Monday, December 18, 2006


Sleep Yourself Slim

I hope you’re enjoying this fantastic chapter in your life. Now is the perfect time to commit to yourself before you commit to another person.

Sure, you’re balancing many wedding-planning responsibilities right now (or procrastinating big time). Just remember to make time for yourself.

Along with exercise and proper nutrition, sleep is essential to your training program and will help you look and feel great on your big day.

Choose which scenario best describes you…

Every night, you go to bed at the same time and drift effortlessly into an undisturbed slumber, only to rise the next morning renewed and refreshed. You relax into the good night and open your eyes, only when you feel rested, without the whine of an alarm clock.

Or…

Your sleep schedule changes like the weather. Bedtime may be 10 p.m. one night and then 1:30 a.m. on the next. Sleep-sabotaging temptations sneak into your bedroom disguised as the internet, TV, and a host of anti-sleep foods. When the alarm clangs, you fumble for the snooze bar in disbelief: You’re more exhausted now then when you closed your blood-shot eyes five hours ago.

If the first scenario is not your reality, you may be missing out on the regenerative benefits of quality sleep. For starters, your body is a hormone factory and sleep is the key that initiates the manufacture and release of powerful, fat-blasting, body-firming substances. Only when you achieve good rest on a regular basis, are you rewarded with a host of chemicals that help bones, muscles, and joints rebuild after exercise and prepare you for the next workout.

Serious sleep deprivation affects your hormones, which stimulate appetite and may cause overeating and a host of other problems that will interfere with your body-sculpting plans.

I picked the brains of the world’s leading sleep authorities and came up with proven tips to help you get a good night’s sleep every night. The easy-to-adopt advice is jam-packed into Chapter 7 of my brand-new book…

WeddingShape Diet and Fitness Guide for Brides

It’s available exclusively at:

weddingshape.com

You’ll learn simple sleep strategies to de-stress, lose fat, and look fabulous in your wedding dress:

Reality is two-thirds of America sleeps less than the recommended eight hours each night, according to a recent survey by the National Sleep Foundation.

Turn to Chapter 7 of WeddingShape Diet and Fitness Guide for Brides to find out:

*How to wake up at the same time without an alarm clock, everyday
*Secrets to sleep continuously through the night
*A temporary recovery solution if you can’t get good nighttime sleep
*Easy exercises to improve the quality of your sleep
*How this sensible nutrition strategy helps you escape a host of diet-related sleep disturbances

…and many more sneaky sleep tips to slim and tone your physique.

Start this evening with a clean slate. Plan to sleep better and you will enjoy the healing rewards tonight.

Best,

Joe

Joseph Arangio
Author, WeddingShape Diet and Fitness Guide for Brides

Friday, November 24, 2006

Pep Drinks

High-octane energy beverages may help, or hinder, your workout—just follow the rules

It’s not surprising that opportunistic beverage manufacturers have created a new chapter in the sports brew genre: energy drinks. The latest energy cocktails meld coffee-like doses of caffeine, and other invigorating ingredients, with ultra-sweet soda. Treat these beverages with respect and the supercharged liquid may kick-start your workouts. Drink a few-to-many and you’ll tremble like a novice trapeze artist. Some companies have added amino acids, vitamins and minerals to theoretically enhance mood and improve performance. There is little published research on the benefits (if any) of these vigor elixirs--most “energy-boosting” effects are due to the presence of caffeine or caffeine-containing substances like guarana. Here’s the skinny on caffeine and the latest energy drink craze.

Caffeine: Past And Present

Caffeine is quite possibly the world’s most common stimulant. It’s found in coffee, soda, cold medications, diet pills and now, energy drinks. The discovery of caffeine’s reviving effects can be traced to an ancient Arabian goatherd named Kaldi. One day Kaldi noticed that his goats were more peppy than usual (it’s safe to say that he had a lot of time on his hands). So he followed the goats up the mountainside and tasted some of the red berries that they were eating. As the legend goes, the energized goatherd ran back into town where he shared his discovery with the locals.

A Quick Pick-Me-Up

According to Susan M. Kleiner, Ph.D., R.D., co-author of Power Eating, energy beverages provide a jolt from caffeine and other stimulants, and a quick surge of energy from sugar. She attributes the performance-enhancing effects of caffeine to three possible theories: Caffeine triggers the release of epinephrine--the “fight or flight” hormone that not only prepares you to escape from a burning building, but helps you burn stored fat during a workout. Second, caffeine helps stimulate chemicals that improve muscle contraction, although the research is inconclusive at best. The third theory suggests that caffeine psychologically excites the user, thereby distracting you through a tough workout.

Dr. Kleiner notes that energy drinks, infused with caffeine, guarana and taurine, are popular among both students and truck drivers. People on college campuses and behind the wheel use these substances in an attempt to stay focused in sleep-deprived situations. Guarana boasts caffeine-like properties, which temporarily stimulate the user and help reduce fatigue. “Taurine allegedly improves mental alertness; however these claims are really not substantiated by the scientific literature,” adds Kleiner.

Row Faster

Athletes have recognized the benefits of caffeine for many years. In fact experts consider caffeine to have an ergogenic (performance enhancing) effect. According to an Australian study, competitive rowers who consumed about 100 mg of caffeine prior to a 2000-meter rowing test experienced a 2.7% increase in power while performance time decreased by 1.2%. Scientists noticed no change in the control group. In other words, drinking the amount of caffeine found in a cup of coffee may improve performance in short-duration endurance activities.

Be Still Your Beating Heart

On your way into the gym, you down a can of Super Turbo Juice and your heart starts pounding like a teenager on prom night. Dennis McGorry Jr., M.D., family physician in Allentown, Pennsylvania, says the caffeine in an energy drink may cause rapid heart rate in a small portion of the population. “Consult your doctor if you have an abnormal heartbeat or an increased heart rate that is accompanied by chest pain or dizziness,” says Dr. McGorry.

You: The Lab Rat

If you decide to sample one of the latest supercharged energy potions, at least treat them with the respect they deserve. Contrary to popular belief, most energy drinks have about as much eye-opening caffeine as your average cup of coffee (100 mg). According to Melvin H. Williams, Ph.D., author of Ergogenics Edge, a normal therapeutic dose of caffeine is 100-300 milligrams. If you want to use caffeine to boost your workouts, Dr. Williams recommends five milligrams of caffeine per kilogram body weight. For a 150-pound woman, that’s about 340 milligrams (less than three-and-a-half cups of coffee). Yet just because a little is good, more is not necessarily better. “If you consume more than the recommended amount you can expect nervousness, trembling and possibly impaired performance,” says Dr. Williams. To maximize the stimulating effect of caffeine-rich beverages, take a coffee break. “Abstaining from caffeine for two to three days before a workout may bolster the caffeine-induced epinephrine release, and theoretically increase fat burning during your workout,” says Williams.

Final Thoughts

In the wake of the energy juice craze you should continue to practice sound, portion-controlled eating habits. Remember that everyone is unique and may react differently to these high-octane beverages. If you routinely consume too many energy drinks, or cups of coffee for that matter, you’ll do more harm than good. Talk to your doctor about if you notice any changes in your health.

Turn to Chapter 3 of WeddingShape Diet and Fitness Guide for Brides to find out more insider nutrition secrets that you can use right now to look fabulous on your big day.

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

How Many Calories Do You Need?

Every worthwhile diet book in the history of diet books is built around the fundamental truth that if you eat more calories than you burn off, you’ll get fat. Period.

To determine how many calories you need to consume daily, you’ll need to figure out your wedding-day goal…

1) Maintain your weight

2) Lose weight

3) Gain weight

Obviously losing weight without losing body fat will do you no good. If you follow a portion-controlled nutrition plan, exercise regularly, and recover from the stressors of life, you’ll drop body fat regardless of what the bathroom scale tells you.

In Chapter 4 of WeddingShape Diet and Fitness Guide for Brides you’ll learn the step-by-step formula to determine exactly how many calories you need to achieve your figure-firming goals. Better still, you’ll discover metabolism-boosting foods (so you’ll burn calories faster), get a grocery list to take the guess-work out of food shopping, and many more sneaky diet secrets.

Pick up your very own copy of WeddingShape Diet and Fitness Guide for Brides today and SAVE 30%.

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

How to Sleep Away Pounds

More fantastic health insights from Erikka, our bride-to-be...

Sleep is most important when I am busiest, and have the least amount of time to rest.

When my sleep pattern is erratic, or I don’t get enough sleep, it seems to take me days to recover. I accomplish less the next day. I feel sluggish and tired. And I get sick more often.

Lately I’ve made an effort to do two things to help me deal with the stresses of planning a wedding: 1) get to bed at the same time every night, 2) get at least eight hours of sleep. I can’t believe the difference that a good night’s sleep makes—I feel refreshed and energized each morning. Plus I have more pep throughout the day!

Also, I’ve read that you burn fat when you get quality rest, because your body releases fat-burning chemicals in the deepest stages of sleep. Losing weight while sleeping? What could be better than that?

Check out the insider's guide to sculpting your wedding-day figure.

Thursday, October 26, 2006

Choose Figure-Firming Foods

Our bride-to-be, Erikka, talks about the benefits of following a healthy eating plan during her wedding-day countdown.

Eating right is just as important as exercising. I've learned the hard way about nutrition. I am constantly on the go, driving from place to place. In the past I would often pick up fast food if I needed a quick meal. This was always a bad choice due to high calories and fat. Plus I never felt quite right after eating junk... I guess it's true: You are what you eat.

This semester I'm taking a fantastic nutrition class (talk about perfect timing). I am required to record the food and amount I eat for an entire day. From there, I visit the website MyPyramid.org and enter my food intake that I had recorded. Out of the six food groups, I discovered that I only fulfilled one area. It was obvious that needed to change my lifestyle if I wanted to lose weight and feel great. I discovered that I was barely eating anything in the fruit and vegetable category! Now I make sure that I have a piece of fruit with every meal (by the way, a balanced meal consists of one low-fat protein and one healthy carb).

Every day I eat five small meals, one meal every three hours. I can't believe how easy it is. A portion of grilled chicken, a grapefruit, and a tall glass of ice-cold water is my favorite!

Here’s a great tip from nutrition class: Choose colorful fruits and veggies. Bright colors mean that the food is packed with nutrients. (Too bad this rule doesn’t apply to desserts!)
Stay tuned for more of Erikka’s pre-wedding health and fitness thoughts…

To get a ton of great tips on how to eat right, manage stress, sleep away pounds, and sculpt a beautiful body, go to WeddingShape.com and sign up for WeddingShape Diet and Fitness Secrets Newsletter . (It's FREE!)

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Tips to Look and Feel Fabulous on Your Wedding Day

I recently spoke to a young bride-to-be named Erikka. Thought you would enjoy her comments on getting fit for the big day. She’s got a lot of great advice:

“Will you marry me?” is a question that changed my life forever. At first, the overwhelming feelings of happiness and excitement took over my mind and body. Immediately, I wanted to tell the world of the exciting news. So I called my friends and family and shared the details of the engagement. After the excitement, the question became what do I do next?

Stresed? Get Organized!

Personally, after I got engaged, my stress levels were so high that I could not focus on a single detail of my wedding. That is when I decided to get organized. I found it useful to visit wedding websites, which provided free online checklists. This helped me get organized because the checklists provided a step-by-step method of managing the tasks I needed to complete in order to plan my wedding. As I started to contract photographers, florists, limousines, DJs, reception sites etc., I found it essential to use a planning notebook. The notebook helps me visualize what I have left to do, for example, where I stand on payments or appointments. In addition, I save all contracts and receipts just in case there is a discrepancy with a vendor after the wedding.

Exercise With a Friend

It's a fact that physical activity can help you feel and look phenomenal on your wedding day. Currently, I am enrolled in a jogging class at school and the class meets twice a week.

We warm up by walking the perimeter of a football field and stretching each group of muscles. After the warmup, we go on a three-mile jog through a park. When we return we cool down and stretch again. Stretching is necessary but often neglected. (I've often wondered, who wants to stretch after you just exercised?) However, the benefits of stretching outweigh the time and energy it takes. Stretching decreases the chance of an injury, increases flexibility, and decreases lactic acid build up (which can cause soreness, OWW!) The class also provides me with a routine that demands commitment. When I schedule fitness into my days, it's easier for me to follow through with my workouts.

Outside of class, I attend a gym with my friend and bridesmaid, Jess. The buddy system provides motivation and support while we work out. There are days I don't feel like exercising but Jess motivates me to go. She always says, “We are going to look so hot at the wedding.” As silly as it may sound, she is right. My goal is to look as fit and beautiful as possible be. The harder I work, the closer I get to meeting my goals.

In addition, physical activity helps me relieve stress. When I work out I can release aggression and frustration in a healthy way. After I finish my workout, I feel like a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders (no pun intended). I can finally relax!

Stay tuned for more of Erikka’s pre-wedding health and fitness thoughts…

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Don’t Miss the FREE WeddingShape Diet and Fitness Secrets Newsletter!

Hi Joseph,

I recently signed up for the free newsletter and I was wondering when I would start receiving my tips?

Erikka

-----

Hi Erikka,

Thanks for the note. The FREE WeddingShape Diet and Fitness Secrets Newsletter goes out every Tuesday. You're going to love the insider workout, nutrition, sleep and stress management tips. Plus you get timely wedding planning strategies to help you de-frazzle your nerves during this exciting time.

Are you a bride-to-be? If so, when is the big day? What are your diet and fitness concerns? We’d love to hear the details…

Here are three simple steps to guarantee that you don’t miss any of our cutting-edge newsletters:

Step 1. Sign up for the FREE WeddingShape Diet and Fitness Secrets Newsletter .

Step 2. Check your email to confirm your subscription. Just click on the confirmation link in the email.

Step 3. Every Tuesday, look for tips to help you melt fat, sculpt problem areas, reduce stress, and get into the best shape of your life. You’ll also receive wedding planning advice and many more surprises...

By the way, our computer-techie guy asked me to share this with you…

If you have spam-blocking software or internet service provider (ISP) filters, you MUST add WeddingShape.com and all email coming from WeddingShape.com to your list of approved senders (also known as a "whitelist" or "safelist.")

Nowadays, legitimate email may not reach its intended destination due to aggressive spam-blocking measures. This is especially true if you are subscribing from a work email address. If you subscribed from a work email, you may consider re-subscribing from your home or personal account, because corporate email security is more likely to block the ground-breaking diet and fitness secrets... which you don't want to miss!

Talk to you soon.

Joe

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Get the Ultimate 12-Week Step-by-Step Eating & Workout Plan to Help You Burn Fat, Get Fit, and Feel Fabulous On Your Wedding Day... and for Life!

  • Lose Stubborn Pounds Fast
  • Firm Up Every Trouble Spot
  • Zap Mega Calories
  • De-Bloat Your Belly
  • Erase Stress

Whether you’re getting married in 12 weeks or 12 months, WeddingShape Diet and Fitness Guide for Brides will teach you the diet and workout secrets that will have you looking your absolute best in your wedding dress, in front of an audience… in the spotlight!

Less than 12 weeks until your big day? No worries. Our last-minute fitness and nutrition tips will zap fat and shrink your trouble spots in time for your special day.

Friday, September 08, 2006

Why You Must Set a Deadline…Now!

When it comes to your body, the biggest problem for brides-to-be is that when there isn't a deadline, it's very hard to set goals. The wedding is a built-in deadline. Whether you’re getting married in 12 weeks or 12 months, we’ll teach you the diet and workout secrets that will have you looking your best when it counts.

WeddingShape, programs are customized to fit conveniently into a bride's busy lifestyle. Our simple 12-step system will have you looking toned and beautiful in your wedding dress in as little as 90 days!

Thursday, September 07, 2006

It’s Time to Do Something About the Way You Look and Feel.

Perhaps it’s been awhile since you’ve felt good about your body. Or, you may be in the happy minority who feel great. But you’re still not where you want to be. And you’ve lost interest in exercise. Making little or no progress with those generic, one-size-fits-all workout plans found in virtually every fitness book. You spend hours on the treadmill or stair-climber but still have trouble losing weight and inches.

How is it possible that everyone follows the latest diet craze, listens to the so-called “experts” and reads fitness magazines…yet research shows that 60% of Americans are overweight! Fortunately, now there is a proven system to achieve your training goals...WeddingShape.com.

Monday, September 04, 2006


Look and Feel Like a Million Dollars On Your Wedding Day!

Learn the best-kept diet and fitness secrets to zap fat, lose inches, and boost energy. See what these beautiful brides are saying about WeddingShape.