Wait Less for Weight Loss

The New Food Pyramid and You

Recently, the USDA revamped its food pyramid and created a new pyramid-like structure it calls “MyPyramid”.  Though it’s meant to be more interactive than the old model, many of the basic principles remain the same as the old food pyramid.  To stay nutritionally sound, you need to have a variety of food groups and use fats sparingly.  Perhaps the biggest change with the new pyramid is a stronger emphasis on vegetables (and fruits), and a more obvious recognition that intake of grain products might need to be adjusted (downward) according to age, activity levels, and caloric needs. Also, what many people have missed through the years is an understanding of what the federal government has called a serving in the food pyramid--it is smaller than what most people think.

Whole Grains – These types of foods should be eaten with practically every meal, and they are easier to find than you might think.  Even some white breads are now infused with wheat flour.  For breakfast, start with some whole wheat toast or hearty oatmeal.  At lunch and dinner, have brown rice with your meal; it’ll pack a nutritional punch.

Fruits and Vegetables – The food pyramid suggests that you should eat fruits and veggies several times a day.  If you are tired of apples and bananas, don’t forget that there are plenty of options out there.  Try some papaya or mango; use plantains in place of potatoes; enjoy artichokes (but not slathered with butter or margarine.)  By being a little creative, you’ll be able to get your full value of vitamins and minerals as well as fiber.

Dairy Products – It can be fun and delicious to include milk and dairy products into your diet.  Try some yogurt for a mid-morning or after-school snack.  And remember to start or end your day with a wholesome glass of skim or lowfat milk.  Just remember that although these foods are generally well-tolerated, there are some people who might not be able to digest the proteins in some milk products.

Fats and Oils – It’s generally recommended that fats and oils should be used sparingly in any diet.  That doesn’t mean never, though; just make sure you understand how large a serving is (something people tend to underestimate.)  And if you have to use oils, it’s best to use those which are considered “heart healthy”, such as olive oil and those lower in saturated fats.

Fish, Poultry, and Eggs – Because the food pyramid recommends that every healthy child and adult get enough protein, fish, eggs, and poultry are an important part of every diet (except those people who are allergic to the food items or are practicing vegan eating plans.)  If you’re bored of eating the same style of chicken cutlets or waking up to dull scrambled eggs, ask a friend for some of his or her favorite recipes.

The new food pyramid has some good points, but there are plenty of nutritional advisors online who have criticized it. For now, it is a good start for those who don't know where to begin, but our scientific database of nutritional knowledge is growing so rapidly that those who become well read in recent findings will probably find the food pyramid too limited to address all their health questions.

SOURCE:
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/pyramids.html

The Big Protein Debate

If you’re involved in physical fitness, you already know that protein is essential.  Without it, you couldn’t hope to function at your highest level, and your muscles would suffer.  However, there has been a raging debate as to how much protein most individual athletes need.

First, let’s define what this article considers to be “average” athletes.  In this document, we’re referring to recreational physical fitness “buffs”.  This includes bodybuilders who only dabble with the sport and runners who train for half-marathons but without the expectation of winning the purse.  It doesn’t include Olympians or others whose protein needs may be unusually high, especially for short time periods.

Secondly, remember that all the recommendations are for healthy adults.  Those with some medical problems (such as poor kidney or liver function) might have to eat a low protein diet plan because their bodies cannot cope with an overabundance of protein.

That being said… How much protein is enough?  Most advice suggests that the average athletically involved adult eat about 0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight.  For a 200 pound man, that would equal 160 grams per day; similarly, a 150 pound woman would need about 120 grams. 

However, many scientists and physicians recommend that recreational athletes consider eating a larger portion of protein, such as 1.0 grams per pound.  Additionally, there is a movement among coaches and trainers that recommends a higher figure; so what’s an athlete to do?

Before doing anything, consider this:  Are you eating the bare minimum of protein each day?  So often, we worry about what the maximum level is, but we hardly come close to the minimum. 

If you’re not eating foods that are high in protein, such as lean meats and poultry, soy products, some dairy items, and seafood, you might not even be scratching the surface.  Therefore, aim for the 0.8 mg/day/pound suggestion before worrying about going any higher.

On the other hand, if you’re getting your 0.8/mg/day/pound of protein, it might be appropriate for you to up the proverbial ante.  However, you’ll want to first discuss your concerns with your family physician.  When you overload on protein, it can cause some health problems such as a constipation or other stomach and intestinal concerns; these might interfere with your general life enjoyment.

Above all else, make sure that you note how you feel when you start playing around with your protein intake.  Keep a food diary and include notes on your health.  If you start feeling uncomfortable after increasing your protein, ease back a bit.  Don’t be afraid to listen to your body; it can often be one of the most trusted means of determining the right protein level for you.

SOURCE:
http://huhs.harvard.edu/ClinicalServices/NutritionKnowHow/Protein.htm

The Big Vegi Question - Frozen, Fresh or Canned?

It may surprise you to learn that the most flavorful and healthful veggies aren’t necessarily those you find in your produce aisle at the grocery store.  In fact, you might end up getting more vitamins from those that are in cans or have been frozen.

The nutritional value of fresh versus canned/frozen vegetables has been up for debate recently, with surprising results.  It turns out that unless you’re buying veggies that have been freshly dug from the garden that day, canned or frozen varieties may actually contain more nutritional value. 

This surprising news isn’t so shocking if you consider how long it takes for most vegetables to travel to your grocery store.  They may have to spend several days in transit, then they might sit on the shelf for many more.  Consequently, by the time you pop one in your cart, that vegetable could have lost considerable amounts of vitamins.

On the other hand, vegetables that are canned or flash frozen are usually quite a bit fresher.  They are processed almost immediately after being picked (or a few days later in some cases) and therefore retain their wholesome nutrients.  They also have a long shelf life thanks to the miracle of processing; and as long as they haven’t been injected with sodium or other non-healthy items, they’ll make it to you as pure as when they were harvested.

Of course, some people still love their “fresh” veggies; after all, who doesn’t enjoy a delicious salad or nibble from a plate of cut-up carrots and broccoli?  But for cooking, try to substitute canned or frozen vegetables for their “fresh” counterparts often. 

Toss some into your favorite stews and soups.  Boil them in water (but not too long; the water will leach out some of the vitamins) or, better yet, steam them to perfection.  Open a can of green beans, heat for a few minutes, and enjoy as a side dish.  There are innumerous ways to creatively cook with canned or frozen items!

In the end, you’ll never notice a flavor difference, and although you might have to thaw some out (rather than throw them into stir fries or other dishes while they are still frozen), the cooking time won’t be that much different.  Best of all, you’ll be getting the most nutrients out of all your veggies.  

So the next time you’re at the supermarket, don’t stop thinking about vegetables after you move past the produce counter.  Make sure you stock up in the frozen food section as well.

SOURCES:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002095.htm http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/COLUMNNN/nn970122.html

Mom was Right, Five Servings A Day

Growing up, you probably heard that you should eat “five a day” of fruits and veggies.  Chances are, it was repeated by your mother, grandma, and even school officials.  Guess what?  They were right… almost!

In fact, the new guidelines established by the United States government suggest that five is the bare minimum for most healthy adults (see www.5aday.gov).  They recommend upping the ante to as much as “9 a day”!  For some vegans out there, that’s easy enough to do; actually, they might get many more servings on a daily basis.  But for meat-eaters who grew up despising anything green or that grows on a tree, even five seems an impossibility.

If you are one of those folks who just cannot seem to get his or her five a day, take heart.  First, a serving size isn’t as large as you might imagine.  Secondly, there are plenty of sneaky (and fun!) ways to get your five fruits and/or vegetables a day without totally shaking up your system.  (Just be aware that you might find yourself having some mild intestinal distress when you first introduce fibrous foods into your diet.  Beano or a similar anti-gas medication may help.)

Hide Those Veggies!  - If you make a soup or stew, throw in a handful of finely chopped carrots, onions, or celery.  Or add tomatoes and potatoes.  Corn, peas, and beans also make excellent additions.  Most of the time, the flavors mingle so well with one another that you don’t even realize you’re eating vegetables.

Drink Your Veggies! – Some juice makers have jumped on the five a day bandwagon.  Consequently, they are offering yummy juice drinks made from a mixture of sweet fruit juices and healthy vegetable ones.  Look for mixtures contain carrot and tomato juices; just be careful of the sodium level.  (Some manufacturers add too much salt to increase the “flavor”; this is dangerous, especially for people with hypertension.)

Be Adventurous! – Don’t like bananas?  Not a big apple fan?  Why not go outside of the ordinary and taste test some unusual fruits?  Try an ugli fruit (it’s of the citrus family and doesn’t taste anything like its name implies).  Or buy a papaya (they are quite sweet, so kids often love them) or mango when they are in season.  For a fun fruit treat, munch on slices of kiwi or star fruit. 

Remember that there are many different ways to make sure by the time you hit the sack, your tummy has been treated to at least five fruits or veggies.

SOURCE:

www.5aday.gov

Fun and Easy Ways to Love Eating, Lose Weight, and Stop Being a Slave To Food

8 Fun and Easy Ways to Love Eating, Lose Weight, and Stop Being a Slave to Food! by Connie de Veer, MFA, CPCC

What happened? It was all so clear to me a month ago --- I was sure I could be satisfied at 9 pm with a half an apple and my last, preciously guarded bread exchange, patiently watching the poundage drop off at a sensible 1.5 pounds a week, eyes on the target, firm of resolve; clear of mind. Then, late one afternoon, that little inner voice says “I WANT COOKIES!... No, I mean I REALLY want cookies. I’m not hungry, I just want cookies...and I want them NOW!!!

That firm resolve that was so clear and present yesterday is nowhere to be found. I can’t seem to recall what I thought was so darned important that I had to deny myself that simplest of pleasures --- cookies and milk. I look in the mirror and say to myself, “for a middle-aged woman you’re not so bad. Besides, why are you trying to be a svelte sex-goddess at your age, anyway? You should be secure enough that you can accept yourself, no matter what size you are.” (blah-blah-blah!)

Can you relate? This scenario has played itself out in my life more times than I care to recall. But recently, I finally had enough, and used the skills I use to coach other people to success, to jump start my own weight loss plan and re-boot my resolve. And it worked! Now I want to spread the news! Here are the coaching techniques I used to get off the diet merry-go-round and lose weight. And you can do it, too!

1. Envision your goal If you’re vague about where you’re heading and why you want it, you won’t get there! So, write out (or, if you hate to journal, speak it into a tape recorder, or speak it to a friend who’ll write it down for you), a beautiful, blissful, perfect, 100% satisfaction, no limits, no negative self-talk picture of what you want to achieve in your eating habits. Be as specific as possible, and use as many sensory details as you can come up with. IMPORTANT NOTE: Make this fun!! When you have a clear idea of what you want, the how-you-get-there piece gets easier and clearer. If your resolve starts to wane throughout your journey, take this out and read it again.

Complete the following statements to stimulate your thinking:

• I want to feel ________

• I see myself __________

• I am “having”…”being”…”doing”…____________

2. Food Association Journal Set aside about a half an hour for this. Take inventory of all the associations you have with food. Sit down and write it all out. The good, the bad, and the ugly! Let your unconscious mind and your imagination go nuts with this one. Draw pictures even, if you want to! But get down on paper, every attitude, belief, opinion, love, and hate that shows up when you think about or have anything to do with food.

Example: “Food is Mom! The smell of meatloaf, corn, and baked potatoes when I came in from playing as a kid.” or “Food is bad --- It tempts me at every turn and I have no control over it!”

3. Values Assessment Take a look at your Food Association Journal and from it, pull out as many things that you value, deem really important, must have, and love about food. Write them down. (Bear in mind that when coaches refer to values, we don’t mean what you think you should think is important, or what someone else thinks is valuable. Values in this context refer to those things that aren’t either “right” or “wrong.” Like emotions, they just “are.”)

For example:

fresh/colorful/vibrant/nourishing celebratory/social/seasonal rituals/family

How will you honor those values on your healthy eating plan? (So you ENJOY this journey, and don’t feel deprived or “punished!”)

4. Start – and stick with – a food journal Create a plan for what you’re going to eat, and then write down everything you do eat, even when it deviates from the straight and narrow path. WRITE IT ALL DOWN! Awareness of a habit is MOST of the solution. And you might be surprised when you tally up whatever units you’re counting (calories, fat grams, etc.) It may be less than you think, and then you’ll be less likely to throw the towel in on your whole goal.

5. Craving Antidotes Make a list of at least 10 antidotes you can call forth when you’re hit with a food craving.

Things like:

• re-read your vision

• a picture (from a magazine, drawing, photo, etc.) that captures the feeling and look of what you want to achieve. (Mine is a woman, about my age and coloring, in a cool turquoise swimsuit, enjoying the beach!)

• a mantra, or affirmation that calls forth your inner strength and resources.

• activities you can choose instead of eating: For example, a hot bubble bath, an invigorating walk, call a friend, read a juicy novel…

6. Get back in your body! That’s right. We often disassociate from our bodies by turning our attention to analyzing, judging, planning, or otherwise medicating (with food, drugs, alcohol, and other repetitive thoughts and behaviors) in an attempt to avoid being present in the everyday struggles of life. The body is an undeniable reminder of where we’ve been and where we’re headed! It’s our bodies that show the effects of time, stress, and the choices we’ve made in a visible and concrete way. So, crafty, adaptable animals that we are, we’ve learned to escape by “going into our heads,” so to speak. Well, now it’s time to call yourself back home to your body!

Set aside some quiet time to be alone and undistracted. Check in with your body. Notice what it feels like to inhabit this body. Ask yourself the following questions:

•Where does my energy feel sluggish, or stuck? Be specific. Your body knows, if you give it a chance to “speak.”

•What am I hungry for (other than food --- like love, appreciation, justice, etc.), and how will I choose to get it?

• What food does my body want/need right now? And what choice will I make?

• How do I want to feel, in my body? Be as specific as possible. For example, “I want to feel light in my knees, and free and unencumbered in my lower abdomen.”

7. Expect obstacles and relapses now and then. I promise you, they will happen. But get the big picture – one little slip up (or even two or three...) does not mean your goal is doomed. Weight fluctuates. Period. Whether you’re trying to lose or gain, your mostly fluid body will ebb and flow. You are not a victim of your humanity! You can choose whether to stay stuck, or get back on track.

8. Take the scenic route I don’t know about you, but for me, I wanted to change my eating habits for life, and I certainly didn’t want to spend my life feeling deprived!! So I decided to consciously choose what I call, “Pauses on the scenic route,” --- You know, like when you decide to take longer to get to the Grand Canyon so you can stop periodically and really soak in the scenery? I decided to give myself permission to deviate from my eating plan now and then. My only rules were:

• Enjoy every delectable morsel!

• Make it REALLY good quality and something I really love and want!

• Get right back on the program after I enjoy the “Scenic Lookout”

• No bingeing

This also means I didn’t lose the classic 1.5 – 2 pounds a week. So what! It means that I am in control, at choice, and am not a slave to my (former!) addiction to food. You can be in control and at choice, too!

Connie de Veer, MFA, CPCC may be contacted at http://www.cdvcoaching.com

5 Little Tips That Can Help You Lose Weight

5 Little Tips that can Help You Lose Weight by Renee Kennedy

In order to lose weight and become healthier, you will need to plan a diet that you can stick to. Your diet plan is not a crash diet that you will give up after two weeks; it should be a LIFESTYLE change. Your diet changes must be reasonable or you will not be able to stick to them. That's why making a few subtle changes to your eating and exercise habits may help you develop a healthy diet plan that will, in turn, help you lose weight. Sometimes, the littlest things make the biggest difference.

Look at your diet patterns and decide if there are some nasty patterns that you can break. For instance, are there certain times of day when you just have to have a candy bar? Or are there certain times of day when you can't go without that bag of chips? Think about what you can reasonably give up or even better what can you replace with healthier food choices.

Here are some little habits that you might consider changing. The key is, you are breaking a BAD habit and instilling a GOOD habit in its place. This should be a PERMANENT change. Ask yourself, "Can I maintain this change for the rest of my life?"

Fast Food. Do you eat out everyday for lunch? Start to bring your lunch to work at least 4 days a week Even stopping by McDonald's twice a week can have a big impact on your diet. When you cook at home, you know what's going into your food.

Drinks. When you're thirsty, choose drinks that don't have any calories (water, tea, or diet soft drinks). If your drink choices do have have calories, they should have nutrients. Alcohol and soda both contain useless calories.

Snacks. Do you have a certain time of day that you just HAVE to snack? Fill your cupboard and refrigerator with low calorie snacks. Get rid of those high carbohydrate and sugary snacks.

Dinner. Maybe your hardest time of day is when you sit down to have a big meal. While you're cooking, eat a healthy snack - like a piece of fruit or a few low calorie crackers. Cook only what you will eat (no leftovers). If you make more than you're supposed to eat, serve from the stove, and put leftovers away before you sit down to eat. In other words, do not have extra food sitting in front of you on the table. Do you know that a meat serving should be only as big as a deck of cards?

Exercise. Exercise MUST be a part of your daily routines: When you're shopping, park your car far away from the store. Plan for this and do it EVERY time - especially in the cold weather! (The colder it is, the more calories you will burn.) Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Play a game of hide-and-seek with your kids. When you take the dog for a walk, make it a brisk walk. Can you find some way to sneak in some exercise everyday? Look carefully at your routines and plan something that you don't mind doing. If you like it, chances are you will continue to do it.

Check out this article by Wendy Hearn: Weight Loss: Eat To Live - Not Live To Eat She talks about how to break the habit of eating when you're not hungry.

Come and visit the NutriCounter web site for more information on how nutrition influences weight loss, diabetes, pregnancy, heart disease and more!

Renee Kennedy may be contacted at http://www.nutricounter.com

10 Dieting Tips To Waste That Weight

10 Dieting Tips to Waste That Weight! by Randy Mclean

1. The first step you should take is to adopt healthier eating habits. Not only will you gain more food volume this way but you can use natural low calorie seasonings such as onions to improve the taste. This is proven for long term health and fat loss while removing the strain of dieting itself.

2. When preparing meat, always trim the fat off of it. Or if it is something like chicken, remove the skin. If that is too bland chop it up and add it to something like rice!

3. Find someone to 'report' to. People tend to be more dedicated when they know after a week or two they need to check in with someone. Find someone to walk with for example, a close friend or even a diet buddy. Share your goals! Trying to do things on your own can sometimes be a lot harder.

4. Write down what you eat and stick with it. You'd be surprised at how many extra things you might be eating if you don't write your menu down. Either plan ahead with your food intake or start keeping a food journal just to see!

5. If you must fry things, use a non-fat cooking spray. This will save you many calories versus cooking with oil. For example, one tablespoon of cooking oil contains 120 calories! Whereas a 2.4 second spray of PAM contains only 16 calories.

6. Don't ever give up! Never view yourself as a failure. The only time you fail is when/if you quit. It may take more research or a different approach but it 'will' happen. Statistics show that most people do not succeed their first time trying. Nothing can take the place of persistence! Not intelligence, not talent, nothing! Everything else is secondary.

7. Remember that diet and exercise are a 50/50 ratio. If one or the other is missing you will be less likely to succeed! You can exercise until you pass out but if you are taking in too many calories you won't see dramatic changes in your appearance. And if you don't exercise your body will more likely use muscle for energy rather than fat. Aerobic exercise burns fat! Starvation eats up muscle!

8. Concentrate on fat loss, not weight loss. Your appearance is what counts, not how much you weigh. Since muscle is heavier than fat you might be surprised! And remember, muscle burns calories! So eat regularly and don't skip meals. If you wait more than 4 hours your metabolism starts to slow down.

9. Women tend to gain fat around the glutes and thighs. Men gain it on their stomach and around the waist. The reason is due to a lack of circulation in those areas. Fat is not taken into the bloodstream as efficiently as other areas. That is why besides a long term fat loss program, fat burning agents such as ephedrine help. Blood thinning agents such as aspirin also help. But make sure to read the labels, instructions and warnings before using any supplement!

10. The real key to losing weight is consistency. If you start missing meals or skipping workouts your progress will slow down to the point of discouragement. How bad do you want it? Find a good program and stick with it. Remember, you get out of it what you put into it!

Randy Mclean may be contacted at http://www.weightlossguidance.com Email to: info@weightlossguidance.com

Randy Mclean has a diploma in Fitness and Nutrition from Education Direct, a YMCA individual conditioning certificate and is the author of Instinct - Master Your Mind And Your Body! For free tips and tricks visit www.weightlossguidance.com

Top 15 Reasons To Avoid Low Carb, High Protein Diets

Top 15 Reasons to Avoid Low Carb, High Protein Diets

copyright 2004 by Greg Landry, M.S. http://www.Landry.com

Low carb (carbohydrate), high protein diets are the latest dieting craze. However, before you jump on the band wagon, you may want to consider a few things:

1. Low carb (ketogenic) diets deplete the healthy glycogen (the storage form of glucose) stores in your muscles and liver. When you deplete glycogen stores, you also dehydrate, often causing the scale to drop significantly in the first week or two of the diet. This is usually interpreted as fat loss when it’s actually mostly from dehydration and muscle loss. By the way, this is one of the reasons that low carb diets are so popular at the moment - there is a quick initial, but deceptive drop in scale weight.

Glycogenesis (formation of glycogen) occurs in the liver and muscles when adequate quantities of carbohydrates are consumed - very little of this happens on a low carb diet.

Glycogenolysis (breakdown of glycogen) occurs when glycogen is broken down to form glucose for use as fuel.

2. Depletion of muscle glycogen causes you to fatigue easily, and makes exercise and movement uncomfortable. Research indicates that muscle fatigue increases in almost direct proportion to the rate of depletion of muscle glycogen. Bottom line is that you don't feel energetic and you exercise and move less (often without realizing it) which is not good for caloric expenditure and basal metabolic rate (metabolism).

3. Depletion of muscle glycogen leads to muscle atrophy (loss of muscle). This happens because muscle glycogen (broken down to glucose) is the fuel of choice for the muscle during movement. There is always a fuel mix, but without muscle glycogen, the muscle fibers that contract, even at rest to maintain muscle tone, contract less when glycogen is not immediately available in the muscle. Depletion of muscle glycogen also causes you to exercise and move less than normal which leads to muscle loss and the inability to maintain adequate muscle tone.

Also, in the absence of adequate carbohydrate for fuel, the body initially uses protein (muscle) and fat. the initial phase of muscle depletion is rapid, caused by the use of easily accessed muscle protein for direct metabolism or for conversion to glucose (gluconeogenesis) for fuel. Eating excess protein does not prevent this because there is a caloric deficit.

When insulin levels are chronically too low as they may be in very low carb diets, catabolism (breakdown) of muscle protein increases, and protein synthesis stops.

4. Loss of muscle causes a decrease in your basal metabolic rate (metabolism). Metabolism happens in the muscle. Less muscle and muscle tone means a slower metabolism which means fewer calories burned 24 hours-a-day.

5. Your muscles and skin lack tone and are saggy. Saggy muscles don't look good, cause saggy skin, and cause you to lose a healthy, vibrant look (even if you’ve also lost fat).

6. Some proponents of low carb diets recommend avoiding carbohydrates such as bread, pasta, potatoes, carrots, etc. because of they are high on the glycemic index - causing a sharp rise in insulin. Certain carbohydrates have always been, and will always be the bad guys: candy, cookies, baked goods with added sugar, sugared drinks, processed / refined white breads, pastas, and rice, and any foods with added sugar. These are not good for health or weight loss.

However, carbohydrates such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grain breads and pastas, and brown rice are good for health and weight loss. Just like with proteins and fats, these carbohydrates should be eaten in moderation. Large volumes of any proteins, fats or carbohydrates are not conducive to weight loss and health.

The effect of high glycemic foods is often exaggerated. It does matter, but to a smaller degree than is often portrayed. Also, the total glycemic effect of foods is influenced by the quantity of that food that you eat at a sitting. Smaller meals have a lower overall glycemic effect. Also, we usually eat several types of food at the same time, thereby reducing the average glycemic index of the meal, if higher glycemic foods are eaten.

Also, glycemic index values can be misleading because they are based on a standard 50 grams of carbohydrate consumed. It wouldn't take much candy bar to get that, but it would take four cups of carrots. Do you usually eat four cups of carrots at a meal?

Regular exercisers and active people also are less effected by higher glycemic foods because much of the carbohydrate comsumed is immediately used to replenish glycogen stores in the liver and muscle.

By the way, if you're interested in lowering insulin levels, there is a great way to do that - exercise and activity. To receive my article via email, "Your 8 Hormones and Weight Loss", send email to: 8Hormones@Landry.com

7. Much of the weight loss on a low carb, high protein diet, especially in the first few weeks, is actually because of dehydration and muscle loss.

8. The percentage of people that re-gain the weight they've lost with most methods of weight loss is high, but it's even higher with low carb, high protein diets. This is primarily due to three factors:

A. You have lost muscle. With that comes a slower metabolism which means fewer calories are burned 24 hours-a-day. A loss of muscle during the process of losing weight is almost a guarantee for re-gaining the lost weight, and more.

B. You re-gain the healthy fluid lost because of glycogen depletion.

C. It's difficult to maintain that type of diet long-term.

D. You have not made a change to a long-term healthy lifestyle.

9. Eating too much fat is just not healthy. I know you've heard of people whose blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides have decreased while on a low carb, high protein diet. This often happens with weight loss, but it doesn't continue when you're on a diet high in fat.

There are literally reams of research over decades that clearly indicates that an increase in consumption of animal products and/or saturated fat leads to increased incidence of heart disease, strokes, gall stones, kidney stones, arthritic symptoms, certain cancers, etc. For example, in comparing countries with varying levels of meat consumption, there is a direct relationship between the volume of meat consumption in a country and the incidence of digestive cancers (stomach, intestines, rectal, etc.).

Fat is certainly necessary, and desirable in your diet, but they should be mostly healthy fats and in moderation. Manufactured / synthetic "low fat" foods with lots of added sugar are not the answer. Neither are manufactured / synthetic "low carb" foods with artificial sweeteners or added fat. By the way, use of artificial sweeteners has never been shown to aid in weight loss and they may pose health problems.

According to Dr. Keith-Thomas Ayoob of Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, "In my experience, unless you're willing to throw out decades of research, you cannot ignore that diets chronically high in saturated fats are linked to heart disease," Dr. Ayoob is also a spokesman for the American Dietetic Association and says that low carb, high protein diets are an attempt at a quick fix and not a long-term lifestyle change.

10. As someone recently told me, "it must work - people are losing weight". People that are truly losing fat on low carb, high protein diets, are doing so because they are eating fewer calories - that's the bottom line. There is no magic - the same can be done on a healthy diet.

11. Low carb diets are lacking in fiber. Every plant-based food has some fiber. All animal products have no fiber. A lack of fiber increases your risk for cancers of the digestive track (because transit time is lengthened) and cardiovascular disease (because of fibers effect on fat and cholesterol). It also puts you at a higher risk for constipation and other bowel disorders.

12. Low carb diets lack sufficient quantities of the the many nutrients / phytonutrients / antioxidants found in fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains, necessary for health and aiding in prevention of cancer and heart disease. In fact, you need these nutrients even more so when you're consuming too much fat as is often the case on a low carb high protein diet.

13. Amercans already consume more than twice the amount of protein needed. Add to that a high protein diet and you have far too much protein consumption. By the way, most people don't realize that all fruits, all vegetables, all whole grains, and all legumes also contain protein. Animal products contain larger quantities of protein, but that may not be a good thing.

Excess dietary protein puts you at a higher risk for many health problems: gout (painful joints from high purine foods which are usually high protein foods), kidney disease, kidney stones, osteoporosis (excess dietary protein causes leeching of calcium from the bones). By the way, countries with lower, healthier intakes of protein also have a decreased incidence of osteoporosis.

14. Low carb, high protein diets cause an unhealthy physiological state called ketosis, a type of metabolic acidosis. You may have heard the phrase, "fat burns in the flame of carbohydrate". Excess acetyl CoA cannot enter the Krebs Cycle (you remember the old Krebs Cycle) due to insufficient OAA. In other words, for fat to burn efficiently and without production of excess toxic ketones, sufficient carbohydrate must be available. Ketosis can lead to many health problems and can be very serious at it’s extreme.

15. Bad breath. Often called "keto breath" or "acetone breath", it’s caused by production of acetones in a state of ketosis.

So why the low carb, high protein craze? I believe there are several reasons.

A. Weight loss (mostly muscle and muscle fluid) is often rapid during the first few weeks. This causes people to think they’re losing fat rapidly. B. It gives you "permission" to eat the "bad foods": bacon, eggs, burgers, steak, cheese, etc., and lots of fat. C. Many see it as the new "magic" they've been looking for, although it's been around, in various forms, since the 1960's.

The good news is that there is a very healthy way to lose weight, feel energetic, and to greatly increase your chances of keeping it off. But that's another article.

Get movin'! :)

Author and exercise physiologist, Greg Landry, offers free weight loss and fitness success stories, articles, programs, and his "Fast & Healthy Weight Loss"

5 Tips and Motivation Hints to Start Your Fitness Routine This Fall!

by: Lynn VanDyke

The crispness of autumn’s air settles in after a long summer of hot and humid weather. The leaves begin to turn vibrant colors and the children head back to school. Adults settle back into their regular routines and begin preparing for the upcoming winter months.

If you’re like most adults, one of your priorities is to lose weight and tone up. Perhaps you want to drop a few dress sizes or add a few pounds of lean muscle. Whatever your goal may be this season, here are a few tips that will jumpstart your fat loss:

1) Eat 5-6 small meals throughout the day. Each meal should be 2-3 hours apart. Each meal should contain one protein and one carb. The first meal should be eaten within an hour after waking.

2) Drink a cup of water at each meal.

3) Rest properly. This means taking at least 48 hours between strength training the same muscles, and it also means getting at least 7-8 hours of sleep per night. Lastly, it means taking 1-2 days off from exercising per week.

4) Cardio should be done at different intensity levels and different session lengths. Consider doing a low intensity/long session, a high intensity/short session and a few medium intensity/medium length sessions.

5) Strength train each muscle 1-3 times per week. You should lift a proper weight and perform the proper amount of sets/reps for your strength training method. If you need more guidance or exercise ideas you can search the web. Try using the search term “strength training woman” or “strength training men” to narrow down your results. Include the quotation marks for best results.

It is possible for us to begin the autumn season and start checking things off of our “To Do” list. The secret to successful fitness programs lies in correct execution. Non-stop dieting or crash course fitness regimes will not help you achieve lasting fat loss.

There are many ways to keep your motivation strong through the fall and winter months. Here are a few that you can begin using right now:

- Join a gym and talk with a personal trainer about your specific goals.

- Find a workout buddy.

- Create a fitness and nutrition journal. Log your daily food intake and workout program. Also note your moods and feelings. Contact me for a free workout log.

- Invest in an ebook. An ebook is an electronic book that many fitness professionals are creating. The ebook should be authored by a master trainer and offer you a complete program on fitness and nutrition. Having a complete guide by a master trainer is one of the cheapest and best ways to succeed.

Whether your goal is to slim down or bulk up, combining the 5 tips above with a focused fitness and nutrition program is the absolute best path to long-lasting fat loss. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Your success depends on you!

The Final Verdict On Cardio and Weight Loss

 by: Jonathan Perez

People looking to lose weight / burn body fat, feel that cardio is the way to go.
This what they have been told that cardio does:
Cardio supposedly burns calories during the actual session.
Cardio supposedly burns calories after the session.
Cardio supposedly raises the body’s metabolic rate.
Cardio supposedly puts the body into a calorie deficit.
And all in all, it supposedly burns body fat.

Regardless of how many so-called scientific studies someone may quote you, regardless of what everyone else seems to be blindly doing, and regardless of what all the magazines and internet sites say………it all comes down to observing what happens in the real world.

Plain and simple.

Sure, cardio does do every one of the things listed above, but as I’ve demonstrated over and over, the amount of calories cardio burns, the amount of fat cardio burns, the degree it raises the metabolic rate, or the amount of calorie deficit it achieves is so low, so little, that it is not going to make absolutely that big of a difference in how your body looks.

Period.

I’ve kept stating the same real world examples over and over, and I’m going to do it again to drive the point home:

Compare those that do cardio to those that don’t.

Let’s look at professional bodybuilders, since no one is more qualified than a pro bodybuilder to demonstrate the most effective way to build the most muscle, while carrying the least amount of fat.

Look at Darrem Charles, Dave Henry, Gerard Dente, Vince Taylor, and for over the first decade of his career, Dexter Jackson (along with a ton of other big name amateurs).
These guys don’t do any cardio whatsoever. Never. Not offseason. Not precontest.
They don’t even come close to a treadmill, stairstepper, bike, or any other cardio contraption. Yet these guys, consistently, contest to contest, are always the most ripped, defined, vascular, and muscular bodybuilders on stage.
They are always in much better condition than any of all the other bodybuilders that do perform cardio day in and day out.

Now, please don’t say, “Oh, but what about working the heart, blah, blah, blah?”.
Do you honestly believe that your heart isn’t getting an intense workout when you do a set of heavy lunges, pulldowns, presses, or any other big movement exercise??
Those that don’t think so have obviously never weight trained in an intense manner.
I guarantee you that you are working your heart to a much higher degree when forcing the body to lift heavy weights than any type of cardio you can think of.

Do you really think that a little treadmill works the heart more than getting in a leg press machine, pile on the weights, and start knocking rep after grueling rep out???
Listen, we’ve already established in my past articles that heavy, intense weight lifting does everything that cardio does, and to a much higher degree.
It burns calories, it burns fat, it raises the metabolic rate for days afterwards, it can cause a calorie deficit……….and, most important of all……………it builds muscle mass!!!!!!!!!

No cardio exercise whatsoever can build muscle mass.
And everyone knows that building lean muscle tissue is the most important factor in being muscular or toned and with low body fat.
What should matter most to you, if you are in search of the most effective and efficient ways to lose weight and burn body fat, is what works in real life, in the real world.

What actually w-o-r-k-s!

Go tell that to all of those people at the gym who spend hours at a time on a treadmill, like gerbil, or in aerobics or spinning class.
Those people, you see them today, and look at them 12 months later, and they’ll still look the same!!!
Yeah, they are working up a real sweat, and may feel excellent afterwards, but I prefer to actually look good without a shirt.
Focus on heavy, intense weight lifting, and correct calorie eating.
That’s what will actually make a difference in how you look in the mirror.

As with everything, as we experiment and test, test, test, and test some more, for months on end, we sometimes find better methods that lead to gain muscle weight / fat burn at a quicker and easier rate.
But after many many months of testing and measuring rate of fat burn / muscle mass weight gain, and taking a step back and looking at what is happening in the real world and observing other very successful bodybuilders, I have come to the conclusion that cardio is not necessary.
You no longer have to do cardio at all!
Again, focus on the “Big Two”…..heavy, intense weight lifting and proper calorie eating.

I noticed that cardio always severly depleted my energy levels, it made me take longer for my muscles to recover, it would cause me to lose some of my hard-earned muscle mass, and it would chew up a lot of my time.
As soon as I stopped doing cardio, concentrated on my special way of weight training I immediately noticed that my muscles would remain “full”, I had a lot of energy, and I was able to burn fat a lot faster and easier.
Part of this is because cardio is VERY catabolic (eats up muscle tissue).
You’ll have more time and more energy on your hands. Trust me.
So, say “goodnight” to cardio.

People Still Getting Fatter - Over 1 Billion Adults Overweight Worldwide

According to Paul Zimmet "This insidious, creeping pandemic of obesity is now engulfing the entire world. It's as big a threat as global warming and bird flu." This statement was recently made at the International Congress on Obesity which is held once every four years.

Paul Zimmet is Foundation Director of the International Diabetes Institute, and Professor of Diabetes at Monash University, Melbourne, Australia, at Deakin University, Victoria, Australia, and at the Graduate School of Public Health of the University of Pittsburgh, USA. He is also co-Chair of the IDF Task Force on Epidemiology.

Acording to the World Health Organization, more than 1 billion adults are overweight with 300 million of them are obese.

People have been getting fatter and fatter every year for the past 25 years. And this increase is not limited to adults. The percentage of young people who are overweight has more than tripled since 1980. Among children and teens aged 6-19 years, 16 percent (over 9 million young people) are considered overweight.

Why is this of concern? Mainly because it puts people at much higher risk for diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), coronary heart disease, stroke, and some forms of cancer.

Of special concern is the growing obesity rates among children. This is not only leading to a high degree of type 2 diabetes among teenagers but also setting them up for shortened life spans and more health problems in their later years.

The main culprits in the alarmingly fast growth of child obesity are, without a doubt, fast foods. Fast foods tend to be loaded with what has become the new primary food groups - salt, fat, and sugar. Any one of these ingredients in excess can easily lead to problems, but with all three you're basically begging for trouble.

What's even worse is that even so called 'health foods' are not helping with the problem. Foods advertised as "low-fat" tend to compensate with "high sugar". Foods low in sugar are high in salt. And fats are in food everywhere.

So what can we do? Some of the experts are pushing for governments to impose bans on junk foods. But that's not going to happen.

The answer is moderation. We are never going to completely get rid of fast foods. Our entire economy is geared for it. But what we can do is to watch more closely what we eat by religiously choosing the low-calorie options at your restaurants and shopping marts.

by: Janice Kaszursky

Herbal Heartburn Remedy by Robert Singleton

About The Author Robert Singleton Author of this article and online business owner. Find more information in "The Heartburn Cure" at: http://www.supremeuptime.com/heartburn_cure.html.

Using Lasix To Prevent Your Body From Absorbing Too Much Salt by Heather Colman

About The Author Copyright © 2006 Heather Colman is a proud contributing author. Find more articles here: http://medline-central.info Read more about Lasix: http://www.lasix-journal.info/sitemap.htm or overdosing on Lasix here: http://lasix-overdose.htm

A Mother's Instincts by Peter Nisbet

About The Author Peter Nisbet is an industrial chemist whose interest in childhood diseases began when his son suffered from misdiagnosed meningitis and encephalitis from which he survived only due to his mother's actions in getting him to hospital. Peter's website is http://www.childhood-diseases-online.com where he tries to give parents useful information on a wide variety of children's illnesses.

Color-- The Pathway To The Soul by: Mary Desaulniers

About The Author Mary Desaulniers Ph.D will be interviewing Dr. John Diamond on VoiceAmerica 7th Wave Network Internet Radio show "Reclaiming The Body's Wisdom" beginning October 5/06 . Get details at http://www.GreatBodyat50.com

Be Healthy - Take Nutritional Supplements by: Paul Wallace

About The Author Paul Wallace has researched nutritional supplements. The deeper he looks, the more he is convinced of their benefits. For a FREE 10 part course on the nutrients required for health, visit http://www.vitaminsimprovehealth.com/course_on_vitamins.htm.

The Carbohydrate Deal

In the dieting industry, carbohydrate is a dirty word. In the last five years or so the good old carbohydrate has taken a real bashing from fad diets and other weight loss ‘miracle workers’. Apart from the fact that it’s a food group, do you really know what a carbohydrate is, or why and how it’s utilised by the body? If you’re someone that wants to loose weight, then you should definitely take the time to educate yourself about the different types of food groups and how they interact with your body. Despite the fact that it’s had its name dragged through the mud, we’re here to tell you that carbohydrates are not only an acceptable food to be eating, but is a food that you should definitely be eating.

Carbohydrates are found in loads of different types of foods, some of the more common ones are foods such as breads, pasta, rice, corn, potatoes etc. The carbohydrate is a complicated food group and comes in a variety of forms and levels. Like with fats, there are ‘good carbs’ and ‘bad carbs’.

The bad carbohydrates are called simple carbs. These little buggers are released into the bloodstream and digested rather quickly. Simple carbohydrates often contain refined and processed sugars (like chocolate bars) but can also be naturally occurring, like honey for example. Simple carbs have little nutritional value and contain very few essential vitamins and minerals (and are often jam packed full of unwanted calories).

The good carbohydrates are what we call complex carbs. These carbohydrates are released and digested much slower by the body and are usually loaded with fibre as well as contain a range of essential vitamins and minerals that your body needs. Legumes, wholegrain breads and vegetables are all great sources of complex carbohydrates.

On the strictest sense, the body doesn’t absolutely need carbohydrates to survive because our bodies are smart enough to convert proteins into carbs if needed. It is however, considered undesirable to cut carbohydrates from your diet entirely because the protein in your system is needed for other equally important functions. We need carbohydrates for energy. The liver breaks down these little critters into blood sugar, which is then utilized by your body to get you through each day.

In terms of placing carbohydrates into your weight loss equation, it’s important not to cut them out of your diet. Learn how to manipulate your diet so that you’re not cutting any food groups from your menu. Carbohydrates contain about 4 calories per gram, which is a whole lot. If you do eat a large carbohydrate containing diet though, your body will obviously be facing a calorie surplus and this will hinder your weight loss plans. If you’re trying to loose weight and you don’t really know how to go about approaching the carbohydrate thing, here are a few little tips to get you going:

• Start the day with carbohydrates. Opt for whole grain breads and cereals instead of sugary versions. Learn about portion control and ration out your carbohydrates accordingly.

• Use whole grain breads at lunch time for your sandwich. Ditch that white bread! Although it tastes great it doesn’t have a whole lot going for it nutritionally.

• Ditch the potatoes and white rice. Both of these are horribly starchy and like white bread, don’t have a whole lot of nutritional value worth talking about. Opt for brown rice or legumes instead.

• Consume a variety of complex carbohydrates each day.

• Don’t eat more than one or two pieces of fruit each day as some fruits tend to be quite high in simple carbs. Don’t go eliminating fruit from your diet though because fruit is an incredibly rich source of loads of essential vitamins and minerals that our little bodies absolutely need.

• If you’re unsure about whether or not it’s a good carb or a bad carb, always opt for the wholemeal or wholegrain option. White pasta’s, rice and etc are usually not the best way to go.

 by: Gary Cheung

Back-Pain Acupuncture 'Effective In Bristol Pain Clinic'

Back pain is the largest single reported cause of absence from work and leading cause of disability. Sickness absence due to back and neck pain alone accounts for a loss of 5 million working days, at a cost of £ 5bn a year in UK.

Acupuncture for low back pain is cost-effective and works, according to medical researchers. Two studies on bmj.com suggest a short course of acupuncture would benefit patients and healthcare providersThe cost is well below the threshold used by officials to decide whether the NHS can afford to fund a set treatment, they said. Up to 80% of UK residents experience back pain at some point in their lives, costing the NHS £480m a year.The annual economic cost of low back pain in lost productivity and disability or sickness benefits is estimated to be more than £10bn. Evidence of acupuncture's benefits is largely inconclusive, yet 2% of the UK population uses it in any one year. Dr Hugh MacPherson, from the University of York, along with colleagues at Sheffield University, reached their conclusions by studying 241 adults with low back pain. Patients were randomly assigned to either usual NHS care or up to 10 acupuncture treatment sessions. All of the patients remained under GP care. During the two-year study period, the average total cost of back pain treatment that included acupuncture was £460, compared with £345 for usual care. Although acupuncture was more expensive, when the investigators took into account the health benefits gained from the treatment in terms of quality and quantity of life, they found it was more than worthwhile for the extra cost. The cost per quality-adjusted-life-years - or "QALY" - gained was £4,241. ----BBC News 14/09/2006

The highly qualified (BM, MMed, MATCM) and experienced acupuncturist( 20 years worked in army hospital). Dr Zhentong Han is available for private consultations at Clinic in Bristol and Bradford. Specialities in Chronic Low Back, Thoracic (mid and upper back), and Neck Pain ;Sciatica and other Spinal Nerve Problems ;Muscle Pain :Neuralgia (nerve pain problems like Shingles, trapped or injured peripheral nerves) :Osteoarthritis affecting larger joints (hip, knee, ankle, shoulder, elbow, wrist. –natural health clinic,39 cotham hill,Bristol,BS6 6JY.Tel:0117 9741199. http://www.backachetherapy.co.uk

Five Reasons to choose my practice

1 My experience sets me apart. Worked in China army hospital for 20 years. Through the years I have developed a comfortable treatment experience that fuses a practical, unique style of acupuncture with a contemporary Western approach.

2 My training. I was trained in China and has been in practice since 1985, attended one of the premier acupuncture university in Beijing and has extensive hospital and clinical experience. I am dedicated to staying current with the latest advances in the profession and are major contributors to acupuncture research, education and professional development in the United Kingdom.

3 My specialty is the treatment of pain and functional disorders. I provide acupuncture; acupressure and Tuina massage therapies that complement the medical care you are currently receiving.

4 The way I treat you is how I should like to be treated myself. Consultations are free, and I will always tell you whether I feel I could be of help.

5 My safe, gentle and effective treatments. I incorporate the latest advances in the profession, state-of-the-art equipment and, of course, disposable needles to ensure your safety. The art of experienced practice combined with the effectiveness of treatments provide my patients with a pleasant and beneficial experience.

If you’ve ever met Dr Zhentong Han, you would not be surprised to know that the beginnings of his education toward becoming a healthcare practitioner started at an early age, and that he continues his educational pathways currently. It is also not surprising to learn that Dr. Zhentong Han believes that good health is a life long journey, and that education is our best weapon toward creating and maintaining a healthy society.

Dr. Han’s journey in healthcare began as a medical student at the Fourth Military Medical University,in 1980 when he was 16 years older at Xi’an(hometown of Terra Catta Warriors) After earning a MB, He worked in an Army hospital as surgeon for 8 years, His interest in deep healing arose out of his own experience of chronic pain, which began with a bicycle accident while he was a medical student. The pain, unresponsive to all that conventional medicine could offer, forced him to face the limits of his own medical job in Army. His search for an answer led him on a fascinating journey to a new understanding of health and illness, stress and deep inner tensions, and how they affect our lives. Dr Han’s explorations into alternative approaches led him to study Chinese Medicine, Tibetan Bon medicine and Mongolian medicine. In order to sdudy, then He went on to continue his studies at The University of Beijing Chinese Medicine in Acupressure & Herbal medicine Education, completing his Traditional Chinese medicne degree in 1994.After that, he initiated a research study into the use of acupuncture for chronic pain. That research gradually evolved into the highly successful residential program at army hospital.As a west medicine doctor, Combining West medicine and Chinese medicine for treated pain ,He got lot of experience for pain relief and in particular: back pain, neck and shoulder tension,stress, headache, migraine and arthritis, before moving to attend one of Complementary medicine clinic, the West Yorkshire,UK .

Since working in army hospital,Doctor Han has also received his certification in Sports medicine(China)and attained his Tibetan Bon medicine and Mongolian medicine Certification ,He has carried his own professional indemnity insurance in UK and always look for the underlying cause of any health complaint and so each person is treated as a unique individual.

While his 20 years’s medical practice,the health care education has spanned more than a decade, and continues today and beyond, Dr. Han has also had the opportunity to put his training to good use, volunteering with the Xi’an Army Football Team of the Chinese Army in 1994, and working as an vice –president of Zhuque army hospital from 1999 to 2004. Throughout he also worked as a Back pain relief researcher in Xi’an during his worked in Army hospital. The years in UK also presented excellent opportunities to meet lot of back pain patients. Dr. Han passion for Back pain relief and a great desire to be at the leading edge of rehabilitative care has lead him to an incredible degree of involvement in the realm of Chinese medicine and West medicine rehabilitative care.

Since entering into British private back pain practice, Dr. Han has continued his involvement in Chinese rehabilitative Medicine and registered with ATCM(UK), knowing that this is where the leading edge back care will occur-and where he is able to gain the further knowledge that he can bring to his own patients in his daily practice. This level of knowledge has been gained at the highest levels of Chinese medicine fo Backcare.and he has continued to grow to include all of the essential services of a well-rounded active based rehabilitation and wellness centre, including electro-acupuncture, including Massage therapy, Tuina, Most recently the Doctor Han has been very busy practiced in the Kangda clinic.Bradford.

In the end, all of Dr. Han’s activities have not only enriched his life; it has also given him the practical experience, knowledge to help enrich the lives of his patients as well. As a Doctor and health care professional, Dr. Han believes that good health is for life, and for him to be able to help his patients on an ongoing basis, he must always continue to learn and grow, and find new fields of practical experience, and perhaps, even more importantly, Dr. Han is proud to not only help other to be healthy, but to also live according to what he teaches- and be able to use his knowledge to help the lives of those closest to him.

In his time outside of his practice, Dr. Han enjoys spending time with his wife Min(working in medical school of BristolUniversity) and his daughter qiangwei and interesting in Photography. It is this balance of family and professional life that has been the great source of his joy and well-being. There is a simple philosophy that the Zhentong family lives by; enjoy each day as if it could be your last, and enjoy all that life has to offer. They would thus like to extend their sincerest wishes to everyone for great health and happiness.

 by: Zhentong Han