Latest Weight Loss and Fitness Blog

Why exercise is important

2009-01-08T23:44:00.001-08:00

If you are yet to know that exercise is important for good health, you are already living a high risk lifestyle. It's true! If you don't know, it only means you have been doing all the wrong things all these years and your case must be looked into urgently. Your muscles will become flabby and weak. Your heart and lungs may fail to function properly. What you don’t now is that, you can even afford to eat all the wrong foods if your are exercising regularly. That means, lack of exercise may be killing you more than the cigarette you are smoking.

The importance of exercise will take a full book to highlight. Let’s take a look at a few especially those you must know. You probably need to know these before you get up and start working out.

Disease Prevention- As mentioned above, exercises may just be the reason why a lot of us who smoke and drink excessively are still alive today. Regular exercise is necessary for physical fitness and good health. It cut downs significantly, the risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure. It also promotes longevity.

Improves Stamina and Physical Endurance- When you exercise the body builds up strength gradually and with every additional day of doing so, you become stronger and much more able to thrive under pressure. Your anaerobic levels improve and if you are running it is common to find out that you will still be rearing to go while others who have not been exercising like you need to stop and take a breath.

Aerobic exercise involves continuous and rhythmic physical motion, such as walking and bicycling. How does it affect the heart? The heart develops and become accustomed to handling higher metabolic demands of the body and so even when you exercise for unusually longer periods, you do not get tired because the heart can still cope with the higher demand.

Muscles Strength- Exercising with weights causes muscles hypertrophy. That is, the muscles grow larger and become stronger. This improves your strength and even makes your grip a lot more firm. Your posture can be improved, and your muscles become more firm and toned.

Flexibility- As you exercise it makes a lot of sense to practice a variety of exercises as different forms of exercise serve different purposes. Stretching exercises are also important because it helps to circulate lubricants in the joints adequately. Stretching also ensures that the continuous joint movement gives no room for joint stiffness this way you stay flexible and reduce you chances of getting a fracture occurring.

Weight Loss- As you must have heard before, you can not loss weight without exercises. It is improper to try to loss weight on diet alone. Exercise is responsible for burning your body fat to help you loss the it. Exercise is also a key to weight control because it burns calories. If you burn off more calories than you take in, you lose weight. Taking in less amount of calorie alone will not help you loss weight you need to exercise to assist the weight loss process.

Best way to Suppress Your Appetite

2009-01-08T23:42:00.001-08:00

“What's the best appetite suppressant? I‘ve tried both drug based and herbal but I didn’t loss any weight. I am not sure what to do, but I guess there is an answer”. So many young people today sound like the lady I quoted here.

Now what are the things you are looking for in an appetite suppressant considering the fact that you may have to be on them for as long as possible, in many cases up to 12 months. You know that for sustained effect especially if you desire drastic weight loss the suppressants must be used for sustained periods. I know a lot of ladies want to do this as their wedding approaches and guys want to do this as summer crawls near looking to show off some six packs.

If you want to suppress your appetite in a healthy and safe way, stick to high-fiber foods and high water consumption. These two help to keep your stomach filled most of the time and so suppresses your appetite. The feeling of hunger actually emanates form the hunger pangs in an empty stomach and get sent to the brain where it is interpreted as hunger. So to suppress this, it is as simple as keeping the stomach filled most of the time.

However, you need to find a way of doing so without consuming excessive amount of calories. Two of the best high fiber anti suppressants available in the market include Proactol and Acai berries & its products.

These are the best appetite suppressants! We are meant to eat lots of high-fiber fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and we also function best when we consume a large amount of water to aid digestion and circulation.

Acai berries for example, are fruits from Brazil and apart from the high anti-oxidant contents are very rich in fiber. So it tends to expand in the stomach when eaten causing fast satisfaction when eating.

Another herbal appetite suppressant is Lipobind. It is a certified medical device product. It works with the same principle of acai berries. It controls food cravings by causing what you have eaten to expand in your stomach making you feel full and satisfied.

You may also want to try out Hoodia. Hoodia is said to work well. They come usually in combination with L-carnitine. For further information on the products I have mentioned here please Google the product word. There are tones of information out there for your use.

Another effective herbal supplement that is in popular use today is 5-HTP. It increases serotonin secretion in the brain; this is responsible for elevating your mood and also decreases your appetite for food.

When using these appetite suppressants, you should be careful that you do not suppress your appetite too much that you become malnourished due to inadequate food intake.

Above all these, you can still loss weight naturally by staying on a strict diet and exercising regularly without having to spend so much on fat binders or appetite suppressants and if you must use any form of medication, always consult your doctor.

How to loss weight and stay Slim

2009-01-08T23:38:00.001-08:00

If you are like most people looking to lose some pounds, then you probably have read some weight loss tips along the line. What you will read here are probably part of what you read but the difference is that you will know here that it is not just about knowing what to do without actually doing them. If you must maintain that heard earned new sexy look, you have to keep reading then.

Dietary control- The first thing you need to do is to what you eat which I’m sure you know to have even succeeded in losing weight to where you are now. The battle is not over yet just because you have lot some weight. You are about to get back to what you used to be if you don’t keep doing what you were doing. You need to understand that, there is no end to it. If you achieved weight lose through dieting, use of fat binders, or any form of slimming pills, you need to keep doing it. You need more discipline now than ever before.

Exercise- By now you should be mature as far as exercises are concerned and you should be going higher despite haven lost enough weight. If you keep you calories consumption at the same level, an extra 10 minutes of aerobics daily wouldn’t make much difference. This will help you not to drop.

Change the way you live- I am talking about the way you live. Remember that diet is just one of the ways that helped you loss weight. You need to change all the habits that caused you to add weight in the first place. If you we living a sedentary lifestyle, you will need to get a little more active. Avoid the elevators, take over the work of walking the dog, it doesn’t just help the job get some fresh air but helps you too. Leave the car sometimes and help out on the lawn if you never used to. You just must get active.

Join support group- It is truly difficult to do it alone no matter how determined you may be. If you can afford to join a group please do. You need to be able to encourage each other. Sometimes they even prevent you from snapping up that chocolate. Online groups are better because there are some free forums around where you could get the encouragement to stay focused on staying slim. Just Google “online slimming support groups”.

Picture Yourself When you still had that your buttons popping up- Always try to recall what you used to look like. I’m sure if you don’t like the mental picture, it should scare you to action. So take a photograph of you in past and post it by your bedside- what a nightmare!

Reorganize Your Food Stock- certain kinds of foods should no longer find their way into your store or refrigerator. Snack shouldn’t come near your refrigerator. That means even your kids will have to share your plight. ‘Sorry pet, we can no longer have chocolates in this home’. You need to be bold enough to tell him that.

Finally don’t just stuff things into you mouth especially if it’s a new product. Always take the extra step to read the labels to know what ingredients you’ve got there before you kill yourself again.

How to stay healthy

2009-01-08T23:34:00.001-08:00

It takes more than a regular medical check up to live a healthy life, unlike what many people are made to believe. Studies have shown that some of the major causes of mortality in the United States, such as heart diseases, cancers, stroke, bronchitis, emphysema, penetrating and blunt injuries, and HIV/AIDS, are in most cases preventable if a healthy lifestyle is inculcated. Healthy diet, exercise, and avoiding some poor habits like excessive drinking of alcohol and smoking are few ways that you can stay healthy.

The more interesting thing about all this is that, like the old saying ‘prevention is always better than cure’. You will notice that it is cheaper not to smoke than to smoke. It is cheaper not to drink than to drink, yet people still choose the more difficult option that also comes with a myriad of health problems.

Leading a Healthy Life by Exercising

No one can claim to be living a healthy lifestyle if exercise is not part of his/her daily routine. Exercises help you physically; because it strengthen your muscles and bones, confers flexibility and enhances nutrient uptake from the blood to the cells to keep the cells healthy, socially; because in most cases when you are involved in a work out, you get to make new friends at the gym and enjoy the interaction. Soon you will be looking up to that atmosphere-at social gathering, regular exercises can help your self esteem. It helps you mentally by improving you mental alertness and agility. Exercises kind of make life complete and keeps depression away.

Healthy Dieting

Your meals count a lot and are a major factor in determining what your health status will be in a few years to come. Everyone should avoid fats even if you are not trying to loss weight because of the risk of hypertension, cancers, and diabetes.

Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables-they should occupy a greater portion of the space in your refrigerator. Eating the right foods and the right amounts of foods with low calorie levels will help you achieve longevity and healthier life. Getting the nutrients you need, such as calcium and iron, and keeping your weight under control can help.

Ensure that your meals contain all the essential nutrients you need and where it is difficult to achieve this, the use of dietary supplement is encouraged. Try to balance the calories you get from food with the calories you use through physical activity. Make sure the calories you use up daily is not less that what you take in. Eat a variety of foods, especially: Vegetables; choose dark-green leafy and deep-yellow vegetable, Fruits; citrus fruits or juices, melons, and berries; Dry beans, lentils, chickpeas, and peanuts; Whole grains, such as wheat, rice, oats, corn, and barley.

Above all, remember to practice safe sex, drink water only when the source is trusted. Your efforts will amount to nothing if you contact a disease from sex or water. Keep the environment clean and practice good personal hygiene.

The secret of losing belly fat fast and easily

2009-01-08T23:32:00.001-08:00

Belly fat is usually the first sign of obesity. When a person begins to develop protruded abdomen, obesity has already set in-medical experts call it truncal obesity. There are several names for this; others say it is cellulite accumulation. What ever you call it, belly fat is the most obvious sign that tells us when a person becomes obsessed. Most people don’t like the site of truncal obesity or belly fat. There is an ugly thing to it and creates flaps at the sides of your abdomen especially when sitting down.

Do you want to get rid of the fat in your abdomen? Then you have to read on. There is a lot of advice out there in books and web pages on how to successfully burn the fat in your belly yet I keep coming across people who have done all that to no avail. The reason for this may be that, you got the wrong kind of counsel, or you applied the advice wrongly. If you fall in this category of people, there is something to smile about. That of course, will be true if you adhere to what you will learn here. Remember that your ability to loss belly fat will depend mostly on you and not really what anyone must have told you-if the best strategy is wrongly applied, you can be sure it won’t

What then do you need to do to loss belly fat?

The strategy involves proper healthy diet plan and exercise. Now that sounds familiar right? Make no mistake that you can loss your belly fat by the application of one. Both are mutually inclusive and can not be effective in isolation. I am sure you must have heard this before. But people fail to understand that belly fat requires specific type of type of exercise that is targeted at that area. For example, running will help you stay fit but will do little to burn the fat in your abdomen.

Interval Training

This is a High Intensity Interval Training. The idea involves some kind of cardiovascular exercises that are done in a period of lower intensity followed by a period of higher intensity. This is called exercising in ‘fits and starts’.

This kind of exercise helps to burn more fat that the typical kind of cardiovascular exercises. Also, with respect to belly fat in particular, research has shown that High Intensity Interval Training can produce more fat loss in the abdomen than in any other parts of the body. A recent study shows that, people involved in High Intensity Interval Training have been found to loss about 3-4 times more fat especially belly fat than those practicing the regular steady-state cardiovascular exercises, despite exercising for longer periods.

Secondly, in order to target the belly specifically, it is very important to include sit-ups as an important aspect of your exercise program.

Belly-Fat-Losing Diet

The simplest way to put it is to say, reduce your calorie intake to a maintenance level. That is, take in only the amount of calories that just enough to help maintain your body without storing any more energy. This is the most-effective way of shedding pounds of fat from the body. In place of carbohydrate food, eat fruits, fish and vegetables.

Why is nutrition important when exercising?

2009-01-08T23:30:00.001-08:00

Adequate nutrition is necessary if the benefits of exercising are to be achieved and should go hand in hand. During an exercise, the rate of metabolism (catabolism in this case) increases and that burns up a lot of calories. This means that there is depletion of our energy levels and thus must be replaced by proper nutrition.
While exercising, there is increase in the breakdown of carbohydrates and fats. They all need to be replaced and in cases where the essence is to build the muscles, will require that, adequate amino acid sources are ingested to allow the new rate of muscle building triggered off by the exercise.

The body demands increase tremendously and will take adequate amount of energy from carbohydrates to power the level of metabolism going on. Proteinous foods will supply the amino acids needed for muscle building. All these including micronutrients like B vitamins and chromium, antioxidants such as vitamins C and E, and minerals such as calcium and magnesium will be needed at extra quantities. The level of metabolism releases even more free radicals and as such, increase mop up action will be needed by anti-oxidants.

You will need to drink more water than you usually do. During exercising, you loss fluid extremely from sweat and insensible loses due to increase respiration, and so you are easily dehydrated. This can lead to heat stroke, hypovolemic shock, renal stone formation etc. So you will need a lot of water to cool off the exothermic reaction that is taking place in your body.

There is virtually an increase in every single chemical reaction in the body. Just as everything else is working overtime, so are the heart muscles. You will need to supply the heart with adequate vitamins like B and C, oxygen and other nutrients to ensure that the electrical activities in the heart continue to meet up the new demands. More sodium and potassium ions influx and efflux occurs and nutritional intake should be such that can meet up with these activities. Depletion of these ions could cause heart block.
Before or after exercises, adequate carbohydrate which is the main energy source for physical activities should be taken. If you want to do so before an exercise, you need to allow time for adequate digestion to occur and commence when the food is no longer much in the stomach to avoid Angina as blood flow is more to the abdominal organs thereby depriving the heart. Ideally, we should eat after a good rest following exercise paying attention to the needs of the body.

For athletes, wrestlers, boxers and other sports people, that strong grip and balance in the legs can not be developed if exercises are not properly complemented by good nutrition. For a strong grip, the muscles of the hands need to grow bigger and stronger, the leg muscles must grow bigger too for balance, and the bones are not going to be strong enough without adequate calcium supply from a diet rich in fruits, fish and milk.

The Real Reason Why you are fat

2009-01-08T23:28:00.001-08:00

Your quest to loss some weight if you are interested, will not see the light until you identify why you are fat in the first instance and then work to avoid all the identified reasons. Though in the beginning, a lot of fat people do not want to accept that they are fat and usually pick a quarrel if anyone makes an observation, there comes a time when they can no longer hide from it.

The thing is, when you finally agree that you are fat, do you just say ‘okay, I know am fat and there is nothing I can do about it’. Then put up with it? Or do you take up the challenge and start doing something about it?

So why are you fat?

Usually I get replies like; “I eat at wrong times of the day, at the wrong quantities. I have 3 kids; I run a business that takes away all the time I could have exercised. Between the business and my three kids’ daily activities at school that I volunteer at, as well as every other extra curricular activity, I really don't find the time to make sure I eat right.

I must be sure my children eat well though. While they're eating, I'm cleaning, or getting ready, or cleaning up spilt milk, etc. I miss meals, when it is time for me to eat; I eat it really big because I am really very hungry by then. I know what I am doing is wrong but what do I do?”

Others tell me stories like; “I don't drink enough fluids, when I do, its usually coffee, but I gag on water, I've tried checking this myself, and I am almost succeeding, I'm down to a coke every other day, and that is about 4 bottles a week, instead of everyday, though I still have my coffee. But now I'm up to two bottles of water a day....however, either way, still not enough fluids at all right?”

Yes enough fluid is alright but not when the fluid is coffee and coke. A bottle of coke is said to contain about 8 cubes of sugar and coffee doesn’t just contain caffeine that affects your nerves when you grow older but increases your cholesterol level. I have told people, it doesn’t matter whether it is decaff.
Another excuse people give themselves. “I was too busy working and wasn’t eating enough then I became anemic. I wouldn't be if I was eating properly. If I really wanted to eat well I could probably have worked out a schedule to make sure I eat the right things at the right times. Now the doctor wants me to eat more but I am now fat trying to do what the doctor said. I have tried to cut out the soda, and focus more on water, and I do some light walking as I was not supposed to get involved in very strenuous physical activities as at then. How do I loss weight without becoming anemic again?”

Whatever is your excuse or ‘reason’ you need to start knowing that excuses will only worsen your health status. So knock if off! You will not get better with excuses. Take the responsibility for your own health. Stop blaming the doctor, your kids or your job. It is all about you being a little bit more vigilant and determined to save your own life.
With all these excuses, you will begin to eat emotionally, stuffing a lot of chocolate, binging at any opportunity. Seeking solace in food is the worst thing you can do for your mode. Exercises will put you in a better frame of mind.

What is a diet?

2009-01-08T23:24:00.001-08:00

A diet comprises those foods that one lives on from day to day. Generally, humans are either omnivores or vegetarians. Omnivores are people whose diets consist of plant and animal food sources; whereas, vegetarians live on vegetables and fruits only.

The New Webster’s Dictionary of English Language defines diet as; the food and drink normally taken by an individual or a group or a prescribed course of what is to be eaten and what is not. This definition takes into account the fact that what you drink e.g. Milk, water, beer, whisky etc is part of your diet.

There is a saying that, you are what you eat, meaning that your diet can go a long way to predict what you will become in future considering that some diets confers longevity and some kill you fast.

Imagine a diet of ice creams and chocolates, or beer, whisky and beef etc.

Problems of Dieting

Diets come with some problems especially bad diets. When a person becomes addicted to a particular unhealthy diet, there is predisposition to several diseases simply because of the diet. The subject of healthy dieting is now a very popular one across the globe and more and more people are realizing the need to develop a well thought out diet deemed fit for themselves. High fat diet may cause stroke, hypertension, coronary heart disease, diabetes, obesity and low self esteem.

Low Protein diet results in malnourishment and depressed immune system, anemia (this is common in vegetarians), and in children kwashikor, a form of protein energy malnutrition.

Dietary Supplement

It is becoming more difficult for one to actually consume all the nutrients needed for proper functioning of the body from food alone and as such it is common to see people who eat less because of their diet but try to supplement with pills.

Some of the pills are to induce anorexia and help you reduce the number of times you eat as well as the amount of food per day. In selecting these supplements, a thorough research is necessary as they are too many dietary pills and fat binders out there that fail to achieve what they promise.

Dieting is an important aspect of healthy living and everyone needs to be on one form of diet or the other. Yours may have been prompted by an illness, or maybe you want to loss weight, you are trying to maintain weight loss or you do not just want to grow fat. Before any decision is taken on what kind of diet you should be on, your doctors advice must be sort-only he is in the position to advice you appropriately.

Dieting will only make sense when we decide on it and stick to it as well. It is very important that people have control over the things they eat. Diet is the biggest single determinant of whether or not we will have good health. It affects health more than any other thing one can thing of.

Obesity

2009-01-08T23:22:00.001-08:00

Obesity is considered based on the weight of a person compared to the height and has become a very important parameter of determining the level of fitness in people.

An internationally accepted index used by experts to determine who is and who is not obese is called the Body Mass Index (BMI). The BMI accepted as normal, ranges between 18 and 28, and any one above the upper limit is classified as an obese person. The more obese a person is, the more likely he or she is to develop health problems.

Further grading considers the severity of obesity by classifying obesity into mild, morbid and malignant obesity. Mild obesity involving a body mass index (BMI 30+) causes less morbidity than morbid obesity (BMI 40+) or malignant obesity (BMI 50+). Malignant obesity is the most dangerous and these people are very prone to heart attacks. For example, someone who is 40 percent overweight is has a two-fold chance of dying a premature death than the other person whose BMI is within normal range. So it is an issue of life and death we are talking about.

So to simply put it, obesity is excessive body fat.

How do we calculate our BMI?

Everyone needs to be able to calculate his/her BMI in order to know when to seek medical advice. It can be calculated using weight in kg and height in meters or weight in pounds and height in inches.

The easiest way to find out your BMI is to use a BMI table for adults. There is also a handy BMI calculator at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute's website. As stated before, to find your BMI, you need to know your height and your weight.

The formula is: BMI = Weight (kg)/ {Height}² (m)

You can also take your weight in pounds, divide that number by your height in inches squared, and multiply the result by 703 to get your BMI.

That is BMI= [Weight (Ibs)/{Height}(inches)] *730

If your BMI is 25-29.9, you are in the "overweight" category and not yet obese but being at the upper limit of normal is a sign you are slowly becoming obese. There are three classes of obesity:

· Class I obesity — BMI of 30-34.9

· Class II obesity— of 35-39.9

· Class III obesity— of 40 and higher

Other classifications are Mild, Morbid and Malignant. Whatever classification you use, a BMI of 30 and above is unhealthy and that increases your weight related health risk.

Obesity therefore predisposes you to Heart diseases, stroke, diabetes, cancer of the gallbladder; breast, uterus, cervix, and ovaries (for women) and cancer of the colon; rectum, and prostate (for men). Gallstones, osteoarthritis, gout, apnea, high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, pregnancy related problems, irregular menstrual cycles and infertility, psychological and social effects etc. To avoid these arrays of health risks, we must learn to eat just the amount of food the body needs. Eating too much and a sedentary lifestyle is a major culprit causing obesity.

Facts you must know about fat

2009-01-08T23:20:00.001-08:00

There are basic facts you should know about fats. There are mainly two classes of fats; saturated fat, and unsaturated. The unsaturated ones are the polyunsaturated fats, and monounsaturated fats. Some fats are dangerous, while some are not. When fats come combined with proteins in the body, they form a complex called Lipoproteins. We will look at these later in a broader view to see why some are desirable and some are not, but first, let’s look at the major kinds of fats.

Saturated fat- Fatty acids are made up of several chains of carbon atoms, it is said to be saturated because the carbon atoms have no free bonds to link with other atoms. Normally a carbon atom has 2 free bonds that are ready to attach with other atoms to form a compound. When these free bonds are used up entirely, usually by another carbon atom or a hydrogen atom, the fat becomes saturated. That is because there is no room for any more attachment.

These are the bad type of fat and the one we must avoid in trying to stay healthy. The body has a tough time processing saturated fats, because of the number of bonds it needs to break down in the process. Saturated fats raise cholesterol levels, which increases the chances of a heart attack. For a healthy dieting plan, saturated fats must be reduced significantly from the diet. Examples of sources of saturated fat are all forms of fat in animal flesh (meat), palm oil, and coconut oil etc.

Polyunsaturated fat- Polyunsaturated fat comes in two types: omega 6 and omega 3. It is ‘poly’ because there are more than one unsaturated bonds in the compound. It is Omega-6 because the first unsaturated bond exists at the 6^th carbon atom. Same is applicable to omega3. Omega 6 type comes mainly from vegetables, and omega 3 come from oily fish.

This type of fat is actually the healthy type and helps to reduce the level of cholesterol! So a small consumption is important for health. Remember, ‘small’.

Monounsaturated fat- They have only one carbon atom carrying unsaturated bonds. They are derived mainly from vegetable and are found in olive oil and almond oil. They also have the ability to help reduce cholesterol levels.

Lipoproteins: They are fat-protein complexes and play important role in the development of heart attacks. They are two classes of these lipoproteins.

High Density Lipoproteins- These lipoproteins reduce the chance of a heart disease.

Low Density Lipoproteins- Increases the likelihood of heart diseases. If the level of LDL is higher than that of HDL, the likelihood of a heart disease, stroke diabetes etc. is increased and vice versa.

Fats produces very high levels of energy and the daily intake shouldn't exceed 30% of your total calories. In other words, for an average daily intake of 2,000 calories, only about 600 should be fat derived. This of course is if you are not trying to loss weight, but if you are; your daily fat consumption should not be enough to produce 600 calories.

Every 1g of fat gives out 9 calories. That leaves you with about 66.7g of fat per day. But for weight loss, it should go lower than that.

This can be achieved by cutting down on all fatty foods and eating more of vegetables and fruits, a little of pure carbohydrates. With little or no fat at all, you will soon be getting used to the low fat diet.

Measuring your body fat

2009-01-08T23:19:00.001-08:00

There basically four major methods of measuring body fat. They include Navy Method, Home Body Fat Scales, Skinfold Calipers, and Hydrostatic Weighing. But we will look into three that are more commonly used.

Home Body Fat Scales-This device measures body fat by the use of Biometrical Impedance method. A very small electrical current, that is not enough to harm the body is passed through your body and the opposing current or is measured. When this result is compared to the weight, the percentage of body fat can then be determined.

This test has a margin of error, because the impedance in the body is altered by other factors that also generate some currents apart from body fat. Example is the electrical waves in the heart, the skeletal muscles etc, and water in your body, your skin temperature and physical exercise. In order to eliminate this interference; starve for 3-4 hours before test and also avoid any form of physical at least 12 hours before the test.

Skinfold Caliper – Another effective method is the use of calipers. This is the most cost preferred method of measuring body fats. However, you need to learn to use them correctly for this purpose. It should be done by a professional if you can help, but if not then acquire a set of Accumeasure calipers and the measuring instructions as stated.

Hydrostatic Weighing- Hydrostatic weighing also known as under water weighing is the most accurate way to calculate body fat - that is, if you can find a hydrostatic weighing tank.

How is it used? You need to understand Archimedes Principle. If you did physics in school, you will understand this better. But if you did not, I will explain for the avoidance of doubt. Whether you or the examiner, calculates your body density by measuring the amount of water you displace when you immerse yourself in water. Archimedes principle reasons that the amount of water displaced when an object in partially or totally immersed in water is proportional to the weight of that object. In this case you are the object. Then a formula is used to calculate body fat based on your body density. The problem is finding hydrostatic weighing tank! I guess this is too sophisticated for most people. But it remains the most accurate.

Why Border about measuring your fat?

Knowledge of the exact amount of fat in your body can help you set realistic goals for your weight loss plans. Body fat is an important element in successful weight control. You will be objective and scientific with the program which is the best way to loss weight. It is likened to taking inventory of the amount of fat in your body, and the time it will take you to loss a certain fraction as well as how much calories should be dropped from your meals daily to achieve it.

Fat measurement is the only way you can objectively track the success or otherwise of your weight loss program.

How to get motivation to loss weight

2009-01-08T23:14:00.001-08:00

So many people are thinking more about their diets, fitness and health topics these days but that is as far as they can go because it takes more than just wanting to loss weight to loss weight. It is one thing to desire to loss weight and it is another to be ready to take the extra step of implementing a fitness program. The average guy with a cellulite laden abdomen knows what he needs to do to loss weight, but is unable to summon the courage to go ahead with a fitness program.

The cost of fitness will be the willingness to forego a lot of bad habits like that of compulsive love for ice creams, chocolates, cakes, and beer. How do you find the motivation to loss weight? Only you can do that for yourself. No one can help you make up your mind to lose weight. People can only help you with ideas and contributions. Until you accept that your size reduces you life span and self esteem, you will never be ready to loss weight. Maybe a visit to your physician or fitness consultant may highlight all the dangers the fat clogging your blood vessels can cause, it will still take your saying ‘I don’t want to die young. I Want to loss this weight and stay healthy’.

‘I want to achieve a level of fitness so that for the first time in my life, be able to look in the mirror and feel pleased with what I see there. I know it is going to require a lot of discipline and sacrifice from me but I am ready to do anything that will keep me healthy’.

So to encourage yourself you need to set goals. Set deadlines and then reward yourself if you achieve the target. You can set a goal to drop 50 pounds in 5 months. Then you can set 5 different deadlines and your real target should be to lose 10 pounds every month. This kind of program will help motivate you to stay focused. If you exceed your target reward your self but please avoid drastic weight loss.

If you fall short of your target, do not reward yourself. If possible accept punishment by denying yourself of something you like very much.

If you plan a big reward for yourself, the greater the motivation you have to loss weight. I have actually done this to encourage my girl to loss weight. If you are lucky like her to have someone willing to award you, that will be nice.

These are enough motivation for anyone who really wishes to loss weight to kick start the process. If you combine the above methods, you can be sure you'll stay highly motivated to lose weight. When you start never look back, never go looking at yourself at the mirror everyday to see whether you have actually lost weight.

You can measure your weight twice or once a month. Doing it everyday may be discouraging as you may not notice any significant changes yet.

How important is fitness

2009-01-08T23:12:00.001-08:00

Why is Health Related Fitness important? Knowing the importance of anything we do will help to keep us focused. Practically every news or story online or offline you see mentions fitness, but not all of them explain why health related fitness is important. Our body is an invaluable asset that stays with us day and night throughout and for as long as we live. It is very important that we treat it well and keep it physically fit.

The general attitude of people towards fittness has changed and over the past few years you and I are now much more concerned and aware of the need to live positively. We now recognize the importance of physical fitness than ever before. We are encouraged to adopt a 'positive attitude' to our health by many talk shows online forums and fitness websites through better care of our bodies and minds.

The Importance of Fitness

Fitness may just be the saving grace when you find yourself in a life threatening situation. Note that I expect you to be a martial artist, but you will need to really be fit to run for your dear life and not gas out after just 100 meters.

Self Esteem- A person who is fit tend to have confidence in public places and amongst peers. Not just because they look god to everyone around but because of the inner comfort and feel-good disposition.

The problem of coronary heart diseases, diabetes, hypertension, cancers are all conditions that can be avoided if you take out time to make sure that your body is fit. Exercises prevent a lot of problems.

Your body can better handle dangerous chemicals like free radicals if we exercise more often. Your heart muscles grow thicker and pump more blood per minute, nutrient absorption is at optimal levels, bones grow bigger and healing process occurs faster.

Positive health is all that it takes to maintain a minimum level of health and fitness to keep your body looking and feeling good and at optimum functional state, as well as maintaining a level of physical fitness.

Health and fitness is determined by what we eat, how we live our lives. In order words, it is determined by our life style. The kind of daily activities we love to get involved in, the type of food we love to eat, the number of times we eat and the amount of food we eat and physical exercise.

Keeping fit is about how we as individuals choose to live our lives and the levels of fitness we aspire to. We all need a certain amount of the right type of exercise to keep us healthy, regardless of our lifestyle, age or physical ability.

Maintaining a good level of physical fitness will give you a feeling of better health through increased energy and vitality, it is a happy feeling that results in even greater happiness.

Fitness keeps you in the right frame of mind. There is increase metal sharpness and concentration all resulting from increase blood circulation in the brain achieved by proper dieting and physical exercises. Fitness is something we should all desire.

Why you are not losing weight

2009-01-08T23:05:00.001-08:00

Have you found yourself asking this question after 6 months or 1 year of weight loss program? Maybe you have been dieting for a year now and you are probably also exercising, yet you don’t seem to be making any progress and you are worried. So you are now asking, why?

Some people actually loss the weight, maybe in their first 6 months but later gain it back. If you're troubled by this it is most likely that you have been digressing from you plan. You're not alone in this if you must know there are about 70% of the populations who suffer this problem.

First check out with your doctor to make sure you are not suffering type 2 diabetes mellitus. But it could also be that you are suffering the same problem every body out there who is trying to loss weight is suffering. They fail to seek expert advice. Or they have but are not adhering strictly to what was prescribed. The thing is that, we know fat binders work, but not every fat binder out there works as expected or promised. You can not afford to exercises just every now and then and expect that because you are on a diet, you should loss weight. It doesn’t just work that way. There has to be a well thought of diet plan as well as exercise plan.

Something I would suggest is maybe trying a particular kind of meal works for you, it makes sense to keep going with that food combined with fruits and vegetables. You can not keep trying different regimen forever; you need to stick to things that work. Use only tested diet plans.

If you have been using say, 1% milk that contains a very low amount of fat, then start using skim milk. You might want to incorporate lean protein like fish or chicken. You can also get good proteins from things like beans (some have more/better protein than others) or nuts.
Another secret is to stay away from snack bars. Don’t buy and don’t have it at home. Even if it belongs to someone else, the kid for example because, sometimes you will need a cooperative family to succeed in losing weight. The allure of these snacks is difficult to avoid sometimes. However, if you consider that you health’s worth more than a couple of snacks, it should serve as enough motivation for you to want to stay alive.

I am out lining some of these steps because I believe your problem is in either your wrong diet plan or lack of consistency-maybe ignorance too. So you should include some weight lifting exercises into your routine. This weight does not have to be heavy- Cardiovascular exercise is great and plays an important role in reaching your goal weight and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, however, once you stop the exercise you stop burning calories as well. With this you not just burn calories during exercises but continue even after the exercise.

What is a Healthy Diet?

2009-01-08T22:59:00.001-08:00

Whether you are on a balanced diet or healthy diet shouldn’t really be a problem. A healthy diet plan comprises natural, fresh and rich foods taken daily. A balanced diet on the other hand consists of all the various nutrients in adequate proportions to supply your body with all the needed nutrients.

The problem with a balanced diet arises when you tend to eat some kinds of foods more than others probably because one is your favorite food. With this a healthy balanced diet becomes unhealthy though still balanced. So a balanced diet may be bad for you simply because of your peculiar need at the time, which could be due to health problem. For instance if you are diabetic, hypertensive, or do have a heart disease, a balanced diet may be unhealthy for you due to some kind of foods in the diet that makes it balance. Yes it is balanced but not for you.

The same is applicable if you are weighing 400 pounds and a BMI of 41. You are in the malignant obesity group and while you must eat to stay alive, you need to avoid fatty and sugary foods as much as possible. Ironically, an unbalanced diet or healthy diet is what you need.

You will find people who make mistakes like this as they set out to loss weight-people who haven’t done enough research before they begin.

When they run into problems later on, they are like, “dieting comes with so much confusion. I’m told I have to keep the cholesterol low by taking off fat from my meals. But I thought that will mean eating an unbalanced diet. So I kept eating what I was eating except that I reduced the quantity significantly to help me loss weight. I lost 70 pounds in 6 months but then I got ill the next month. I had this flu that just kept coming back for about a month. The doctor asked if I was on steroids that my immunity was depressed. I’m glad I decided to tell him about my dieting.

That was the only way the doctor nailed it. I was deficient in so many nutrients because I have not been eating enough. How can I ever loss weight if I still eat like before?”

Are you in a similar situation? You can loss weight while maintaining a balance but healthy diet. You need to get to know what and how to eat to achieve that.

It is not confusion if you get the right help and guidance. Healthy and balanced diet plan provides variety in the diet and keeps you excited about your meals as before. You only need to reduce the harmful food stuffs that caused the problem in the first place. If you do not have the expertise, to stay healthy while losing weight you should seek the advice of an expert.

A healthy diet will help you health. Do not load yourself with unhealthy food in the name of eating a balanced diet.

Suppressing your Appetite

2009-01-08T22:57:00.001-08:00

How to suppress your appetite

Appetite Suppression can be quite a difficult task for may people. First of all, you need to ask yourself whether it is healthy to suppress your appetite. You may be used to hearing of treatment for loss of appetite, not suppression. Appetite needs to be suppressed when it begins to pose a health risk to you. A lot of people feel frustrated with weight loss programs. It can go on and on and yet no real results are palpable which further worsens the frustration.

The major problem of suppressing appetite is malnourishment. Following a suppressed appetite, you do not eat a much as you normally do and in some cases you may even begin to eat less that your body actually requires for maintenance. In a situation like this, the body is deficient in most essential nutrients and become susceptible to infections.

So how then can you suppress appetite safely?

Eat smaller meals and Plenty Water- The essence of this is to keep the stomach filled. Instead of eating three larger meals, replace them with several smaller meals. This is then topped with large amounts of water. For example drink up to 1.5 liters of water with every meal. Drinking large quantities of water and other plain fluids will do you no harm. Do this before during and after meals.

When you drink ½ a liter of water before a meal, you have already suppressed your appetite because the stomach expands and that feeling of fullness will make you eat less. Do this about 10-20 minutes before food.

Take another ½ liter during the meal. This one allows you to stop eating soon enough.

Another ½ a liter after meal ensures that you stay feeled for long without thinking about food. This is the most cost effective method of suppressing your appetite. If you do feel hungry just before the time to eat reach for a glass of water instead.

Eat a lot of Salad- Another way to suppressed appetite is by eating salad just before a meal. You may also eat salad if you feel hungry before it is time for your next meal. It has the ability to feel your stomach and prevents hunger due to the high fiber contents of salad.

Avoid high calorie diet when hungry- When you are really hungry you may want to stay off high calorie diet at that time because of the likelihood of eating more than you should.

Fruits should be regular feature in your diet- Reach out for apples, pineapples, carrots, guavas, oranges and grapes. Nothings keep you as satisfied as fruits. If you are a diabetic please consult your doctor on the type of fruits you should eat.

Never Skip Breakfast- Skipping breakfast makes us very hungry in the afternoon leading to excessive eating. So if you cultivate a habit of always eating in the morning, you will less likely eat too much later on in the day.

There are also fat binders available in the market that may be used to suppressed appetite.

lose weight fast with diet and exercise

2009-01-08T22:55:00.001-08:00

Weight loss is involves both mental and physical process. Most people don’t know that it is almost impossible to loss weight with either diet or exercises alone. You need to reduce your calorie intake by planning out your diet to include only foods that will allow you control how much calorie you take in daily.

Whether they are aiming to lose 20 or 100 pounds, experience has shows that you have to be able to combine healthy dieting and exercise to achieve it.

Exercise, of course, is the best way to get those calories out and the burn fat. Determine your daily calorie intake. Losing weight is simply a matter of expending more calories than you take in, through exercise and your daily activities. That however means that the amount of calorie you consume should be a maintenance dosage while the fats accumulated in the past needs to be burnt. To win the battle, it helps to know how many calories you are consuming in a day.

* Write down all the things you eat on a typical day. Carry a small notebook with you and write down every snack, every drink, and the contents of every meal. There are also great websites that you can use to keep track of calories, get recipes, and help achieve your goal. Don't forget to include the pats of butter or the spoonful of sugar in your coffee. It's best to do this for at least a couple weekdays and a weekend; it's even better if you can go a full week. There are also calorie tracking websites that can help you to do this, for example the US government website, My Pyramid Tracker.

* Do an itemized calorie count. When possible, write down the number of calories in each thing you eat as you eat it. Keep in mind that the recommended serving size is often considerably smaller than the serving you actually eat. Look up the calorie count on the internet for foods that don't have calories listed on the container or for fast food meals. You don't have to be 100% accurate, but you do want a good estimate of the number of calories you're taking in. There is an idea that multiplying your own weight by ten will produce a rough estimate of the number of calories you need to eat per day to maintain your weight. This is NOT true, you may wind up grossly under (or perhaps over) estimating the number of calories you should be eating. Use a scientific or health website to determine the number of calories you should eat a day or consult your doctor. Everyone has different metabolisms and there is no blanket rule that covers everyone's recommended calorie intake. Reducing 500 calories per day from the calories you eat to maintain your weight can help you lose a pound of fat per week.[2]

Eat Foods That Will Fuel Your Weight Loss

It's all so confusing! Low carb, low fat, high protein... It's hard to know what to eat! Well, here's the story. Weight loss is all about "calories in" and "calories out." Jillian will tell you how many calories you

succeed.

Obesity impact a person health

2009-01-08T22:52:00.001-08:00

The problem of obesity is so alarming that several millions of USD is being spent on researches on the best way people can avoid it with minimum effort. It is even more alarming when the number of children becoming obsessed is put into consideration.

Currently more than 1 billion adults are overweight - and at least 300 million of them are clinically obese. According to WHO, “childhood obesity is already epidemic in some areas and on the rise in others. An estimated 22 million children under five are estimated to be overweight worldwide. According to the US Surgeon General, in the USA the number of overweight children has doubled and the number of overweight adolescents has trebled since 1980. The prevalence of obese children aged 6-to-11 years has more than doubled since the 1960s. Obesity prevalence in youths aged 12-17 has increased dramatically from 5% to 13% in boys and from 5% to 9% in girls between 1966-70 and 1988-91 in the USA. The problem is global and increasingly extends into the developing world; for example, in Thailand the prevalence of obesity in 5-to-12 year olds children rose from12.2% to 15-6% in just two years”.

The reason why this is so undesirable is because, obesity is the root cause of over 40 different illnesses and efforts to prevent it are not misplaced. Obesity can impact our health by increasing the risk of cardiovascular, musculoskeletal and digestive system diseases to name a few. The next few paragraphs look at some of the ways obesity negatively impacts on our health.

Blount's disease- Obesity is a known cause of Blount’s Disease which usually involves the lower extremities deformity mainly due to over bearing of body weight especially in bones that are still undergoing growth. However, this is one of the very minor problems of obesity.

Arthritis- Excessive weight bearing on the knee and ankle joints is a major cause of the wear and tear that occurs in joints. Any treatment of arthritis that fails to emphasis weight loss is usually an exercise in futility.

Pseudotumor cerebri- This is very rare and occurs in both teenagers and adults. It is characterized by increased intracranial pressure leading to severe headaches, vomiting and blurring of vision.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) - Obesity predisposes girls to development of cysts on the ovaries and they tend to miss their period. The hormonal changes in these kinds of people may lead to infertility. The cysts cause increase testosterone secretions which in many cases leads to hisuitism (increase hair growth in females- e.g. beards), worsening acne, and male-type baldness.

Diabetes- Obesity is the major cause of Type II or Non-insulin dependent Diabetes Mellitus also known as adult diabetes. It is common in people from 40 years of age. When there is excess body fat, insulin sensitivity of the cells is impaired and less glucose is taken up by the body cells. This causes glucose accumulation in the blood and consequently diabetes. Other problems of obesity are slipped capital femoral epiphyses, asthma, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, gallstones formation, fatty liver, depression with low self esteem. Staying fit can sure avoid all of these problems and it is surely the way to go.

The Right Diet Choice

2008-09-27T03:04:00.001-07:00

According to the National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), diet refers to what a persons eats or drinks during the course of a day. There are many different types of diets, like the Atkins diet, the Zone diet, the South Beach diet and many more. It is important to remember that a diet that limits portions to a very small size or that excludes certain foods entirely to promote weight loss may not be effective over the long term. It is much easier to maintain a diet that takes into account the foods that you like and dislike and also include combinations of foods with enough calories and nutrients for good health.

When planning your diet it is important that you consider what calorie level is appropriate for you. Is the diet that you and considering to take nutritionally balanced? Will this diet be practical and easy to follow? Will the diet be maintainable for the rest of your life? The below information will show you what to look out for in a diet.

Calorie level

Low-calorie Diets. Most weight loss diets provide 1,000 to 1,500 calories per day. However, the number of calories that is right for you depends on your weight and activity level. At these calorie levels, diets are referred to as low-calorie diets. Self-help diet books and clinical and non-clinical weight loss programs often include low-calorie diet plans.

The calorie level of your diet should allow for a weight loss of no more than 1 pound per week (after the first week or two when weight loss may be more rapid because of initial water loss). If you can estimate how many calories you eat in a day, you can design a diet plan that will help you lose no more than 1 pound per week. You may need to work with a trained health professional, such as a registered dietitian. Or, you can use a standardized low-calorie diet plan with a fixed calorie level.

The selected calorie level, however, may not produce the recommended rate of weight loss, and you may need to eat more or less.

Good nutrition

Make sure that your diet contains all the essential nutrients for good health. Using the Food Guide Pyramid and the Nutrition Facts Label that is found on most processed food products can help you choose a healthful diet. The Pyramid shows you the kinds and amounts of food that you need each day for good health. The Nutrition Facts Label will help you select foods that meet your daily nutritional needs. A healthful diet should include:

Adequate vitamins and minerals. Eating a wide variety of foods from all the food groups on the Food Guide Pyramid will help you get the vitamins and minerals you need. If you eat less than 1,200 calories per day, you may benefit from taking a daily vitamin and mineral supplement.
Adequate protein. The average woman 25 years of age and older should get 50 grams of protein each day, and the average man 25 years of age and older should get 63 grams of protein each day. Adequate protein is important because it prevents muscle tissue from breaking down and repairs all body tissues such as skin and teeth. To get adequate protein in your diet, make sure you eat 2-3 servings from the Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs, and Nuts Group on the Food Guide Pyramid every day. These foods are all good sources of protein.
Adequate carbohydrates. At least 100 grams of carbohydrates per day are needed to prevent fatigue and dangerous fluid imbalances. To make sure you get enough carbohydrates, eat 6-11 servings from the Bread, Cereal, Rice, and Pasta Group on the Food Guide Pyramid every day.
A daily fiber intake of 20 to 30 grams. Adequate fiber helps with proper bowel function. If you were to eat 1 cup of bran cereal, 1/2 cup of carrots, 1/2 cup of kidney beans, a medium-sized pear, and a medium-sized apple together in 1 day, you would get about 30 grams of fiber.
No more than 30 percent of calories, on average, from fat per day, with less than 10 percent of calories from saturated fat (such as fat from meat, butter, and eggs). Limiting fat to these levels reduces your risk for heart disease and may help you lose weight. In addition, you should limit the amount of cholesterol in your diet. Cholesterol is a fat-like substance found in animal products such as meat and eggs. Your diet should include no more than 300 milligrams of cholesterol per day (one egg contains about 215 milligrams of cholesterol, and 3.5 ounces of cooked hamburger contain 100 milligrams of cholesterol).
At least 8 to 10 glasses, 8 ounces each, of water or water-based beverages, per day. You need more water if you exercise a lot.

The different types of diets

Fixed-menu diet. A fixed-menu diet provides a list of all the foods you will eat. The advantages of this kind of diet is that it can be easy to follow because the foods are selected for you. However the disadvanatge of this type of diet is that you get very few different food choices which may make the diet boring and hard to follow away from home. In addition, fixed-menu diets do not teach the food selection skills necessary for keeping weight off. If you start with a fixed-menu diet, you should switch eventually to a plan that helps you learn to make meal choices on your own, such as an exchange-type diet.

Exchange-type diet. An exchange-type diet is a meal plan with a set number of servings from each of several food groups. Within each group, foods are about equal in calories and can be interchanged as you wish. For example, the "starch" category could include one slice of bread or 1/2 cup of oatmeal; each is about equal in nutritional value and calories. If your meal plan calls for two starch choices at breakfast, you could choose to eat two slices of bread, or one slice of bread and 1/2 cup of oatmeal. With the exchange-type diet plans, you have more day-to-day variety and you can easily follow the diet away from home. The most important advantage is that exchange-type diet plans teach the food selection skills you need to keep your weight off.

Prepackaged-meal diet. These diets require you to buy prepackaged meals. Such meals may help you learn appropriate portion sizes. The disadvantage to this is that they can be costly. Before beginning this type of diet, find out whether you will need to buy the meals and how much the meals cost. You should also find out whether the program will teach you how to select and prepare food, skills that are needed to sustain weight loss.

Formula diet. Formula diets are weight-loss plans that replace one or more meals with a liquid formula. Most formula diets are balanced diets containing a mix of protein, carbohydrate, and usually a small amount of fat. Formula diets are usually sold as liquid or a powder to be mixed with liquid. Although formula diets are easy to use and do promote short-term weight loss, most people regain the weight as soon as they stop using the formula. In addition, formula diets do not teach you how to make healthy food choices, a necessary skill for keeping your weight off.

Questionable diets. You should avoid any diet that suggests you eat a certain nutrient, food, or combination of foods to promote easy weight loss. Some of these diets may work in the short term because they are low in calories. However, they are often not well balanced and may cause nutrient deficiencies. In addition, they do not teach eating habits that are important for long-term weight management.

Flexible diets. Some programs or books suggest monitoring fat only, calories only, or a combination of the two, with the individual making the choice of both the type and amount of food eaten. This flexible type of approach works well for many people, and teaches them how to control what they eat. One drawback of flexible diets is that some don't consider the total diet. For example, programs that monitor fat only often allow people to take in unlimited amounts of excess calories from sugars, and therefore don't lead to weight loss.

It is important to choose an eating plan that you can live with. The plan should also teach you how to select and prepare healthy foods, as well as how to maintain your new weight. Remember that many people tend to regain lost weight. Eating a healthful and nutritious diet to maintain your new weight, combined with regular physical activity, helps to prevent weight regain.

Weight Loss Diet?

2008-09-27T02:54:00.001-07:00

You may be committed to losing weight, but are you stymied by the number of diet plans out there? This time you want to be successful, and you don't want to waste your time on some gimmicky diet that can't deliver on its promises.

You also don't want to embark on a plan that doesn't fit your personality, either. Picking a healthful diet that can help you drop pounds AND choosing a diet you can live with long term are equally important.

The most important factor to consider is whether the diet is healthy. If it isn't, it doesn't matter whether it's easy to follow, lets you eat your favorite foods, or is inexpensive. Once you've eliminated the diets that are detrimental to your health, you'll find that most have their good points and their bad points.

Personal preference, lifestyle, cost, and simplicity will all influence your decision. That's why the diet you choose for yourself may not be the same one your best friend or your coworker chooses.

This article will give you the tools you need to weigh the pros and cons of diet plans you're considering. First we offer a series of questions whose answers will help you size up any diet's safety, efficacy, and practicality. And then we'll ask you to think about yourself, quizzing you about your likes and dislikes, your habits, and your lifestyle, so you can eliminate diets you just won't get along with.

The last page of this article addresses special diet considerations you should be aware of if you have any medical problems, such as cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, or osteoporosis.

On the next page find out which questions seniors should ask before beginning a diet.

The Way to Choose A Healing Diet

2008-09-27T02:53:00.001-07:00

The metabolic typing diet, the macrobiotic diet, the Zone diet...there are so many diets out there, it can be hard finding the right one for your unique needs. This easy how-to guide will help you choose the right diet for your health concerns and needs. Here is how it goes.

If you are don't know whether you feel better on a diet that is lower or higher in carbohydrates, try the Metabolic Typing Diet. Based on the theory that the best diet for you depends on geographical ancestry, the diet includes a questionnaire that can help you determine which of the three types -- protein, carb, or mixed -- you are.
If you are seeking a low-fat, high fiber, predominantly vegetarian diet that integrates physical, spiritual, and planetary health, try the Macrobiotic diet. A low fat, high fiber diet that is low in animal protein is also believed to prevent hormonal-related cancers, such as breast and prostate cancer.
If you have poor digestion, congested sinuses, bad breath, eat fast food, and feel unhealthy, you may benefit from a three-week detox diet. The Detox Screening Quiz can guide you. The detox diet is a popular detox diet. People with experience on detox diets may also wish to try juice fasting.
If you have blood sugar problems, a low carbohydrate diet may be right for you. The Zone diet is a low carb diet that also includes essential fatty acids and plenty of antioxidant-rich vegetables and fruit.
If you have chronic yeast or fungal infections, feel worse in hot, humid, moldy or damp surroundings, have chronic congestion, find it difficult to concentrate, crave sugar, and have been diagnosed with candida, try the Candida diet.
If you feel unwell on high protein diets such as the Atkins or South Beach, you may wish to try the Alkaline diet. It helps to counterbalance the effects of diets with lots of protein, caffeine, sugar, processed or junk foods, or grains.
If you are having difficulty losing weight, you may want to explore the hidden causes of weight gain.
If you enjoy Indian food and would like to follow a diet that matches your constitutional type, take this Ayurvedic quiz and then read the guidelines for the Ayurvedic diet.
If you think that you might have food allergies or sensitivities, a three-week elimination and challenge diet can help to identify them. Talk with a health care practitioner experienced with food allergies.
If you have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), diverticulitis, Crohn's disease, or small intestine bacterial overgrowth, you may wish to try the Specific Carbohydrate Diet.

Choosing the right Diet

2008-09-27T02:48:00.001-07:00

No one diet works for everyone: you need to find a diet that fits for your needs. A detailed description of each is in the diet index linked below.

Follow the following Diet Tips

If you are sedentary, select a diet that emphasizes exercise.
If you crave sweets, consider the Carbohydrate Addict diet.
If you are insulin-resistant and not grossly overweight, consider the GO-diet.
If you have blood sugar or cholesterol problems, consider the Dr. Atkins diet.
If you do body building, check for the Targeted Ketogenic or Cycling Ketogenic diets.
If you are a vegetarian and want a more stringent diet, or have liver or gallbladder problems, try one of the low-fat diets.
If you want to adjust your taste preferences to enjoy simpler foods, try a short-term fast (no more than 3 days) it will refresh your taste buds.
If you tend to overindulge in tasty, high-sugar and fatty foods, try the Raw Food or Macrobiotics diets. Though these diets aren't intended for that purpose, they can be very effective.
If you feel that you need support, join an organized weight-loss program like Weight Watchers.
If you are in search of a spirituality-based program, check into the Weigh Down diet.
If you don't like restrictive diets, try Suzanne Somers' diet.
If you would like to go on a low-carb diet but can't give up fruits and unlimited vegetables, try the Protein Power diet.
If you have heart or blood pressure problems, avoid Ephedrine-containing diet pills.
If you have obesity-related health problems, ask you physician if you can benefit from one of the weight-loss prescription drugs.

Tips:

Choose a diet that you know can be a part of your life style.
Do not trust diets that promise fast weight loss without any effort.
Do not trust diets that promise results without exercise and/or changes in eating behavior.

Cellulite and Old Skin

2008-09-23T06:42:00.001-07:00

A new study published in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology studied whether the presence of cellulite interfered with skin aging. The researchers from the Department of Dermatology at Archet Hospital in Nice, France, looked at 94 healthy females divided into three age groups (21-30yrs; 31-40yrs; 51-60yrs) and two grade groups of cellulite (grade 2; grade 0 or control group).

They inspected the skin non-invasively for its “orange peel appearance” under low-angle light. They then measured the biomechanical properties of the skin (extensibility-retractability-elasticity). The thicknesses of the skin structures were also evaluated using ultrasound.

Their results:

“In grade 2, the shadowed surfaces are significantly different according to age; i.e. smaller and more numerous after age of 30; the total skin thickness including hypodermis is increased of about 30% irrespective to age, compared to control group. The biomechanical properties of the skin are significantly modified as age increases without any grade effect. In grade 2, retractability and elasticity parameters are altered from age 30 whilst only from age 50 in the control group. Echogenicities of the superficial and deep dermis also decrease from age 30 and become significantly lower than the ones of grade 0.”

They went on to conclude that the population with cellulite presents earlier skin ageing characteristics than the control population. This is a significant discovery if it is verified in further studies.

It would be interesting to hear from other researchers and see if anyone else can corroborate these findings.

The best cellulite treatment

2008-09-23T06:40:00.001-07:00

In 20 years of practice, I’ve personally run the gamut of cellulite treatments. I’ve tried skin wraps, caffeine baths, even electrical stimulation! It’s amazing what we’ll do to get the smooth vibrant skin we had as children. The truth is, 80–90% of women have some form of cellulite on their bodies. Some of my patients won’t be seen in a swimsuit, shorts, skirts or anything that exposes their legs. They are mortified and committed to doing whatever it takes to get rid of cellulite. For others, it’s a minor inconvenience.

With the myriad of treatments out there — from cellulite creams to mesotherapy — all claiming to “melt” fat and cure cellulite, we’re getting the message that this is a problem that can only be helped from the outside in. But my clinical experience tells me it’s not that simple. Even if one of these miracle cellulite cures works for a few days or weeks, the cellulite always returns — unless we commit to making deeper changes.

Like most things in nature, cellulite cannot be resolved with a quick fix. What I believe is most important is honoring your body first. Understand that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes. And true beauty emerges when you are at your optimum health. At this point, not only do you enjoy more energy and vitality, but you look and feel better. Your skin glows and has more resilience; your eyes sparkle. It doesn’t matter what message the media or society sends us about what beauty is. The bottom line is: good health becomes you.

Let’s take a closer look at how cellulite evolves and lay the groundwork for minimizing it — from the inside out.

What causes cellulite — is it really just fat?

Orange peel, cottage cheese, pin-cushion skin — we’ve all heard the nicknames for cellulite. And though they may not be appealing, these names describe what cellulite looks like on the outside. It can show up just about anywhere, but is most commonly seen around the thighs, buttocks, knees and upper arms. The age when women start to notice cellulite can vary from person to person. Some see it as early as adolescence.

Though cellulite contains fat, it’s made up of more than just fat cells. Located in the subcutaneous (subsurface) layer of our skin, it consists of fat cells and a surrounding network of connective tissue that keeps them in place, known as septa. This combination provides many benefits for the body — Mother Nature always has a reason! It furnishes insulation, cushioning, and structural support for our skin, as well as temperature regulation for our bodies. It also serves to store fat so the body has sufficient calories available for pregnancy and lactation. This is why women who’ve had children may notice more cellulite after pregnancy. Additionally, the fat in our skin serves as an endocrine organ, helping to balance our hormones well into old age.

Cellulite forms when the septa tighten down on the fat cells or when the fat cells push up on the septa. Think of an overstuffed chair, where the cushion bursts out above the structural support. What causes a tightening down on the “tufts”?

It begins with the lymph system.

Your lymph system and the cellulite “sink”

Your lymphatic system plays an integral role in the development of cellulite. Cellulite begins with stiffening septa caused by impaired blood and lymph circulation to and from the subcutaneous layer of skin. If you think of the subcutaneous layer of skin as a sink, the circulatory and lymphatic systems are its pipes. The “sink” needs pipes to deliver clean water and pipes to take away dirty water. When everything is running smoothly, your capillaries are delivering fresh nutrient-rich blood to the skin and the lymph is taking away waste and toxins. When things get clogged up and blood circulation decreases, this starves and weakens the surrounding tissue and causes fluid to be retained. A decrease in lymph drainage causes the fluids that normally carry away waste to be trapped.

Because of the stagnant flow of blood and lymph fluid, the septa become more fibrous and tighten down on underlying fat cells. This happens because cells starved of oxygen and nutrients become incorporated into septa, thickening and hardening them. A decrease in circulation causes veins and capillaries to become weakened and leak blood into the surrounding tissue. This increases pressure in the subcutaneous layer and restricts flow even more.

Finally, the increased pressure leads to a rerouting of blood flow around the cellulite area. Septa fibers continue to thicken and fat continues to be deposited in the subcutaneous layer. However, because of poor circulation, the fat and toxins cannot be effectively removed.

Cellulite and toxins

Toxic build-up is the overriding cause of stagnant lymph. Over the years, toxins from the environment, processed foods and foods with lots of chemical additives accumulate in our bodies. While the liver, kidneys, sweat glands and lymph system work hard to rid your body of toxins, these in-house detox systems can’t always keep up the pace. An overload of toxins means they get deposited and trapped in other places, particularly in and around fat cells, including those in the subcutaneous skin layer. This entrapment causes premature hardening of the once elastic septa, causing them to bear down on the fat cells below. Like the overstuffed chair, tight structural support leads to bulging from below.

Smoking is another toxic habit believed to play a role in cellulite. Smoking cigarettes allows free radicals to damage vein and capillary walls so that they become inflamed and leaky. Nicotine is known as a vasoconstrictor, meaning it constricts blood vessels. This narrows the “pipes” and allows less in-flow for nourishment and less out-flow for cleaning and detoxification. When microcirculation is compromised, so are the tissues that receive nutrient-rich blood from the capillaries. All of this puts the natural aging process in our skin on fast-forward.

To return to fully nourishing your skin cells, you have to begin by removing the blockage, and then allow the lymph to freely flow again. This is done by detoxifying your cells. If you think about it, you would never drive a car for 30 years without changing the oil or the air filter. Our bodies need cleansing too. And the more we do it, the better we feel. I recommend detoxing your system two to three times a year, especially as you age. Detoxing gives your body systems, like the lymph, liver and kidneys, time to catch up and clean up.

Simple cellulite treatment — keeping the lymph in flux

Following regular and thorough detox, the next stage in cleaning up your cellulite is to keep your lymph system flowing properly. Chinese medical practitioners believe lymph is the key to health. And it’s true — the lymphatic system is far more important than conventional medicine gives it credit for. Since two of the lymphatic system’s many responsibilities are to aid in blood circulation and to carry toxins away from tissues, keeping this pump-less system primed is paramount in preventing cellulite formation. (For a full overview, read our article on the lymph system and your health.) Because the lymph system doesn’t have its own pump, it is the entire body’s responsibility to promote lymphatic flow. And it does that through movement.

Exercise, deep breathing and massage are three fundamental ways to stimulate the cleansing flow of the lymphatic vessels. Exercise that targets lymph includes any type of up and down motion, such as skipping rope or jumping on a trampoline. Even as little as five minutes a day can help move the sludge collecting in your lymph vessels.

Regular exercise can also help you to burn extra fat. Now I don’t wish to downplay how important a healthy body weight is, but many women believe their cellulite will vanish if they just lose weight. This is only true in part. The fat in cellulite resides in the skin layers and is not the source of fat our bodies burn as fuel for energy. Fat burned for energy comes from far below the skin, near our bones. Nevertheless, losing weight can help by decreasing the fat in the deeper layer that pushes up on the septa and fat cells in your subcutaneous skin layer. This reduces the pressure on the latticework of septa, lessening the overall appearance of cellulite.

Gender, fat and cellulite

So why is cellulite primarily a female problem? At a structural level, the anatomy of a woman’s skin is different from that of a man’s. At the level of our body chemistry, however, it’s primarily about estrogen. In fact, men rarely get cellulite unless they are in an estrogen-dominant state, such as with certain genetic disorders, low testosterone states, or when they are receiving estrogen therapy for prostate cancer.

As women’s bodies release estrogen, fluid builds up within fatty tissue. Estrogen also encourages the storage of excess fat around our hips, thighs and bottoms. This is Mother Nature’s way of making sure we have enough energy in reserve for pregnancy and lactation, as well as providing us with an estrogenic “cushion” as we advance in years.

Pregnancy can also influence cellulite. During preparation for childbirth, the body releases a hormone called relaxin that serves to break down connective tissue in the cervix. This loosening of tissue is a good thing because it softens the cervix and widens the pubic bones, accommodating our babies’ passage into the world. But as we know, hormones never govern just one event. Relaxin also decreases production of collagen — the protein responsible for keeping our skin strong and elastic. With less elasticity in our skin, we are much more likely to see the pushing up of fat cells on the septa.

Hormones and cellulite

Healthy elastic skin depends on well-balanced hormones. This is why during the hormonal fluctuation of pregnancy and later again in perimenopause many women notice a sudden increase in cellulite. Estrogen has long been known to help keep skin firm and elastic due to its role in increasing collagen formation. When hormones aren’t balanced and collagen production is low, it isn’t just our skin that is affected. Low collagen levels mean less resilience in the walls of your lymph vessels and veins, both of which are responsible for removing toxins from the subcutaneous layer where cellulite forms. The weakness causes blood and lymph flow to stagnate and can lead to stiffening of the septa.

Progesterone may be just as important a player as estrogen. This may be because progesterone, when given to your body in a natural form, can be converted into other hormones, including estrogen if and when needed. In fact, a recent study showed that 2% progesterone cream used on the skin of peri- and postmenopausal women was effective in increasing elasticity and firmness, though the study did not describe the mechanism for this.

Human growth hormone (hGH) is yet another hormone that comes into play when looking at skin. Many women, such as Suzanne Somers, are turning to expensive hGH shots for its healing and rejuvenating effects. Much of the hype around this treatment stems from a study done on a group of men over the age of 60 who were given specified amounts of hGH and compared to those given a placebo. The researchers found that those who were taking the hormone had increased lean body mass, decrease in fat tissue and a 7.1% increase in skin thickness.

This study has been referenced on many websites claiming to sell hGH in oral formulations. But, because hGH is a peptide that can be broken down by gastric acid, oral preparations could not be expected to be effective. The hormone itself has to be injected in order to work.

Conventional medicine sometimes argues against the use of hGH for its cosmetic benefits, and there are potential risks associated with its use. It can increase your fasting blood glucose, which can eventually lead to insulin resistance. It can also increase your blood pressure and the rate of cancer growth in your body. To top it off, treatment can cost over $10,000 a year!

That said, used with care under certain circumstances for certain conditions, human growth hormone can be a helpful treatment option. For patients who are debilitated or elderly, for example, it can be tremendously therapeutic and healing. But when it comes to aging, healthy skin and “vanishing” cellulite, it comes at a price, and you will want to weigh your options — monetarily and physically.

Genes, cellulite, and healthy aging

Many of us tend to blame our health problems on age or genetics. You may think, “Well, if Mom had cellulite, so will I.” While it’s true that your genes provide a blueprint for your body and our bodies do begin to break down more than build up as we age, the conversation that speaks loudest and most clearly to your genes is what you do to your body on a day-to-day basis. Many diseases and abnormalities run in families because members of a family tend to lead similar nutritional lifestyles. Look at your parents’ health issues as an opportunity to learn more about yourself. In doing this, we can prevent many of the problems our parents had.

We cannot, however, stop the march of time. Our skin does become thinner and naturally less elastic as we age. But with a regular detox and exercise schedule, improved nutrition and balanced hormones, you can slow the clock. How you treat your body has a lot to do with the aging process. If you give your body the full complement of nutrients and support for its regular growth and repair, you will not only feel a difference in your energy level, but you will see improvement in your hair, nails and skin.

Popular treatments for cellulite

Making deeper lifestyle changes is a process that requires time and patience. Many people are looking for the quick fix, which is why it’s easy to get caught up in the sea of products available and their promises to rid us of any and all flaws in our appearance. We have to remember that the popular cellulite treatments — including liposuction, mesotherapy (a series of rapid injections), and fat injections — may work in the short term, but to get to the root of cellulite we have to employ lasting changes in our lives.

Is a deeper commitment to change worthwhile? The truth is, lifestyle changes may not make your cellulite vanish overnight, but they will address the underlying causes. Before you try surgery or injections, start from within. Women to Women believes that starting from the inside always yields better results. Step back and look at how you’re supporting your body. Like a growing plant, your skin is constantly breaking down and rebuilding itself: to thrive it needs air, water, nutrients, and balance.

Looking at cellulite holistically — the Women to Women approach

The bottom line is that all the body’s systems are interconnected, and cellulite beneath your skin may be an important indication that something isn’t being cleared away or fed properly from within. As you clear your system of toxins and give it what it needs physically, nutritionally and hormonally, you will not only feel more energetic and vibrant, but your outward appearance will reveal how healthy you are on the inside.

Detox regularly. Start your cellulite elimination process by cleaning house from tip to toe. Try a program designed to clear the digestive, circulatory, and lymphatic systems, such as our two-week Quick Cleanse. Or consider the benefits of a cellulite diet based on Ayurvedic principles. For example, try this mung bean soup detox (proceed with care, as some people detox very quickly).
Make it less likely for toxins to find a home in your body by limiting your exposure. Tobacco, caffeine, alcohol, chemicals and preservatives all contribute to the toxins your lymph, liver and kidneys must eliminate.
Toxins can also originate from emotional issues. Find ways to rid yourself of what’s lying beneath the surface from the past. We’ve have had good success with the Quadrinity Process.

Revise your diet. Focus on whole grains, fresh fruits, and vegetables, and go organic whenever practicable. The less processed and refined foods you eat, the fewer toxins in your system. Treat yourself generously to foods high in antioxidants, such as deeply pigmented fruits and veggies: blueberries, cherries, blackberries, citrus, cauliflower, broccoli, tomatoes, and peas. In addition to feeding the skin, these foods combat free radicals — the molecules linked to cancer and premature aging. They also help to strengthen the flexibility of septa — and with elastic septa, cellulite stays beneath the surface.
Avoid sugar as best you can. Sugar interferes with how our bodies metabolize vitamin C, which is integral in restoring skin structure and the formation of collagen and elastin. (For more information, see our nutritional and lifestyle guidelines.)

Take a high-quality multivitamin. Fill in any nutritional gaps with a quality multivitamin/mineral complex such as the one we offer in our Personal Program. This will ensure your skin has all the building materials it needs. The right supplement should contain essential vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C.

Balance your hormones. Because cellulite formation is linked to estrogen levels, it is important that your hormones are well balanced. Gentle endocrine support can help get your hormonal balance back on track. Progesterone is a precursor to testosterone and estrogen. When your body is off-balance, especially during perimenopause, some people — though not everyone — can make what they need from progesterone and restore balance.

Exercise regularly. Carrying out some form of exercise (3–5 days a week for 20–45 minutes) will allow you to burn excess fat and increase your muscle tone. Both of these benefits help to reduce the appearance of cellulite.
Exercise widens the circulatory pipes, bringing more “clean” or nutrient-rich blood to your skin and taking away waste products, which preserves your elasticity. And it has the same stimulating effect on the lymph system. By contracting your muscles you exert a pump-like force that pushes lymph fluid forward to remove waste.
However you choose to get your vessels pumping, whether it’s jumping on a trampoline, biking, hiking, swimming, yoga, or Pilates, working your muscles will increase blood and lymph flow, burn fat and help reduce pressure on your skin.

Don’t forget to breathe. Deep breathing not only helps us to relax, but it also increases blood and lymphatic fluid circulation, serving to eliminate toxins and nurture your skin cells with nutrients and oxygen.

Reduce stress. When we are stressed, our bodies release adrenaline. Adrenaline naturally directs blood to our “fight or flight” muscles, such as the triceps, biceps and quadriceps, in preparation for defense or retreat. This means blood is redirected away from the skin, decreasing circulation and resulting in fewer nutrients delivered to skin tissue and less toxins removed.
In addition to the physical consequences of stress, we also tend to reach for unhealthy food during periods of uncertainty, leading to greater toxin build-up, increased fat storage and ultimately, the appearance of cellulite.
Yoga is a wonderful way to de-stress, meanwhile helping you to burn fat and tone your muscles. You might also try meditating for 15–20 minutes a day to clear your head and relax those tense muscles. Many women also enjoy massage as a way to relax. Massage accomplishes much more than just relaxing the body.

Try a self cellulite massage. By putting pressure on your muscles, massage can increase circulatory and lymphatic system function, helping to feed your body and rid it of toxins. Massaging cellulite is also beneficial for targeting those difficult areas, such as the inner knee and upper thigh, that we can’t always get at through exercise. Like diet and exercise, massage for cellulite is something you can try on your own. Gently massage the area in circular motions, kneading the skin like dough. Performing self-massage techniques a few minutes each day will help deliver nutrients to your skin and break down unnecessary fat and toxins.

Treat yourself to lymph massage. The goal of lymphatic massage is to drain and increase the flow of the lymphatic fluid in your body. The technique involves very subtle finger movements to create sufficient pressure to mechanically move lymph through lymph vessels and nodes from the lower part of your body to the upper part. Lymph fluid is ultimately carried to the thoracic duct, which empties into the subclavian vein under your collarbone. By connecting the lymphatic system with the circulatory system, the thoracic duct sends toxins picked up along the way to be filtered out of the body.
Remember that your lymph vessels are as thin as threads and must be massaged delicately in order to produce an effect. You might consider visiting a lymphatic drainage massage therapist for best results.

Health becomes you!

How we look matters — not because society tells us we’re supposed to be beautiful and look young forever, but because how we see ourselves determines how we feel. And when we are uncomfortable with our appearance, it’s an opportunity for us to look inward and decide if there are ways to take better care of ourselves.

At Women to Women, we feel that you deserve to look beautiful and feel great well into old age. This means honoring your body and giving it what it needs. Remember that the skin, like any other organ in the body, needs to be fed and cleansed by the circulatory and lymphatic systems. These two systems work well if you only allow them to, by giving them what they need physically, hormonally and nutritionally. There is no instant cure for cellulite — the miracle happens when you understand and honor your body’s needs.

How To Lose Weight Fast & Effectively!

2008-09-23T06:15:00.001-07:00

1. How much weight should I lose? Answer:
If you’re like most people, you’ve probably set very high weight-loss standards for yourself. This can lead to disappointment. So before you start, it’s important to establish realistic goals that you can reach and feel good about. For most people, a weight-loss goal of about 5% to 10% of their body weight is realistic and rewarding.

Remember, you don’t have to lose a great amount of weight to improve your health. Studies show that a 5% to 10% weight loss can improve weight-related health problems such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease and diabetes.

2. Do I have to do strenuous exercise to lose weight? Answer:
No. In fact, you can achieve results simply by increasing the level of physical activity that you and your doctor decide is appropriate. Even walking a few minutes each day will make a difference.

Boosting your level of physical activity is a good idea for at least three reasons:

* People who regularly engage in physical activity are generally more successful at losing weight and keeping it off than those who don’t.
* Increasing physical activity is good for you. It generally lowers blood pressure, helps control diabetes, lowers cholesterol and improves cardio-respiratory function.
* People who are physically active report that they enjoy improved moods and enhanced self-esteem and self-respect, as well as reduced stress, anxiety and depression.

Some people cannot increase their level of physical activity for medical reasons. Please consult your doctor before starting or increasing your physical activity.

3. Doesn’t genetics affect weight? Answer:
Absolutely, but you have to manage your weight within that. Work with the hand you’ve been dealt; for example, being big-boned is no excuse for being 100 pounds overweight. Accept that you have some extra challenges — and that you’ll probably never be stick-thin — but don’t let that be your excuse.

Did you find those tips on Weight Loss useful? You can learn a lot more about my Story and the Program I used to be successful here.

Busy Schedule Is Not Excuse for Overweight

2008-09-23T06:00:00.001-07:00

Weight Loss Research is dedicated to giving you, the consumer reliable and up to date information on various weight loss topics. It is our aim to find sensible and long term methods of weight loss and weight maintenance.

Safe and clinically proven methods of weight loss.

Successfully fitting fitness into your busy schedule

These days life is mainly about stress, rushing around and trying to keep up with a hectic schedule. With hardly enough time to sort out the bills, feed the kids and ensure everything at work is running smoothly, just how exactly are you supposed to fit 30 minutes exercise into each and every single day?

Creating a balance

Finding a balance between work, home and exercise is an almost impossible task for most people. However, it can be done if you really want it to!

Fitness should be a big part of your life no matter how busy it may be. It is all about putting things into perspective and getting your priorities right. In order to do this you should:

Write your daily schedule down
The easiest way to figure out where your time goes each day is to write down your schedule. Include what time you get up and what you do before you go to work. Next move on to how long it takes you to get to work, and then what you do whilst at work. Finally move on to what you do after work, how long it takes you to get home and what time you go to bed.

Once you have written your schedule you should be able to see if there is anywhere that you can make a change. For example, is there any work which you could hold back on in order to fit exercise into your life? Many people these days work through their Lunch hours and even over the hours that they are paid for, just to get their work finished. Would it really be a catastrophe if you didn’t stay behind one night a week? It probably wouldn’t and again it is all about getting your priorities right.

Work out in your lunch hour
Whilst not everybody gets an hour for lunch, if you do you might want to take advantage of it and use it to work out. More and more people are turning to working out in their lunch break at least once a week, as it seems to be the only time that they can get free. If the exercise just runs over an hour, why not ask your boss if you could do a little flexi time and perhaps work a little later or come in earlier to make the time up?

Make the little things count
If you are adamant that you cannot take 30 minutes of each day to partake in any form of exercise, then why not make small changes? Every single person can make a small change to their lifestyle, whether it is walking to work instead of taking the bus or driving, walking up the stairs instead of taking the lift, etc. There are always things we can do differently which will make us that little bit fitter.

So, overall fitting exercise into your busy schedule is not always as hard as it seems, even if it is only small changes that you are making! Every little helps and as long as you change your lifestyle a little, you are generally helping yourself out. Just do as much as you can and you will find that you get fitter in no time.

Remember Weight Loss Research is here to help you. Review all the articles found on this website and if you still have questions then don't be afraid to contact us. We have trained staff who can give you the advice you require. If you have any serious condition you should always consult your doctor.

Caffeine and Cellulite

2008-09-23T05:42:00.001-07:00

Caffeine and cellulite have a brother and sister relationship in that cellulite in most cases will always result from the love of caffeine. Invariably, caffeine is the major culprit responsible for the dimpling presentation. Most people especially in the developed nations consume caffeine containing diets like Coffee, tea, kolas, and chocolate. These elements are known to contain high amounts of caffeine. Apart from the property of cholesterol accumulation, caffeine causes vasoconstriction (constriction of blood vessels). This slows down blood flow as well as increases blood pressure.

A look at the relationship between poor blood circulation and cellulite shows that more than anything, the presence or absence of cellulite could be hereditary. However, reduced blood circulation in the tissue layer below the skin, has also been held responsible for cellulite formation. The theory portends that when body fluids like lymph and cell wastes accumulate within the subcutaneous tissues following poor circulation, bloating occurs. This presents as bulging and dimpling effect of cellulite.

Positive Relationships of Caffeine and Cellulite

Nicotine from smoking also has some vasoconstrictor effect on blood vessels. So people who complain of cellulite are usually advised to stop or reduce smoking as well as caffeine containing diets. Positive results have been seen in people who take this advice. However, it is almost impossible to achieve a total cellulite removal; strict adherence to non caffeine containing diet, regular exercises, or surgical procedures like liposuction has not been demonstrated to achieve total cellulite elimination.

Most anti-cellulite creams and lotions contain caffeine as the active ingredient and there is the popular belief that their vasoconstrictive property is used to shrink the sponginess of tissues plagued by cellulite. Note that the use of caffeine to fight cellulite is effective when used topically and not as part of a diet.

Yoga Inversions

2008-09-23T05:27:00.000-07:00

It is no longer news the fact that Yoga can keep us alive and free from incessant hospital visits. This is one area of alternative care that orthodox medicine agrees with. While the regular fitness exercises is as beneficial as advertised by increasing blood flow, Yoga achieves same but in a less anaerobic state. The specificity of Yoga makes it a far better way to stay healthy. The twist, conscious breathing, relaxation, and inversions all combine to confer the kind of health non yoga practioners can only hope for.
Let’s take a look at the effects of yoga inversions. These include all forms of yoga practice that involves turning the down-side-up. Examples include shoulder stand (salamba sarvangasana), half shoulder stand (viparita karani), and headstand (salamba shirshasana). While this practice indisputably has a lot of benefits so is the downside of it, details of which we shall take a look into in this expose`.
Yoga Inversions and the Immunes System
There is a network of tubular vessels that runs along with the neurovascular bundles throughout the length and breadth of our body. Its major duty is fluid regulation as it works along with blood vessels. Oedema (fluid accumulation) that presents as swelling in the respective part of the body is as a result of fluid accumulation in the lymphatic’s of that part of the body. Veins and arteries possess smooth muscles (longitudinal and circular) responsible for peristaltic movement that helps to propel blood aside from the pumping activity of the heart. None of these mechanisms is available in lymphatics.
The lymphatics are very rich in white blood cells responsible in fighting bacteria and other disease causing micro organisms but they lack the mechanism of peristalses. This prevents adequate circulation of its content- the reason our legs become swollen when we sit down for long periods. It therefore means that proper lymphatic circulation is dependent upon how much we move around. Movement causes skeletal muscles contraction and tightening of the muscles fasciae (the sheet-like covering of skeletal muscles) which in turn help circulate the lymphatic fluids. Regular exercises can achieve this but not between the body extremes. Yoga inversions are the only known effective practice that can ensure that lymphatic fluids circulate adequately from head to toe to equitably distribute the large amount of WBCs for healthy living.
Bacteria infections are prone where there is stasis of body fluids as there provide a good medium for their growth. Proper circulation of lymphatic fluid prevents this.

Improvement of Mental Alertness and Focus with Yoga Inversions
The increased circulation resulting from this practice also increases blood circulation to the brain, delivering higher amount of oxygen needed for combustion. The steady and adequate energy supply to the brain, which results from this, increases our level of concentration and mental sharpness. There are very few effective practices that can keep the brain this healthy.
Inversions improve stamina and the strength of the upper body
Expectedly the regular practice of Yoga inversions builds the muscles of the upper limbs. Following continuous bearing of the weight from the upper body, the muscles of the arm strengthen and overall increases stamina.
Effects of Inversions on Hormones
Inversions upset gravity and the pituitary and pineal gland become activated and synergize to balance hormone levels in the body. This revitalizes and rejuvenates the entire body and ensures adequate growth. Particular usefulness of the practice is found in would-be mothers.
As beneficial as it may be, there are also contraindications of yoga inversions. There are a series of health condition in which if existing, yoga inversions should be entirely avoided or modified. They include pregnancy, neck pain, high or low blood pressure, neck injuries, or in menstruation.
Yoga Inversions and High Blood Pressure
The sudden lower blood pressure after an inversion exercise in the upper body is detected by the baroreceptors (Blood pressure regulators) around the neck and usually attempt to increase the blood pressure to higher levels under normal circumstances. In people with high blood pressure, this adds to an existing high blood pressure and worsens hypertension and may lead to stroke. So it is advisable that people with high blood pressure avoid inversions and instead should adopt other forms of yoga practice or consult an instructor for proper advice.
In low blood pressure, the reverse is possible. During inversions, there is increase blood pressure in the upper body. This is sensed as abnormal by the baroreceptors that subsequently try to reduce same and may result in extremely low blood pressure afterwards leading to dizziness, fainting or cardiogenic shock.
Effect on Pregnancy and Menstruation
The effect on pregnancy is similar as above. Normally, blood pressure increases are recorded during pregnancy and involving in yoga inversions during this period is not advisable. The common problems associated with this are preeclampsia, premature labour, and aggravation of Pregnancy Induced Hypertension especially in first time pregnancies (primi gravidae).
So women should suspend inversions once pregnancy sets in and may resume about four to eight weeks after delivery when progesterone levels would have reduced towards pre-pregnancy levels.
In Yoga: The Path to Holistic Health, B.K.S. Iyengar inversions are advocated during menstruation based on the claims it helps overflow. There are also some schools of thought that are entirely against Yoga Inversions during menstruation. However, none of these claims seems substantiated as many other authors also contradict one another. So women should be left alone to make their individual decisions on inversions during menstruation. Individuals should however observe how they respond to inversions during menstruation and decide for themselves what works.

Neck Injuries and Inversions
It is dangerous for persons with neck injuries to practice inversions. In an event of a slip or further trauma to the neck, the outcome could be disastrous. Same with those with injuries at the back along the vertebra column. This group should avoid inversions until it is all clear from the doctor.
The entire benefits one can derive from yoga inversions far out-weight the disadvantages as long as it is properly done, as well as know when it must be avoided or modified taking into consideration the various contra indications.