Monday, October 8, 2007

Weight Loss Surgery: Preventing the Health Risks

If you have been watching your weight go up and you are worried about the rising pounds, you may be wondering whether weight loss surgery really works. Is it possible to prevent future weight gain by putting yourself on a well-known weight loss surgical operation?

Today, weight loss surgeries are gradually gaining recognition when it comes to losing weight. Many health experts contend that people who are excessively overweight or has slower metabolism would normally require some surgical operations.

Surgery at Present

The greatest progress in the care of the surgical patient has taken place since the beginning of the present century. An increasing knowledge of disease and disorder as a result of research has permitted the development of many diagnostic aids. Some of these depend upon roentgenograms, laboratory procedures such as chemical, bacteriologic, and pathologic determinations, as well as monitoring devices and computer aids.

Hence, the result is that the diagnosis of disease and disorder is made with more exactness and certainty than was possible from the simple clinical examinations of previous days.

That is why people who wish to undergo weight loss surgery should no longer be afraid of the procedure because high clinical standards are now being implemented in every surgical operation.

The Concept of Weight Loss Surgery

Health experts contend that weight loss surgery is a “major surgery.” One of the most common reasons why people would like to lose weight is to enhance their physical attributes. However, it should not be the underlying motivation that they should undergo the process of weight loss surgery.

What people do not know is that weight loss surgery is especially generated to help obese people live longer, healthier, and better.

That is why it is important for an individual to meticulously analyze his or her situation, do some research about the process, and analyze if weight loss surgery is the ultimate choice for his or her physiological condition.

Moreover, it is important to gather further information about weight loss surgery by consulting an experienced and knowledgeable bariatric surgeon or even just an expert family physician who knows the ins and outs of weight loss surgery.

In addition, the patient should also consult the other health experts such as the psychiatrist and dietician with regards to some psychological advices on long-term goals after the operation.

Generally, patients who have undergone weight loss surgery are said to be successful if they were able to lose 50% or more of their extra body weight and will be able to maintain that condition for the next five years or so. However, the results of the operation may still vary depending on the clinical information of the patient and the skills of the bariatric surgeon.

Normally, the patient will be able to lose at least 30% to a maximum of 50% during the first six months after surgery; and within the year after the operation, the patient has the potential of losing weight up to a maximum of 77%.

Best of all, people who were able to loss weight through surgical operations can actually maintain a continuous weight loss of up to 50% to 60% in the next 10 to 14 years after surgery.

Factors to Consider

As with the other weight loss management programs, there are many factors to consider before the patient should decide to undergo weight loss surgery.

Consequently, the actual weight that will be lost is reliant on the weight before surgery, surgical procedure, patient’s age, capability to exercise, total health condition of the patient, dogged determination to maintain the necessary follow-up nurture, and the enthusiasm to succeed with the help of their family, friends, and their colleagues.

If you have just put on a few extra pounds and want to avoid gaining more, these weight loss surgeries for better health may seem convincing. But, in addition to being convinced, you may also have to take some action to ensure that your weight does not creep upward.

Therefore, it can be concluded that losing weight is not just a question of deciding to be strong-willed and determined or upbeat and positive. Lifestyle changes are where it is at for long-term success with your weight especially after weight loss surgery.


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Thursday, October 4, 2007

Moderate Exercises to Fitness!

Have you ever felt tired and stressed out from work and by the time you get home you see your three children running towards you asking you to play basketball with them? You refused and promised them that you will after you take you rest.

Instead of disappointing your children, why not say, "yes" after all? You will be surprised by the amount of energy you will have after that 30-minute activity.

Did you know that by exercising at a moderate pace for only 30 minutes, you would feel a lot better, mentally? It has been proven that this improves the appetite and sharpens your style in problem solving. Not only that. You will also feel that it is easier to sleep at night if you do moderate exercises even for only 30 minutes every day.

What are the benefits of regular exercise? It promotes self-discipline and has a positive impact how you perceive life. Exercise helps in lifting your spirits and getting you out of any depression. For first timers, it can be done for 15 minutes for 2 to 3 days a week. You can increase the time you spend once your body gets tuned up for it.

DON'T you ever force your body! If you get hurt, then stop. You can take a break from exercising for a few days and then you can start again but you need to start from day 1.

Here are some moderate exercises you can do and enjoy:

1. Do the Walking. Make use of your surroundings. You can walk your dog, with your partner or child. Encourage your family to do the walking exercise daily and you will find yourself burning calories while enjoying the surroundings and getting enough sunlight that is also good for your body.

2. Discover the wonders of Yoga. Yoga is one effective exercise that energizes not only your body but also your soul. You may want to learn even the basic yoga positions that are not too complicated but proven effective. A five-minute yoga exercise can perk you up and recharge your body with the energy you lost for the whole day. You relax and at the same time you stretch!

3. Engage yourself into sports. Play basketball, football, baseball, tennis or badminton. Many doctors have recommended sports as an effective way to stay fit and healthy. Sports can also be done in moderation. Do not take it seriously. Shooting basketball with a friend is one moderate exercise that is also considered a sport.

4. Join exercise programs at work. If you still do not have exercises programs at work, then why not start it? You can talk to your boss about it and start with your colleagues. You do not only lose calories but it is also one good way to bond with them. This can be done 30 minutes, 3 times a week.

5. Exercise while doing household chores. Gardening, raking leaves, lawn mowing, doing the laundry, vacuuming and car washing are effective moderate exercises at home. Make use of these chores to sweat and burn calories. Instead of using machines and gadgets to perform these chores, why not do it with your hands and lose some fats?

Making exercises as part of your daily routines will surprise you of how much calories you will lose. Doing these moderate exercises of the same amount every day can burn 150 calories up to 1,000 calories a day!


For A Better Way Of Life Click Here

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Pointers on Losing Weight Safely

People who want to lose weight commonly, and first of all, think about reducing the amount of food they eat. This may be quite a solution but not exactly the best there is. In fact, depending on the amount you reduce in your food intake, it may even be dangerous to one's health. So how does one lose weight effectively and safely? Here are some points one should consider when trying to lose weight:

Beware of the Crash Diets

Most people think that trimming down the calories can alone shed off their unwanted excess. Probably this is because of the fad there is in advertising about low-calorie food products and beverages. What people don't know is that this could be dangerous because when they decrease their calorie intake way to below the required levels, the body begins to digest the fats. Sounds good but it doesn't actually. Burning fat requires a lot of energy. Since there is not much energy in the body to facilitate metabolism of fat, it will run at a very slow pace resulting to fatigue, illness and weak immune system.

Low-calorie diet is also compensated for by the body by burning muscle. People on this type of diet who revert back to their old eating habits end up gaining back some, if not all the weight they have shed off. This would consist mainly of fats. And since fats have more volume per mass than muscle, they end up having the same weight as before but more bulkier. In losing weight, one should keep in mind that they should lose excess body fats only.

However, one can try out eating small meals at more frequent intervals. This way the body will not think that it is being starved and will not store food as fat.

Eat Properly

One may have considered junking the crash diet option but he should also not forget to watch what he is eating. Variety must always be considered so that one may be able to get the necessary nutrients from his diet.It is also healthier to eat food which are roasted, steamed or broiled rather than fried. It is also important to include a lot of fiber in the diet. Frequent rehydration is also necessary.

Pump Up lean Muscle Mass

Muscles burn calories when they work; they even do so at rest. Unlike fats which just lie around, bulge around the pants and dangle beneath the sleeves, muscles burn calories all-day round. With this fact, one can start weight loss by increasing muscle mass. The more muscles, the less fat will be left. This is attainable starting with working out with resistance exercises.

Engaging in Aerobics

Aerobics are not only good for the heart by increasing cardio-vascular endurance. Aerobics also help in increasing lean muscle mass while simultaneously decreasing excess body fat. Aside from these, aerobics make the metebolic process more efficient and its rate high, even after a long while. Imagine burning fat efficiently while driving along the freeway or even while watching television.

Extra "Push"

Some people believe that smoking and caffeine can actually help in losing weight. This can perhaps be true; however, they do the body more harm than good because of their side-effects. For that extra "push", one can try out taking food supplements. Afterall, 95% of these products out in the market actually does good.

On Taking Diet Pills

Over-the-counter diet pills affect the amount of weight one loses as well as how long one keeps that amount of weight off. However, one must be wary of the side-effects of these diet pills. As such, one must faithfully follow the instructions provided for in the packaging. It is also prudent to consult the physician anyway before trying out these drugs and also to find out which type would be best for the individual.

Losing weight does not have to mean sacrifice and suffering. It actually means opening up to a more full and healthy life where one may not have to feel bad about himself having to look the way he does or not being able to do what he wants to do. Losing weight might entail a little adjustments plus the discomforts, but as the old saying goes, "no pain, no gain." Besides fat, what has one got to lose anyway?



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Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Free Weight Loss programs

The race to fitness is on and a lot of people are getting into the band wagon. Some people do it to achieve a sexy body, some people just do it because they are embarrassed with the body they have now, while others do it simply to remain fit and heatlthy. As such, many fitness programs are out in the internet, in gyms, spas and fitness centers all over. Some are too expensive to afford that one may even lose weight just by trying to work out the money needed to pursue these fitness programs.

One may not have to go to the gym or the spa or any fitness center and spend much just to slim down to obtain that longed for sexy body. There are many books available in the bookstore which offer weight loss programs which are convenient and for free, of course the books are not though. These weight loss programs, or diet plans are gaining immense popularity with so much publicity, testimonials and reviews that one may be confused which exactly to follow. So before choosing which weight loss plan to follow, try reading these summaries about the most popular diet programs out today.

Atkins' New Diet Revolution by Dr. Atkins. This weight loss program encourages high protein diet and a trim down on the carbs. One can feast on vegetables and meat but should fast on bread and pasta. One is also not restricted against fat intake so it is okay to pour in the salad dressing and freely spread on the butter. However, after the diet, one may find himself lacking on fiber and calcium yet high in fat. Intake of grains and fruits are also limited.

Carbohydrate Addict's Diet by Drs. Heller. This diet plan advocates low carbohyrate eating. Approves on eating meats, vegetables and fruits, dairy and grain products. however, warns against taking in too much carb. "Reward" meal can be too high on fats and saturated fats.

Choose to Lose by Dr. Goor. Restrains fat intake. One is given a "fat" budget and he is given the liberty on how to spend it. It does not pressure the individual to watch his carbohydrate intake. Eating meat and poultry as well as low-fat dairy and seafoods is okay. A go signal is also given on eating vegetables, fruits, cereals, bread and pasta. This weight loss plan is fairly healthy, good amounts of fruits and vegetables as well as saturated fats. Watch triglyceride levels though; if high, trim down the carbohydrates and tuck in more of the unsaturated fats.

The DASH Diet. Advocates moderate amounts of fat and protein intake and high on carbs. Primarily designed to lower blood pressure, the diet plan follows the pyramid food guide and encourages high intake of whole wheat grains as well as fruits and vegetables and low-fat dairy. Some dieters think it advocates too much eating to procure significant weight loss.

Eat More, Weigh Less by Dr. Ornish. Primarily vegetarian fare and strictly low-fat. Gives the go signal on the "glow" foods but warns to watch it on non-fat dairy and egg whites. This diet is poor in calcium and retricts consumption of healthy foods like seafoods and lean poultry.

Eat Right for Your Type. Interesting because it is based on the person's blood type. recommends plenty of mest for people with the blood type O. Diet plans for some blood types are nutritionally imbalanced and too low in calories. And for the record, there is even no proof that blood type affects dietary needs.

The Pritkin Principle. Focused on trimming the calorie density in eating by suggesting watery foods that make one feel full. Eating vegetables, fruits, oatmeal, pasta, soups, salads and low-fat dairy is okay. Although limits protein sources to lean meat, pseafood and poultry. Although it is healthy by providing low amounts of saturated fats and rich amounts of vegetables and fruits, it is also low on calcium and limits lean protein sources.

Volumetrics. For low-density calorie eating. Recommends the same foodstuff as Pritkin but restricts fatty or dry foods like popcorn, pretzels and crackers. This plan is reasonably healthy given the high amounts of fruits and vegetables as well as being low in calorie density and saturated fats.

The Zone. Moderately low on the carbs yet moderately high on the proteins. Encourages low-fat protein foods like fish and chicken plus veggies, fruits and grains. It is also healthy but lacking in grains and calcium.

Weight Watchers. High carbohydrates, moderate on fats and proteins. A very healthy diet plan and very flexible too. it allows the dieter to plan his own meal rather than give him a set to follow.

Click Here for better health

Friday, September 21, 2007

What to Know About Weight Loss Products

There are a lot of weight loss products that offer that fast weight loss results, however, are these really guaranteed? Could these products live up to their assurance of a fit body?

In US, there is an estimated 50 million people who try to lose weigh, unfortunately, only 5 per cent are successful. One thing's for sure, beware of fraudulent claims and extreme high cost because there is no magic to losing weight.

Samples of weight loss products in the market nowadays:

  • Diet Patch – this was already removed since 1990’s by FDA since they were proven ineffective.
  • Magnetic Diet Pills – allegedly flushes out fat, but not.
  • Guar Gum – causes internal obstruction.
  • Electrical Muscle Stimulators – no proven effect.
  • Eyeglasses that Suppress Appetite – These claims that the projected image on the retina decreases appetite. No proven fact.
  • Weight loss earrings – through acupuncture, suppresses appetite.

There are also examples of weight loss products:

Diet drinks that are mixed with beverages or food are used as meal substitutes. A downside of this is that once a person stopped taking the drinks, they would eventually regain the lost weight after a short period of time due to feeling of emptiness in the stomach. Another is diet supplements and medicines that also don’t work long-term. Over-the-counter pills that compose of phenylpropanolamine hydrochloride may raise blood pressure and palpitation. Ephedra on the other hand can cause serious side effects such as heart problems, seizure, stroke, and even death. E.g.:

  1. Herbalife Nutritional Program – good as two meals, dieters may rely on shakes and follow artificial dieting methods and just don’t want food to work into their lives.
  2. Mega-Thin 100 Formula – Its formula contains an anti-fat weapon, however, diet is not emphasized that’s why it’s concluded that it has an appetite suppressant.
  3. NestlĂ©’s Sweet Success – recommended to take three times a day and it does not promote healthy eating habits. Weight loss is difficult to maintain once intake is stopped.
  4. Ultra Slim Fast – this plan requires regular exercise but does not teach good eating habits.
  5. Diet pills with Ephedra and PPA – many of these have enclosed diet plans. Slimming can come from the diet plan and not the pill intake and there are risks of adverse side effects.
  6. Chitosan products – contains fibers which were taken from shellfish that may cause diarrhea, bloatedness, and gas. This will only work if a low fat diet is practiced.
  7. Chromium Supplements –claim that products will lower blood sugar, body fat and cholesterol but causes anemia and even memory loss. Studies show only minimal or no beneficial effect at all.
  8. Green Tea Extract Products – known as strong anti-oxidants that help lower cholesterol and triglycerides, and promote weight loss, however, the caffeine content could cause insomnia and restlessness.
  9. Algae Tablets - Spirulina contains significant nutrients that can be an acceptable food when used as part of a varied diet but are very expensive.
  10. St. John's Wort Supplement - Claims that it will suppress appetite and promote weight loss but it could lead to gastrointestinal discomfort, tiredness, sleeplessness, and arouse allergic reactions.
  11. Glucomannan Products – claim that two capsules before each meal decrease food absorption. Known as food thickeners but not yet proven safe or effective. Weight loss will only happen if good diet plan is followed.

Even if you plan on using over-the-counter weight supplements or even participate in a weight loss activity, the verdict is that you still have to eat fewer calories than you burn to lose weight. When choosing a weight loss product or program, collect as much information as possible.

Click Here for better health

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Moderate Exercises to Fitness!

Have you ever felt tired and stressed out from work and by the time you get home you see your three children running towards you asking you to play basketball with them? You refused and promised them that you will after you take you rest.

Instead of disappointing your children, why not say, "yes" after all? You will be surprised by the amount of energy you will have after that 30-minute activity.

Did you know that by exercising at a moderate pace for only 30 minutes, you would feel a lot better, mentally? It has been proven that this improves the appetite and sharpens your style in problem solving. Not only that. You will also feel that it is easier to sleep at night if you do moderate exercises even for only 30 minutes every day.

What are the benefits of regular exercise? It promotes self-discipline and has a positive impact how you perceive life. Exercise helps in lifting your spirits and getting you out of any depression. For first timers, it can be done for 15 minutes for 2 to 3 days a week. You can increase the time you spend once your body gets tuned up for it.

DON'T you ever force your body! If you get hurt, then stop. You can take a break from exercising for a few days and then you can start again but you need to start from day 1.

Here are some moderate exercises you can do and enjoy:

1. Do the Walking. Make use of your surroundings. You can walk your dog, with your partner or child. Encourage your family to do the walking exercise daily and you will find yourself burning calories while enjoying the surroundings and getting enough sunlight that is also good for your body.

2. Discover the wonders of Yoga. Yoga is one effective exercise that energizes not only your body but also your soul. You may want to learn even the basic yoga positions that are not too complicated but proven effective. A five-minute yoga exercise can perk you up and recharge your body with the energy you lost for the whole day. You relax and at the same time you stretch!

3. Engage yourself into sports. Play basketball, football, baseball, tennis or badminton. Many doctors have recommended sports as an effective way to stay fit and healthy. Sports can also be done in moderation. Do not take it seriously. Shooting basketball with a friend is one moderate exercise that is also considered a sport.

4. Join exercise programs at work. If you still do not have exercises programs at work, then why not start it? You can talk to your boss about it and start with your colleagues. You do not only lose calories but it is also one good way to bond with them. This can be done 30 minutes, 3 times a week.

5. Exercise while doing household chores. Gardening, raking leaves, lawn mowing, doing the laundry, vacuuming and car washing are effective moderate exercises at home. Make use of these chores to sweat and burn calories. Instead of using machines and gadgets to perform these chores, why not do it with your hands and lose some fats?

Making exercises as part of your daily routines will surprise you of how much calories you will lose. Doing these moderate exercises of the same amount every day can burn 150 calories up to 1,000 calories a day!

Click Here for better health

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Pointers on Losing Weight Safely

People who want to lose weight commonly, and first of all, think about reducing the amount of food they eat. This may be quite a solution but not exactly the best there is. In fact, depending on the amount you reduce in your food intake, it may even be dangerous to one's health. So how does one lose weight effectively and safely? Here are some points one should consider when trying to lose weight:

Beware of the Crash Diets

Most people think that trimming down the calories can alone shed off their unwanted excess. Probably this is because of the fad there is in advertising about low-calorie food products and beverages. What people don't know is that this could be dangerous because when they decrease their calorie intake way to below the required levels, the body begins to digest the fats. Sounds good but it doesn't actually. Burning fat requires a lot of energy. Since there is not much energy in the body to facilitate metabolism of fat, it will run at a very slow pace resulting to fatigue, illness and weak immune system.

Click Here for better health

Friday, September 14, 2007

Nutrition Notes on Weight Loss Supplements

More and more spend hundred and even thousands of dollars yearly on weight loss supplements in the hope of speeding up their metabolism. The main desire is to be attractive and accepted but it is becoming a more difficult goal to achieve. The fitness industry is booming but still a lot of people are unable to cut those fat in spite of all the exercise and diet efforts. In America, more than sixty per cent of adults are overweight and thirty per cent are considered obese. This is because: one, a lot of weight loss products promises unrealistic goals; two, dietary supplement manufacturers rely on the overweight person’s failure to survive; and three, the information about the supplements in the market are just written by themselves just to make a sell.

Although the Food and Drug Administration has successfully banned illegal marketers, some products are still available. Consumers can be deceived of the labels which claims caffeine or ephedra fee not knowing that these supplements composes of other ingredients that may pose the same health risks. These include heart and digestive problems, headaches, insomnia, and even psychological side effects.

Other supplement manufacturers say that their products contains EGCG which is a phytochemical ingredient found in green tea. This so-called component claims to speed up metabolism but in reality poses to reduce the risk of cancer. Some studies denote that it could slightly increase the potential to burn calories and now can be found in many weight loss supplements. It has good points on the other hand since the body might conform to EGCG after a period of time. Eve the weight loss benefit could sum up to 60 to 70 calories a day. This helps prevent excessive weight gain.

A few other significant effects of weight loss supplements is that it may contain ingredients that makers claim will prevent the absorption of carbohydrates. One good example is Chitosan, which appears most promising, which in fact shows no positive result in fat absorption. It could even take up to seven months for men to lose just a pound of body fat and for women, there is no fat loss at all. Thyroid supplements act as thyroid replacements help regulate and optimize the thyroid at a higher level. This they say makes the body feel like a couch potato and won’t perform the job it has to.

Since the number one reason why people eat is because they feel hungry, there is another type of ingredient that manufacturers made which increases the feeling of being full and decreases appetite, Guar Gum. However, recent studies show that it has no meaningful benefit at all to weight loss. It is ironic that manufacturers mix Psyllium that has the reputation of reducing eating and aiding weight loss for initial studies so far do not support this claim although it helps control blood cholesterol and sugar.

One of the latest innovations in the fat loss industry is by way of skin absorption. There’s a Cutting Gel, which is an epidril product by far the best selling in fat loss creams technology. Rub it where you want the fats cut. For now, it will seem safer to advise the age old remedies to excessive weight gain and that is to invest on walking shoes instead of diet supplements, go to the park and do brisk walking, go to the gym, and have a well balanced diet instead.


Click Here for better health

Monday, September 10, 2007

Celiac - Discover The Link With The Obesity

Against the common believe, it's seems that there's a connection between the obesity and the celiac, even if today the scientific researchers are trying to find some confirms.

Most probably the causes that link these two diseases are:

  • genetic predisposition;
  • the malabsorbtion syndrome that cause a desire of the food, despite having absorbed enough calories. When the caloric amount is excessive the need of continuous eating, carrying the main fat through the body, so the pancreas's activity is reduced damaging the capacity of the cells to burn the fat stored provoking the weight's increase.
  • Definition:

    the celiac is much diffused disease, but still very little known because of the insufficient information's campaign about this issue, a digestive disease of genetic origin that provokes the malabsorption of the food, is caused from chronic inflammation of the tenuous intestine due to the immunity reaction triggered from a mix of proteins – gliadins – contained in the “gluten”, protein that is founds in the grain and cereals.

    When it appears:

    in pediatric age with the following symptoms:

    1.weight loss;
    2.diarrhoea;
    3.low growth;
    4.anaemia;
    5.herpetiforme dermatitis.

    It can show itself also in adult age, in some cases the patient doesn't introduce any symptoms, for this reason it's known of:

    Silent celiac:

    there are alterations in the patients intestinal mucosa, but the subjects doesn't show the symptoms, because it's interested only one part of the tenuous intestine, but the remaining works regularly. But it's possible that increasing the doses of “gluten” present in the feeding, they trigger the symptoms.

    Latent celiac:

    the patient shows the genetic sensibility to the disturb but doesn't have neither the intestinal mucosa damaged nor the symptoms. But it's possible that increasing the assumed doses of “gluten” with the feeding, because an important event, like a surgery intervention, pregnancy or childbirth, they trigger the symptoms.

    Diagnosis:

    a child who doesn't grow must be submitted to a pediatric visit and must have a test verifying the existence of the malabsorption syndrome. Blood exams revealing the responsible antibody presence of the disease. For a confirm of the diagnosis it's necessary to resort the intestinal biopsy and to state the damages provoked by the gluten to the intestinal mucosa.

    If the child is too little it's necessary repeating the exam after 6 months of gluten-free diet and after others 6 months of diet containing the gluten. All this to establish that the damages to the intestinal mucosa is provoked from the gluten.

    The treatment:

    despite this is a disease much diffused that it can have serious consequences for the child's and adult's health, actually is possible to cure it just with a gluten-free diet for lifetime.

    Warning:

    during the cooking of the meals, avoid accurately, to use the same cutlery stirring food for the family and the celiac subject, because you could contaminate the food of the patient rendering the gluten-free diet inefficient.

    If the gluten free diet is not followed exactly it risks to develop the following diseases:

  • low height (most of all when the disease is developed in childhood age and so the malabsorption syndrome provokes denutrition);
  • abdominal pains;
  • delay of development puberal;
  • liver's diseases;
  • intestinal cancer (intestinal linphom, adenocarcinoma);
  • osteoporosis (provoked from a malabsorption of the calcium);
  • epileptic convulsions (caused from a deficiency of folic acid);
  • type 2 diabetes (youth insulin-dependent).
  • Advice:

    Try to get, through the celiac associations, the “manual” to carry always with you, a product list of which the industries warranty the absolute absence of gluten.

    Who says that the celiacs are forced to deprive themselves of the pleasures of the table? The problem, following a gluten-free diet, can be afforded with much serenity without renouncing to the taste and the social life.

    No to gluten, yes to the eating pleasures!

    Cinzia Cervellini is a private article writer and owner of blog: http://defeat-childhood-obesity.blogspot.com a public space where she loves sharing with the persons who asking and looking forward the responses about childhood obesity, issue of critical and increasing importance.

    Click Here for better health

    Thursday, September 6, 2007

    Coffee Drinkers Rejoice! Caffeine & Exercise Reduces Cancer Risks

    A recent study at Rutgers University found that caffeine and exercise may help prevent skin cancer. The tumor suppressing protein, phospho-p53, is boosted by 18% with exercise and is boosted 27% by drinking two cups of coffee. When exercise and caffeine are combined the effects are much more dramatic...the levels of this protein are doubled!

    Although it appears that exercise and coffee each have health benefits, combining them together seems to have the greatest impact. The ability to double the level of a tumor-blocking protein is outstanding news.

    "We think this points out a need for more studies to see if the combination will protect people against sunlight-induced skin cancer," said the study's Senior Researcher, Allan Conney, the Director of the Laboratory for Cancer Research at Rutgers University.

    This research was conducted as a result of a previous study on Green Tea. It was found that only the caffeinated version of Green Tea helped get rid of DNA damaged skin cells. The decaffeinated Green Tea had no effect to repair damaged skin cells.

    Here is a Great Way to Combine Caffeine and Exercise for Maximum Benefits

    1) Don't eat anything 4 hours before working out

    2) Drink 3-4 cups of green tea or two cups of coffee, 30 minutes before your scheduled workout

    3) Perform intense interval training cardio for an extended time to take advantage of caffeine's fat burning potential

    See...I knew my "Double Tall Iced Americano" was doing me some good! Yeah...I live in Seattle and espresso is consumed about as much as water. Now don't think you can order all those fancy drinks with caramel, chocolate, cream, etc...you have to go plain...stick with black coffee or tea without sugar.

    So caffeine will give you the energy to exercise hard while on a low calorie diet. This will help you burn body fat at a quicker rate...as well as reduce your chances of getting skin cancer. I see nothing but positives here!

    About The Author:
    Rusty Moore is the author of a controversial fitness blog called the Fitness Black Book. Learn workout routinesthat give you a sexy lean body instead of a bulky one! Too much muscle is "cheesy"...find out how to look attractive! Visit his site today... www.FitnessBlackBook.com

    Click Here for better health

    Tuesday, September 4, 2007

    Is Your Weight Loss Over 40 Out Of Control?

    Have you tried every weight loss program out there and you are still fat? Do you keep buying every new piece of workout equipment there is and you are still fat? Why are you on the internet looking for another way to lose weight if you are happy with yourself? It doesn’t matter if you are 10 pounds or 110 pounds over you ideal weight. You have to take control of your life.

    Look back on all the weight loss programs you have been on. What made them fail? Until you can answer that question, you will never have success with any weight loss program. This is where you have to look deep down inside yourself to find the answer.

    * What happened in your life that made you accept being fat?

    * What is missing in your life that food replaces?

    * Is it in your genes to be fat?

    * Is there a virus that makes you fat?

    * Lack of control over your eating?

    * Little or no regular exercise outside of your daily routine?

    * Why do you fail to control your mind and body?

    You can make decisions to love someone, have a family. These a important things in most peoples lives. So why is it so hard to choose to live a better and healthier way of life? It was said on the reality show Fat March by someone over 300 pounds, “I will not give up the foods I love”, maybe they answered the question why they are fat. Their love for food is more important than the people in their lives. Everybody should know being that overweight will shorten your life and cause major health problems.

    Do you buy the latest and greatest new workout equipment thinking it is your magic bullet to weight loss. After about a month it ends up as a clothes hanger in a closet. Every time you see it you are reminded of your passed failures, so you end up selling it for a lot less than you paid for it. Why does this happen over and over again? Maybe it is a way for you to justify the way you eat?

    You can read all the books, listen to all the audio, and watch every video on weight loss. Until you get control over your life, nothing will every change. Why do people finally lose all the weight?

    * Because they get tried of dragging their fat ass around every day

    * They are sick and tired of being tired and sick all the time

    * Something clicks in their mind that there is something better in life for them

    * Their love for food is not worth the feeling of waiting for their last breathe

    You have heard it a million times “The only thing stopping you is YOU”, How many more times will you hear it before it becomes true?

    Do something today for you. Start a weight loss program. Start a workout program. Do anything that is going to lead to a healthier and better quality of life for you. If you fall off, get back on it again. Do not give yourself an excuse to fail. Remember how you learned to ride a bike. Some start out with training wheels. Some start out with someone running alone side the bike balancing for us, and some learn by falling off and getting right back on again… again… and again. Losing weight is not any different. Some will need things to help them Others will need support groups or people to buddy up with, and some will tough it out alone. At the end they will all be riding on their own.

    http://weightlossover40.wordpress.com/

    You have permission to reprint this article in it's entirety in your newsletter or Blog. Also please feel free to pass it along to others who you think would enjoy it. Please keep all links active and working.


    G Cook
    Author
    Internet Marketer
    Weight Loss Member

    http://weightlossover40.wordpress.com/

    Click Here for better Health

    Thursday, August 30, 2007

    Why Do You Never See A Fat Person Advertising Weight Loss Products?

    You always see the anorexic model selling the product, who thinks "weight" is spelled wait. Have you ever seen a fat weight loss trainer? Maybe someone who knows what you are going thru. I would bet that 90% of these weight loss experts have never had a serious weight problem. Do you want to know who the weight loss experts are? Fat people. They have read everything written on weight loss and used almost every weight loss product ever made . Their success, or lack of it does not disqualify them. There is something missing like...

    * Lack of discipline (Because they know what to do but can not stick to the program)

    * They do not understand their addiction to food and what is causing it (physiological, chemical, or medical)

    * Refuse to see the health problems being caused by being overweight ( this is realized after it is to late)

    * Most Fat people are great at justifying or making excuses for their Fatness (I can lose weight tomorrow. It does not interfere with life..)

    This last and biggest thing missing is support from the people who love you and are in your life every day. If they have no weight problem, they do not understand what you are living with. If they are fat and are not worried about weight loss, your success undermines their life choices. These two reasons are why most people fail with their weight loss programs. Everyone needs support at reaching goals in their lives. It is the very rare person who can do it alone.

    People sharing like minded experiences is the best support group for you to reach the goals you set. They might be where you are going. If someone has a road map showing the hazards along the way, why not use it? If they can show you an easier way to do something, why not do it? If they can take something that is not working for you and show you how to make it work, is that not better than setting up another excuse to fail.

    Weight loss is a battle everyday for the rest of you life. It does not matter if you are overweight by 10 pounds or 410 pounds. If the extra weight affects your health and life, it is a problem. Studying, reading, and learning why you are overweight is important. Taking actions is the only thing that will make it happen. Who or what is the only thing that can stop you from being successful, Write your name here

    You have permission to reprint this Article in it's entirety in your newsletters or blogs. Also please feel free to pass it along to others who you think would enjoy it. Please leave all links active and working.

    G Cook Author Internet Marketer Weight Loss Member

    www.weightlossover40.wordpress.com


    www.weightlossover40.wordpress.com

    Click Here For Better Health

    Tuesday, August 28, 2007

    Live With Energy - Live With Passion

    The plan has it that we work until we are too tired to contine, then 'retire'.

    Doesn't the word retire say it all - 're' suggests we are just doing the same thing again - getting tired. Have you ever noticed that you never get tired doing something you love. Remember the feeling when you come home after a long days snow skiing or shopping. Your whole body just wants to collapse into that armchair. Your body is weary, but you feel great! It's been a terrific day.

    With the plethora of opportunities for people to work in later years, why is it that so many retire, just to become old. For generations, we have been focused on the expectation that come 55 or 60 we retire to do all the things in life we always wanted to do. We see retirement as a passage of honor. But what if you planned you life to live with passion - and you actually love your job. Why stop just to play in the garden and take an offshore vacation each year?

    For many, the reality of retirement is not as glamorous as the concept. They find themselves bored, socially isolated and unhappy. Well, after 6-12 months anyway.

    Our bodies are no longer subjected to the heavy loads previously endured through more physical vocations. As our worklife today is considerably more sedentary, our bodies no longer need to stop at a certain age. Rather than use the adage retirement, why not embrace this age as a 'relive' point. That point, where you reassess the way you earn an income, the passions you have in your life and how you want to approach the next twenty years.

    Rather than buy into the social norm, using age - why not let your body and mind dictate your 'relive' point. All through my life I have tried to live with passion - for those I loved, and for the things I loved doing. I have had incredible highs and devastating lows, but one thing has remained constant - I am determined NOT to live the same day over and over, like so many do.

    Sure, it takes courage to make a change. And sure, not all changes are what we expected. So what! One can always make another change, and another, until you find yourself immersed in a life so rich, the hours of the day whip past you before you realise you have even passed the age of 30.

    I prefer to take my 'retirement' years as I go. Once I passed age

    40, I found many of my friends we falling off the face of the earth, either from accidents or illness. What is the point of leaving all those things you really want to do, until the latter years, when you may longer be physically capable of doing them.

    Accept the economic cost and have the courage to take a year off to explore new horizons. You may find at the end of the year, not only are you more passionately invested in your new role, but you are actually making sufficient income that you no longer need to return to your previous mode of employment. I tend to work on seven year cycles. Five years of solid consulting, followed by two years of exploring new fields. This not only develops me as a person, but also provides me with a lot deeper knowledge and perspective for my next set of clients.

    The past two years I have focused on setting up passive income streams for my retirement, in a new field for me - electronic information. I have loved learning how to use Dreamweaver and Photoshop. I have a passion for art, photography and architecture, so naturally I have a site on remodeling and renovations.

    I love technology and marketing, so I have a couple of websites on that as well.

    And I love success, you guessed it, I have a website on success also. I have successfully integrated all my passions into a expanding network of income.

    As I embark on my next five year round of consulting I am eager to continue to expand my new areas of passion, and work them into my workday. It just doesn't seem like work.

    Life is not about getting older. It's about gathering more experiences and maintaining your mind and body in the best possible state to embrace new opportunities. It's like friends - make new friends, but keep the old; one is silver, the other gold. Use the same approach with everything in your life. Try new activities, new paths of travel, new ideas, new ways to earn an income. You may surprise yourself. And your body will love you for it. The old adage - Use It Or Lose It, holds true for both the body and the mind.

    Muscle loss and loss of brain function both result from lack of exercise.

    Live with passion, live by your rules. Don't have time to get old!

    Nicola Carr is a anti-aging fitness advisor for Antiaging-Wellness.com. For more tips on how to boost your energy and fitness see Anti-Tiredness.com

    Click Here For Better Health

    Monday, August 27, 2007

    Age Dieting: Choose The Best Diet For Your Age Range

    You probably know that it is much harder to lose weight when you are 30 than when you are 20. And if you are over 40, it is even more difficult. Every year your metabolism slows down. That is why the older you are, the more attention you should pay to healthy dieting and maintaining a healthy life style.

    You are 20 – 30 years old.

    It is not common to have a serious problem with weight in this age range. You can lose 3-5 pounds without trying too hard. The best way to lose extra pounds is a fruit diet. Fruits are rich in vitamin C, which will help you to stay physically active. Pectin, fruit acids and potassium burn calories and improve your metabolism and digestion.

    Here is an example of an apple diet:

    Breakfast: grate 1 apple; add 1 low fat yogurt and 1 table spoon of oatmeal.

    Brunch: 1 apple.

    Lunch: slice 2 apples and add spinach. For sauce mix 1 low fat yogurt, 1 tea spoon of olive oil, 1 tea spoon of apple cider vinegar and 1 tea spoon of water.

    Snack: 1 apple and 3 walnuts.

    Dinner: slice 1 apple, squeeze lemon juice on it and eat it with 5 oz of cheese.

    You are 30-40 years old.

    When you turn 30 years old, your metabolism slows down. You should lower calories in your dieting even if you are physically active. Do not try to lose weight fast. It will make you look a few years older because your skin will become loose and wrinkled. The older you become, the slower you should lose weight. Your goal at this age is to lose no more than 4-5 pounds a month. An ideal diet for you consists of vegetables because you will not have ‘hunger attacks’ and swaying in your weight. Also, you should add regular exercise, massage and skin care that improves skin elasticity.

    Do not plan exercises on your dieting day.

    Here is an example of a vegetable diet:

    Breakfast: mix oatmeal and corn flakes; add low fat milk and 1 grated carrot.

    Brunch: 1 cucumber.

    Lunch: 2 boiled potatoes (with the skin still on them) with a lot of vegetable salad (you can use any vegetables)

    Snack: 1 red sweet paprika.

    Dinner: vegetable salad and 1 piece of rye bread.

    You are 40-50 years old.

    Almost every woman over 40 has weight problems. Your muscular mass decreases and fat increases because of hormonal changes. You should eat most of your food in the first half of the day and have very light and early dinners. You should get no more fat than 30% of your daily ration. Choose vegetable oils. Eat fish and sea food regularly.

    In this age range your body starts retaining fluid. An ideal diet for you is a rice diet because it will help you to maintain a healthy fluid level in your body.

    Here is an example of a rice diet:

    Boil 8 oz of rice and divide it into 3 portions. 2 of them will be combined with additional protein components.

    Breakfast: boiled rice with 1 low fat yogurt and 1 tea spoon of honey.

    Lunch: boiled rice and 5 oz of fish or chicken.

    Dinner: rice with steamed vegetables and 1 tea spoon of vegetable oil.

    Do not add salt because it will lead to retaining fluid in your body. You can add soy because it will help with ‘hunger attacks’.

    For snack you can eat a fruit or 3 oz of low fat cottage cheese.

    You are 50-60 years old.

    If you are over 50, you need less energy (about 30%) than somebody who is 20 years old. Eat 4-5 small portions a day. Do not over eat because it is harmful to your health. Limit your daily ration of salt to ¼ tea spoon a day. Sometimes you can fast, but do not do it often because in this age range your body loses its strength to fight illnesses.

    The most effective substances ‘killing’ fat are enzymes. Pineapple and papaya are very rich in enzymes and vitamin C.

    Here is an example of a diet for you:

    Eat during the day about 4 -5 pounds of pineapple and papaya (or choose just one), including the pulp and juice. Divide these 4-5 pounds into 3 portions: breakfast, lunch and dinner. Do not eat anything else this day. If this diet is too strict for you, try this one:

    Breakfast: 1 slice of pineapple and 3 oz of low fat cottage cheese.

    Lunch: a half of pineapple and 3 oz of boiled chicken or fish or low fat meat.

    Dinner: 1 slice of pineapple and 1 piece of rye bread with 1 piece of low fat cheese.

    Also, powerful ‘fat-killers’ are kiwis, apple cider vinegar and artichokes (and the water left from boiling artichokes)

    You are over 60 years old.

    Your muscular mass in this age range is about 15% of your body. That is why if you want to lose weight, you should do it very slowly because fast diets decrease the amount of protein in your muscular mass.

    The main rule is to eat no more than 40 g of fat a day.

    Here are some examples:

    Breakfast: 1 slice of bread with 1 tea spoon of low fat yogurt.

    Lunch: instead of 1.5 oz of ground meat choose 1.5 oz of red beans. You will get an optical illusion of meat, but 7g less fat. If you can’t live without meat, eat low fat beef instead of pork chop. You will get 13 g less fat.

    Snack: instead of cake, choose a piece of fruit pie (minus 13 g of fat).

    Dinner: instead of salami choose a piece of ham (minus 10 g of fat). With a piece of 30% fat cheese you get 10 g less fat compare to 60% fat cheese.

    Drink no less than 2 L of water. It will support your digestion and metabolism.

    Yulia Berry is a professional makeup artist. It has been her passion to collect the most interesting natural home remedies, healthy diet plans, and beauty and makeup tips from different countries. She spent a few years researching alternative cures and healthy dieting. The result is her website http://www.GreatHomeRemedies.com Sign up for her free newsletter with the exclusive remedy of the week!

    Click Here And Change Your Life Today

    Saturday, August 25, 2007

    Guaranteed Weight Loss-A Diet Sure To Drop The Pounds

    My family and I have just discovered the greatest weight loss diet on the market. Collectively, we lost at least 20 pounds while laying around in bed. All this in just three days! Yes, I said three days!

    What is this diet and how much does it cost? It is known as the gastrointestinal virus. Yes, it can cost you an insurance copay for taking your kids to the doctor to be told it is a virus but that is entirely different story.

    Other than that, the diet is free and you even get days off of work. The benefits of the weight loss diet are endless. You are looking at spending hours and hours of time with your family laying in bed. You get to become closer as a family unit. How can a family not come close after cleaning up after one another and smelling the same stinky clothes for three days? Yes, I said three days!

    So I know you are asking-how can I get one of those gastrointestinal viruses so I too can lose weight, grow closer with my family and get days off of work? Well, you are in luck because I have retraced my steps and have some tips for you to use as your very own in hopes that you too can be so lucky to catch a gastrointestinal virus.

    Hang out in the church nursery.

    Kids carry germs like nobody in the world. It shouldn't take much. They never cover their mouth when they sneeze or cough. I have gone home countless times with all kinds of bodily functions on me from leaky diapers to snotty substances. Extra tip: always volunteer to calm down the upset child-they are sure to snot on you.

    Eat out at all of the restaurants

    My father was just in town and wanted to eat out at all these new restaurants because they don't have them in the small town in which he lives. I am not saying restaurants are bad, but in some cases they can be breeding grounds for the virus. You have a dirty waiter or undercooked meat and you are set with the diet virus.

    Hang out at the community pool

    My goodness, this last week at our pool-I kid you not there was dirty underwear on the deck. The bathroom is always an adventure trying to get through the wet floors, soggy toilet paper and dirty diapers stacked in the stall. A mom's worse nightmare when you are in the process of potty training, but for those hoping for this new diet-it is a match made in heaven!

    So get going, the summer is almost gone and you don't want to cut into your kids school time! For those who are offended by this article, it is just a little glimpse into my life over the past three days! I don't mean to offend.

    Click Here For Better Health

    Thursday, August 23, 2007

    Best Core Exercise Program for Core Fitness

    The right core exercises can mean the difference between great progress and definite results with your core training program or not getting any results at all.

    There are hundreds of muscles in the core of your body - the abdominals (all layers), lower and mid back, pelvic region, obliques and the popular 'love handle' areas are loaded with muscles of all different sizes, shapes, lengths and angles - which require specific exercises to produce the desired strength training effect for optimal fitness.

    The following exercises can serve as a core training primer for beginners or they can be added or substituted into your current core workout routine.

    1 – Lying face up, hand down at your side. Bring your legs up, knees slightly bent with the bottom of your feet toward the ceiling. This is your start position. While keeping the abdominals pulled in (contracted), slowly lower your right leg, until the heel touches the ground, and then raise it back up. Do this fifteen times. Then switch legs.

    2 – Lying face up with knees bent, feet off the floor. Arms are extended as if reaching toward the sky if you were standing. As you breathe out, slowly bring your knees toward you by contracting your abdominals (pulling inward). Then breathe in as you return to the start position.

    3 - Lying face up with knees bent, heels on the ground and toes pointing up. Lift your butt off the ground to engage the core muscles. Now, here is where the fun starts. Lift one foot off the floor, extending that leg until it is straight, bring it back to the start position (heel on ground) and then do the same with the other leg. Keep alternating until you do a total of twenty, ten on each side.

    If this exercise sequence is too easy, go through it again and see how you do. If it was too challenging, decrease the number of repetitions to about five and do this every other day. Gradually increase the repetitions as your core gets stronger.

    A big mistake many people, even trainers, make is to mimic the abdominal routines of bodybuilders or power-lifters. The problem with that is most people are not bodybuilders or power-lifters - and these people tend to over-train anyway (I know this because I used to do it myself!).

    The problems here range from a lot of wasted time to serious, long term injuries.
    This happens every day to people who try to exercise without proper guidance and it’s one the reasons why physical therapists are so busy!

    The proper workout must be designed to provide the most effective exercise training stimulus to the entire midsection, in the shortest amount of time (because we are all very busy people, right?), with minimal risk of injury. The problem is it is extremely rare to find an abdominal and core workout routine that fits all of these criteria. Use these important points when structuring your program.

    These are the exact principles I follow when training my personal, one-on-one clients AND they are the same principles I follow in my own fitness training workout program. Structure your own program according to the principles outlined above, with the proper selection of core exercises for effective and safe results.

    Joey Atlas, M.S. – Exercise Physiology, is a fitness consultant, trainer and writer in Jacksonville, Florida. He is the creator of ‘Abs of Stone – Core of Steel’, a complete Core Exercise Fitness Program

    Also visit http://www.AbsofStoneCoreofSteel.com/Core.html for more information & tips.

    Side Note: Start Today Click Here

    Wednesday, August 22, 2007

    Review Of The Negative Calorie Diet Part I And II

    The two articles sound like a hybrid of the Raw Foods (vegan diet) and the 6 week body makeover diet by Michael Thurmond. Both experience very good weight loss if done properly. In the two programs they stress either no animal protein (vegan) or in small amounts 3 to 4oz in 5 to 6 meals per day (6 week body makeover). The Thermal calorie burning is key in both programs.

    If the body is allow to burn or uses all the calories taken in at one meal before the next, weight loss will happen. Protein is much harder to metabolize than fruits and vegetables, so eating less protein allows your metabolism rate to go up. Higher the Basal metabolic rate the more calories burned and the more weight that is lost.

    The important thing to remember with a strict Raw Food diet is? Because of
    reduced levels of calcium, iodine, and vitamins B12 and D, vegans are encouraged to take dietary supplements.
    On the minerals, salt should not be uses during weight loss. Any salt intake retains body fluids which hurts your weight loss program. The quicker you show weight loss the longer you will stay on the program.


    No matter what diet you use Water is the key part of any successful weight loss program. The liver plays the main roll in the metabolism of fat in the human body. If the kidneys are deprived of water the liver has to pick up part of the kidneys functions, which in turns lowers it affectedness of metabolizing fat. You need at least 64oz of water a day for the human body to run like a fine tune machine.

    This is a fine example of someone taking two weight loss programs and making one that works for them. Human body types are like cars, some run ok on cheap gas while others become clogged and breakdown. Not every diet fits every body type, so do the research and find out what works for you.

    Click Here To Start That Journey

    Tuesday, August 21, 2007

    The Negative Calorie Diet - Part II

    What Foods Have Been Designated as Having “Negative Calories"?

    The following foods are considered to have these characteristics, although this is mainly in the raw (or very lightly cooked) state:

    Vegetables:

    Asparagus, Beans, Broccoli, Cabbage, Chicory, Carrot, Cauliflower, Celery, Hot Chili, Cucumber, Garlic, Green Lettuce, Onion, Radish, Spinach, Turnip, Watercress, Zucchini

    Fruits:

    Apple, Blueberries, Cantaloupe, Cranberry, Grapefruit, Honeydew, Lemon/Lime, Mango, Orange , Papaya, Peach, Pineapple, Raspberry, Strawberry, Tomato, Tangerine, Turnip, Watermelon

    Conclusions

    Whatever else is true, it is clear that “all food calories are not equal" and the composition of your diet can have a significant effect on your weight loss/fat loss progress. To loose weight successfully in the long term your body has to burn off some of its fat deposits. This will require the establishment of a daily calorie deficit in terms of the energy balance of the body. This deficit is created when the calories of food energy ingested are less than the calories of body energy expended (in the form of the energy needed to maintain BMR plus the energy expended in daily physical activity: a must!!).

    In other words:

    Calorie Deficit (Replaced by burning fat) = Energy In (Food Calories) – Energy Out (Heat Calories)

    In this equation however “Energy In" must be expressed as Net Food Calories, which are the calories obtained from food NET of the calories (i.e after subtracting them) burned in digesting/metabolizing the food eaten. Most food energy values are expressed (in calories) as their gross energy value (i.e. total heat energy value per gram or oz) and therefore make no allowance for any thermic effect. Therefore, regardless as to whether you fully believe in the concept of Negative Calorie Foods, you can be sure that the food choices you make CAN and WILL have an impact on your weight/fat loss program. This is particularly true in relation to the proportions of macronutrients (protein, fat, and carbohydrates) in your diet when a diet that has a higher proportion of protein (which raises BMR by 25%-30%) will contribute a smaller quantity of NET calories than a diet which gets its calories from quantities of either fat or carbohydrate (which only raise BMR by 4%-6%). Do keep in mind that a proper ratio of macronutrients is approximately 50% carbs, 30% protein, and 20% healthy fats. This ratio can vary slightly for different individuals, but this is a good place to start.

    Therefore, it makes sense to carefully evaluate the make up of your diet and to have some understanding of the proportions of protein, fat & carbohydrate. A diet that obtains a higher proportion of its calories from protein rich foods (such as lean white meat or fish) will tend to be more effective at promoting fat loss. Whatever you believe about the claims made, the list of “Negative Calorie Foods" is principally made up of healthy complex fibrous carbohydrates and including many of these into a diet that is skewed towards more protein (30% of the diet) is likely to prove to be a winning combination for promoting steady weight loss, provided an overall calorie deficit is maintained by a program of modest calorie restriction combined with regular aerobic exercise. Please see my other articles, or visit my website, for more on this.

    Please visit http://www.ultimatehealthynutrition.com for more free articles, ideas, and products on how to eat healthy, be healthy, and feel better for life. Remember, nothing tastes as good as fit and trim feels!

    Reprint Guidelines

    (c) 2007, Howard Jaros, Clinical & Sports Nutritionist. WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEBSITE? Yes, you can, provided you make all links live and include this copyright and by-line at the end of my ezine.

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    Monday, August 20, 2007

    The Negative Calorie Diet – Part I

    The Thermic Effect of Food & Negative Calories

    The concept behind the Thermic Effect of Food (TEF) and the idea that it is possible to eat Negative Calorie Foods is the fact that eating any food causes your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) to increase because you use energy to eat, digest, and metabolize the food you’ve just eaten. The rise occurs soon after you start eating and peaks two to three hours later. This rise in the BMR can range from between 2-3 per cent, up to 25-30 per cent, depending on the size of the meal and the types of foods eaten. The idea of Negative Calorie Foods is based on the belief that there are certain foods, which use more calories to digest than the amount of calories actually contained in the food! Calories from these foods are much harder for the body to use. In other words, the body has to work hard in order to extract calories from these foods. Even though different foods may contain equal amounts of calories, in Negative Calorie Foods much less of these calories turn into fat, as fewer calories are actually available to the body. This allegedly gives these foods a tremendous natural fat-burning advantage.

    The Theory of How it Works

    There are six essential nutrients that the human body requires to keep it nourished and healthy; these include; protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water. Foods have a macronutrient (carbohydrate, fat, and protein), caloric (calories) and vitamin & mineral content. Vitamins stimulate living tissues to produce enzymes that breakdown the caloric nutrients of that food. It is generally accepted that the various categories of macronutrients that are present in the diet will increase BMR by different amounts as shown below:

    · Fats - raise the BMR 4 per cent

    · Carbohydrates - raise BMR 6 per cent

    · Proteins - raise BMR 30 per cent

    (It is suggested that hot spicy foods can also have a significant thermic effect: for example foods containing chilli, horseradish and mustard). The overall “Thermic Effect of Food" is considered to utilize roughly 10% of the total calories of food ingested in the “average" diet. However, Negative Calorie Foods are supposed to contain enough vitamins & minerals to produce enzymes in quantities sufficient to break down not only its own calories, but additional calories present in digestion as well. This is the “secret" of The Negative Calorie Foods and the reasoning behind why Negative Calorie Foods may be regarded as “Fat burning Foods" (The Negative Calorie Foods will tend to have maximum benefits when eaten without any “empty calorie foods" i.e. junk foods).

    There is much disagreement about the negative calorie diet and some experts are unconvinced about the claims made. Some believe the amount of energy used may be relative to the amount and complexity of the meal ingested. In other words the energy used to digest and absorb may be set as a general percentage of the energy contained in each specific food, thus there cannot ever be foods with negative calories. However, some research has proved that celery does cause a negative energy intake but this is mainly because the energy is "sealed" making the digestive system work harder to obtain its energy content.

    It is unclear therefore as to whether negative calorie foods are fact or fiction. There needs to be more research done in order to prove or disprove the theory. Although it seems reasonable to believe that if negative calorie foods help people consume fewer calories AND eat healthier foods, then including lots of these foods as part of an overall balanced diet, can be a positive start to permanent weight loss!

    Please visit http://www.ultimatehealthynutrition.com for more free articles, ideas, and products on how to eat healthy, be healthy, and feel better for life. Remember, nothing tastes as good as fit and trim feels!

    Reprint Guidelines

    (c) 2007, Howard Jaros, Clinical & Sports Nutritionist. WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEBSITE? Yes, you can, provided you make all links live and include this copyright and by-line at the end of my ezine.

    Side Note: Click Here To Begin Your Journey

    Sunday, August 19, 2007

    Nutrisystem Vs. Medifast - Two Popular Diet Plans, Nutrisystem & Medifast Compared

    You may have decided that using a diet meal replacement plan or diet food plan would be the easiest way for you to lose weight. However, there are so many plans available; you may not know which program would work the best for you. In this article I will compare two very popular diet food, meal replacement plans Nutrisystem and MediFast. These diet plans may seem similar, although once you read about each plan, you will find they are very different.

    Nutrisystem Overview:

    Nutrisystem offers prepackaged, pre-portioned diet meals for breakfast, lunch, dinner and two snacks. You are advised to add fresh vegetables, fruits, salads to lunch, and dinner meals. The meals are low calorie, yet nutritionally sound with the added fresh fruit and vegetables. The diet meals are based on low glycemic, good carbs, with the right amount of protein and fiber that your body needs for increased fat and calorie burning.

    The Nutrisystem program also offers a free weight loss community website where you can get free diet counseling, weight loss tips and community support in your weight loss endeavors.

    Nutrisystem advises if you eat their prepackaged diet meals and follow their plan, you can potentially lose 1 to 3 pounds a week.

    MediFast Overview:

    MediFast offers prepackaged diet meal replacement foods including shakes, soups, bars, pudding, drinks and cereals. Their name basically sums up how their plan works; you are “fasting” most of the day. Their most popular program is the 5 and 1 diet program where you eat 5 MediFast meals a day and 1 low calorie, low fat meal you cook and prepare yourself. Their plan is designed to be calorie deficient (between 800 – 1000 calories a day), thereby allowing your body to use fat for energy.

    MediFast also offers a free weight loss community website where you can get diet support, weight loss tips, diet recipes and more.

    MediFast advises if you follow their 5 in 1 diet program and use their diet meal replacements you can potentially lose up to 20 pounds in a month.

    The Cost:

    Nutrisystem costs about $11 a day, $77 a week and $308 a month plus shipping, although if you choose their auto-ship program, you will get a discount and a free week of diet meals and free shipping.

    MediFast costs about $10 a day, $70 a week or $275 a month if you order one of their 4-week variety packages.

    Both Nutrisystem and MediFast offer a money back guarantee minus shipping if you choose to return unopened packages of the diet meals within 30 days.

    The Difficulty:

    Nutrisystem: Using the Nutrisystem diet meals for weight loss should be an easy transition since you will be eating regular meals and snacks. You may find the calorie reduction in the meals leave you hungry or not satisfied. The convenience of the prepackaged, very little preparation of the diet meals should make the program easier to follow. Staying on the diet for a long term may become difficult because of the lower calorie intake makes you feel unsatisfied. The taste of the foods (which will be discussed next) may also be hard to enjoy.

    MediFast: Transitioning to the MediFast meal replacement plan may be difficult at first since you will be replacing most of your meals with a meal replacement shake, soup or bar. Sometimes a drastic change in your eating habits can be a bonus because it may give you a greater feeling of dieting control. Staying on the diet for a long term may be very difficult because of the monotony of replacing 5 meals a day with the MediFast foods and the taste of the foods.

    The Taste:

    Nutrisystem: There are reports and reviews throughout the internet regarding the taste of Nutrisystem’s diet meals. Some people rave about the taste (although these “raves” may be biased if the person is promoting the program), and many people absolutely hate the taste of the diet meals. On average, many Nutrisystem dieters report they have favorite diet meals, while some suffer through the taste of the meals because of the convenience of the program and the weight loss achieved. Recently, Nutrisystem listened to their customers and introduced many new “better tasting” diet meals that may be more palatable.

    MediFast: There are also mixed reviews on the taste of MediFast meal replacements. On average, many MediFast dieters report that the tastes of the meal replacement foods are “okay,” not overly tasty, yet good enough to stay on the diet program to achieve weight loss goals.

    Conclusion:

    Nutrisystem diet meal plan is a convenient, diet food program that offers a membership site with diet counseling and diet tips. The transition to using their diet foods should not be too difficult since it is recommended to eat 5 diet meals a day supplemented with fresh fruit and vegetables. Since the diet meals should be less calories than you normally eat, and designed to increase your body’s ability to burn fat, you can expect to lose 1 to 3 pounds a week. The diet plan may work best for people who may need a support group for weight loss, yet are too busy to shop for and prepare diet meals, and don’t have time to continually analyze food calories and fat grams.

    MediFast diet meal replacement program is also a convenient weight loss program that offers a community forum, diet support and tips. The transition to using their diet meal replacements 5 times a day may be difficult. Yet, it may also help many dieters resolve to stay on the diet plan since the results may be realized fast with up to 20 pounds lost in the first month. The diet program may work best for people who need to lose a significant amount of weight. In addition, it can also work well for those who desire convenient meal replacements, yet also wish to prepare a fresh meal once a day.

    By: Michelle Dixon

    Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com


    By Michelle Dixon, Copyright 2007. Michelle Dixon writes about many different types of health and fitness subjects. For more information regarding weight loss and free dieting tips please see www.weightlosswonderz.com/weightlosstips.

    Side Note: Click Here to help with that new diet plan

    Friday, August 17, 2007

    Weight Loss Over 40 On Buck Rogers Surgery Videos

    It is important to remember that weight loss is a battle for life. These videos show that even if you are rich and famous, weight loss is still a problem. Gil Gerard had all the money needed to fight being overweight but was losing the war. Here is a man who was a heartthrob back in the 70’s. Until his surgery, he was slowly dieing from the diseases caused by being overweight.

    Major surgery like gastric bypass should be the last option to save your life. Anytime you go under the knife and you are sedated, your life is at risk. So before you consider any life changing surgeries, do the research on it.

    Ask These Questions

    1. What are the risks?
    2. How will it affect my life?
    3. What will I have to give up?
    4. Do I have to do this the rest of my life?
    5. Can it be reversed?
    6. What is the dead rate?
    7. What can I eat?
    8. What I cannot eat?
    9. Do I have to take nutritional supplement the rest of my life?
    10. What will be the permanent affects on my weight loss?
    You should be able to answer each one of these questions before considering gastric bypass surgery. What you do not know could kill you.

    To qualify for surgery, most insurance companies require a 2 year medical weight loss record. Your weight must be proven to be life threatening . Morbid obesity is defined as 100 or more pounds overweight or a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more. This alone is judged by many states insurance guidelines to be life threatening. The patients are between the ages of 18-60 years old. They must have a complete understanding of the risks and real benefits caused by this surgery.

    Most Insurance Companies deny your first claim. Always submit an Appeal Letter within 30 to 60 days of the denial. The cost of the surgery is not cheap ranging from $15,000 and up.

    Gil Gerard Gastric Bypass surgery Video’s

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkvujuQyX5o

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQt9d2Xo2LU

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7SRAgfQs5k


    You have permission to reprint this article in it's entirety in your newsletter or Blog. Also please feel free to pass it along to others who you think would enjoy it. Please keep all links active and working.
    G Cook
    Author
    Internet Marketer
    Weight Loss Member

    http://weightlossover40.wordpress.com/

    Side Note: Do not become Buck Rogers Click Here

    Thursday, August 16, 2007

    Lose Weight - 5 Diet Myths

    How to get rid of excess weight is a very common topic at home, amongst friends, at work...
    Here are some of the most common weight loss myths people tend to believe when searching for a way to lose weight:

    Myth 1: Food eaten in the evening contributes more to weight gain.
    Wrong: It is the amount of calories accumulated throughout the day, but the time of the day you consume those calories is of minor significance. If you were on low calories during the day you can afford a dinner without worries.

    Myth 2: To skip breakfast or lunch is good for staying slim or reducing weight.
    Wrong: It is a bad idea to skip breakfast as your cravings for food will increase so much till lunch time that you will probably forget all you have pledged and eat a lot more than you should. The same applies to skipping lunch. If you still manage to stay away from all snacks and sweets during the afternoon but your hunger will be out of control latest at dinner time. Thus you will add more calories than you would with regular meals.

    Myth 3: Five meals instead of three are a better way to lose weight.
    Wrong: It makes no difference how many meals you have a day. Important is that you limit the total amount of calories. Eating less but more often shortens the time between each meals and makes you feel less hungry. But on the other hand, if you are having a hard time to resist eating more food than you should, you might be better off with three meals only. Less exposure to food means less temptations.

    Myth 4: The metabolism of people over 40 is slowing down, thus putting on weight is unavoidable.
    Wrong: True is that muscle mass gradually decreases with age if people do not exercise. As a result, increasing fat deposition develops a risk factor for your health. Regular exercise can help you to prevent that. A higher age is therefore no excuse for putting on weight. It only takes more effort to keep up your exercise routine and maintain a healthy level of fitness.

    Myth 5: If exercising and working out in the gym keep you fit and slim, you don't have to care about what you eat.
    Wrong: The number of calories being burnt during workout is mostly overestimated. To burn 300 calories one has to swim for 40 minutes. Besides that, somebody wanting to loose weight has to burn the daily calories of the food eaten and additional calories from stored fat cells. That's a hell of a task. One kilo of fat is equal to 7000 calories. To burn such an amount one will have to work out on his home trainer for 12 hours. This means, losing weight merely through exercise is hardly achievable. But it is important to maintain a regular exercise routine. It helps you to increase muscle mass which in return burns more calories. Besides this you will also feel a lot better. But there is no way around limiting your calorie intake. A combination of both will bring you a step closer to your goal.

    One last word: Most weight loss efforts collapse quite quickly because people set unrealistic goals. Go for small steps, easy to achieve and a glitch once in a while is nothing bad. Just get back on track and never give up!

    By: Rudy Tiefnig

    Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com


    Rudy Tiefnig is writer, editor and advisor on nutrition and diet plans for fitness and weight loss. To read more: www.fit-slim-healthy.com

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    Wednesday, August 15, 2007

    Is Fitness Over 40 Easy?

    It seems pretty hard to be fit over 40, doesn't it?

    Well, I could tell you about people like Kelly Nelson and Morjoie Newlin, two female bodybuilders. They're not your typical bodybuilders. Kelly Nelson first began training with weights in the early 1980's at age 53 and was still competing in the 21st century in her late 70's...in a bikini...and lookin' good if I may say so! Morjorie Newlin was in HER 70's before a 50 pound bag of cat litter convinced her that if she didn't do something, old age was going to be a difficult time. That's when she began a fitness training program that included weightlifting. Morjorie Newlin was participating in bodybuilding competitions, and winning, in her 80's! Same comment...in a bikini and lookin' good.

    Now, obviously, these are special ladies who put in a lot of extra effort to accomplish some specific goals, but it does make a point. Life...and fitness...does not have to end at 40. Both of these ladies STARTED their fitness careers after age 40. Kelly Nelson was 53 and Morjorie Newlin was 72. Years later, both were still active in their chosen fitness areas and still enjoying life as well as, or better than, many in their 30's or 40's.

    Fitness over 40? Heck, all around the globe, people in their 80's are skiing, hiking, canoeing, biking. Some, not so adventurous, are lifting weights or sweatin' along with Richard Simmons. Some are black belts in Karate, and some quietly and calmly practice yoga or tai-chi.

    As easy as this sounds, fitness over 40 requires regular performance of the proper exercises. Just as in our 30's or 40's, sitting in the easy chair, clicking the remote, doing 16 ounce curls with a Miller Lite just doesn't cut it. However, it is not necessary to pack up and head for the gym and try to keep up with the hardbody cuties, either. It IS necessary to pick an exercise program or physical activity, combine that with some healthy eating habits...AND STICK TO IT!

    Even over 40, the benefits normally associated with a regular, moderate exercise program will kick in, but for seniors, some benefits are of special importance.

    People over 40 tend to break bones, usually from falling.

    As we age, bones weaken, as do muscles. We lose some of our proprioception, the perception of stimuli relating to a person's own position, posture, equilibrium, or internal condition. Our ability to react quickly to a loss of balance, whatever the source, or to avoid an obstacle or actual peril becomes diminished.

    Exercise helps bones stay strong and exercises such as weightlifting and other resistance training help your body maintain balance and stability. Weight bearing and resistance exercises assist the body in maintaining proprioception by improving the connections and conditions of the muscles and their anchoring in bone. This training also triggers the reconditioning of the signaling system from body to brain which allows the brain to realize the danger and transmit the appropriate signals to muscles which can react to correct the situation. Weightlifting and resistance exercises can help give your muscles the strength and agility to respond to those signals if you are tripped, off balance, or in other peril requiring quick reaction.

    People over 40 begin to lose their zest for living and experience more health crises.

    Part of this is due to normal changes that take place as we grow older. Our bodies get thicker and lose the gracefulness of youth. Things seem to become heavier and harder to move, and we begin to feel aches and pains that often accompany aging. Some of those aches and pains may be due to arthritis, and other ills may also attack us as we seem to become prey to every passing cold or other social ailment, and also see some deadlier or more debilitating conditions crop up in our age group, if not in ourselves.

    Regular exercise comes to the rescue here as well. It can help with weight loss, or it can help with weight management once we get to our appropriate weight. Regular, moderate exercise can keep joints supple, in many cases even joints under attack by arthritis. I know about this as I have been afflicted with fairly severe osteoarthritis for several years and manage to keep myself active and the condition somewhat under control by my own exercise activities. Exercise also strengthens the immune system, which helps us avoid or fight off the normal bacterial and viral infections which seem to come our way and which often seem to wreak havoc on the older population.

    Even better; regular, moderate exercise seems to be somewhat effective in helping ward off such common companions of aging as high blood pressure, type II diabetes, and even some forms of cancer.

    What exercise program is beneficial for fitness over 40?

    In the first analysis, almost any physical activity which gets your heart rate up, makes you breathe more deeply than normal, and which challenges muscles beyond their normal range of activity is going to be on the list. There are people in their 80's hiking mountain trails, water skiing, playing softball, weightlifting (as pointed out earlier), or even cheerleading. It is NOT necessary to take out a membership in a local gym, hire a personal trainer, or invest in a lot of exercise equipment and apparel...unless that helps get you motivated. Anything from walking, to swimming, to yoga, to weightlifting will generally fill the bill. There are, however, some simple points to think about.

    1. Get your doctor's approval first. "Nuff said?

    2. Pick an activity, or even a group of activities, which you will enjoy doing. Don't be afraid to try something new...take some classes in yoga, tai chi, or even karate. Maybe you will feel better in a certain amount of solitude and just want to pick up a set of weights and exercise in the privacy of your home. Perhaps the idea of biking around the neighborhood or even around other parts of the country appeals to you. If this is a new set of decisions, realize that you may try a few things at first that just don't pan out for one reason or another. Keep experimenting until you find what is right for you. You are STILL exercising, right?

    3. Put some variation into your exercise.

    Any exercise cannot itself provide the three basic types of exercise needed. We need exercises which will stretch muscles and joints, exercises which strengthen muscle, and exercises which improve our cardiovascular fitness. This is not really hard to do, however, and should not take a lot of time out of your life, particularly when you consider how much it will put back into your life. As one example, you could do a simple weight or resistance training for strength two or three times a week, some sort of low-impact aerobics or walking for cardio on other days, and do some simple stretching exercises every day. None of these workout periods needs to be more than about 30 minutes, although a little more time and effort may produce better benefits, particularly once you have trained up to a level where your body is comfortable meeting the demands you place on it.

    You are more likely to stay on a physical fitness regimen if you enjoy it. However, things do tend to get stale over time. It doesn't hurt to vary your approach from time to time in either the manner in which you do certain exercises, or by varying the exercises themselves. While not exact equals, for example, swimming, biking, and walking can be somewhat interchangeable as part of your fitness routine. In some cases, simply varying the environment, i.e. taking a walk in the park or botanical gardens as opposed your neighborhood may be all the variation you need to feel like you have put a little zing into your day-to-day workout existence.

    4. Start off easy. At any age, a common reason for failure to stay on ANY exercise program is that people tend to try to do too much at first and try to progress too fast. Whatever you choose, your body needs time to adjust to the new demands being made on it, and results will never come overnight.

    5. Don't stop. Probably the most important aspect of any exercise program, or any other self-improvement program, is the commitment to what you know you should be doing day after day. A haphazard approach to your exercise program is detrimental at any stage in your life. After 40, however, making sure you get your regular dose of anti-aging exercise is incredibly important.

    6. Eat healthy. I try to avoid the use of the word "diet", and often substitute the term "healthy eating" instead. Diets don't work and can even work against you. They are difficult to stay on and take a major portion of fun out of life instead of making life better. Healthy eating choices will do the trick if you make them a regular part of your life.

    While fitness over 40 can demand some of your time and attention that you might not want to surrender to it, the rewards in overall health, fitness, and enjoyment of life will far outweigh any investment you put into it.

    Donovan Baldwin is a freelance writer residing in Copperas Cove, Texas, and a University of West Florida alumnus. He is a member of Mensa and is retired from the U. S. Army after 21 years of service. In his career, he has held many managerial and supervisory positions. However, his main pleasures have long been writing, nature, health, and fitness. In the last few years, he has been able to combine these pleasures by writing poetry and articles on subjects such as health, fitness, weight lifting, yoga, weight loss, the environment, global warming, happiness, self improvement, and life. You can find a collection of his articles on health, fitness, diet, and weight loss at http://nodiet4me.com/articledirectory and a review of Jon Benson and Tom Venuto's ebook "Fit Over 40" at http://nodiet4me.com/review/fit_over_40.html.

    Side Note: If You Are Over 40 Click Here

    Tuesday, August 14, 2007

    Benefit Of Physical Fitness For Over 40’s

    The benefits of physical fitness, especially in a person over 40, are tremendously important for long-term health and well-being. As we grow older so do our bodies at the cellular level. This is the reason why our skin sags, gets darker and develops cellulite. The benefits of physical fitness include being able to hold back the hands of time. Well, not literally of course! Exercise will build muscle and strength that often deteriorates as we age. This will allow you to move more easily, accomplish daily tasks and delay the pain and discomfort that can be caused by arthritis.

    People who exercise also find that they are able to lose those unwanted pounds more quickly and with less effort. This is accomplished because exercise burns calories and if you don’t replace those calories you’ll lose both weight and body fat. The other benefits of physical fitness include decreasing the risk of high blood pressure or reducing high blood pressure.

    Between the weight loss and the chemicals that are released during exercise you have a decreased risk of developing high blood pressure and a greater chance of reducing blood pressure that may already be elevated. A connected illness with high blood pressure is heart disease. Often those who suffer from high blood pressure also have some degree of heart disease.

    The benefit of physical exercise is that it will decrease your risk of developing or dying from heart disease. Another condition that is linked with high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and diabetes is high cholesterol. One of the benefits of physical fitness is to reduce your risk of high cholesterol, no matter your diet or genetics. By reducing your risk of high cholesterol, high blood pressure and heart disease you also reduce your risk of premature death.

    Not only will physical fitness decrease your risk of physical illness but also of mental distress and stress related illnesses. For instance, a benefit of physical fitness is to reduce your risk of depression and anxiety. You’ll spend less money on anti-depressants and improve your psychological well-being and work, recreation and sports performance.

    The benefits of physical fitness are different for aerobic exercise vs strength training. While aerobic exercise will improve your ability to use and transport oxygen, increase blood supply to the muscles and improve glucose tolerance strength training increases muscle strength, improves flexibility, balance and coordination.

    The benefits to physical fitness are numerous. Our bodies were designed for motion and movement. Without that movement we suffer the consequences of stress related illness, and age related conditions.

    By: Bob Cotto

    Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

    Bob Cotto has over 35 years experience in Senior Sales and Marketing Management positions with a variety of companies, such as We The People, IRM, Live Marketing, Cigna Securities and many others. For each of these companies, he's led the sales and marketing teams to triple digit record breaking growth year after year. If there's one thing he understands, its business. And that's why he KNOWS that the Ultimate Business In A Box has everything you’ll need to succeed.

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