Irene Christodoulou's Corner

 Yesterday I took my cash card with me for taking money and go to the new gym but the card didnt work and I went back home  because I didnt have the money to pay the gym! Today my cousin told me about the "Bodyxclusive" gym, Panagi Tsaldari 22, Neapoli, close to the church of Saint George. I phoned and asked about the subscription-40 Euros they said- fine I said ( no registration, at last ).  Do you have an elliptical machine? Yes we have. Fine. I went today and because today it was too hot my mother was shouting at me "You will die from the heat". But I wanted to see if their air conditioning works. So I went today at about 8 pm. It was perfect - not at all hot. A smaller space for the fitness area about 100 sf but wooden floor, nice colours on the walls, modern decoration and good machines. The elliptical machine was quite good but the one in the public gym is better. Their treadmills are better ( pulse meter, and strong machines, no silly messages on the screen ...

Treat yourself to a good night's sleep with the nature sounds of gentle ocean waves on a beach. This nature sound features sounds that help calm your mind so that you can sleep better and wake more refreshed. The sounds of continuous ocean waves on a beach are perfect for stress reduction, relaxation and insomnia. The sounds of ocean waves can be part of a wonderful routine that has been proven to help adults and babies fall asleep easier and sleep through the night better. The calming water sounds are both soothing and gentle, which helps your body drift away to restful sleep.

It was terrible to be without a gym during summer. Yesterday I didn't go for gym ( the public gym on Riga Ferraiou str. is closed now) and I was very bored. The public open ( for the summer) gym in Neapoli, Thessaloniki, does not have an elliptical machine, so it is not good for me. I asked some friends and they told me that my only chance to find a gym open during summer was to go to the center of Thessaloniki. But if you spend 2 hours or so for your transfer to and from the gym, then refreshment & well-being is gone. So, I searched again close to my house today, and yes! I found one gym, expensive but good ( 70 Euros per month). Temperature, one of the 3 important things for me was just perfect ! OASIS!!! A perfect air-conditioned space of 600 sf. where summer is not there!!! The second thing I asked was about the elliptical machine. "May I try it?" I said. Yes! It was perfect! New machine- perfect sense when you are "driving" it... And third, how clos...

The music is the instrumental version of "No One is Alone" from "Into the Woods" by John Williams; The Boston Pops Orchestra. From the Album Music of the Night: Pops on Broadway 1990 CD. The original music and lyrics of "Into the Woods" is by Stephen Sondheim.

Both of these exercises are great ways to get in shape. But when it comes to calories burned, do you know which one gives you the bigger bang for your buck? Pilates exercises engage the mind and the body. Through low-impact mat exercises, beginners focus on flow, body awareness, breathing techniques, and fundamental movements. Benefits include stronger abs and increased core strength. Enter your current weight and duration to estimate the number of calories you can burn performing this activity: http://www.everydayhealth.com/food-fitness/calories-burned-pilates-beginner?xid=nl_EverydayHealthHealthyLiving_20110717  

Weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight are generally good for your overall health and well-being and can help prevent common illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes, according to medical researchers. My Calorie Counter is an online diet journal that can help you find nutrition facts and count calories in the foods you're eating and calories you're burning by engaging in fitness and exercise activity, such as swimming, walking, jogging, and weight training. For many people, looking up nutrition facts and counting calories in fitness activities is a good weight loss strategy and diet plan that can help maintain weight loss over time. Using a food and fitness calorie-counting tool like My Calorie Counter streamlines the process of keeping an online diet journal of calories eaten and calories used in exercise and fitness activities. By connecting with other My Calorie Counter members through blogs and forums, many people who are trying to lose weight and maintain a he...

Due to its anti-catabolic properties and the fact that it accelerates glycogen synthesis after a workout, glutamine is best taken 20-30 minutes after a workout with a protein shake. On days that you don't workout, just take it with your last protein shake of the day. While there is much debate amongst experts as far as dosage is concerned, I always like to remain on the conservative side. Therefore, I feel that 3-5 grams is a sufficient dosage to start with and as your stomach gets used to it you can increase it to as much as 10-15 grams. As far as cycling this supplement, there is no evidence that suggests cycling would improve its efficacy.

A greek old TV commercial from the 80's with Yannis Zouganelis, advertising Fiesta Frappe instant coffee.

 The Benefits of Glutamine - Muscle Building! by Marc David Glutamine :The Basics Glutamine is 1 of 11 nonessential amino acids. Just because it's nonessential doesn't mean it's not necessary. Simply put, the body can produce what it needs. 60% of all free form amino acids come in the form of glutamine. During times of stress (stress not defined), glutamine reserves are depleted. Glutamine : The Benefits * Boosts immune system functions * Maintain muscle mass (preservation) * Prevents muscle breakdown (catabolism) * Enhances glycogen storage * Aids recovery from exercise * Promotes healing * Increases growth hormone levels Many studies have already proven that despite all the hype about how glutamine supplementation might help increase muscle mass, strength and prevent the dreaded OT (overtraining) syndrome, research articles that can be found today (2006) that examine glutamine supplementation benefits on performance, body composition and protein degradation have shown tha...

The "glass breaking" scene from Disney's 1963 B&W comedy "Son of Flubber." Watch as Professor Ned Brainard (Fred MacMurray) of Medfield College, the inventor of flubber and flubber gas, tries to seed clouds with his "flubber gun." Instead of making it rain, Professor Brainard's gun causes every form of glass, from eye glasses to liquor bottles, to shatter all over town. Watch for a brief appearance by Hal Smith, the actor who played town drunk Otis Campbell in 1960s television series, The Andy Griffith Show. Predictably, Smith plays a bartender in this clip.

Enjoy the ability to measure body fat easily, by yourself, in the privacy of your own home-  a Personal Body Fat Tester has the accuracy to within 1.1% of weighing results.

Enjoying chocolate without gaining weight may seem tricky, considering the large amounts of fat and sugar that are packed into each little square. Follow these steps to savor your favorite sweet without putting on the pounds. Instructions Choose dark chocolate over milk or white chocolate. Dark chocolate may reduce your blood pressure, and you'll feel more satisfied after eating it because of its rich taste. Eat chocolate in moderation. Having a few squares every day won't put on the pounds, but eating a whole bar every day will definitely make your pants tighter. Let the chocolate melt in your mouth instead of chewing it. Allow the rich taste to last as long as possible so that you feel fulfilled after having just a little bit. Combine your small daily intake of chocolate with a healthy diet and regular exercise. If you're eating right throughout t...

"Topinambur", or Jerusalem Artichoke is a member of the sunflower family (as are artichokes) and native to North America. Sent to Europe in 1610 as a starvation food, its cultivation was soon eclipsed by the potato. Recently it has regained some importance as a crop because high yields and starch content make it of interest to the energy industry. The root stores starch in the form of inulin, a fructose polymer. Inulin is digested in the large intestine by microorganisms, resulting in several interesting phenomena. It does not spike blood sugar, making it an alternative food for diabetics, and it acts as a dietary fiber by binding water in a gel and moving food through the digestive tract. As with many insoluble fibers, this can cause gastric distress in humans not accustomed to it. Topinambur is cultivated in small areas in Germany and 90% of it is used to make a schnapps called Rossler (from Ross-Erdäpfel, since it is fed to horses) or Topi. It is also sold in natural fo...

 Contains only vegetables and fruits , no preservatives, no sugar, no sweeteners. This product has 4,5 grams of fibers per bottle of 100ml ( 1,5 grams of fibers in the classic Knorr Vie) which makes it very interesting product. Very good taste, small volume, so you can consume it quickly ( when you don't have time), even if you are not hungry ( for example I cannot eat anything in the morning, but fibers in the morning are a very good habit to acquire - Michel Fellps eats lettuce in the morning among the others .... ), and the best is that this small bottle can stay in the fridge for some months, so you don't worry if you cannot consume it today or tomorrow. If you think that we need to eat 25 grams of fibers per day, and we need to take 5 portions of fibers coming from veggies/fruits per day,this small bottle is very helpful because if you are not very keen on consuming salads ( like me) or too lazy to prepare salads ( like me), or too busy to go to the grocery to buy fresh v...

I bought the Nestea Sugarfree today. First of all, lower price - 10%. Second, much better taste. And that's it. However, the Liptons Linea has more catechins ( 48 per 100 ml, the Nestea has only 29 per 100 ml), which is important. Personally I take green tea pills so this is not so important for me, because I take about 1000 mg of catechins in pills and the reason I buy the green tea is that I need a calorie free refreshment and that's all. An important issue is the sweetener they use. Nestea has aspartame ( not the best choise) combined with acesulfamic potassium and sucralose. Lipton Linea doesn't have aspartame. My opinion is that Lipton Linea is better because although it does not have such a good taste does not use aspartame. Artificial sweeteners are toxic and are not at all healthy choice for our diet. Aspartame is the worst!. Read more about artificial sweeteners at http://www.sweetpoison.com/aspartame-sweeteners.html .       Also, I wonder why tea producer- c...

Today I remembered a very funny incidence. I was about 10 years old, and we were returning to our homes, with a friend of mine, after our afternoon school classes. We saw a man, about 55-60 years old, whose genitals were visible because his pants were open in front, and unfortunately so was his old fashioned underwear ( with buttons in front). It was so funny because he didn't seem to understand what we could see!     Today I  went to a sportswear shop to buy some clothes. On my way to an other shop, close to the first - fortunately- I got aware that my trousers were not fully closed in front because a large red satin flower made of ribbons was coming out - which was part of my underwear-.. I think I didn't meet anyone on my way, and I am sure that I didn't see anyone laughing..

Coconut Oil The Healthiest Oil on Earth By Brian Shilhavy "Coconut oil is the healthiest oil on earth," says Dr. Bruce Fife, a naturopathic doctor and the author of the book The Healing Miracles of Coconut Oil .  Modern research seems to back up this bold statement.  Once wrongly accused of increasing cholesterol levels, coconut oil is now actually being used by doctors in the treatment of a variety of disorders.  Clinical studies have shown that coconut oil has anti-microbial and anti-viral properties, and is now even being used in treating AIDS patients.  Studies conducted in the Philippines last year showed that coconut oil does indeed reduce the viral load in AIDS patients. Lauric Acid:  A Key Component to Health Lauric acid is a medium chain fatty acid which is abundant in coconut oil and is considered responsible for many of its health benefits.  Coconut oil is about 50 percent lauric ac...

Harvested coconuts lined up on the beach. The scientific name for coconut is Cocos nucifera. Early Spanish explorers called it coco, which means "monkey face" because the three indentations (eyes) on the hairy nut resembles the head and face of a monkey. Nucifera means "nut-bearing." The coconut provides a nutritious source of meat, juice, milk, and oil that has fed and nourished populations around the world for generations. On many islands coconut is a staple in the diet and provides the majority of the food eaten. Nearly one third of the world's population depends on coconut to some degree for their food and their economy. Among these cultures the coconut has a long and respected history. Coconut is highly nutritious and rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. It is classified as a "functional food" because it provides many health benefits beyond its nutritional content. Coconut oil is of special interest because it possesses healing pro...