During my multiple former lives as a child care director, high school cheerleader coach, and health club owner, I was required to take CPR many times.  The problem was, by the next week I couldn’t remember how many compressions and how many rescue breaths they said to do!

This uncertainty can cause people to hesitate if they find themselves in a situation where they actually need to use their emergency life-saving training.  And every second counts when CPR is needed!

Now the doctors at the Sarver Heart Center at the University of Arizona College of Medicine have developed a new technique called “continuous chest compression CPR.”  This method does not include mouth-to-mouth breathing at all.  Here is a video demonstration.

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This recipe for roasted vegetables is a healthy addition to any meal!

You will need an assortment of fresh vegetables.  In this picture we used broccoli, zucchini, yellow squash, mushrooms, onions, and grape tomatoes, but it would also work with asparagus, potatoes, whatever you like.

Wash the veggies and cut them into bite-sized pieces.  Spread them in a single layer on a baking pan.  Spray with non-stick cooking spray made with olive oil, then season to taste.

Roast at 425 degrees for 10 minutes.  Take them out of the oven, stir, then roast for about 5 more minutes.

The picture shows the veggies arranged around a poached egg for a simple brunch, but they are a delicious, healthy dish any time!

The first time I ever saw a copy of Eat This Not That I was visiting my parent’s house.

There were two “Eat This Not That“  books on the coffee table: The Supermarket Survival Guide and The No Diet Weight-Loss Solution.

I picked up one of them, intending to just flip through and get a general idea of what it was all about, and I couldn’t put it down!  I kept reading parts aloud to other people who were in the house and saying, “Did you know this?” or “Can you believe that?”

As the weekend progressed I noticed that everyone who showed up had the same reaction.  They were completely hooked and had to keep reading just one more page….

The Eat This Not That books are written by David Zinczenko who is the editor-in-chief of “Men’s Health” and editorial director of “Women’s Health.”

The premise of this book series is that you don’t have to give up any particular food type in order to lose weight. The “secret” is in the choices you make.  The books are divided into chapters such as “Pantry Staples”, “The Freezer Section”, or “At Your Favorite Restaurants.”

The pages within the chapters are loaded with pictures of actual products and colorful graphics describing them in terms of calories, fat, sodium, and fiber per serving, plus other nutritional or just interesting information.  Each time you turn to the next page, the left hand page shows the “eat this” foods, the right hand page the “not that” foods.

For instance, Kellogg’s Smart Start cereal has 190 calories and 14 grams of sugars per 1 cup serving, compared to Cheerios with 100 calories and 1 gram of sugars per cup.

Or how about this – a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder contains 410 calories, 19 grams of fat, and 730 mg of sodium.  But their Premium Grilled Chicken Club has 570 calories, 21 grams of fat, and 1,720 mg of sodium!

Did you know that most restaurant wheat buns contain more fat and sodium than sourdough? Ok, I’ll stop!

Before I get distracted by any more food facts, let me just summarize by saying that the Eat This Not That books are over-the-top full of practical, useful information presented in an entertaining, easy to read format.  And their small size makes it easy to take them along to the store or restaurants.

I HIGHLY recommend that you buy Eat This, Not That. Once you get one, you’ll want the whole series!

Zumba is an aerobic workout based on Latin dance moves such as salsa, reggaeton, flamenco, merengue, samba, and even hip-hop and belly dancing!   Most Zumba classes seem almost like a fun, high energy party!

You may feel a little lost at your first class but that will pass quickly.  There are definite moves to learn but they repeat throughout the class so you get lots of chances to perfect them.

Your class will begin with a warmup, then progress to some of the slower dance moves.  As the minutes tick by, the tempo will increase and new moves will come into play.  You’ll find yourself really dancing your butt off – which, of course, is the point!  The music will cycle between slower and faster rhythms so that you get a bit of a respite now and then.  By the end of the 45 minutes – an hour, you will definitely feel worked out but also energized!

In the beginning, if you’re unable to keep up with the more intense parts, just walk in place until the music comes back to a more comfortable pace, then join back in.  Within a few classes you shouldn’t have any trouble doing the entire workout.

So what are the benefits of taking a Zumba class?

• I would say the #1 benefit is burning up to 800 calories per hour!
• It’s a total body workout.
• It’s also a fantastic cardio workout.
• Going to a Zumba class provides an enjoyable social occasion which relieves stress and increases self-esteem.
• You get dance lessons along with working out!

When looking for a class to join, ask if you can observe or just try it out before committing, to see if it seems right for you.  Bring a friend along if you’re afraid of feeling self-conscious.

Once you do join a class, be sure to wear shoes that don’t stick to the floor, such as dance aerobic shoes.  Also bring water to drink and a towel because you WILL sweat!

Here’s an example of some actual Zumba class members.  You can see that people of all fitness levels can take part.

Have you tried Zumba?  Tell us about it in the comments below!

We’ve spent this week discussing belly fat and how to get rid of it.  But you also want to strengthen your abs muscles so that your belly will be firm and flat.  Here’s a good article explaining some ways to do that.

Women Ab Workouts – Three Things You Need To Know  

by Marshall Crum

A good looking, trim body with a flat stomach and well defined abdominal muscles is one of the best confidence builders in life. When we feel good about the way we look, our confidence soars and all our goals seem easier to reach. It is no wonder that diet and exercise programs are among the most sought in our quest to look better.

At some point, ladies, you may have considered what kind of effective womens ab workouts you need to permanently lose the belly fat that causes you want to hide your body under oversized clothes? You may wonder what the best abdominal exercises for women really are.

A question I have had is the whether ab workouts used by men will work for women. I have looked into programs offered by some of the most internationally well known fitness trainers and haave learned that while the workouts are similar, but there are still some significant differences in the results. And, there are three things I think you need to permanently get the figure you will be proud of

The first thing is to forget the gizmos and diet supplements that are supposed to work wonders with your body with little personal effort. You will not drink your way to a slim, well defined stomach or get one sitting on the couch. Great looking abs comes with exercise and a reasonable diet that addresses the whole body. Your abs are an important part of looking good and ab exercises should be vigorous and only a part of your overall weight loss and fitness program.

The second thing you should do is to eat smaller meals, more often. Eating several smaller meals during the day will keep your metabolism at a higher rate which will burn more calories and prevent a feeling of hunger. Your total caloric intake is less and you will have more energy because your metabolism is higher. Snack on baby carrots, sweet potato slices or similar crunchy veggies.

The last thing is to find and use an exercise program that includes ab workouts and cardio exercise as part of the overall package of exercises to strengthen and tone your whole body. Target the large muscles, work consistently and you will notice a significant weight loss and better looking abs.

A concern that I have heard many times over the years by many women is the fear of becoming muscle-bound. Believe me, you will not build up a lot of muscles or become muscle bound unless you want to. The reason that you appear to be building muscles is that the layer of fat that covered your body is reducing and the muscle definition is more apparent. Exercise will strengthen and define your muscle groups, not make them bigger.

Most of us need some help, guidance and support to stay motivated and get the results we want. If you are into losing belly fat, get those three things and good results are almost guaranteed.
Everyone wants to feel good about the way they look to other people. It is a concern that has been around since the first reflection was seen in a pool of water. Getting a good looking body with great abs is not as hard as it seems. Find out how at women ab workouts.

A great, easy-to-use, overall workout program that I recommend is Fat Loss Quickie. Check it out!

In the last post we talked about the dangers of having too much belly fat inside your abdominal wall, the visceral fat.  So the two questions we need to answer are:

1. How do I know if I have visceral fat?
2. What can I do about it?

How to tell if you have it

If you want to be absolutely sure and you have lots of money to spend, you can have a CT scan or MRI.  But the easiest way to tell is by using a tape measure.

Place the tape around your abdomen at the level of your belly button.  Do not measure where your waist curves in, do not suck in your tummy, and do not pull the tape tight to smash down your gut!  If you’re just going to try and “trick” yourself, don’t bother doing it at all!

What does the tape say?  If the diameter of your belly is 35 inches or more, you probably have excess visceral fat.

If you don’t want to measure but you notice that your pants are getting tight around the waist but not elsewhere, you probably have excess visceral fat.

Why me?!

Part of why you tend to gain weight in certain places is determined by your genes and your age.  Women tend to add a lot of visceral fat when they go through menopause.  If you have had children, you will be more likely to add visceral fat than women who haven’t had children.  And, oddly enough, if you were born a low birth weight baby, you are more likely to develop this unhealthy belly fat.

How can I prevent or get rid of it?

Guess what?  Getting rid of belly fat is easier than getting rid of thigh or hip fat! Follow these tips for reducing visceral fat in your belly:

• Don’t smoke. Smokers tend to store more fat in their abdomens than any place else.
• Take care of your emotional health. Women who are stressed or depressed accumulate more visceral fat.
• Get the right amount of sleep. Regularly sleeping less than 6 or more than 8 hours per night is linked to gaining belly fat.
• Get plenty of calcium. Women who have more calcium in their diets tend to put on less visceral fat.
• Exercise. Get at least 30 minutes a day of exercise.
• Eat healthy. Follow a balanced diet that keeps you at a healthy weight.

What doesn’t work?

• Crunches Although crunches help tighten your muscles, they don’t reduce belly fat.
• Liposuction This procedure removes subcutaneous fat, not visceral fat.

Please be sure to retweet and share this information with your friends and followers.  Thanks!