll save by finding a different form of transportation. http://straighthealth.com/pages/tools/exercise-gas-saving-calculator.html Having a workout partner will help you stay motivated, give you new exercise ideas and push you harder. Unfortunately, it isn't always easy picking the right person to help you out. You need someone who is dedicated, knowledgeable and friendly. http://straighthealth.com/pages/five/pick-good-workout-partner.html The other day I was driving out of a grocery store plaza which took me right past a McDonald's. The problem I saw wasn't that people were eating fast food, it was how they were getting it that bugged me. http://tips.straighthealth.com/tip/2008/0609.html Gaining weight is about more than just putting every food you see at the store into your cart. You need to pick the right foods for lunch and dinner to pack on the right kind of weight: muscle. http://straighthealth.com/pages/five/lunch-dinner-shopping-list-gain-weight.html So you have a sedentary lifestyle but want to become more active in order to look better, feel great and be healthy. Unfortunately, becoming fit isn't an easy task to complete after being inactive for a number of years. Soon after starting you'll get sore, tired and may even want to quit. http://straighthealth.com/pages/articles/earticles/getting-into-shape-beginners.html There are a lot of early birds who like to wake up before the sun comes up and exercise first thing in the morning, before eating breakfast. While this can be tempting to save time, it might not be the best idea. http://straighthealth.com/pages/qna/exercise-before-breakfast.html Losing weight requires that you reduce your intake of calories and increase the amount of exercise you do. Usually, the exercise used to burn the most calories is a cardiovascular workout. Combining high intensity aerobics with a calorie restricted diet will lead to some muscle loss. http://straighthealth.com/pages/qna/lose-weight-without-losing-muscle.html Snacks are very important if you're trying to gain weight. They help you increase your calorie intake between meals to give you energy for exercising or protein to rebuild your muscles from a rigorous routine. Buying the right snacks at the store is therefore important in filling your kitchen with healthy choices. http://straighthealth.com/pages/five/snack-shopping-list-gain-weight.html Searching for good health information can be hard these days. Everyone is trying to sell something and it's hard to trust anyone. Aside from the obvious, there are some sources that may seem reliable but have different motives for giving you bad advice. http://straighthealth.com/pages/five/bad-exercise-diet-information.html Switching to healthier foods will lead a lot of good things: decreased blood pressure, cholesterol, lowering the risk of diabetes and heart disease. These benefits are real and measurable. But don't you feel like there's something missing when your main meals are salads and rice crackers? http://tips.straighthealth.com/tip/2008/0530.html Breakfast is the most important meal of the day because before it, the last time you ate was dinner. What other point in the day do you go without food for seven or eight hours? Breakfast allows your body to get the energy and nutrients it needs to function properly throughout the day. http://straighthealth.com/pages/five/complete-breakfast.html Since working out a little can have a big impact on your health, working out even more should result in even better gains. Unfortunately this isn't the case. After a certain point, extra exercise will lead to injuries, excessive soreness and even the common cold. Find out how to tell if you're working out too much. http://straighthealth.com/pages/five/working-out-too-much.html Crash diets are advertised as solutions for quick weight loss needs. If you're going on a cruise, to a wedding or class reunion, you need to look your best. These diets promise to whip you into shape in a matter of days so you can look good without worrying about healthy weight loss limits. http://straighthealth.com/pages/qna/crash-diets-work.html To gain weight, you need to treat each meal as an opportunity to eat a lot of food. Breakfast is no exception because it helps your body snap out of a fasting state it's been in since you went to sleep. These fasting states can breakdown muscle so eating the right foods in the morning will prevent and reverse some of those losses. http://straighthealth.com/pages/five/breakfast-shopping-list-gain-weight.html Getting a set of abs that is perfect for the beach requires more than just doing hundreds of sit ups and crunches everyday. While these are the exercises most people do when trying to get a six pack, they can be the least effective. http://straighthealth.com/pages/qna/getabs.html Going to a wedding, prom, party or the beach? Need to lose weight quickly? Does this sound like an advertisement for a diet that doesn't work yet? If you've ever read a diet that promised quick results in time for a big occasion, it probably doesn't work. http://straighthealth.com/pages/articles/darticles/crash-diets-dont-work.html One of the reasons why weight gain is so prevalent in this country is the intake of high fat meat, cheese and milk. While this isn't the only factor, cutting these foods out can have a very positive impact on your weight, looks and even your health. http://straighthealth.com/pages/qna/vegetarian-weight-loss.html Crash diets are plans that severely restrict your calorie intake for a few days in hopes that you will lose a lot of weight in a very short period of time. Unfortunately, crash diets promise to much and delivers too little. They are unhealthy and don't succeed in permanently getting rid of any weight. http://straighthealth.com/pages/qna/crash-diets.html The secret to weight loss is like the fountain of youth: everyone wants to find it but in reality there is no such thing. Weight loss is dependent on a solid exercise routine as well as a proper diet. If you're doing both, you will lose weight. http://straighthealth.com/pages/articles/sarticles/secret-to-weight-loss.html When shopping around for a personal trainer, there isn't a lot of information available to base your decision off of. The most important factors that should influence your choice is the trainer's experience and education. http://straighthealth.com/pages/qna/certified-personal-trainer.html Good protein can be hard to find. The problem is that some sources of protein are incomplete, absorbed poorly and associated with a high amount of saturated fat. Luckily, for those that are looking to increase their intake of protein, their are some healthy and complete sources you can use. http://straighthealth.com/pages/five/increase-protein-intake.html Becoming active is a positive step that will improve your health and the way you look. Even exercising as little as two days per week will yield results, but pushing yourself too hard too fast will cause you to get muscle pain, weakness and even more serious injuries. http://straighthealth.com/pages/articles/earticles/overtraining.html Pizza has always been touted as some sort of secret health food that's also really tasty. It's so good that some may wonder if it's even healthy and the answer to that depends on how it is prepared. Buying a frozen pizza or going out for one is not nearly as healthy as making your own from fresh and healthy ingredients. http://straighthealth.com/pages/qna/pizza_healthy.html Forums are a useful tool in meeting new people that share the same interests as you. StraightHealth.com has now opened a diet and exercise forum so that you can ask other people for nutrition and fitness advice or share your own experience of what works and what doesn't to get and stay healthy. http://forums.straighthealth.com To get stronger and bigger, you need to stimulate your muscles through exercise. It's not so much the exercise that makes your muscles grow (although exercise is needed), it's the change from doing nothing to forcing your muscles to work that causes them to respond. http://straighthealth.com/pages/qna/often-change-workout.html Even though you may be at a normal weight, you can still have excessive body fat in some problem areas such as your abs, thighs and arms. The solution is proper nutrition (not calorie cutting) and a good weight training and cardiovascular exercise routine. http://straighthealth.com/pages/qna/thin-with-body-fat.html Everyone knows that sugar is an ingredient you should generally stay away from. But what is the difference between the sugar in fruit and junk food? One of these you should eat a lot of and the other you should avoid. http://straighthealth.com/pages/qna/difference-sugar-fruit-junk-food.html Breakfast is the most important meal of the day but some people, due to time constraints or food options, skip it all together. By eating breakfast, you'll start your day off in a healthy way, keep yourself more alert and reduce your calorie intake for the rest of the day. http://straighthealth.com/pages/five/quick-easy-breakfast.html About an year ago, I started the Straight Health forum so that people, in addition to reading all the information on this site, could exchange experiences and tips on how to lose weight, exercise and be healthy. Being in school kept me from devoting as much time to the forum as it probably needed, but now it's back (from outer space). http://tips.straighthealth.com/tip/2008/0516.html The dilemma: you know how unhealthy doughnuts can be but love them nonetheless, should you eat one here and there? You defiantly should. To be completely healthy, you have to make your body as well as your mind happy. http://straighthealth.com/pages/qna/ok-eat-junk-sometimes.html In our society of quick fixes, we have supplements that solve every imaginable problem ranging from too much belly fat to improving memory and even stopping hair loss. Unfortunately, most claims made by supplements have no real science to back them up. http://straighthealth.com/pages/articles/sarticles/supplement-safety.html Getting a perfect summer body isn't as easy as doing sit ups and crunches every day. You need to target all the muscles in your body and do cardio to burn off the layer of fat covering them. Only then can you get a toned and ripped appearance fit for the summer. http://straighthealth.com/pages/five/exercises-perfect-summer-body.html If someone is trying to sell you a diet or weight loss plan, the word most likely to come up is secret. What is the secret to weight loss? The secret to weight loss is that there is no secret. http://straighthealth.com/pages/qna/secret-weight-loss.html Getting a nice set of abs requires that you take three important steps: go on a calorie restricted diet, burn energy with cardiovascular exercise and start a strength training routine in which you target your abdominals and obliques. http://straighthealth.com/pages/qna/best-six-pack-abs.html The claim made by sport drink manufacturers is that their product is superior to water. It contains electrolytes and sugar to replenish what is lost during exercise so that it can boost performance. http://straighthealth.com/pages/qna/sports-drink-workout.html Joining a gym can be stressful and hectic so having a list of questions to ask will keep you from forgetting what you need to know. http://straighthealth.com/pages/tools/new-gym-questionnaire.html Researching a gym before you join is the best way to ensure you won't get ripped off after you pay. You need to visit, ask questions and try before you buy. Unless you know everything about the gym you're interested in, don't join it. Joining a gym before you know all the facts will results in a bad experience and less motivation to workout. http://straighthealth.com/pages/qna/pick-right-gym.html