Health Is Wealth

What Is The Easiest Way To Lose Weight?

2009-12-11T22:39:00.000-08:00

One of the most frequently asked question about weight loss is ... What is the easiest way to lose weight?

That is a difficult question that may not have one particular answer. Losing weight takes a serious commitment over an extended period of time and requires changes to your diet, attitude and lifestyle. The easiest way to lose weight is to start slowly and add steps as you go.

Here is a simple four step weight loss plan:

The first step is to eliminate candy, chips, soda and other high sugar, high sodium and high fat foods. At the same time, increase your daily intake of water. Drinking up to 8 glasses of COLD water makes you feel full, helps digestion and keeps the body hydrated. There also is some evidence that drinking cold water enhances fat burning.

Step 1 is part of the answer to that often asked question ... What is the easiest way to lose weight?

After two weeks on the weight loss plan, you should begin to feel better about yourself. Even if you don't notice any weight loss, applaud yourself, you've achieved your first goal.

Now it's time to take on Step 2 of your weight loss plan - Walking daily.

Start out by walking at least ten minutes each day, preferably after dinnertime. Walking is a great way to lose weight because it burns calories, gets the blood flowing, reduces stress, tones the muscles, increases stamina and releases endorphins (neurotransmitters that reduce pain and anxiety, enhance the immune system and retard the aging process).

Gradually increase the duration and speed of your walk. Soon you'll begin to SEE physical signs of your hard work - increased muscle tone, weight loss, and a better overall appearance.

After a few more weeks its time for Step 3 of your weight loss plan - Recruit an exercise buddy and/or join a gym.
Having the support of another person going through the same issues or having an exercise trainer will help you stay committed.

And finally, Step 4 of the easiest ways to lose weight program - make a lifestyle change.
Incorporate all these steps into your daily routine and make it part of your life. If you don't, you'll find yourself in the same situation as you were before you started.

Weight loss takes a commitment and dedication. The payoff is larger than just losing weight - it will give you a longer and happier life.

The Truth About The Best Way To Lose Weight

2009-12-09T16:37:00.000-08:00

Are your overweight? Are you obese? How do you know? Do you think you're of normal weight, that you have no reason to lose weight?

I found myself asking these questions. and I didn't have a definitive answer. That is, until I calculated by Body mass index (BMI). The BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to adult men and women.

I have always considered myself healthy, fit and normal weight, so you image how stunned I was to discover that I was overweight based on the Body mass index calculator results.

So then I found myself looking for a way to lose weight that can work for me. Some of the traditional ways to loose weight include working out at the gym, walking regularly, cardio workouts, going on a weight loss diet, cutting carbs, drinking lots of water, etc. etc.

But what weight loss method works? What is the best way to lose weight?

After analyzing this question I came to the conclusion that the best way to lose weight is a personal question. One that depends on the type of person you are, the habits you have and the lifestyle you lead.

Perhaps you're the type of person who would choose the fastest way to lose weight, or the one that would choose the "best diet to lose weight" based on the experts. Maybe you're one that would simply make a random choice of the weight loss methods available. But these may not be the best ways to choose a method for losing weight.

I found my personal weight loss method by examining my habits, likes and dislikes. You see, I don't have a lot of extra time and I can't afford a gym membership, so going the exercise route to weight loss is out. I love food and don't think I can stick to a strict weight loss diet so that is out too. However, I do like to walk, it seems to calm me down and reduces my stress. I also noticed that I have a habit of eating a calorie rich meal late at night.

Then a light popped in my head. If I changed my eating habits to eat dinner earlier while cutting down a little on the calories - I could definitely do that ! And since I like to walk - I could take a brisk walk after dinner - that's easy! So there I had my personalized weight loss program that was easy for me to stick to long term.

Well, it's been about two months and I've lost about ten pounds. Even more important, I have more strength, pep and I sleep like a baby.

So the lesson I've learned about choosing a way to lose weight is to have a diet plan that is realistic. A weight loss plan that you can live with, with no regrets.

Lifestyle Change Is The Way To Lose Weight

2009-12-09T16:25:00.000-08:00

Modern technology sure has made life easier but it has led to inactive lifestyles. Lifestyles that have lead to a significant increase in obesity, being overweight and overweight health problems such as diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure.

Health problems associated with being overweight are leading millions to find ways to lose weight including going on a diet plan. Perhaps one of the easiest way to lose weight is to stop eating after dinner. Many believe that simply by refraining from the midnight snack or eating dinner late at night is the best way to lose weight.

Eliminating the urge to eat after dinnertime may not be the fastest way to lose weight but it takes less dedication that an exercise regiment or staying on a weight loss diet, and it's easier to stick to over time.

One good weight loss tip to avoid eating late at night is keep the snacks and goodies out of sight. Removing the temptations of desserts, sweets and candies late at night are great ways to lose weight in a healthy way. Another tip to avoid eating food late at night is to drink cold water in the hours between dinner and bedtime.

Refraining from eating after dinner is one of the easy ways to lose weight for those who cannot exercise, have health problems or simply have trouble staying on a weight loss diet.

Summer Vacation Healthy Eating Tips

2009-05-31T21:53:00.000-07:00

The month of June marks that time of year when families start taking summer vacations. Summer vacations are an essential requirement to relax, revitalize and do whatever the heck you want. But while vacations may be the time to "veg out" and splurge, don't use them as an excuse to ignore your healthful-eating efforts.

You can eat right and still enjoy your vacation. Here are a couple of tips:

Sample small amounts of high-calorie foods

Share large portions

Space meals throughout the day

Monitor your alcohol intake, since alcoholic beverages are high in calories and also can lead to overeating

Enjoy snacks from a plate rather than from the box

Engage in some type of physical activity most days.

If maintaining a healthy lifestyle is difficult when you vacation, don’t worry. Just get back on track when you return.

source: American Dietic Association

Does The DASH Diet Really Work?

2009-02-18T20:00:00.000-08:00

It's no secret that many of us don't have a healthy diet. We seem to be eating more and more foods that are high in sodium, sugar and fat. Combine that with lack of exercise and you have a ticking time bomb that is becoming a serious health threat in many western countries. It is also affecting our children with devastating health concerns for them later in life.

The concerns of eating foods high in sodium and fat is hypertension (commonly known as high blood pressure). Persistent hypertension is one of the risk factors for strokes, heart attacks, heart failure and arterial aneurysm, and is a leading cause of chronic renal failure. Even moderate elevation of arterial blood pressure leads to shortened life expectancy.

People who suffer hypertension are recommended to follow an eating regiment that reduces the amount of sodium and fat in their diet. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and the American Heart Association both promote and highly recommend that hypertension sufferers take on the DASH diet to lower their high blood pressure.

The DASH Diet is an acronym for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. The DASH diet is based on an eating plan rich in fruits and vegetables, and low-fat or non-fat dairy. Another major feature of the plan is limiting intake of sodium, and it also generally encourages the consumption of nuts, whole grains, fish, poultry, fruits and vegetables while lowering the consumption of red meats, sweets, and sugar. It is also "rich in potassium, magnesium, and calcium, as well as protein and fiber.

Actually, the DASH diet has been able to lower the blood pressure in just a few weeks for those with moderately high blood pressure. Researchers have now discovered that the DASH diet can also help improve the response of medication taken by those with very high levels of blood pressure.

Other benefits of the DASH diet include reduced risks of stroke and heart disease and helps to reduce cholesterol. When combined with weight loss and exercise can help reduce insulin resistance.

The DASH diet plan calls for eating, on a daily basis, the following:

Grains and grain products (include at least 3 whole grain foods each day) 7 - 8 servings
Fruits 4 - 5 servings
Vegetables 4 - 5 servings
Low fat or non fat dairy foods 2 - 3 servings
Lean meats, fish, poultry 2 servings or less
Nuts, seeds, and legumes 4 - 5 servings per week
Fats and sweets limited servings

The DASH diet is a guideline of nutritional foods that will help reduce blood pressure. The DASH Diet Action Plan: Based on the National Institutes of Health Research: Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension is a great guide that has 28 days of meal plans, recipes and guidance for eating at restaurants and fast food places. It will help you create your own Dash Diet Action Plan.

Before going on a diet plan it is important to make sure it will work for you. Do your research and read testimonials from consumers who have tried the diet plan that made them successful in losing weight, getting fit and getting healthy.

The DASH Diet does work and is not only recommended for those suffering from hypertension, but for those looking for a healthy eating plan.

Dark Chocolate The Healthy Valentines Day Choice

2009-02-13T22:29:00.000-08:00

Dark Chocolate is being heralded by researchers and consumers alike because it is one of the few sweet indulgences that have tremendous health benefits. In extensive scientific research, dark chocolate has been found to contain flavanoids, which is good for your heart - what a perfect gift for your Valentine!

The importance of antioxidants is their ability to protect the body from aging caused by free radicals, which can cause damage that leads to heart disease. Dark Chocolate contains nearly eight times the number of flavonoids found in strawberries.

Flavonoids have also been found to help blood pressure and even balance hormonal levels in humans. Dark chocolate has also been shown to reduce LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) by up to 10 percent.

Besides these outstanding benefits, dark chocolate stimulates endorphin production, which gives a feeling of pleasure. It also contains serotonin, which acts as an anti-depressant. Dark chocolae also contains theobromine, caffeine and other substances which are stimulants.

Chocolate does contain fat but only one third of the fat is bad for you. That's because dark chocolate contains Oleic Acid which is a healthy monounsaturated fat that is also found in olive oil. It also contains Stearic Acid which researchers have shown to have a neutral effect on cholesterol levels in the body. The "bad" fat in dark chocolate comes from the Palmitic oil, which is a saturated fat that does raise cholesterol and heart risks.

The benefits of dark chocolate are obvious, however it has a high calorie content. Most of the studies show that only 3.5 ounces of dark chocolate are enough to get the health benefits.

Eating half a bar of dark chocolate (200 calories) instead of a whole bar (400 calories) is enough to get the benefit and save you 200 calories.

One note: researchers now believe that washing down chocolate with a glass of milk may prevent the antioxidants from being absorbed and used by your body.

Many people ask why does dark chocolate have more benefits that milk or white chocolate. The answer is simple. Dark chocolate has a 65% or higher level of cocoa content.

Dark chocolate is a perfect gift for Valentines Day. It's sweet, healthy, and shows that special someone that you really care!

Increase Your Metabolism and Speed Up Fat Loss

2009-02-10T00:02:00.000-08:00

Many people dedicate themselves to a fitness and exercise program but struggle with the nutrition component of their health program. What many feel to realize is that nutrition plays a bigger role in fat and weight loss than exercise and physical training. Here are some techniques to boost your fat loss efforts:

1. Engage in aerobic exercise for 30-60 minutes MOST days of the week and an additional 15-30 minutes in the afternoon/evening. My peers in the fitness industry may suggest less time per week but I find that the body is designed to be active daily and maintaining a strong workout schedule boosts the metabolism. Always remember that you can break your workouts into shorter sessions to meet your schedule and personal obligations.

2. When exercising, use interval training and weight training sessions at least three times a week. Both techniques push the body to use carbohydrate and fat stores in the body. Weight training also builds lean muscle mass which increases your metabolism.

3. If you are performing weight training and cardiovascular exercise in the same day, weight train first because it will burn carbohydrates for the first 30 minutes so that the calories you burn during cardiovascular exercise will come from fat.

4. Always look for ways to be active throughout the day. Walking up the stairs instead of using elevators and walking as much as possible throughout the day will add up to meet your fitness goals.

5. Exercise in the morning when you can because it will help to control your appetite all day long and decrease food cravings.

6. Do not hold your breath and breathe deeply during exercise because your body needs oxygen to effectively burn fat and boost your metabolism.

Once you have the fitness component in place, you should take a look at your dietary habits to boost your metabolism.

7. First of all, drink water, water, and more water. Drinking cold water throughout the day actually encourages your body to get rid of excess water, increases your body’s core temperature which stimulates your metabolism and promotes cleansing of the body.

8. Always eat breakfast and eat 5-6 smaller meals a day (every 3 hours).

9. Eat the majority of your calories earlier in the day when your body is active and able to burn more calories than during sleep.

10. Cycle your calories so that for 3 days, you eat the minimum calorie requirement for your body weight and then eat an additional 400 calories on the fourth day. Continue to cycle your calories this way to boost your metabolism.

11. Drink green tea and make sure your smaller meals include a complex carbohydrate, a protein, and good fats like coconut oil or olive oil.

12. Eat at least 1,200 calories per day. Otherwise, your body will think that it is starving and will hold on to fat stores instead of burning excess calories.

13. Avoid empty-calorie foods and beverages like sodas or alcohol which dehydrate your body, slow your metabolism, do not satisfy your hunger, and add to the calories you have to burn later.

Don’t forget to avoid stress and sleep well (7-8 hours) to improve your results.

source: http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles/increase-your-metabolism-and-boost-your-fat-loss-naturally

The Truth About The Goji Berry And Weight Loss

2009-02-03T20:47:00.000-08:00

The Goji berry is being called the miracle berry because of its nutritional benefits as well as a great tool for losing weight. Its leaves may be used to make tea for traditional Chinese medicine treatment of inflammatory and some types of skin diseases. But what exactly is the Goji Berry and what is the truth about its medicinal aspects?

The Goji Berry, also known as the Wolfberry, is a fruit that has been used medicinally in China for thousands of years. Although its original habitat is obscure, the wolfberry (goji) species currently grow in many world regions. Only in China, however, is there significant commercial cultivation.

This fruit goes by many other names including Chinese wolfberry, goji berry, barbary matrimony vine, bocksdorn, Duke of Argyll's tea tree, murali (in India), red medlar or matrimony vine. You will also find it in health food stores under the names Tibetan goji and Himalayan goji.

Goji berries are incredibly nutritious. For their weight -- a daily serving is only 10 to 30 grams -- goji berries have more vitamin C than oranges, more beta carotene than carrots and more iron than steak. Beta carotene is believed to help fight heart disease and also protects the skin from sun damage. Goji berries are also a good source of B vitamins and antioxidants, which protect against harmful free radicals that damage cells in your body. They’re also rich in polysaccharides, which aid the immune system, have 18 kinds of amino acids, and are a rich source of potassium. And, as if protecting your heart, skin and immune system weren’t enough, beta carotene and antioxidants are thought to help fight cancer.

In fact, the claim that goji berry producers frequently refer to is the fruit’s supposed cancer-fighting power. This ability, they say, stems from goji berries’ high antioxidant content. Antioxidants are actually a class of vitamins that includes beta carotene and vitamins E and C. Goji berries rate highly in terms of Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC), a test developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Here are ORAC values (in units per 100 grams) for some foods with high amounts of antioxidants:

Prunes – 5,770
Raisins – 2,830
Blueberries – 2,400
Kale – 1,770
Strawberries – 1,540
Spinach – 1,260
Brussels sprouts – 980
Plums – 949
Oranges – 750

A May 2008 clinical study published by the peer-reviewed Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine indicated that parametric data, including body weight, did not show significant differences between subjects receiving Goji berry juice and subjects receiving the placebo. The study concluded that subjective measures of health were improved and suggested further research in humans was necessary.

However, in the west, none of this research has been scientifically verified, confirmed in clinical studies, or accepted by regulatory authorities.

Two published case reports described elderly women who experienced increased bleeding after drinking wolfberry tea.

Goji berries contain many nutrients and phytochemicals, including:

11 essential and 22 trace dietary minerals
18 amino acids
6 essential vitamins
8 polysaccharides and 6 monosaccharides
5 unsaturated fatty acids, including the essential fatty acids, linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid
beta-sitosterol and other phytosterols
5 carotenoids, including beta-carotene and zeaxanthin (below), lutein, lycopene and cryptoxanthin, a xanthophyll
numerous phenolic pigments (phenols) associated with antioxidant properties

Calcium - contain 112 mg per 100 gram serving, providing about 8-10% of the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI).
Potassium - contain 1,132 mg per 100 grams dried fruit, giving about 24% of the DRI.
Iron - have 9 mg iron per 100 grams (100% DRI).
Zinc - 2 mg per 100 grams dried fruit (18% DRI).
Selenium - 100 grams of dried wolfberries contain 50 micrograms (91% DRI)
Riboflavin (vitamin B2) - At 1.3 mg, 100 grams of dried wolfberries provide 100% of DRI.
Vitamin C - In dried form Goji berries have a wide range (from different sources) from 29 mg per 100 grams to as high as 148 mg per 100 grams (respectively, 32% and 163% DRI).

How Goji Berries Help You Lose Weight?
If you're like millions of other people who have difficulty losing weight, you probably engage in two common behaviors: You can't control your appetite -- especially your cravings for sugary, starchy foods -- and you don't have enough energy to exercise regularly. Nutrient-rich goji berries directly target these two weight-losing obstacles.

The Vicious Cycle of Cravings
High-calorie sugary and starchy foods tend to have little nutritional value. Instead, they trigger a hormonal reaction that leads to uncontrollable cravings. The process works like this:

You eat a sugary, starchy food and your body quickly converts it to blood sugar.
Your levels of blood sugar spike upward.
In response, your pancreas produces a high level of insulin.
Your blood sugar levels crash.
The roller-coaster effect causes cravings for more sugary, starchy foods.
The cycle repeats.
The speed at which a food converts to blood sugar (glucose) is measured on a numerical scale known as the glycemic index (GI). The lower the GI of a food, the more slowly it converts to blood sugar and the less likely it is to stimulate uncontrollable urges to eat empty calories.

The Low Glycemic Index of Goji Berries
On the glycemic index, a value of 100 is assigned to pure glucose. Foods rated at 70 or higher are considered high-GI, while foods rated below 55 are considered low GI and are more likely to satisfy rather than increase the appetite. Here's how the GI of goji berries compare with some other fruits:

Goji berry - 29
Apple - 38
Orange - 42
Banana - 25
Cantaloupe - 65
Raisins - 64
Watermelon - 72

More Ways of Controlling Appetite
Goji berries have additional characteristics that help control blood sugar and appetite. They contain 21 percent fiber by weight. High fiber foods are filling and moderate blood sugar levels. The berries are also a good source of chromium, a mineral that aids in blood sugar control. Chromium may also help to preserve lean muscle mass during weight loss. Muscle burns more calories than fat, promoting a more efficient metabolism, which makes it easier to prevent weight gain.

Burning Food for Energy
Goji berries are rich in several nutrients that help to convert food into energy rather than storing it as fat:

B1 (thiamin): The vitamin is essential for converting carbohydrates into energy and for healthy thyroid function. A sluggish thyroid gland promotes weight gain.
Calcium: In addition to supporting healthy bones, adequate calcium has been linked to lower levels of body fat.
Other minerals: A balanced combination of essential minerals is necessary for efficient protein metabolism. In addition to calcium and chromium, goji berries contain copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, sodium and zinc.

Promoting Lean Muscle
A lean body burns food as fuel rather than storing calories as fat. When we are young, abundant levels of human growth hormone help to keep our bodies lean. As we age, declining growth hormone supplies are a key factor that contributes to less muscle mass and greater fat storage.

Supporting Regular Exercise
Successful and permanent weight loss requires regular physical activity. A few years ago, a study of 4,000 people in the National Weight Loss Registry found that they had lost an average of 66 pounds and kept it off for more than 5 years. Nine out of ten successful losers spent between an hour and 90 minutes daily doing moderate-to-intense exercise. Goji berries help to provide energy for sufficient daily physical activity to lose weight and keep it off.

Many experts believe that adding the Goji berry with a Mediterranean Diet is a very effective method to lose weight.

What You Need To Know About Metabolism And Weight Loss

2009-02-01T08:25:00.000-08:00

Are you interested in finding out how metabolism burns calories, how it affects your weight and ways you can burn more calories for greater weight loss?

If you are, then you need to know a common myth that a slim person's metabolism is high and an overweight person's metabolism is low. This is not usually the case. Weight isn't necessarily directly linked to metabolism.

Instead, weight is dependent on the balance of total calories consumed versus total calories burned. Take in more calories than your body needs, and you gain weight. Take in less and you lose weight. Metabolism, then, is the engine that burns these calories. Maximizing your metabolism is the most effective way to lose weight.

Metabolism: Converting food into energy
Stated simply, metabolism is the process by which your body converts food into energy. During this complex biochemical process, calories — from carbohydrates, fats and proteins — are combined with oxygen to release the energy your body needs to function.

The number of calories your body burns each day is called your total energy expenditure. The following three factors make up your total energy expenditure:

Basic needs. Even when your body is at rest, it requires energy for the basics, such as fuel for organs, breathing, circulating blood, adjusting hormone levels, plus growing and repairing cells. Calories expended to cover these basic functions are your basal metabolic rate (BMR). Typically, a person's BMR is the largest portion of energy use, representing two-thirds to three-quarters of the calories used each day. Energy needs for these basic functions stay fairly consistent and aren't easily changed.
Food processing. Digesting, absorbing, transporting and storing the food you consume also takes calories. This accounts for about 10 percent of the calories used each day. For the most part, your body's energy requirement to process food stays relatively steady and isn't easily changed.
Physical activity. Physical activity — such as playing tennis, walking to the store, chasing after the dog and any other movement — accounts for the remainder of calories used. You control the number of calories burned depending on the frequency, duration and intensity of your activities.

Metabolism and your weight
It may seem logical to think that significant weight gain or being overweight is related to a low metabolism or possibly even a condition such as underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism). In reality, it's very uncommon for excess weight to be related to a low metabolism. And most people who are overweight don't have an underlying condition, such as hypothyroidism. However, a medical evaluation can determine whether a medical condition could be influencing your weight.

Weight gain is more likely due to an energy imbalance — consuming more calories than your body burns. To lose weight, then, you need to create an energy deficit by eating fewer calories, increasing the number of calories you burn through physical activity, or preferably both.

Influences on your calorie needs
If you and everyone else were physically and functionally identical, it would be easy to determine the standard energy needs. But many factors influence calorie requirements, including body size and composition, age, and sex.

Body size and composition. To function properly, a bigger body mass requires more energy (more calories) than does a smaller body mass. Also, muscle burns more calories than fat does. So the more muscle you have in relation to fat, the higher your basal metabolic rate.
Age. As you get older, the amount of muscle tends to decrease and fat accounts for more of your weight. Metabolism also slows naturally with age. Together these changes reduce your calorie needs.
Sex. Men usually have less body fat and more muscle than do women of the same age and weight. This is why men generally have a higher basal metabolic rate and burn more calories than women do.

For more information on effective diet plans and losing weight, always do your diet plan research and put emphasis on consumer testimonials instead of the diet plan sales pitch.

Live Longer: Drink Red Wine and Starve Yourself

2009-01-25T18:29:00.000-08:00

Scientists and researchers have been puzzled why the French have a very low incidence of heart disease while Americans are just the opposite. The French diet is a very high in fat and a high consumption of wine why the average American diet is loaded with fat.

So red wine must be the key, right? After significant research on the benefits of red wine, scientists across the country have now identified a substance in red wine called resveratrol that they believe might do more than just protect the heart, but could - in very high concentrations - significantly extend life by preventing a number of age related illnesses. If they're right, we all may soon be taking a pill that could give us an extra decade or two of healthy old age.

Although scientists and researchers believe that a resveratrol supplement will help reduce heart disease in Americans, they are quick to add that we shouldn't expect it to reverse the clock on aging. But researchers believe they will be able to slow down the genes that control the aging process.

Research found the chemical compound Resveratrol after testing of thousands of compounds. And they found that red wine has it in high concentrates. They further identified that it is predominately in the skin of the grape, and seems to play a role in protecting it from invading bacteria and fungi.

The significance of finding this beneficial compound is that drugs based on Resveratrol can be developed by drug companies that can focus on the longevity gene.

But research has also discovered that there is another way to stay young, by eating a low calorie diet.

Dr. Richard Weidruch, a scientist at the University of Wisconsin, heads up the study on calorie restriction on monkeys. His findings are astonishing.

"There is an emerging survival advantage for the monkeys on caloric restriction and 50 percent of the normally-fed animals have died. And maybe 25 percent of those on caloric restriction," Dr. Weindruch explains.

"That's a pretty remarkable number. Surely those are strong indications that restricted calorie intake among humans would be extremely beneficial," Safer remarks.

"It appears to support that idea," Weindruch agrees.

A group calling themselves the Calorie Restriction Society (CRS) have been severely restricting their calories for years now. They are also part of a Washington University study to see if humans "mimic" the monkeys. Does this kind of self-denial makes them live longer, healthier lives?

So far the participants have lowered their blood pressure, reduced body fat, and lessened risk factors for heart disease, diabetes and even cancer.

So maybe the answer to living longer is to eat very little and drinking a lot of red wine. Sounds great, but what do you do when you get the munchies?

Essential Keys For Weight Management

2009-01-24T20:04:00.000-08:00

For years researchers and scientists believed that weight management and increased longevity can be achieved by eating fewer calories and burning more calories with physical activity. Calorie restricted diets have benefitted nearly every species tested, including worms, spiders, rodents, dogs, cows and monkeys. Based on this research experts believe that a calorie restriction (CR) diet applies to humans as well.

With that being said, here is essential information you need for having a healthy weight loss program:

Chose a reasonable, realistic weight loss goal. Don't get carried away and expect to lose 25 pounds in a week - it doesn't happen.
Adopt a reduced calorie, nutritionally-balanced eating plan. Everyone knows this but do you know what foods fit this category?
Get regular physical activity. Weight management is mathematical, you need to burn more calories than you take in.
Change your behavior to help you stay on track with your goals. Forget that stop off for at the fast food drive-in, eat an orange or apple when you need a "sweet" fix and don't look for excuses to get off your weight management plan.

Here are some more things to keep in mind about weight loss management:

Calorie counts
Portions count
Nutrition counts
Even a small amount of weight loss can lead to big health benefits
Strive to develop good habits to last a lifetime
Discuss weight loss with your doctor before getting started

Getting Started With Your Weight Management Plan

If possible, have your Body Mass Index (BMI) checked. It is an indicator of body fat - and see where it fits within the BMI categories.
Go see your doctor and decide together on your weight loss goals. If you have a lot of weight to lose, set a realistic intermediate goal, maybe to lose 10 pounds. Figure out your calorie nees. Use the USDA’s online Adult Energy Needs and BMI Calculator. to determine the number of calories needed each day to maintain your current weight. To lose about 1 pound per week, subtract 500 calories each day from the daily amount. To lose about 2 pounds per week, subtract 1000 calories daily.
Score your current food intake and physical activity level using MyPyramid Tracker.

How Do I Know Which Weight Loss Plan is Right For Me?
Let's face facts, a short-term "diet" is no answer to long-term weight management. In choosing how to go about losing weight, keep in mind key habits of people who have lost weight and kept in off. These people are called "Successful Losers" by the weight control experts who have studied them.

Key Behaviors of Successful Weight Losers

Getting regular physical activity
Reducing calorie and fat intake
Eating regular meals, including breakfast
Weighing themselves regularly
Not letting small "slips" turn into large weight regain

If you are considering a commercial weight loss program, read Diet Right Solutions for selecting a weight loss program or choosing a safe and successful weight-loss program.

7 Keys To Selecting The Right Diet

2009-01-20T07:30:00.000-08:00

Being successful in your weight loss ambitions means making small changes toward a healthy lifestyle. So make sure your weight loss plan is right for you.

Here are a few guidelines that you should think about when deciding if a diet program is right for you.

1. Eat foods from all five food groups and eat the right number of servings
I. Bread, Cereal, Rice, and Pasta Group
Recommended Number of Servings 6 -11
Grain products like bread, cereal, rice, and pasta are good for you. They are important sources of vitamins and minerals. Breads, cereals, rice, and pasta are also good sources of carbohydrates like starch and fiber. Many people think that starchy foods like breads, rice and pasta are fattening. They are not. But when you add fats like margarine, oil, mayonnaise, cheese sauce or gravy to them, you add many extra calories.

II. Vegetable Group
Recommended Number of Servings 3 - 5
Fresh vegetables are naturally low in fat, calories and sodium. Extra fat and calories can come from cooking or other types of processing. If you add fat, oil, margarine or lard when you cook vegetables, you also add fat and calories. If you buy frozen vegetables with special sauces, you may also be adding fat and calories. You can buy frozen vegetables without special sauces and get the same nutrients as fresh vegetables. Some canned vegetables have added salt. While the salt adds flavor, it also adds extra sodium to your diet. When you shop for canned vegetables, look for vegetables with no salt added.
The vegetable group is toward the bottom of the pyramid. This means that lots of daily servings of vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet. Veggies are great because they have tons of vitamins and minerals to help keep are bodies strong.

III. Fruit Group
Recommended Number of Servings 2 -4
Fruits are important sources of vitamins and carbohydrates like fiber and sugar. They are low in calories and naturally sweet. Fruits and their juices are good sources of water, too.

Whole fruits like apples and grapes contain more fiber than fruit juices and sauces, like applesauce and grape juice. Dried fruits like figs, prunes and raisins are good sources of fiber, too. Canned fruits packed in syrup have a lot of added sugar. They are higher in calories than fresh fruits. When you shop for canned fruits, look for fruit that is packed in juice instead of syrup.

The fruit group is down near the bottom of the pyramid. This means that many daily servings of fruit are an important part of a healthy diet. Fruits are fabulous because they provide important vitamins that keep you feeling fine and looking good.

The Diet Solution is a successful diet that emphasizes good nutrition.

IV. Milk, Yogurt, and Cheese Group
Recommended Number of Servings 2 - 3
The foods in this group are important because all of the nutrients work together to keep our bones strong and healthy. It may be difficult to get enough calcium unless we include these foods in our diets. We can make sure we get the milk and calcium we need by making puddings and soups with milk.

Some people who have problems digesting milk products because of lactose (sugar) in milk. Today there are many lactose-free products to try. Some milk products like ice cream, cheese, whole milk and foods made from whole milk are high in fat. We can choose low-fat or skim milk products, like low-fat yogurt, skim milk and low-fat cheeses to keep the fat in our diets down.

This food group is high up on the pyramid. This means that even though these foods are important for good health, you don't need to eat as many of them in one day as you do of foods lower down on the pyramid.

V. Meat, Poultry, Fish, Beans, Eggs, and Nuts Group
Recommended Number of Servings 2 - 3
Some meats and meat products are high in fat. There are many ways to reduce the fat you get from these meats. You can choose leaner cuts like chuck, bottom round or top round of beef, pork loin or lamb shank. You can trim fat from meat before cooking and eating. You can take the skin off chicken. Many processed meats like hot dogs, sausage, pepperoni, bacon, ham and luncheon meats are high in fat and sodium. If you enjoy eating these meats, try having them less often and when you do, try eating them in smaller amounts.

The Mediterranean Diet is a very successful diet that emphasizes eating nuts and fish.

Because eggs are a good source of iron and protein, they are counted as a meat serving. Most of the fat in eggs is found in the yolk. When you use the egg whites, you can cut the fat and keep the protein and vitamins you need.

Plant foods like lentils, black-eyed peas, chickpeas and other dried beans and peas are inexpensive sources of protein. Unlike meats, beans are low in fat and high in fiber. Nuts and nut butters like peanuts and peanut butter are good sources of protein and iron; but they are higher in fat than other plant foods.

This food group is high up on the pyramid. This means that even though these foods are important for good health, you don't need to eat as many of them in one day as you do of foods lower down on the pyramid. This group of foods supplies you with the super-important nutrient protein. So this is the perfect part of the pyramid for protein!

2. Select foods you will enjoy eating for the rest of your life
Having a healthy diet that you can stick to is important. It starts with eating foods that you like, otherwise your diet will be short lived.

3. Select foods you can buy at the supermarket
Staying of a diet is difficult. Make the foods easy to find.

4. Make sure you include some of your favorite foods in your diet
There's no reason to suffer on a diet. Make sure you have foods that you look forward to.

5. Include foods that fit into your budget and lifestyle
You don't need to spend lavishly to maintain a healthy diet.

6. Regular physical activity
The basics of maintaining your weight is that you need to burn more calories than you consume. There is no way around it.

7. Do you research
Don't just select any diet plan -do your research. When choosing a diet that is right for you, it is a good idea to check the feedback from those who have tried the diet plan - don't just take the author's word for it!

source: lifeclinic.com

5 Tips For Calorie Restricted Dieting

2009-01-18T07:02:00.000-08:00

Since the 1930s extensive scientific research has shown that calorie restricted (CR) diets improve health and expand lifespans of nearly every species tested, including worms, spiders, rodents, dogs, cows and monkeys. Based on this research experts believe that the benefits of Calorie restriction (CR) applies to humans as well.

The goal of Calorie Restriction is to achieve a longer and healthier life by eating fewer calories and consuming adequate vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients.

The key to improving your diet is to replace calorie-dense foods with ones that are low in calories and high in nutrition. But before you start worrying about how many calories you're eating, make sure that the foods in your diet provide sufficient nutrition to avoid malnutrition once you begin to restrict them.

1. Avoid simple sugars and flours.
Sugars and flours generally contain very little nutrition for their calorie content. They also have high glycemic indices, which means that your body absorbs them quickly, leaving you wanting more a short time later.

2. Eat both green leafy (salad) and other vegetables.
Vegetables -- both green leafy vegetables and non-leaf vegetables -- contain the highest content of a wide variety of nutrients for their calorie content. By volume (and often by calories), vegetables are the major component of many calorie restricted but not nutrient deficient diets.

3. Carefully select your protein and fat sources.
Both protein and fat are required macronutrients, but their form can have a significant influence on a person's risk factors for a wide variety of diseases.

4. Make sure your protein intake is sufficient, but not overly abundant.
Common recommendations for total protein intake range from 0.6 to 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight, and some recommendations are much higher. This is probably a minimum.

5. Make sure your proteins are complete and balanced.
A complete protein contains all the essential amino acids, while a balanced protein contains all those amino acids in ratios that are most useful to human biophysiology.

Most animal proteins are complete and well-balanced
There are very few perfectly balanced proteins in our food supply, but animal proteins tend to be among the most balanced. Unfortunately, animal proteins also tend to include undesirable components. For example, red meat is carcinogenic [PMID: 12376502], and meat (especially red meat) and dairy often contain large quantities of saturated fats. The nutrient density (as always, on a per-calorie basis) of meats is often lower than other choices.

Non-animal proteins can be balanced by combining different food families
One can get extremely detailed in finding "complementary" foods, but in general, combining legumes (beans) with grains will yield a balanced protein, and rice protein can complement the proteins in vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, or spinach. Be aware, however, that both rice and grains (even whole grains) have relatively high glycemic indices and relatively low nutrient densities. If you're going to consume these, choose whole grains (not in the form of flours) and long grain brown rice.

Select monounsaturated fats, avoid saturated fats, and consume some Omega-3 fats
Foods containing monounsaturated fats include olive oil, almonds, hazelnuts, and avocados. Most of your fat intake should be from these foods. A very small amount of fat should be in the form of Omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in fatty fish (e.g. salmon) and flax oil. Caution: fatty foods, even healthy choices, are high in calories so be sure that you carefully track your intake so as to stay within your Calorie goal.

More Calorie Restrictions Information
Reduce calories after improving diet quality
Once your diet consists primarily of nutrient-dense, calorie-sparse foods, you can safely begin to reduce your total calorie intake. There are some things to consider at this point, if you have not already considered them.

Lose weight slowly
Many people lose weight simply by changing their diet to include more calorie-sparse foods. Even this weight loss should not be allowed to happen too quickly, but by the time you're able to restrict calories, your weight loss should proceed very slowly. There are two reasons for this:
Pesticides and other toxins are fat soluble.
There are many pesticides and other toxins in our food supply that are fat soluble. Human bodies store these toxins relatively harmlessly in body fat. If you lose that fat too quickly, however, all these toxins are flushed into your bloodstream, and your detoxification mechanisms (i.e., your kidney and liver) are unable to remove them. You may thus wind up with much higher blood toxin levels than what people are normally subjected to, which may have any number of life-shortening effects.

Sudden adult onset Calorie Restriction shortens the lifespans of mice.
Though the lifespan enhancing effects of calorie restriction have been known since the 1930s, it was also known that if adult mice were suddenly put on a calorie restricted diet, their lifespans were actually shortened. Dr. Walford found in the 1980s, however, that if mice were slowly transitioned from an ad lib to a calorie restricted diet, then their lifespans increased. The time for this transition recommended by Dr. Walford is a minimum of 6 to 9 months, but preferably 1 to 2 years.

Be aware of the potential risks in CR dieting!
Any significant dietary change should be done in consultation with a knowledgeable physician.
Get more information on what is the right diet plan for you

source: calorierestriction.org

FARMED CATFISH AND TILAPIA NOT THE BEST FOR OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS

2009-01-17T21:14:00.000-08:00

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential and provide a wide range of health benefits for people of all ages.

The health community has promoted eating fish because they are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and lead to a more a healthy diet. A study reported in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, December 2008, showed that farm raised tilapia fish and catfish (which most of us buy, possibly without knowing that they are farm raised) have much lower amounts of omega-3 fatty acids than the amounts found in wild tilapia and cat fish … actually 1/8th of the amount found in wild fish ... but they are cheaper, so we buy them thinking that we are taking good fatty acid nutriton.

Tilapia and catfish are the fifth most popular fish in the U.S. and in addition to being eaten as fish, they are also used to make fish sticks, fish burgers, artificial crab meat and other items.

In eating fish to obtain Omega-3 benefits one should consider this:

· Humans and (fish) must have, but cannot make their own fatty acids. They get it from their food
· In addition to Omega-3s, there is another group, Omega-6s, that is essential for a healthy fatty acids intake
· The ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 is one of the criteria for comparing health benefits of these fatty acids.
· The healthy Omega-6 to omega-3 ratio is between 1:1 to 1:2. In reality, the American intake ratio is close to 1:20. Farm raised Tilapia and Catfish average 1:11, similar to chickens.

Why the Fuss about Omega-3/Omega-6 Ratio?

Because this ratio is important in determining the level of our immune response to disease ... the higher the ratio the more likelhood of support for a hyper-immune reaction situation.

We eat tremendous amounts of Omega-6s, and not much Omega-3 from fast foods, snack foods/cakes and pre-prepared meals. … the Omega-6s are a lot cheaper than the Omega-3s so manufactures of these items make more profit by using oils rich in omega-6 in their preparation, and the buyer be damned.

It should be understood that Omega-6s are beneficial and necessary … the bad thing is an inbalance in the Omega-6/Omega-3 ratio..

Bottom line - Eat wild fish such as salmon, trout, tuna, sardines, anchovies, mackerel or herring. Or for Omega-3 concerns alone, cautiously take these fish raised in farms.

Or, take Flax oil or Sprouts (Flax seeds are difficult to take and must be ground before they become digestible) because they are extremelly rich im Omega-3 and low in Omega-6s.

Further, they eliminate the risk of mercury, insecticides and antibiotics and provide high amounts of soluble fiber and lignans.

Find out more about the best diet plans

source: foodconsumer.org

Healthy Eating: Full Steam Ahead - No Microwave

2009-01-05T12:29:00.000-08:00

Vegetables are key staples in our lives. We eat so much of them it is important to understand that the method you to prepare them effects the nutritional value you get from them.
In a study published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, researchers assessed the effects of a variety of cooking methods on nutrient levels in broccoli.
While boiled broccoli was found to lose two-thirds of its original content of disease-protective nutrients, known as flavonoids, this actually compared quite favourably with the whopping 97 per cent loss induced by microwave cooking.
Analysis of other nutrients revealed similarly dire depreciations. Other research shows that how vegetables are boiled may also affect their nutrient status.
One study found, for instance, that frozen vegetables such as spinach, peas and green beans retain appreciably more vitamin C when plunged into hot water direct from the freezer than when thawed prior to cooking. The amount of water in which vegetables are placed also seems to have an important bearing on their nutritional status.
A study published last year discovered that the smaller the volume of water used to boil the vegetables, the better their retention of very important nutrients known as the phenolics. The evidence suggests that the one way to preserve the nutritional value of boiled vegetables is to ensure that they don't end up in deep water.
If boiling is bad then what is the best method for cooking vegetables? There is some evidence that there are even more benefits to be had by steaming.
In the study which identified hefty flavonoid losses from the microwaving and boiling of broccoli, steaming induced only an 11 per cent degradation in this type of nutrient.
In another study, boiling was found to reduce the level of folate (believed to protect against both heart disease and cancer) in spinach and broccoli by more than half.
In comparison, steaming had minimal effects on the level of this vitamin.

Here are some other methods of cooking vegetables that retain nutrients better than boiling:

Roasting
Roasting is a great way to cook vegetables and preserve the vitamins, flavors and minerals, and it's easy to prepare. Simply put sliced vegetables in a bowl (but make certain they are the same size for even cooking), add a little olive oil, then toss to coat. Next add garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Put them in a roasting pan or cookie sheet and roast at 350 degrees until tender. Most vegetables will take 30 minutes @ 350 degrees.

Stir-Frying
Stir-frying is another very good flavor and color preserving cooking method. Sliced vegetables are put in frying pan covered at bottom with any liquid for cooking such as chicken broth or a broth made from stir-fry seasonings. Constantly stir the vegetables until they are crispy and glossy. With stir fry you may need to stagger the vegetables when cooking because vegetables like onions and broccoli take different amount to stir fry.

Panning
Vegetables can also be cooked by the steam produced by their own vegetable juices. In a fry pan, add a little olive oil, sliced vegetables and your favorite seasonings. Cover the pan, put it on medium heat, and within 5-8 minutes you’ll have spicy and crispy vegetables. Stir often. Panning works best for carrots, beans, summer squash and shredded cabbage.

Eat Them Raw
Vegetables eaten raw have the most nutritional benefit. Broccoli, cauliflower, string beans and bell peppers are great raw. Add a dipping sauce of your favorite salad dressing and enjoy.

10 Differences Between Men and Women

2009-01-04T08:54:00.000-08:00

Everyone knows that there are significant differences between men and women. Yet many women do not know that they react differently to some medications, are more vulnerable to some diseases, and react to diet plans differently.

Here are ten major differences between men and women:

Following are some quick but vital facts about sex differences in health care that you probably did not know.

Heart Disease – Heart disease kills 500,000 American women each year – over 50,000 more women than men – and strikes women, on average, 10 years later than men. Women are more likely than men to have a second heart attack within a year of the first one.

Depression – Women are two-to-three times more likely than men to suffer from depression in part because women’s brains make less of the hormone serotonin.

Osteoporosis – Women comprise 80 percent of the population suffering from osteoporosis, which is attributable to a higher rate of lost bone mass.

Smoking – Smoking has a more negative effect on cardiovascular health in women than men. Women are also less successful quitting smoking and have more severe withdrawal symptoms.

STDs – Women are two times more likely than men to contract a sexually transmitted disease, and more likely to experience significant drops in body weight, which can lead to wasting syndrome.

Anesthesia – Women tend to wake up from anesthesia more quickly than men – an average of seven minutes for women and 11 minutes for men.

Drug reactions – Even common drugs like antihistamines and antibiotic drugs can cause different reactions and side effects in women and men.

Autoimmune Disease – Three out of four people suffering from autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus, are women.

Alcohol – Women produce less of the gastric enzyme that breaks down ethanol in the stomach. Therefore, after consuming the same amount of alcohol, women have higher blood alcohol content than men, even allowing for size differences.

Pain – Some pain medications (known as kappa-opiates) are far more effective in relieving pain in women than in men.

Find out more about the truth on diet plans

source: WomensHealthResearch.org

Staying Healthy In Mediterranean Style

2008-12-21T18:37:00.000-08:00

Soon the holidays will be over and many of us will be looking to burn off those calories from Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts. A really good way to lose weight and eat healthy is the Mediterranean Diet.

What is so unique about the Mediterranean Diet?
The Mediterranean diet is a heart-healthy eating plan combining elements of Mediterranean-style cooking. It incorporates the basics of healthy eating — plus a splash of flavorful olive oil and perhaps a glass of red wine — among other components characterizing the traditional cooking style of countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea.

Most healthy diets include fruits, vegetables, fish and whole grains, and limit unhealthy fats. While these parts of a healthy diet remain tried-and-true, subtle variations or differences in proportions of certain foods may make a difference in your risk of heart disease.

Benefits of the Mediterranean diet
The Mediterranean diet is thought to reduce your risk of heart disease. In fact, a 2007 study conducted in the United States found that both men and women who consumed a Mediterranean diet lowered their risk of death from both heart disease and cancer.

Key components of the Mediterranean diet include:
Eating a generous amount of fruits and vegetables
Consuming healthy fats such as olive oil and canola oil
Eating small portions of nuts
Drinking red wine, in moderation, for some
Consuming very little red meat
Eating fish on a regular basis
Fruits, vegetables and grains

The Mediterranean diet traditionally includes fruits, vegetables, pasta and rice. For example, residents of Greece eat very little red meat and average nine servings a day of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables. The Mediterranean diet has been associated with a lower level of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol — the "bad" cholesterol that's more likely to build up deposits in your arteries.

Grains in the Mediterranean region are typically whole grain and usually contain very few unhealthy trans fats, and bread is an important part of the diet there. However, throughout the Mediterranean region, bread is eaten without butter or margarines, which contain saturated or trans fats.

Healthy fats
The focus of the Mediterranean diet isn't to limit total fat consumption, but to make wise choices about the types of fat you eat.

The Mediterranean diet is similar to the American Heart Association's Step I diet, but it contains less cholesterol and has more fats. However, the fats are healthy — including monounsaturated fats, such as olive oil, and polyunsaturated fats, which contain the beneficial linolenic acid (a type of omega-3 fatty acid). These fat sources include canola oil and nuts, particularly walnuts. Fish — another source of omega-3 fatty acids — is eaten on a regular basis in the Mediterranean diet. Omega-3 fatty acids lower triglycerides and may improve the health of your blood vessels. The Mediterranean diet discourages saturated fats and hydrogenated oils (trans-fatty acids), both of which contribute to heart disease.

Choosing oils and fats
Olive oil. All types of olive oil provide monounsaturated fat — a type of fat that can help reduce LDL cholesterol levels when used in place of saturated or trans fats. "Extra-virgin" and "virgin" olive oils are the least processed forms, meaning they contain the highest levels of the protective plant compounds that provide antioxidant effects.
Nuts. Nuts may be high in fat (80 percent of their calories come from fat), but tree nuts, including walnuts, pecans, almonds and hazel nuts, are low in saturated fat. Walnuts also contain omega-3 fatty acids. Nuts are high in calories, so they should not be eaten in large amounts — generally no more than a handful a day. For the best nutrition, avoid honey-roasted or heavily salted nuts.

Wine
The health effects of alcohol have been debated for many years, and some doctors are reluctant to encourage alcohol consumption because of the health consequences of excessive drinking. However, light intake of alcohol has been associated with a reduced risk of heart disease in some research studies.

Red wine has an aspirin-like effect, reducing the blood's ability to clot, and also contains antioxidants. The Mediterranean diet typically includes some red wine, but this should be consumed only in moderation. This means no more than 5 ounces (148 milliliters) of wine daily for women (or men over age 65), and no more than 10 ounces (296 milliliters) of wine daily for men under age 65. Any more than this increases the risk of health problems, including increased risk of certain types of cancer.

If you're unable to limit your alcohol intake to the amounts defined above, if you have a personal or family history of alcohol abuse, or if you have heart or liver disease, refrain from drinking wine or any other alcohol. Also keep in mind that red wine may trigger migraines in some people.

Find out more about other popular diet plans

Researchers Discover The Fast Food Fat Gene

2008-12-10T16:54:00.000-08:00

According to a study by the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers have discovered that obesity is in the genese. They identified the FTO gene as the major culprit for humans being overweight.
Researchers stated that you cannot gain weight if you do not overweight. This "Fast Food Gene" (FTO) is responsible for individuals to crave foods high in fat instead of healthy ones.
And ... according to Wikipedia, a study of 38,759 Europeans for variants of FTO identified an obesity risk allele. In particular, carriers of one copy of the allele weighed on average 1.2 kg more than people with no copies. Carriers of two copies (16% of the subjects) weighed 3 kg more and had a 1.67-fold higher rate of obesity than those with no copies. The association was observed in ages 7 and upwards. This gene is also associated with increased risk of Type 2 Diabetes.
The authors of this study claim that while obesity was already known to have a genetic component (from twin studies), no replicated previous study has ever identified a obesity risk allele that was so common in the human population. The risk allele is a cluster of 10 single nucleotide polymorphism in the first intron of FTO called rs9939609. According to HapMap, it has population frequencies of 45% in the West/Central Europeans, 52% in Yorubans (West African natives) and 14% in Chinese/Japanese.
Furthermore morbid obesity is associated with a combination of FTO and INSIG2 single nucleotide polymorphisms.

Fives Keys To Successful Long Term Weight Loss

2008-12-10T13:32:00.000-08:00

Weight loss is a sensative topic to those who are overweight. It can be so discouraging to see the beautifully slim folks on TV. But losing weight can be achieved by dedication, positive thinking and knowing what weight is right for you.

Weight loss is a tricky topic and people have different metabolisms and react differently to diferrent weight loss methodologies.
Lots of people are unhappy with their present weight, but most aren't sure how to change it — and many would be better off staying where they are. You may want to look like the models or actors in magazines and on TV, but those goals might not be healthy or realistic for you. Besides, no magical diet or pill will make you look like someone else.

So what should you do about weight control?

Feeling healthy means finding a weight that is right for you. The best way to find out if you are at a healthy weight or if you need to lose or gain weight is to talk to a doctor or dietitian, who can compare your weight with healthy norms to help you set realistic goals. If it turns out that you can benefit from weight loss, then you can follow a few of the simple suggestions listed below to get started.

Weight management requires a long term approach and a change of lifestyle. People who lose weight quickly by crash dieting or other extreme measures usually gain back all (and often more) of the pounds they lost because they haven't permanently changed their habits. Therefore, the best weight-management strategies are those that you can maintain for a lifetime. That's a long time, so we'll try to keep these suggestions as easy as possible!

Get a family member, friend or co-worker involved. Weight loss is easier when you have support. It is even better if those sharing your household join the program so there are less temptations.

Many of us use food when we are upset or bored. This habit may be masking underlying stress or depression. The more you do it, the harder it is to get out of the cycle.

Finally, you may want to find a weight loss, diet or positive thinking plan to aid in your fight against the battle of the bulge. Find a plan that works for those who have tried them - not just the advertisement and marketing hype that abounds in our society.

Recently, a study by spanish researchers discovered that the Recently, a study by spanish researchers discovered that the Mediterranean Diet combined with eating nuts is effective in weight loss and reduces stomach fat. Don't just take anyone's word for it - do the research and make the right choice.

Don't just take anyone's word for it - do the research and make the right choice.

Top 10 Reasons To Lose Weight

2008-11-01T04:28:00.000-07:00

How many times have you said to yourself I have to lose weight, I have to lose weight. But you come up with excuses like ... I'll do it after Joan's wedding... or I'm stopping after this meal. But it never happens.

It takes conviction and consistency to beat the battle of the bulge, especially in this Western Society. It is so easy to get caught up in what's going on around you and you lose focus. Well, whatever the cause may be, it can adversely affect you in more ways than you might want to admit. But if you need more reasons to do it, here goes:

The benefits of Losing Weight:

Save Your life

Make yourself Happy

Gain Your Confidence Back

Eliminate embarrassment

Enjoy More of Life - Get Outside

Self Satisfaction

Less Fatigue

Make Your Family Happy

Fit Into Your Old Clothes

Don't Feel Guilty Eating In a Restaurant

So there you go folks. The top 10 reasons why you really, really, really need to lose that weight - and now!

Losing weight will make will make you feel like a million bucks. Get out there and do it!.

Morning Banana Diet: Is It Just Hype?

2008-10-26T01:47:00.000-07:00

The morning banana diet is all the rage in Japan, and now making itself known in the United States. But does this diet work or is it just hype? That is the question that many people are asking and reporters are trying to confirm.

The basic structure of the morning banana diet is quite simple. Eat as many bananas as you want in the morning with warm water. Then enjoy your normal lunch and even a normal dinner. Don't eat after 8:00 pm and go to bed before midnight.

Believe it or not, the morning banana diet even allows you to snack between meals, and drink alcohol - in moderation.

What did your parents always tell you? If it sounds too good to be true ...

According to experts, there is no substantiating this diet regiment. None of it makes sense. In fact, reporters are having difficulty confirming individuals who have submitted testimonials, stating that the morning banana diet works.

Something stinks about this diet - and it smells like rotting bananas!

OK, we all know that bananas are high in potassium and they fill you up. But simply having bananas and changing nothing else in your diet? It just doesn't add up. It seems like just the latest viral Internet marketing scam.

Remember, there is no miracle cure for weight loss. If there was, trust me, you would know it.

But if you are serious about losing weight, find a diet plan that works. one where you can unbiased information from consumers who have tried the plans.

Find a weight loss review site that doesn't "recommend" every diet plan available. One that is sincere with it's evaluation of the diets, like the Diet Right Evaluation website.

The Killer "Western Diet"

2008-10-20T17:21:00.000-07:00

The "western" diet of fatty foods, salty foods and plenty of meat could account for more than twenty five percent of heart disease all over the globe. That is the conclusion reached by a Canadian research study published in the Oct 21, 2008 issue of Circulation. The study suggest that the rate of heart attacks could be cut dramatically if we switched to a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.

The study looked at the eating and dietary habits of people in 52 countries, all around the world. They found that those who followed the western diet, those foods high in salt and fat, had a 35% greater risk of heart attack; this is compared to those who followed the "prudent diet", a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.

The results were surprising because it shows the western diet has grown not just in the west but countries all over the world. Another interesting result is that an Asian or "oriental", which consists of foods rich in tofu and soy did not increase or decrease the risks of heart disease. The researchers attribute this to the benefits of soy based foods offset by the high amounts of sodium in the diet.

"This study indicates that the same relationships that are observed in Western countries exist in different regions of the world," study senior author Salim Yusuf, a professor of medicine at McMaster University and director of the Population Health Research Institute at Hamilton Health Sciences in Ontario, said in an American Heart Association news release.

The researches reviewed risk factors in diet choices of over 16,000 people in 52 countries. About 6,000 of the participants had heart attacks.

Learn more about healthy weight loss and diet plans - before it's too late!

Endorphin Release For Weight Loss

2008-10-20T08:01:00.000-07:00

Do you like jogging? Do you like to run for fun? I didn't think so! But running to lose fat may be a good way if you start out slow and set realistic expectations. Why would you use running as a way to lose fat? Because it is healthy and you will enjoy the endorphin release that it brings.

Endorphins are a chemical produced by the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus. It is released during exercise or excitement. They resemble opiates in their ability to make you feel good. Exercising helps release endorphins and some runners just get hooked on it. The release of endorphins can give you feelings of exhilaration. You may know this phenomena as "getting a rush".

Running to lose weight can have a incredible effect on your stamina, energy level and mental health. It can help you build muscles, lose body fat and help you lose weight too. If you change your eating habit and start to exercise you can really feel the difference.

Many of us want immediate results and don't have the patience to reach our ultimate weight loss goals. If this is the case for you, you may want to take another direction to lose weight.

For example, if you are looking to lose fat quickly, there are plans that will help. However, be very knowledgeable of the plan you choose - they could be a scam.

You might be saying to yourself, which plans work and which ones don't. The answer is to find a plan who's author is a subject matter expert in the field. For example, a nutritionist. Another tip is, if it sounds too good to be true ... it probably is. Another idea is to select a weight loss plan that someone you know has successfully finished. If you can't find a friend who has, the next best thing is to find one that a celebrity has completed, i.e movie stars, dancers and professional athletes.

Find the diet that is right for you!

Can Thinking Too Much Make You Fat?

2008-10-14T06:37:00.000-07:00

Do you think too much? Can thinking too much make your fat? That is conclusion of researchers at a university in Quebec, Canada. They conducted a study using college students as volunteer subjects. The objective of their study was to determine why it appears that white collar workers have more excess weight than blue collar workers. The results are surprising!

The researchers divided the volunteer subjects into three groups. The students in the first group were given mental tasks that required deep thought. The second group of subjects were given mental tasks that required some thought, but not as much as the first group. Finally, the members of the third group were given no tasks at all, either mental or physical.

Upon completion of the tasks, all members of the three groups were offered snacks. The group that was given nothing to do, only nibbled on the snacks. The second group, the one that were given tasks that required some thought, consumed on average about 200 more calories than the first group. The group whose tasks required deep cognitive thought, ate the snacks like they were going out of style. They ended up eating significantly more than the other two groups.

After analyzing the results the researches discovered that when the brain is working extremely hard, stress hormones cause the blood glucose levels to fluctuate wildly. This caused feelings of hunger, even though it only consumed 3 more calories than when the mind was in a resting state.

The researchers drew the conclusion that consuming vast amounts of calories after deep cognitive thought, combined with physical inactivity, were significant factors in obesity levels. Furthermore, they reasoned that this discovery applied not only to our society, but to obesity levels in all the industrialized nations around the world.

Obesity is a major health concern for those who work in non-physical, highly stressful occupations. Obesity is also a serious issue for our children. It you are concerned about your family's health, find a weight loss plan that works for you and your family

Lose 30 In Thirty Days: Product Review

2008-09-10T17:38:00.000-07:00

Product Review: Lose 30 in Thirty Fitness Program

Author: Rocco Castellano

About the Author
Rocco Castellano is guy that celebrities, professional athletes and pageant competitors go to when they need to lose weight fast. He has been features on MTV, CNN, NBC, the Miss USA pageant, and ESPN and has been reported in publications like the New York Times, New York Daily News, Muscle & Fitness Magazine, Self Magazine, Woman's World, Cosmo Girl, and Pilates Style.
Rocco obviously is respected by talented elite and promoted in the top periodicals. Rocco's credibility is unquestionable.

About the Book
Losing thirty pounds in thirty days? Is it true, or is it a scam. Well, the answer depends on the product you pick to do it. If you tried to exercise it off, I don't think thirty days would do it. But what if it was possible to do it without exercising. Simply by following a diet you can lose thirty pounds in thirty days. The trick however, is keeping it off.

Rocco's approach to losing 30 pounds in thirty days is to focus on the diet and is not an exercise program. Good news for those who really want to lose weight but may not be physically up to it or are looking for an alternative weight loss program. His is not an exercise program but a way to lose the extra water and waster you do not need. All via a perfect diet.

If you are serious about losing the weight then this may be your chance to lose the thirty pounds simply by supercharging your metabolism and changing the way you look at food and dieting. The body gets calories from fat, carbs and protein. If you try to starve yourself your body will go into defensive mode and burn say only 1200 calories instead of the normal 2500. This is a normal response that our bodies take when threatened.

Believe it or not the easiest way to lose weight is to remove water and extra muscle. That's why exercises and dieting together sometimes don't add up to significant weight loss. With exercising you are adding muscle instead of getting rid of it. You might thin it dangerous to remove muscle but it perfectly natural.

Conclusion
There is absolutely, positively no better feeling that losing 30 pounds!

To get a objective opinion and to find the weight loss program that is right CLICK HERE!

10 Great Tips For Losing Weight

2008-09-10T17:28:00.000-07:00

Start Slow
Instead of diving in and doing 100 push ups and 200 sit ups in one day, set yourself small goals. If you can only do 10 sit ups at a time, then only do ten. You might even want to repeat it once again that day. The next day, try to do 1 more rep. So instead of 10 do 11. Continue this routine until you get to where you want to be.

The advantages of this method is you won't be overcome with soreness that might prevent you from continuing your program. Make it a contact against yourself to see how many days in a row you can increase your exercise count.

Top Ten Tips For Losing Weight
If you're always thinking of exercise and/or diet as a hastle and a chore, it's going to be. Focus on the positive aspects and don't even consider the negative side. Always look ahead. Your first thought must be positive.

Do It At Home
I know how tough it is to go to the gym when your fifty pounds overweight. You signup at the main desk and you feel like everyone is staring at you. You get self conscious and intimidated. Who wants to deal with that?

Set Aside Time On Your Calendar
Putting a daily routine can really help you to lose weight. If you allocate a specific time of the day to do your exercises you're more liking to stay with it.

Keep The Sessions Short
Consolidate your workouts to short sessions. Get the most out of exercises by going from one exercise to the other, eliminating the rest and gaining a cardiovascular workout at the same time.

Eat A Healthy Breakfast - Daily
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and having a healthy one consistently will have an impact on your weight and overall health.

Don't Eat After Dinner
If you could do just one of these 10 tips, this is one I would recommend. Not eating a few hours before bedtime will have a major effect on your weight loss program. If you have to eat, have a piece of fruit or something light.

Stay Happy
Don't let bad news or depression get in the way of your goals. Things are going to happen that we cannot control. We need to accept them. Feeling bad about yourself can lead to self pity or self doubt. Always be thankful for what you got and continue the program.

Get Active
Wipe the dust off that basketball, put air in those bicycle tires, dig deep in that closet for your tennis racket. Get out there and enjoy the outdoors. Go for a hike, just a walk, go fishing, just get out. Even if you don't get much exercise you get to feel good because you're doing things you like.

It Takes Time
Fat doesn't come off in a day! You need to set realistic goals - like two pounds a week. At first you might see some fluctuations due to the amount of water loss and gain in your body. But you shouldn't be shedding 15 pounds in a week. It won't last.

Find out more about the best diet and weight loss plans. Read what consumers have to say. Or go find out how to lose 30 pounds in thirty days!

So stay with these