Heat Up Your Fat Burning Furnace

Food is the most important factor in burning off excess body fat. You have heard eating more fruits and vegetables will contribute to greater loss of body fat. Fruits and vegetables provides your body with more nutrients without all the excess empty calories which in many cases is stored as body fat. If you are not exercising often and at a high level of intensity this is one way to keep your body fat levels in check. Keeping your intake of lean meats in balance with your intake of starches will help to maintain balanced blood sugar levels keeping you in the fat burning zone. The whole idea is to always burn fat even when at rest. Having high blood sugar is counter productive to fat burning.

Exercise is next, which elevates your heart rate and respiration which starts the process of activating the release of stored body fat to be used as fuel for much needed additional energy. This is a critical part of the fat burning process. If however, you are only burning sugar it will be very difficult to reduce your body fat levels. Your objective is to raise your heart rate just a little higher than when it is at rest and to keep it there for a minimum of twenty minutes and building up to one hour or more at a time. Try to do this this at least five times per week by walking, bike riding or any form of aerobic exercise that you enjoy.

Lean Muscles is the furnace that keeps your metabolism running on high. Whenever someone says their metabolism is slow it is usually someone who is not doing any strength training or only does the bare minimum. Increasing this metabolic furnace is a must to keep the body fat from escalating. Almost everyone can benefit by training with some basic bodybuilding principles. Performing muscle building exercises for all of the muscle groups on your body a minimum of two times per week, three or four is better depending on your experience and fitness level. If you are not strength training you are not doing all you can to achieve your fat loss goals.

Roy Gutierrez is a personal trainer located in Tampa Florida. He has been helping his personal training and weight loss coaching clients achieve their goals for more than fifteen years. Get a FREE subscription to his biweekly newsletter, available when you visit http://www.stayfitafterforty.com

TLC For Your Furnace - Avoiding Premature Failure of Heat Exchangers

Ever notice how your car seems to run better right after an oil change, especially if you wash and wax it? Well, it's the same for your furnace... don't laugh, I'm serious!

The main component of heating units, both forced air and hot water, is the heat exchanger. This component takes the heat produced by burning fuel and transfers it to the water or air for distribution throughout the house. In a hot water system this component is usually concealed from view, and in a forced air unit only 10 to 25% (sometimes it's completely hidden) of this component is typically visible without disassembly.

Cut-away view of a modern forced-air gas furnaceModern forced-air gas furnace:

1. Solid-state furnace control (Fan assembly visible at lower rear)

2. Draft inducer (fan-forced exhaust)

3. Igniter and flame sensor

4. Gas valve and manifold

5. Gas burners

6. Heat exchanger(s)

7. Air filters

(Configuration will vary between models)

What usually makes heat exchangers inoperative is developing a hole or a crack that allows the hot water to escape, or exhaust from the combustion fuel to escape into the interior air of the home. Constant heating and cooling from years of use will eventually cause a heat exchanger to crack, however some last longer than others. Under ideal conditions, many survive well beyond their predicted life spans.

It seems regular cleaning and maintenance play a factor in life expectancy, as does the environment surrounding the unit. Damp environments tend to assist the build-up of rust on the heat exchanger, shortening its life, while dry, clean environments tend to increase the life span of most furnaces.

Reduced airflow...

Dirty air filters and fan blades, dirty ductwork and obstructed air vents can all contribute to wear on fan motors, reduced efficiency and even premature failure of heat exchangers. Fuel-fired forced-air furnaces are prone to overheating due to obstructions to airflow. Modern furnaces are designed to shut down if temperatures become dangerously high... however, moderately elevated internal temperatures caused by dirt, dust and debris may not be high enough to switch off a furnace, while remaining high enough to cause metal fatigue over extended periods of time.

An annual internal inspection by a licensed burner mechanic or gas fitter, including cleaning and testing for exhaust leaks, should cost between $50 and $100. Considering the implications, I'd say that's a real bargain! Why not have your furnace inspected, and treat yourself to some peace of mind? For those of you with gas furnaces or wood stoves, a carbon monoxide (CO) detector ($30-$45) is an inexpensive means of protection against the possibility of exhaust leaks, between inspections.

Gil Strachan is a professional home inspector, representing Electrospec Home Inspection Services in east-central Ontario, Canada since 1994. Visit http://www.allaroundthehouse.com to learn more about home inspections.

"The Home Reference Book"
You can probably find a home inspection for a little less than what we ask, but you probably won't find the Home Reference Book. A $60 value, this solutions-oriented reference tool comes free with every inspection we perform.
It's the first tool you should have around the house!