By Jason Pham

Is a green tea fat burner a worthwhile investment? The answer to that question is “maybe.” There are some other questions you need to answer when you are buying nutritional supplements of any kind. I believe this article will help you make the right choices.

Here are the questions you need to ask:

• Does the manufacturer add caffeine to the mix?
• How much of the extract is included and what percentage of catechins are provided?
• Does the supplement contain a variety of essential nutrients or only the single ingredient?

If the manufacturer adds caffeine, as many of them do, you could end up with a variety of health issues and still have your weight problem. Most of us get more than enough caffeine every day. We drink coffee and sodas throughout the day. We don’t get enough pure water.

Your body may be literally clogged with toxins because of the air and water pollution you are exposed to, as well as the processed foods you eat. A green tea fat burner won’t take care of all of those things, but a multi-nutritional supplement can.

There is no doubt that the healthiest lifestyle is one that limits your exposure to toxins, includes a well-balanced diet and allows you to be as active as physically possible. However, it is impossible to avoid all toxic exposure and nearly impossible to get all of the nutrients you need every day through diet alone. Also, your level of physical activity may not be the weight-loss key you thought it was.

There are plant extracts and nutrients that can help the body rid itself of toxins. There are unique antioxidants and other nutrients that most people don’t eat every day. When it comes to physical activity, there are compounds that increase the body’s ability to burn more calories during exercise. A green tea fat burner is just one of them.

The claims made by supplement manufacturers are based on studies that were conducted during a workout. Researchers showed that more fat was oxidized (burned) by those volunteers who took green-tea extracts within 24 hours of their workouts than by those who took a placebo. This research led to the marketing of green tea fat burner supplements.

Many of us have been taking supplements that contain green tea extract for years–not because of its fat burning properties, but because of its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. Free radical damage and chronic inflammation are two of the causes of chronic diseases and age-related conditions. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals and natural anti-inflammatories prevent chronic inflammation.

These are only two of the causes of cellular aging. Altogether, five are well recognized. You can fight them all with the right nutrients.

If you are overweight, you will be amazed at how easily the weight comes off when you begin to take an excellent nutritional supplement. A green tea fat burner is only one piece of the weight-loss puzzle.

Jason Pham is a dedicated researcher and long-timer user of nutritional supplements. To discover the nutritional supplement he personally recommends for maintaining and improving your health after researching many supplements extensively, visit his site at http://www.healthy-daily-nutritional-supplements.info now.

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Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation, or PNF, is an advanced exercise for stretching the muscles and creating more flexibility. With the PNF exercises, the muscle groups are put through a routine of stretching and contracting. This type of exercise is typically used in the rehabilitation process because of its proven effectiveness, but it also helps target specific muscle groups for improving strength and flexibility.

Precautions of PNF

PNF stretches can put extra stress on specific muscle groups. As a result, you can increase the risk of injury to the body’s soft tissue areas. Before participating in any PNF stretches, be sure to include a conditioning phase in your routine. Also, don’t neglect a warm up period prior to the stretches.

Advantages of Warming Up before PNF Stretching

• It gets your mind ready for exercise. Most sports require a great deal of mental focus. Stretching helps your mind shift from daily work mode into training mode.
• It gets your body ready for exercise. Warming up means exactly what it says; you’re warming the muscles gradually rather than plunging them into the shock of a workout.
• Warming up increases your body’s core temperature and in a way giving you a head start on your routine.
• Warming up increases your body’s muscle temperature. Warm muscles are limber, flexible muscles, less prone to ripping and tearing as they are when starting any physical activity cold.

How to do a PNF Stretch

• The target muscle group must be stretched and under tension
• Contract the targeted muscle group for a few seconds by applying resistance to restrict the movement. You can use either a partner or another object to do this. Apply a relative amount of pressure that matches your level of training and conditioning. Do not apply maximum resistance if the muscle is injured.
• Relax the contracted muscle group
• Push the muscle slowly past its normal range of movement and hold it there for about 30 seconds
• Allow the muscle group to recover
• Repeat the process between two and four times

The timing recommendations for the stretches tend to differ depending on who you ask. Some say you should contract the muscle groups longer, some disagree about how long to rest between stretches and others disagree about how long to hold each stretch. These timing recommendations, however, are based on a thorough study and research of PNF stretching.

If you’re trying to improve your flexibility or athletic performance, stretching is one of the most important things you can do. It not only strengthens your muscles and joints before exercising, but it also helps to prevent sports-related injuries and helps in the rehabilitation process following an injury. A few minutes engaged in a simple warm up routine of several different stretches is well worth the effort. I can’t stress strongly enough not to neglect this vital part of every daily exercise routine. You could very well be doing more damage than good to your body.

Article by Brad Walker. Brad is an internationally recognized stretching and sports injury consultant with 20 years of practical experience in the health and fitness industry. Brad is a Health Science graduate of the University of New England and has postgraduate accreditations in athletics, swimming and triathlon coaching. He has worked with elite level and world champion athletes and lectures for Sports Medicine Australia on injury prevention. Brad is also the author of The Stretching Handbook, The Anatomy of Stretching and The Anatomy of Sports Injuries

For more information and articles on stretching, flexibility and sports injury management, visit The Stretching Institute

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