By: Anthony Ellis
Weight training involves the use of equipment that enables
variable resistance. This resistance can come in the form of
"free weights" like barbells and dumbbells, machines that use
cables or pulleys to help you lift the weight and bodyweight
exercises like pull-ups or dips.
Free Weights vs. Machines vs. Bodyweight Exercises
For maximum muscle gain, the focus of your workouts should
consist of free weight exercises. Not machines or bodyweight
exercises. This is not to say that you should not use machines
or bodyweight exercises, but they should not be the focus of
your training. To get an effective, muscle blasting workout, you
must stimulate the most muscle fibers as possible, and machines
do not do this.
The main reason for this is a lack of stabilizer and synergist
muscle development. Stabilizer and synergist muscles are
supporting muscles that assist the main muscle in performing a
complex lift. The more stabilizers and synergists worked, the
more muscle fibers stimulated. Multi-jointed free weight
exercises like the bench press, require many stabilizer and
synergistic muscle assistance to complete the lift. On the other
hand doing a bench press using a machine will need almost no
stabilizer assistance.
Since machines are locked into a specific range of motion and
help to support the weight along that path, they fail to
stimulate the muscles that surround the area you are working
(stabilizers). This is a mistake. If your stabilizer muscles are
weak, then the major muscle group will never grow!
Free weight exercises like the dumbbell press or squat, for
example, put a very large amount of stress on supporting muscle
groups. That's why you will get fatigued faster and not be able
to lift as much weight as you did on the machine. But you will
gain more muscle, become stronger very quickly and have a true
gauge of your strength.
If you use machines in your program, they should be used to work
isolated areas and only after all multi-jointed exercises have
been completed.
Beginners should begin with a limited combination of machine
exercises, bodyweight exercises and mult-jointed free weight
exercises. Before increasing the weight levels, they should work
on becoming familiar with the proper form and execution of each.
Soon, bodyweight exercises will become insufficient to stimulate
growth and they will need to focus on more free weight
exercises.
Multi-Jointed Exercises
The exercises that work the large muscle groups are called
compound (or multi-joint) movements that involve the
simultaneous stimuation of many muscle groups. These compound
exercises should be the foundation of any weight training
program because they stimulate the most amount of muscle in the
least amount of time.
Here are the basic movements:
* Bench Presses (works the chest, shoulders, tricep) * Overhead
Presses (shoulders, tricep) * Pull-ups/Barbell Rows (back,
bicep) * Squats (legs, lower back) * Deadlifts (legs, back,
shoulders) * Bar Dips (shoulders, chest, arms)
I cannot overemphasize the importance of these exercises. Do not
start an advanced weight training program without them!
They will overload your entire skeletal and muscular system like
no machine could ever do, giving you and effective workout in a
very short period of time. If you can only do a few exercises,
then do these. They have been proven (and not just by me) to
encourage muscle and strength gain unlike any other exercises.
Lift Heavy Weight
To build mass, you must weight train with heavy weights. By
heavy, I mean a weight that is challenging for you -- not me, or
anyone else. To consider a weight heavy, you should only be able
to do a maximum of 8-12 reps before your muscles temporarily
fail. A weight is considered "light" if you can do more than 15
reps before muscle fatigue sets in.
Heavy weights stimulate more muscle fibers than lighter weights.
It's that simple. More muscle stimulation means more muscle
growth.
Don't Overtrain
Heavy weight training puts a huge strain on your body, so
adequate rest and recuperation after your workouts is essential.
If you are prone to train too often, several things happen:
You don't give your muscles enough time to recuperate between
workouts. If your muscles have not repaired themselves, you will
not be at maximum strength for your next workout. Rest is
essential. Other than eating, this should be your main focus.
You are setting yourself up for burnout or an injury. I know you
are motivated and excited about working out, but don't be
careless. You must pace yourself, you want to be able to keep
this up for a long time, not burnout before you reach your
goals. I only weight train 3 times per week, that's all. Anymore
than that and I would not give my body enough time to repair and
build new muscle.
Contrary to popular belief, you do not grow while working out,
you only grow when you are resting.
Below is an example mass workout. I did 4 heavy sets for 4-8
reps each.
Wednesday (legs, abs)
* Heavy Squats, leg extension superset * Seated Calve Raises, 4
strips sets * Crunches (4 sets of 20)
-------
Friday (chest, shoulder, triceps, abs)
* Flat bench press, incline dumbbell flyes superset * Shoulder
press, side raises superset * Tricep pushdowns * Reverse incline
leg raises (3 sets of 20)
------
Sunday (back, biceps, abs)
* Wide grip pull-ups, latbar pulldown superset * EZ bar bicep
curl, incline dumbbell curls superset * Crunches (4 sets of 20)
Nothing fancy, but effective.
About the author:
Former "skinny guy" Anthony Ellis is the author of Gaining
Mass!This unique program designed to help people gain weight and
build muscle, is currently being used in over 90 countries Click
here for more information http://www.fastmusclegain.co
m
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Sunday, November 27, 2005
Questioning The Obesity Myth
By: Sussy Harlet
The Fleshiness Myth: Why United States's Obsession with Weight
Is Hazardous to Your Health. Gotham Books, New York, 2004. At a
June 2, 2005, press conference, Dr. Julie Gerberding, the
director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
apologized for the mixed messages the populace has been getting
approximately the dangers of fleshiness. Acknowledging that
flawed data in several CDC studies had exaggerated the risks of
, Gerberding was responding in part to critics such as Saint
Paul Campos. Campos rightly sounds the alarm over bad skill, and
his volume The Myth (reissued in May 2005 as The Diet Myth) was
prominently featured in a recent Scientific American cover
clause.
The Bible and controversy provide an object lesson in
skepticism. Campos is not a checkup professional but a lawyer;
he makes a point of mentioning this, implying that his status as
an outsider to the issuance aids his judgment. It is important
to remember, however, that lawyers do not seek the truth;
instead, they advocate for one side. In this case, Campos is
advocating on behalf of those who believe that the efforts to
portray fatness as unhealthy and unacceptable ar driven by
debris scientific discipline, hatred of blubber people, and a
profit-hungry dieting industry. He also believes that the
time-honored free weight loss recipe of watching what you eat
and exercising doesn't work. Campos charges that "almost
everything the government and the media [] saying close to
exercising weight and weighting control [is] either grossly
distorted or flatly untrue." The whole field is rife with "dust
," Campos writes, and former Operating surgeon Full general
Jacques Louis David Satcher was "brainsick" in his efforts to
curb US's .
It is certainly true, as Dr. Gerberding admitted (and Patrick
Johnson explains in this publication), that assorted estimates
of 's death toll were consistently overdone. While Campos and
other critics can gloat in vindication, the fact is that is only
the latest in a long list of world threats that have been by a
sensationalist news media (and, to a lesser degree, by the
medical checkup community). The dire warnings, publicity, and
hype surrounding West Nile virus, ebola, flu, anthrax, Mad Cow
disease, and even AIDS, to name just a few, all far outstripped
any reasonable threat. And confusing and contradictory medical
examination information is hardly novel, as William Baarschers
describes in his in this exit.
About the author:
Sussy Harlet http://www.productdepot.net
The Fleshiness Myth: Why United States's Obsession with Weight
Is Hazardous to Your Health. Gotham Books, New York, 2004. At a
June 2, 2005, press conference, Dr. Julie Gerberding, the
director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
apologized for the mixed messages the populace has been getting
approximately the dangers of fleshiness. Acknowledging that
flawed data in several CDC studies had exaggerated the risks of
, Gerberding was responding in part to critics such as Saint
Paul Campos. Campos rightly sounds the alarm over bad skill, and
his volume The Myth (reissued in May 2005 as The Diet Myth) was
prominently featured in a recent Scientific American cover
clause.
The Bible and controversy provide an object lesson in
skepticism. Campos is not a checkup professional but a lawyer;
he makes a point of mentioning this, implying that his status as
an outsider to the issuance aids his judgment. It is important
to remember, however, that lawyers do not seek the truth;
instead, they advocate for one side. In this case, Campos is
advocating on behalf of those who believe that the efforts to
portray fatness as unhealthy and unacceptable ar driven by
debris scientific discipline, hatred of blubber people, and a
profit-hungry dieting industry. He also believes that the
time-honored free weight loss recipe of watching what you eat
and exercising doesn't work. Campos charges that "almost
everything the government and the media [] saying close to
exercising weight and weighting control [is] either grossly
distorted or flatly untrue." The whole field is rife with "dust
," Campos writes, and former Operating surgeon Full general
Jacques Louis David Satcher was "brainsick" in his efforts to
curb US's .
It is certainly true, as Dr. Gerberding admitted (and Patrick
Johnson explains in this publication), that assorted estimates
of 's death toll were consistently overdone. While Campos and
other critics can gloat in vindication, the fact is that is only
the latest in a long list of world threats that have been by a
sensationalist news media (and, to a lesser degree, by the
medical checkup community). The dire warnings, publicity, and
hype surrounding West Nile virus, ebola, flu, anthrax, Mad Cow
disease, and even AIDS, to name just a few, all far outstripped
any reasonable threat. And confusing and contradictory medical
examination information is hardly novel, as William Baarschers
describes in his in this exit.
About the author:
Sussy Harlet http://www.productdepot.net
Friday, November 25, 2005
How To Indulge And Win The Battle Of The Bulge During The
By: Joey Dweck
If you are trying to lose weight, the holidays literally are the
heaviest time of the year.
So how do you eat, drink and be merry while you're counting
every single calorie? By getting a buddy who will help you make
the right choices bite by bite.
Scientific studies have shown that people who diet with partners
are much more likely to lose weight and to keep it off. And
there's no more crucial time to have a buddy on your side than
from Thanksgiving to New Year's.
"During the holidays, you can use all the help you can get,"
says Alan Gettis, a nutritionist and clinical psychologist in
River Edge, N.J. "I urge my clients to get a full-time
year-round a buddy, it could be a husband or a wife, a neighbor
or a friend. I But don't wait for the first feast to find a
buddy, says Susan Holmberg, a nutritionist and behavioral
therapist in Oradell, N.J. "Once you start overeating, you don't
want a "Buddy," she says.
Buddies give you moral support and help you identify bad eating
habits and patterns because they have been there, too, she says.
"You may want to have more than one buddy," she says. "You can
have one on the phone and one who exercises with you and goes to
parties with you. You can make deals with your buddy where you
both go to the party but only one of you goes through the buffet
line or where you agree to split one meal."
Buddies also are like therapists and coaches, who listen to you
and keep you on the right path. "Your buddy should be a person
you can share your feelings with and rely on in a pinch without
fear that your feelings will be used as ammunition against you,"
Gettis says.
Holmberg says that using a "Buddy" is particularly helpful to
people who may be reluctant to change because those who sign on
can choose a either real-life buddy, someone in their
geographical area they can meet and exercise with, or select
someone to work with solely online or via the phone. "Sometimes
anonymity is good," she says. "You are much more likely to try
it if you don't have to meet the person."
Gettis points out that with a "Buddy", "you can find someone
with similar goals, and both of you can support each other."
Buddies also take on active roles, getting you to stop a bad
habit and replace it with a healthy one. Gettis likens the
process to a marathon, where the runners are tempted to give up
before the 26th mile because it is so difficult to stay the
course. "The 18- to 19-mile mark is the crucial one," he says.
"During a marathon I was once in, I came upon two guys running -
one was hurting, and the other was encouraging him to keep
running. I followed them for two to three miles, and the one
kept saying, 'Leave me.' The other kept saying, 'I'm not going
to.' And I thought, 'What great friends!' Then I heard the one
hurting say, 'What's your name?'"
Perhaps the most important role that buddies play is helping
plan strategies and then making sure that you make them work.
"They can teach you to take baby steps and to change your
environment," Holmberg says. "For instance, they may suggest
that you keep sneakers in your trunk or put on your gym clothes
as you leave the office so you don't have an excuse not to
exercise. They can call ahead to the party to check on the menu
and give you a low-cal recipe to bring so there's at least one
thing that you can eat."
Holmberg says that some of the changes are so simple that people
overlook them. A buddy may, for instance, suggest that you get
at the end of the buffet line so there is less food available or
help the host wash dishes because if your hands are wet, you are
less likely to nibble on the last remaining crumbs from the
serving dishes. "If you are asked to bring dessert, your buddy
may remind you not to make chocolate chip cookies because the
last time you ate a dozen cookies before you brought them to the
party and nibbled the chips while baking and suggest that
instead you make something like a pie that can't be nibbled
because it is cut only when served."
Buddies also can help you practice being assertive, not
aggressive to make significant changes in your diet and your
lifestyle. "By being assertive, you attack the task," Gettis
says. "By being aggressive, you attack the person. You need to
stand your ground and in a firm but angry voice say: 'I really
would appreciate it if you would not bring home anything
fattening. You may have had good intentions, but I'd feel better
if you didn't do it again.'"
So don't wait until you're boxed in by back-to-back parties and
surrounded by wall-to-wall goodies to find a buddy. Make an
early New Year's resolution to do it now, long before the
marathon feasts begin, Gettis says. "You have to be realistic,
so don't count on losing 10 to 12 pounds during the holidays.
Don't say you'll lose 10 pounds during the holidays, and don't
gain 10 either. And get someone to be your buddy for all 12
months of the year. You have nothing to lose - but weight."
Copyright Weight Loss Buddy Press 2005
About the author:
Joey Dweck is the Founder & CEO of WeightLossBuddy.com a website
committed to 24/7 support, expert advice, and helping people
find a buddy(s) who will support their effort to lose weight,
and live a healthier lifestyle. And it's all Free. Sign up for
the Free 4-Part E-Course "Losing For Good"
http://www.weightlossbuddy.com
If you are trying to lose weight, the holidays literally are the
heaviest time of the year.
So how do you eat, drink and be merry while you're counting
every single calorie? By getting a buddy who will help you make
the right choices bite by bite.
Scientific studies have shown that people who diet with partners
are much more likely to lose weight and to keep it off. And
there's no more crucial time to have a buddy on your side than
from Thanksgiving to New Year's.
"During the holidays, you can use all the help you can get,"
says Alan Gettis, a nutritionist and clinical psychologist in
River Edge, N.J. "I urge my clients to get a full-time
year-round a buddy, it could be a husband or a wife, a neighbor
or a friend. I But don't wait for the first feast to find a
buddy, says Susan Holmberg, a nutritionist and behavioral
therapist in Oradell, N.J. "Once you start overeating, you don't
want a "Buddy," she says.
Buddies give you moral support and help you identify bad eating
habits and patterns because they have been there, too, she says.
"You may want to have more than one buddy," she says. "You can
have one on the phone and one who exercises with you and goes to
parties with you. You can make deals with your buddy where you
both go to the party but only one of you goes through the buffet
line or where you agree to split one meal."
Buddies also are like therapists and coaches, who listen to you
and keep you on the right path. "Your buddy should be a person
you can share your feelings with and rely on in a pinch without
fear that your feelings will be used as ammunition against you,"
Gettis says.
Holmberg says that using a "Buddy" is particularly helpful to
people who may be reluctant to change because those who sign on
can choose a either real-life buddy, someone in their
geographical area they can meet and exercise with, or select
someone to work with solely online or via the phone. "Sometimes
anonymity is good," she says. "You are much more likely to try
it if you don't have to meet the person."
Gettis points out that with a "Buddy", "you can find someone
with similar goals, and both of you can support each other."
Buddies also take on active roles, getting you to stop a bad
habit and replace it with a healthy one. Gettis likens the
process to a marathon, where the runners are tempted to give up
before the 26th mile because it is so difficult to stay the
course. "The 18- to 19-mile mark is the crucial one," he says.
"During a marathon I was once in, I came upon two guys running -
one was hurting, and the other was encouraging him to keep
running. I followed them for two to three miles, and the one
kept saying, 'Leave me.' The other kept saying, 'I'm not going
to.' And I thought, 'What great friends!' Then I heard the one
hurting say, 'What's your name?'"
Perhaps the most important role that buddies play is helping
plan strategies and then making sure that you make them work.
"They can teach you to take baby steps and to change your
environment," Holmberg says. "For instance, they may suggest
that you keep sneakers in your trunk or put on your gym clothes
as you leave the office so you don't have an excuse not to
exercise. They can call ahead to the party to check on the menu
and give you a low-cal recipe to bring so there's at least one
thing that you can eat."
Holmberg says that some of the changes are so simple that people
overlook them. A buddy may, for instance, suggest that you get
at the end of the buffet line so there is less food available or
help the host wash dishes because if your hands are wet, you are
less likely to nibble on the last remaining crumbs from the
serving dishes. "If you are asked to bring dessert, your buddy
may remind you not to make chocolate chip cookies because the
last time you ate a dozen cookies before you brought them to the
party and nibbled the chips while baking and suggest that
instead you make something like a pie that can't be nibbled
because it is cut only when served."
Buddies also can help you practice being assertive, not
aggressive to make significant changes in your diet and your
lifestyle. "By being assertive, you attack the task," Gettis
says. "By being aggressive, you attack the person. You need to
stand your ground and in a firm but angry voice say: 'I really
would appreciate it if you would not bring home anything
fattening. You may have had good intentions, but I'd feel better
if you didn't do it again.'"
So don't wait until you're boxed in by back-to-back parties and
surrounded by wall-to-wall goodies to find a buddy. Make an
early New Year's resolution to do it now, long before the
marathon feasts begin, Gettis says. "You have to be realistic,
so don't count on losing 10 to 12 pounds during the holidays.
Don't say you'll lose 10 pounds during the holidays, and don't
gain 10 either. And get someone to be your buddy for all 12
months of the year. You have nothing to lose - but weight."
Copyright Weight Loss Buddy Press 2005
About the author:
Joey Dweck is the Founder & CEO of WeightLossBuddy.com a website
committed to 24/7 support, expert advice, and helping people
find a buddy(s) who will support their effort to lose weight,
and live a healthier lifestyle. And it's all Free. Sign up for
the Free 4-Part E-Course "Losing For Good"
http://www.weightlossbuddy.com
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Intuitive Eating: An 'Anti-Diet' That Works
By: Rita Jenkins
Copyright 2005 Daily News Central
Stop hating your body, stop counting calories and stop using
food for purposes other than to satisfy hunger, and you'll be
healthier and slimmer. That, in a nutshell, is the argument in
favor of "intuitive eating," or letting your body tell you when,
what and how much to eat.
"The basic premise of intuitive eating is, rather than
manipulate what we eat in terms of prescribed diets -- how many
calories a food has, how many grams of fat, specific food
combinations or anything like that -- we should take internal
cues, try to recognize what our body wants and then regulate how
much we eat based on hunger and satiety," says professor of
health science Steven Hawks, lead researcher of an
intuitive-eating study at Brigham Young University.
The findings are reported in the American Journal of Health
Education.
Hawks, who adopted an intuitive-eating lifestyle himself several
years ago and lost 50 pounds as a result, says that "normal"
dieting in the United States doesn't result in long-term weight
loss and contributes to food anxiety and unhealthy eating
practices, and can even lead to eating disorders.
All Diets Work Against Human Biology
Hawks and colleagues Hala Madanat, Jaylyn Hawks and Ashley
Harris identified a handful of college students who were
naturally intuitive eaters and compared them with other students
who were not. Participants then were tested to evaluate their
health.
As measured by the Intuitive Eating Scale, developed by Hawks
and others to measure the degree to which a person is an
intuitive eater, the researchers found that intuitive eating
correlated significantly with lower body mass index (BMI), lower
triglyceride levels, higher levels of high density lipoproteins
and decreased risk of cardiovascular disease.
Approximately one-third of the variance in body mass index was
accounted for by intuitive eating scores, while 17 to 19 percent
of the variance in blood lipid profiles and cardiovascular risk
was accounted for by intuitive eating.
"The findings provide support for intuitive eating as a positive
approach to healthy weight management," says Hawks, who plans to
do a large-scale study of intuitive eating across several
cultures.
"In less developed countries in Asia, people are primarily
intuitive eaters," notes Hawks.
"They haven't been conditioned to artificially structure their
relationship with food like we have in the United States.
They've been conditioned to believe that the purpose of food is
to enjoy, to nurture. You eat when you're hungry, you stop when
you're not hungry any more. They have a much healthier
relationship with food, far fewer eating disorders, and
interestingly, far less obesity," he points out.
"What makes intuitive eating different from a diet, is that all
diets work against human biology, whereas intuitive eating
teaches people to work with their own biology, to work with
their bodies, to understand their bodies," Hawks explains.
"Rather than a prescriptive diet, it's really about increasing
awareness and understanding of your body. It's a nurturing
approach to nutrition, health and fitness as opposed to a
regulated, coercive, restrictive approach. That's why diets
fail, and that's why intuitive eating has a better chance of
being successful in the long term," he maintains.
Two Attitudes, Two Behaviors
To become an intuitive eater, a person has to adopt two
attitudes and two behaviors. The first attitude is body
acceptance.
"It's an extremely difficult attitude adjustment for many people
to make, but they have to come to a conscious decision that
personal worth is not a function of body size," says Hawks.
"Rather than having an adversarial relationship with my body,
where I have to control it, and force it to submit to my will so
that I can make it thin, I'm going to value my body because it
allows me to accomplish some higher good with my life."
The second attitude is that dieting is harmful.
"Dieting does not lead to the results that people think it will
lead to, and so I try to help people foster an anti-dieting
attitude," says Hawks. "You have to say to yourself, 'I will not
base my food intake on diet plans, food-based rules, good and
bad foods, all of that kind of thing.' For people who are deep
into dietary restraint and dietary rules, again, that's a very
difficult attitude adjustment to make, to give up all those
rules."
The first behavior is learning how to not eat for emotional,
environmental or social reasons.
"Socially we eat all the time in our culture. We go out to eat
ice cream if we break up with our boyfriend, we eat to
celebrate, we eat when we're lonely, we eat when we're sad, we
eat when we're stressed out," says Hawks. "Being able to
recognize all the emotional, environmental and cultural
relationships we have with food and finding better ways to
manage our emotions is part of the process."
The second behavior is learning how to interpret body signals,
cravings and hunger, and how to respond in a healthy, positive,
nurturing way.
Learning the body's signals can be difficult at first, but Hawks
suggests thinking about hunger and satiety on a 10-point scale,
where "10" is eating until one is sick and "1" is starving.
Intuitive eaters keep themselves at or around a "5." If they
feel they are getting hungry, they eat until they are back at a
"5" or "6." They stop eating when they're satisfied, even if
that means leaving food on the plate.
No Food Is Taboo
One part of intuitive eating that may be counterintuitive to
people conditioned to restrictive dieting is the concept that
with intuitive eating there is a place for every food. In other
words, there is no food that's ever taboo. There's no food you
can't ever have.
"Part of adopting an anti-dieting attitude is the recognition
that you have unconditional permission to eat any kind of food
that you want," says Hawks. "And that's scary for people who
say, 'If I abandon my diet rules, then I'll fill a pillowcase
full of M&M's, dive into it and never come up again. That's what
I crave, I know that's what I crave, that's all I will always
crave.' But that's not the reality. The reality is that our
bodies crave good nutrition."
It is dieting that creates psychological and physiological urges
to binge on taboo foods. While people may experience some binges
when they first start eating intuitively, they eventually will
learn to trust themselves and that behavior will disappear,
Hawks maintains.
One technique he suggests is having an abundance of previously
taboo foods on hand. Once the foods are no longer forbidden, a
person quickly loses interest in them.
"If people are committed to recognizing what their bodies really
want, the vast majority of people will say that they very
quickly overcame cravings," Hawks says, opening an office desk
drawer filled with untouched junk food. "It certainly has worked
for me."
About the author:
Rita Jenkins is a health journalist for Daily News Central, an
online publication that delivers breaking news and reliable
health information to consumers, healthcare providers and
industry professionals: http://www.dailynewscentral.com
Healthy Weight Loss
Copyright 2005 Daily News Central
Stop hating your body, stop counting calories and stop using
food for purposes other than to satisfy hunger, and you'll be
healthier and slimmer. That, in a nutshell, is the argument in
favor of "intuitive eating," or letting your body tell you when,
what and how much to eat.
"The basic premise of intuitive eating is, rather than
manipulate what we eat in terms of prescribed diets -- how many
calories a food has, how many grams of fat, specific food
combinations or anything like that -- we should take internal
cues, try to recognize what our body wants and then regulate how
much we eat based on hunger and satiety," says professor of
health science Steven Hawks, lead researcher of an
intuitive-eating study at Brigham Young University.
The findings are reported in the American Journal of Health
Education.
Hawks, who adopted an intuitive-eating lifestyle himself several
years ago and lost 50 pounds as a result, says that "normal"
dieting in the United States doesn't result in long-term weight
loss and contributes to food anxiety and unhealthy eating
practices, and can even lead to eating disorders.
All Diets Work Against Human Biology
Hawks and colleagues Hala Madanat, Jaylyn Hawks and Ashley
Harris identified a handful of college students who were
naturally intuitive eaters and compared them with other students
who were not. Participants then were tested to evaluate their
health.
As measured by the Intuitive Eating Scale, developed by Hawks
and others to measure the degree to which a person is an
intuitive eater, the researchers found that intuitive eating
correlated significantly with lower body mass index (BMI), lower
triglyceride levels, higher levels of high density lipoproteins
and decreased risk of cardiovascular disease.
Approximately one-third of the variance in body mass index was
accounted for by intuitive eating scores, while 17 to 19 percent
of the variance in blood lipid profiles and cardiovascular risk
was accounted for by intuitive eating.
"The findings provide support for intuitive eating as a positive
approach to healthy weight management," says Hawks, who plans to
do a large-scale study of intuitive eating across several
cultures.
"In less developed countries in Asia, people are primarily
intuitive eaters," notes Hawks.
"They haven't been conditioned to artificially structure their
relationship with food like we have in the United States.
They've been conditioned to believe that the purpose of food is
to enjoy, to nurture. You eat when you're hungry, you stop when
you're not hungry any more. They have a much healthier
relationship with food, far fewer eating disorders, and
interestingly, far less obesity," he points out.
"What makes intuitive eating different from a diet, is that all
diets work against human biology, whereas intuitive eating
teaches people to work with their own biology, to work with
their bodies, to understand their bodies," Hawks explains.
"Rather than a prescriptive diet, it's really about increasing
awareness and understanding of your body. It's a nurturing
approach to nutrition, health and fitness as opposed to a
regulated, coercive, restrictive approach. That's why diets
fail, and that's why intuitive eating has a better chance of
being successful in the long term," he maintains.
Two Attitudes, Two Behaviors
To become an intuitive eater, a person has to adopt two
attitudes and two behaviors. The first attitude is body
acceptance.
"It's an extremely difficult attitude adjustment for many people
to make, but they have to come to a conscious decision that
personal worth is not a function of body size," says Hawks.
"Rather than having an adversarial relationship with my body,
where I have to control it, and force it to submit to my will so
that I can make it thin, I'm going to value my body because it
allows me to accomplish some higher good with my life."
The second attitude is that dieting is harmful.
"Dieting does not lead to the results that people think it will
lead to, and so I try to help people foster an anti-dieting
attitude," says Hawks. "You have to say to yourself, 'I will not
base my food intake on diet plans, food-based rules, good and
bad foods, all of that kind of thing.' For people who are deep
into dietary restraint and dietary rules, again, that's a very
difficult attitude adjustment to make, to give up all those
rules."
The first behavior is learning how to not eat for emotional,
environmental or social reasons.
"Socially we eat all the time in our culture. We go out to eat
ice cream if we break up with our boyfriend, we eat to
celebrate, we eat when we're lonely, we eat when we're sad, we
eat when we're stressed out," says Hawks. "Being able to
recognize all the emotional, environmental and cultural
relationships we have with food and finding better ways to
manage our emotions is part of the process."
The second behavior is learning how to interpret body signals,
cravings and hunger, and how to respond in a healthy, positive,
nurturing way.
Learning the body's signals can be difficult at first, but Hawks
suggests thinking about hunger and satiety on a 10-point scale,
where "10" is eating until one is sick and "1" is starving.
Intuitive eaters keep themselves at or around a "5." If they
feel they are getting hungry, they eat until they are back at a
"5" or "6." They stop eating when they're satisfied, even if
that means leaving food on the plate.
No Food Is Taboo
One part of intuitive eating that may be counterintuitive to
people conditioned to restrictive dieting is the concept that
with intuitive eating there is a place for every food. In other
words, there is no food that's ever taboo. There's no food you
can't ever have.
"Part of adopting an anti-dieting attitude is the recognition
that you have unconditional permission to eat any kind of food
that you want," says Hawks. "And that's scary for people who
say, 'If I abandon my diet rules, then I'll fill a pillowcase
full of M&M's, dive into it and never come up again. That's what
I crave, I know that's what I crave, that's all I will always
crave.' But that's not the reality. The reality is that our
bodies crave good nutrition."
It is dieting that creates psychological and physiological urges
to binge on taboo foods. While people may experience some binges
when they first start eating intuitively, they eventually will
learn to trust themselves and that behavior will disappear,
Hawks maintains.
One technique he suggests is having an abundance of previously
taboo foods on hand. Once the foods are no longer forbidden, a
person quickly loses interest in them.
"If people are committed to recognizing what their bodies really
want, the vast majority of people will say that they very
quickly overcame cravings," Hawks says, opening an office desk
drawer filled with untouched junk food. "It certainly has worked
for me."
About the author:
Rita Jenkins is a health journalist for Daily News Central, an
online publication that delivers breaking news and reliable
health information to consumers, healthcare providers and
industry professionals: http://www.dailynewscentral.com
Healthy Weight Loss
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
The Myth Of Gaining Muscle Without Fat!
By: Anthony Ellis
Many of you have expressed concerns about gaining too much body
fat while on such a high calorie diet, and wonder if you should
do some aerobic exercise to offset the weight gain.
Absolutely not.
That will be detrimental to gaining muscle. For best results,
you either have to train and diet to gain muscle or lose fat.
One or the other. If you are a true hardgainer, you cannot do
both. If you try, you will not make any substantial progress
either way. So, now is the time to gain weight. You will worry
about losing fat later.
The fact is that there are no magic pills, powders, foods or
exercises that will allow you to gain muscle and lose fat at the
same time.
It all is determined by your genetics and metabolism. Some
people can do it, some can't. If you are naturally thin and have
a difficult time gaining weight of any kind, it would be silly
of you to think that you will be able to gain muscle while
trying to keep your body fat low.
Most skinny guys want to gain more muscle, but are afraid of
gaining body fat. They see all the bodybuilder photos and read
the stories about people gaining pounds of muscle while losing
pounds of fat -- They want to do the same. When looking at these
photos, you have to remember that most of these people do not
have your body type. The majority of them are overweight and
want to lose fat, not gain muscle.
'Well', you say, 'What about those people who transformed their
bodies? They lost fat and gained muscle'. Yes, but almost all of
these people were overweight, or had high levels of body fat. In
other words, their metabolisms were, for the most part, slow.
They simply dieted and trained for fat loss.
Weight training helped them to tone up and slightly increase
their muscle mass by replacing some of the fat with muscle.
However, you will never increase your body mass far above your
original starting weight on that type of diet.
In other words, even though you gain some muscle, you will
actually weight less!
For example, Big Joe weighs 189lbs with 18% body fat. This works
out to be 34lbs of fat and 155lbs of muscle. He then goes on a
fat loss diet and slowly diets down to a ripped 5% body fat at
168lbs, which is 8.4lbs of fat and 160lbs of muscle. He lost
26lbs of fat, and his weight only went down by 21lbs. So,
looking that this we realize that he managed to also gain 5lbs
of muscle. You can see that he has more muscle mass than when he
started, and he looks totally ripped, but his weight decreased
because his main goal was fat loss. He looks much better, and
his measurements changed, but he only increased his total weight
by five pounds.
If you are very thin, you cannot do this. Yes, your body fat
will decrease, and this will also give you more muscle mass, but
it will not increase your weight. You will just get much
thinner. Big Joe was 'big' to begin with; we are not. To get the
same results as Big Joe, you must first gain the weight, and
then concentrate on losing the body fat later. Joe had the size;
he just needed to trim down. We do not have the size to work
with, so we have to force our bodies to grow beyond our body's
comfort range. This is the hard part.
This is why if you want to grow beyond your current size, you
have to diet for it specifically.
Remember, most of you have extremely fast metabolisms. Gaining
weight will be extremely difficult.
The only way you will get bigger is to shock your body.
You must shock your body by:
1. Training with heavy weights, and
2. Eating a lot of calories.
The first shock is with weight training. You must focus on
compound free- weight exercises, and lift heavy weights, which
will stimulate the largest amount of muscle fibers. Your body
responds to this stimulus by increasing your muscle mass.
The second way we must shock our body is by eating more calories
than your body is used to. This is the most important factor in
gaining mass. When you overload your system with plenty of
protein and fats, your body has no other choice but to gain
weight.
About the author:
Former "skinny guy" Anthony Ellis is the author of Gaining Mass!
The most widely used weight gain program in the world. This
unique program designed to help people gain weight and build
muscle, is currently being used in over 90 countries Click here
for more information http://www.fastmusclegain.com
Many of you have expressed concerns about gaining too much body
fat while on such a high calorie diet, and wonder if you should
do some aerobic exercise to offset the weight gain.
Absolutely not.
That will be detrimental to gaining muscle. For best results,
you either have to train and diet to gain muscle or lose fat.
One or the other. If you are a true hardgainer, you cannot do
both. If you try, you will not make any substantial progress
either way. So, now is the time to gain weight. You will worry
about losing fat later.
The fact is that there are no magic pills, powders, foods or
exercises that will allow you to gain muscle and lose fat at the
same time.
It all is determined by your genetics and metabolism. Some
people can do it, some can't. If you are naturally thin and have
a difficult time gaining weight of any kind, it would be silly
of you to think that you will be able to gain muscle while
trying to keep your body fat low.
Most skinny guys want to gain more muscle, but are afraid of
gaining body fat. They see all the bodybuilder photos and read
the stories about people gaining pounds of muscle while losing
pounds of fat -- They want to do the same. When looking at these
photos, you have to remember that most of these people do not
have your body type. The majority of them are overweight and
want to lose fat, not gain muscle.
'Well', you say, 'What about those people who transformed their
bodies? They lost fat and gained muscle'. Yes, but almost all of
these people were overweight, or had high levels of body fat. In
other words, their metabolisms were, for the most part, slow.
They simply dieted and trained for fat loss.
Weight training helped them to tone up and slightly increase
their muscle mass by replacing some of the fat with muscle.
However, you will never increase your body mass far above your
original starting weight on that type of diet.
In other words, even though you gain some muscle, you will
actually weight less!
For example, Big Joe weighs 189lbs with 18% body fat. This works
out to be 34lbs of fat and 155lbs of muscle. He then goes on a
fat loss diet and slowly diets down to a ripped 5% body fat at
168lbs, which is 8.4lbs of fat and 160lbs of muscle. He lost
26lbs of fat, and his weight only went down by 21lbs. So,
looking that this we realize that he managed to also gain 5lbs
of muscle. You can see that he has more muscle mass than when he
started, and he looks totally ripped, but his weight decreased
because his main goal was fat loss. He looks much better, and
his measurements changed, but he only increased his total weight
by five pounds.
If you are very thin, you cannot do this. Yes, your body fat
will decrease, and this will also give you more muscle mass, but
it will not increase your weight. You will just get much
thinner. Big Joe was 'big' to begin with; we are not. To get the
same results as Big Joe, you must first gain the weight, and
then concentrate on losing the body fat later. Joe had the size;
he just needed to trim down. We do not have the size to work
with, so we have to force our bodies to grow beyond our body's
comfort range. This is the hard part.
This is why if you want to grow beyond your current size, you
have to diet for it specifically.
Remember, most of you have extremely fast metabolisms. Gaining
weight will be extremely difficult.
The only way you will get bigger is to shock your body.
You must shock your body by:
1. Training with heavy weights, and
2. Eating a lot of calories.
The first shock is with weight training. You must focus on
compound free- weight exercises, and lift heavy weights, which
will stimulate the largest amount of muscle fibers. Your body
responds to this stimulus by increasing your muscle mass.
The second way we must shock our body is by eating more calories
than your body is used to. This is the most important factor in
gaining mass. When you overload your system with plenty of
protein and fats, your body has no other choice but to gain
weight.
About the author:
Former "skinny guy" Anthony Ellis is the author of Gaining Mass!
The most widely used weight gain program in the world. This
unique program designed to help people gain weight and build
muscle, is currently being used in over 90 countries Click here
for more information http://www.fastmusclegain.com
Monday, November 21, 2005
Weight Loss and Sleep Deprivation - Is There a Connection?
By: Wendy Owen
Copyright 2005 Wendy Owen
How can sleep deprivation affect weight loss? Surely the reverse
is true! If we're tossing and turning all night, aren't we
burning a few more kilojoules?
Perhaps, but it's more complicated than that. When we don't have
enough sleep, our energy is very low. This can trick the brain
into thinking it requires more food to replenish our energy
stores.
So we tend to eat more. Not only that we tend to crave high
energy foods such as ice cream, cakes or sugar laden soft drinks.
To make matters worse, the effects of sleep deprivation can
lessen the body's ability to process glucose efficiently leading
to an increased tendency to put on weight. This could also lead
to an increased risk of diabetes.
Lack of sleep also produce higher levels of the stress hormone
cortisol and lower the metabolic rate which means we burn less
kilojoules.
A simple way to increase the metabolic rate is to exercise every
day. But we don't feel like exercising when we're tired do we?
No, a seat in front of the telly is far more appealing,
preferably with our favourite comfort food!
So if we're trying to lose weight or simply maintain our weight,
the amount of sleep we have is super important. Sometimes all we
need to do is increase our awareness.
First here's what not to do. Don't nap for long periods during
the day. This will upset your natural circadian rhythm and lead
to wakefulness at night.
Late night snacks? The body simply can't digest these and they
will be laid down as fat! If you must eat late make it a lite
yoghurt, herbal tea or milky drink. Forget the coffee and black
tea as these contain stimulants.
Here's a few tips:
Increase your exercise. This can be done without enrolling at
the gym! Simply walk more. Get of the bus one stop earlier and
walk the remaining distance. Take the stairs instead of the lift.
If the above is not for you, go shopping! Large shopping centres
are wonderful walking tracks. Have a look in the stores as you
sail past (stay away from food stores though!)
Taking more exercise increases the metabolic rate significantly
and enables us to have better sleep at night. It is also proven
to reduce stress which is the enemy of restful sleep.
Plan your day better. Start winding down in the evenings and use
the mornings for energetic chores. This will enable you to relax
better and you'll fall asleep quicker.
If you have a sleep problem, get help. There are web-sites and
books that will increase your knowledge on safe and natural ways
to get a good night's sleep.
So don't help your body to put on weight through poor sleeping
habits. Eat healthy foods, get rid of stress, exercise more and
sleep your weight away!
About the author:
Like to enjoy better sleep? Visit
http://www.insomnia-connection.com for the latest information on
achieving natural healthy sleep. The author, Wendy Owen is a
natural health writer and researcher. Sign up for our newsletter
and grab some free health books.
Copyright 2005 Wendy Owen
How can sleep deprivation affect weight loss? Surely the reverse
is true! If we're tossing and turning all night, aren't we
burning a few more kilojoules?
Perhaps, but it's more complicated than that. When we don't have
enough sleep, our energy is very low. This can trick the brain
into thinking it requires more food to replenish our energy
stores.
So we tend to eat more. Not only that we tend to crave high
energy foods such as ice cream, cakes or sugar laden soft drinks.
To make matters worse, the effects of sleep deprivation can
lessen the body's ability to process glucose efficiently leading
to an increased tendency to put on weight. This could also lead
to an increased risk of diabetes.
Lack of sleep also produce higher levels of the stress hormone
cortisol and lower the metabolic rate which means we burn less
kilojoules.
A simple way to increase the metabolic rate is to exercise every
day. But we don't feel like exercising when we're tired do we?
No, a seat in front of the telly is far more appealing,
preferably with our favourite comfort food!
So if we're trying to lose weight or simply maintain our weight,
the amount of sleep we have is super important. Sometimes all we
need to do is increase our awareness.
First here's what not to do. Don't nap for long periods during
the day. This will upset your natural circadian rhythm and lead
to wakefulness at night.
Late night snacks? The body simply can't digest these and they
will be laid down as fat! If you must eat late make it a lite
yoghurt, herbal tea or milky drink. Forget the coffee and black
tea as these contain stimulants.
Here's a few tips:
Increase your exercise. This can be done without enrolling at
the gym! Simply walk more. Get of the bus one stop earlier and
walk the remaining distance. Take the stairs instead of the lift.
If the above is not for you, go shopping! Large shopping centres
are wonderful walking tracks. Have a look in the stores as you
sail past (stay away from food stores though!)
Taking more exercise increases the metabolic rate significantly
and enables us to have better sleep at night. It is also proven
to reduce stress which is the enemy of restful sleep.
Plan your day better. Start winding down in the evenings and use
the mornings for energetic chores. This will enable you to relax
better and you'll fall asleep quicker.
If you have a sleep problem, get help. There are web-sites and
books that will increase your knowledge on safe and natural ways
to get a good night's sleep.
So don't help your body to put on weight through poor sleeping
habits. Eat healthy foods, get rid of stress, exercise more and
sleep your weight away!
About the author:
Like to enjoy better sleep? Visit
http://www.insomnia-connection.com for the latest information on
achieving natural healthy sleep. The author, Wendy Owen is a
natural health writer and researcher. Sign up for our newsletter
and grab some free health books.
Saturday, November 19, 2005
The Three Simple Steps To Fat Loss
By: Gary Matthews
Its unbelievable but being overweight has now moved from a
social nuisance and domestic embarrassment to an official
disease. The American Heart Association has announced obesity a
dangerous epidemic and a major risk for heart disease. More than
70% of US adults are overweight and that figure is rapidly
increasing.
But by following three simple steps in your everyday life you do
not have to become one of the above statistics. They are easy to
follow without time constraints and don't require a complete
lifestyle change. These three steps are:
1. Strength Training - Nowadays you do not have to live in a gym
to put on functional muscle. Short High Intensity sessions
performed once a week is all that is required to elevate the
metabolism for total fat burning.
2. A Small Decrease in Daily Calories - Diets don't work
(everybody knows this by now) but by decreasing your daily
calories by a small amount, the weight loss is body fat alone
and not lean tissue and water that is associated with crash
diets. Remember fat accumulates on the body over a long period
of time so it must come off slowly.
3. More Incidental Activity - Instead of driving try walking,
walk instead of taking elevators or escalators; take the stairs
and so on. Just keep moving through out the day.
Lets have a look at the Three Steps in more detail below:
Strength Training
Between the ages of 20 and 70 the average person loses one
quarter of their muscle mass. Running, cycling or other aerobic
sports will not prevent this loss. This is very disturbing
because the muscles are the engines of the body and every pound
of muscle burns 100 calories every day.
By adding just 10 pounds of functional muscle to your body, you
will burn off 60 pounds of fat over the next year. Providing you
take in the same amount of calories, it will keep burning those
extra pounds year after year! The amount of fat the body can
burn is directly related to the lean muscle your body has.
If you don't perform weight training to maintain your muscle
tissue, you will lose half a pound of the fat burning tissue per
year after the age of 20 years. In simpler terms the more
functional muscle you have on your body the more fat you will
burn up.
Small Decrease in Daily Calories
For years now, we have been told to use dieting to rid the
excess fat from our bodies.
The trouble with this concept is that the low calorie restricted
diet would throw the body into starvation mode, with the body
holding onto the fat and using precious muscle tissue for
energy.
This would then lower the metabolism causing greater muscle loss
and when the diet is broken the unwanted fat would not only
return but actually increase because to the lowered metabolism.
The way around this is to cut your daily calorie intake by a
small amount of calories only. This will stop any starvation
mechanisms from clicking in.
You can do this by making up a seven day eating plan and writing
down every thing you eat for the week, and then work out the
calories you have eaten with a calorie counter. Divide this
figure by seven and you have your daily calorie value.
Decrease daily calorie value by a couple of hundred calories per
day and no more. This will generate slow weight loss and the
majority will be fat loss only. The daily calories should be
consumed during the day with small frequent meals.
The calories should come from a balanced diet (no fad diets
please) with the required amount of micronutrients, vitamins and
minerals. As well as containing the required amounts of fibre,
fat, protein and carbohydrates.
More Incidental Activity
Fat is burned from the body when cells oxidize to release energy
in the form of exercise. When the exercise is done slowly to
moderately then the majority of energy is taken from the fat
stores.
The key to effective aerobic training that burns off maximum fat
is long-term consistency not intensity. It doesn't matter if you
run a mile, jog a mile or walk a mile you will burn exactly the
same amount of calories.
The best exercise by far for the purpose of fat-loss is fast
walking either indoors on the treadmill or outdoors. Other
aerobic activities are the treadmill, bike, climber or any other
training gear found in or out of the Gym.
Start with 100 minutes of controlled incidental activity per
week increasing this to 200 minutes a week or more. In all other
activities try to move, move, move.
Try parking the car further away from your destination so you
can walk the extra distance, hide all your remote controls so
you have to get up and change the channels manually. These all
help burn those extra calories and body fat from your frame.
So go ahead, by incorporating these three simple fat loss steps
into your everyday life you will not have to change your
lifestyle or be subject to time constraints.
Gary Matthews is the author of the popular fitness eBooks
Maximum Weight Loss and Maximum Weight Gain. Please visit
http://www.maximumfitness.com right now for your 'free' weight
loss e-course.
About the author:
Gary Matthews is the author of the popular fitness eBooks
Maximum Weight Loss and Maximum Weight Gain. Please visit
http://www.maximumfitness.com right now for your 'free' weight
loss e-course.
http://rjgresearch.com/weight/
Its unbelievable but being overweight has now moved from a
social nuisance and domestic embarrassment to an official
disease. The American Heart Association has announced obesity a
dangerous epidemic and a major risk for heart disease. More than
70% of US adults are overweight and that figure is rapidly
increasing.
But by following three simple steps in your everyday life you do
not have to become one of the above statistics. They are easy to
follow without time constraints and don't require a complete
lifestyle change. These three steps are:
1. Strength Training - Nowadays you do not have to live in a gym
to put on functional muscle. Short High Intensity sessions
performed once a week is all that is required to elevate the
metabolism for total fat burning.
2. A Small Decrease in Daily Calories - Diets don't work
(everybody knows this by now) but by decreasing your daily
calories by a small amount, the weight loss is body fat alone
and not lean tissue and water that is associated with crash
diets. Remember fat accumulates on the body over a long period
of time so it must come off slowly.
3. More Incidental Activity - Instead of driving try walking,
walk instead of taking elevators or escalators; take the stairs
and so on. Just keep moving through out the day.
Lets have a look at the Three Steps in more detail below:
Strength Training
Between the ages of 20 and 70 the average person loses one
quarter of their muscle mass. Running, cycling or other aerobic
sports will not prevent this loss. This is very disturbing
because the muscles are the engines of the body and every pound
of muscle burns 100 calories every day.
By adding just 10 pounds of functional muscle to your body, you
will burn off 60 pounds of fat over the next year. Providing you
take in the same amount of calories, it will keep burning those
extra pounds year after year! The amount of fat the body can
burn is directly related to the lean muscle your body has.
If you don't perform weight training to maintain your muscle
tissue, you will lose half a pound of the fat burning tissue per
year after the age of 20 years. In simpler terms the more
functional muscle you have on your body the more fat you will
burn up.
Small Decrease in Daily Calories
For years now, we have been told to use dieting to rid the
excess fat from our bodies.
The trouble with this concept is that the low calorie restricted
diet would throw the body into starvation mode, with the body
holding onto the fat and using precious muscle tissue for
energy.
This would then lower the metabolism causing greater muscle loss
and when the diet is broken the unwanted fat would not only
return but actually increase because to the lowered metabolism.
The way around this is to cut your daily calorie intake by a
small amount of calories only. This will stop any starvation
mechanisms from clicking in.
You can do this by making up a seven day eating plan and writing
down every thing you eat for the week, and then work out the
calories you have eaten with a calorie counter. Divide this
figure by seven and you have your daily calorie value.
Decrease daily calorie value by a couple of hundred calories per
day and no more. This will generate slow weight loss and the
majority will be fat loss only. The daily calories should be
consumed during the day with small frequent meals.
The calories should come from a balanced diet (no fad diets
please) with the required amount of micronutrients, vitamins and
minerals. As well as containing the required amounts of fibre,
fat, protein and carbohydrates.
More Incidental Activity
Fat is burned from the body when cells oxidize to release energy
in the form of exercise. When the exercise is done slowly to
moderately then the majority of energy is taken from the fat
stores.
The key to effective aerobic training that burns off maximum fat
is long-term consistency not intensity. It doesn't matter if you
run a mile, jog a mile or walk a mile you will burn exactly the
same amount of calories.
The best exercise by far for the purpose of fat-loss is fast
walking either indoors on the treadmill or outdoors. Other
aerobic activities are the treadmill, bike, climber or any other
training gear found in or out of the Gym.
Start with 100 minutes of controlled incidental activity per
week increasing this to 200 minutes a week or more. In all other
activities try to move, move, move.
Try parking the car further away from your destination so you
can walk the extra distance, hide all your remote controls so
you have to get up and change the channels manually. These all
help burn those extra calories and body fat from your frame.
So go ahead, by incorporating these three simple fat loss steps
into your everyday life you will not have to change your
lifestyle or be subject to time constraints.
Gary Matthews is the author of the popular fitness eBooks
Maximum Weight Loss and Maximum Weight Gain. Please visit
http://www.maximumfitness.com right now for your 'free' weight
loss e-course.
About the author:
Gary Matthews is the author of the popular fitness eBooks
Maximum Weight Loss and Maximum Weight Gain. Please visit
http://www.maximumfitness.com right now for your 'free' weight
loss e-course.
http://rjgresearch.com/weight/
Friday, November 18, 2005
Weight Loss Motivation - How To Find It And Keep It!
By: Lindsay Small
Everyone who has ever tried to lose weight knows that the really
big issue is motivation - where do we find it, how do we keep it
going, and what do we do when it slips!
To be successful at losing weight you must find your own
motivation. More importantly, you must keep motivated, even when
times get tough! Read through the tips and tricks and other
resources below to help you find and maintain your motivation.
* Set your goals and work out a realistic timescale for
achieving them. Commit to them 100%.
* Put it in writing! Scribble down in as much detail as possible
why you need to lose weight, how much you are going to lose,
when and how. The more you commit to paper the better. Carry a
notebook around with you and use it to record thoughts and
ideas, recipes, quotes - whatever will inspire you and keep you
going.
* Tell a friend or member of the family and ask them to help you
stick with your plan.
* Remember that you are losing weight and improving your health
"one day at a time". You can stick at anything for one day!
* Don't dwell on the junk that you are taking out of your diet.
Instead, celebrate the healthy foods that you are putting in.
* Make bullet points of your main motivational issues and write
them on a stack of cards. Display the cards where you will see
them regularly - on your bathroom mirror, in your purse, in your
car.
* Create a "mantra" to repeat to yourself when times get hard.
For example, "Every day I am improving my health, my looks and
my well-being. I am getting stronger in every way."
* Consider asking for sponsorship from friends and family for a
good cause. Perhaps you can raise money for starving children
while you get your own eating under control?
* Start a file or scrapbook of articles, recipes and any other
interesting titbits you read.
* Start another file of fashion and wardrobe ideas. Plan what
you will need to buy when you shrink a size or two!
* Buy a piggybank and fill it up with a particular sum for every
pound you lose. You can use it towards your new outfits!
* Find someone to share the experience with, and laugh your way
through the tough times.
* Learn from other successful slimmers. Read other people's
stories, join a club, find a chat room, or start your own email
group.
* Motivate yourself with our collection of weight loss quotes,
available free to subscribers to the weekly Losing It My Way
ezine.
About the author:
Lindsay Small is the creator of Losing It My Way.com, which
provides a wealth of information and resources (including an
innovative range of free weight loss printables) designed to
help you make your own weight loss decisions! For a new look at
weight loss visit http://www.Losingitmyway.com.
Everyone who has ever tried to lose weight knows that the really
big issue is motivation - where do we find it, how do we keep it
going, and what do we do when it slips!
To be successful at losing weight you must find your own
motivation. More importantly, you must keep motivated, even when
times get tough! Read through the tips and tricks and other
resources below to help you find and maintain your motivation.
* Set your goals and work out a realistic timescale for
achieving them. Commit to them 100%.
* Put it in writing! Scribble down in as much detail as possible
why you need to lose weight, how much you are going to lose,
when and how. The more you commit to paper the better. Carry a
notebook around with you and use it to record thoughts and
ideas, recipes, quotes - whatever will inspire you and keep you
going.
* Tell a friend or member of the family and ask them to help you
stick with your plan.
* Remember that you are losing weight and improving your health
"one day at a time". You can stick at anything for one day!
* Don't dwell on the junk that you are taking out of your diet.
Instead, celebrate the healthy foods that you are putting in.
* Make bullet points of your main motivational issues and write
them on a stack of cards. Display the cards where you will see
them regularly - on your bathroom mirror, in your purse, in your
car.
* Create a "mantra" to repeat to yourself when times get hard.
For example, "Every day I am improving my health, my looks and
my well-being. I am getting stronger in every way."
* Consider asking for sponsorship from friends and family for a
good cause. Perhaps you can raise money for starving children
while you get your own eating under control?
* Start a file or scrapbook of articles, recipes and any other
interesting titbits you read.
* Start another file of fashion and wardrobe ideas. Plan what
you will need to buy when you shrink a size or two!
* Buy a piggybank and fill it up with a particular sum for every
pound you lose. You can use it towards your new outfits!
* Find someone to share the experience with, and laugh your way
through the tough times.
* Learn from other successful slimmers. Read other people's
stories, join a club, find a chat room, or start your own email
group.
* Motivate yourself with our collection of weight loss quotes,
available free to subscribers to the weekly Losing It My Way
ezine.
About the author:
Lindsay Small is the creator of Losing It My Way.com, which
provides a wealth of information and resources (including an
innovative range of free weight loss printables) designed to
help you make your own weight loss decisions! For a new look at
weight loss visit http://www.Losingitmyway.com.
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Buying healthy foods at the grocery store
By: Tony Robinson
:
The local grocery store is a great place to find healthy,
nutritious foods. Unfortunately, it is also a place to find less
healthy foods and many junk foods. Learning how to follow a
healthy lifestyle means learning how to shop for the healthiest
foods, and learning how to avoid temptation.
Learning to read labels is an important skill for any healthy
shopper. The information on nutritional labels is very valuable,
providing complete information on the percentage of many
vitamins and minerals a particular food contains. In addition,
nutritional information labels provide valuable information on
things like the amount of calories, number of at grams,
percentage of total fat and amount of fiber each food contains.
It is important to choose those foods that have the best
nutritional qualities as you roam the local grocery store.
There are some important guidelines to follow to make sure that
every trip to the grocery store will be a healthy experience.
After all, you cannot have a healthy refrigerator or a healthy
dinner table without first stocking your kitchen pantry with the
healthiest foods available.
One of the best pieces of advice is probably something you have
heard a million times, and that is to never go grocery shopping
when you are hungry. Even if it means stopping for a quick snack
on your way, it is important to not enter the supermarket while
you are hungry. Hungry shoppers make bad choices, and those
unhealthy choices will be around long after your hunger has
abated.
Another good trick is to hit the produce section of your grocery
store first. Fill up your food basket with healthy, nutritious
fruits and vegetables. Not only will this allow you to stock the
fridge and the pantry with healthy choices, but it will leave
less room for all those less healthy foods.
It is also important to always make a detailed shopping list
before hitting the grocery store. A well thought out grocery
list keeps you from overspending, and also helps keep you from
succumbing to the temptation of less healthy junk foods. To keep
a detailed list of what you need on your next shopping list, try
keeping a notepad by the fridge or on the dining room table.
Write down each item as you think of it, and come shopping day,
you will have a complete list of everything you need to buy.
As you shop around the grocery store, it is a good idea to take
advantage of the many low fat foods that fill grocery store
shelves. There are low at varieties of many foods, including
milk and dairy products, meats and cheeses, even cakes and pies.
Most of these products contain all the taste of the full fat
products, without all the fat.
When shopping for low fat foods, however, be on the lookout for
extra sugar content. This is not so much a concern with milk and
dairy products, but it is sometimes a concern with low fat baked
goods. Some manufacturers pack their low fat baked goods with
extra sugar, so it pays to be a smart label reader.
As long as you watch sugar content, however, low fat desserts
and sweets are excellent choices. When grocery shopping, try to
choose naturally lower fat alternatives, such as angel food
cake, fig bars and vanilla wafers. Buying smaller portion sizes
is another smart strategy for enjoying sweets while limiting fat
and calories.
Another smart strategy is to choose whole grain breads and
cereals whenever possible. Whole grains contain more fiber and
other nutrients than do more processed foods, so buying whole
grains makes a lot of sense.
When shopping for the healthiest cereals in the grocery store,
it is helpful to understand how the cereal aisle of the typical
grocery store is arranged. Shelf space at a grocery store is in
high demand and short supply, and cereal manufacturers take
advantages of this fact in their store shelf marketing. In
general, the less healthy, sugar laden cereals are arranged at
kid height, while the more adult, healthier products are on the
top shelves.
That is one reason why your kids are always trying to put those
sugar cubes disguised as cereal in your cart as you shop.
Choosing the healthier cereals from the top shelves is a good
strategy, but it is still important to read the labels to make
sure you are getting what you think you are.
About the author:
Tony Robinson is a webmaster, international author and fitness
guru. Come check out his website at
http://www.1stbetterhealth.com
:
The local grocery store is a great place to find healthy,
nutritious foods. Unfortunately, it is also a place to find less
healthy foods and many junk foods. Learning how to follow a
healthy lifestyle means learning how to shop for the healthiest
foods, and learning how to avoid temptation.
Learning to read labels is an important skill for any healthy
shopper. The information on nutritional labels is very valuable,
providing complete information on the percentage of many
vitamins and minerals a particular food contains. In addition,
nutritional information labels provide valuable information on
things like the amount of calories, number of at grams,
percentage of total fat and amount of fiber each food contains.
It is important to choose those foods that have the best
nutritional qualities as you roam the local grocery store.
There are some important guidelines to follow to make sure that
every trip to the grocery store will be a healthy experience.
After all, you cannot have a healthy refrigerator or a healthy
dinner table without first stocking your kitchen pantry with the
healthiest foods available.
One of the best pieces of advice is probably something you have
heard a million times, and that is to never go grocery shopping
when you are hungry. Even if it means stopping for a quick snack
on your way, it is important to not enter the supermarket while
you are hungry. Hungry shoppers make bad choices, and those
unhealthy choices will be around long after your hunger has
abated.
Another good trick is to hit the produce section of your grocery
store first. Fill up your food basket with healthy, nutritious
fruits and vegetables. Not only will this allow you to stock the
fridge and the pantry with healthy choices, but it will leave
less room for all those less healthy foods.
It is also important to always make a detailed shopping list
before hitting the grocery store. A well thought out grocery
list keeps you from overspending, and also helps keep you from
succumbing to the temptation of less healthy junk foods. To keep
a detailed list of what you need on your next shopping list, try
keeping a notepad by the fridge or on the dining room table.
Write down each item as you think of it, and come shopping day,
you will have a complete list of everything you need to buy.
As you shop around the grocery store, it is a good idea to take
advantage of the many low fat foods that fill grocery store
shelves. There are low at varieties of many foods, including
milk and dairy products, meats and cheeses, even cakes and pies.
Most of these products contain all the taste of the full fat
products, without all the fat.
When shopping for low fat foods, however, be on the lookout for
extra sugar content. This is not so much a concern with milk and
dairy products, but it is sometimes a concern with low fat baked
goods. Some manufacturers pack their low fat baked goods with
extra sugar, so it pays to be a smart label reader.
As long as you watch sugar content, however, low fat desserts
and sweets are excellent choices. When grocery shopping, try to
choose naturally lower fat alternatives, such as angel food
cake, fig bars and vanilla wafers. Buying smaller portion sizes
is another smart strategy for enjoying sweets while limiting fat
and calories.
Another smart strategy is to choose whole grain breads and
cereals whenever possible. Whole grains contain more fiber and
other nutrients than do more processed foods, so buying whole
grains makes a lot of sense.
When shopping for the healthiest cereals in the grocery store,
it is helpful to understand how the cereal aisle of the typical
grocery store is arranged. Shelf space at a grocery store is in
high demand and short supply, and cereal manufacturers take
advantages of this fact in their store shelf marketing. In
general, the less healthy, sugar laden cereals are arranged at
kid height, while the more adult, healthier products are on the
top shelves.
That is one reason why your kids are always trying to put those
sugar cubes disguised as cereal in your cart as you shop.
Choosing the healthier cereals from the top shelves is a good
strategy, but it is still important to read the labels to make
sure you are getting what you think you are.
About the author:
Tony Robinson is a webmaster, international author and fitness
guru. Come check out his website at
http://www.1stbetterhealth.com
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Use the five a day rule for healthy eating
By: Tony Robinson
The five a day rule is one of the most important rules to
healthy eating. The five a day rule refers to the government's
recommendation that everyone eat at least five servings a day of
fruits and vegetables. At first blush, five a day seems like a
reasonable goal, but most people fail to eat sufficient amounts
of these important foods.
It is important to remember the many advantages of fruits and
vegetables when applying the five a day rule to your own diet.
For one thing, fruits and vegetables taste great, contain fewer
calories than many other foods and are full of many important
vitamins and minerals. In addition, fruits and vegetables are
colorful and beautiful, making them great garnishes and salad
toppings.
In addition, fruits and vegetables are easy to prepare, even for
the busiest individual. In most cases, fresh fruits require no
preparation at all, other than a quick wash and perhaps peeling.
The five a day recommendation equates to roughly two cups of
fruit and two and a half cups of vegetables every day, based on
the average 2,000 calorie diet. This is not a difficult goal to
reach, but it is important to keep the five a day goal in mind
when grocery shopping, cooking and planning meals.
One great way to get started toward a five a day lifestyle is
with a delicious serving of 100% fruit juice every morning.
Apple juice, grapefruit juice and orange juice are all excellent
choices for both taste and nutrition.
Fruits and vegetables can also be used as garnishes for other
foods. Who doesn't enjoy a sliced strawberry or banana with
their morning cereal? And fruits and vegetables make great
snacks as well. Whether you keep a couple of apples at your desk
or a selection of carrot and celery sticks in the fridge, having
fruits and vegetables readily at hand is a big part of the
battle.
Of course variety is extremely important when making any change
to your diet, and many dietary changes fail due to boredom.
Constantly trying new varieties of fruits and vegetables is a
great way to keep yourself interested in your new healthier way
of eating. If you've never had kiwi fruit or asparagus, for
instance, why not give it a try?
Combining attractive colors, shapes and sizes of fruits is
another way to provide attractive and interesting meals for
yourself and your family. Combining white grapes, red peppers
and pineapple chunks can provide a delicious and attractive
salad.
It is important to provide constant variety when implementing
the five a day plan, particularly if you are cooking for a
family. Try making some interesting new dishes, such as veggie
pizza, made with fresh vegetables and whole wheat pizza crust, a
fresh vegetable wrap, vegetable stir fry or pasta with fresh
vegetables.
For those who think they are too busy to incorporate five
servings of fruits and vegetables a day into their diet, there
is help available. The many ready to eat, prepackaged salad kits
on the market make it easier than ever to create a healthy salad
on the go. Just keep a bottle of your favorite low fat or nonfat
salad dressing on hand and you can enjoy a healthy salad
anywhere and anytime.
Even fast food restaurants have made it easier than every to eat
healthy, with every major chain now offering at least a few
healthy menu items. In addition, most grocery chains offer fresh
salad bars where you can create your own healthy lunch even if
you're pressed for time.
When creating your five a day healthy lifestyle, remember that
fruits and vegetables make great snacks. An apple, orange or
banana provides both great taste and excellent nutrition. In
addition, the natural sugars contained in fruits do not provide
the sugar high/sugar crash scenario all parents are familiar
with.
Topping meals and salads with additional fruits and vegetables
is a great way to enhance your new five a day lifestyle. Strips
of green and red peppers, broccoli florets, sliced carrots and
cucumbers are all great additions to pasta and potato salads.
And of course carrots, spinach, apple slices, orange slices,
nectarines, pineapples and raisins are all great additions to
any salad.
In addition, adding fresh fruits to foods you already eat is a
great way to make such foods part of your new lifestyle. Adding
berries, bananas or oranges to cereal and yogurt is a great way
to make sure you meet your five a day goal every day.
About the author:
Tony Robinson is a webmster, international author and fitness
guru. Come check out his website at
http://www.1stbetterhealth.com
The five a day rule is one of the most important rules to
healthy eating. The five a day rule refers to the government's
recommendation that everyone eat at least five servings a day of
fruits and vegetables. At first blush, five a day seems like a
reasonable goal, but most people fail to eat sufficient amounts
of these important foods.
It is important to remember the many advantages of fruits and
vegetables when applying the five a day rule to your own diet.
For one thing, fruits and vegetables taste great, contain fewer
calories than many other foods and are full of many important
vitamins and minerals. In addition, fruits and vegetables are
colorful and beautiful, making them great garnishes and salad
toppings.
In addition, fruits and vegetables are easy to prepare, even for
the busiest individual. In most cases, fresh fruits require no
preparation at all, other than a quick wash and perhaps peeling.
The five a day recommendation equates to roughly two cups of
fruit and two and a half cups of vegetables every day, based on
the average 2,000 calorie diet. This is not a difficult goal to
reach, but it is important to keep the five a day goal in mind
when grocery shopping, cooking and planning meals.
One great way to get started toward a five a day lifestyle is
with a delicious serving of 100% fruit juice every morning.
Apple juice, grapefruit juice and orange juice are all excellent
choices for both taste and nutrition.
Fruits and vegetables can also be used as garnishes for other
foods. Who doesn't enjoy a sliced strawberry or banana with
their morning cereal? And fruits and vegetables make great
snacks as well. Whether you keep a couple of apples at your desk
or a selection of carrot and celery sticks in the fridge, having
fruits and vegetables readily at hand is a big part of the
battle.
Of course variety is extremely important when making any change
to your diet, and many dietary changes fail due to boredom.
Constantly trying new varieties of fruits and vegetables is a
great way to keep yourself interested in your new healthier way
of eating. If you've never had kiwi fruit or asparagus, for
instance, why not give it a try?
Combining attractive colors, shapes and sizes of fruits is
another way to provide attractive and interesting meals for
yourself and your family. Combining white grapes, red peppers
and pineapple chunks can provide a delicious and attractive
salad.
It is important to provide constant variety when implementing
the five a day plan, particularly if you are cooking for a
family. Try making some interesting new dishes, such as veggie
pizza, made with fresh vegetables and whole wheat pizza crust, a
fresh vegetable wrap, vegetable stir fry or pasta with fresh
vegetables.
For those who think they are too busy to incorporate five
servings of fruits and vegetables a day into their diet, there
is help available. The many ready to eat, prepackaged salad kits
on the market make it easier than ever to create a healthy salad
on the go. Just keep a bottle of your favorite low fat or nonfat
salad dressing on hand and you can enjoy a healthy salad
anywhere and anytime.
Even fast food restaurants have made it easier than every to eat
healthy, with every major chain now offering at least a few
healthy menu items. In addition, most grocery chains offer fresh
salad bars where you can create your own healthy lunch even if
you're pressed for time.
When creating your five a day healthy lifestyle, remember that
fruits and vegetables make great snacks. An apple, orange or
banana provides both great taste and excellent nutrition. In
addition, the natural sugars contained in fruits do not provide
the sugar high/sugar crash scenario all parents are familiar
with.
Topping meals and salads with additional fruits and vegetables
is a great way to enhance your new five a day lifestyle. Strips
of green and red peppers, broccoli florets, sliced carrots and
cucumbers are all great additions to pasta and potato salads.
And of course carrots, spinach, apple slices, orange slices,
nectarines, pineapples and raisins are all great additions to
any salad.
In addition, adding fresh fruits to foods you already eat is a
great way to make such foods part of your new lifestyle. Adding
berries, bananas or oranges to cereal and yogurt is a great way
to make sure you meet your five a day goal every day.
About the author:
Tony Robinson is a webmster, international author and fitness
guru. Come check out his website at
http://www.1stbetterhealth.com
3 Little Known Tips To Buying Fitness Equipment
By: Amy Metz
Did you know that buying fitness equipment for your home isn't
really that difficult? It's true that the world of fitness
equipment can seem like a maze at times and that there are
literally hundreds of different types of fitness equipment
pieces that might work well for your home arrangement. However,
with a little guidance, the process really isn't that hard and
you will be amazed at the bargains that you can find if you just
dig a little deeper than the average consumer is usually
prepared to. Let's take a look at some tips to help you out in
your quest for new fitness equipment.
1. Look at used equipment. This is where some good deals can be
found. Fitness equipment can obtain a weird status in a person's
home. They might have been really excited to buy it initially
and dreams of a fit body and monthly gym savings might have
filled their head. However, after 3 months, the equipment often
sits vacant in that person's home. Used equipment can be a
really good deal due to the fact that it's often times almost as
good as new but now it's for sale. To you. For cheap. Check out
newspapers, Ebay, and other places; compare prices and get a
deal.
2. Consider commercial fitness equipment. Often times, you can
buy the same equipment that your local gym has. Imagine, you can
have that same (gasp!) Stairmaster that has dogged you for years
at the local Ballys, right in your basement. This might be
appealing to some who have the capital to invest in a large
piece of equipment. If you no longer have to pay a $50 monthly
fee to go to a gym every month, this might be a really smart
investment. Look into commercial equipment, you might be
pleasantly surprised.
3. The first two points are almost worthless without considering
the financing of your new fitness equipment. When looking to
finance your new set of fitness equipment there are tons of
important factors to keep in mind. You really don't want to be
paying too much for equipment that might be found at a cheaper
price (after everything is considered) elsewhere.
About the author:
Amy Metz is the author of "Fitness Equipment Financing." Grab
your free copy at http://www.fitnessequipmenters.com.
Did you know that buying fitness equipment for your home isn't
really that difficult? It's true that the world of fitness
equipment can seem like a maze at times and that there are
literally hundreds of different types of fitness equipment
pieces that might work well for your home arrangement. However,
with a little guidance, the process really isn't that hard and
you will be amazed at the bargains that you can find if you just
dig a little deeper than the average consumer is usually
prepared to. Let's take a look at some tips to help you out in
your quest for new fitness equipment.
1. Look at used equipment. This is where some good deals can be
found. Fitness equipment can obtain a weird status in a person's
home. They might have been really excited to buy it initially
and dreams of a fit body and monthly gym savings might have
filled their head. However, after 3 months, the equipment often
sits vacant in that person's home. Used equipment can be a
really good deal due to the fact that it's often times almost as
good as new but now it's for sale. To you. For cheap. Check out
newspapers, Ebay, and other places; compare prices and get a
deal.
2. Consider commercial fitness equipment. Often times, you can
buy the same equipment that your local gym has. Imagine, you can
have that same (gasp!) Stairmaster that has dogged you for years
at the local Ballys, right in your basement. This might be
appealing to some who have the capital to invest in a large
piece of equipment. If you no longer have to pay a $50 monthly
fee to go to a gym every month, this might be a really smart
investment. Look into commercial equipment, you might be
pleasantly surprised.
3. The first two points are almost worthless without considering
the financing of your new fitness equipment. When looking to
finance your new set of fitness equipment there are tons of
important factors to keep in mind. You really don't want to be
paying too much for equipment that might be found at a cheaper
price (after everything is considered) elsewhere.
About the author:
Amy Metz is the author of "Fitness Equipment Financing." Grab
your free copy at http://www.fitnessequipmenters.com.
Sunday, November 13, 2005
29 Secrets to a Good Night's Sleep
By Dr. Mercola
If you are having sleep problems, whether you are not able to
fall asleep, wake up too often, don't feel well-rested when you
wake up in the morning, or simply want to improve the quality
and quantity of your sleep, try as many of the following
techniques below as possible:
About the author:
This article is reprinted from Mercola.com, the world's #1 most
visited and trusted natural/alternative health website. For a
limited time only, you can take the FREE "Metabolic Type Test"
to help you learn the right foods for your particular body type
so you can achieve optimal fitness & health. Just go to
http://www.mercola.com/forms/mt_test.htm right now to take this
quick test!
If you are having sleep problems, whether you are not able to
fall asleep, wake up too often, don't feel well-rested when you
wake up in the morning, or simply want to improve the quality
and quantity of your sleep, try as many of the following
techniques below as possible:
My current favorite for insomnia is Emotional Freedom
Technique (EFT). This is a very popular energy psychology
too. Most people can learn this gentle tapping technique in
several minutes.
EFT can help balance your body's bioenergy system and resolve
some of the emotional stresses that are contributing to the
insomnia at a very deep level. The results are typically long
lasting and the improvement is remarkably rapid.
Listen to White Noise or Relaxation CDs. Some people find
the sound of white noise or nature sounds, such as the ocean or
forest, to be soothing for sleep. An excellent
relaxation/meditation option to listen to before bed is the
Insight audio CD.
Avoid before-bed snacks, particularly grains and sugars.
This will raise blood sugar and inhibit sleep. Later, when blood
sugar drops too low (hypoglycemia), you might wake up and not be
able to fall back asleep.
Sleep in complete darkness or as close as possible. If
there is even the tiniest bit of light in the room it can
disrupt your circadian rhythm and your pineal gland's production
of melatonin and seratonin. There also should be as little light
in the bathroom as possible if you get up in the middle of the
night. Please whatever you do, keep the light off when you go to
the bathroom at night. As soon as you turn on that light you
will for that night immediately cease all production of the
important sleep aid melatonin.
AvoidTV right before bed. Even better, get the TV out
ofyour bedroom or even out ofyour house, completely. It is too
stimulating toyour brain and it will take longer to fall asleep.
It also disruptsyour pineal gland function for the same reason
as above.
Wear socks to bed. Due to the fact that they have the
poorest circulation, the feet often feel cold before the rest
ofyour body. A study has shown that this reduces night
wakings.
Read something spiritual or religious. This will help you
to relax.Avoid readinganything stimulating, such as a mystery or
suspense novels, as they may have the opposite effect. In
addition, if you are really enjoying a suspenseful book, you
might wind up unintentionally reading for hours, instead of
going to sleep.
The Sun Alarm™ SA-2002, which I
personally use, is a natural way to wake up in the morning. I
highly recommended it as an alternative to loud alarm clocks.
Read More Now!
Avoid using loud alarm clocks. It is very stressful on
the body to be awoken suddenly. If you are regularly getting
enough sleep, they should be unnecessary. I gave up my alarm
clock years ago and now use a sun alarm clock. The Sun
Alarm™ SA-2002 provides an ideal way to wake up each
morning if you can't wake up with the REAL sun. Combining the
features of a traditional alarm clock (digital display, AM/FM
radio, beeper, snooze button, etc) with a special built-in light
that gradually increases in intensity, this amazing clock
simulates a natural sunrise. It also includes a sunset feature
where the light fades to darkness over time -- ideal for anyone
who has trouble falling asleep.
Journaling. If you often lay in bed with your mind
racing, it might be helpful to keep a journal and write down
your thoughts before bed. This is a powerful tool to help you
recover from the effects of stress.
Melatonin and its precursors. If behavioral changes do
not work, it may be possible to improve sleep by supplementing
with the hormone melatonin. However, I would exercise extreme
caution in using it, and only as a last resort, as it is a
powerful hormone. Ideally, it is best to increase levels
naturally with exposure to bright sunlight in the daytime (along
with full-spectrum fluorescent bulbs in the winter) and absolute
complete darkness at night. You can also use one of melatonin's
precursors, L-tryptophan or 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP).
L-tryptophan is the safest and my preference, but must be
obtained by prescription only. However, don't be afraid or
intimidated by its prescription status. It is just a simple
amino acid.
Get Blackout Drapes for Your Bedroom. This will prevent
lightfrom coming in from the outside. Even very tiny levels of
light are sufficient to completely shut down your body's
production of melatonin.Sleeping in complete darkness and having
bright light exposure in the daytime is apowerfulnatural
methodto increase your melatonin levels and decrease your risk
of cancer.
Get to bed as early as possible.Your body,
particularlyyour adrenals, do a majority of their recharging or
recovering during the hours of 11 p.m.and 1 a.m. In addition,
your gallbladder dumps toxins during this same period. If you
are awake, the toxins back up intoyour liver, which then
secondarily back up into your entire system and cause further
disruption of your health. Prior to the widespread use of
electricity, people would go to bed shortly after sundown, as
most animals do, and which nature intended for humans as well.
Check your bedroom for electro-magnetic fields (EMFs).
These can disrupt the pineal gland and the production of
melatonin and seratonin, and may have other negative effects as
well. To purchase a gauss meter to measure EMFs try Cutcat at
800-497-9516. They have a model for around $40.Some expertseven
recommend thatyou pull your circuit breaker before bed to kill
all power inyour bedroom.
Keep the temperature inyour bedroom no higher than 70 degrees
F. Many people keep their homes, and particularly the
upstairs bedrooms, too hot. This is especially important to do.
Make sure you the thermostat is turned down two hours before you
go to bed to give your bedroom time to cool down. With the
increased price of heating fuel, this will also save you
money.
Eat a high-protein snack several hours before bed. This
can provide the L-tryptophan need to produce melatonin and
serotonin.
Also eat a small piece of fruit. This can help the
tryptophan cross your blood-brain barrier.
Reduce or avoid as many drugs as possible. Many
medications, both prescription and over-the-counter, may have
effects on sleep New drugs like Lunestradon't treat the causeand
may actually cause a dependency or addiction. In most cases, the
condition, which caused the drugs to be taken in the first
place, can be addressed by following the Total Health
Program.
Avoid caffeine. A recent study showed that in some
people, caffeine is not metabolized efficiently and therefore
they can feel the effects long after consuming it. So an
afternoon cup of coffee (or even tea) will keepmany people from
falling asleep. Also, some medications, particularly diet pills,
contain caffeine.
Alarm clocks and other electrical devices. If these
devices must be used, keep them as far away from the bed as
possible, preferably at leastthree feet from your body. This
will minimize potentially hazardous electromagnetic fields.
Avoid alcohol. Although alcohol will make people drowsy,
the effect is short lived and people will often wake up several
hours later, unable to fall back asleep. Alcohol will also keep
you from falling into the deeper stages of sleep, where the body
does most of its healing.
Lose weight. Being overweight can increase the risk of
sleep apnea, which will prevent a restful night's sleep. Follow
an effective program to help you lose weight.
Avoid foods that you may be sensitive to. This is
particularly true for dairy and wheat products, as they may have
an effect on sleep, such as causing apnea, excess congestion,
gastrointestinal upset, and gas, among others.
Don't drink any fluids withintwo hours of going to bed.
This will reduce the likelihood of needing to get up and go to
the bathroom or at least minimize the frequency.
Take a hot bath, shower or sauna before bed. When body
temperature is raised in the late evening, it will fall at
bedtime, facilitating sleep,
Remove the clock from view. It will only add to your
worry when constantly staring at it ... 2 a.m. ... 3 a.m. ...
4:30 a.m. ...
Keep your bed for sleeping. If you are used to watching
TV or doing work in bed, you may find it harder to relax and to
think of the bed as a place to sleep.
If you are menopausal or perimenopausal, get checked out by a
good natural medicine physician. The hormonal changes at
this time may cause problems if not properly addressed.
Don't change your bedtime. You should go to bed, and wake
up, at the same times each day, even on the weekends. This will
help your body to get into a sleep rhythm and make it easier to
fall asleep and get up in the morning.
Make certain you are exercising regularly. Exercising for
at least 30 minutes everyday can help you fall asleep. However,
don't exercise too close to bedtime or it may keep you awake.
Studies show exercising in the morning is the best if you can do
it.
About the author:
This article is reprinted from Mercola.com, the world's #1 most
visited and trusted natural/alternative health website. For a
limited time only, you can take the FREE "Metabolic Type Test"
to help you learn the right foods for your particular body type
so you can achieve optimal fitness & health. Just go to
http://www.mercola.com/forms/mt_test.htm right now to take this
quick test!
Thursday, November 10, 2005
What Is The Zone Diet?
By: Kirsten Hawkins
The Zone Diet is one of the five most discussed diets currently
being endorsed. Developed by Barry Sears, a former researcher at
MIT, it is based on maintaining insulin levels by striking a
balance between carbohydrates and proteins at each meal. Sears
suggests that the major cause of obesity is an imbalance of
insulin in the body. He maintains that the diet currently
recommended by most medical institutions is high in
carbohydrates and low in fats - a combination which he contends
contributes to the production of too much insulin, and results
in obesity. The Zone Diet is based on the concept of achieving a
physiological state in which insulin and eicosanoids, two
hormones, are maintained in zones that are carefully balanced.
By controlling the balance of insulin and eicosanoids, you
increase the loss of fat, and decrease the likelihood of heart
disease and diabetes, decrease inflammation and increase blood
flow, and increase your physical and mental stamina. The Zone
Diet The diet program of The Zone is designed to balance your
intake of protein and carbohydrate at 1 part protein to 4 parts
carbohydrate. It advises a moderate intake of carbohydrates,
proteins and fat in order to control insulin. It prescribes a
maximum amount of low-fat protein at one meal at 3-4 ounces,
which is nearly exactly the recommendation of the USDA and the
FDA. The majority of carbohydrates on the Zone diet come from
vegetables and fruits, with limited amounts of bread, rice,
potatoes and grains. Most fat intake should be from
monounsaturated fats like olive oil, safflower oil and other
'heart healthy' oils. While this sounds a good deal like the
Atkins diet (restricting carbohydrates), the differences are
very clear. Atkins recommends a diet high in protein without
regard to fat, with the intent of provoking ketosis, a
potentially unhealthy condition. High carbohydrate diets
recommend increasing carbohydrate levels and inducing the
production of insulin which, maintains Sears, increases weight
gain. Instead, the Zone Diet recommends achieving an optimal
balance of nutrients with moderate amounts of proteins,
carbohydrates and fat all playing a part. The other component of
the Zone diet worthy of note is the supplementation of diet with
fish oil. Fish oil, particularly pharmaceutical grade fish oil,
provides omega 3 fatty acids which are an important component in
healthy cells. Study after study in the past five years has
confirmed the importance of fish and omega 3 fatty acids in the
diet. A sample meal on The Zone's eating plan might include:
1 3 oz portion of broiled salmon Spinach salad with apples and
walnuts dressed with walnut oil and lemon juice 1/2 cup of brown
rice 1 glass fruit or vegetable juice The eating plan
recommended by The Zone diet combines small portions of low fat
proteins, fats and fiber-rich vegetables and fruits. It also
suggests eating some protein with each meal or snack, and at
least 3 meals and 2 snacks daily. Who should use the Zone Diet?
As always, if you're under the care of a physician for any
chronic medical condition, you should consult them before
embarking on any diet plan that substantially changes your
eating habits. There are significant differences between the
Zone Diet and that recommended for diabetics and heart patients,
for instance. Overall, the recommended portions of foods and the
balance between them is consistent with a healthy diet, and is
maintainable for a lifetime.
About the author:
Kirsten Hawkins is a nutrition and health expert from Nashville,
TN. Visit http://www.popular-diets.com/ for more great
nutrition, well-being, and vitamin tips as well as reviews and
comments on popular diets.
The Zone Diet is one of the five most discussed diets currently
being endorsed. Developed by Barry Sears, a former researcher at
MIT, it is based on maintaining insulin levels by striking a
balance between carbohydrates and proteins at each meal. Sears
suggests that the major cause of obesity is an imbalance of
insulin in the body. He maintains that the diet currently
recommended by most medical institutions is high in
carbohydrates and low in fats - a combination which he contends
contributes to the production of too much insulin, and results
in obesity. The Zone Diet is based on the concept of achieving a
physiological state in which insulin and eicosanoids, two
hormones, are maintained in zones that are carefully balanced.
By controlling the balance of insulin and eicosanoids, you
increase the loss of fat, and decrease the likelihood of heart
disease and diabetes, decrease inflammation and increase blood
flow, and increase your physical and mental stamina. The Zone
Diet The diet program of The Zone is designed to balance your
intake of protein and carbohydrate at 1 part protein to 4 parts
carbohydrate. It advises a moderate intake of carbohydrates,
proteins and fat in order to control insulin. It prescribes a
maximum amount of low-fat protein at one meal at 3-4 ounces,
which is nearly exactly the recommendation of the USDA and the
FDA. The majority of carbohydrates on the Zone diet come from
vegetables and fruits, with limited amounts of bread, rice,
potatoes and grains. Most fat intake should be from
monounsaturated fats like olive oil, safflower oil and other
'heart healthy' oils. While this sounds a good deal like the
Atkins diet (restricting carbohydrates), the differences are
very clear. Atkins recommends a diet high in protein without
regard to fat, with the intent of provoking ketosis, a
potentially unhealthy condition. High carbohydrate diets
recommend increasing carbohydrate levels and inducing the
production of insulin which, maintains Sears, increases weight
gain. Instead, the Zone Diet recommends achieving an optimal
balance of nutrients with moderate amounts of proteins,
carbohydrates and fat all playing a part. The other component of
the Zone diet worthy of note is the supplementation of diet with
fish oil. Fish oil, particularly pharmaceutical grade fish oil,
provides omega 3 fatty acids which are an important component in
healthy cells. Study after study in the past five years has
confirmed the importance of fish and omega 3 fatty acids in the
diet. A sample meal on The Zone's eating plan might include:
1 3 oz portion of broiled salmon Spinach salad with apples and
walnuts dressed with walnut oil and lemon juice 1/2 cup of brown
rice 1 glass fruit or vegetable juice The eating plan
recommended by The Zone diet combines small portions of low fat
proteins, fats and fiber-rich vegetables and fruits. It also
suggests eating some protein with each meal or snack, and at
least 3 meals and 2 snacks daily. Who should use the Zone Diet?
As always, if you're under the care of a physician for any
chronic medical condition, you should consult them before
embarking on any diet plan that substantially changes your
eating habits. There are significant differences between the
Zone Diet and that recommended for diabetics and heart patients,
for instance. Overall, the recommended portions of foods and the
balance between them is consistent with a healthy diet, and is
maintainable for a lifetime.
About the author:
Kirsten Hawkins is a nutrition and health expert from Nashville,
TN. Visit http://www.popular-diets.com/ for more great
nutrition, well-being, and vitamin tips as well as reviews and
comments on popular diets.
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
What Is The South Beach Diet?
By: Kirsten Hawkins
The South Beach Diet was developed by cardiologist Arthur
Agatston to help his patients lose weight and maintain a healthy
diet for a lifetime. It is designed in phases, like the Atkins
Diet, with different eating recommendations in each phase. All
phases have the same underlying philosophy, though. Weight loss
and maintenance depends on establishing a balanced diet that
avoids 'bad' fats and carbohydrates. The proponents of the South
Beach diet claim that you can lose weight and maintain the
weight loss without counting calories, weighing portions or
depriving yourself of good-tasting, satisfying foods. This is
accomplished by cutting out empty, high-carbohydrate foods like
sugars, potatoes, rice and white bread. Each phase is specially
designed to accomplish a particular goal. Phase I: Adjusting
your Metabolism
In Phase I, you eat three meals and two snacks daily, eating
until you are no longer hungry. The phase lasts two weeks,
during which time your body will shed 8-13 pounds. These items
are not allowed during Phase I: bread, rice, potatoes, pasta,
baked goods, fruit, candy, cake, cookies, ice cream, sugar or
alcohol Phase II: Weight Loss
The aim during Phase II is to lose weight, with loss averaging
1-2 pounds per week. During this phase, you will gradually add
the restricted foods from Phase I back into your diet, but you
will eat less of them. The daily diet on Phase II should consist
of: All the protein you want Minimum of 4 1/2 cups of vegetables
Up to 3 servings of fruit Up to 3 portions of starch 1 1/2 cups
of milk/dairy (including yogurt) 3 tbs. fat In real terms, a
typical menu for a meal on the South Beach Diet might include
something like this: ½ grapefruit 2 scrambled eggs mixed with
Monterey Jack cheese and salsa 1 slice of whole grain toast
Decaffeinated coffee or tea, fat-free milk and sugar substitute
if desired The eating plan recommended by the South Beach Diet
emphasizes low carbohydrate foods, restriction of sweets,
processed starches, white sugar and 'unhealthy fats', and all
the protein you want. It specifies minimum amounts of low carb
vegetables to be eaten daily that are remarkably close to the
recommendations made by the USDA and the American Diabetes
Association. A key concept in the South Beach diet is the
Glycemic Index. Foods are ranked on a scale of 1-100 according
to their Glycemic index - the amount by which they raise blood
sugar levels after meals. The focus of your diet should be on
foods low on the GI level, such as yogurt, cucumbers and
broccoli and whole grain cereal, while avoiding those high on
the GI scale such as white bread, potatoes and pretzels. In
addition to the above, the South Beach Diet offers the following
guidelines:
* Drink a minimum of 8 glasses of water and other decaffeinated
beverages per day (excluding fruit juices) * Limit your intake
of caffeine-containing beverages to 1 cup each day * Take one
multivitamin and mineral supplement daily * Take between 500 and
1,000 mg of calcium daily Phase III:
The lifetime maintenance plan is nearly identical to the weight
loss phase, with more portions of foods allowed. Dr. Agatston
cautions that patients being treated for diabetes, impaired
kidney function, pregnancy or other chronic illness should
consult their physician before embarking on any weight loss
regimen.
About the author:
Kirsten Hawkins is a nutrition and health expert from Nashville,
TN. Visit http://www.popular-diets.com/ for more great
nutrition, well-being, and vitamin tips as well as reviews and
comments on popular diets.
The South Beach Diet was developed by cardiologist Arthur
Agatston to help his patients lose weight and maintain a healthy
diet for a lifetime. It is designed in phases, like the Atkins
Diet, with different eating recommendations in each phase. All
phases have the same underlying philosophy, though. Weight loss
and maintenance depends on establishing a balanced diet that
avoids 'bad' fats and carbohydrates. The proponents of the South
Beach diet claim that you can lose weight and maintain the
weight loss without counting calories, weighing portions or
depriving yourself of good-tasting, satisfying foods. This is
accomplished by cutting out empty, high-carbohydrate foods like
sugars, potatoes, rice and white bread. Each phase is specially
designed to accomplish a particular goal. Phase I: Adjusting
your Metabolism
In Phase I, you eat three meals and two snacks daily, eating
until you are no longer hungry. The phase lasts two weeks,
during which time your body will shed 8-13 pounds. These items
are not allowed during Phase I: bread, rice, potatoes, pasta,
baked goods, fruit, candy, cake, cookies, ice cream, sugar or
alcohol Phase II: Weight Loss
The aim during Phase II is to lose weight, with loss averaging
1-2 pounds per week. During this phase, you will gradually add
the restricted foods from Phase I back into your diet, but you
will eat less of them. The daily diet on Phase II should consist
of: All the protein you want Minimum of 4 1/2 cups of vegetables
Up to 3 servings of fruit Up to 3 portions of starch 1 1/2 cups
of milk/dairy (including yogurt) 3 tbs. fat In real terms, a
typical menu for a meal on the South Beach Diet might include
something like this: ½ grapefruit 2 scrambled eggs mixed with
Monterey Jack cheese and salsa 1 slice of whole grain toast
Decaffeinated coffee or tea, fat-free milk and sugar substitute
if desired The eating plan recommended by the South Beach Diet
emphasizes low carbohydrate foods, restriction of sweets,
processed starches, white sugar and 'unhealthy fats', and all
the protein you want. It specifies minimum amounts of low carb
vegetables to be eaten daily that are remarkably close to the
recommendations made by the USDA and the American Diabetes
Association. A key concept in the South Beach diet is the
Glycemic Index. Foods are ranked on a scale of 1-100 according
to their Glycemic index - the amount by which they raise blood
sugar levels after meals. The focus of your diet should be on
foods low on the GI level, such as yogurt, cucumbers and
broccoli and whole grain cereal, while avoiding those high on
the GI scale such as white bread, potatoes and pretzels. In
addition to the above, the South Beach Diet offers the following
guidelines:
* Drink a minimum of 8 glasses of water and other decaffeinated
beverages per day (excluding fruit juices) * Limit your intake
of caffeine-containing beverages to 1 cup each day * Take one
multivitamin and mineral supplement daily * Take between 500 and
1,000 mg of calcium daily Phase III:
The lifetime maintenance plan is nearly identical to the weight
loss phase, with more portions of foods allowed. Dr. Agatston
cautions that patients being treated for diabetes, impaired
kidney function, pregnancy or other chronic illness should
consult their physician before embarking on any weight loss
regimen.
About the author:
Kirsten Hawkins is a nutrition and health expert from Nashville,
TN. Visit http://www.popular-diets.com/ for more great
nutrition, well-being, and vitamin tips as well as reviews and
comments on popular diets.
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
What Is The Atkins Diet?
By: Kirsten Hawkins
The Atkins weight loss diet is based on one simple principle:
Your body burns both carbohydrates and fat for calories. If you
reduce the amounts of carbohydrates available, it will burn more
fat and you will lose weight. According to Atkins, calories are
unimportant. The key to losing weight is to restrict the
carbohydrates that you eat and force the body to turn to its
stored fat as an energy source. As proof of this, proponents of
the Atkins Diet point to the following facts derived from
research: * When the body doesn't have enough carbohydrate, it
will use ketenes derived from fat as energy. * You can eat more
food and lose more weight on a low carbohydrate diet than you
can on a low fat diet. * You crave less food when you eat fewer
carbohydrates. * By eating fewer carbohydrates, people tend to
eat fewer calories without counting them. * The greater the
difference between fat and carbohydrate, the greater the weight
loss. In short, if you restrict your intake of carbohydrates,
you will most likely also restrict your intake of calories. By
lowering your carbohydrate intake, you will encourage your body
to turn to fat for energy. The Atkins diet has provoked storms
of controversy since it was first published. The recommendation
to eat a high-protein, low-carbohydrate flew in the face of all
the dietary recommendations by established medical institutions.
The diet was denounced as unsafe, particularly if used as a
life-long weight maintenance plan. Over the past five to ten
years, there have been numerous studies that come down on both
sides of the equation, and Atkins last version of the diet
included the admission that calories do matter, and the advice
to 'eat only enough to satisfy hunger'. A typical menu for a
meal on the Atkins Diet might include: Portobello and Ricotta
Crostini Chicken Milanese over Spring Salad Lemon Vinaigrette
dressing Warm Lentils and Celery Raspberry Cheesecake in a Cup
The eating plan recommended by the Atkins diet contains very low
portions of carbohydrates, deriving the majority of
carbohydrates from vegetables high in fiber and low in carbs,
and unrestricted portions of proteins, including high fat
proteins like beef, pork and cheese. Follow up research on
people who have used the Atkins Diet to lose weight show a fast
initial weight loss that eventually levels off. The Atkins Diet
has four phases to account for it:
1. The Induction Phase, which restricts carbohydrates severely.
2. The OWL (Ongoing Weight Loss) Phase, in which you add in
limited carbs and tailor the eating plan to your tastes 3.
Pre-maintenance, with ten pounds or less to the target goal,
deliberately slows weight loss to begin adjusting the body to
after-weight-loss diet. 4. Lifetime Maintenance, a long-term
eating plan that emphasizes low carbohydrates and healthy,
long-term eating Who should use the Atkins Diet?
While the Atkins Diet seems on the surface to be directly
counter to what is recommended by most medical institutions,
many of the principles are actually the same. Unless you are
under the care of a physician for a chronic medical condition
like diabetes, high blood pressure or coronary problems, you can
use the Atkins Diet. Do pay attention to the portions
recommended in the menus and plans at http://www.atkins.com, despite
the reassurances that you can 'eat all you want and still lose
weight.'
About the author:
Kirsten Hawkins is a nutrition and health expert from Nashville,
TN. Visit http://www.popular-diets.com/ for more great
nutrition, well-being, and vitamin tips as well as reviews and
comments on popular diets.
The Atkins weight loss diet is based on one simple principle:
Your body burns both carbohydrates and fat for calories. If you
reduce the amounts of carbohydrates available, it will burn more
fat and you will lose weight. According to Atkins, calories are
unimportant. The key to losing weight is to restrict the
carbohydrates that you eat and force the body to turn to its
stored fat as an energy source. As proof of this, proponents of
the Atkins Diet point to the following facts derived from
research: * When the body doesn't have enough carbohydrate, it
will use ketenes derived from fat as energy. * You can eat more
food and lose more weight on a low carbohydrate diet than you
can on a low fat diet. * You crave less food when you eat fewer
carbohydrates. * By eating fewer carbohydrates, people tend to
eat fewer calories without counting them. * The greater the
difference between fat and carbohydrate, the greater the weight
loss. In short, if you restrict your intake of carbohydrates,
you will most likely also restrict your intake of calories. By
lowering your carbohydrate intake, you will encourage your body
to turn to fat for energy. The Atkins diet has provoked storms
of controversy since it was first published. The recommendation
to eat a high-protein, low-carbohydrate flew in the face of all
the dietary recommendations by established medical institutions.
The diet was denounced as unsafe, particularly if used as a
life-long weight maintenance plan. Over the past five to ten
years, there have been numerous studies that come down on both
sides of the equation, and Atkins last version of the diet
included the admission that calories do matter, and the advice
to 'eat only enough to satisfy hunger'. A typical menu for a
meal on the Atkins Diet might include: Portobello and Ricotta
Crostini Chicken Milanese over Spring Salad Lemon Vinaigrette
dressing Warm Lentils and Celery Raspberry Cheesecake in a Cup
The eating plan recommended by the Atkins diet contains very low
portions of carbohydrates, deriving the majority of
carbohydrates from vegetables high in fiber and low in carbs,
and unrestricted portions of proteins, including high fat
proteins like beef, pork and cheese. Follow up research on
people who have used the Atkins Diet to lose weight show a fast
initial weight loss that eventually levels off. The Atkins Diet
has four phases to account for it:
1. The Induction Phase, which restricts carbohydrates severely.
2. The OWL (Ongoing Weight Loss) Phase, in which you add in
limited carbs and tailor the eating plan to your tastes 3.
Pre-maintenance, with ten pounds or less to the target goal,
deliberately slows weight loss to begin adjusting the body to
after-weight-loss diet. 4. Lifetime Maintenance, a long-term
eating plan that emphasizes low carbohydrates and healthy,
long-term eating Who should use the Atkins Diet?
While the Atkins Diet seems on the surface to be directly
counter to what is recommended by most medical institutions,
many of the principles are actually the same. Unless you are
under the care of a physician for a chronic medical condition
like diabetes, high blood pressure or coronary problems, you can
use the Atkins Diet. Do pay attention to the portions
recommended in the menus and plans at http://www.atkins.com, despite
the reassurances that you can 'eat all you want and still lose
weight.'
About the author:
Kirsten Hawkins is a nutrition and health expert from Nashville,
TN. Visit http://www.popular-diets.com/ for more great
nutrition, well-being, and vitamin tips as well as reviews and
comments on popular diets.
Monday, November 07, 2005
The Most Practical Diet You Ever Try
By: Kirsten Hawkins
Americans lose millions of pounds a year - only to gain most of
it back within a year. You've probably heard over and over again
that the real secret to losing weight permanently is to make
permanent changes in your eating habits and lifestyle.
Throughout decades of high protein, low protein, Air Force
diets, Atkins, Scarsdale diets, cabbage
diets,eat-all-you-want-and-still-lose-weight diets that is the
one piece of advice that has remained strong. No matter what the
latest diet craze, over and over throughout the years, the one
"diet" that effected a long-term, permanent weight loss was the
'eat a well-balanced, portion-controlled diet and exercise
regularly'.
Why are fad diets so popular? Diets feed our need to be actively
doing something. Weighing, measuring, counting - whether its
calories,exchanges or carbs - all give us the feeling of gaining
control over our bodies and our weight. In the long run, though,
all the measuring and obsession with what, how much and when we
eat becomes overwhelming. When we stop living by strictly
controlled guidelines set out by other people -the latest diet
guru - the weight comes back.
There is a practical way to lose weight that doesn't involve
arcane combinations of foods to set up an ideal balance of foods
that burn more than they give, or that promise to 'turn your
body into a fat-burning machine'. It is to simply eat a healthy
balance of all types of foods in portions that are reasonable
for your body, while at the same time raising your activity
level to burn more calories than you take in. Below are some
practical guidelines to help you adjust your diet and lifestyle
to help you lose that weight - and keep it off permanently.
1.Adjust your attitude. You're not going on a diet - you're
eating what your body needs. To maintain your weight loss,
you'll need to maintain your new eating habits for the rest of
your life - and that's a far easier prospect if your diet plan
is one that makes sense and is easy to maintain.
2.Think square when you plan your meals. Like a square has four
corners, so should your meals. At every meal, include a protein,
a healthy fat, a grain/legume and a fruit/vegetable.
3.Eat three squares and at least two snacks every day. Your
snacks should be in the grain/legume or fruit/vegetable corner.
4.If you're under stress, eat something every two hours. Your
body sends out distress signals when you're putting it under
stress. Give it healthy fuel to keep it working right.
5.Aim for no more than 60 grams of carbohydrate per day at
first.Spread the carbohydrates over the course of the day - 15
at each meal and 7 at each snack.
6.Limit dairy products to 3 or less daily.
7.Completely avoid soft drinks - even the diet ones.
8.Drink 6-10 glasses of water each day.
9.Eliminate 'white foods' from your diet. Do away with white
sugar,white flour and white cereal products.
10. Take a nutritional supplement - at least a good multivitamin
daily.
About the author:
Kirsten Hawkins is a nutrition and health expert from Nashville,
TN. Visit http://www.popular-diets.com/ for more great
nutrition, well-being, and vitamin tips as well as reviews and
comments on popular diets.
Americans lose millions of pounds a year - only to gain most of
it back within a year. You've probably heard over and over again
that the real secret to losing weight permanently is to make
permanent changes in your eating habits and lifestyle.
Throughout decades of high protein, low protein, Air Force
diets, Atkins, Scarsdale diets, cabbage
diets,eat-all-you-want-and-still-lose-weight diets that is the
one piece of advice that has remained strong. No matter what the
latest diet craze, over and over throughout the years, the one
"diet" that effected a long-term, permanent weight loss was the
'eat a well-balanced, portion-controlled diet and exercise
regularly'.
Why are fad diets so popular? Diets feed our need to be actively
doing something. Weighing, measuring, counting - whether its
calories,exchanges or carbs - all give us the feeling of gaining
control over our bodies and our weight. In the long run, though,
all the measuring and obsession with what, how much and when we
eat becomes overwhelming. When we stop living by strictly
controlled guidelines set out by other people -the latest diet
guru - the weight comes back.
There is a practical way to lose weight that doesn't involve
arcane combinations of foods to set up an ideal balance of foods
that burn more than they give, or that promise to 'turn your
body into a fat-burning machine'. It is to simply eat a healthy
balance of all types of foods in portions that are reasonable
for your body, while at the same time raising your activity
level to burn more calories than you take in. Below are some
practical guidelines to help you adjust your diet and lifestyle
to help you lose that weight - and keep it off permanently.
1.Adjust your attitude. You're not going on a diet - you're
eating what your body needs. To maintain your weight loss,
you'll need to maintain your new eating habits for the rest of
your life - and that's a far easier prospect if your diet plan
is one that makes sense and is easy to maintain.
2.Think square when you plan your meals. Like a square has four
corners, so should your meals. At every meal, include a protein,
a healthy fat, a grain/legume and a fruit/vegetable.
3.Eat three squares and at least two snacks every day. Your
snacks should be in the grain/legume or fruit/vegetable corner.
4.If you're under stress, eat something every two hours. Your
body sends out distress signals when you're putting it under
stress. Give it healthy fuel to keep it working right.
5.Aim for no more than 60 grams of carbohydrate per day at
first.Spread the carbohydrates over the course of the day - 15
at each meal and 7 at each snack.
6.Limit dairy products to 3 or less daily.
7.Completely avoid soft drinks - even the diet ones.
8.Drink 6-10 glasses of water each day.
9.Eliminate 'white foods' from your diet. Do away with white
sugar,white flour and white cereal products.
10. Take a nutritional supplement - at least a good multivitamin
daily.
About the author:
Kirsten Hawkins is a nutrition and health expert from Nashville,
TN. Visit http://www.popular-diets.com/ for more great
nutrition, well-being, and vitamin tips as well as reviews and
comments on popular diets.
Sunday, November 06, 2005
The Diet Experts Agree More Than They Admit!
By: Kirsten Hawkins
Lately, I've been hearing a lot about how wrong for our bodies
the current recommendations from our most respected medical
institutions are. Well-known diet gurus and nutritional
researchers have stepped up to the plate to declare that the
high carbohydrate, low fat diet regimens recommended by such
institutions as the American Heart Association, the American
Diabetes Association and the United States Department of
Agriculture are misinformed, and frankly unhealthy. Instead,
they charge, our diets should include lots of high quality
protein, fat should not concern us, and carbohydrates are the
enemy. This has set the stage for battles between the weight
loss industry and the health industry - with the only agreement
between them seeming to be the need to lose weight. The
problem is - they're both wrong. And they're both right. The
most regularly leveled criticisms of each seem legitimate -
until you examine the recommended diets in depth. Sit down and
look at the recommended menus. Take them to the calorie
calculators and compare ingredients and nutrients. I did, and
what I found was a revelation. In the most practical sense,
they're all talking about the same diet. Oh, there are minor
variations that have been grossly blown out of proportion by the
advertising hype. There are misinterpretations that have been
stated as fact. The bottom line of each and every one of the
Atkins Diet, the South Beach Diet, the Zone Diet, the American
Diabetes Association diet, and the American Heart Association's
Heart Healthy Diet -- all of them - is to derive the greatest
portion of your caloric intake for the day from low carbohydrate
vegetables. Spinach, broccoli, cabbage - leafy green. Carrots,
summer squash, deep rich orange vegetables. Fruits with high
calorie and antioxidant counts. Whole grains - and this is where
the controversy seems to arise. Almost without exception,
proponents of the low carb diets for weight loss and maintenance
have condemned the recommended diets for suggesting that adults
should derive the greater portion of their diets from
carbohydrates. What they fail to note is that also without
exception, each of those 'healthy' diets strongly suggest
avoiding white breads, starchy, processed foods, sweet snacks
high in sugar and preservatives, and white rice. On the other
hand, the medical community has roundly condemned the low carb
diets for encouraging the consumption of a diet high in
saturated fats and cholesterol. But there is also a strong
suggestion in each of those diets along the lines of "eat only
until you are no longer hungry". .. and a minimum consumption of
vegetables. Dinner's minimum suggested amount of vegetables is 2
1/2 cups. How hungry will you be after consuming two and a half
cups of vegetable? In the end, the bottom line of every weight
loss program advertised is the same:
* Eat a well-balanced diet where most of the calories are
derived from whole grains, vegetables and fruits. * Eat fewer
calories than you expend. * Exercise moderately every day. *
Learn to eat that way as a lifestyle and you will lose
weight--and keep it off!
About the author:
Kirsten Hawkins is a nutrition and health expert from Nashville,
TN. Visit http://www.popular-diets.com/ for more great
nutrition, well-being, and vitamin tips as well as reviews and
comments on popular diets.
Lately, I've been hearing a lot about how wrong for our bodies
the current recommendations from our most respected medical
institutions are. Well-known diet gurus and nutritional
researchers have stepped up to the plate to declare that the
high carbohydrate, low fat diet regimens recommended by such
institutions as the American Heart Association, the American
Diabetes Association and the United States Department of
Agriculture are misinformed, and frankly unhealthy. Instead,
they charge, our diets should include lots of high quality
protein, fat should not concern us, and carbohydrates are the
enemy. This has set the stage for battles between the weight
loss industry and the health industry - with the only agreement
between them seeming to be the need to lose weight. The
problem is - they're both wrong. And they're both right. The
most regularly leveled criticisms of each seem legitimate -
until you examine the recommended diets in depth. Sit down and
look at the recommended menus. Take them to the calorie
calculators and compare ingredients and nutrients. I did, and
what I found was a revelation. In the most practical sense,
they're all talking about the same diet. Oh, there are minor
variations that have been grossly blown out of proportion by the
advertising hype. There are misinterpretations that have been
stated as fact. The bottom line of each and every one of the
Atkins Diet, the South Beach Diet, the Zone Diet, the American
Diabetes Association diet, and the American Heart Association's
Heart Healthy Diet -- all of them - is to derive the greatest
portion of your caloric intake for the day from low carbohydrate
vegetables. Spinach, broccoli, cabbage - leafy green. Carrots,
summer squash, deep rich orange vegetables. Fruits with high
calorie and antioxidant counts. Whole grains - and this is where
the controversy seems to arise. Almost without exception,
proponents of the low carb diets for weight loss and maintenance
have condemned the recommended diets for suggesting that adults
should derive the greater portion of their diets from
carbohydrates. What they fail to note is that also without
exception, each of those 'healthy' diets strongly suggest
avoiding white breads, starchy, processed foods, sweet snacks
high in sugar and preservatives, and white rice. On the other
hand, the medical community has roundly condemned the low carb
diets for encouraging the consumption of a diet high in
saturated fats and cholesterol. But there is also a strong
suggestion in each of those diets along the lines of "eat only
until you are no longer hungry". .. and a minimum consumption of
vegetables. Dinner's minimum suggested amount of vegetables is 2
1/2 cups. How hungry will you be after consuming two and a half
cups of vegetable? In the end, the bottom line of every weight
loss program advertised is the same:
* Eat a well-balanced diet where most of the calories are
derived from whole grains, vegetables and fruits. * Eat fewer
calories than you expend. * Exercise moderately every day. *
Learn to eat that way as a lifestyle and you will lose
weight--and keep it off!
About the author:
Kirsten Hawkins is a nutrition and health expert from Nashville,
TN. Visit http://www.popular-diets.com/ for more great
nutrition, well-being, and vitamin tips as well as reviews and
comments on popular diets.
Saturday, November 05, 2005
The New And Improved Nutrition Pyramid
By: Kirsten Hawkins
Just when you were getting the Nutrition Pyramid down to an
exact science, the USDA goes and releases an all new nutrition
and diet plan for healthy Americans. On April 19, 2005, the
United States Department of Agriculture unveiled its new My
Pyramid nutrition pyramid. Available at its own web site (http://www.mypyramid.gov), the
new guidelines aren't so much NEW as they are more in depth,
detailed and helpful.
For starters, My Pyramid can be personalized. On the main page,
you have the option of entering your age, gender and activity
level. Simply click "submit" and get a recommendation that's
more specific than '6-11 servings of grain per day'. Instead of
those vague, wide-ranging recommendations, you'll get a pyramid
that says, "6 ounces of grain products", or 2 1/2 cups
vegetables.
Even if that were the ONLY improvement on the new site, it would
be tremendous. No more guessing whether you should aim for
closer to six servings or closer to eleven. The nutrition
calculator factors in your age, gender and activity level (above
your normal daily routine) to come up with a recommended caloric
intake. From there, it breaks down the calories by food group,
and tells you exactly how much of each group you should eat per
day for a healthy diet. It's far easier to figure out what 2
cups of milk is than it is to figure out how much '3-5' servings
of dairy is!
But it doesn't stop there. Beneath the pyramid chart with the
specific serving sizes on it, you'll find a list of links to
'tips' for making the healthiest choices from each food group -
divided by food group.
There are some great diet tips there, along with ways to serve
foods in appetizing and nutritious ways. A sampling from each
category includes:
* Grain: Substitute whole grain cereal for bread crumbs in
toppings. * Vegetables: Try crunchy vegetables raw or lightly
steamed. * Fruits: Try applesauce as a fat-free substitute for
oil in baking. * Milk: Trim down from whole milk to fat-free
gradually, week by week. * Meat/Beans: Replace some of the meat
in your diet with nuts.
Want to know how your actual diet stacks up against the dietary
guidelines and get specific, personalized recommendations for
improving it? Tucked away at the bottom of the list of links in
the menu you'll find the My Pyramid Tracker. It's easily the
handiest tool that I've ever seen. Enter the foods that you eat
in a typical day, click Analyze, and you'll get a detailed
analysis that includes the calories, the amount of over 25
specific nutrients, the difference between your diet and an
optimum diet, and specific recommendations for changes you
should make to eat a healthier diet. Better yet, you can save
your history day by day to keep track of your eating habits and
watch the improvements. It's the diet diary with a difference.
Use it - and see yourself eating better every day.
About the author:
Kirsten Hawkins is a nutrition and health expert from Nashville,
TN. Visit http://www.popular-diets.com/ for more great
nutrition, well-being, and vitamin tips as well as reviews and
comments on popular diets.
Just when you were getting the Nutrition Pyramid down to an
exact science, the USDA goes and releases an all new nutrition
and diet plan for healthy Americans. On April 19, 2005, the
United States Department of Agriculture unveiled its new My
Pyramid nutrition pyramid. Available at its own web site (http://www.mypyramid.gov), the
new guidelines aren't so much NEW as they are more in depth,
detailed and helpful.
For starters, My Pyramid can be personalized. On the main page,
you have the option of entering your age, gender and activity
level. Simply click "submit" and get a recommendation that's
more specific than '6-11 servings of grain per day'. Instead of
those vague, wide-ranging recommendations, you'll get a pyramid
that says, "6 ounces of grain products", or 2 1/2 cups
vegetables.
Even if that were the ONLY improvement on the new site, it would
be tremendous. No more guessing whether you should aim for
closer to six servings or closer to eleven. The nutrition
calculator factors in your age, gender and activity level (above
your normal daily routine) to come up with a recommended caloric
intake. From there, it breaks down the calories by food group,
and tells you exactly how much of each group you should eat per
day for a healthy diet. It's far easier to figure out what 2
cups of milk is than it is to figure out how much '3-5' servings
of dairy is!
But it doesn't stop there. Beneath the pyramid chart with the
specific serving sizes on it, you'll find a list of links to
'tips' for making the healthiest choices from each food group -
divided by food group.
There are some great diet tips there, along with ways to serve
foods in appetizing and nutritious ways. A sampling from each
category includes:
* Grain: Substitute whole grain cereal for bread crumbs in
toppings. * Vegetables: Try crunchy vegetables raw or lightly
steamed. * Fruits: Try applesauce as a fat-free substitute for
oil in baking. * Milk: Trim down from whole milk to fat-free
gradually, week by week. * Meat/Beans: Replace some of the meat
in your diet with nuts.
Want to know how your actual diet stacks up against the dietary
guidelines and get specific, personalized recommendations for
improving it? Tucked away at the bottom of the list of links in
the menu you'll find the My Pyramid Tracker. It's easily the
handiest tool that I've ever seen. Enter the foods that you eat
in a typical day, click Analyze, and you'll get a detailed
analysis that includes the calories, the amount of over 25
specific nutrients, the difference between your diet and an
optimum diet, and specific recommendations for changes you
should make to eat a healthier diet. Better yet, you can save
your history day by day to keep track of your eating habits and
watch the improvements. It's the diet diary with a difference.
Use it - and see yourself eating better every day.
About the author:
Kirsten Hawkins is a nutrition and health expert from Nashville,
TN. Visit http://www.popular-diets.com/ for more great
nutrition, well-being, and vitamin tips as well as reviews and
comments on popular diets.
Friday, November 04, 2005
Nutrition and Wellness
By: Mark Garcia
What We Eat Affects How We Feel.
Disease and nutrition go hand in hand. Nutritional deficiencies
causes two things. Disease and aging. The other things that also
cause disease and aging are poor life style choices, mainly
tobacco and alcohol. We have an obvious choice with tobacco and
alcohol but we have a much harder choice with nutrition. The
reason for this is mainly because it's very difficult to get the
right kind of nutrition, i.e. fresh fruits and vegetables. These
are seasonal and when we depend on outside sources, we can't be
guaranteed of the quality. When they are shipped from far away
places, typically they are cut before they are ripe and a lot of
the active ingredients are left in the stem and root.
When our bodies are given the right nutrients they can heal
themselves. Genetically we are coded to do this. The only
problem is that in order to fix ourselves we have to have the
right nutrients to do so. Would you fix a flat tire with a rug?
There have been a number of studies done on the use of various
vitamins, antioxidants in treating and preventing disease. I
would strongly encourage checking this out. The one field that
research is exploding in is that of glycobiology. They now know
that there are eight monosaccharides (simple sugars, not just
table sugar) essential to cell to cell communication. This
process helps identify bad cells and instructs the immune system
to kill them. When the immune system is depressed, bad cells
stay bad and then they multiply.
Currently we only get two of these eight essential sugars in our
diet: glucose (table sugar) and lactose (milk products). The
other six we can manufacture but it takes a lot of energy and
can involve up to 20 different reactions.
As many of my clients and colleagues know, I am always astounded
at the amount of refined sugar that exists in our daily diets as
well as the amount that is in most processed foods. The Food
Manufacturers are finally yielding to pressure from consumers to
re-formulate some of their offerings, but we are a long ways
away.
With the use of glyconutrient
products, we are aware of the powerful healing effects of
the eight essential sugars, known as saccharides. These products
are listed in the new book; Remarkable Life, Remarkable Journey.
They are the foundation of multicellular intelligence-the
ability of cells to communicate, cohere, and work together to
keep us healthy and balanced.
But what about the more common sugar found in many of the
processed foods. Companies realize that educated consumers are
reading labels and trying to avoid sugar. In order to hide the
term "sugar", manufacturers are using a new term "organic
evaporated cane juice".
So be sure to read that label and not confuse the 8 Essential
Sugars with the basic sugar sweetener.
About the author:
Mark Garcia C.E.C. is an accomplished professional chef whose
consulting firm, The Retail Food Group works with large
restaurant and hotel corporations all over the world. One of his
areas of expertise is in the field of nutrition and wellness. He
may be contacted at 210-391-8872
What We Eat Affects How We Feel.
Disease and nutrition go hand in hand. Nutritional deficiencies
causes two things. Disease and aging. The other things that also
cause disease and aging are poor life style choices, mainly
tobacco and alcohol. We have an obvious choice with tobacco and
alcohol but we have a much harder choice with nutrition. The
reason for this is mainly because it's very difficult to get the
right kind of nutrition, i.e. fresh fruits and vegetables. These
are seasonal and when we depend on outside sources, we can't be
guaranteed of the quality. When they are shipped from far away
places, typically they are cut before they are ripe and a lot of
the active ingredients are left in the stem and root.
When our bodies are given the right nutrients they can heal
themselves. Genetically we are coded to do this. The only
problem is that in order to fix ourselves we have to have the
right nutrients to do so. Would you fix a flat tire with a rug?
There have been a number of studies done on the use of various
vitamins, antioxidants in treating and preventing disease. I
would strongly encourage checking this out. The one field that
research is exploding in is that of glycobiology. They now know
that there are eight monosaccharides (simple sugars, not just
table sugar) essential to cell to cell communication. This
process helps identify bad cells and instructs the immune system
to kill them. When the immune system is depressed, bad cells
stay bad and then they multiply.
Currently we only get two of these eight essential sugars in our
diet: glucose (table sugar) and lactose (milk products). The
other six we can manufacture but it takes a lot of energy and
can involve up to 20 different reactions.
As many of my clients and colleagues know, I am always astounded
at the amount of refined sugar that exists in our daily diets as
well as the amount that is in most processed foods. The Food
Manufacturers are finally yielding to pressure from consumers to
re-formulate some of their offerings, but we are a long ways
away.
With the use of glyconutrient
products, we are aware of the powerful healing effects of
the eight essential sugars, known as saccharides. These products
are listed in the new book; Remarkable Life, Remarkable Journey.
They are the foundation of multicellular intelligence-the
ability of cells to communicate, cohere, and work together to
keep us healthy and balanced.
But what about the more common sugar found in many of the
processed foods. Companies realize that educated consumers are
reading labels and trying to avoid sugar. In order to hide the
term "sugar", manufacturers are using a new term "organic
evaporated cane juice".
So be sure to read that label and not confuse the 8 Essential
Sugars with the basic sugar sweetener.
About the author:
Mark Garcia C.E.C. is an accomplished professional chef whose
consulting firm, The Retail Food Group works with large
restaurant and hotel corporations all over the world. One of his
areas of expertise is in the field of nutrition and wellness. He
may be contacted at 210-391-8872
Thursday, November 03, 2005
The FDA Finally Reviews the Safety of Antibacterial Soaps
By: Dr. Joseph Mercola
A Food and Drug Administration(FDA) advisory panel has met to
examine the safety and effectiveness of antibacterial soaps.
Could Cause Problems
The American Medical Association (AMA), and a number of
scientists, have cast doubts on the use of antibacterial soap.
They point out that there is no evidence that these products
stop infection any better than regular soap, and they worry that
increased use of antibacterial products might lead to
antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Alcohol-Based Sanitizers are Safer
Some at the FDA's meeting recommended the use of alcohol-based
hand sanitizers for this reason, rather than the antibacterial
additives triclosan (for liquid soaps) and triclocarban (for
hard soaps).
Industry Denies There is a Problem
The AMA's Council on Scientific Affairs suggested in 2002 that
consumers stop using antibacterial soaps. Promoters of the soaps
say that studies have shown antibacterial soaps cause no
increase in bacterial resistance to antibiotics, although the
studies quoted did say that long-term use of the products could
be problematic and should be studied.
Yahoo News October 18, 2005USA Today October 20, 2005
Dr. Mercola's Comment:A growing number of critics, including
me, believe antibacterial soaps are no better than regular soaps
in reducing infections.
You see, yourstandard non-bacterialhousehold soap separates
bacteria fromyour skin so germs go down the drain or get
attached to towels when drying your hands. On the other hand,
antibacterial soaps kill germs on the spot. At least, most of
them ...
The few that survive, with the help of antibacterial compounds
-- synthetic chemicals like triclosan -- create germs resistant
to soaps and antibiotics over the long haul.
It used to be that antibacterial soaps were used mainly in
clinical health care environments, like scrubbing up prior to
surgery. Now, antibacterial soaps are used in households across
the country where they amount to a $16 billion-a-year industry.
Some 72 percent of all liquid soap sold in the United States now
contains antibacterial ingredients.
But studies have shown that people who use antibacterial soaps
and cleansers develop cough, runny nose, sore throat, fever,
vomiting, diarrhea and other symptoms just as often as people
who use products that do not contain antibacterial ingredients.
Further,increasing numbers oftraditional medicalexperts now
accept the hygiene hypothesis, which centers on the idea that
children exposedto bacteria in early childhoodactually
havestrongerimmune systems. Children who are not exposed to
common bacteria, which areeliminated by excessive use ofsoap,
may actually be more prone to allergies and asthma.
Even the American Medical Association (AMA) does not recommend
antibacterial soaps.
So why do they persist?
Simple --the manufacturers have relied on using fear to convince
people that they need to use them to stay healthy. So, avoid
being duped by these companies. All you need to use is a plain,
chemical-free soap that you can pick up in your local health
food store, as washing with plain soap and water will get rid of
most all bacteria.
Many of you also understand that it is not lack of washing your
hands that actually gets you sick but rather a weakened immune
system, which results from poor lifestyle choicesregarding
foods, sleep, exercise and sun exposure.
Yes, you can decrease your risk of getting coughs and colds by
washing your hands (with regular soap), but you can virtually
eliminate your risk by following the Total Health Program and
not washing your hands. The key is optimizing your immune
system, not decreasing your exposure to infectious agents.
About the author:
This article is reprinted from Mercola.com, the world's #1 most
visited and trusted natural/alternative health website. For a
limited time only, you can take the FREE "Metabolic Type Test"
to help you learn the right foods for your particular body type
so you can achieve optimal fitness & health. Just go to
http://www.mercola.com/forms/mt_test.htm right now to take this
quick test!
A Food and Drug Administration(FDA) advisory panel has met to
examine the safety and effectiveness of antibacterial soaps.
Could Cause Problems
The American Medical Association (AMA), and a number of
scientists, have cast doubts on the use of antibacterial soap.
They point out that there is no evidence that these products
stop infection any better than regular soap, and they worry that
increased use of antibacterial products might lead to
antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Alcohol-Based Sanitizers are Safer
Some at the FDA's meeting recommended the use of alcohol-based
hand sanitizers for this reason, rather than the antibacterial
additives triclosan (for liquid soaps) and triclocarban (for
hard soaps).
Industry Denies There is a Problem
The AMA's Council on Scientific Affairs suggested in 2002 that
consumers stop using antibacterial soaps. Promoters of the soaps
say that studies have shown antibacterial soaps cause no
increase in bacterial resistance to antibiotics, although the
studies quoted did say that long-term use of the products could
be problematic and should be studied.
Yahoo News October 18, 2005USA Today October 20, 2005
Dr. Mercola's Comment:A growing number of critics, including
me, believe antibacterial soaps are no better than regular soaps
in reducing infections.
You see, yourstandard non-bacterialhousehold soap separates
bacteria fromyour skin so germs go down the drain or get
attached to towels when drying your hands. On the other hand,
antibacterial soaps kill germs on the spot. At least, most of
them ...
The few that survive, with the help of antibacterial compounds
-- synthetic chemicals like triclosan -- create germs resistant
to soaps and antibiotics over the long haul.
It used to be that antibacterial soaps were used mainly in
clinical health care environments, like scrubbing up prior to
surgery. Now, antibacterial soaps are used in households across
the country where they amount to a $16 billion-a-year industry.
Some 72 percent of all liquid soap sold in the United States now
contains antibacterial ingredients.
But studies have shown that people who use antibacterial soaps
and cleansers develop cough, runny nose, sore throat, fever,
vomiting, diarrhea and other symptoms just as often as people
who use products that do not contain antibacterial ingredients.
Further,increasing numbers oftraditional medicalexperts now
accept the hygiene hypothesis, which centers on the idea that
children exposedto bacteria in early childhoodactually
havestrongerimmune systems. Children who are not exposed to
common bacteria, which areeliminated by excessive use ofsoap,
may actually be more prone to allergies and asthma.
Even the American Medical Association (AMA) does not recommend
antibacterial soaps.
So why do they persist?
Simple --the manufacturers have relied on using fear to convince
people that they need to use them to stay healthy. So, avoid
being duped by these companies. All you need to use is a plain,
chemical-free soap that you can pick up in your local health
food store, as washing with plain soap and water will get rid of
most all bacteria.
Many of you also understand that it is not lack of washing your
hands that actually gets you sick but rather a weakened immune
system, which results from poor lifestyle choicesregarding
foods, sleep, exercise and sun exposure.
Yes, you can decrease your risk of getting coughs and colds by
washing your hands (with regular soap), but you can virtually
eliminate your risk by following the Total Health Program and
not washing your hands. The key is optimizing your immune
system, not decreasing your exposure to infectious agents.
About the author:
This article is reprinted from Mercola.com, the world's #1 most
visited and trusted natural/alternative health website. For a
limited time only, you can take the FREE "Metabolic Type Test"
to help you learn the right foods for your particular body type
so you can achieve optimal fitness & health. Just go to
http://www.mercola.com/forms/mt_test.htm right now to take this
quick test!
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Little Known Facts About Changes In Our Diet
By: Brennan Howe
To say that Americans are obsessed with dieting is an
understatement! Pick up any magazine, tune-in or turn-on any
source of advertising and you're bombarded with the latest diet
schemes and food fads. More often than not, they are endorsed by
some familiar Hollywood celebrity, or promoted using some other
cleaver technique.
It's no mystery that the weight-loss industry has built a
thriving empire. In America, for example, we spend about 35
billion dollars every year on an assortment of weight loss
products and plans. In addition, we spend another 79 billion
dollars for medication, hospitalization, and doctors to treat
obesity-related problems. Even with this, the obesity epidemic
continues to spread. Sadly, we have become the heaviest
generation in our Nation's history.
The National Center for Health Statistics reports that we have
some very good reasons to be concerned about our weight-gain.
Americans, for example are packing-on the pounds faster than
ever before and weight-related medical problems are taking
center stage. Diseases like heart disease, diabetes and
yes...even certain forms of cancer have all been linked to
obesity.
Here are a few of the surprising statistics about our weight:
- A whopping 64 percent of U.S. adults are either overweight or
obese. That's up approximately 8 percent from overweight
estimates obtained in a 1988 report.
- The percent of children who are overweight is also continuing
to increase. Among children and teens ages 6-19, 15 percent or
almost 9 million are overweight. That's triple what the rate was
in 1980!
- Nearly one-third of all adults are now classified as obese. At
present, 31 percent of adults 20 years of age and over or nearly
59 million people have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater,
compared with 23 percent in 1994.
(The BMI is a number that shows body weight adjusted for height.
For adults, a BMI of 18.5 - 24.9 is considered normal. A BMI of
25.0 - 29.9 is overweight and 30.0 or above, is considered
obese.)
Modern life both at home and at work has come to revolve around
moving from one "seated" position to another: whether it's
television, computers, remote controls, or automobiles, we seem
to be broadening the scope of our inactive endeavors.
At times, life seems to have gotten almost too easy! For
entertainment, we can now just sit-down, dial-up our favorite TV
program or DVD movie and enjoy hours of uninterrupted
entertainment...
And all those simple calorie burning activities that were once a
normal part of our daily routine not so long ago? Long gone! You
know the ones I'm talking about...activities like climbing
stairs instead of using escalators and elevators. Or, pushing a
lawn mower instead of riding around on a garden tractor. And
what about that daily walk to school? Now, our kids complain
when the school bus happens to be a few minutes late getting to
the bus stop!
Along with the convenience of our affluent lifestyle and
reduction in energy expenditure, have come changes in our diet.
We are now consuming more calorie rich and nutrient deficient
foods than ever before.
Here are a few examples of what we were eating in the 1970's
compared to our diet today (information is taken from a recent
U.S. Department of Agriculture survey):
- We are currently eating more grain products, but almost all of
them are refined grains (white bread, etc.). Grain consumption
has jumped 45 percent since the 1970s, from 138 pounds of grains
per person per year to 200 pounds! Only 2 percent of the wheat
flour is consumed as whole wheat.
- Our consumption of fruits and vegetables has increased, but
only because the U.S.D.A. includes French fries and potato chips
as a vegetable. Potato products account for almost a third of
our "produce" choices.
- We're drinking less milk, but we've more than doubled our
cheese intake. Cheese now outranks meat as the number one source
of saturated fat in our diets.
- We've cut back on red meat, but have more than made up for the
loss by increasing our intake of chicken (battered and fried),
so that overall, we're eating 13 pounds more meat today than we
did back in the 1970s.
- We're drinking three times more carbonated soft drinks than
milk, compared to the 1970's, when milk consumption was twice
that of pop.
- We use 25 percent less butter, but pour twice as much
vegetable oil on our food and salads, so our total added fat
intake has increased 32 percent.
- Sugar consumption has been another cause of our expanding
waistlines. Sugar intake is simply off the charts. According to
the U.S. Department of Agriculture, people are consuming roughly
twice the amount of sugar they need each day, about 20 teaspoons
on a 2000 calorie/day diet. The added sugar is found mostly in
junk foods, such as pop, cake, and cookies.
- In 1978, the government found that sugars constituted only 11
percent of the average person's calories. Now, this number has
ballooned to 16 percent for the average American adult and as
much as 20 percent for American teenagers.
The days of the wholesome family dinners so near and dear to our
hearts, where we all sat around the kitchen table to discuss
events of the day, are now a part of our sentimental past. They
have been replaced by our cravings for take-out and fast-food.
We have gradually come to accept that it's "OK" to sacrifice
healthy foods for the sake of convenience and that larger
serving portions mean better value.
And, since I have been throwing-out statistics, here's one more:
Americans are consuming about 300 more calories each day than we
did twenty years ago. We should actually be eating less because
of our decreased activity level, but instead are doing the
opposite!
Decide TODAY that healthy eating and exercise habits will become
a permanent part of your life!
Begin to explore your values and thoughts and other areas of
your life where change may be required, and then take action.
Begin slowly, but deliberately to make improvements in the areas
you identify. And remember, it has taken a very long time to
develop your habits, and it will take some time to undo
them...so be patient!
About the author:
Brennan Howe is owner of http://www.keepingyourhair.com. Learn
how your diet can affect your hair growth.
To say that Americans are obsessed with dieting is an
understatement! Pick up any magazine, tune-in or turn-on any
source of advertising and you're bombarded with the latest diet
schemes and food fads. More often than not, they are endorsed by
some familiar Hollywood celebrity, or promoted using some other
cleaver technique.
It's no mystery that the weight-loss industry has built a
thriving empire. In America, for example, we spend about 35
billion dollars every year on an assortment of weight loss
products and plans. In addition, we spend another 79 billion
dollars for medication, hospitalization, and doctors to treat
obesity-related problems. Even with this, the obesity epidemic
continues to spread. Sadly, we have become the heaviest
generation in our Nation's history.
The National Center for Health Statistics reports that we have
some very good reasons to be concerned about our weight-gain.
Americans, for example are packing-on the pounds faster than
ever before and weight-related medical problems are taking
center stage. Diseases like heart disease, diabetes and
yes...even certain forms of cancer have all been linked to
obesity.
Here are a few of the surprising statistics about our weight:
- A whopping 64 percent of U.S. adults are either overweight or
obese. That's up approximately 8 percent from overweight
estimates obtained in a 1988 report.
- The percent of children who are overweight is also continuing
to increase. Among children and teens ages 6-19, 15 percent or
almost 9 million are overweight. That's triple what the rate was
in 1980!
- Nearly one-third of all adults are now classified as obese. At
present, 31 percent of adults 20 years of age and over or nearly
59 million people have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater,
compared with 23 percent in 1994.
(The BMI is a number that shows body weight adjusted for height.
For adults, a BMI of 18.5 - 24.9 is considered normal. A BMI of
25.0 - 29.9 is overweight and 30.0 or above, is considered
obese.)
Modern life both at home and at work has come to revolve around
moving from one "seated" position to another: whether it's
television, computers, remote controls, or automobiles, we seem
to be broadening the scope of our inactive endeavors.
At times, life seems to have gotten almost too easy! For
entertainment, we can now just sit-down, dial-up our favorite TV
program or DVD movie and enjoy hours of uninterrupted
entertainment...
And all those simple calorie burning activities that were once a
normal part of our daily routine not so long ago? Long gone! You
know the ones I'm talking about...activities like climbing
stairs instead of using escalators and elevators. Or, pushing a
lawn mower instead of riding around on a garden tractor. And
what about that daily walk to school? Now, our kids complain
when the school bus happens to be a few minutes late getting to
the bus stop!
Along with the convenience of our affluent lifestyle and
reduction in energy expenditure, have come changes in our diet.
We are now consuming more calorie rich and nutrient deficient
foods than ever before.
Here are a few examples of what we were eating in the 1970's
compared to our diet today (information is taken from a recent
U.S. Department of Agriculture survey):
- We are currently eating more grain products, but almost all of
them are refined grains (white bread, etc.). Grain consumption
has jumped 45 percent since the 1970s, from 138 pounds of grains
per person per year to 200 pounds! Only 2 percent of the wheat
flour is consumed as whole wheat.
- Our consumption of fruits and vegetables has increased, but
only because the U.S.D.A. includes French fries and potato chips
as a vegetable. Potato products account for almost a third of
our "produce" choices.
- We're drinking less milk, but we've more than doubled our
cheese intake. Cheese now outranks meat as the number one source
of saturated fat in our diets.
- We've cut back on red meat, but have more than made up for the
loss by increasing our intake of chicken (battered and fried),
so that overall, we're eating 13 pounds more meat today than we
did back in the 1970s.
- We're drinking three times more carbonated soft drinks than
milk, compared to the 1970's, when milk consumption was twice
that of pop.
- We use 25 percent less butter, but pour twice as much
vegetable oil on our food and salads, so our total added fat
intake has increased 32 percent.
- Sugar consumption has been another cause of our expanding
waistlines. Sugar intake is simply off the charts. According to
the U.S. Department of Agriculture, people are consuming roughly
twice the amount of sugar they need each day, about 20 teaspoons
on a 2000 calorie/day diet. The added sugar is found mostly in
junk foods, such as pop, cake, and cookies.
- In 1978, the government found that sugars constituted only 11
percent of the average person's calories. Now, this number has
ballooned to 16 percent for the average American adult and as
much as 20 percent for American teenagers.
The days of the wholesome family dinners so near and dear to our
hearts, where we all sat around the kitchen table to discuss
events of the day, are now a part of our sentimental past. They
have been replaced by our cravings for take-out and fast-food.
We have gradually come to accept that it's "OK" to sacrifice
healthy foods for the sake of convenience and that larger
serving portions mean better value.
And, since I have been throwing-out statistics, here's one more:
Americans are consuming about 300 more calories each day than we
did twenty years ago. We should actually be eating less because
of our decreased activity level, but instead are doing the
opposite!
Decide TODAY that healthy eating and exercise habits will become
a permanent part of your life!
Begin to explore your values and thoughts and other areas of
your life where change may be required, and then take action.
Begin slowly, but deliberately to make improvements in the areas
you identify. And remember, it has taken a very long time to
develop your habits, and it will take some time to undo
them...so be patient!
About the author:
Brennan Howe is owner of http://www.keepingyourhair.com. Learn
how your diet can affect your hair growth.
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