Cut the Fat and the Bull

QNEXA - Is it all that and a bag of low fat Dorritos

2009-10-25T09:01:00.000-07:00

The internet seems to be buzzing with the promise of a new wonder diet pill by the name of QNEXA. The thing is, there have been plenty of other diet pills, many of which involve dangerous side effects ad have been involved in costly lawsuits. So, how is the QNEXA diet pill any different, or is it just another addition to the large pile of empty promises and drug companies filling their boots.

According to a little reasearch, Qnexa is a combination of two approved prescription drugs. One is a diet drug and the other is for migraine relief.

Aside from QNEXA, two other Diet Pills are being investigated. Lorcaserin Hydrochloride works on your brain chemistry and Contrave, is a combination of two drugs used as anti-depressants and to fight alcohol addiction.

"This is an exciting time because we have an epidemic of obesity and we have very few options for treatment available. The expected weight loss with these type of drugs would be 10 percent of the initial weight. By controlling impulse control, by controlling compulsiveness, we have a patient who has difficulty staying on the diet because it's hard with the hunger and the habit. So these drugs in theory will address those issues and hopefully will have better results." said Dr. Jorge Vazquez of Allegheny General Hospital.

Now here is the kicker, although Vazquez believes the direction these drugs are going could make a dent in the obesity epidemic QNEXA and its' counterparts are not the be all and end all in weight loss. "There's a diet component and an exercise component, so these drugs are not designed to be used alone. They are designed to be used with behavior modification and an exercise program," says Vazquez. So for those of you thinking you can sit on your ass, pop a few pills and burn off the weight, think again.

QNEXA and its' counterparts are simply designed to give you the will to stop gorging, if that is in fact your problem. If, on the other hand, you already have control of your eating and you still cannot loose weight, you may want to look at some sort of exercise program. The key is boosting your metabolic rate so your body is abole to burn off the excess fat. Vazquez is also concerned that some people may try to misuse the drugs if they only need to lose 5 pounds. And don't ask your doctor for them now. It will be at least a year before any of those drugs hit the market.

Dr. Siegals Cookie Diet - Diet of Cookies

2009-10-16T08:40:00.000-07:00

There seems to be a new diet out there called the DR. SIEGAL COOKIE DIET. Apparently you can eat 6 cookies and a dinner a day and loose weight. The math works, I just wonder how healthy 6 cookies as your meals throughout the day is. Whatever happened to Breakfast being the most important meal of the day. On the Cookie Diet, your breakfast is a cookie.

Can You Shed Pounds on the Cookie Diet?

Developer Swears by Decades of Results, Other Docs Warn of Nutritional Hazards
By ELISABETH LEAMY, VANESSA WEBER and JESSICA HOFFMAN

At 28 years old and 240 pounds, Josie Raper knew she had to make a change to live a healthier life.

"It's not so easy for me," Raper of Gilbert, Ariz., told "Good Morning America."

"I would rather eat cupcakes than eat veggies and go to the gym."

After trying dozens of pills and programs that didn't work, she found Dr. Siegal's Cookie Diet online. Six months later, her size 24 frame was down to a 6.

"When I started the Cookie Diet, there was no splurging or sneaking little snacks," Raper said. "I was very strict and, to make sure that I could stay on the diet, I started the Monday of Thanksgiving so I got through every single holiday without snacking or caving in to my cravings."
Her success story landed her on the cover of People magazine.

Celebrities such as Denise Richards, Jennifer Hudson and Kelly Clarkson also reportedly tried the Cookie Diet.

Here's how it works: You eat six specially developed diet cookies with water throughout the day, not as set meals but whenever you feel hungry. Then you eat an approximately 500-calorie dinner of lean protein and vegetables.

Dr. Sanford Siegal developed the diet after years of treating obesity patients. The No. 1 factor that wrecks diets is hunger, he said, so he wanted to create a product that would control that hunger.

"It started with a formula of amino acids that I put together," he said. "But, then, I needed a vehicle for it and a cookie was an obvious vehicle; something people like. Ladies carry it around in their purse. It doesn't require refrigeration. And Dr. Siegal's Cookie Diet was born back there in 1975."

The very low, 1,000-calorie diet is designed to take weight off fast, the South Florida physician and author said.

"I know from experience that if the weight loss does not come up fast, they give up the diet," he said. "And, therefore, you don't accomplish anything."

But some experts see flaws in the diet.

"There is no credible evidence that the Cookie Diet actually helps people lose and maintain weight loss over a long period of time or that there is any health benefit from doing this," said Dr. Louis Aronne, director of the Comprehensive Weight Control Program at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City.

The Cookie Diet is missing good nutrition, he said.

"I am concerned that if someone were to follow this over the long term there are many different nutrients that they would be missing that you would normally get by eating regular food," he said.

Cookies Under the Microscope
"Good Morning America" sent the cookies to a lab to see if they matched the nutrients listed on the label and, yes, the cookies are what they say they are.

But experts say what they are isn't sufficient.

"My response is that I have treated over a half million patients over a 34-year period with Dr. Siegal's Cookie Diet," Siegal said. "I have yet to see the first case where anyone suffered any ill effect from eating a low-calorie diet. It just doesn't exist."

Obesity, he said, is much riskier than a very low calorie diet and that Cookie Diet customers take a daily multivitamin to assure good nutrition.

He never intended for the Cookie Diet to be a long-term program, he said.

But Raper, for one, has been on it for two years and doesn't know if or when she'll stop.

She's a size zero these days and no longer needs her fat pants.

FLAT BELLY DIET - So what is this all about

2009-07-25T08:57:00.000-07:00

I noticed flat belly diet pop up on the search engine trends this morning and decided to do a little research to see what this flat belly diet thing was all about. As it turns out, the flat belly diet was started by prevention magazine and consisted of a test which started out with 13 women. From there, the flat belly diet was developed.

The heart of the Flat Belly Diet plan seems to be what they are calling MUFA's which is simply mono-unsaturated fatty acids. MUFA's included in the flat belly diet include almonds, peanut butter, olive oil, avocado, even chocolate. The flat belly diet seems to indicate having a MUFA with every meal.

According to my reasearch, the Flat Belly Diet is a 32 day program which will reduce bloating and give you a "flat belly". Here is a sample meal plan of the Flat Belly Diet:
Flat Belly Diet Sample Meals

Flat Belly Diet Breakfast

1 cup Rice Krispies with 1 cup skim milk
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
4 oz. pineapple tidbits in juice
1 glass of "Sassy" water

Flat Belly Diet Lunch

3 oz. chunk light tuna in water
1 cup steamed baby carrots
1 piece of light string cheese
1 glass of "Sassy" water

Flat Belly Diet Dinner

4 oz. grilled tilapia
1 cup steamed green beans
1/2 cup roasted red potatoes drizzled with olive oil
1 glass of "Sassy" water
Flat Belly Diet Breakfast

Banana Waffle
1 frozen Lifestream Organic Flax Plus Waffle topped with 1/2 cup sliced banana and
sprinkled with cinnamon, nutmeg, and 2 tbsp MUFA-rich pecans

Flat Belly Diet Lunch

Flat Belly Tacos
4 warm corn tortillas filled evenly with 1/2 cup micro waved Boca Ground Burger
crumbles, and topped with 1/2 cup fresh baby spinach leaves, 1/4 cup salsa, and 1/4
cup MUFA-rich sliced avocado

Flat Belly Diet Dinner

Salmon Steak
3 oz. grilled wild Alaskan salmon served with 1 1/2 cups frozen Cascadian Farm
Organic Cut Green Beans, steamed or microwave, and dressed with freshly ground
white pepper and 2 tbsp MUFA-rich sliced almonds

A MUFA at Every Meal

What can do for you!

"A MUFA at every meal" is the Flat Belly mantra. But exactly what is this magical diet component -- and how does it contribute to weight loss?

MUFA (MOO-fah) is a term that nutritionists have been using for years. It stands for monounsaturated fatty acid, a type of heart-healthy, disease-fighting, "good" fat found in foods like , and have the exact opposite effect of the unhealthy saturated and trans fats you've heard about in the news. According to exciting new research, MUFAs can actually help you lose weight, specifically around your middle.

Numerous studies show that a diet rich in MUFAs is linked to a reduction in LDL cholesterol, the kind that clogs up arteries, and a boost in HDL, the kind that sweeps cholesterol out of the arteries and clears it from the body. They can also lower the risk of heart disease and improve insulin.

But there's even more good news! In addition to their health-giving properties, MUFAs are satisfying and delicious in and of themselves. Who doesn't love drizzling olive oil over a salad, or grabbing a handful of chocolate chips? And that's what makes the Flat Belly Diet difference, according to our diet testers. A MUFA at every meal, not only guarantees good health but leaves you feeling satisfied, not deprived.

MEDITERRANEAN DIET HEALTH BENEFITS

2009-06-24T07:44:00.000-07:00

I love Greek and Italian food, here is an interesting article on THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET. My personal favorite place to go to buy MEDITERRANEAN FOOD is BOSA FOODS

Mediterranean Diet and Snacks That Don't Make You Fat

Snacks and snack food have always played an important part in American food culture. Frozen treats like ice creams, candy and chocolate, sweet snacks, chips and salted snack, nuts, crackers, cookies and even small cakes – you name it, typical American will it for snack. Americans really enjoy their snacks which are produced to be inexpensive, accessible, easy to eat and durable. But not healthy. And fattening.

If you snack all the time and have an overweight problem, the easiest answer would be: try cutting out of the snacks to see what helps. But that’s easier said than done, isn’t it? So, what to do if you can’t go about your day without snacks?

Luckily, there is another solution. HEALTHY snacks. It's not about avoiding snacks; it's about choosing the right ones! If you consume chips, salted snacks, cookies and small cakes of course this snacks will make you fat! It is much better if you opt for fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, whole grains or some low fat dairy products (yogurt), because these snacks can contribute to a healthy diet.

Here are some of the best picks:

Low fat dairy products. Yogurt, cheese and other dairy products are full of calcium and protein, minerals and vitamins. Just be sure to choose the low fat versions of dairy products.
Nuts and seeds. Nuts and seeds provide your body with proteins; they are high in monounsaturated fat – a healthy kind of fat! Seeds and nuts are high in calories so don’t eat large quantities.
Whole grains. Rich in fiber and will give you a lot of energy. Choose whole grain pretzels, crisp breads or low fat crackers
Fruits and vegetables. Great source of vitamins, fibers and minerals, fruits and vegetables have no fat and only a small amount of calories, which makes them excellent snack food.
Although consuming these snacks instead of your regular snacks can contribute to a healthy diet, even these snacks can also be a source of excess calories if not eaten in moderation!

Changing just your snacks will have a positive effect on your health, but will not be enough if your goal is to lose some extra weight. Keys to longer, healthier life are regular exercise and improvements in your diet, which can be easily achieved following Mediterranean Diet Weight Loss Plan.

Have you ever tried any Mediterranean snacks or diets? What would you recommend to others?

Source: Healthkicker.com

The importance of Core exercises in cutting inches

2009-06-03T07:04:00.000-07:00

Q: 1. Posted by rabarbour on Mon, May 25, 2009

I am having trouble losing fat around my midsection. I have been working out for about 3 months now. I eat roughly 2500-3000 calories a day and was riding a bike for 40mins (150HR) plus doing about 15mins (3 different exercises 3 sets 15reps) of weights a day. I have started to run (15mins 170HR) now (still doing the weights) in an effort to increase my weight loss but have so far not seen any major results in the 3 weeks I have been doing this. I also do between 150-300 crunches a day. I am 26 years old, 6'3" and my current body weight is 225 pounds with a large frame. Any tips on how to get rid of the last few inches? In total I have shed about 20 pounds in the last few months. Thanks.

A:

Hi there,

First off, congratulations on your weight loss!

I have a few tips for you that I know will help you lose those last few inches.

First off, you need to add more strength training to your routine. 15 minutes of strength training is not enough to gain significant strength and muscle.
While cardio is great for your heart and to burn calories, it does not do much to increase lean muscle tissue. Muscle increases your metabolism, even while at rest, so you should work on building more of it.

Secondly, your workout routine must include core work. By this I don't mean crunches or sit ups, I mean functional core work, which will build stability and strength and prevent injury while you perform everyday activities as well as sports and strenuous exercise.

The core muscles work together to support your spine. Having good core stability means that the muscles in your pelvis, lower back, hips and abdomen work together.
There are countless ways to do this: do weight sets on a Bosu ball, use stability balls for chest routines, plank variations, push up variations, lunge variations, etc.
Furthermore, introduce interval training, which combines strength training with quick burst of cardio activity between sets. This is a great way raise your heart rate and increase your stamina, but also burn tons of calories and reduces the amount of time you will need to spend doing cardio! If you are like most people, doing cardio on a machine is not the most exciting thing!

Since I'm not sure exactly what you are doing now in your routine, I suggest that you get the help of a knowledgeable trainer to create a workout routine that is based as much on strength as in functionality and injury prevention.

Here's an exercise that you can add to your routine:

Side oblique raise: Begin by lying on your right side. Now lift your torso off the ground and support yourself on your elbow. Shoulder and elbow should be in-line, elbow and wrist in-line. Your body should be in a straight line - hips up and pelvis forward, navel pulled into your spine. You can either stack your feet on top of each other or you can place one foot in front of the other.
Inhale, and as you exhale, lower your hips down towards the ground. Just before your hips reach the ground, lift them back up and back to starting position. Pulse up and down for 10-15 reps each side.

This is a great exercise that helps build core strength and targets the obliques.

All the best with your fitness & health goals!

Daniela Nahas

Editor's note: Please consult your physician before starting any exercise program.

Source: Yahoo Lifestyles

AFRICAN MANGO EXTRACT may help in WEIGHT LOSS

2009-03-24T09:04:00.000-07:00

AFRICAN MANGO EXTRACT OFFERS HOPE FOR WEIGHTLOSS

WEST AFRICAN MANGO EXTRACT which is derived from a WEST AFRICAN MANGO may help overweight people shed pounds and lower their cholesterol, a new study suggests.

The extract comes from Irvingia gabonensis, also known as AFRICAN MANGO, a fruit commonly eaten in West Africa. Lab research has shown that extracts from the plant's seed may inhibit body fat production, through effects on certain genes and enzymes that regulate metabolism.

For the current study, researchers at the University of Yaounde in Cameroon randomly assigned 102 overweight adults to take either the AFRICAN MANGO EXTRACT or a placebo twice a day for 10 weeks. The study participants did not follow any special diet and were told to maintain their normal exercise levels.

By the end of the study, the AFRICAN MANGO EXTRACT group had lost a significant amount of weight -- an average of roughly 28 pounds -- while the placebo group showed almost no change.

At the same time, the AFRICAN MANGO EXTRACT group showed declines in "bad" LDL cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

Dr. Julius E. Oben and his colleagues report the findings in the online journal Lipids in Health and Disease. The Fairfield, California- based Gateway Health Alliances, Inc. supplied the Irvingia gabonensis extract and partially funded the research.

The study is the first well-controlled clinical trial of the AFRICAN MANGO EXTRACT'S effectiveness as a weight-loss aid, the researchers note. But the findings, they write, suggest that Irvingia gabonensis could offer a "useful tool" for battling the growing worldwide problem of obesity and its related ills.

A few patients on the AFRICAN MANGO EXTRACT reported side effects, including headaches, sleep problems and gas, but the rates were similar in the placebo group.

The findings, Oben's team concludes, should "provide impetus for much larger clinical studies."

MACROBIOTIC DIET

2009-02-26T08:50:00.000-08:00

A MACROBIOTIC DIET (or macrobiotics), from the Greek "macro" (large, long) and "bios" (life), is a dietary regimen that involves eating grains as a staple food supplemented with other foodstuffs such as vegetables and beans, and avoiding the use of highly processed or refined foods. Macrobiotics also address the manner of eating, by recommending against overeating, and requiring that food be chewed thoroughly before swallowing.

History of MACROBIOTIC DIET
The earliest recorded use of the term macrobiotics is found in the writing of Hippocrates, the father of Western Medicine. In his essay 'Airs, Waters, and Places', Hippocrates introduced the word to describe people who were healthy and long-lived. Herodotus, Aristotle, Galen, and other classical writers used the term macrobiotics to describe a lifestyle, including a simple balanced diet, that promoted health and longevity.

According to MACROBIOTIC DIET proponents, the Macrobiotic methodology was utilized by many of the long-lived traditional cultures, such as the Incas, the Chinese in the Han Dynasty, etc. George Ohsawa drew from Asian and Japanese folk medicine to create his version of this philosophy of health.

George Ohsawa brought his teaching to Europe from Japan. Ohsawa was a Japanese philosopher, who was inspired to formalize macrobiotics by the teachings of Kaibara Ekiken, Andou Shōeki, Mizuno Namboku, and Sagen Ishizuka and his disciples Nishibata Manabu and Shojiro Goto.

Ohsawa took his macrobiotic teachings to North America in the late 1950s. Macrobiotic education was spread in the United States by his students Herman Aihara, Cornelia Aihara, Michael Abehsera, Michio Kushi and Aveline Kushi, and in turn by their students. Michio Kushi has been the most prominent of these teachers.

Ohsawa coined the term for a natural way of living, macrobiotics, in the late 1950s. Macrobiotics, from the ancient Greek language, means the way of longevity. This term has been used by many authors in describing longevity teachings from the Far East.

"Whole foods, such as brown rice, are central to a MACROBIOTIC DIET, and many of the first customers and owners of the alternative food stores were students of macrobiotics. In the 20th century, influential teachers emerged, such as the Kushis (who immigrated to the United States from Japan after World War II), who distilled the wide-ranging ideas and interpreted them for modern, urban, and industrialized life."

Philosophy of the MACROBIOTIC DIET
Followers of the macrobiotic approach believe that food and food quality powerfully affect health, well-being, and happiness, and that a MACROBIOTIC DIET has more beneficial effects than others. The macrobiotic approach suggests choosing food that is less processed.

One goal of macrobiotics is to become sensitive to the actual effects of foods on health and well-being, rather than to follow dietary rules and regulations. Dietary guidelines, however, help in developing sensitivity and an intuitive sense for what sustains health and well-being.

Macrobiotics emphasizes locally grown whole grain cereals, pulses (legumes), vegetables, seaweed, fermented soy products and fruit, combined into meals according to the principle of balance (known as yin and yang). Whole grains and whole-grain products such as brown rice and buckwheat pasta (soba), a variety of cooked and raw vegetables, beans and bean products, mild natural seasonings, fish, nuts and seeds, mild (non-stimulating) beverages such as bancha twig tea and fruit are recommended.

Nightshade vegetables, including tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, eggplant; also spinach, beets and avocados are not recommended, or used sparingly at most, in macrobiotic cooking, as they are considered extremely yin.[citation needed] Some MACROBIOTIC DIET practitioners also discourage the use of nightshades due to the alkaloid solanine, thought to affect calcium balance.

Composition of the MACROBIOTIC DIET

Some basic macrobiotic ingredients Macrobiotics is considered an approach to life rather than a diet. Some general guidelines for the diet are the following (it is also said that a macrobiotic diet varies greatly depending on geographical and life circumstances):

Well chewed whole cereal grains, especially brown rice: 25-30%
Vegetables: 30-40%
Beans and legumes: 5-10 %
Miso soup: 5%
Traditionally or naturally processed foods: 5-10%
The remainder is composed of fish and seafood, seeds and nuts, seed and nut butters, seasonings, sweeteners, fruits, and beverages. Other naturally raised animal products may be included if needed during dietary transition or according to individual needs.

MACROBIOTIC DIET Cooking according to the time of the year
In spring:

food with a lighter quality
wild plants, germs, lightly fermented food, grain species, fresh greens
light cooking style: steaming, cooking for a short time, etc.
In summer:

food with lighter quality
large-leaved greens, sweet corn, fruit, summer pumpkins
light cooking style: steaming, quick cooking, etc.
More raw foods
lighter grains, such as barley, bulghur, and couscous
In autumn:

food with more concentrated quality
root vegetables, (winter) pumpkins, beans, cereals, etc.
heavier grains such as sweet rice, mochi and millet
In winter:

food with a stronger, more concentrated quality
round vegetables, pickles, root vegetables, etc.
more miso, shoyu, oil, and salt
heavier grains such as millet, buckwheat, fried rice, etc.

Yin and yang content of foods
MACROBIOTIC DIET follows the principle of balance (called balancing yin and yang in China).

Macrobiotics holds that some foods are overstimulating and can exhaust the body and mind. These are classified as extreme yin (stimulating) in their effects:
Sugar
Alcohol
Honey
Coffee
Chocolate
Refined flour products
Very hot spices
Drugs
Chemicals and preservatives
Commercial milk, yogurt and soft cheeses
Poor quality vegetable oils
Foods that are considered to be concentrated, heavy and dense create stagnation. These have yang (strengthening, but stagnating effects if over-consumed).

Poultry
Meat
Eggs
Refined salt
Foods that create balance are whole grains, vegetables, beans, sea vegetables, fruit, nuts, and seeds. Foods such as these are used in a macrobiotic way of eating.

Some MACROBIOTIC DIET followers will combine strongly yin and yang foods together to create balanced dishes.

Other factors of the MACROBIOTIC DIET
The composition of dishes and the choices of foods is adjusted according to

the season
the climate
activity
gender
age
health condition
transition in one's diet
and any other personal considerations.

Japanese popularity and influence
The macrobiotic way of eating is thought to be Japanese. During the Edo period in Japan peasants were not allowed to eat meat and had a diet of primarily rice and soy bean to get their protein. According to MACROBIOTIC DIET advocates, a majority of the world population in the past ate a diet based primarily on grains, vegetables, and other plants. Because macrobiotics is popular in Japan, and many of its popular teachers are Japanese, Japanese foods that are beneficial for health are incorporated by most modern macrobiotic eaters. Some macrobiotic ingredients are also standard ingredients in Japanese cuisine.

There is also a Chinese form of macrobiotics called the Ch'ang Ming or Long Life diet which is very similar to the Japanese system but based upon the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Chinese macrobiotics
According to Chee Soo in his book published by HarperCollins in 1982 - "The Tao of Long Life", natural dietary therapy or "Ch'ang Ming" has been developed in China since pre-historic times along with a range of health arts that have become what we now know as Traditional Chinese Medicine. As early as 3000 BCE there are dietary recommendations which can be found in the Neijing or Yellow Emperor's Classic of internal medicine. This pre-dates the advent of macrobiotics in Japan and supports the idea that Japanese macrobiotics was developed from these earlier studies.

MACROBIOTIC DIET vs. veganism
A macrobiotic diet includes many of the same foods as vegan diets, but in macrobiotics certain animal foods are suggested. The two dietary styles share enough similarities that a vegan version of the MACROBIOTIC DIET is not uncommon. Macrobiotics is based on traditional ways of eating. While there are no completely vegan cultures that are long-lived, the longest-lived cultures around the world consume between 70% and 99% whole plant foods. John Robbins, a well-known vegan advocate, pointed this out in his recent book, Healthy at 100. The American Dietetic Association approves of carefully-planned vegan diets. In the words of the Association, "Well-planned vegan and other types of vegetarian diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including during pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence.... It is the position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada that appropriately planned vegetarian diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases." However, as part of their dietary guidelines, the association recommend that healthy adults eat lean meat, poultry, fish or beans each day, as lean meat has many essential nutrients without excess fat or cholesterol.

Macrobiotics and cancer
Macrobiotics has long been advocated by some as a preventative and cure for cancer. Michio Kushi's book "The Cancer Prevention Diet" outlines the fundamental philosophy for the diet and cancer prevention. There is evidence that a diet high in whole grains and vegetables and possibly low in saturated fat, red meat, and preserved meat products can help to prevent many types of cancer. A study at the University of Tulane conducted by James P. Carter and others[8] reported significant improvement in cancer patient longevity (177 months compared to 91 months) when patients practiced the macrobiotic diet, although an analysis of "Complementary and Alternative Medical Therapies for Cancer" stated about this paper "Scientific evidence on the potential benefits of macrobiotic diets for patients with cancer is limited to two retrospective studies with serious methodologic flaws". Despite anecdotal reports to the contrary reported in "Unconventional Cancer Treatments" medical professionals do not consider that there is evidence that a macrobiotic diet is useful as a cure for cancer. The American Cancer Society strongly urges people with cancer not to use a dietary program as an exclusive or primary means of treatment; and many long-term practitioners of the diet, including Michio Kushi's wife Aveline and daughter Lilly, died of cancer. Michio Kushi himself developed cancer and had a tumour removed surgically from his intestines, although he now appears to be well. Macrobiotic teacher Cecile Levin, and Anthony J. Sattilaro, author of Recalled by Life, also died of cancer.

Some cancer sufferers, especially in the United States, follow the MACROBIOTIC DIET, believing that it will cure or help their disease. Many others turn to macrobiotics in the belief that it will strengthen their physical and mental well-being and quality of life, combining macrobiotic practices with Western and Eastern medicine.

Nutrition and the MACROBIOTIC DIET
According to the Standard American Diet, those following an alternative diet regimen should consider the following information. Detailed information on the nutrients provided by a very large range of foodstuffs is available in the USDA National Nutrient Database.

The following nutrients should be monitored especially in children, due to their importance in facilitating growth and function: calcium, protein, iron, zinc, vitamin D, vitamin B12, riboflavin, vitamin A, omega-3 fatty acids and energy.All are available in properly planned macrobiotic diets.

Humans synthesise vitamin D with adequate exposure to sunlight; supplementation may be necessary during winter months for people who live far from the equator. Calcium is available from hard leafy greens, nuts and seeds. Zinc is available from nuts and seeds. Fish provides vitamin B12 in a macrobiotic diet, but bioavailable B12 analogues have not been established in any natural plant food, including sea vegetables, soya, fermented products, and algae. Although plant-derived foods do not naturally contain B12, some are fortified during processing with added B12 and other nutrients. Vitamin A, in the form of beta-carotene, is abundant in macrobiotic diets. Adequate protein is available from grains, nuts, seeds, beans, and bean products. Sources of Omega-3 fatty acids are discussed in the relevant article, and include soy products, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds and fatty fish. Riboflavin along with most other B vitamins are abundant in whole grains. Iron in the form of non-heme iron in beans, sea vegetables and leafy greens is sufficient for good health; detailed information is in the USDA database.

In 1967 the Journal of the American Medical Association published a detailed report of a case of scurvy and malnutrition induced by strict adherence to a restrictive MACROBIOTIC DIET. In 1971 the AMA Council on Foods and Nutrition said that followers of the diet, particularly the strictest, stood in "great danger" of malnutrition [JAMA 218:397, 1971].

Smoking and tobacco
Leaders of macrobiotics like Michio Kushi and George Ohsawa smoked cigarettes and encouraged the use of tobacco, claiming that the practice was not harmful, and could in fact be a valuable treatment for various lung ailments.

The Kushi Institute of Europe Encyclopedia web page states:

Michio Kushi asserts that dairy food and other fatty, mucous-producing, and sticky foods are the primary cause of lung cancer and other smoke-related problems, trapping tar and other tobacco particulates in the lungs and other organs

Many contemporary people who practice macrobiotics are critical of smoking. Some now claim that tobacco should be avoided because, like tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplants, it is a variety of nightshade. Even so, Kushi's son Phiya Kushi, had the following to say in on the occasions of Kushi's operation for colon surgery in 2004:

...I would like to mention publicly, having obtained Michio's permission, that in spite of years of his smoking, a fact well-known to many, recent x-rays of Michio's lungs were surprisingly clean, like that of a twenty year old (remarked his physician). This is not meant to be validation of cigarette smoking, but rather an invitation to question, in the spirit of non-credo, "proven" or "predictable" scientific facts (what system logic do you use as evidence?). Furthermore, the Caraka Samhita, ancient text from India's "Father Of Medicine" recommends smoking as curative measure for various symptoms. Again, this is not meant to be in defense of Michio's word's, cigarette smoking or an invalidation of "proven" facts of the "dangers" of smoking or corn oil or whatever the item may be but rather an invitation to be open minded about all possibilities, no matter how improbable or outlandish.

PRITIKIN DIET - Help with your New Years Resolution

2009-01-13T09:56:00.000-08:00

The PRITIKIN DIET is a very low-fat, primarily vegetarian diet that is based on whole grains, fruits and vegetables that results in improved cardiovascular health as well as weight loss.

The PRITIKIN DIET was developed as a means to treat heart disease; weight loss is an additional benefit. Processed foods such as pasta and white bread, animal proteins, eggs and most types of fats are eliminated in favor of whole grains, fruits and vegetables. The revised PRITIKIN DIET encourages the use of "healthy" fats high in omega-3 fatty acids, in limited amounts.

Upside of the Pritikin Diet

Healthy food combinations of less fats and more fruits, vegetables, grains.
No portion control with these healthy foods.
Good for heart health in addition to weight loss.

Downside of the Pritikin Diet

Low-fat diets may be unsatisfying and can lead to overeating.
Many people cannot cut down on certain food groups as much as the PRITIKIN DIET requires.
The recommended foods are not convenient for people who dine out a lot.
This fiber-rich diet can produce a lot of gas.

Sample Pritikin Menu

A day on the PRITIKIN DIET might look like this:

PRITIKIN DIET Breakfast:

Oatmeal with mango
Nonfat yogurt
Grapefruit
Half a cup of sodium-free vegetable juice

PRITIKIN DIET Lunch:

Barley-bean soup
Tomato stuffed with tuna
Skim milk

PRITIKIN DIET Dinner:

Tofu and mixed vegetables lightly sautéed in a little olive oil
Brown rice or millet
Green salad
Peach

PRITIKIN DIET
Snacks:

Vegetables and fruits
Rye crackers or other whole grains

For more on the PRITIKIN DIET Check out these books

HUNGRYGIRL.COM - HUNGRY GIRL - Something New

2008-12-29T09:36:00.000-08:00

HUNGRYGIRL.COM seems to be rolling up the search engines this morning, I don't know if there was some sort of news article or if this is simply a matter of effective Search Engine Optimization. Whatever the case, HUNGRY GIRL, or in this case HUNGRYGIRL.COM seems to be geared towards educating those women battling with obesity eat healthier. A few tips on the HUNGRY GIRL website include a Top "Ate" list. Here is the HUNGRY GIRL top ATE

TOP ATE HUNGRY GIRL Calorie-Saving Cooking Swaps!

1. Nonstick cooking spray instead of oil (for stovetop cooking)
2. Canned pumpkin instead of eggs & oil (for baking)
3. Light vanilla soymilk instead of milk or cream
4. Fat-free liquid egg substitute instead of eggs
5. No-sugar-added applesauce instead of butter
6. Ground-beef-style soy crumbles instead of ground beef
7. Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granular) instead of sugar
8. Butternut squash instead of potatoes

A further look it seems HUNGRYGIRL is an online community that has a number of products including a book to sell. My guess it is about the book, but koodo's to those at HUNGRY GIRL for coming up with an interesting idea

Biggest Looser 2008 Michelle Aguilar

2008-12-17T09:02:00.001-08:00

Here are some Before and after pictures of Michelle Aguilar, the Winner of Biggest Looser 2008

Michelle Aguilar entered The Biggest Loser: Families looking to lose weight and resurrect her relationship with her mother. She left it as a champion.

Aguilar was crowned The Biggest Loser: Families' champion during last night's live finale broadcast of the NBC reality weight-loss series' sixth season. "I'm number one!" Michelle screamed after her victory was announced and the season's 15 other contestants began congratulating her as confetti streamed down on to the finale stage.

The 26-year-old assistant director from Ft. Worth, TX started the competition at 242 pounds and lost 132 pounds for a 45.45% weight-loss percentage, claiming the show's $250,000 grand prize. Aguilar defeated Vicky Vilcan, a 37-year-old anesthetist from Houma, LA, and Ed Brantley, a 31-year-old chef from Raleigh, NC who won The Biggest Loser: Families' home viewer vote to determine the third sixth-season finalist.

During the show's finale, The Biggest Loser host Allison Sweeney revealed that despite Ed's pleas that home viewers send his wife Heba Salama, a 30-year-old pharmaceutical sales representative, to the finale weigh-in, he had won the viewer vote in a "landslide," landing 84% of the vote. While she was disappointed that America had not listened to her husband's pleas, Heba was gracious in defeat. "Everything happens for a reason, we have been so lucky to be on this show that honestly, because we were never here for a paycheck I just wanted the opportunity to be a finalist," Heba said. "It's the economy," Ed joked about the home audience's decision.
Ed -- who was re-introduced into the competition on Week 7 after he had been eliminated three weeks earlier -- finished as The Biggest Loser: Families' runner-up, starting at 335 pounds and losing 139 pounds for a 41.49% weight-loss percentage. Vicky, who finished just behind Ed in third place, began the competition at 246 pounds and dropped 101 pounds for a weight-loss percentage of 41.06%.

Heba's disappointment of making the Top 3 was also short lived, as she went on to win the weigh-in of The Biggest Loser: Families' 13 previously eliminated contestants and claim the consolation weigh-in's $100,000 prize. After starting the as the season's heaviest woman at 294 pounds, Heba dropped 138 pounds for a 46.9% weight-loss percentage that was actually higher than Michelle's winning percentage. The start and finish weights and final weight-loss percentages of the 12 other previously eliminated contestants -- as well as the order in which they were booted from the competition -- were as follows.

Stacey Capers, a 33-year-old contract pricing analyst from Gainesville, VA began the competition at 221 pounds and lost 65 for a weight-loss percentage of 29.41%, while her husband Adam, a 39-year-old contracts manager, began the competition at 340 pounds before dropping 80 for a 23.53% Weight-loss percentage.

Tom "L.T." Desrochers Jr., a 22-year-old cab driver from Everett, MA, began the competition at 314 pounds before dropping 78 for a weight-loss percentage of 24.84%, while his father Tom Desrochers Sr., also a cab driver, began the competition at 357 pounds before losing 87 pounds for a weight-loss percentage of 24.37%

Jerry Skeabeck, a 51-year-old police sergeant from Cleveland, OH began the competition at 380 pounds before losing 115 pounds for a weight-loss percentage of 30.26%.

Shellay Cremen, a 51-year-old stay-at-home mom from Royal Oak, MI began the competition at 216 pounds before losing 74 pounds for a weight-loss percentage of 34.26%.

Amy Parham, a 40-year-old real estate agent from Greer, SC began the competition at 229 pounds before dropping 105 pounds for a weight-loss percentage of 45.85%, while her husband Phil began the competition at 331 pounds before losing 151 pounds for a percentage of 45.62%.

Brady Vilcan, a 36-year-old pharmacist from Houma, LA, began the competition at 341 pounds before losing 117 pounds for a weight-loss percentage of 34.31%.

Coleen Skeabeck, a 23-year-old receptionist from Cleveland, OH entered the competition weighing 218 pounds before dropping 64 pounds for a weight-loss percentage of 29.36%

Amy Cremen, a 26-year-old purchasing department representative from Auburn Hills, MI, entered the competition at 239 pounds before dropping 104 for a weight-loss percentage of 43.51%.

Renee Wilson, a 46-year-old event manager from Fort Worth, TX -- and the mother of the season's champion Michelle -- began the competition weighing 267 pounds before dropping 106 pounds for a weight-loss percentage of 39.7%.

New Study Links Brains Pleasure Centre to weight gain

2008-10-20T09:37:00.000-07:00

Drink a milkshake and the pleasure centre in your brain gets a hit of happy - unless you're overweight.

It sounds counterintuitive. But scientists who watched young women savour milkshakes inside a brain scanner concluded that when the brain doesn't sense enough gratification from food, people may overeat to compensate.

The small but first-of-a-kind study even could predict who would pile on pounds during the next year: Those who harboured a gene that made their brain's yum factor even more sluggish.

"The more blunted your response to the milkshake taste, the more likely you are to gain weight," said Dr. Eric Stice, a senior scientist at the Oregon Research Institute who led the work, published in Friday's edition of the journal Science.

A healthy diet and plenty of exercise are the main factors in whether someone is overweight. But scientists have long known that genetics also play a major role in obesity - and one big culprit is thought to be dopamine, the brain chemical that's key to sensing pleasure.

Eating can temporarily boost dopamine levels. Previous brain scans have suggested that the obese have fewer dopamine receptors in their brains than lean people. And a particular gene version, called Taq1A1, is linked to fewer dopamine receptors.

"This paper takes it one step farther," said Dr. Nora Volkow of the National Institutes of Health, a dopamine specialist who has long studied the obesity link. "It takes the gene associated with greater vulnerability for obesity and asks the question why. What is it doing to the way the brain is functioning that would make a person more vulnerable to compulsively eat food and become obese?"

It's "very elegant work," she added.

First, Stice's team had to figure out how to study the brain's immediate reactions to food. Moving inside an MRI machine skews its measurements, which ruled out letting the women slurp up the milkshakes. Yale University neuroscientist Dana Small solved that problem, with a special syringe that would squirt a small amount of milkshake or, for comparison, a tasteless solution into the mouth without study participants moving. They were told when to swallow, so researchers could co-ordinate the scans with that small motion.

Then they recruited volunteers, 43 female college students ages 18 to 22 and 33 teenagers, ages 14 to 18. Body mass index calculations showed the young women spanned the range from very skinny to obese.

Brain scanning showed that a key region called the dorsal striatum - a dopamine-rich pleasure centre - became active when they tasted the milkshake, but not when they tasted the comparison liquid that just mimicked saliva.

Yet that brain region was far less active in overweight people than in lean people, and in those who carry that A1 gene variant, the researchers reported. Moreover, women with that gene version were more likely to gain weight over the coming year.

It's a small study with few gene carriers, and thus must be verified, Volkow stressed.

Still, it could have important implications. Volkow, who heads NIH's National Institute of Drug Abuse, notes that "dopamine is not just about pleasure." It also plays a role in conditioning - dopamine levels affect drug addiction - and the ability to control impulses.

She wonders if instead of overeating to compensate for the lack of pleasure - Stice's conclusion - the study really might show that these people with malfunctioning dopamine in fact eat because they're impulsive.

Regardless, most people's tongues find a milkshake quite tasty; the brain reaction is subconscious.

But if doctors could determine who carries the at-risk gene, children especially could be steered toward "recreational sports or other things that give them satisfaction and pleasure and dopamine that aren't food ... and not get their brains used to having crappy food," said Stice, a clinical psychologist who has long studied obesity.

"Don't get your brain used to it," he said of non-nutritious food. "I would not buy Ho Hos for lunch every day because the more you eat, the more you crave."

Mia Tyler talks about her battle with weight

2008-08-26T08:55:00.001-07:00

Plus-sized model Mia Tyler, the daughter of rocker Steven Tyler and half-sister to actress Liv Tyler, talks to ET in her first TV interview about the night she almost took her own life!

"I felt like I was so lost and there was no way out and I was tired of being lonely," she tells ET's Thea Andrews. "I was really on the edge and I was ready to do it and I wasn't scared."
Mia has written a no-holds-barred autobiography, Creating Myself, in which tells the unvarnished truth about the night she sat on the edge of a Hollywood Hills balcony and considered taking the leap.

"I remember sitting on that balcony and, for the first time, I just didn't care and that's when I really knew I was in trouble, because I didn't care about other people," she admits.

Mia also reveals in Creating Myself her addiction to cutting, a phenomenon in which one stabs oneself until blood is drawn.

"Cutting is like doing a drug," Mia says. "You cut yourself and there's a moment where you don't feel anything, then the blood rushes and you feel alive … I was a secret cutter. I knew it was wrong, but it felt so good, so I didn't want people to see, so I started getting tattoos to cover my scars."

Mia, who was a very successful plus-sized model earning between $20,000 and $30,000 per shoot, says she still battles the desire to cut herself.

Tina Yothers talks about Weight loss Struggles

2008-08-26T08:23:00.001-07:00

Just a little something I found about Tina Yothers

Former Family Ties star and Celebrity Fit Club winner Tina Yothers, 34, gave birth to a baby boy Monday morning, PEOPLE has confirmed.

She and husband Robert Kaiser welcomed Jake Kaiser, weighing in at 8.8 lbs., at 6:08 a.m. at an Orange County hospital. This is the fourth child for the growing brood whose last addition, Lilly, turns two next month (Kaiser has two sons from a previous marriage).

Even at five months pregnant, Yothers was slimmer than before her Fit Club 4 appearance: “I was triple this size when I was pregnant with Lilly since I only worked out my hand and mouth,” she told PEOPLE in April. Her tip for weight-loss success? “Find a cookie you don’t like.”

After reaching a bikini-ready body last October Yothers confessed to PEOPLE in April, “If you’ve ever struggled with weight, you feel like gaining it back is right around the corner.” Still, she has managed to keep on track this time around by sticking to a modified NutriSystem diet and working out three days a week.

New "Exercise Pill' Offers Promise For those with Mobility Issues

2008-08-01T08:34:00.000-07:00

This sounds promising for those unable to exercise

	It sounds like a couch potato's dream come true - an "exercise pill" that keeps the body trim and fit without having to budge from the sofa. The drug has already been tested in mice, and scientists are so concerned about the implications they are developing ways to prevent its abuse by cheating athletes.
Researchers made the discovery after studying the biological signals that allow the body to respond to exercise. They found that certain chemicals could stimulate the same pathways to boost endurance and burn up fat. Mice fed the drugs were turned into mini-marathon runners with extra reserves of stamina that did not put on weight. Tested on treadmills, they were able to run faster and for longer than untreated animals. One drug, called AICAR, increased running time by 44% even in mice that did absolutely no exercise. Lead researcher Professor Ronald Evans, from the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California, said: "We were blown away. This is a drug that is like pharmacological exercise. After four weeks of receiving the drug, the mice were behaving as if they'd been exercised." Sedentary animals given the drug actually ran longer and further than than those which had exercise training, he said. As well as having greater endurance, mice given the drugs experienced other benefits usually associated with exercise. They remained lean even when fed a high fat diet that would normally have caused them to become obese, and their insulin response improved, lowering blood sugar levels.
	The new research, published in the journal Cell, also suggests the drugs might help reverse the muscle frailty associated with ageing, or diseases such as muscular dystrophy. The scientists are now working in conjunction with the World Anti-Doping Agency to develop a blood or urine test for the drugs.

Arnold Bans the Trans fats

2008-07-26T08:35:00.001-07:00

Interesting article from http://soyawannaknow.blogspot.com

I know this is going to sound like an episode of King of the Hill but here's the skinny: Trans fat's days are numbered at California restaurants.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation yesterday banning the artery-clogging substance in the state's restaurants starting in 2010 and from all baked goods by 2011.

Though some cities, such as New York, Philadelphia and Seattle, have enacted bans on trans fats, California becomes the first state with such a law.
The ban comes after a steady drumbeat of studies showing trans fat, which is used in foods ranging from french fries to cookies, can raise levels of bad cholesterol and lower good cholesterol, leading to hardened arteries and heart disease, and contributing to diabetes.

The ban was the result of a bill introduced by Assemblyman Tony Mendoza, D-Artesia, which passed the Assembly last year and cleared the state Senate earlier this month. Violations of the ban could result in fines of $25 to $1,000.

Anti-trans-fat crusader Stephen L. Johnson, founder of bantransfat.com and the attorney who sued Kraft and McDonald's over the issue, was jubilant.

“It's like winning the Super Bowl and the World Series all in one day,” Johnson said.
The ban will have a ripple effect far beyond California because it doesn't make economic sense for restaurant chains to use different types of oils in different regions, Johnson said.

“California is so big and so important that you can't have twin supplies,” he said. “It's kind of the end of the road for trans fat.”

Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, said that “great big sucking sound you hear” is the sound of partially hydrogenated oil leaving the American food supply.

The national watchdog group petitioned the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2004 to require restaurants to list menu items that contain trans fat, but the federal agency has not acted on it. In 2006, the FDA began requiring manufacturers of processed food to list trans fat on labels.
Bob Goldin, executive vice president of Technomic Inc., a restaurant consulting firm, said that many of the largest restaurant chains such as KFC and Taco Bell already have moved to trans-fat alternatives, such as soy-based oils or a blend of canola oil.

Trans fat mostly comes from partially hydrogenated oil, which is formed when liquid oils are treated with hydrogen to turn it into a solid form, helping increase its shelf life.

In the past, opponents of trans-fat bans have argued that it would be too costly, that there wasn't enough supply of alternatives and that using different oils would affect the taste of foods.

Goldin said those concerns have turned out to be unfounded. The cost difference is negligible, and the trans-fat alternatives provide comparable taste, he said.

“It shouldn't be that big of a hardship,” Goldin said.

When New York City announced its ban, it was met with resistance. But the ban's final phase went into effect June 30 with little fanfare from the city's restaurants.
Daniel Conway, spokesman for the California Restaurant Association, said the group was confident that its members would be able to comply with the ban. Although the association opposed the bill, it has no plans to challenge the law.

“It's important to note that this was something the industry was already doing,” Conway said.

Restaurants have begun eliminating trans fats because of increased consumer demand, said Bob Sandelman, president of market-research firm Sandelman & Associates. It surveyed 600 fast-food customers last year and found that 72 percent were somewhat or very concerned about trans fat.

George Hunter, chief operating officer of Pat & Oscar's Restaurants, said the San Diego-based chain of 19 family-style restaurants switched to trans-fat-free products two years ago.

“We were hearing a lot of buzz about trans fat from guests and vendors, and we wanted to stay ahead of the curve – even in an environment that sells some pretty crazy breadsticks,” Hunter said.

After trying different oils and tinkering with recipes, Pat & Oscar's found alternatives to trans fat for about 10 menu items that once contained them, including breadsticks, salad dressings and potato wedges.

“On some items it cost us a little more money to make the switch, but those items have come back in line as more trans-fat-free products came on the market,” Hunter said. “And the feedback from customers has been very positive – so many thank-you cards, so many e-mails.”

Last August, San Diego-based Rubio's Restaurants completed its conversion to using zero-trans-fat canola oil for cooking all menu items in its 182 locations.

Rubio's spent a year testing numerous zero-trans-fat oils, said Linda Duke, a company spokeswoman. Canola oil was chosen because it did not detract from the flavor of menu items, most notably its signature fish taco.

And while San Diego-based Jack in the Box still has several menu items that contain trans fat – including its Sourdough Ultimate Cheeseburger, with 4.5 grams of trans fat – the fast-food chain is testing alternatives at some of its restaurants.

“We will certainly comply with any legislation passed regarding this issue,” said Kathleen Anthony, a spokeswoman.

Some critics argue that restaurants will resort to using coconut or palm oils and even lard, which are less than healthy, and that consumers will equate trans-fat-free with lower calories and better nutrition.

Jacobson said the argument that alternative fats and oils also pose health risks, potentially substituting one problem for another, is a “red herring.”

“All the evidence says trans fat is the most harmful fat in the food supply,” Jacobson said. “You can substitute anything and it's an improvement – even butter.”

Goldin agreed, saying trans fat should be banned from the food supply.

“This is not one of those cases where Big Brother is being unreasonable,” he said.

Glycemic Index Value of Various Foods

2008-07-16T16:13:00.000-07:00

*FRUITS*	*GLYCEMIC INDEX*
Cherries	22
Grapefruit	25
Prunes	29
Apricots, dried	30
Apple	38
Peach, canned in juice	38
Pear, fresh	38
Plum	39
Strawberries	40
Orange, Navel	42
Peach, fresh	42
Pear, canned	43
Grapes	46
Papaya	56
Banana	52
Kiwi	58
Fruit Cocktail	55
Mango	51
Apricots, fresh	57
Figs, dried	61
Apricots, canned	64
Raisins	56
Cantaloupe	65
Pineapple, fresh	66
Watermelon	72
Dates	103
Your Ad Here >BREAKFAST	*GLYCEMIC INDEX*
Pancakes	67
Waffles	76
All Bran with Fiber	38
Bran Buds	47
Oatmeal	49
Muesli	43
Oat Bran	55
Bran Chex	58
Raisin Bran	61
Cream of Wheat	66
Quick (One Minute) Oats	66
Puffed Wheat	67
Special K	69
Bran Flakes	74
Cheerios	74
Cream of Wheat Instant	74
Shredded Wheat	75
Grapenuts	71
Rice Krispies	82
Corn Chex	83
Corn Flakes	92
*VEGETABLES*	*GLYCEMIC INDEX*
Broccoli	10
Cabbage	10
Lettuce	10
Mushrooms	10
Onions	10
Red Peppers	10
Carrots	49
Green peas	48
Corn, fresh	60
Beets	64
Pumpkin	75
Parsnips	97
Your Ad Here *CRACKERS*	*GLYCEMIC INDEX*
Ryvita Crispbread	69
Stoned Wheat Thins	67
Melba Toast	70
Kavli Crispbread	71
Soda Crackers	74
Graham Crackers	74
Water crackers	78
Rice Cakes	82
Rice Crackers	91
*SWEETNER*	*GLYCEMIC INDEX*
Fructose	19
Marmalade	48
Honey	55
Jams	65
Sucrose	68
Pancake Syrup	76
*PASTA*	*GLYCEMIC INDEX*
Spaghetti, whole wheat	37
Star Pastina	38
Fettuccini (egg)	32
Spaghetti, white	38
Spiral Pasta	43
Capellini	45
Linguine	46
Macaroni	47
Rice vermicelli	58
*RICE & GRAINS*	*GLYCEMIC INDEX*
Converted, White	38
Brown	55
Long grain, White	44
Wild rice	87
Basmati	58
Aborio	69
Short grain, White	72
Instant, White	87
Glutinous (Sticky)	98
Barley, pearled	25
Buckwheat	54
Couscous	65
Cornmeal	68
*DAIRY*	*GLYCEMIC INDEX*
Yogurt, artificially sweetened	14
Skim milk	32
Yogurt, sweetened	33
Whole milk	31
Ice cream, low fat	43
Ice cream, premium	38
Your Ad Here *SNACKS*	*GLYCEMIC INDEX*
Hummus	6
Peanuts	15
Walnuts	15
Cashews	22
M & M Peanut Candies	33
Milk Chocolate	43
Kudos Bar	62
Corn Chips	63
Popcorn	72
Jelly Beans	78
Pretzels	83
Potato Chips	57
*JUICES*	*GLYCEMIC INDEX*
Tomato	38
Apple	40
Pineapple	46
Grapefuit	48
Orange	53
Cranberry Juice Cocktail	68
*BREAD*	*GLYCEMIC INDEX*
Pumpernickel	41
Sourdough	53
Stone Ground whole wheat	53
Pita, whole wheat	57
Whole Meal Rye	58
Hamburger bun	61
Whole wheat (100%)	77
Croissant	67
Taco Shell	68
Bagel	72
White	70
Kaiser roll	73
Bread stuffing	74
French Baguette	95
*POTATO's*	*GLYCEMIC INDEX*
Yam	37
Sweet	44
New	57
Canned	65
White skinned mashed	70
French Fries	75
Instant Mashed	86
Red Skinned, boiled	88
Baked	85
*BAKERY*	*GLYCEMIC INDEX*
Sponge Cake	46
Pound Cake	54
Blueberry Muffin	59
Pastry Pie Crust	59
Bran Muffin	60
Carrot Muffin	62
Angel Food Cake	67
Doughnut	76
Scones	92
*COOKIES*	*GLYCEMIC INDEX*
Chocolate Chip	44
Butter	47
Vanilla Crème Filled Wafers	50
Oatmeal	55
Fudge	57
Shortbread	64
*SOUPS*	*GLYCEMIC INDEX*
Tomato	38
Minestrone	39
Lentil	44
Black Bean	64
Pea	66
*DINNERS*	*GLYCEMIC INDEX*

Fish Stick Fingers	38
Meat Ravioli	39
Cheese Tortellini	50
Pizza	60
Macaroni and Cheese (packaged)	64
*BEANS & PEAS*	*GLYCEMIC INDEX*
Chana Dal	8
Chickpeas, dried	28
Kidney Beans, dried	28
Lentils	29
Lima Beans (frozen)	32
Yellow Split Peas	32
Chickpeas, canned	42
Blackeyed Peas, canned	42
Baked Beans	48
Kidney Beans, canned	52

Volumetric Diet - Fact or another temporary Atkins Diet

2008-07-01T09:38:00.000-07:00

Here is an interesting write-up on the "New" Volumetric diet

Dr. Barbara Rolls is a well respected nutritionist in the United States. Volumetrics reflects her passion and expertise. It is a balanced and nutritious diet that is easy to follow.

The meaning of the term “Volumetrics” has been around for sometime. I can remember my Dad talking about eating foods with high “moisture” content. The concept of food volume as a means to lose weight quickly fell out of favor and was replaced by fat content. Just within the last 2-3 years food volume has made a comeback.

It is important for consumers to understand that there are only a few clinical trials for weight experts to draw conclusions from and make appropriate recommendations.

For instance, it is my opinion that losing weight is not your problem. I prefer to study why you gained weight and look for solutions to keep it from happening again. That’s why I make many references to muscle.

As you age, you lose muscle and gain weight. I judge a weight loss product from that perspective: does the product cause muscle loss? If so, that is not a healthy weight loss product.

I recommend that you find a professional you like and stick with her. As long as “balanced nutrition” is in some way apart of her philosophy, you’ll be in good hands.

This is a good diet despite two potential problems I discuss in this article. Some may agree and some may disagree, but that is the reason for this article–debate and exchange of ideas.

Volumetrics is not New

Volumetrics utilizes food volume (water content) as a way to restrict calories. In general, foods with high water content are less energy dense. Filling up on high volume, low energy dense foods to help you lose weight has two potential problems.

Satiety may occur too early during feeding. This has two outcomes…
Some dieters will begin snacking or binge eating
A few dieters will end up on a Very Low Calorie Diet - potentially too low.
Dieters might completely eliminate carbohydrate intake.
A diet that restricts an entire food group is not a healthy diet.

Every diet has potential problems and outcomes it would like to avoid. My article is a discussion of two possible outcomes of the diet. If they can be avoided, this is a good diet.

Volumetrics is NOT a variation of the Atkins Diet. Dr. Rolls outlines a weight loss plan that if followed properly will lead to fat loss. Weight loss by losing fat and keeping muscle - that’s a good diet.

It’s Just Water

The easy way to critique the diet is to suggest that drinking water with each meal is practicing Volumetrics. I actually do drink 2-3 glasses of water with each meal and it does keep me from over-feeding.

I think it’s fair to say, that the water content of food plays a bigger role in Volumetrics than fat and fiber. This means that weight loss is from calorie restriction. Losing weight by eating less will cause your body to lose both fat and muscle. This is not the optimal way to lose weight. The only acceptable mechanism for weight reduction is by utilizing stored fat. Muscle should be preserved.

Calorie restriction by itself, is not an ideal way to lose weight.

Losing fat and not muscle requires the right combination and ratio of fat to protein, not just calorie restriction.

Dr. Rolls said, “Foods with a high water content have a big impact on satiety. But you can’t simply drink lots of water, which quenches thirst without sating hunger.”

She continues, “Why is water so helpful in controlling calories? It dilutes the calories in a given amount of food.”

Actually, this might be another problem and not a benefit. With diluted calories, volume is up and you become full before consuming an appropriate amount of calories, vitamins, and minerals.

Your Ad Here

Eating the correct ratio of fat to protein is critical in this type of diet, if you want to prevent weight gain. A diet’s primary purpose is to set up an internal environment that slows the process of gaining weight with age. Severe restriction of calories is a bad approach to preventing weight gain.

There is no doubt in my mind that you can eat less and feel full. Food has volume, mainly from it’s water content. Weight loss in this manner really comes down to restricting calories to a very low level. Rarely does that result in healthy weight loss.

Remember, a good diet prevents weight gain by preserving muscle. Active muscle tissue is your best protection from gaining weight. In short, lose weight by losing fat and keep it off by preserving muscle.

“Volumetrics will teach you how to consume fewer calories while enjoying a satisfying portion of food.” Introduction to Dr. Rolls new book, Volumetrics.

How far individuals push the calorie restriction is something to watch. If you consume fewer calories without the correct ratio of macronutrients, you will lose muscle. If you lose muscle, the diet failed at its primary objective of preventing weight gain.

Volumetrics is not designed to severely restrict calories. I just recognize it as a potential problem.

Volumetrics - A Clear Path to the Atkins Diet

This is not a potential or possible outcome, it’s real and personal for me.

I tried a volumetric diet a few years ago. I don’t remember how or when it happened but eventually I was eating nothing but meat.

If this happens to a significant number of dieters on Volumetrics, the diet would no longer be healthy. Weight loss the Atkins’ way involves to some extent muscle loss.

Despite the high level of circulating amino acids in the bloodstream of an Atkins’ dieter, the ketosis induces a catabolic state that rapidly breaks down muscle.

This state of targeted catabolism has lasting effects beyond the initial ketosis that started it. This is a significant problem for Volumetrics.

Volumetrics - One Last Point

Volumetrics is a nutritious diet. It has a couple of potential problems but all diets do.

The publisher said it pretty well, “Volumetrics is designed to help you lose weight safely, effectively, and permanently without feeling hungry or deprived…

…Dr. Barbara Rolls, who holds the endowed Guthrie Chair in Nutrition at Pennsylvania State University, has spent more than twenty years researching hunger and obesity and the factors that determine how we eat.”

My last point starts with the following paragraph from Dr. Rolls book:

“Satiety is the missing ingredient in weight management. Cut calories by simply eating less, and you’ll feel hungry and deprived. You may be able to stick to such a diet for the short term, but to become successful at lifelong weight management, you’ll need an eating pattern that lets you feel full with fewer calories.”

I agree completely. But I have one point to add. As long as you continue to eat nutrient poor food (processed foods without vitamins and minerals), the drive to over-feed will not stop.

Your body will continue to over-feed to get the vitamins and minerals it needs to function.

Conclusion

Volumetrics is a balanced nutritious diet
If followed properly, healthy weight loss can be achieved
Be mindful of severely restricting calories and avoid starting the Atkins Diet

----------------------------

Recent study at Penn State University has voted the Volumetric Diet number 1. The plan involved eating more of what is classified as low energy density foods (ED) as opposed to food with a high ED. The mastermind - Barbara Rolls, PhD. who has over 20 years experience in nutritional sciences.

The diet allows you to eat more and still loose weight. Provided you eat the right types of foods and no binging on desserts and other high calorie foods is not what it is about.

The ED of foods can be calculated by taking the ratio of the portion in grams and the calories in that portion. The ED is broken down into four different categories:

Very low energy density: 0 - 0.5 e.g. fruits/vegetables (non starchy), nonfat milk and broth type soups. This you can have a lot of during the day. These foods are high in fiber and moisture. At meal time have a large salad or soup so that you will consume less for the main course.
Low energy density: 0.6 -1.5 e.g. starch fruits/vegetables (starchy), grains, spaghetti, beans etc. Have set and controlled portions daily.
Medium energy density: 1.5 - 4.0 e.g. cheese, meats, pizza, salad dressing etc. Portions are limited to set amounts per week.

High energy density: 4.0 - 9.0 e.g. sweets, crackers, chocolate, dessert etc. These are allowed occasionally.
So even though you are eating fewer calories you are filling up on foods that actually make you feel full and you will be able to get a good dose of nutrients, vitamins and all the other good stuff.

Of course exercising goes hand in hand with this as well. At least 30 minutes per day for 5 days should help getting your metabolism in gear. Also self control and a strong will power would be very good to keep close by.

Trigger foods - Foods which increase your desire to Eat

2008-06-26T08:12:00.000-07:00

The trainer and fitness expert, Bob Harper from The Biggest Loser shares five "trigger foods" you should skip to beat those pesky food cravings once and for all.

1. Keep your sugar substitutes, such as Sweet'n Low and Splenda, to a minimum. These are great products for adding sweetness to a beverage or cereal. But too much might trigger your craving for something really sweet - like a slice of pie or ice cream!

2. Avoid foods high in sodium, including Chinese takeout, chips, canned soups, and some frozen dinners. Sodium not only makes you retain fluids but also acts as an appetite stimulant and contributes to heart disease.

3. Avoid foods high in fat, including ice cream, baked goods, and chips. Some of these foods may contain trans fat, but even if they don't, the fat means you're taking in too many calories, and this will no doubt upset your caloric goals for the day.

4. Avoid alcohol. An occasional glass of wine or light beer is a pleasure I don't want to deny you. But it's easy to forget that alcohol contains a lot of hidden calories - 80-90 calories per glass of wine and 120 calories per beer. If you have between three and five drinks per week, that's around 250-500 extra calories per week! Alcohol also lowers your inhibitions and may lead to less-than-good food choices.

5. Caffeine is a stimulant and one many of us rely on to wake us up in the morning or give us that extra oomph when our energy lags in the afternoon. But do keep in mind that too much caffeine can be bad for us, stressing our bodies, depleting our bones of calcium, and eventually making us more tired than wakeful.

Excerpted from Are You Ready! by Bob Harper Copyright © 2008 by Bob Harper. Excerpted by permission of Broadway, a division of Random House of Canada Limited. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

Check out our healthy meal plans to help you meet your fitness and weight loss goals.

Kirstie Alley and her successful weight loss regime

2008-06-21T08:22:00.000-07:00

Getting rid of 75 pounds in in a matter of 365 days, Kirstie Alley's tale remains as one of the biggest weight loss successes stories of all time. Because Kirstie Alley is a well-known celebrity, her crossing from 200 pounds to 125 pounds is highly renowned.

In 2005, Kirstie Alley, the famous star of two Star Trek films and immortal humor flicks like Blind Date and Deconstructing Harry, as well as a prominent role in TV's most well-received series, Cheers, got bigger to as much as 200 pounds. She admitted to experiencing depression during this time, but her emotional turmoil was lessened by her decision to accept her problem and her dedication to do something about the same.

Instead of wallowing in self pity, Alley joined in a reality-based cable TV series entitled Fat Actress, chronicling her own ordeal as an overweight professional actress looking for projects in Hollywood.

Kirstie Alley was turned into an image model for Jenny Craig's weight loss course. Every 3 weeks or so, a new commercial starring Alley appeared on TV, detailing her progress under the said program.

The results were astonishing, and the whole country was surprised by how much weight she lost in a relative short period of time.

The Jenny Craig weight loss course aimed for a 3 to 5 pound weight reduction per week, which is quite a realistic goal. It has been said that Kirstie Alley is an ultimate proof to the success of Jenny Craig's weight loss course, making more people to register to the same following to Kristie Alley's appearance, scantily clad and revealing her newfound - or recently re-discovered -shape in one of the Oprah Winfrey Show.

Kirstie Alley's agreement as Jenny Craig's spokesperson has expired, and recently, Alley has announced her plan to release her very own weight loss program in 2009.

The world witnessed how much she lost weight. The world has accepted her as living proof that people can indeed lose a significant amount of weight if they'll make an effort. And everyone is in no doubt expecting for the subsequent weight loss-correlated news regarding Kirstie Alley.

Fat loss for idiots??

2008-04-14T09:32:00.000-07:00

Just something I ran across

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia., March 31, 2008 - FatLoss4IdiotsExposed.org was officially launched. The website offers information about healthy ways to lose weight as well as reviewing the weight loss program, FatLoss4Idiots.

FatLoss4Idiots attempts to help people lose weight without following any starvation diets or flawed traditional diets. The website focuses on the newest information and weight loss techniques in an effort to encourage smart and healthy weight loss.

According to FatLoss4IdiotsExposed.org website, people can lose 9 pounds in 11 days with the help of the weight loss plan, which emphasizes an "Accelerated Fat Loss Diet" and "10 Idiot Proof Rules of Dieting & Fat Loss".

Visitors to the FatLoss4IdiotsExposed.org website will find information about the power of food and the importance of choosing the correct foods and eating patterns. Readers can also learn about the drawbacks and ineffectiveness of many popular and traditional dieting methods. Knowledge of fat burning hormones is also a key to the fatloss4idiots diet plan, as is the effect of calorie shifting on a person’s metabolism.

This diet plan also offers a new online diet generator that helps dieters calculate the many factors that are important to successful weight loss. The website calls it the "Idiot Proof Diet", and says new members can download it in less than 30 seconds.

FatLoss4IdiotsExposed.org is a website dedicated to weight loss and the FatLoss4Idiots diet program. For more information, visit http://www.FatLoss4IdiotsExposed.org

Superfoods to the Rescue

2008-01-06T09:07:00.000-08:00

Superfoods to the Rescue
By: Reader's Digest

Luscious strawberries dipped in rich, dark chocolate. Grilled salmon. Mashed sweet potatoes dusted with cinnamon. Spinach salad tossed with cranberries and walnuts.

Superfoods such as the five described below work better than supplements to slash your risk of heart disease. Not only do they entertain your taste buds like a four-star chef, they also battle all six deadly heart attackers at the same time. Specifically, these amazing foods can:

Reduce your risk of artery-clogging atherosclerosis
Whittle away at cholesterol
Lower your blood pressure
Cool inflammation
Neutralize damaging free radicals
Reduce your chances of developing metabolic syndrome by keeping blood sugar lower and steadier
When eaten in healthy portions, help you lose weight
You don't have to go to the health food store to find them; just wheel your cart through the supermarket. (Hint: Most are in the perimeter aisles, including the produce, meat, and dairy departments.) More good news: We've pulled together the quickest, tastiest ways to cook and serve these healing foods, from tried-and-true favorites to fresh, new ideas. Healthy eating doesn't have to take extra time out of your busy day--reaching for an ounce of dark chocolate or a fistful of walnuts is as quick as grabbing a bag of chips. And the taste? Out of this world.

1. Almonds
Super nutrients. Monounsaturated fat, magnesium, calcium, potassium, fiber.
Serving size. 1 ounce (about 24 almonds); 160 calories.
Benefits. A single serving of these crunchy, protein-packed nuggets provides a whopping 9 grams of monounsaturated fat to help slash LDLs ("bad" cholesterol) and boost HDLs ("good" cholesterol). Simply choosing almonds instead of a doughnut, chips, or pretzels for two snacks a day could cut LDLs nearly by 10 percent. Almonds also pack 6 percent of your daily calcium quota and 20 percent of the magnesium you need--two minerals proven to help lower blood pressure. Bonus: You get 35 percent of the Daily Value (DV) for vitamin E, an artery-protecting antioxidant, as well as 3 grams of fiber. Just be sure to stop with one handful at snack time--advice that holds true for all nuts because they're calorie-dense.
Almond Lemon Chicken recipe

Good ideas:

One serving of almonds fits neatly into an empty Altoids mints tin. Fill the tin each morning and slip it into your purse or briefcase.
Toss some almonds into salads, stir-fries, fruit salad, or hot or cold cereal.
Keep slivered and sliced almonds on hand (store them in the freezer for freshness) to add to vegetable dishes, muffins, and cookies.

2. Apples
Super nutrients. Antioxidants, fiber.
Serving size. 1 medium; 80 calories.
Benefits. Red Delicious, Granny Smith, and Gala apples earned spots on the USDA's top-20 list of antioxidant-rich foods thanks to hefty quantities of the flavonoid quercetin (flavonoids are natural chemicals in plants that, when in your bloodstream, remove free radical molecules, fight inflammation, and impede cancer). Bonus: Apples are a rich source of pectin, a soluble fiber. In a recent study at the University of California, Davis, people who ate two apples a day had fewer oxidized, artery-attacking LDLs than non-apple eaters.
Apple Dumpling recipe

Good ideas:

Chop an apple and add to hot cereal.
For a portable snack, cut up an apple and place the slices in a zipper-lock plastic bag with 2 teaspoons of cinnamon. Carry it with you in an insulated lunch bag (with a freezer pack) to eat at lunch or as a snack. It tastes like apple pie, without the crust or the sugar.
For a quick baked apple, core an apple, pack the center with raisins and walnuts, and dust with cinnamon. Place it in a bowl with 1/4 cup of orange juice, apple juice, or water and microwave on high for 5 minutes, or until done.

3. Carrots

Super nutrients. One of nature's top sources of beta-carotene, an artery-protecting antioxidant.
Serving size. 1 medium; 32 calories.
Benefits. Carrots are color therapy for your cardiovascular system. These veggies' brilliant orange hue is a sign of super-high levels of beta-carotene, an antioxidant that guards against artery-clogging oxidized LDL cholesterol. Only foods like carrots offer this protection--recent studies suggest that antioxidant pills don't help your heart. Cooked carrots have twice the antioxidant power of raw carrots because heat breaks down tough cell walls so that your body can use what's inside. Carrots also provide blood pressure-lowering potassium and magnesium, plus the homocysteine-lowering combination of folate; vitamin B6; and the antioxidants alpha-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin.

Good ideas:

Set out a bowl of baby carrots when you're cooking as a healthy snack that won't fill you up with unwanted calories or wreck your appetite.
Buy sliced and shredded carrots in the produce department; add them to soups, salads, and casseroles.
Instead of chips, serve presliced carrots with dip.
Add finely grated carrots to muffins, tuna or salmon salad, and casseroles.
Microwave baby carrots and stir in a dollop of honey for a sweet side dish.
Roast carrots in the oven with olive oil.

4. Milk

Super nutrients. Great source of blood pressure-lowering calcium, magnesium, and potassium.
Serving size. 8 ounces 1% milk;110 calories.
Benefits. Your heart--and your waistline--love it when you have a milk mustache. (So, of course, do your bones!) A growing stack of research proves that calcium and other minerals in milk help lower blood pressure by keeping arteries flexible and helping your kidneys flush pressure-boosting sodium out of your body. A glass of cold moo juice at lunch or a generous splash on your morning cereal could cut your risk of insulin resistance--a potent heart disease risk factor--by 71 percent
and help you lose weight. How? Mayo Clinic researchers suspect that calcium "down-regulates" fat absorption by fat cells and "up-regulates" fat burning.

Good ideas:
A favorite cocoa recipe: Mix 1 cup of fat-free or low-fat milk, two packets of sugar substitute, and cocoa in a small saucepan or microwaveable cup and heat for about 1 minute.
Cook hot cereal and low-sodium instant or canned soups with milk instead of water.
Make milk your drive-through thirst quencher. Most fast-food restaurants offer the low-fat variety in cartons or single-serve bottles.
Order a latte with fat-free milk instead of black or with cream at your favorite coffee shop.
Make sugar-free instant pudding with low-fat or fat-free milk and serve it with berries.
Use fat-free evaporated milk in place of regular milk in baked goods, soups, and sauces. A cup contains 742 milligrams of calcium--more than double the amount in low-fat milk.
Whip partially frozen fat-free evaporated milk for a high-calcium dessert topping that has one-tenth the calories of regular whipped cream.
Puree fat-free or low-fat cottage cheese and fat-free evaporated milk with some lemon juice and rosemary for a light pasta sauce.

5. Kidney Beans
Super nutrients. Soluble fiber, folate, potassium, magnesium.
Serving size. 1/2 cup; 112 calories.
Benefits. Eating beans four times a week--in baked beans, bean dip, chili, or a salad sprinkled with chickpeas or black beans--could cut your risk of coronary heart disease by 20 to 30 percent. Make some of them kidney beans; they're rich in LDL-lowering soluble fiber (2 grams in a 1/2-cup serving) and homocysteine-controlling folate, as well as blood pressure-easing potassium and magnesium.

Bonus: Thanks to healthy doses of fiber and protein, beans give you steady energy, not a sudden rise (and fall) of blood sugar that ups your risk of metabolic syndrome and weight gain.

Good ideas:

Rinse canned kidney beans before using to remove sodium. Toss them into chili, casseroles, and soups.
For a quick tamale pie, serve warm kidney beans over a piece of cornbread and top with grated cheese.
Make a better three-bean salad: Combine kidney, black, and white beans, then mix in chopped tomatoes and scallions. Dress with olive oil, lemon juice, and black pepper.
In a food processor or blender, combine cooked kidney beans with garlic, cumin, and chili peppers for a delicious spread that can be used as a dip for crudités or a sandwich filling.

So Tell Me - How Do You Burn The Fat?

2007-12-31T00:53:00.000-08:00

Just an interesting article I found online

Ultimately, the key to steady weight loss is to burn the fat that is stored in various parts of the body at a regular pace. But how do you burn the fat when it seems so rigidly in place?

Fad diets that consist of counting calories in a variety of different ways only last as long as you are "on" them. Once you stop, annoyingly, so too does the weight loss. Even more frustrating, is the fact that many times, a year down the track, not only have you put back the weight you originally lost, but you have added to it as well!

Tasty slimming shakes and specially prepared foods don't burn the bodyfat stores either, they simply reduce your calorie intake. Again, as soon as you stop taking them, your weight loss stops too.

Changing the way you eat can help reduce the calories, contributing to weight loss, but again, don't burn the fat stores that you need to in order to regain the shape you desire. Simply eliminating the fat in foods doesn't necessarily mean that you will eliminate the fat on you. In fact, some fats are good for you - such as those found in fish, nuts, olives, and seeds.

So what is the key to weight loss and looking great? What is the secret to managing not to move, but to burn the fat that you have found so hard to shift until now? I'll tell you. Metabolism.

By speeding up your metabolism, your body will automatically burn the fat stores gradually and evenly all over your body, resulting in a steady weight loss and returning it to the state it once was.

Since it is not possible to choose one particular place on your body with extra fat such as the hips, thighs, stomach, or bum and just burn the bodyfat from the stores in those areas, it's necessary for you to do an overall job , on the whole body.

In order to speed up your metabolism, and lose weight, you need to exercise. Although there are two types of exercise - anaerobic and aerobic, the latter has the advantage that it will continue to burn the fat stores even after you stop exercising.

The longer and harder you have been exercising, the longer your body will continue to burn the fatstores for, adding to your weight loss even if you are doing nothing but watching TV! You do aerobic exercise when you walk, swim, or cycle.

Weightlifting falls into a slightly different category. Although it does not increase your metabolism, it is an activity that will burn the fat through increasing your lean muscle. In fact, for every extra pound of muscle you put on, you will burn 40-50 more calories, so it's an excellent exercise for weightloss!

Ironically, eat! To aid weight loss and burn the bodyfat stores on your body, you need to kick-start your metabolism, which slows down when you don't eat, particularly overnight. So a big breakfast is very important.

Eating little and often - around 6 times a day - will also help to maintain a higher metabolism helping your body burn calories, resulting in weight loss.

That said, it's also important to watch what you eat. weight loss never occurs when you eat loads of deep-fried, sugary, and convenience foods which are high in fat and low in nutrition. Try instead to go for foods that are high in fibre , such as spinach or bran , and limit toxins such as alcohol, sweets, and caffeine. Also, drink lots of water, around 8 glasses each day.

Apart from the weight loss and shaping of your body, an increased metabolism also provides you with more energy.

So what are you waiting for? Burn the fat, lose weight and feel great the natural way!

Get in touch with the industry experts at http://www.weightlossfatburnersecrets.com for more help. Steve Magill has written several articles with regard to the weightloss business. As a Fellow in the (FBAE) he is considered an expert consultant when it comes to helping people to lose weight.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Magill

Agave sweetener - the new sugar

2007-12-28T15:21:00.000-08:00

I just stumbled on some info about Agave nectar as a sweetener. Unlike Aspartame and all the other crap, this is natural. Actually made from the Agave cactus (Same as tequila) and is quite abit sweeter than refined sugar. Here is some info I dug up.

Only recently has Agave come into use as a sweetener, north of Mexico. It has a low glycemic index level and is a delicious and safe alternative to table sugar. To learn about the Glycemic Index Level CLICK HERE. Unlike the crystalline form of fructose, which is refined primarily from corn, Agave Nectar is sweet in its natural form and is therefore much easier for the body to process and use.

This nectar does not contain processing chemicals. Even better, because it is sweeter than table sugar, less is needed in your recipes and meals.

It can be most useful for people who are diabetic, have insulin resistance (Type II, non-insulin dependant) or are simply watching their carbohydrate intake.

What is the Glycemic Index?
Not all carbohydrate foods are created equal, in fact they behave quite differently in our bodies. The glycemic index or (GI) describes this difference by ranking carbohydrates according to their effect on our blood glucose levels. Choosing low GI carbs - the ones that produce only small fluctuations in our blood glucose and insulin levels - is the secret to long-term health reducing your risk of heart disease and diabetes and is the key to sustainable weight loss.

Glycemic Rating of SUGARS (G.I)

Agave Nectar 27
Safe For Diabetics <55
Honey 83
High fructose corn syrup 89
Sucrose 92
Glucose 137
Glucose tablets 146
Maltodextrin 150
Maltose 150

What are the Benefits of the Glycemic Index?

Eating a lot of high GI foods can be detrimental to your health because it pushes your body to extremes. This is especially true if you are overweight and sedentary. Switching to eating mainly low GI carbs that slowly trickle glucose into your blood stream keeps your energy levels balanced and means you will feel fuller for longer between meals.

Low GI diets help people lose and control weight
Low GI diets increase the body's sensitivity to insulin
Low GI carbs improve diabetes control
Low GI carbs reduce the risk of heart disease
Low GI carbs reduce blood cholesterol levels
Low GI carbs can help you manage the symptoms of PCOS
Low GI carbs reduce hunger and keep you fuller for longer
Low GI carbs prolong physical endurance
High GI carbs help re-fuel carbohydrate stores after exercise

How to Switch to a Low GI Diet?

You don't need to count numbers or do any sort of mental arithmetic to make sure you are eating a healthy, low GI diet.

The basic technique for eating the low GI way is simply a "this for that" approach - ie, swapping high GI carbs for low GI carbs.

Use breakfast cereals based on oats, barley and bran
Use breads with wholegrains, stone-ground flour, sour dough
Reduce refined sugars and artificial sweeteners
Enjoy all other types of fruit and vegetables
Use Basmati or Doongara rice
Enjoy pasta, noodles, etc Eat plenty of salad vegetables with a vinaigrette dressing

Vancouver 2010 Olympic Mascots

2007-12-01T13:16:00.000-08:00

a couple of days ago VANOC released the Mascots. Release a whole pile of contrevercy, actually. Comments were fast an furious, some pointed out other meanings for the chosen names. These included Urban dictionary's definition of Muk Muk as Semen. Another series of comments rotated around the meaning of Quatchi having something to do with horniness or sexual excitement http://www.definition-of.com/Quatchi.

Honestly, I really don't know what to think about these little creatures. On one side, yes they do appeal to the children, on the other, they have absolutely nothing within them resembling Canada. Sure the graphic designer says they are influenced by Native Indian Culture. I, however, feel they look more like a cross between Hello Kitty and Japanese Anime - PokeKitty as a fellow blogger indicated - http://shitfourbrains.blogspot.com/. I don't know if I would go as far as he did, however I am definately not a fan of the look. I do like Muk Muk though.

Weight Loss Program – Is It Beneficial

2007-10-11T09:04:00.000-07:00

Just a little thing I found which may be helpful.

Love

Michelle

If you are reading this article, then most probably you are overweight and planning to start a weight loss program. There are many weight loss programs out there that have been beneficial for many and there are many that have caused more problems than benefits. So, when you embark on a weight loss program, consult experts and make sure that the program will suit your body.

The best part about most weight loss programs is that you will most certainly lose weight if you follow the regimen to the ‘T’. However, the difficult part is maintaining the weight, as people tend to put on weight fast after discontinuing a weight loss program.

It is advised that you consult a health expert or dietician before you start a weight loss program. A weight loss program that is beneficial for one person may not be suitable for another. The metabolism of each individual varies. Do not jump at weight loss programs that advertise fast weight loss as it could prove to be harmful. The right weight loss program will assist you in losing 2-3 pounds a week and not more. If you are able to consistently lose 2 pounds a week for a few weeks, you will not only be a lot thinner and fit, you will most certainly stay that way.

Paul has been providing answers to lots of queries through his website on a wide variety of subjects ranging from satellite phones to acne. To learn more visit http://www.askaquery.com/Answers/qn1636.html

Weider Hoodia - cut the crap

2007-10-10T08:27:00.000-07:00

OK, so maybe the title is a little brazen. Thing is, I got up a little earlier this morning and found myself fairly hungry before breakfast. So I figured this was the perfect opportunity to try one of the Hoodia pills everyone was talking about.

I should preface this by saying my weight issue has more to do with a lack of activity. I generally do not over-eat I just need to get out to keep my metabolism up.
I took the pill a 2 1/2 hours ago with a glass of water. So far, I am still as hungry as I was before. I looked at the bottle and it states guaranteed pure from South Africa, however nothing about a quality guarantee. Interesting.

exercising in the winter

2007-10-03T07:21:00.001-07:00

Now that the rain is here (for 10 more months) the thought of going for a morning walk has become less appealing. Good news is, there is a local community centre with a pool and exercise bikes right around the corner. I also picked up one of these exercise bikes and love it.

I also joined a Kundalini Yoga class and love it

This is a great way to beat the winter Seasonally adjusted disorder (SAD) blahs that are so common in the rainy climates. So how does everyone else cope?

Open post section

2007-09-16T13:19:00.001-07:00

Hello,

I just realised people couldn't just start a new blog, so this is the place to post a comment on anything. I can then move it to its own blog roll.
You can talk about anything in here. Maybe you are feeling a little quatchi and need to talk about it... After all, we all get those sexual desires. Just because you are overweight it shouldn't mean you don't get that little quatchi feeling every once in awhile.

Love Michelle

Low fat Strawberry Crunch - Recipe

2007-09-16T13:16:00.000-07:00

Oh how I love strawberries

2 small strawberry sugar free jello (boxes)
1 cup boiling water
4 cups unsweeted strawberries, sliced
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
3 mashed bananas
1/3 cup pecans
1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt

Mix jello and boiling water until dissolved. Add fruit and mix. Add nuts. Pour 1/2 mixture in 9×13 pan and reserve remaining mixture at room temperature. Chill mixture in pan for 1 hour. Spread yogurt on top of chilled mixture, then top with remaining mixture. Chill until firm.

serves 12, 84 calories, 2 grams fiber, 2 grams fat

Should Employers Be Able to Charge You for Being Overweight

2007-09-16T10:45:00.000-07:00

Something I found online.

Any thoughts?

Overweight? Prepare to Pay Up

Should Employers Be Able to Charge You for Being Overweight?
By TORY JOHNSON
Aug. 10, 2007

With health-care costs rising, some large employers are taking radical new steps to cut corners: They're charging overweight employees a fee if they don't slim down.
It's a strategy companies have used for years with smokers, which has many people wondering whether these heavy-handed employer tactics are a sign of things to come.
It's not necessarily the wave of the future. While controlling costs is paramount for any business, the happiness and morale of its work force are also quite relevant. There are many people who believe that when employers start requiring weigh-ins and cholesterol checks, they've gone way too far.
So the issues of employee loyalty/satisfaction and privacy concerns, combined with some serious legal challenges, given the protection afforded to employees in the Americans with Disabilities Act which says that employers can't discriminate on the basis of health will be cause for concern among employers before they rush out to adopt this stance.
It's no secret that skyrocketing health-care costs are of concern to employers and employees alike. Each of us is paying for it, and our bosses are too. We'd all like to save money. But it's more than just obesity and smoking that contribute to those enormous premiums, which leads to several questions.
How far can or should an employer go? Do you penalize an employee with breast cancer because her treatment costs are astronomical? What about someone with a brain tumor or a skin disorder? Do you monitor alcohol intake to determine whether employees are showing up hungover and therefore aren't as productive as sober people?
Reward Versus Punishment
In theory, anything an employer can do to help its work force to be healthy is great and should be perceived as great often a blessing in disguise even if it is motivated by business needs, not necessarily the health and welfare of its people.
That said, there are many critics who say punishment through financial penalties is not a sound solution and that rewards are often much more successful. Not only do incentives boost morale, but they achieve the desired results. Not long ago we focused on companies that were investing in health and wellness programs and challenges and the management was thrilled with the results.
In fact, a recent survey found that when major corporations took the time to measure their return on investment for health and wellness incentive programs, more than 75 percent said it was greater than breaking even.
Slippery Slope?
Many critics worry that employers could get too familiar with our private lives and our personal relationships. And indeed many already are. Last month we introduced "Good Morning America" viewers to the growing trend of workplace chaplains on-site clergy who minister to employees, mainly about personal issues that range from marital woes to coping with a family member's illness.
There are other companies that are now introducing forms of marriage counseling. The theory is that when your home life is a wreck or you're worried that your spouse is cheating, you bring those fears to work and it impacts your performance. So it behooves an employer to offer on-site seminars on improving relationships and maintaining healthy marriages because happy individuals make happy employees.
But in the end, most people say the buck's got to stop somewhere with a healthy balance between controlling costs while allowing employees to maintain their personal privacy as well.
Tory Johnson is the workplace contributor on "Good Morning America" and the CEO of Women for Hire. Connect with her at www.womenforhire.com
Copyright © 2007 ABC News Internet Ventures

Diet Pills... The good the bad and the Ugly...

2007-09-14T17:18:00.000-07:00

I know I have my opinions but of course there may be others. Any experiences anyone would like to share?

Michelle

Good Morning

2007-09-14T06:08:00.000-07:00

It is just after 6AM and I am up. I just finished taking a walk around the block. Since loosing all this weight I have been feeling so much better about myself. I know I still have a ways to go and this battle with obesity is far from over but I do feel good and that is what is important.

Since this is such a new Blog, I figured I needed to promote it a little bit so after talking to a web person I know I decided to post a few free ads on Craigslist. After all a community isn't a community without people in it. If you have just stumble upon this, welcome and thank you for coming. Please feel free to contribute, and tell others. The more the merrier.

Love

Michelle

Welcome

2007-09-13T09:06:00.000-07:00

Good Morning,

My name is Michelle and I was fat.... OK so I still struggle with weight issues, however I am over the biggest hump of it all.
Aside from the effect my weight had on my mobility and of course the social stigma us plus sized women go through, the part I really hated the most was all the Bullsh!t advertising and false hope mongering of these psuedo professionals. So many drugs, so many diets, From Atkins, Weightwatchers, Jenny Craig, LA Weightloss, Hoodia, and various other forms of speed - Come on people, the weight problem is not in my wallet... in fact it is rather Anorexic as far as wallets go - My purse on the other hand :)

So now onto the purpose of my rambling. Since overcoming the largest part if my weight loss I realised there needs to be some community support out there. Not the false kind which offer drug store solutions to lifestyle issues or those who pretent to care - so long as you pay for a membership. I'm talking about real support, support that comes from the heart without expectations of pecuinary reward. Yes I have a weight problem, yes I am dealing with it, no I don't want to empty my wallet any further for some false profit.

So let's talk. This is a blog to share experiences, successes and shortfalls. What has worked for you and what hasn't. Come on men and women together, lets unite and fight the battle of the bulge together.

Michelle

PS I always hate it when programs and people state statistics. Yes I have lost a substantial amount of weight. I will not go into the exact figure because it is all relative. All humans are unique, as are their metabolism's. A number is just a number, how you feel is the important part and I FEEL GREAT!!!