Organic Is Better

A new study by Newcastle University shows that milk from organic, grass-fed cows is better for you. This shouldn't come as a shock to anyone. Of course organic and natural anything is going to be much better than its factory farmed and pesticide laden equivalent. Nonetheless, this sort of research is vital to provide empirical evidence of the qualitative difference and to understand exactly how it is better.

In this specific case, organic and naturally grazed animals produce milk that is much higher in antioxidants, beneficial fatty acids, and vitamins. It also demonstrates that the quality changes with the seasons. It is healthiest in the summer, when fresh grass and clover is abundant. Future research will seek ways to boost the nutritional value in winter months.

Milk itself is an interesting study in nutrition. Raw milk from a clean source is much better for you than pasteurized milk. Homogenized milk should be avoided because the process of homogenization causes the milk fats to alter in ways that make it impossible to digest properly.

Dietary guidelines call for limiting whole fat dairy products. A little is okay, but too much can be bad for you.

Organic and natural foods deliver the best nutritional value. They always have more of the nutrients your body needs to stay fit and healthy. And they taste much better! It's win-win.

Get Motivated To Get Fit

It can be difficult to get motivated sometimes, even to do something that you know is important to your health and well-being like starting to get fit and healthy. You know you should. You really have to do it. But it's just so much easier to put it off. Maybe tomorrow. Or next week, definitely next week. But next week comes and goes, and then another week, and another, and you still haven't started.

Well, here are a few things you can do to get that motivation revved up.

First, make realistic goals and start small. If you overreach, you're bound to fail and get discouraged. Time and again I've seen people get all excited about getting fit and healthy and go from never working out to doing forty minutes a day... until a few weeks later when they get burned out and give it up completely. Start small. Take a five or ten minute walk, or do five minutes on your ski machine every day for a week. Then go for eight. Then twelve. Build on small successes.

Find some inspiration. There are lots of people achieving what you want to achieve. Seek them out. On the web, in articles and forums and on blogs, or at the health club or gym. Put yourself in their place. Visualization is a powerful tool to help you succeed no matter what the endeavor. Make a mental image of your success and get excited about it. But don't be impatient. Instead, create anticipation with a positive attitude. You will get there. Every day is another mile on the journey. Don't just focus on the destination, enjoy the journey. Focus on the benefits. Stop negative thinking and keep a positive attitude. Don't make obstacles for yourself with, as Zig Ziglar famously put it, "Stinking thinking." Get excited by visualizing your success.

Find others who have the same goal and get some support. Join an online forum. Seek out people in your community. If you want to start bicycling, look up a bicycling club. It's always easier to keep going if you have friends to go along with you.