Looking To Lose Weight And Get Fitter?

Most people will try a hundred different fad diets, at least as
many nutritional supplements and even all sorts of wacky
alternatives. But, getting them to exercise can be a real
challenge.Nevertheless, it's an inescapable fact that proper
diet has to be accompanied by an age-appropriate, regular
exercise program - if the goal is good health and an attractive
body.

Diet is essential, but exercise is its essential partner. Diet
provides the proper fuel, but exercise uses that fuel to
generate health and fitness.

There's no need to become a fitness fanatic, but there are
several simple exercises you can begin today.

Start a daily stretching routine of at least 10 minutes before
doing any vigorous training. A 20-minute walk every other day
is a great beginning for those not used to exercise.

Work up to more effort slowly. Most of those new to exercise
get discouraged and quit too soon because they try too hard at
first. This produces soreness and sometimes injury. That
reduces the motivation.

Instead, start with some light weight training, using 5lb,
10lb, then 20lb weights. Curls, squats and other exercises are
simple and you'll soon graduate.

Then add a 10-minute jog, a 20-minute jog, then 30-minutes.
Once you hit an hour-long run, you're into the serious workout
category.

If you can, invest in equipment that may help you get
motivated. Others will need the social stimulus of a gym to
keep their willpower up. But in either case, don't let your
money go to waste.

Make a commitment to regular workouts, whether at home or away.
If you do join a gym, don't be shy. Take advantage of the
expertise of more experienced fitness enthusiasts and the
staff.

In order to lose weight, you want to be sure to include some
cardiovascular exercises in your routine.

That can be running, cycling or any number of alternatives. To
tone muscles and tighten the slack skin that will result from
major body fat reduction, you'll need to add resistance and
weightlifting exercises.

You can use stretchers, rope and pulley or other equipment to
supply the resistance. Weight machines are great for lifting
exercises.

As you get into the routine, you may or may not actually lose
weight. If you're not obese but merely overweight, you may not
see much loss.

As you reduce fat deposits the difference can be made up by
gains in muscle mass. Don't pay much attention to early losses,
they may well be due as much to water loss as anything else.

But as you reduce excess body fat and tone muscles you'll
experience many side benefits beyond a more attractive body.
You'll feel better overall, be more energetic and should
experience a heightened mood.

Feel good about it. You worked hard for the results.

About The Author: http://Ydiets.com is an excellent place to
find weight loss and diet resource, links and articles. For
more information visit:www.ydiets.com

.

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Fattening Foods: Not So Fattening After All?

Have you seen those "fat free" foods in supermarkets? Have you
possibly delighted in them guiltlessly thinking that they are
healthy for you? There's a good chance that you have because we
usually follow what the media and the world around us says. In
this day in age, along with other health fads, many people
believe that fat makes you fat. This is true, to an extent.
What we fail to notice is that not all fats are bad.

If I had to guess, since the words fat (as in what's in food)
and fat (as in excess body tissue, or adipose tissue) are the
same word it makes sense that when you eat fat, you get fat.
However, this is not the case. Now don't get me wrong, there is
a difference between good fats and bad fats. If you eat the bad
fats they can make you fat, and also contribute to several
diseases. Your body uses the good fats in several ways to
repair itself, grow, and work more efficiently.

Some of the benefits of eating these healthy fats include:

-Healthy fats are essential for absorption of fat-soluble
vitamins

-Healthy fats have an anti-inflammatory effect - they can help
relieve many of the pains that we experience around our joints

-Healthy fats are essential for lubrication of our joints

-Healthy fats improve insulin sensitivity. Insulin is the
hormone our bodies use to transport nutrients throughout the
body. Insulin sensitivity is essentially a measure of how
efficient our bodies use insulin. Insulin resistance is the
opposite of insulin sensitivity and is one of the early stages
of diabetes.

-Healthy fats can increase the strength of our immune system

-Healthy fats play a major role in the production of energy
from foods we consume

-Healthy fats are required for our body to efficiently use
oxygen

-Healthy fats can improve skin texture

-Healthy fats can increase your metabolism

-Healthy fats can help you burn more fat (the kind that is
attached to your body)

Dr. Udo Erasmus, author of one of the most popular books ever
about fat, "Fats the Heal, Fats that Kill", writes in his book,
"At levels above 12 to 15% of total calories, healthy fats
increase the rate of metabolic reactions in the body and the
increased rate burns off more fat into carbon dioxide, water,
and energy (heat), resulting in fat burn off and loss of excess
weight."

In this article we will discuss what exactly these healthy fats
are, where to get them from, easy ways to add them into your
diet, and the optimal amount of fat that you should consume. I
will also explain why the belief that "fats make you fat" has
developed because fats can make you fat if you eat too many of
them.

The Bad Fats

-Trans Fats

Trans fats are made by bubbling hydrogen through unsaturated
fats in order to make them solid and have a longer shelf life.
In addition, it was once thought that trans fats were a
healthier alternative to saturated fats. However, this is far
from the truth. In a statement made by the Bush Administration
they warn us to keep consumption of trans fats "as low as
possible" and also state that "the food industry has an
important role in decreasing trans fatty acid content of the
food supply."

Some of the top Harvard nutritionists state that replacing
trans fats with a safer alternative would "prevent
approximately 30,000 premature coronary deaths per year."

In fact, Denmark has already taken an initiative and banned the
sale of trans fats to not allow more than 2% of the food to
contain trans fats.

Now that you know that trans fats are bad, how do you avoid
them? In America, the FDA has required food manufacturers to
list the number of trans fats a food contains. This has helped
consumers make wiser choices, but according to FDA regulation,
"if the serving contains less than 0.5 gram, the content, when
declared, shall be expressed as zero." This rule allows food
manufacturers to list very small serving sizes and as long as
the amount of trans fats is less than 0.5 grams in that
particular serving, they are allowed to list it as 0 grams of
trans fats.

The ultimate way to tell if a food contains trans fats or not
is if the ingredients list contains the phrase "partially
hydrogenated" or "shortening". Trans fats are mostly contained
in foods such as candies, cookies, snack foods, chips,
shortenings, and many restaurants.

-Saturated Fats

Saturated fats are widely recognized as being bad fats. You
probably know or believe this to be true, and it is to an
extent. There is actually quite a controversy between many
dieticians and nutritionists about saturated fats concerning
the optimal amount that we should consume or if we should even
consume them at all. The reason for most of the bad rap that
saturated fat has been given is due to the fact that the liver
uses it to produce cholesterol. It has been noted to raise the
good (HDL) cholesterol as well as the bad (LDL) cholesterol.
The FDA's general guideline for saturated fat is to limit it to
about 10% of total calories per day. This would convert to about
20 grams per day for diet containing about 2,000 calories per
day.

Saturated fat is mostly found in foods that are derived from
animals. The exception would be coconut, palm, and palm kernel
oils, which also contain saturated fat.

The Healthy Fats

-Monounsaturated Fats

Monounsaturated fat is believed to help lower the bad
cholesterol (LDL) and raise the good (HDL) cholesterol. As
listed in the beginning of this article, they also provide many
healthy benefits.

Monounsaturated fats are mostly found in vegetable oils. Some
examples would include olive oil and canola oil.

-Polyunsaturated Fats

Polyunsaturated fats contain the family of fats known as
Essential Fatty Acids, or EFAs. As you can tell by their name,
these fats are essential to the body because the body cannot
produce them on its own. The main EFAs are the Omega-3 fatty
acid and the Omega-6 fatty acid. They provide many of the
benefits listed at the beginning of this article as well. Good
sources of these fatty acids are fish, mustard seeds, pumpkin
seeds, walnut oil, leafy green vegetables, sunflower, soybean,
avocados, and perhaps one of the best sources is flax seed
(make sure to grind them or buy them in an oil form - the
stomach has trouble digesting the whole seeds).

-Why Fat Supposedly Makes You Fat

(Note: You can calculate your TDEE at
http://www.weight-loss-resources.com/calculators/dailycalories.html)

There is a simple law known as the Law of Thermodynamics. In
addition to this, our bodies burn a certain number of calories
per day (this number changes everyday and is influenced by many
factors). This burning of calories everyday is known as total
daily energy expenditure or TDEE. If the amount of calories we
eat in a certain day is below our TDEE, we lose weight (this
weight is not necessarily fat all the time). If the amount of
calories we eat is equal to our TDEE, our weight stays the
same. If the amount of calories we eat is greater than our
TDEE, we gain weight (as stated before, this weight is not
necessarily fat all the time - it could be muscle). Many people
skip this important fundamental and look at the type of food
they are eating or several other factors before they
investigate how many calories they are eating per day and how
to adjust their amount of calories consumed to achieve their
goals.

Fat holds 9 calories per gram, while carbohydrates and protein
hold only 4 calories per gram. This means that eating fat (any
type of fat, even the good kind) will result in a greater
number of calories consumed. Therefore, it's more likely that
you're going to go over your TDEE and gain weight, especially
if much of your diet comes from fattening foods. In addition to
this, fat is very similar chemically to the fat that your body
stores. This makes it easy for your body to store consumed fat
as fat (adipose tissue), but you must take into consideration
that storing fat (consumed) as fat (adipose tissue) is not the
only thing your body does with fat (consumed).

-The Optimal Levels of Fat

You're going to want to eat part of your calories from fat to
get their many benefits, but not go too high. Like anything
else in the world of nutrition and fitness, there are many
opinions on what the optimal levels of fat in the diet are. For
instance, advocates of low-fat diets opt for absolutely no fat
and believe that fat is what makes us fat. However, there is a
flaw in this belief as they are also cutting out the good,
numerously beneficial fats. Then there are high fat diets, such
as diets suggesting low carbs (they usually say you can eat all
the fat and protein you want). Although, it is generally
accepted to consume between 15% - 25% of your calories from fat
while severely limiting the amount of trans fats and watching
the amount of saturated fat that you consume.

-Some Easy Ways to Add Fat Into Your Diet

Now you may be wondering how you're going to add some of these
healthy fats into your diet. There are actually some really
easy ways to do so. If you eat salads, you can add about a
tablespoon of olive or canola oil. In my experience, you
usually cannot even taste these added oils. If you buy some
flax seed and grind it, you can add it to almost any food. Once
again, these flax seeds are mostly tasteless. Really, adding
these healthy nutrients into your diet isn't that big of a
burden.

About The Author: You can find more truthful information about
the topics of "weight loss" - which, in itself, is misleading
and fitness at http://www.weight-loss-resources.com.

The Theory Behind Diets Using Negative Calories

We can have a diet using negative calories. The main idea is
that our body uses more calories to digest some aliments than
the calories we know those aliments contain themselves by
analyzing the combination of nutritional components of the
specific aliments. If we burn more calories than we consume,
then we will lose weight.

The theory is in fact very appealing: the body has to consume
energy in order to digest the food. For example, an orange has
about 50 calories. To process all nutritional components and
vitamins that an orange contains, our body will burn more than
just 50 calories.

The diet using negative calories is more a solution we can call
on in some specific periods, when our body is overwhelmed with
nutrition, like holidays, Christmas, New Year's, birthdays,
weddings, and less of a solution that can be used on a long
term.

Some specialists say that the lost of weight is obtained mostly
by losing parts of the muscular tissue, which is not recommended
at all.

So if you decide to use the diet with negative calories keep in
mind the following:

1 - Make sure it is done in a period your body has already too
many calories stored and you won't be affecting your health by
doing this.

2 - Ask a medic if you can resist only eating this types of
aliments and also ask him the time limit for this diet in your
case so you can avoid getting sick.

3 - Try to combine them as much as you can, do not eat just
oranges or other fruits that contain citric acid as they are
not good for your stomach activity when eaten in huge
quantities.

4 - Review your schedule for the days you want to use this diet
and make sure you don't have any important or stressful things
to do. Stress also causes caloric burn and weight reduction and
if it occurs during a diet that weakens the organism you can
feel physically powerless. If such a thing happens give up on
the diet and eat something with many calories and glucoses
fast.

If all above points are checked and passed you can start a
negative calories diet and give a try to actually eating
something instead of taking slim pills and drinking tea.

For more information on Diets and Weight Loss visit:
http://www.ydiets.com


About The Author: http://www.ydiets.com is an excellent place
to find diet and weight loss resources and articles. For more
information go to:www.ydiets.com

Why Superfoods Are Important For Weight Loss And Energy

Over the last 50-75 years our soils have slowly become
depleted. We can no longer rely on our normal diet to supply
the RDA of the vitamins and minerals our bodies need.
Nutrients such as vitamins, proteins, enzymes and amino acids,
are required for our bodies to function properly. These
nutrients are dependent upon minerals. Minerals are
predominantly obtained from the food we eat, and the mineral
content of that food is dependent upon the mineral content of
the soil it grows in. Add to that the increase in pollutants
and toxins entering our food from our environment and you have
a severe shortage of optimal health and well being. It is no
wonder there is an obesity epidemic and untold amounts of
disease in our culture.

We have been able to track and study the mineral levels in our
soil and in our foods for about one hundred years. As early as
1936 (Senate Document 264) we recognized that our soils were
becoming depleted. According to Senate Document 264 (1936) it
states:
"The alarming fact is that foods (fruits, vegetables and
grains) now being raised on millions of acres of land that no
longer contain enough of certain minerals are starving us - no
matter how much of them we eat. No man of today can eat enough
fruits and vegetables to supply his system with the minerals he
requires for perfect health because his stomach isn't big enough
to hold them."

The 1992 Earth Summit soil mineral depletion report showed soil
depletion in North America to be at 85 percent, the highest in
the world. Nutrition in this country is just like global
climate change. Economics play a larger role in decision
making than planning for our children's futures.

There are two reasons are soils have become so depleted and the
nutritional value of our foods have fallen. One, is that
today's agriculture does not allow to regenerate the soil. We
rely on chemical fertilizers to only replace three or four
minerals. Phosphorous, Potassium and Nitrogen are the main
ingredients in our fertilizers. The second reason our foods
are less nutritious than fifty years ago is that fruits and
vegetables are picked while they are still green and have not
have the chance to extract all of the nutrients from the soil.
They are harvested green so that they ripen on the way to market
(your grocery store.) Many times fruits and vegetables have to
travel thousands of miles from farm to factory and finally to
the store. They are harvested while still green to enable them
to last longer in storage, but it also leaves insufficient time
for the plant to fully absorb whatever minerals are available in
the soil, and to synthesize vitamins and other nutrients. The
ripening process continues, cut off from the soil and sun, in
box and storage depot, often for weeks, resulting in further
losses of vitamins and other essential nutrients.

All of this results in mineral deficient bodies, from which
comes an abundance of health problems and degenerative
diseases. A few of the major symptoms and illness linked to
mineral deficiencies are osteoporosis, bone and muscle
weakness, lack of focus and energy, glucose intolerance, poor
wound healing, poor hair, skin and nails, and liver problems. A
lack of minerals can also lead to weight gain, as a deficiency
leaves your body craving minerals and never feeling satiated.

That is why you see one popular Superfood in may diet products
on the shelves today, Spirulina. Spirulina combats excessive
hunger by providing the body with quality protein, vitamins,
and minerals. Spirulina, because it is very dense in nutrients,
it is a wonderful energy booster and is known to help curb
cravings and lower cholesterol.

Other Superfoods like chlorella help absorb heavy metals like
mercury out of your system. It acts as a natural detoxifier.
Look for Superfoods such as berries high in anti-oxidant
ratings like Acai, Mangosteen and Gogi. Wheat grass, barley
and other seaweed vegetables are great choices because of their
nutrient content when adding Superfoods to your diet.

Superfoods are an excellent way to make up for dietary
deficiencies. Even if you are eating a 100% organic diet you
will still not be able to get all the nutrients you need
because of depleted soils.


About The Author: Marty Meshek is a natural energy and cleanse
specialist and operates a natural healing web site filled with
natural energy advice and products.
http:///www.energyfortoday.com/new220809.html

Do we need to Micromanage our Bodies?

Copyright (c) 2007 The Brain Code LLC

Do you have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, insulin
insensitivity, depression, joint pain, back pain, leg pain,
a pain in the neck . . . No problem, just get down to your
friendly local pharmacy to get the right pills and you're
good to go.

I hope that sounds sarcastic - because it is. Why do we
spend so much money and effort trying to micromanage each
little hormone or chemical imbalance in our body? Often
times these approaches just end up offsetting something
else anyway.

Most drugs have side effects

For example:

. Statins reduce cholesterol but they also reduce coenzyme
Q, important for energy production and maintaining good
blood pressure.

. Aspirin is great for a headache but also reduces vitamin
C, important for immune function.

. Ibuprofen is good for general pain but also reduces folic
acid, important for neural and cardiovascular function.

. Many antibiotics fight bacterial infections but they also
reduce potassium, important for regular heartbeat and they
reduce beneficial bacteria that help you digest your food.

This list is very long and I could go on for pages.

Don't get me wrong. There are appropriate times for
pharmaceutical drugs - when your situation is serious. The
point is that when we try and micromanage our 'imbalances'
we don't really do that great of a job. In fact, many
people are on medication to treat the side effects of a
different medication.

Do our bodies make bad stuff? Let's just challenge dogma
for a second here. I'll use cholesterol as an example since
it get so much press.

I'm sure you've been told that LDL is the 'bad' cholesterol
and HDL is 'good'. But here's a question - do you think
that your body naturally produces things that are bad for
it? Do you think you body makes LDL just to mess you up? Of
course not.

Many medical professionals are beginning to believe that
current definitions of 'high cholesterol' are not accurate.
In fact, new studies show that if your cholesterol drops
too low then you increase your risk for Parkinson's
disease. I predict that this is the first of many
associations that will link a disease with our attempt to
drive down cholesterol levels.

LDL has a role in repairing damaged arteries and in
delivering cholesterol to places where it is needed.
Cholesterol is actually an important component of cell
membranes. LDL is not bad - it's just that the foods we
typically eat cause it's levels to raise higher than
optimal. When the levels get too high then it starts
sticking to the inside of arteries too much.

The 4 pillars of health

So what are we to do? It will probably be no shock to you
that many ailments are the consequences of lifestyle
choices. Simply eating a better diet and getting regular
exercise will improve many conditions, reduce your reliance
on drugs and generally improve your quality of life.

You may be thinking 'Yeah, I've heard that before. Isn't
there anything new?' Well, I encourage you to stop looking
for the latest trick or pill to improve your health.
Lifestyle choices are the fundamental skills of good
health. You can break it all down into what I call the 4
pillars of good health.

1. Nutrition - Diet and Supplements 2. Exercise - Mental
and Physical Activity 3. Sleep, Rest and Relaxation 4.
Positive Mental Attitude

All of these factors will feed each other. When you eat
well and take quality supplements you will have more energy
to exercise, which will help you sleep better, which will
cause your stress levels to drop and improve your mood and
lead to overall improved health.

There is no magic bullet. If you have life threatening
illness, work with your doctor and take your medication.
But you should always go back to the 4 pillars to help you
recover faster and reduce your reliance on life-long drug
therapies. Those are the fundamental treatments that our
bodies are designed to respond to the best.


----------------------------------------------------
Boost your Family's Brain Fitness in 30 days with Natural
Strategies used by an Expert Brain Scientist and Sports
Coach. Learn how at http://www.thebraincode.com

Dietary Herbal Supplements Guide

Herbal Supplements: What are They and What Do They Do?

Are you thinking about adding herbal dietery supplements to
your diet to improve the quality of your nutrition? If so, it
is good that you are taking the time to read about them. It is
important so you can make informed decisions about whether
herbal supplements are a sound health choice for you.

Many people know they do not eat a balanced, nutritious diet
and fear for their health. They feel that adding dietary or
herbal supplements to their daily eating regimen will add what
they need to their diet. One of the most common mistakes people
make is sometimes mistaking dietary herbal supplements for
nutritious herbal supplements.

Dietary herbal supplements are designed to help you lose weight
by suppressing your appetite. Some will block carbs, control
carb cravings, boost energy levels and block fats. Others are
designed to suppress your appetite, boost your metabolism, burn
fat and give you energy.

Nutritious herbal supplements provide you with the nutrients
your body needs. There are six main nutrients the body needs to
receive daily. These nutrients include minerals, carbohydrates,
vitamins, minerals, proteins, fats, and water. It is important
to consume these six nutrients daily to build and maintain a
healthy body. While taking weight loss supplements, when you
eat it is important that your diet is nutritious and balanced.

Herbal supplements can augment your diet. But given the lack of
controls, it is a gamble to trust that any herbal dietary or
nutritious supplements you might take contains all the
ingredients at the intensity the label says. This is sad but
true. Billions of dollars are spent on these supplements that
may, for all we know, be powdered sugar. Everyday, there are
news stories about supplement frauds and hoaxes.

There is hope though. Manufacturers of dietary, nutritious and
herbal supplements can ask that their products be tested for
free. If they meet the standards established by the U.S
Pharmacopeia, they are allowed to place the USPS Dietary
Supplement Verified Seal on their product. Other groups that
certify herbal supplements include:

1) ConsumerLab.com 2) Good Housekeeping 3) NSF International
(National Sanitization Foundation)

Then there is the FDA, the US Federal Drug Administration.
Supplements that are made using Good Manufacturing Practices
set forth by the FDA, and strict FDA guidelines are considered
safe and effective.

Although you buy herbal supplements that have been tested by
one of these organizations, and they carry their seal or
certificate, or the approval by the FDA, you cannot rely on
supplements for counteracting poor and unhealthy eating habits.
There is no supplement that will work as well as changing your
dietary lifestyle.

If you are taking prescription drugs, you need to be even more
cautious about the supplements you take. You have already
passed the stage of prevention and are in the treatment stage.
Herbal supplements are known to prevent and treat illnesses and
should be used under a doctor's supervision if you currently
take prescription drugs.

There are unique, safe and effective herbal supplemental
products available for certain conditions that help people
supplement their lives. As well as herbal weight loss products
there are products for women's health, men's health, skin care
and general health products.

If you are thinking about using herbal supplements as an
alternative to prescription drugs, the same caution is made -
you need to be certain the supplements you are taking meet
quality standards and are not frauds.

7 suggestions to consider when buying herbal dietary or
nutritious supplements online are:

1) Check how long they have been selling herbal supplements
online, as usually the longer the better.

2) Do they have about me, faqs, testimonial, ingredients pages
etc?

3) Products on their website should contain a full description.
Check when you receive the product the description matches or
exceeds the information on the website.

4) What guarantees do they offer?

5) Subscribing to a newsletter is a good sign.

6) Shipping worldwide.

7) Be leery of herbal supplements made outside the U.S.

Following the suggestions should give you a good idea of the
company you are dealing with. But be a good consumer and let
your antenna go up when a product's claim is too good to be
true.

It's important to remember that whatever promises they make for
the supplements you are taking they will all have the same in
common... They are not instant fixes, they need time to work
and need your help to work. You have to stay the course and
follow the recommended dosage level, and the advice given by
the manufacturer of the herbal dietary supplement.

Nutritional supplements will help improve your health
regardless of what you eat, but taken in combination with a
well-rounded diet, your health can achieve even higher levels.
It could take months before you get the full benefit, but
depending on your condition and the product you use you could
see or feel results within week's even days.

About The Author: Peter Rapport writes on a variety of subjects
of special interest including Herbal Supplements.
http://www.behealthee.com The Specialists In Herbal Products To
Help You In Different Areas Of Your Life

.

__,_._,___

An Order Of Healthy Food Please

When you have no time to cook your own food, what do you do?
The answer is obvious, of course. You go out to your local fast
food outlet (in deference to your kids' preferences), you go out
to the food strip at the mall, or you order take out. It is
convenient and you can eat your fill at these joints. What's
not so obvious, however, is what such a practice is doing to
you and your children's health.

Healthy eating habits are crucial to achieving a healthy mind
and body. Healthy eating habits refer to eating meals
regularly, eating well-balanced meals, and eating only what's
necessary. Healthy eating habits do not involve eating burgers
and fries for lunch.

The Fast Food Culture

Unfortunately, some people do think that it is healthy to have
burgers and fries for lunch. Advertising spiels have a lot to
answer for this. In a world filled with fast food and
restaurants, it is but natural that the companies serving up
this food have to undermine people's preference for home-cooked
meals or they will become redundant and not make any profit.

As such, big food corporations put millions of dollars into TV
commercials that assert in not so many words that a meal eaten
at a fast food is special while eating at home with your family
the meal your mother cooked is nothing but ordinary.

Such a reversal of values was helped along by the faster pace
of life, where people have no more time to devote to preparing
home-cooked meals. People are always driving or commuting to
work, attending business meetings, or maybe holding one or two
jobs. You cannot expect someone who has already been working 12
hours straight to come home and prepare a lengthy meal. It makes
more sense to buy some take-out or bring the family out for a
meal.

People are aware that they need to eat healthy food. However,
what do you do if you are misled into thinking that restaurant
fare and fast food taste better than home-cooked food? Sadly,
there's also an underlying effort to make people think that
food in restaurant and fast foods are all healthy, that there's
really not much difference when you eat in or out. It's all the
same, but eating out is more convenient.

As people continue to be bombarded with mass media
advertisements advocating the value of fast food and eating
out, and as people become even more busy trying to hold on to
their jobs, more and more people stop cooking and begin taking
these commercials to heart. People have deserted home-cooked
and nutritious meals that need hours of preparation for big
servings of calorie- and fat-rich food that gets served up
within minutes.

The Diseased Nation

The success of the fast food industry in establishing a culture
that thrives in fast food and meals eaten out, our people's
health has been placed on the balance. Thus, America is now an
ailing nation. Incidence of heart disease, diabetes and high
blood pressure continues to rise as obesity becomes even more
prevalent.

I am not saying that fast food is to be avoided at all costs.
What I am saying is that a trip to the fast food should be made
only very infrequently, not three times a week as most people
now are wont to do. A change should be instituted to bring back
the days when there's no doubt about what healthy food is and
where to find it. This is all I ask.

About The Author: Allen is a life-long writer and reader who
writes on a number of subjects including cooking, writing, and
Internet marketing. Allen has several cooking related websites
including: http://www.allbeefrecipes.com
http://www.allvegetablerecipes.com
http://www.pastarecipesworld.com

The Ramifications Of Obesity

When a person is obese, they are usually quite miserable. Even
if they claim that they're happy with their size and how they
look, don't let them fool you. Most severely overweight
individuals will say this, but only because they haven't yet
figured out how to get the weight off and keep it off. Severely
obese people often feel miserable on a daily basis. They have
trouble breathing, tire easily, have difficultly finding
clothes that fit, and suffer from various aches and pains.
These people are also more prone to developing heart disease,
diabetes, insulin resistance, and countless other potentially
life threatening illnesses. Being overweight can also be quite
embarrassing for people. They may be unable to enjoy amusement
park rides because of the inability to fit inside one, or they
may be too large to wear seatbelts in cars and on airplanes.

Obesity is one of those problems that an individual doesn't
have to live with, though. It's not like cancer-most people
can't get rid of cancer, but with obesity, there is a definite
light at the end of the tunnel. All that a person has to do is
eat right and exercise. Sure, it's easier said than done,
especially with all the temptations out there. But if a person
is really motivated and determined to get to a healthy weight,
it can be done. Just take one day at a time, and soon you will
start seeing results.

There are numerous diets out there: The Zone, Adkins, South
Beach, Weight Watchers, and many more. Unfortunately, though,
as most overweight individuals have found out, these diets
don't work for everyone. Sure they work great for some people,
but obviously not for everyone. Many times a person has to
tailor a diet specifically to fit their own body. Lots of
carbohydrates can be great for some people, yet bad for others.
It all depends on the person, what they enjoy eating, and their
metabolism.

It may take something very drastic to really get a person
motivated enough to dedicate the rest of their life to being
healthy. Let's face it: dieting is hard, but people shouldn't
look at losing weight as dieting, but as a new way of eating.
The reason for this is because so many people will diet long
enough to lose weight, and then as soon as they reach they
reach their goal weight, they go back to their old eating
habits, which quickly piles back on the weight. Losing weight
and being healthy has to be a lifetime change and commitment.

For some awesome new cookware to use when making your healthy
recipes and meals, check out attached links for some great
money-saving deals.

About The Author: Stacey Day writes about
http://www.homeappliancesdepot.com

Glucosamine for Healthy Bones

I have been taking Glucosamine and fish oil for a number of years now.
As I was getting close to 50 the old bones through wear and tear, where
starting to ache and I found the benefits of these two in a supplement
form.

Read what Steven Godlewski has to say about adding Glucosamine to your
diet and most importantly in what form it should be taken.

Glucosamine for Healthy Bones

Man cannot live on bread alone, and bones can't be healthy
with calcium alone. They also need Glucosamine. The human
body naturally produces Glucosamine, but as we grow older,
our bodies stop producing enough Glucosamine, causing our
bones and joints to wear out at a much faster rate. This
affects your hips, knees, and hands, causing bone spurs,
pain, deformity, and reduced movement and flexibility.

Glucosamine relieves osteo-related pain, rehabilitates
cartilage, repairs joints, and produces synovial fluids. A
great deal of research has gone into the benefits of
Glucosamine, and when coupled with calcium, it goes a very
long way towards keeping bones and teeth healthy, as well
as helping to repair bones that have become unhealthy.
Glucosamine is also vital in the formation and health of
ligaments, tendons, nails, skin, eyes, bones, and heart
valves.

Not just any Glucosamine will do, however. You need a high
quality Glucosamine, and you need it in liquid form, as
opposed to pill or capsule form. Scientists have found that
only 10% to 20% of vitamins and minerals in the form of
pills and capsules are absorbed by the body, while those
same vitamins and liquids in liquid form are absorbed by up
to 98%.

This is a huge difference, and your overall health depends
a great deal on this difference. It is a shame that so many
people think that they are actually getting the vitamins
and minerals that they need when they swallow their multi
vitamin pill each morning. Furthermore, when seeking
relief, it can take up to ten weeks to see any results when
taking pills, as opposed to one or two weeks to receive
relief when using a liquid formula.

Along with calcium and Glucosamine, the body also requires
chondroitin sulfate. This is a glucosaminoglycan that is
made up of repeating units of Glucosamine. It is used by
cartilage and other joint structures, where it stimulates
the production of even more chondroitin sulfate. The body
also needs vitamin D3, which helps the body absorb and use
calcium.

Look for a supplement which supplies the body with all that
it needs for strong bones and teeth. It should contain
magnesium, chondroitin, Glucosamine, vitamin D, calcium.
and colloidal minerals for better absorption. Zinc,
magnesium, copper, and manganese are also included, as
these four minerals are vital for proper metabolism in the
bone.

All of these ingredients combined serve to aid the entire
structural system of the human body. Look for other trace
minerals to improve your overall health, and make sure all
of the ingredients are of the highest possible quality.

So, while taking a good multi vitamin is important, and
taking a calcium supplement is also important, it is also
vital that you make sure your calcium supplement includes
Glucosamine if you really want to protect your bone
structure. Don't rely on calcium alone to still have you
walking when you are in your eighties and nineties!


----------------------------------------------------
Steven Godlewski is a self-made millionaire and is
currently working with the staff at PillFreeVitamins.com He
has an extensive background in nutrition as well as other
health related fields. For more health-related articles or
a FREE bottle of Liquid Vitamins see their website at:
http://www.pillfreevitamins.com

Vitamins And Cancer Prevention

Much has been studied about the role of certain vitamins,
minerals and herbs in cancer prevention. Some of the most
promising cancer prevention properties come from those vitamins
that are known as antioxidants.

Antioxidants are substances that protect the body's cells from
damage caused by dangerous free radicals, which can potentially
cause cancer. There are many different sources of antioxidants,
including herbs, vitamins, and foods. Here are some of the most
widely recommended supplements thought to help prevent cancer by
fighting free radicals:

Beta Carotene: Beta carotene is thought to reduce the risk of
cancer, especially lung cancer. Beta carotene is naturally
occurring in red and orange foods such as pumpkin, squash,
carrots, and red peppers. Beta carotene can also be found in
dark leafy greens like spinach and kale.

Lutein: Lutein can help prevent colon cancer and encourage good
eye health. Find lutein in dark green vegetables like collard
greens, kale and spinach.

Lycopene: Lycopene has been studied for it's prostate cancer
preventing properties. Tomato products are the best sources of
lycopene. Studies have shown that processed tomato products
like canned tomatoes, soups and juices are higher in lycopene
than fresh tomatoes.

Vitamin A:Vitamin A, whose most common form is retinol, is a
powerful antioxidant with cancer preventing properties that is
found in such foods as liver, carrots, milk, egg yolk and sweet
potatoes.

Vitamin C: Getting enough Vitamin C can help prevent cancers of
the mouth, throat, esophagus, lung and colon. Vitamin C is found
in citrus fruits, berries, broccoli, and even lean poultry, beef
and types of fish.

Vitamin E: Vitamin E is thought to prevent certain types of
cancer such as prostate cancer and can be found in foods like
green, leafy vegetables, fortified cereals, wheat germ oil and
almonds.

Green Tea: Green tea is a powerful source of free-radical
fighting antioxidants. Drink green tea in it's natural form or
try a supplement if you can't stand the taste.

It's a good idea to eat a balanced diet rich in fruits,
vegetables, lean protein and healthy fat like the omegas found
in wild salmon. You can add vitamin supplements to your diet as
well. Try a multivitamin that contains a specialized blend of
all the vitamins required for total-body health.

Before adding nutritional supplements to your diet, talk to
your doctor or nutritionist to be sure you take the right
dosage and tell them what medications you are taking to avoid
possibly dangerous interactions.

About The Author: To learn more about Vitamin Supplements,
check out the author's Vitamin Information website.
http://www.vitavroom.com

.

How To Lose Weight Fast

What's with all the weight loss programs, foods, diets, plans,
programs and pills and the majority of Americans are either
overweight or obese? Do these products work or not and what
the heck is going on here anyway?

The answer is based on expectations. We want FAST weight loss
with minimum of fuss and problems. We don't want to make
changes in our lifestyles but want that magic pill that makes
us slim quickly. Deep down inside we know this isn't reality
but still can't seem to face the fact that we eat to much in
relation to the amount of activity and exercising we do.

The problem with the whole weight loss industry however is that
the marketing plays on our desire to quickly lose weight without
effort. Just look at all those ads and the one thing in common,
no matter if it's a weight loss supplement, exercise machine, or
food program is that they all hold out the promise that losing
weight is easy and quick! And we so want to believe that
there's this magic secret to weight loss that we buy into their
story.

How sad! The fact is that we didn't gain all the weight in a
few days or months and we're unlikely to lose it that fast
either. Fast weight loss is the absolute worst type of diet
with the vast majority doomed to failure and to gain all that
fast weight loss right back. To make matters even more
difficult, fast weight loss sets a body up in starvation mode
so when eating resumes, your body will not only put on all that
weight but also a few extra pounds to protect itself during the
next famine.

So as the cycle of dieting and weight loss continues one time
after another, it becomes increasingly more difficult to lose
the weight and keep it off.

The question comes down to, why don't any of these programs
actually work? The answer, unfortunately, is that almost all
products work just does not live up to the marketing and our
expectations. A diet supplement that helps curb your appetite
and helps you to lose a pound or two each week is considered a
failure because we want fast weight loss and the hype promised
it would be easy. Losing weight isn't easy and never has been.


Notice that all weight loss products do one of two things.
They help us to either eat less or exercise more. That's it.
That's the secret to weight loss. Eating fewer calories than
we use up on a day to day basis is the key to any successful
weight loss program It's not fast but it IS effective.

About The Author: Abigail Franks has extensive knowledge and
personal experience with many diet programs. On her site you
will find honest and true information on losing weight. Visit
the site at http://www.weight-lossforlife.com

.

__,_._,___

What Foods Hold The Most Weight Loss Protection?

Obesity is one of the number one health concerns in today's
society. The US Centers for Disease Control estimates that
over 60 million Americans, or 30% of the adult population, are
obese. The term obese refers to people who weigh over 30
pounds more than their ideal weight, or who have a Body Mass
Index of 30 or more.

One of the national health objectives in the US is to reduce
the incidence of obesity to less than 15% of the adult
population by 2010; however, current statistics indicate that
the problem is still on the rise. In addition, the percentage
of young people in America who are overweight has more than
tripled since 1980.

Over 9 million children and teens between the ages of 6 and 19
are considered overweight. This equates to 16 % of the
population.

There's no question that losing weight is not easy. And, it's
also clear that we've changed our lifestyles in ways that are
making it easier for us to become obese. Some of the biggest
culprits in the battle of the bulge are the following.

.Busy Schedules - The average family has a much more demanding
schedule than in years past. Because of this, mealtimes often
go by the wayside, and we choose lots of fast food. Our stress
levels may also lead to emotional eating, where we have no
concept of how many calories we've consumed. These factors
combined have made our diets poor and our concept of a normal
meal skewed.

.Sedentary Lifestyles - Today many people spend lots of time
sitting down between our desk jobs and our love of watching
television and playing computer and video games. For many of
us, regular exercise is simply no longer a part of our daily
life.

.Large food portions - Most restaurant portions are 2-3 times
the size that makes up a reasonable meal. From this we've
gained a distorted image of the size portions we should be
eating, and we're consuming far too many calories in a day.

.Poor nutrition - Processed foods are a staple in the American
diet. In addition, we eat lots of red meat and products made
with white flour. These overly processed and high fat foods
make it easy to gain weight. They also lead to heart disease
and high cholesterol.

So, what do we do to overcome our weight problems? Well, as
with many things, there are no magic bullets. To lose weight,
we have to expend more calories than we consume. It's just that
simple.

Losing weight is simple, but it's not easy, particularly since
much of the food we're presented with every day is not
conducive to weight loss. So, if you want to lose weight and
keep it off for good, you need to make a commitment to making
long term changes in your life.

Starving yourself is not the answer; making changes you can
live with is the way to go.

First, take a look at what you eat. If you're guilty of eating
lots of processed foods, red meat, sugar and white flour, make
changes in what you eat.

Substitute chicken and fish for red meat most days of the week.

Cook your own meals using fresh ingredients; don't rely on
processed foods that are loaded with preservatives.

Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables

Choose whole grain products over those made with white flour
Reduce the amount of sugar in your diet.

These changes alone should help you lose weight. However, for
many people it will also be necessary to look at how much you
eat. Portion control is very important, because very large
portions of even healthy food can mean that you're consuming
too many calories.

The second half of the weight loss equation has to do with
exercise. Not only will exercise help you burn more calories
each day, but it will also help you build muscle. Muscle is
important because even when resting, muscle mass burns more
calories than fat. So, if you have a lot of lean muscle, you'll
burn more calories in a day, without even trying.

Aim for 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise five times a
week. Walking is a great way to get your cardiovascular
exercise, and it will help build muscle in the lower body, too.
Just be sure that you're walking at a pace that will make you
sweat. Raising your heart rate during your cardiovascular
workout is important for keeping your heart healthy.

In addition to your cardiovascular workout, get in some
strength training three times a week for about 20 minutes each
session. You don't need to become a body builder, but adding
some lean muscle will speed up your metabolism and make your
body look thinner and leaner.

Finally, take a look at adding some "functional foods" to your
diet. Functional foods are those that have benefits to the body
above and beyond their basic nutritional qualities. Foods that
would be considered functional foods for weight loss would be
those that make us feel full and satisfied for longer, and
those that have the potential to increase our metabolism.

For example, you may have heard of negative calorie foods.
These are foods that contain fewer calories than your body uses
to digest them. Some examples of negative calorie food include
raw carrots, celery, asparagus, apple, beet, berries, broccoli,
cabbage, cauliflower, chili, cucumber, garlic, lettuce,
grapefruit, lemon, mango, onion, orange, papaya, pineapple,
spinach, turnip, and zucchini.

There are likely other functional foods for weight loss. Foods
that are believed to be functional for weight loss include low
fat milk, nuts and tea. A study reported by the UK Tea Council
discusses certain foods and their potential to be functional
weight loss foods.

Studies have shown that people who drink 24 ounces or more of
milk each day tend to weigh less than people who don't drink
milk. So, it appears that adding 24 ounces of milk to your diet
each day might be a good way to lose some weight, and help keep
it off.

Nuts have gained a lot of attention because of two important
properties. The first is that nuts are very satisfying. Nuts
can help you feel full for longer, helping to ensure that you
eat fewer calories in a day.

Secondly, nuts are a good source of healthy fats. These are the
fats that help raise your HDL cholesterol level. HDL cholesterol
is what is known as "good cholesterol" because it has the power
to carry molecules of LDL cholesterol "bad cholesterol" to the
liver, where it can be removed from the body.

A final food that is likely functional to weight loss is green
tea. Green tea has been shown to help regulate blood sugar
naturally, which may help us store fewer calories as fat.
Secondly, green tea has been shown to promote thermogenesis;
heat that burns body fat.

Green tea is extremely low in calories, and very healthy
overall. So, if it can also help us lose weight, it may just
qualify as a "super food". There have been numerous studies
linking green tea with preventing disease and protecting
health.

So, if you're battling the bulge, get some exercise and make
some changes in your diet. And, make sure that one of those
changes is adding some "functional foods", so that losing
weight can be easier than ever!

About The Author: Marcus Stout is President of the Golden Moon
Tea Company. For more information about tea, green tea and wu
long tea go to http://www.goldenmoontea.com

Peanuts Are Loaded With Anti-oxidants

Research now claims that peanuts rival many fruits when it
comes to their antioxidant value, according to the University
of Florida's research. Peanut not only contain a wide variety
of helpful antioxidants, but they contain the 'good' fat.

"When it comes to antioxidant content, peanuts are right up
there with strawberries," said Steve Talcott, assistant
professor of food science and human nutrition at the University
of Florida. "We expected a fairly high antioxidant content in
peanuts, but we were a bit shocked to find that they're as rich
in antioxidants as many kinds of fruit."

The study researched a dozen different varieties of peanuts
measuring their ability to block the aging effect of free
radicals that occur naturally in the body and damage living
cells causing heart disease, stroke, and some cancers.

Antioxidants became popular when reports started hailing them
as a miracle weapon in the battle against cancer. This lead
many people to add more orange and red fruit to their diet and
increase vitamins A, C, and E which are recognized as
antioxidants.

Peanuts are a good source of Vitamin E.

University of Florida researchers studied peanuts and found
that they contain high concentrations of polyphenols. Roasting
increases the levels, boosting their antioxidant content by 22
per cent, to the levels of blackberries and strawberries. In
fact, the report goes on to state that roasted peanuts out-do
apples, carrots and beets.

"If you compare them (peanuts) to other foods people think of
as rich in antioxidants mostly fruits and berries peanuts come
out somewhere in the middle," Talcott said. "They're no match
for the foods at the top of the scale, such as pomegranate, but
they do rival other foods that people eat just for their
antioxidant content."

"We already know from previous studies that including peanuts
and peanut butter in a healthful diet can lower cholesterol,
help people lose weight and prevent type 2 diabetes," said
Kristen Ciuba, a nutritionist for the Peanut Institute, a
nonprofit organization in Albany, Ga., funded by the peanut
industry.

"It's certainly worth looking into further," said Gorbet, a
co-author of the study. "The big question is not whether it can
be done the question is whether the demand is there. So far,
people haven't been seeking out peanuts for their antioxidant
content, but maybe in the future they will be."

Not everyone is willing to move peanuts to the list of
life-saving, healthy foods. Dr. Mercola, author of Total Health
Program has a word of warning for people who want to increase
the amount of peanuts they eat.

Dr. Mercola states that peanuts are heavy in Omega-6 fats that
distort the Omega 3:6 ratio, and they may contain a
carcinogenic mold called aflatoxin, as well as pesticides. All
of these cause serious health problems and disease.

He continues to tell people to eat organic peanut butter, pour
the oil off the top of the peanut butter jar to lower the
Omega-6 content, and even mixing in Brewer's yeast.

About The Author: Ethan Miller advises on health issues from
his web site http://www.cosmeticsurgerystar.com. He invites you
to receive his FREE health information guide here com at
http://www.lasikpower.com

5 Easy Steps to Lose Belly Fat

Are you suffering from excess belly fat that won't budge no
matter what you do?

Have the flashy infomercials convinced you that your belly
fat is directly related to stress and that they have the
miracle pill that will get rid of it with no effort on your
part?

Are clever marketing ads suggesting your can rid your
stubborn belly fat by investing in their "breakthrough"
ab-machine?

Not only is belly fat unattractive, it's unhealthy. You're
probably aware of this and have tried to do something about
it, haven't you?

Let's face it. You've tried everything and nothing has
worked thus far. Stop playing games with yourself. This is
your body and your health, and it's about time you got the
TRUTH about how to lose belly fat.

Fact #1 on How to Lose Belly Fat - As frustrating and harsh
as this may sound, it needs to be said. You will NEVER lose
belly fat by doing countless crunches every day. If so,
wouldn't most people have them by now? You can do crunches
until you are every color of the rainbow in the face and it
WILL NOT get rid of belly fat.

Fact #2 on How to Lose Belly Fat - Fancy and expensive
ab-machines won't get rid of belly fat. Most the ab-gadgets
marketed focus on spot reducing, suggesting to the consumer
that all they need to do is use their "state-of-the-art"
ab-device and they will get rock hard abs.

Fact #3 on How to Lose Belly Fat - Fat-loss potions and
other "miracle" quick fixes will not get rid of belly fat.
Many marketing companies wait for the next new piece of
"scientific evidence" to emerge so they can use just enough
"scientific fact" to create a product and make extravagant
claims that hit the consumer at the emotional level.

Fact #4 on How to Lose Belly Fat - Fad diets are the worst
of all the belly fat scams. Fad diets prey upon the
desperate. They evoke restriction and deprivation, cause a
loss of muscle, bone, and water, and in the end, completely
destroy the metabolism.

What You CAN Do To Lose Belly Fat I know what you are
probably thinking at this point and I now have you
completely depressed. Alas, I'm going to tell you how to
lose that belly fat you hate and have been trying to get
rid of.

If you implement these methods I'm about to discuss, you
will begin to notice your mid-section decreasing in size
and belly fat will slowly melt off, the right way. When you
take fat off the right way, it's less likely to return. The
idea is to create control and then maintain that control.

Keep in mind that this is not a "quick-fix" and you will
not see results overnight. Sorry, but I speak the truth.
What you can expect is:

Continual belly fat loss over the course of several weeks
or more

To have less cravings

Feel the changes as well as see them

To increase your health and self-esteem

Lose Belly Fat Rule #1 - Detox your body and organs.
Studies show that a body that's been purged of impurities
functions better than one loaded down with toxins. Cleaning
your intestinal track is the first step to good health.

Lose Belly Fat Rule #2 - Clean up your eating habits. The
eating rules are to eat natural food derived from the
earth. Eat a small balanced meal every 3 hours. Taper off
complex carbs toward the end of the day. Doing these small,
yet effective dietary changes will purge your body of
toxins to allow the nutrients to be utilized and it will
also boost your metabolic rate.

Lose Belly Fat Rule #3 - Drink water. If you already
drinking water, drink more. Water is vitally necessary in
toxin removal as well as getting fat moving and flushing it
out of the body.

Lose Belly Fat Rule #4 - Cardio constitutes as an effective
means of reducing belly fat, provided you keep it within
reason. Losing belly fat with cardio is a tool, not the
sole answer as many people may think. Doing 20-30 minutes
of high intensity interval training three to five times a
week is sufficient to boosting your metabolic rate and
burning fat.

Lose Belly Fat Rule #5 - Abdominal exercises are wonderful
in building a strong midsection. When you build stronger
abdominal muscles you will look and feel better, improve
posture, and alleviate lower back pain. You can do a wide
array of various forms of crunches up to 4 times a week.

Lose Belly Fat Conclusion The bottom line about how to get
rid of belly fat is not by investing tons of money into
fancy gadgets, expensive pills, and starving oneself, but
it's in nourishing the body, purging the impurities and
exercising.

You won't have a model-ready body by tomorrow, but in time
you will lose the belly fat and keep it off.

Now that you have the TRUTH about how to banish unsightly
belly fat, use this information to your advantage and you
will be unstoppable.


----------------------------------------------------
Karen Sessions has been in the fitness industry since 1988.
She is a nationally qualified bodybuilder and holds two
personal training certifications. She has written 6 ebooks
on fitness and has helped hundreds of clients transform
their bodies. http://www.theelitephysique.com

Forgotten Health And Nutrition Secrets

Now days so many people live in a fast paced existence that
leaves them reaching for a fast meal from convenience stores
and fast food restaurants. Unhappily, these kind of foods, many
of which incorporate chemicals and food coloring, are harmful to
health.

To cut out the chemicals and preservatives for continued good
health, means going back to food in their natural state. Skip
the pre-packaged and pre-prepared foods as often as possible.

These fast foods are not whole food giving the vitamins,
minerals and enzymes needed by your body. Sometimes what is
eaten is not even real foods and provide little nutrition to
build or restore health.

You need to take a look at what you eat and whether you are
getting your health and nutrition needs met. One health and
nutrition secret is to use the first-rate foods, grown
organically if possible.

Eating a balanced diet is genuinely the best way to ensure that
you have good health and good nutrition. Nutrition experts
suggest that the daily diet include so many servings from the
five food groups of breads and cereals, vegetables, fruits,
milk, meat/protein such as poultry, fish, beans, eggs and nuts.
Fats would be included, but used sparingly.

People living 50 to 100 years ago usually ate that way all the
time, gaining nutrition from whole grain foods, vegetables and
fruits grown and eaten fresh from the garden, or sold locally.
They generally ate smaller amounts of meat or chose meals with
beans, peas and other legumes.

Are you one of the people that consider that if you don t eat
well, you can just pop a vitamin pill and make up for it? Here
is an additional health and nutrition secret: your body absorbs
vitamins and minerals found in foods more readily than those
found in vitamin pills.

Make vegetables, specially leafy green vegetables very dominant
in your diet for a natural source of the vitamins and minerals
that you must have for good health. Without this good source of
nutrition, it is very hard to have good health. Choose genuine
food over vitamins, then fill in if you think you are lacking
with a super food powder.

Put this health and nutrition secret to work in your daily life
and you will find over time that you are taking your health to a
new level, rather than sacrificing your health because of poor
or empty nutrition.

About The Author: Article written by Jeannie Crabtree C.Ac.
Learn more about how to improve your health naurally. Be sure
to grab your free Health Report and "Health Tips Newsletter"
by visiting http://www.healthrepaircenter.com

Weight Loss Tips, Tricks, And Special Tactics

At one time, nutritionists and health experts believed that
healthy people do not need to use detoxification procedures as
long as they maintain and eat a well- balanced diet. A Danish
chemist recovered from "the point of death" by using sauna.
"Dry sauna" has been used for centuries to reverse symptoms in
the Hg miners of Spain.

Green tea is also a great immune-enhancing health-booster and
anti-cancer agent, with flavonoids and polyphenols thought to
inhibit tumor formation.

Technology. We live in a grand time of technological
development. Computers, the Internet, cell phones, digital
cameras and DVDs. But the human body has not 'kept up' with
technology. Teens partying late at night and imbibing drugs and
alcohol for added fun, often dominated the silver screen. Quite
a pretty picture isn't it? Oftentimes teens see it as an
epitome. Although Hollywood does its part to show a different
side of alcohol and drug addiction with movies like
"Trainspotting" and "Girl Interrupted", the character still
ended up being glamorous and ideal in nature and often
overshadows the dark side of addiction.

Weight Loss Tips, Tricks, and Tactics

I personal lost 60 pounds in 2005. Here are some tactics I used
to lose the weight.

Eat every three hours. This will keep your blood sugar stable.
Try to eat real food at least three times a day, breakfast,
lunch and dinner. In between your food meals take a good meal
replacement shake or bar.

Never eat a carbohydrate by itself. This is basically all
sugar. When you eat a carbohydrate by itself there is a sudden
increase in sugar in the body. This causes the body to release
insulin. However, the body releases too much insulin because it
thinks more sugar is coming. The insulin basically grabs the
sugar/carbohydrate and stores it to fat for use at some other
time. Since your body released too much insulin there is not
enough sugar to support the brain function. That is why you
feel tired or sluggish. So you're fatter and dumber.

Watch the gums and mints. Many of these little gums and mints
contain calories, sugars, and everything else that is not good
for you. Read the labels, if it has sugar in it do not eat it.
Time is relative and no two individuals will give the same
measurement of time to achieve their goals. It depends on what
you are accustomed to in your life.

Do I believe in detox? Well, most of it is plain simple
commonsense - proper diet, judicious supplementation, adequate
rest, exercise, stress-relieving techniques.

It is also important to understand that detoxification do not
work in isolation. It requires careful understanding of the
different substances that will help the body recuperate and
fight back diseases. Have you ever washed greasy dishes without
hot water or dish soap? The dishes don't get clean, do they?
When toxic metals and chemical food additives get inside your
body, it takes a strong "cleanser" to scrub your body clean
from the inside out.

On the other hand, drug dependence often begins with the misuse
of legal drugs like prescription drugs and inhalants. Inhalants
are legal substances that becomes illegal when use in a manner
that causes a person to get high. Eat foods that have 30% or
less, calories from fat. Everyone is on this big no
carbohydrate craze. However, did you know that 1 gram of
carbohydrate contains 4 calories, 1 gram of protein contains 4
calories, and 1 gram of fat contains 9 calories? There are over
twice as many calories in a single gram of fat, than in a
protein or carbohydrate.

To find out how many calories are from fat check the label. The
label will list the total calories and then list how many
calories are from fat. If there are 100 total calories, and
there are 70 calories from fat, that's 70%, too high.

Give yourself one reward day to eat and drink whatever you
want. You worked hard all week, reward yourself.

Alcohol is a converted to a sugar. Save it for your free day.
If you do drink, it might also be helpful to take hydroxycitric
acid capsules about 30 minutes before drinking. Hydroycitric
acid is from the herb Garcinia Cambogia. This interferes with
the enzyme that converts excess sugars into triglycerides,
lessening the likelihood the alcohol will be stored as fat.

Drug and alcohol rehab serves a single purpose for any addicted
person and that is to help this person to stop using the drug or
drugs that they are dependent on. There has been a lot in the
news lately about the amazing healing properties of turmeric, a
free-radical-fighting antioxidant-rich curry spice that has been
hailed as a defense against both cancer and Alzheimer's.

Did you know that most deodorants have aluminum as their active
ingredient? Your body quickly absorbs this metal, solving the
day's odor problem. Research has shown that addiction is
treatable. Drug Detox today and pass your drug test!

Conventional, mainstream (allopathic) medical practitioners
have yet to latch on to this concept, since they're only
trained to treat diseases and symptoms specifically without
treating the patient as a whole.

Making simple detox diets are relatively uncomplicated, but you
may need some time to see perfect it. To get you started, here
are some easy guidelines in making simple detox diet.


About The Author: Drug Detox today and pass your drug test!
More at http://www.detoxs.info

Enjoying A Healthy Pregnancy With A Pregnancy Diet

Discovering that you are pregnant opens a whole new world
before you. Suddenly, your focus shifts as your one and only
job becomes just nine months long; to attend to the health of
you and your baby. If you are not a person who visits the
doctor often then the transition to monthly - and soon weekly -
doctor visits can feel strange. But these visits are just one of
the things you will be doing to ensure the health of your fetus.
As you will soon discover, pregnancy diet is another.

As we all know, eating a proper diet can save us a lifetime of
health problems and even early death. Even with this knowledge
it can still seem a battle to maintain a healthy diet. But with
pregnancy, suddenly it is no longer just about us. And when the
results of a healthy pregnancy diet can mean a healthy
pregnancy, a full-term, problem-free delivery, and a healthy
baby - then it doesn't seem like much of a battle anymore.

Following a proper pregnancy diet ultimately means following
the instructions of your doctor. Depending on your
pre-pregnancy health and weight, your doctor will indicate how
much/little weight it is advised that you gain. Be sure to
monitor you weight gain accordingly as excessive weight gain
can result in problems such as hypertension and gestational
diabetes. Your doctor will advise you as to the number of daily
calories that are healthy for your particular body.

Aside from caloric considerations, a pregnancy diet means
focusing on healthy foods. Try to avoid foods high in salt,
fat, and preservatives. Also minimize fried and greasy foods.
Instead, focus on natural, whole foods such as fresh fruits,
green leafy vegetables, and complex whole grains. Also be sure
to introduce lean meats such as chicken and fish as great
sources of protein.

As part of your pregnancy diet, you will also more than likely
be advised by your doctor to increase your calcium intake
through yogurt, milk, soy, and cheese.

As a supplement to your pregnancy diet you will more than
likely be given a pre-natal vitamin to round out your
nutritional needs. This vitamin also includes a higher dose of
iron which is essential to a healthy pregnancy.

In addition to eating what you are advised to eat, it is just
as important to avoid those things that you are advised
against. Be sure to follow the instructions of your doctor in
eliminating those foods that are not a part of a healthy
pregnancy diet.

Pregnancy can be a wonderful journey; and certainly a healthy
one if you stay committed to following the advice of your
doctor and a healthy, well-rounded pregnancy diet.


About The Author: For easy to understand, in depth information
about pregnancy visit our ezGuide 2
http://pregnancy.ezguide2.com

Healthy Weight Loss

The most successful, healthy weight-loss plans will require you
to eat healthier and do regular exercise to help you lose weight
and maintain your new figure. Supplements, diet pills, eating
plans and exercise equipment on their own won't help you lose
weight and keep it off long-term, unless you are dedicated to
changing your lifestyle for the better.

According to the American Obesity Association, by losing a
small amount of weight - around 5 - 10% of your initial weight
- you can reduce the risk of serious health problems like heart
disease, diabetes, high blood pressure arthritis, respiratory
disease and even some forms of cancer. Just imagine losing even
more weight than this. The benefits and change in your life
would be dramatic. But, how do you lose weight the healthy way
and benefit from all the health related changes that come with
losing weight the best way?

Weight-loss Programs (diets):

Healthy weight-loss programs combine eating nutritional foods
with regular exercise to help encourage the body to convert
stored fat in the body into glucose to act as fuel, so you are
not only losing weight, you have more energy. Often, people get
into the bad habit of yo-yo dieting, which is the act of losing
weight, then gaining it right back and then start dieting
again. By learning a healthy, easy-to-stick eating and exercise
plan over a traditional diet, you will not only lose weight the
healthy way, you will notice a raise in self-esteem, improved
health and learn to keep weight off long term.

The only way that the body can lose weight is to burn more
calories than your body is taking in. Don't make the mistake of
thinking that just because you need to eat fewer calories, you
have to eat less food. Healthy eating plans are all about
educating yourself on which foods can be eaten in large amounts
and which foods must only be eaten in small portions. But, most
of all, it is important to remember that when you are losing
weight the healthy way, you never need to starve yourself or go
hungry. You just need to learn what different foods do to the
body.

Some very popular diets these days are the South Beach Diet,
the Mayo Clinic Diet and the Cabbage soup diet.

Weight-loss Supplements:

There are many supplements available for those who are changing
to a healthier lifestyle and want to have some extra nutrition
or want a little help along the way. Just remember that no
matter how good a supplement is, it will not take the place of
proper nutrition and exercise. Diet pills are made to
complement your weight loss goals while using a logical eating
plan, as well as regular activity.

Vitamin and mineral supplements have become popular over the
years to help our bodies get the vitamins and minerals that are
lacking in the soil our foods are grown in. Many vitamins and
minerals are great complimentary practices and will help to
give you energy and an overall feeling of well being, as well
as assist in the shedding pounds process.

Some well known diet pills are Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA)
pills, Phentermine (prescription) and Hoodia Gordonii.

A word of caution, before taking any supplement, make sure that
you read the label carefully and speak to your doctor first if
you are currently on any medications or suffer from any
illnesses.


About The Author: Ken Black is the owner of
http://www.Weight-Loss-Discovery.com - a site with lots of
information about Healthy Weight Loss.

Who Else Wants To Know About The Mediterranean Diet and Fitness

Eating and Exercising Your Way to a Healthy Life

Introduction

If you are interested in developing a diet and exercise plan that will either assist you in losing weight or that will work to aid you in maintaining a healthy, close to ideal weight, the Mediterranean Diet and regular exercise routine can go far towards assisting you in meeting your important goals. A person who is interested in either losing weight in a healthy manner or who is interested in avoiding gaining unnecessary weight and staying in good, sound condition, needs to appreciate that there are no quick fixes.

In this day and age, the airways, the Internet and print publications are filled with adverts for countless fad diet plans and programs promising quick results -- quick fixes. More often than not, while these fad diet plans may allow for a fast weight loss at the outset (which is not necessarily a healthy effect), over time the weight does not stay off and a person may very well end up worse off than he or she was at the outset.

When it comes to appropriate and lasting weight loss and ideal weight maintenance, you need to develop a plan of healthy living that includes adopting an eating routine like that offered through the Mediterranean diet. In addition, as a necessary companion to a proper diet, you must incorporate regular exercise into your daily life.

Four Common Responses to Diet and Exercise

When the interrelationship between diet and exercised are mentioned, people tend to have one of four different responses:

1. Some people simply do nothing in regard to bettering their eating habits and engaging in an exercise routine. They essentially are wishing their weight problems away.

2. Other men and women snag onto a fad diet but do not exercise.

3. Still others embark on a frantic workout program but do nothing to alter their eating habits towards a more healthy routine.

4. Finally, there are people who understand the necessary interrelationship between diet and exercise. These men and women create a coordinated approach that includes a dietary regimen like that offered by the Mediterranean diet and a regular work out routine that includes a variety of necessary exercise routines.

Three Elements of a Vital Exercise Regimen

A well developed exercise program that will compliment the Mediterranean diet consists of three different components:

1. Aerobic exercise

2. Strength training

3. Stretching

Aerobic exercise is important in conditioning the heart and contributing to an overall sense of wellness.

Strength training assists you in working your body into a generally healthy status. Through strength training, you develop more stamina and a better ability to effectively use the food your consume throughout the day.

Stretching works to ensure that your body remains limber -- not only during your workout routines, but throughout the day. A limber body is less inclined to be injured.

Conclusion

By understanding and capitalizing upon the interrelationship between a healthy diet -- such as the Mediterranean diet -- and regular, comprehensive exercise, a person will be well on his or her way towards a healthy and long life.

Site Owner & Publisher Ray Darken - You can gain much more detail from Ray's sites along with other relevant information at The Mediterranean Diet or www.weightloss-diet-health-vitamins.com

A Healthy Eating Diet Plan For Diabetics

Diabetes is a disease that affects the blood's sugar levels
creating a higher amount than the body can manage with its own,
natural insulin. Therefore, most often times, it must be
maintained with medication. But in addition to prescription
medication, exercise and eating habits play a huge role in
maintaining a healthy blood sugar level. A specific, healthy
eating diet plan must be incorporated to a diabetic lifestyle -
no ifs, ands or buts about it.

For the majority of people with diabetes, a healthy eating diet
plan includes several, smaller meals throughout the day on a
more condensed, periodic basis in order to help in successfully
maintaining sugar and glucose levels. And because a diabetic is
eating more often, it's imperative that those meals consist of
good food choices. Let's take a look at some tips for healthy
eating habits in this realm.

. Choose foods with lower fat contents including the use of
non-stick sprays when cooking instead of oil as often as
possible.

. Stay away from fruit juices and other beverages that contain
high fructose levels including naturally sweetened drinks.

. Decrease salt intake and salty foods like pickles, packaged
soups and processed meats.

. Read the food labels on prepared products before ingesting
because even something seemingly harmless can pose a risk.

There is actually a food pyramid designed specifically for
people with diabetes. And guess what it's called? The Diabetes
Food Pyramid! It's an exceptional guideline for what and how
much to eat that anyone with this disease should be aware of
and utilizing every day. It's broken down into the same basic
categories as the regular food pyramid, but the recommend
serving sizes are different as are the specific, coordinating
foods. Following is an overview of the Diabetes Food Pyramid
with required serving amounts:

Grain, Beans and Starchy Vegetables - 6 or more servings per
day

Choose whole-grain and whole-wheat breads and flours over the
white variety for baking and eating. Beans are a great source
of fiber as well as low in sugar. Pretzels and low-fat crackers
are perfect choices for snacking and if they're the lower-salt
varieties, even better.

Fruit - 2 to 4 servings daily

Citrus fruits are the best for diabetics. Eat whole fruits in
their natural state over the canned assortments because aside
from having less sugar, they also contain more fiber. If
choosing the canned, frozen or juice variety, always pick those
that do not contain added sweeteners or syrups.

Vegetables - 3 to 5 servings a day

Dark green and deep yellow vegetables are the best way to go.
Eat freshly prepared vegetables whenever possible. If choosing
the prepared variety, pick those are made without the addition
of sauces and/or salt.

Milk and Dairy - 2 to 3 serving every day

Drink low or non-fat milk. Choose only low-fat yogurt made with
artificial sweeteners.

Meat, Poultry, Fish - 2 to 3 servings daily

Always choose leaner cuts of red meat and trim all fat before
preparing. Consume more pork, fish and chicken - remove the
skin before cooking. Bake, broil, grill or roast instead of
frying.

Fat - limit fat intake, specifically trans and saturated.

By always taking prescribed medications, sticking to a fitness
routine and healthy eating diet plan, successful management of
diabetes will be almost guaranteed. Always consult a physician
before starting any new lifestyle routine.

About The Author: Get all the latest information about Healthy
Diets, from the only true source at
http://www.1healthydietinformation.com. Be sure to check out
our Healthy Eating Diet Plan pages.