Keep Love Alive In Your Relationship

Posted by on February 15, 2012 No comments

Anybody who has ever loved before will one day find themselves asking a simple question: How can I keep love alive in my relationship?

I’ve never met Mel Gibson, or his former wife, Robyn. And I doubt he has ever come across my name or the books I publish on the Amazon Kindle. Which is fine because I’m not seeking his approval for anything I do.

Keep Love AliveI mention Mel Gibson because I enjoy his movies and I was sad to see he and his wife were experiencing problems in their relationship. I have nothing to gain by writing about Mel Gibson, other than perhaps the chance to share with you how important it is to find a way to keep love alive in your relationship.

The private life of a celebrity is often broadcast to the entire world, where we can all experience a piece of their life, and perhaps feel a little better about our own lives.

For example, if you are struggling to keep love alive in your relationship, it takes some of the sting out of your daily troubles to know that other couples suffer from the same stress and turmoil in their relationships.

We all have friends and relatives who have either separated from their boyfriend, or lived through the pain of a divorce.  It is life in its rawest form, and at one time or another we must all face the reality that it takes work to keep love alive in a relationship.

Sure, when we fall in love we are all convinced the love will last forever—and sometimes it does. But sometimes the expression “and they lived happily ever after” is only true in fairy tales—as I suppose it was for Mel and Robyn.

But despite the challenges, falling in love and sharing your life with another is an incredible gift. Love is worth holding onto, and it is worth fighting for.

Take the time and effort to keep love alive in your relationship—it’s worth it.

I only know Mel Gibson through his movies, and the occasional magazine articles and news stories I read about him. But with my limited knowledge of his personal life, I can assure you he bleeds and feels pain just like the rest of us. And you don’t have to like Mel, or what he may have or may not have done to Robyn to understand that when a couple fails to keep love alive in their relationship, we all lose.

I write books for the Amazon Kindle, and have had the honor to help people in various aspects of their life through my writing. For the most part my books tend to lean towards business and political subjects, but recently I had to get something off my chest…

…I was asked by a friend how my wife and I have managed to keep love alive after 30 years of marriage. Let me tell you, it has not always been easy.

When I thought about my relationship with my wife, and how our success contrasted with the shattered relationships of various family members, friends, and celebrities, I realized I had to share my thoughts with my Amazon Kindle readers.

I’m not a marriage counselor, and I’m certainly no “Sultan of Love.” But, I have managed to “keep love alive” in my relationship. My only hope is that my readers can extract one or two lines from my book that will help them to keep love alive in their relationship.

Click Here To Review “How To Keep Love Alive In Your Relationship” At Amazon

My Stronglifts 5×5 Muscle Building Workout

Posted by on February 13, 2012 No comments

The Stronglifts 5×5 workout routine will kick your butt and help you build muscle fast.

stronglifts 5x5

Ron Taylor With Son Daniel At Trona Pinnacles

Hi. My name is Ron Taylor and as a 51 year old guy I know how tough it can be to keep my gut from falling over my belt, and build muscle mass.

I have tried and used a variety of muscle building workout plans, but the one plan that continues to grab my attention is the Stronglifts 5×5 program.

This system is incredibly simple to understand. Basically, you want to blast the major muscle groups 1 time per week, and give your body time to recover before the next workout.

I know for some of us the Stronglifts 5×5 system may seem boring, but this routine will have you in and out of the gym in no time. I tried it out on a Saturday morning. Here’s how it went…

I walked into the gym and went straight for the squat rack where I knew I could knock out three of the five exercises.

I started with the deadlift and did 5 sets of 5 reps each, lifting the heaviest weight I could safely lift. Believe me, if you do 25 deadlift reps with the most weight you can lift without hurting yourself or losing form, you’ll feel it from your toes to your neck.

The next “Stronglifts 5×5″ exercise was the squat. I pulled some of the plates off the barbell and did a light set to get the feel of the bar on my shoulders and test how my knees and quads would hold up after doing the deadlifts. As I gained confidence I added plates until in the last set of 5 reps I was on the verge of screaming. I have to admit, I don’t like squats—but they are drop dead effective. However, before you do any squats, watch a video or two over at YouTube and make sure you’re doing them correctly.

My third Stronglifts 5×5 exercise at the squat rack was the shoulder press. For some reason I am plagued by weak shoulders, and I always have trouble with these—which may be due to neglect. I think a lot of us tend to avoid doing exercises we are weak in, which of course only compounds the problem. The lesson I am learning here is that if you know you are weak in any given area, don’t be a wuss. Work that area, even if the tiny plates on the bar make you look silly.

When I finished on the squat rack I moved the barbell to a corner of the weight room and loaded it up with some 45 pound plates. I anchored one end of the barbell against the wall (in the corner) and then grabbed a wide grip two handed handle from the seated row machine. I straddled the bar and used the handle under the barbell to knock out 5 sets of bent over rows. My gym does not have a T-Bar, so this set up worked great.

The fifth exercise in this Stronglifts 5×5 workout was the bench press. I didn’t have a partner with me, so I took the safer (although less effective) route and punched out 5 sets of bench presses on the Hammer Strength machine.

The entire Stronglifts 5×5 workout took about 25 minutes to complete and I left the gym feeling good (trashed, that is).

I would say the one drawback to the Stronglifts 5×5 workout is that it severely limits the number of workouts you get. If you like hanging out in the gym, you may prefer a different system.

On the plus side, the Stronglifts 5×5 system helps you focus on building muscle mass by working the major muscle groups using compound exercises. Give it a try the next time you hit the gym.

Spirulina Nutrition Health Benefits

Posted by on February 11, 2012 No comments

Spirulina nutrition health benefits include massive doses of protein, amino acids, iron, and vitamin A.

spirulina benefits

Ron Taylor With Son Daniel At Trona Pinnacles

Hi. My name is Ron Taylor and while I have only recently discovered the spirulina nutrition health benefits, I have quickly added this natural food product to my diet.

Spirulina is available in tablet and pwder forms, and may also be a key ingredient in many health powder mixes. Interestingly, because of its high nutrient value, it is also a popular food product used by fish farmers, and it is quickly becoming a secret nutritional weapon used by body builders to supplement their low fat, high protein diets.

Spirulina is a micro algae that contains some amazing properties. Among them, spirulina offers…

  • 70% of the essential amino acids
  • 100 times the vitamin A found in carrots
  • 50 times the iron found in spinach
  • And 6 times the protein found in eggs

Spirulina is also a great source for…

  • Vitamin B-12
  • Beta-Carotene
  • Vitamin E
  • Manganese, Zinc, and Copper
  • Selenium
  • And various acids like linoleic and arachidonic

While I can’t claim to understand how the significance of all these nutrients, it sounds like a great supplement for my muscle building and healthy living goals. However, there are some potential dangers…

  • As an algae, spirulina can absorb toxins in the water. So, you need ot make sure you get spirulina from recognized suppliers.
  • For some people spirulina may cause diarrhea or nausea.
  • It is also not recommended if you are pregnant.

Like any diet or supplement, you should clear the use of this product with your doctor before taking. We are all unique, and what works for you, may not work for me.

Spirulina nutrition offers so many health benefits, I recommend you find a way to add it to your diet, asap.

New Weight-Loss Drug Grabs Headlines

Posted by on February 10, 2012 No comments

A new weight-loss drug known as Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) is proving effective for short term weight loss…

weight-loss drug

Ron Taylor With Son Daniel At Trona Pinnacles

…But what are the risks, and the long term effects?

This weight-loss drug has been around since the 1950s, but is typically used as a hormone treatment. However, for short term weight loss, it does work. However, the FDA is not enthusiastic about using this prescription weight-loss drug and warns people to go easy on this radical treatment.

The HCG weight-loss drug is an injectable drug that you self-administer daily for 4-6 weeks. It is used in combination with a strict 500 calorie per day diet of protein, fruits, and vegetables.

If you can get anywhere close to sustaining a 500 calorie per day diet, you can do extremely well in losing weight, without taking hormones or any “weight-loss drug.”

But realistically, how many of us can sustain a diet that is that strict. In my opinion, the best thing you can do to lose weight, without a weight-loss drug, is to ask your doctor for a sensible diet and exercise plan.

Typically, this will mean a diet of around 1,200 to 1,800 calories per day, and 20-30 minutes of exercise per day—according to your specific needs, abilities, and health.

When it comes to diet, I follow a simple diet where I eat pretty much what I want, as long as it is not a bread or dairy product, and contains no sugar or artificial sweeteners. I say simple, but when you put this diet into practice you will quickly find your food choices dramatically reduced…

…no more fast food drive-thru food, no more donuts at work, no more sodas for beverages, and no more late night runs to the cereal bowl.

As for exercise, no weight-loss drug can replace a cardio or weightlifting workout for getting pumped and feeling good. As I describe on this blog, I prefer a weightlifting routine that involves core exercises like squats, deadlifts, shoulder presses, and bench presses. I mix it up 2-3 times per week with a cardio workout by jogging around my neighborhood for 20-30 minutes.

That’s it. No fancy (or potentially dangerous) weight-loss drug, no painful surgeries, and no fad dieting.

Keep your dieting and exercise routine simple and doable. We’re talking a lifestyle change here, so you will want to make sure your diet plan and exercise routine are things you can enjoy and will continue to do, day after day.

Sounds boring, I know. But that’s reality. No weight-loss drug can match consistent healthy eating and good exercise.

Hidden Salt In Your Diet

Posted by on February 8, 2012 No comments

There is hidden salt in your diet that may be sabotaging your health goals.

hidden salt

Ron Taylor With Son Daniel At Trona Pinnacles

Like most middle aged adults, I am concerned about how much salt I eat, and intentionally stay away from canned soups and salty snacks like potato chips and popcorn.

But as it turns out, in my efforts to eat a healthy diet, I may be actually choosing food products that contain more “hidden salt” than the snacks and other foods I’m trying to avoid.

As a bread lover, I found the following information released by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) disturbing…

Mike Stobbe revealed in his Associate Press article, “CDC: Bread beats out chips as biggest salt source…”

“…Bread and rolls are the No. 1 source of salt in the American diet, accounting for more than twice as much sodium as salty junk food like potato chips.”

His article goes on to list the top ten sources of sodium and hidden salt in our diets. The list includes deli meats, pasta, soups, and pizza—with chips and salty snacks coming out tenth in the survey.

This article was revealing to me because my son, who is an avid body builder, never eats potato chips and other salty snacks because of their reputation for being a high salt food. Ironically, he eats bread and pasta almost daily, and frequents a sandwich shop where he enjoys foot long loaves of bread stuffed with deli meats—two of the worst hidden salt sources in our diet.

The USDA recommends you eat less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day. But have you ever taken a close look at the sodium, or hidden salt, in your food? If you eat processed foods, or enjoy dining out on a regular basis, you may be eating a lot more sodium than you think. In fact, on average, Americans consume about 3,300 milligrams of sodium per day—way above the recommended dosages.

I call it “dosage” for a reason. Namely, because for many people sodium is like a drug that has a negative impact on our body chemistry, increasing our risk of heart attack and stroke.

Watch out for the hidden salt in your diet, and learn to recognize the true sodium culprits. If your doctor has recommended you maintain a low sodium diet, you may need to rethink eating toast for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch, and loaves of French bread with dinner.

Like all things diet and nutrition related, this does not mean doing without. It simply means you may need to cut down on the amounts of bread you eat. Watch for hidden salt in your diet and rethink how you evaluate the nutritional value of your favorite foods.


Weight Loss Plateaus: Beating The Zero Progress Blues

Posted by on February 8, 2012 No comments

Weight loss plateaus can be devastating to your dieting and fitness goals…

weight loss plateaus

Ron Taylor With Son Daniel At Trona Pinnacles

Here are a few ways you can beat the blues of weight loss plateaus and find the energy and enthusiasm to keep working towards your fitness dreams.

Hi. My name is Ron Taylor, and when it comes to weight loss plateaus, I have “been there, done that.”

As a 51 year father of four and retired soldier, I know how frustrating it can be to work hard to achieve a fitness goal, only to find yourself jammed against a wall, feeling like your progress has been frozen in time.

Just this morning I stepped onto my bathroom scale and realized I had gained 2 pounds since my previous weigh-in. I cringed when I saw the number, and for a moment wanted to skip heading to the gym for my morning workout. Here are some of the negative thoughts that swirled through my mind this morning…

“What’s the use? I’ve worked my butt off for weeks (actually months) and I can’t get the scale to budge.”

“Why am I making these sacrifices?”

“What’s the use? Wouldn’t it be easier to just sit back, eat the foods I want, and enjoy my life?”

Like I said, I was in a lousy mood. Weight loss plateaus have a way of doing this do you, and if you’re not careful, they will destroy your dreams.

As I stumbled through my morning routine and forced myself out the door for some exercise, I reviewed my fitness goals and my weight loss strategy.

My goal is not just to lose weight, but to lose fat, and improve my physical fitness. To do this, I created a strategy of building muscle mass with a core set of weightlifting exercises designed to burn fat.

In the short term, any muscle gains are going to show up on the scale as increased weight, which creates the illusion of a weight loss plateau, when in actuality, you may well be making exactly the progress you want. It takes muscle to burn fat, and muscle weighs a lot more than fat.

Also, (and this applies to women more than men) it is a biological fact of life that our bodies retain water at varying degrees. We move up and down in our weight throughout the day, week, and month—simply because our bodies are storing or releasing fluids constantly.

Don’t get down on yourself if you see yourself stuck in the weight loss plateaus whirlpool. If you are working consistently to achieve your goals by following a decent diet plan and getting the exercise you need, you will achieve your goals. Just know this…

We all deal with weight loss plateaus. How we respond to these plateaus determines our eventual success or failure. Here are three things you may want to think about…

First, take a closer look at your strategy. Are you following a solid plan? Is your strategy realistic and sensible? Is there a way you can shake up or change your strategy without compromising your long term goals?

Second, re-focus on your goals. Think about what you are trying to achieve and why.

Third, make a commitment to never quit. Take each day as it comes and strive to make this day perfect in terms of sticking with your diet and exercise plan.

Weight loss plateaus can get you down, but fight back with determination, and you will succeed.


Exercises To Lose Weight

Posted by on February 7, 2012 No comments

Discover the best exercises to lose weight in this personal testimonial.

Hi. My name is Ron Taylor and as a 51 year old father of four, I know how tough it can be to stay in shape.

exercises to lose weight

Ron Taylor With Son Daniel At Trona Pinnacles

After retiring from the Army I quickly allowed myself to get soft and added about 25 pounds of unwanted (but deserved) fat around my mid-section. Now, if you’ve ever had a physical, or read a book on health, you know that when you combine a middle aged male with abdominal fat, you have a recipe for a heart attack, diabetes, or stroke.

And the same applies for women. Fat can be a killer.

So, how in the world can you control it? If you’re like me you’ve tried every diet and exercise routine out there, and quit every one of them in frustration because they simply were not sustainable, were flat out dangerous to your health, or were simply ineffective.

The simple truth is that there are exercises to lose weight that work better than others, and amazingly take less time and effort than you may be accustomed to.

I’m using a system developed by a guy named Vic Magary. Vic came up with an idea that sounds counter-intuitive at first. He wants you to use muscle building exercises to lose weight.

Vic also talks about dieting and recommends a low glycemic diet that helps prevent the spiking of insulin and sugar levels in your body. It’s a bit complicated, and I’m no doctor, but what it basically comes down to is that these spikes promote fat storage. Some of the biggest culprits in our diet are processed whole grain foods, sugars, and dairy products.

As for his exercises to lose weight, Vic recommends a handful of simple compound exercises that help you build muscle mass. While you actually gain weight by building muscle mass, your body is able to burn fat more efficiently—leading to a muscular (or toned for you ladies) body that looks good and is healthy.

It’s up to you, of course, but if you are looking for a great set of exercises to lose weight, you may want to take a look at some of his videos. The fastest and easiest way to do this is to visit YouTube and search for “best exercises to lose weight” by gymjunkies. Gymjunkies is Vic’s username over at YouTube.

Watch his videos and see what kind of trainer he is. If you like what you see, swing by his site by clicking Exercises To Lose Weight.

It has worked for me and is changing my life. Check with your doctor, and if she gives you the green light, get started with Vic’s system as soon as possible.


Jamba Juice Nutrition: All Fruit Smoothies

Posted by on February 6, 2012 No comments

Jamba Juice is serious about nutrition, but until recently I thought their product was off limits for my diet…

…Because you see, my past experience with Jamba Juice was with their premium smoothies.

Jamba Juice NutritionI recently went on a diet recommended by Vic Magary (creator of the 31 Day Fat Loss Cure). Vic’s weight loss system is a combination of diet and exercise I have talked about before on this blog.

Essentially, as far as the diet portion goes, Vic recommends you minimize (if not eliminate) the consumption of bread and grain products, sugar, and dairy products. It seemed pretty easy at first, but when you get to looking around for something to eat, you quickly realize just how much we depend on bread, sugar, and dairy products in our daily diet.

Anyway, I’ve made some great progress with Vic’s system, so I want to stick with it. Last week my wife brought home a Jamba Juice product for me that Jamba Juice claims is made only from real fruit and fruit juice. Let me tell you, they are great. But that does not mean I’m not a bit worried about the “juice” part.

There is no doubt in my mind that the Jamba Juice All Fruit ™ Smoothies are a high quality product. They also taste great. I just wish they would give more info on the nutritional value and ingredients in their juices. In my experience, fruit juices can contain a lot of added sugars—which means I would be violating Vic’s “no-sugar” rule.

Note: This no sugar rule does not mean “no fruit.” In fact, Vic recommends you eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. What he is talking about is the added sugar, including corn syrup, that goes into a lot of our processed foods.

The no sugar rule is important to me because I suffer from hypoglycemia and I know for a fact that any bread or sweetened product causes my sugar level to spike and crash.

Jamba Juice NutritionEither way, if you’re looking for a delicious, healthy alternative to a hamburger and fries for lunch, I highly recommend you check out the Jamba Juice All Fruit Smoothies.

If you don’t have a Jamba Juice in your area, go to your favorite smoothie bar and ask for an all fruit smoothie—no ice cream or frozen yogurt added.  They’re pretty good. You could also make one at home by simply blending your favorite fruits together with some crushed ice.

Keep in mind the taste will vary depending on the ripeness and natural sugar levels in the fruit you use.

Go Here To See The Jamba Juice Nutrition Chart

Jamba Juice is a registered trademark of Jamba Juice Company 6475 Christie Ave Emeryville, Ca 94608.

Best Workout Routine

Posted by on February 5, 2012 No comments

The best workout routine is one you can do consistently.

Let’s face it, no matter what your weight, cardio fitness, or body building goals may be, even the best workout routine is worthless if you don’t follow it.

best workout routineHi. My name is Ron Taylor and I’ve personally started and quit quite a few exercise programs—all with the grand intention of getting into the best shape of my life. But through it all, the one thing that has been consistently true is that even the best workout routines were designed for failure.

Here’s why…

Typically, we start a program to achieve a specific goal, such as losing 20 pounds for spring break or a wedding; knocking off a few percentage points of body fat content; or, building some muscle mass. But the troubles begin by day one.

And the reason for this is that we over estimate our resolve to achieve our stated goals. For example, if I wanted to lose 20 pounds within the next 90 days, I know I could either hit the treadmill for 30-60 minutes per day, or start a weightlifting regime (combined with a decent diet). But if my workout routine is too strenuous, painful, or time consuming, human nature will take over and convince me “It’s not working, so I should quit.”

Here’s what I do instead…

Best Workout Routine Tips

  1. First, start with a realistic goal, with a deadline. And then stay focused on that goal.
  2. Second, devise a workout routine that is effective, but does not try to accomplish your goal in one week. In other words, don’t kill yourself.
  3. Third, recognize that humans instinctively seek pleasure, and avoid pain. Make your workouts fun (at least as far as possible), and use a system that does NOT cause you to inflict intolerable pain on yourself (I like the Stronglifts 5×5 system for weightlifting).
  4. Finally, get in and get out of the gym. Make it a habit to show up at a specific time of day, at least 5 times per week. My workouts rarely last more than 30 minutes, and in many cases, a 20 minute workout done daily beats the 2 hour workout you complete “when you feel like it.”

The bottom line is that the best workout routine is the one that is tailored to your specific health needs and fitness goals. Be consistent and never quit, and you will achieve your fitness goals.

Best wishes to your success.

Ron Taylor



My Fat Loss Plan

Posted by on February 4, 2012 No comments

My fat loss plan is a simple combination of the right diet coupled with the right exercise.

Fat Loss Plan

Ron Taylor With Son Daniel At Trona Pinnacles

In this article I will describe exactly what I am doing to lose the fat and get in the best physical condition of my life. This “fat loss plan” is simple and clear cut, but does require a small lifestyle change.

If you are serious about losing weight, or reducing your body fat content, take a minute to consider my fat loss plan.

Hi. My name is Ron Taylor. I am 51 years old and the father of four. After retiring form the Army in 2006 I quickly fell into a routine of eating the wrong foods and not getting the level of exercise my body was accustomed to. In hindsight the results should have been predictable…

The result: I gained weight and my body fat content went through the roof.

Like most of us in that situation I tried a variety of programs like hitting the treadmill and ellipticals in my gym (and running more miles than I care to remember), and of course dieting (Atkins, negative calorie, whole grain, you name it, I tried it).

And just like most of us, it did not work. It didn’t work because none of these fat loss plans were sustainable. After all, how many people can stick with a radical fad diet, or bust their butt pounding the treadmill like a hungry gerbil.

During the past six months I have been following a fat loss plan of my own making. Sure, I borrowed some ideas from various fitness trainers, and read some books. So, here’s the “skinny” on what I am doing…

Fat Loss Plan: My Diet Plan

I had done quite a bit of reading on the subject of glycemic index, and I knew that many of the foods I was eating were causing spikes in my sugar levels. These spikes lead to increased levels of insulin, which tell the body to store food as fat in our bodies. Now, I’m not a doctor, so check with yours about this, but in my personal experience, learning how to control these sugar spikes has helped me lose weight and feel better in the process.

To minimize the sugar spikes I removed all sugar, bread, and dairy products from my diet. No more late night “Jethro” bowls of cold cereal; no more sandwiches; no drive thru hamburgers; no more sweet teas; and sadly, no more apple fritters for breakfast.

Yeah, it sucks. I just removed most of my favorite foods from my diet. But these foods were killing me, so my fat loss plan demanded I get the junk out of my diet.

But like any decent fat loss plan, dieting is just one side of the equation. You also need to get some exercise.

Fat Loss Plan: My Exercise Plan

Rather than follow the old school routine of cardio exercise, I chose to work on building my muscles. I’m not talking about body building here, I’m simply suggesting that since muscle burns calories at a much higher rate than fat (even when resting), then it makes sense to increase the muscle content f my body.

To do this I focus on doing five different weight lifting exercises. All of these are considered compound exercises because they work multiple muscle groups at the same time.

These exercises are: squats, deadlifts, bench presses, clean and jerk, and shoulder presses. You can read my articles on this blog on weightlifting to learn how to do these exercises.

I go to the gym 5-6 times per week, rotating the above exercises to give my different muscle groups a chance to recover. Each trip to the gym takes about 15-20 minutes. I’m in and out of the gym, and don’t loiter or hang out there.

So, if you are ready to lose the fat, try my fat loss plan, and best wishes to your success.

Ron Taylor