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Weight Loss and Insulin Resistance

November 30th, 2009 Diet-PillsThatWork No comments

If you read much from me you know I am preventive minded, and I understand that insulin resistance may be an underlying factor in a range of health problems. My goal for everyone reading this is to feel energetic, lively, attractive, passionate, and excited for as long as you live, as opposed to feeling lethargic, irritable, and hormonally imbalanced.

Insulin’s proper function is the key and you can do something about it but first you need to understand why it matters. The body uses glucose as its basic fuel, which is carried by the bloodstream to individual cells. All of the foods we eat fats, proteins and carbohydrates are broken down during digestion into proteins, micronutrients and glucose. The body uses the proteins and nutrients in cellular metabolism, immune function, and cell replacement. Glucose is used as fuel. Our demand for fuel varies from moment to moment, but the blood sugar level of the brain must remain stable. Getting the energy to the cells that they need without changing the brain blood sugar level is a critical function insulin is responsible for this function.

The body monitors what we’ve digested, controls blood sugar levels, cell demands, and releases insulin in just the right amounts. That’s why a healthy body is described as “insulin sensitive.” Insulin signals the cells to absorb glucose from the bloodstream.

The average diet consists of an excessively high percentage of sugars, in the form of simple carbohydrates and simple sugars added to the foods we eat. These simple sugars quickly enter the bloodstream. The body has to release high levels of insulin to keep the level of glucose or sugar in the bloodstream from spiraling out of control and leading to a diabetic coma. In time the cells quit responding to insulin. At this point the body is “insulin resistant.”

One immediate consequence is that the body is forced to release even more insulin in attempt to control the blood sugar level. Letting blood sugar get too high is a matter of life and death. The resulting excess of insulin in the bloodstream is called hyperinsulinemia. The body was not designed to function with these prolonged high levels of insulin. High levels of insulin disrupt cellular metabolism, cause weight gain and spread inflammation. Diabetes occurs when the body fails to keep blood glucose under control. Diabetes is the most known disease caused by insulin resistance but there are a array of other problems associated with this body function. There are many negative health effects before full-blown diabetes.

When the blood cells won’t absorb the extra glucose, the liver converts excess glucose into fat. Fat cells are loaded with glucose receptors, so they absorb the excess glucose and become fatter. Ironically, while the insulin-resistant woman is gaining weight, her cells are actually “starved” for glucose, so she feels exhausted and tends to eat carbohydrate-heavy foods in search of energy. These extra fat cells are also little estrogen factories. So weight gain contributes to the estrogen dominance that causes so many symptoms during the early stages of perimenopause. Like bloating, indigestion and irritability.

Most women put up with minor issues until menopause when things get out of control. A woman’s health can deteriorate rapidly during menopause with the decrease of estrogen levels in the body. Digestive issues that were once merely a hassle become unacceptable when the body’s natural defenses against inflammation (estrogen being one) are exhausted.

To make matters worse, women approaching menopause are particularly prone to becoming insulin resistant due to changes in adrenal and thyroid secretions. In fact, the decrease of certain hormones, like estradiol, may trigger problems with insulin in patients who never experienced it before. Certain blood pressure medications can mask symptoms without treating the problem. How do I know if I’m insulin resistant?

In our culture where the standard diet is composed of a large percentage of simple carbohydrates such as (white bread, breakfast rolls, candy bars, pasta, potatoes, and carbonated soft drinks.) anyone can become insulin resistant even if they are thin. We are all at risk. In fact, most of us are likely to have some level or insulin resistance. It is just a matter of degree. The more processed and refined food that we eat, the more insulin required to metabolize it. The more insulin in our blood, the less responsive our cells become. As we age, this continual exposure to high levels of insulin wears out our tolerance for refined carbohydrates and reduces our sensitivity to insulin.

If you are diagnosed with high cholesterol, high triglycerides, or hypertension, you should get checked for insulin resistance, regardless of your weight or age. If your blood pressure is high, it is likely that you are also suffering from insulin resistance. High blood pressure medication will not cure insulin resistance.

You are at the highest risk for developing insulin resistance if you have a family history of type 2 diabetes or if you have suffered from gestational diabetes, hypertension, or are seriously overweight. Women, who tend to gain most of their weight around their abdomen, show less tolerance for insulin. To assess your risk, measure yourself around the smallest part of your waist and the biggest part of your hips. Divide the waist measurement by the hip measurement. A ratio bigger than 0.8 for women (or 1.0 for men) indicates that your abdomen is obese and you are at risk for developing insulin resistance. Different type of fat cells in this area of the body indicate the probability.

The good news is that insulin and glucose levels are very easily influenced by changes in lifestyle, exercise, and diet. Before or after you are diagnosed with insulin resistance, there is a lot you can do to reverse its course and bringing insulin into check.

I have experienced menopause to be an enlightening and powerful time in my life not an out of control experience. Younger more recently trained medical professionals are trained to evaluate a patient for insulin resistance. They are recommending a blood test for glucose and insulin levels after fasting for 12 hours and then again two hours after a meal (preferably a high-carbohydrate meal). Increased triglycerides are a suspicious sign also. If you suspect a problem please see a competent medical professional for the necessary test but remember all this can be changed the same way it can be prevented it is just more urgent.

Let me remind you, lifestyle, diet and exercise patterns, as well as stress factors are all indicators of future problems. With the diabetes and other serious disease rates for women in menopause so high I want to encourage you to get this under your control now. Do not wait to be diagnosed or have symptoms be proactive.

I recommend you immediately discontinue the standard American diet. Start an exercise program that you enjoy today and learn to relax and enjoy the special moments in life. Shop the outside aisles of the supermarket where the food is fresh and as close to nature as possible, and avoid the inner rows of processed food, sugar cereals, high-sodium snacks and carbonated soda, other sugary beverages. Corn sweetened green tea is of no benefit do not drink it. A diet that consists primarily of lean meats; whole grains, beans and vegetables; leafy greens; and fruit will substantially aid the body’s ability to balance insulin levels. Three meals with two healthy snacks is an ideal meal plan for everyone as prevention or to improve on an already existing condition. Each meal should have no more than 15 grams of carbohydrates in the form of vegetables, whole grains and fruits (and no “white” food, such as bread, pasta, and sugar) and some lean protein. Each snack should contain only 7 grams of similar carbohydrates from whole foods. Essential Fatty Acids, EFA’s can be found in avocados, cold-water fish like salmon and tuna, flax seed, and eggs and can also be taken in supplement form. These are another important part of a healthy life style. Regular exercise of 30 minutes or more per day, 35 times a week is also beneficial for regulating metabolic function and hormonal balance. Choose from biking, swimming, jogging, or aerobic classes of any type for cardiovascular health. This decreases stress as well as reducing strain on the adrenal glands which will result in better overall health and contribute to keeping the body’s insulin levels in check. Stopping smoking, moderating alcohol consumption and proper sleeping habits will help to alleviate blood chemistry surges, which in turn will promote good health and long life.

Your body’s hormonal balance is like a symphony. Insulin is one of the loudest and most important instruments. Metabolism is the first critical step in a well functioning body. Hormones and their balance in our bodies are a result of a well nourished body consuming the prober foods. Stay tuned for proper food choices made simple.

Your Weight Loss Diet Plan Should Avoid These Six Mistakes

November 30th, 2009 Diet-PillsThatWork No comments

I know you are making these fat loss mistakes because I did too! Based on my experience from losing over 80 pounds and finally keeping it off, here are some tips for avoiding these common dieting mistakes.

YOU ARE TRYING TO DO TOO MUCH TOO SOON

Trying to go from Sedentary Slob to Super Dieter on a Monday morning? Not so smart. It is a great way to ensure you will be back to the couch by mid-day Wednesday. You can’t expect to undo years worth of damage overnight.

If you typically eat three meals per day, start slowly by adding a snack – either in the morning or the afternoon, then work your way to six small meals every 2-3 hours. This approach to fat loss is called kaizen, a Japanese philosophy that focuses on continuous improvement throughout all aspects of life. Making a small change once a day or once a week leads to a constant state of improvement.

YOU ARE LOOKING FOR THE QUICK FIX

I was convinced I had a Loch Ness Monster in my colon and that was making me fat! But the colon cleanser I purchased only left me with a very sore butt, some leafy-looking things in the toilet and not a single pound lost.

Now I was convinced that I needed a super-duper-ultra fat burner – one that would melt away the fat while I sat on my butt doing nothing!

After thousands of dollars and lots of false hope, I realized that the only way I was going to achieve the lean body that I desired was to come up with a solid nutrition and exercise plan, and to add supplements that were backed by solid science.

YOU ARE LETTING OTHERS KNOCK YOU OFF-TRACK

My family is full of enablers – they mean well, but they were not sensitive to the fact that I was serious about staying on track with my weight loss diet. “C’mon a little bit won’t hurt” or “you can diet tomorrow” was all it took to convince me to eat. Within 30 minutes I had eaten myself stupid and undone all of the positive progress that I had spent the past week achieving.

Let those around you know how important it is for you to lose weight and what it means to both you, and them, if you do not achieve your goals.

YOU ARE NOT GETTING BACK “ON THE WAGON” IMMEDIATELY AFTER FALLING OFF

I would usually fall off my diet toward the end of any given week. It was at that point that I rationalized that, since I was “off the wagon” I would wait until Monday to get started again!

This probably won’t come as a big shock, but science now has proven that weekends can wreak havoc on your waistline. That was the conclusion of Washington University researchers, who found that even people on strict diet and exercise programs lose weight more slowly than expected because they eat more on weekends.

The verdict: People don’t need a holiday to eat more; they tend to do it every weekend because human lifestyle patterns can be very different.

There were two key takeaways for me from this:

1.The best time to get back “on the wagon” was at your next meal – do not wait until you’ve done more damage. 2. Do not let the weekends be different than any other day – stick with your plan whether it is a Saturday or a Wednesday

YOU ARE TRYING TO BE PERFECT EVERY DAY

Life is not perfect – and your diet plan shouldn’t be either. You can’t expect yourself to follow your program to the letter every second of every day until you reach your goal. If you do, you will ultimately fail. That is why you need to apply the 90/10 rule to your nutrition and exercise.

The 90/10 rule is very simple – if you are following your weight loss diet plan 90% of the time, then you will not be hurt by the 10% of the time that you are not. Your weight loss diet should include a minimum of 5 meals per day, with 6 meals being ideal. Following the 90/10 rule with 6 meals a day (or 42 meals a week) means that you have 4 meals a week where you can go off your program without halting progress, as long as those meals are reasonable.

Same rules apply to exercise. Let’s say your schedule permits you to work out 4 days per week. So in a month, you have 16 workouts – and following the 90/10 rule, you can miss 1 or 2 workouts without derailing yourself. However, you should save your “skips” for times when you really need to skip – like a poor night’s sleep, illness, or hectic travel schedule.

YOU ARE NOT SETTING REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS

It took you your entire life to get to this point, and you expect to reverse all of the damage in 3 weeks? That is what a lot of diet products would like you to believe.

You absolutely MUST set goals, but they MUST be realistic. What is realistic? one to two pounds of fat per week is a reasonable goal. The more you have to lose, the higher you can set your expectation. But if you are approaching double-digits with your expectations, you are setting yourself up for failure.

How to Lose Weight: Donâ??t Lose Your Sleep and Youâ??ll Lose Your Weight

November 30th, 2009 Diet-PillsThatWork No comments

Weight loss is more effective when you donâ??t lose sleep. One of the best ways to learn how to lose weight is to learn how to get a good nightâ??s sleep. How to lose weight without losing sleep is important to learn not only for your emotional well-being, but also for your physical well-being and the success of your weight loss goals. Staying up all night worrying about your diet struggles or a failure isnâ??t going to help you lose weight â?? in fact; itâ??s likely to help you gain weight. If you want to lose weight, you canâ??t lose sleep. Learning how to get a good nightâ??s sleep will also teach you how to be more successful with your weight loss program. Over 70,000 women were monitored for over a decade in a study conducted by the Care Western University and presented by the American Thoracic Society in 2006. This study is one of the largest studies ever conducted on the relationship between sleep and losing weight, and it found a direct correlation between weight loss and sleep. Women who slept five hours or less gained substantially more weight, (an average of 33 pounds), over the years than the women who had seven hours of sleep, and light sleepers had a higher risk of obesity. Researchers also found that sleep had a higher impact on future weight gain than eating and exercising, although they emphasized that eating and exercise are still dominating forces in weight gain or weight loss. Numerous studies around the world have conclusively shown that lack of sleep also contributes to poor cognitive thinking, a lower immune system, and an onset of adult diabetes. Sleep also affects your hormones that communicate your â??hungerâ? and â??fullâ? indicators, which obviously have a great deal of influence on how easily youâ??re going to be able to lose weight. These â??eatingâ? hormones are called â??ghrelin,â? which tells you youâ??re hungry, and â??leptin,â? which tells you youâ??re full. When youâ??re tired, ghrelin (hunger) goes up, and leptin (full) goes down. Despite this fact, the notable weight loss research done by Care Western University found that the dieters that slept less gained weight even though they did not eat more. Although the idea of sleeping all day to lose weight sounds luxurious, it wonâ??t work. Sleeping too much was also proven to contribute to weight gain. Learning how to get the right amount of sleep is the secret to learning how to use your sleeping patterns to supplement your weight loss goals. Getting your recommended sleep of 8-9 hours, getting proper exercise, and participating in a proven weight loss plan, such as the Atkins Diet Weight Loss Program, is the healthiest way to lose weight and reach your weight loss goals. How to lose weight and keep the weight off means you need to get a good nightâ??s rest. So stop staying up all night worrying about how youâ??re going to lose weight. You can sleep peacefully knowing that youâ??re doing the right thing to contribute to your weight loss goals. Learn how to gain some sleep, and youâ??ll learn how to lose weight. Use the valuable weight-loss advice from these weight loss studies and take a nap. At least sleep on it, and youâ??ll still be thinner and healthier in the mornings to come.

Diabetic Diet Plan – 6 Effective Tips For Preparing A Meal

November 30th, 2009 Diet-PillsThatWork No comments

A diabetic diet plan plays an important role in treatment. The majority of people affected with diabetes are overweight or obese.

In fact, your risk of getting the disease increases the more weight you put on.

So controlling your condition with a diabetic diet plan can be the key to reducing the risk as well as improving your symptoms if you are already affected by this disease people often refer to as “the silent killer.”

Everybody knows that maintaining a good program when eating is a healthy choice for every person. But for diabetes patients, this statement means something more significant than the recent fad over healthy living.

For patients, having a healthy diabetic diet plan means eating in a way that reduces the risk for complications that are commonly associated with their conditions, including heart disease and stroke.

Eating healthy involves eating a wide variety of foods that encompasses the whole spectrum of vegetables, whole grains, fruits, non-fat dairy products, beans, lean meats, poultry, and fish.

6 Tips On How To Prepare A Diabetic Diet And Meal Plan

1. When you go on a diabetic diet, the first thing you need to do is to prepare a meal plan. This will serve as your guide to how much and what kinds of food you can choose to eat at meals, and even at snack times if you wish to include that.

2. Now, be sure that your diabetic diet plan fits in with your schedule and eating habits. That way you will not be likely to ruin your diet simply because your work schedule conflicts with your meal schedule.

Try to keep in mind your end-goal of a diabetic diet plan:

To keep your blood glucose in levels that are easy enough to maintain.

3. In addition to that somewhat myopic diet goal for diabetes, you also want to follow a meal plan that will help you improve your blood pressure and cholesterol levels as well as keep your weight on track.

4. All these – blood pressure, cholesterol and weight – are factors that contribute to the worsening of your diabetes symptoms, so controlling them could very well mean controlling your diabetic problem.

5. When preparing a diabetic diet plan, be sure to balance uptake and down take – that is, food and exercise, respectively. Additionally, your doctor may have prescribed you with insulin or oral medications to help you manage your condition.

6. Take those medications into account as well when you plan your meal plan, making sure that the food is balanced with the drugs. The whole thing sounds like it’s a lot of work but with a few suggestions from your physician and/or dietician you can start building a diabetes diet and meal plan that is best for you and your condition.

Last Minute Weight Loss

November 29th, 2009 Diet-PillsThatWork No comments

Do a quick strength workout before hitting the beach. Do moves that tax your whole body.  But increase your reps and speed up your pace to force blood into your muscles. Decrease the weight so that you can do sets of 15 reps.

 

The more blood you have in your muscles, the more toned you’ll look.Guzzling a few glasses of water before hitting the beach will help flush your system and relieve bloating.

 

You may have used self-tanner before to minimize the appearance of cellulite, but now that you’re training, use it to enhance the look of your muscles. Color makes your muscle definition pop because it brings out the shadows.

 

Avoid beans, for example, if they’re hard for you to digest or make you bloat. Dairy has the same effect for some.

 

 And most important, minimize your sodium intake. Most Americans consume 5,500 milligrams of salt each day.

 

 While there’s no Recommended Dietary Allowance, most nutritionists suggest you stay under 2,500 or 3,000 mg. Keep your intake under 3,000 mg per day to avoid bloating.

 

 We know. Between being ready for tomorrow’s monster meeting and making sure Rufus gets his yearly shots on time, you’ve got enough deadlines in your life.

 

 Which is exactly why you’ve spent no time thinking about the public debut of your new Triscuit-sized bikini. Until now, that is, when heat, sunshine, and visions of a beach vacation make you want to dress light – and feel lighter.

 

Okay, so you haven’t been religious about your workouts the last few months; we understand. But we also realize that all it takes is one good cram session to change your body.

 

Yes, you’ll have to work hard to do it, but this rapid slim-down plan will flatten and tone you in just 3 weeks. In fact, by combining proper nutrition with an intense – yet thoroughly doable – 21-day exercise program, the average fit woman can lose as many as 15 pounds. 

 

Add weight and lower your reps when lifting. It’s better for strength building because you’re working power versus endurance.

 

You’ll tax your muscles more, making this more efficient for muscle building in a tight time frame. Women, thankfully, have little testosterone, the hormone responsible for bulking up.

 

But some women have more of it than others. If you tend to be stocky, stick to your regular amount of weight.

 

 But if you have an average build, you should lift weights heavy enough that you can only complete eight reps, and keep adding weight with each set until you can only do four or five reps. Try this every other strength session to keep your muscles challenged.

 

Your insulin levels drop during intense exercise (anything where you’re working at 75 percent of your maximum heart rate, such as a spinning class). When your insulin levels become irregular, your body produces cortisol, a stress hormone that breaks down muscle and has been linked to belly fat production.

 

You need to replenish your glycogen stores as you work to regulate your insulin levels. Anytime you do multiple sets, your glycogen levels drop 40 percent.

 

Sip a sports drink during intense exercise. Don’t worry about the calories: An 8-ounce serving of Gatorade contains just 50 of them.

 

And though water is fine for moderate exercise, for intense sessions you’ll need the calories and electrolytes to keep your muscles and metabolism primed. Always mix protein, carbs, and fat when you eat.

 

You need the blend to fuel your body and stay satiated. Whenever you have one group alone, you’re more likely to feel hungrier sooner and consume more food.

 

And don’t fear healthy fats. They take longer to break down in the gut, so you’ll feel fuller longer and will end up consuming less calories.  

 

Instead of spooning fat-free yogurt, for example, choose low-fat. Stir-fry veggies in olive oil, or spread peanut butter on a bagel.

 

Drinking more water can maximize your metabolism. Researchers at the University of Utah found that dehydration (from sweating) can slow your resting metabolism (RMR) by 2 percent, which, if your RMR is 1,500 calories, amounts to 30 unburned calories per day.

 

In another study they found that drinking 12 8-ounce glasses of water raises metabolism higher than drinking four or eight 8-ounce glasses. Drinking more water also increases energy, along with the desire to exercise.

 

If you can drink two tall bottles of water a day, you’ll help your metabolism peak. When you rest between sets, stay active to keep your heart rate up.

 

Work a different muscle group – if you’re doing lunges, do pushups between sets. You could also add cardio by performing jumping jacks or jogging in place.

 

A cumulative 10 minutes of these exercises during rest will torch an extra 85 calories. Get at least 6 hours of sleep each night.

 

Your body releases growth hormones after 6 hours of sleep, which is when your muscles actually get toned. If you get enough rest to release those muscle-toning hormones, you’ll be able to push harder the next day.

 

It’s also important to add a slow day – possibly midweek – to give your muscles a break and a chance to grow even more. Go for a long walk or an easy jog instead of your usual tough routine.

 

If you can hold a conversation for 20 minutes while jogging, you’re fine. But to speed up your metabolism, go beyond your comfort zone, to the point where you can’t talk.

 

Use this as a way to raise interval intensity levels, too. Go hard enough so that you can’t talk for 2 minutes, and slow down so that you can chat for 2 minutes.

 

To burn the most fat and calories, go as hard as you can for as long as you can. Do tempo runs, which are essentially long intervals, to maximize your calorie burn both during and after your workout. (The increased intensity keeps your metabolism higher for a longer post-exercise period.) 

 

Run hard for 5 minutes and then jog for 5 minutes. If you can, push yourself to go harder than your typical pace for 15 minutes.

 

Incentive: If you run for 15 minutes at 7 mph (try this on a treadmill to note your speed), you’ll burn about 180 calories versus the 110 you’d burn if you were jogging for the same time (based on a 140-pound woman). Jog for 10 minutes to warm up before your tempo run, and then for 10 minutes postrun to cool down.

 

Play with your work-to-rest ratios when doing intervals to keep your body guessing. When your body can’t adapt to your plan, it’s forced to work harder, so you’re always working in your fat-burning capacity. “Undulate” your intervals: For example, run or pedal hard for 2 minutes, and then rest for 30 seconds.

 

Go hard again for 2 minutes, and then rest for 1 minute. Extend your rest periods by 30 seconds until you reach 2 minutes, and then work your way back to 30-second rest periods, clipping 30 seconds at a time.

Why Fad Diet Plans Don’t Work

November 29th, 2009 Diet-PillsThatWork No comments

What Are Some Insidious Barriers to Weight Control?

November 29th, 2009 Diet-PillsThatWork No comments

When you consider that this century has been called the “age of chemistry,” it’s no wonder that alarmists shout there is no longer any available pristine air to breathe or water to drink.

Man-made chemical compounds have changed our lives. Pesticides on almost all of our foods, processing of the foods themselves, thousands of toxins in our drinking water supply, to the use of deodorants, colognes, glue, paint, carpet, auto exhaust, detergents and fabric softeners, are on our bodies 24 hours a day. And it’s these same chemicals found in our food and air that prevent us from losing unwanted weight. Yes, they stifle metabolism.

To satisfy the world’s demand for these products, the annual global production of chemicals, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), amounts to about $1.5 trillion. WHO reports that some 100,000 chemicals are now on the market and that from 1,000 to 2,000 new ones are added each year.

Often these chemicals are wrongly declared safe when first released into our environment, as in the case of DDT. Scientists later learned that DDT tends to remain in organisms a long time, which is also the case with other potential toxins. DDT itself, is banned or severely restricted in over 40 countries to date because of its extremely harmful composition and effects.

Chemicals that Mimic Hormones

Hormones are important chemical messengers in the body. They travel through our bloodstream to other parts of our body, where they either stimulate or suppress a certain function, such as body growth or reproductive cycles. Interestingly, a recent press release by the WHO said that “a rapidly growing body of scientific evidence” indicates that certain synthetic chemicals, when taken into the body, interfere with hormones by either imitating them in a harmful way or blocking them.

The chemicals involved include PCBs, dioxins, furans, and some pesticides, including DDT residues. Called endocrine disrupters, these chemicals have the potential to disrupt the normal workings of the body’s endocrine system, the source of hormones.

One hormone that these chemicals mimic is the female sex hormone estrogen. A study published in the medical journal Pediatrics suggests that an increased prevalence of early puberty among many girls could be linked to estrogen-containing hair products as well as environmental chemicals that mimic estrogen.

Exposing a male to certain chemicals at a critical time in his development can also have adverse effects. “Experiments have shown,” says a report in Discover magazine, “that PCBs applied at just the right time during development can change male turtles and alligators into females or ‘intersex’ individuals.”

In humans, children are the ones who are affected the most by chemicals that mimic hormones. Children born to women who ingested PCB-contaminated rice oil in Japan some years ago “suffered from physical and mental developmental delays, behavioral problems including hypoactivity and hyperactivity, abnormally small penises, and IQ scores five points below average,” Discover magazine reports. Tests performed on children exposed to a high level of PCBs in the Netherlands and in North America revealed similar adverse effects upon their physical and mental development.

Also linked to these chemicals, reports WHO, may be the increase in “hormonally sensitive” cancers among men and women, such as breast, testicular, and prostate cancer. In addition, in a number of countries, the evidently ongoing decrease in the average sperm count in men, as well as the quality of the sperm, may be linked to the increase in the use of chemicals. In some lands, the average sperm count has almost halved in 50 years.

It’s no wonder that morticians are now noted as using less embalming fluid as was common one hundred years ago (some sources list 30% less). Could it be that we’ve been slowly embalming ourselves with artificial preservatives over the period of our life-span?

That’s why introducing organic foods into our diets and eliminating all packaged foods that our ancestors would not have had available, can in themselves result in easier weight control and better health as a whole.

Bizarre Ways Some Brides Go Through to Lose Weight

November 28th, 2009 Diet-PillsThatWork No comments

It is a known fact that there are a lot more women who are preoccupied about losing weight than men. However, there are some women who seem to be on a quest to lose a lot of weight in just a short period of time, no matter what the cost. These weight-loss fanatics are, more often than not, the brides-to-be.

In a recent survey, majority of women who are about to say “I do” are planning to lose an average of 20 pounds before their big day. This figure roughly translates to about 15% of the body weight of these blushing brides. Since losing 20 pounds in a month or two is quite difficult to achieve, many women go to great lengths just to reach their dream of wearing a gown that is a size or two smaller than their present size.

A poll done at Cornell University found that 70% of the 300 respondents want to drop dress sizes before their wedding day. In fact, 14% of the same group has already paid for wedding gowns that are a couple of dress sizes smaller than their actual sizes. Here are some of the ways in which these brides try to lose weight.

Cabbage Soup Diet

A popular diet in the 90s, the cabbage soup diet still has not lost its luster these days. Since the cabbage soup diet requires a person to eat only cabbage soup for breakfast, lunch and dinner, it usually helps a person lose a lot of pounds, especially in the early days of the diet.

Although you can get some nutrients in a cabbage soup diet, many experts believe that this type of food plan is not a healthy option because it does not provide you all the nutrients you need to go on with your day. A bride is usually very busy, so eating just cabbage soup for days or weeks before the wedding can make her feel nauseous or dizzy on her wedding day.

Water Galore

Another diet craze that many engaged in is water diet which calls for drinking a lot of water. It is known to many that drinking water can make a person feel less hungry. As a result, people who try this diet end up losing a couple of pounds. Although this approach is effective because it can really make one lose weight, it might not be enough to help a bride get to her desired weight level.

Exercise Till You Drop

There are also some who think that exercising till their joints and muscles ache is the best way to lose weight. Some soon-to-be-married women spend three hours a day in the gym just to make sure that their body becomes fit and slender days before their wedding. There is really nothing wrong with exercising. In fact, it is one of the best things you can do to make your body fit; however, there is also such a thing as overexertion.

Instead of becoming beautiful and sexy on your wedding day, you might end up in a cast or crutches because your muscles and joints have already given way due to overexertion. Furthermore, you might not be able to enjoy your wedding night because of the aches and pains that you will feel from long hours of workout.

If you really want to shed pounds fast, you have to make sure that your metabolism is not sluggish. Try to increase your body’s ability to burn fat and cut your cravings for food. Sometimes, you need to go on a diet, do regular exercise and undergo weight training in order to achieve a fast and effective weight loss program. If you are really in a hurry to lose the flab, you may want to use natural diet supplements, such as Phenocal, to speed up your weight loss. For more information, visit http://www.phenocal.com/.

5 Steps of an Effective Diet Plan

November 28th, 2009 Diet-PillsThatWork No comments

There are many people who go through lot many issues, all because of having the habit of irregular meals or too much of food at a time leading them though many health issues, especially of heart. If they search properly, then you will find that there are some diet plans for such people. But, it is not easy to find the right kind of diet plan, because many of them are less effective. Therefore there is a diet plan that works which is of 5 steps. 1.Eat Until SatisfiedThis a step in which you will not have to skip your food. Here you will be having food, but in a more divided way. You will have to divide you food eating patterns in 3 to 4 time. But you will be having food till you are satisfied and not too much. Over eating of food will destroy your food pattern and you will be inviting heart diseases in your precious body. On this, you will not have to worry, for you will not be finding yourself hungry at the end of the day. 2.Skip Your Plan for SometimeAs you have divided the food eating pattern in your daily schedule, it won’t be easy to continue this plan for a longer time. For this problem also there is a good plan. You will have to continue this plan for some days and then leave it for 2 or 3 days. Then once again you will have to start again to your same planned food pattern. This is a diet plan that works, but only if you are strict on yourself 3.Enjoying Food Everyday While going though this diet plan, you can change your daily food. You can have food of different kinds, the ones you like the most to have. But make sure that you stick to the particular plan. Yes, this diet plan that works even though seems difficult. But if you put it in practical terms, it is worth enjoying. You will have to see that there is not extra fat sneaking in your food. 4.Some hours of self controlWhen you are going for this plan, see to that you are having some control between your time schedules of having food. Obviously this diet plan that works should have some self control or it won’t work. 5.Less salt consumptionIn this plan, you will be also seeing that your food has less of salt. Having extra amount of salt also leads to heart diseases and some other problems. This diet plan that works should also include less of salt consumption.

Giant Breakfast Reduces Your Weight – Weight Loss Through Effective Diet Only

November 28th, 2009 Diet-PillsThatWork No comments

Researchers from Venezuela have found a solution for overweight people that wants to have a permanent weight reduction.

 

The diet starts the day with a big, well composed bereakfast with carbohydrates, proteins and fat. The rest of the day you should eat small meals with very little carbohydrates.

If a diet shall be effective over longer periods of time, it has to give a good feeling of not being hungry at the same time as it set a stop for your sugar cravings. The researchers tell us they have found such a method or diet now.

The researchers had 94 overweight women with little activities on their schedule on two different diets. 46 of the participants should follow a traditional diet almost without any carbohydrates at all. The daily ration allowed for 1085 calories, and allowed for only 17 grams of carbohydrates, like from bread, fruit, breakfast mixes or milk. In addition the women could eat 51 grams of proteins and 78 grams of fat pr day.  The breakfast consisted of around 290 calories and was the smallest meal of the day.

The other group could eat 1240 calories a day, with 46 grams of fat, 93 grams of proteins and as much as 97 grams of carbohydrates. More than half of the carbohydrates would be in the breakfast.

The trial went on for 8 months, where in the first 4 months the participants focused on weight loss. The last 4 months the women should focus on not gaining any weight.

At halfway time, the women in the low carbohydrate diet had lost almost 13 kilos, as the ladies in the big breakfast diet had lost almost 11 kilos. But after the second half of the race had gone it was pretty clear who the winners were and were the wieghtloss was most effective.

The women in the low carbohydrate diet group had gained in average over 8 kilos, while the women in the big breakfast group had continued to loose weight and had actually lost over 7 kilos more.

They had all together lost around 21 percent of their body weight, while the other group had only lost around 4.5 percent.