Weight Loss Product Reviews

Could Water Help You Lose To Weight?

2010-10-14T16:47:00.000+08:00

With over 60% of your body made from water by the time you become an adult, there is no disputing that water plays an important role in your development. However, can water influence your weight loss too?

In a recent study it was discovered that drinking plenty of water can help to suppress your appetite and repel false hunger signs that are normally triggered as a result of dehydration.

Alongside helping to flush harmful toxins out of your system and keep you hydrated, water can also encourage natural weight loss.

Simply drink 1-2ounces of water before every meal, and this will leave you feeling full and able to eat less.

According to Roger Clemens from the University of South California, drinking ice water can also aid weight loss. During his research he discovered that by drinking 8 ounces (240gm) of ice water every day, your fat stores will be used to bring the temperature of this water up from 4°C to 37.5°C (body temperature), thus causing increased fat burn.

And in theory this should help you to lose weight ! For instance to bring just 1gm of water to 10°C, your body will need to use 1 calorie. That means to raise 240gm of ice water to 37.5°C; you will need to use 8.04 calories.

Water and weight loss

To experience credible weight loss results from drinking water, experts suggest that you drink at least 8 glasses of water every day. However, for increased results, your weight will also need to be taken into consideration as well.

Just 1 ounce of water best serves 2lbs of your weight, so if you weighed 200lbs and wanted to boost your metabolism, you would need to consume 100 ounces of water every day.

If however, you do not want to rely on water alone to increase your weight loss, the support of a clinically tested supplement such as Proactol can help.

Clinically proven during 6 clinical trials to: bind up to 28% of your dietary fat, suppress your appetite, improve cholesterol and increase energy levels, Proactol has successfully helped thousands of slimmer’s to take charge of their weight loss and lose a steady 1-2lbs a week.

Obesity and Diabetes Are You at Risk?

2010-10-14T16:18:00.000+08:00

The Link Between Obesity and Diabetes

Physicians usually refer to diabetes by its full, medical name diabetes mellitus. According to the Merck Manual of Medical Information, 2nd Edition, diabetes mellitus is defined as "a disorder in which blood sugar (glucose) levels are abnormally high because the body does not produce enough insulin." Insulin is a hormone that's released from the pancreas to control the amount of sugar in the blood.

If the body doesn't produce enough insulin to move sugar into receptive cells, the result is a very high levels of sugar in the blood, and not enough sugar in cells. This state is what produces the symptoms and complications of diabetes mellitus.

There are two types of diabetes:
Type One refers to the juvenile or early onset, insulin-dependent form of diabetes. This is not an obesity-related form of diabetes. People who develop this form do so before age 30; only 10% of all diabetics have type one.

Type Two usually develops between age 30 and age 70. Obesity is the chief risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes, and 80% - 90% of people who have this disease are obese. Obesity causes insulin resistance, so obese diabetics need very large amounts of daily insulin to maintain normal blood sugar levels.

Diabetes mellitus, type 2, causes serious, even fatal, conditions.

If you're obese and have any of these symptoms, see your health care provider as soon as possible:

Excessive thirst, excessive urination, and excessive appetite.
Blurred vision
Excessive drowsiness and chronic fatigue
Nausea
Decreased endurance during exercise
Rapid, unexplained weight loss
Abdominal pain
Deep, rapid breathing
Breath that smells like nail polish remover - This is a symptom of ketoacidosis, and can result in coma and death within hours if not immediately treated.

By now, it's obvious that diabetes is an extremely dangerous disease. It's also obvious that since obesity can be prevented by proper diet and exercise, diabetes can be prevented among people who have the early-onset type.

Obesity isn't about how you look in a bathing suit; it's about your life, and how you live it.

Remember to consult your health care provider about establishing a reasonable, healthy weight loss plan!

If you need help, as most people do, Phen375 can provide that help; reducing hunger cravings and super-charging your metabolism to give you more energy and fat-burning capability will greatly increase your ability to stick with your diet and exercise program.

Diabetes is a preventable disease!

Do slimming pills work?

2010-06-06T22:38:00.000+08:00

Do slimming pills work?

The answer to this age old question is not a simple one. Why? Because it is all a matter of determining the real slimming pills from the fake.

So what can do you do? How can you find this answer?

One sure way is to look at their backing. Now we don’t mean just their customer testimonials. No, we mean everything: their clinical trials, their medical backing and their media coverage.

The media for example would not readily support a slimming pill without believing in the credibility of its weight loss results first. If they did, not only would this open them up to endless letters of complaint if the slimming pill did not work, but also their own position as a reliable source would come under fire.

So you see, unless a newspaper thoroughly believes in the slimming pill themselves, they would never openly advertise a link. Not if there was a small chance it could back-fire on them.

The evidence

Proof of this approach can be seen in the Telegraph’s recent feature on Proactol. Within their article based on slimmer’s ‘top 5 tips for losing weight in 2008’, they voted Proactol as their second choice.

Now considering that the Telegraph is acclaimed for containing the latest in news and scientific information, the fact they have mentioned Proactol numerous times within their article (all in a positive light) is just a further testament to how strongly they believe Proactol is one of the best slimming pills around.

But Proactol’s presence within the media has not just been limited to the Telegraph. Proactol has also been featured in the Daily Mail, the New York Times and Florida Style Magazine. Each of which are considered to also be reliable sources for information.

Saying all this, the media is not the only way to determine whether a slimming pill is real or not – though it does set up a good precedent for making a decision.

There are other equally vital points you need to take into consideration when assessing a slimming pill - their clinical trials and their medical backing.

Something that Proactol can also easily prove.

Medically backed by the Medical Device Directive 93/42/EEC, Proactol has undergone 5 successful clinical trials and is clinically proven to help consumers:

• Reduce their fat intake by 28%
• Suppress their appetite
• Decrease their food cravings
• Lower their blood cholesterol
• Cut their calorie intake by 150 calories per main meal.

Add all these facts together and it is easy to see that Proactol is a slimming pill that works.

So whilst it may feel as though most slimming pills don’t work, there are ones out there - such as Proactol – which can offer you real credible weight loss results. You just need to know where to look.

Weight loss surgeries vs. diet pills – which are safer?

2010-06-06T11:46:00.001+08:00

Weight loss surgeries vs. diet pills – which are safer?

When it comes to successful weight loss you want to follow a route that is stress free and painless, which is why being able to find a weight loss supplement that can offer you long term weight loss results is so important.

Especially when the other common alternative is surgery.

Look on the web and you will commonly find 4 types of weight loss surgery. Each of them risky and painful.

Vertical Banded Gastroplasty (VBG) – here the stomach is stapled into 2 parts, with the upper part being made smaller to reduce space for food.

Once the food arrives it is passed into the lower pouch through a small opening. To prevent the hole from expanding, a band is put in place to stop it stretching.

RISKS: the band is prone to wearing; the staple line can breakdown and in some cases stomach juices have leaked into the abdomen causing infection and even death.

Laparoscopic Gastric Banding (Lap-Band) – intended only for people who are 100lbs overweight, this device works by placing an inflatable band around the upper part of the stomach.

The band itself can be altered in size by changing the amount of salt there is in the saline solution in the band, but overall this band is intended to be permanent.

RISKS: can lead to nausea, vomiting, heartburn, abdominal pain, band slippage and pouch enlargement.

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RGB) – during this surgery, the surgeon makes the stomach smaller by stapling it and creating a smaller pouch. This pouch is then attached to the middle past of the small intestine.

The reason they do this is to one, limit how much you eat and two, to reduce the number of nutrients that are absorbed into the small intestine.

RISKS: offers the risk of ‘dumping syndrome’ where food moves too rapidly through the small intestine. Other side effects include – nausea, weakness, sweating, faintness, diarrhoea, infection, leaking, pulmonary embolism, gall stones and nutritional deficiency.

Biliopancreatic Diversion (BPD) – this is a highly risky surgery that is rarely used. Here surgeons remove a large part of the stomach, limiting food and stomach acid production. This small pouch is then connected to the final segment of the small intestine. A common channel is kept to allow bile and pancreatic digestive juices to mix with the food before it enters the intestine.

RISKS: nutritional deficiencies.

As you can see each of these surgeries comes with risks. Risks that are impossible to ignore when there are other natural alternatives available.

Now as we say this there are of course weight loss supplements on the market which can cause similarly unpleasant side effects to these surgeries. To name just a few: Alli, Reductil and Xenical - each of these can cause unpleasant, negative side effects.

Then there is the fact that they can only be used for a limited amount of time. Varying from 3 months to a year, for those seeking long term weight loss results, such dietary pills as these just cannot help.

Yet there is hope.

Natural fat binders such as Proactol™ can offer you an easier route to weight loss without any of the risks of bogus pills or surgery.

100% organic and side effect, Proactol™ is clinically proven to help consumers reduce their dietary fat intake by 28% whilst also suppressing their appetite. The perfect combination for taking control of your weight loss, without ever having to worry about your body. It is risk free.

And compared to most weight loss pills you’ll find online, Proactol™ comes highly recommended as natural weight loss supplement within the media.

To date it has been featured in the Telegraph, the Daily Mail, the New York Times and most recently in bridal magazine YouAndYourWedding where they teamed up with Proactol™ to offer users a free trip to a Champney spa.

So offer your body a natural solution to weight loss, free from all risks.

Weight loss diet pill guarantees – what do they really offer?

2010-06-06T11:32:00.003+08:00

You could argue that a guarantee is a guarantee. That it doesn’t matter as long as the weight loss supplement works.

But here is the thing.

Which diet pill would you feel more confident in? The one that can offer you a 180 day money back guarantee (Proactol™) or one that only lasts 2 weeks (Hoodia Gordonii Diet Pills)?

If we’re honest, the one that offers a 180 day money back guarantee looks the most appealing. Why? Because it gives you chance to truly test the effectiveness of the product; to see if it does actually work for you in the long term and not for just a few weeks. Plus you can use it safe in the knowledge that if it doesn’t work you can get a full refund.

A 2 week guarantee on the other hand, screams unreliable.

Yes, you could say the reason it is only 2 weeks is because the manufacturers are so confident in their product. But think about it a moment. How much weight can you really lose in just 2 weeks?

For real long term weight loss that lasts dieticians recommend losing 1-2lbs a week. But if you – like we all do at first – stick to a strict diet and exercise regularly, you could easily lose this amount naturally without the help of a supplement.

The real proof over whether or not a weight loss supplement works becomes apparent during the long term; when it continues to help you to consistently lose weight, even when your confidence ebbs.

Take this scenario.

Proactol™ have recently teams up with UK bridal magazine YouAndYourWedding to offer brides the chance to lose weight and win a free getaway.

On top of their competition offer that gives winners an all inclusive pamper treatment at Champney Spa, Proactol™ are also offering winners a prize of a year’s free supply Proactol™.

Now whilst you could say in this scenario their 180 money back guarantee doesn’t count as it was given away freely, the guarantee does still work in promoting confidence. In proving to customers that it is a great prize to win.

Yes, all brides want to get away from the stresses of their wedding, but even the most toned of us, wants to lose a few lbs before we get married.

And Proactol™ can offer you just that.

A guarantee that their natural herbal supplement will work to help you lose those extra lbs, get in shape and help you to maintain it.

So a guarantee is more than a guarantee.

It is a symbol of confidence that give you the reassurance to lose weight before your wedding; to enter a competition with the hopes of winning a prize as well as help and the satisfaction of knowing you are making a sound investment.

Set the par this Mother’s day by ensuring your children’s dietary future is secure

2010-06-06T11:25:00.001+08:00

Set the par this Mother’s day by ensuring your children’s dietary future is secure

As mothers we all seek to offer our children the best possible future. We aspire to give them everything they could ever need in order to set them in the right direction when they grow up. But what if we were to tell you that you can begin offering your children a healthier route to a happier body from the moment you conceive them? Would you be interested in learning more?

Well, according to the Medical Research Council the way we eat during pregnancy can have a detrimental influence upon our children’s eating habits in the future.

Under their thesis, they believe external environmental elements such as our diet can affect how our genes are passed onto our children. Depending on the type of external element, for example a carbohydrate based diet, could in turn cause particular genes to end up being capped.

And once capped, it is harder to activate within the body when needed - weight loss being a prime example of this scenario being put into action.

In a study performed by the Canadian Cardiovascular Genetics Research Centre they found that when a particular mechanism within our muscles is capped it can have dramatic affect upon our ability to lose weight.

Now whilst this theory is still under testing and is yet to be clinically proven in terms of knowing how much this could possibly influence a child’s eating habits, it does put what we eat as a parent into a whole new perspective.

Everything we do, every action we make in some shape and form is passed onto our children. From conception to beyond our diet choices could be having a subconscious impact upon our children.

So what do you do? Begin making the changes - today.

Scientists may believe that this is all down to genetics, but you CAN still have a positive influence over your children’s eating habits – beginning with what you do this Mother’s Day.

You can make this momentous day into one that is truly worth celebrating by ensuring that you set a clear precedent for your children. From exercising regularly to cutting down on their saturated fat content, you can begin making the right changes that will continue to guide them as adults and parents themselves.

So whether you already have children or are planning to have some more in the future, make this Mother’s day one to remember – as the day you took that first step to setting them on the right path.

How to feel confident on your first date

2010-06-06T11:16:00.001+08:00

How to feel confident on your first date

We all want to make the right impression on our first dates - after all, aren’t we all aspiring for date number 2 - so feeling confident in your body and your appearance is important.

However for many of you, once you have secured this first date, fear and doubt begins to set in. You begin to question yourself, your appearance and why they like you, and ultimately arrive at your date feeling insecure about the future.

To help you experience the confidence you deserve, below we have listed our top 5 tips to feeling great, so you can approach your date rest assured that you will experience success.

1. Be relaxed

It is only natural to feel nervous on a date. It is your first real chance to get to know one another, and of course you want them to like you.

To help control your nerves just take a few deep breaths, and try to pretend that you are with your friends. By doing so you will begin to feel calm and relaxed, and conversation will come more easily.

If you are often prone to nerves though, try thinking of different topics you can talk about prior to going on your date. By practising your answers before you meet, you can feel confident that you won’t make any mistakes in your answers, and will instantly put your date at ease.

Simply pick subjects which you can both easily talk about and have fun!

2. Be confident

Confidence is simply a state of mind; of believing that everything is going to be okay and putting your thoughts into action.

So take a deep breath and say to yourself ‘this date is going to be a success; this date is going to be a success; this date is going to be a success’. With this mantra always on hand to guide you, all this positive thinking will eventually leak into your actions and leave you feeling confident about your date.

3. Act interested

It is easy to let our nerves get the better of us on a date. But by making sure that you keep the conversation moving; the questions flowing and avoid periods of silence; this banter will eventually begin to feel natural and you will both find yourselves feeling at ease with one another.

Remember, they are probably just as nervous as you, so act interested and the rest will naturally follow.

4. Be who you want to be

We have all felt self-conscious about our bodies at some point on our dates. From feeling overly aware of the excess lbs around our stomachs and thighs, to feeling uncomfortable in the way our clothes fit; our lack of confidence can often translate into the way we present ourselves on our dates.

To help you slip into your favourite sexy dress with ease and feel great about your body, try taking a natural appetite suppressant such as Proactol

Clinically proven to:

• suppress your appetite

• decrease your food cravings

• reduce your dietary fat intake by 28%

With Proactol’s support you can lose a steady 1-2lbs a week and go on your date feeling rest assured that you look and feel fantastic.

For more information about Proactol, and how it can help you to become the person you have always wanted to be, visit www.proactol.com.

5. Be Yourself

Last of all, just be yourself. There is no point trying to be someone you’re not. This will only go on to work against you later, and will cause you to make mistakes

Simply be yourself and remember that your date said yes to the idea of dating the real you, not a fictional character.

So give these tips a try and begin feeling the difference of a happier, more confident you.

Celebrity diets – are they dangerous or are they safe? Proactol™ offer their take on this latest growing trend

2010-06-06T11:09:00.001+08:00

Celebrity diets – are they dangerous or are they safe? Proactol™ offer their take on this latest growing trend

It is quite refreshing to find a weight loss company who is actually interested in offering consumers a real insight into how celebrities attain their red carpet bodies.

Beyond the publicised fabrications by the media of ‘miracle celebrity dieting methods’, Proactol™’s assessment of these said dietary fads provides a quite insightful take on how celebrities actually achieve it.

Following extensive research into the most recent dietary fads to hit the weight loss market, Proactol™ have created an enlightening eBook that discusses all the pros and cons of celebrity diets, whilst providing readers with a much safer route to natural weight loss.

Their most recent celebrity campaign is similarly effective in setting the record straight. Firstly disclosing all the harmful effects that following the cabbage diet, banana diet and 5 Factor diets can do to your body, Proactol™ have also proven that celebrities are doing much more than changing their eating habits in order to lose weight. They have got help.

Working out for 2-3 hours a day, 6 times a week under the supervision of a personal trainer and chef, it is no wonder that Madonna, Oprah Winfrey and Gwyneth Paltrow are so successful in their weight loss attempts – they have got help the average woman has not.

The most enlightening part of Proactol™’s campaign has to be their alternative routes to natural weight loss. From how often you eat, to your food choices… even down to how you exercise, Proactol™ has provided slimmers with a much healthier route than starving yourself with 1,000 calories a day intakes.

With a number of resources to choose from, including their online campaign and eBook, Proactol™ has done an incredible job in assessing these diets, and helping their consumers to lose weight safely and healthily.

It is definitely worth reading.

Want to lower your blood pressure? Reduce the intake of sugary drinks

2010-05-25T12:26:00.001+08:00

A new study has found that by cutting daily consumption of sugary drinks by just one serving a day, you could lower your blood pressure.

The study was led by Liwei Chen, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Public Health at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans.

Based on the study also they found out that for consumption of diet beverage consumption or caffeine there is no direct association with blood pressure .

Therefore, the real culprit that causes blood pressure to increase is sugar.

The team analyzed the dietary intake and blood pressure of 810 adults measured at baseline, 6 and 18 months. They noted that a reduction in sugar-sweetened beverage consumption of one serving per day was associated with a drop of 1.8 mm Hg in systolic pressure and 1.1 mm Hg in diastolic blood pressure over 18 months.

High blood pressure is one of the most common health problem in the United States and it is estimated that one in three people, age 20 and above have high blood pressure.

The risk associated with high blood pressure is that it could trigger other health problems such as stroke, cardiovascular disease, kidney failure, and shortened life expectancy.

For better health, please monitor your blood pressure closely. You should ensure that you have normal blood pressure, measured in millimeters of mercury, is defined as systolic (top number) less than 120 and diastolic (bottom number) less than 80.

If you have high blood pressure (hypertension) is a systolic pressure of 140 or higher and a diastolic pressure of 90 or higher. Or if you have prehypertension, pressure falling between high blood pressure and normal blood pressure, please consult with your doctor immediately.

To learn more, please visit http://www.lsuhsc.edu/

The psychology of food cravings

2010-05-18T12:35:00.000+08:00

Swimsuit season is almost upon us. For most of us, the countdown has begun to lazy days lounging by the pool and relaxing on the beach. However, for some of us, the focus is not so much on sunglasses and beach balls, but how to quickly shed those final five or ten pounds in order to look good poolside. It is no secret that dieting can be challenging and food cravings can make it even more difficult. Why do we get intense desires to eat certain foods? Although food cravings are a common experience, researchers have only recently begun studying how food cravings emerge. Psychological scientists Eva Kemps and Marika Tiggemann of Flinders University, Australia, review the latest research on food cravings and how they may be controlled in the current issue of Current Directions in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

We've all experienced hunger (where eating anything will suffice), but what makes food cravings different from hunger is how specific they are. We don't just want to eat something; instead, we want barbecue potato chips or cookie dough ice cream. Many of us experience food cravings from time to time, but for certain individuals, these cravings can pose serious health risks. For example, food cravings have been shown to elicit binge-eating episodes, which can lead to obesity and eating disorders. In addition, giving in to food cravings can trigger feelings of guilt and shame.

Where do food cravings come from? Many research studies suggest that mental imagery may be a key component of food cravings — when people crave a specific food, they have vivid images of that food. Results of one study showed that the strength of participants' cravings was linked to how vividly they imagined the food. Mental imagery (imagining food or anything else) takes up cognitive resources, or brain power. Studies have shown that when subjects are imagining something, they have a hard time completing various cognitive tasks. In one experiment, volunteers who were craving chocolate recalled fewer words and took longer to solve math problems than volunteers who were not craving chocolate. These links between food cravings and mental imagery, along with the findings that mental imagery takes up cognitive resources, may help to explain why food cravings can be so disruptive: As we are imagining a specific food, much of our brain power is focused on that food, and we have a hard time with other tasks.

New research findings suggest that that this relationship may work in the opposite direction as well: It may be possible to use cognitive tasks to reduce food cravings. The results of one experiment revealed that volunteers who had been craving a food reported reduced food cravings after they formed images of common sights (for example, they were asked to imagine the appearance of a rainbow) or smells (they were asked to imagine the smell of eucalyptus). In another experiment, volunteers who were craving a food watched a flickering pattern of black and white dots on a monitor (similar to an untuned television set). After viewing the pattern, they reported a decrease in the vividness of their craved-food images as well as a reduction in their cravings. According the researchers, these findings indicate that "engaging in a simple visual task seems to hold real promise as a method for curbing food cravings." The authors suggest that "real-world implementations could incorporate the dynamic visual noise display into existing accessible technologies, such as the smart phone and other mobile, hand-held computing devices." They conclude that these experimental approaches may extend beyond food cravings and have implications for reducing cravings of other substances such as drugs and alcohol.

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For more information about this research, please contact: Eva Kemps (eva.kemps@flinders.edu.au)

Current Directions in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, publishes concise reviews spanning all of scientific psychology and its applications. For a copy of the article "A Cognitive Experimental Approach to Understanding and Reducing Food Cravings" and access to other Current Directions in Psychological Science research findings, please contact Barbara Isanski at 202-293-9300 or bisanski@psychologicalscience.org

Diet secrets of Hollywood stars

2010-03-17T20:35:00.000+08:00

Diets come a dime a dozen in Hollywood. They practically fall out of the sky. Any doctor or layman who manages to have an original idea or, at least, a new twist on an old idea, and is marginally successful in selling it to the public is thinking of setting up a shop in Hollywood.

There’s probably no other place on Earth where diets and any other idea that could keep a body slim are so venerated as in Hollywood. Hundreds of young women and men (and some of them not so young) employ personal trainers and are up to date on the latest dieting trends because it’s good for their jobs to do so.

The general public is also interested in finding out the dieting secrets of movie stars and singers. They think that actors might have some tricks up their sleeves if they manage to stay so slim and good-looking through the years. Actually it’s not quite like that. Actors and singers are normal human beings. They have their unique genetic make-ups which means that no single diet works for everybody. So each one of them tries a couple of diets in order to find out which one suits him or her. Moreover, not all Hollywood stars stick to their diets. The crave for a treat does not discriminate.

Celebrities

Celebrities don’t have some sort of secret knowledge that opens the path to a beautiful body. Most of them get their tips just as the rest of the people do. They hear them from hairdressers and make-up girls. They get them from agents and publicists. Or they follow the latest fashionable trainer or dietician, just as they pick up on the latest philosophies or mystical experiences. Moving from Atkins to cabbage soup is not more complicated than dropping Buddhism in favor of Kabbalah. Some stars hire people who know a lot about diets to make these decisions for them.

All these famous people have to deal with the same kind of issues we all do. Sticking to a diet is hard on them, too, so they eat things they shouldn’t and resent the fact that they can’t do it all the time. They worry about the effects of such and such diets on their skin and they don’t look all that great all the time. But for every star there’s a small army of lighting experts, make-up artists, beauticians, image editing and visual effects people who work hard to make sure that the faces we see on screens and in magazines look perfect. No blemishes, no unsightly skin, no sagging anywhere. Just perfection.

One thing that could be said for Hollywood stars is that they work harder at their diets than most people. It’s very important for their jobs and popularity and so they try really hard to stay in shape and look good everyday. They’re not dieting experts and it’s unrealistic to expect them to be so. They’re good at other things and we’re content with them being that way. So, the bottom line is that there really is not secret to Hollywood dieting. Just the will to carry on and the struggle to stay fit.

Diet myths debunked

2010-03-17T20:11:00.000+08:00

The dieting world is full of myths, hearsay and soundbites. We all have heard them a thousand times, but does that make them true? Is it really a good idea to ban sugar completely from your diet? Is it really a good idea not to touch fat and alcohol ever again?

This seems to me like an invitation to failure. Too few people can swear off certain foods forever and stick to the oath. The rest of us need a little treat now and then. And there’s nothing wrong with getting a treat once in while, provided that treats don’t happen every day.

The basic idea of any diet is to eat food that contains fewer calories than your body needs to maintain its current weight. This way, the body is forced to use the accumulated fat in order to make up for the energy it doesn’t get from food. But a diet also has to be tasty and nutritionally sound. Simply banning certain types of foods and ingredients is not a solution because anybody following such a diet will have to acknowledge sooner or later that he or she wants those foods and ingredients badly and a relapse into the old eating habits becomes inevitable.

People should also learn not to put their faith into meal replacements, such as Mypoplex, Slimfast or Eat-Smart. These combinations of low-fat and high-protein substances cannot substitute a proper diet. They should never be used for more than 4 four weeks in a row. Calories are important to the body and nobody can go on for long without them. Cutting calories out of the long-term nutrition is a huge mistake because the internal organs and muscles need them to function. Using meal replacements for a week or two, as a shock treatment, is fine. Relying on them for two months is asking for trouble. And the same goes for single-food diets, such as the cabbage soup diet, because they are based on the same idea.

Another widespread myth is the idea that the best approach to weight loss is a low-carb, high-protein diet. This is one of the myths that emerged from the Hollywood slimming industry. Nearly all movie stars and singers are on some such diet. However, this approach is not exactly good for you because a diet low in carbohydrates and calories forces the body to use existing carbs located in the liver and the muscles. In time, this diet leads to weight loss mainly from water stored in the body, instead of fat, and also strains the internal organs.

And people should not be so afraid of potatoes, bread and pasta, the leading sources of carbohydrates. Carbs are actually good for you because they quell the feeling of hunger without bringing in too many calories. So you can safely eat moderate amounts of potatoes and bread as long as you don’t use butter or sauces, which are laden with fat. Naturally, you also have to pay attention to how these foods are prepared. French fries are not a low-fat food. Still, a high-carb, low-fat diet is far better than banning potatoes and bread from your daily meals and it’s also easier to stick to.

Drinking a certain quantity of water every day is a good idea because it keeps the body hydrated and fills the stomach. Water also keeps the intestines healthy by facilitating the movements of undigested food to the exit point. However, simply drinking water does not trigger weight loss. There is only one way to lose weight and that is to burn up the existing fat and water cannot do that. Nor should a diet be judged solely by how much weight is lost per week. Some people claim that a diet can be considered effective if the weekly loss of weight is above two pounds. Frankly, two pounds per week is a lot of weight to lose and you can be sure that not all of it is fat, but also the lean tissue that makes up the muscles.

Another myth claims that fat is absolutely bad for you. It’s not. Quite on the contrary, the body needs some fat in order to get the important fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K circulating through the cardiovascular system. Moreover, fat also brings into the body the essential fatty acids omega-3 and omega-6 that cannot be synthesized in the body. The word “essential” means that these fatty acids simply have to be present in your daily food since they play an important role in your health. The recommended dose of fat is 35 percent of your daily calories.

And last of all comes the idea that a diet or eating plan is enough in itself and does not have to be coupled with exercising. But exercising is the most effective way of burning up the extra calories stored as fat. Simply sitting at your desk all day long is not going to do the trick, regardless of what diet you’re on. Remember that a diet that has plenty of food (the right kind of food) and plenty of exercise is far better than sitting on the sofa and drinking cabbage soup every six hours. It works faster and is less stressful to your body.

Diet Comparisons

2010-03-17T20:05:00.000+08:00

If you want to lose weight your in the right place.

Probably the most important things people want to know when they think the time has come (again) to cut some of the daily food intake is which diet is the best. Although we are all different beings, we all share the same goal: a diet that can make us thin in no time at all. Some sort of miracle pill or eating plan that makes fat go away and never ever return. That’s actually the second part of the big wish: how to make sure that all the weight lost through dieting stays lost through the years.

The more diets published in magazines and on the Internet, the more people are confused about what dieting really means and about the right way of bringing your body back in shape. The growing number of overweight people has turned weight loss into an industry like never before and the market is growing every year.

It seems that nowadays all one needs is a fashionable idea and a flair for marketing in order to make a lot of money or garner a lot of popularity by proposing some sort of weird diet, despite the lack of professional expertise in this field.

And there is a LOT of diets out there. We’re going to go here only through the best-known diets, since a review of all the diets floating around the industry would be beyond the scope of this article.

So let’s start with one of the latest fads of the dieting world: the Atkins diet. Pretty much everybody’s head of the Atkins diet, largely due to the flood of articles praising the extraordinary results, not to mention the loads of good mail from satisfied customers. The biggest thing in favor of this diet is that it lets you eat high fat dairy products like cheese and butter. However, the Atkins diet has fallen from its lofty perch over suspicions of increasing the risk of heart diseases, not to mention the proved fact that bigger number of followers complain of diarrhea, weakness, muscle cramps and rashes. The debate over the scientific fundamentals of this diet is still raging.

Next comes the Zone diet; another well-known eating plan. This diet is the brainchild of Barry Sears and it’s all about eating the right mix of foods in order to reach the proper hormonal balance. This state of balance, which is called the “Zone”, lets the body take in calories and use them through the day without putting anything aside as fat. Unfortunately, this diet does some serious discrimination among foods without any scientific basis. Starchy vegetables, whole grains and beans are banned, although these foods are not in conflict with the principles of the diet. The American Heart Association says the Zone diet lacks essential nutrients while promoting high-protein foods.

The Jenny Craig diet is next on the list. One of the longest running diets, Jenny Craig started this business in the early 1980s and it’s still around. The basic idea of this diet is a trade off: you don’t have to choose recipes, do the shopping and the cooking, but you have to buy the Jenny Craig prepackaged food. And that runs to some $100 per week. Plus the membership costs. Plus the vegetables and fruits which are not included in the prepackaged food. If you can afford it and if you can stick to it, the diet is pretty good. However, similar low-calorie foods can be bought at the grocery store and you don’t have to discuss this with a Jenny Craig expert that insists on your eating the prepackaged food because he gets a percentage of the sale price.

From sunny Florida comes the South Beach diet. This one has the right idea and wrong approach combination down pat. Don’t get me wrong, a lot of people have managed to lose weight with this diet and it actually works. But the question is: can you really stick to it? The first phase of the diet will eliminate most foods containing carbohydrates from your daily consumption. Fortunately, this phase lasts two weeks. Unfortunately, second phase focuses on a half-hearted return of whole grains and fruits and lasts… as long as necessary. If reaching the desired weight takes you one year, then that’s exactly how long this phase is going to last. And if you don’t like the foods allowed by this diet then you’re out of luck. There are no alternatives.

And yet another veteran dieting program around is Weight Watchers. This is actually one of the best diets around because it puts all the management tools in the hands of the user. If you are really committed to losing weight, you have all the information you need to do it. And a lot of people who are going through the same thing are going to be there to help you. If having company during difficult times helps your willpower, then you are probably going to lose all that extra weight. If, on the other hand, you don’t like the idea of being constantly under peer pressure, then this diet is not for you.

As you can see from this short review, there are a lot of diets out there, dozens more than we’ve been able to cover here. The best thing to do when choosing a diet is to do as much research about it as possible. See what people who tried it have to say. Then see what doctors and dietitians have to say about it. Between those singing praises and those trying to prove the diet wrong you can probably get the truth yourself. Still, pay special attention to what the doctors have to say. If they tell you a certain diet will put your body to risk then think twice before trying it.

Coffee

2010-03-17T19:40:00.000+08:00

If you want to lose weight your in the right place.

Every day people around the world drink millions of cups of coffee. It has become a staple of life. We see a StarBucks on every corner. Is coffee really this good or is it so addictive? I think it is both really.

I think good coffee almost has a sexy taste to it. It tastes rich and full bodied. Not many things can compare to it. Maybe chocolate, but that is another article all together. You love to drink coffee. You love a good cup of steaming hot Joe on a cold morning. Watching the steam come off the coffee as it snows outside is a very relaxing thought.Is coffee good or bad for you? Well, I think it depends on who you ask.

Usually what you will find is these scientists are paid by a company that wants to prove a point. Simply put, they pay the scientists off.

As in all things, you must drink coffee in moderation. A cup or two each day isn't going to be bad for you. If on the other hand you are drinking a pot every hour, you know that it will have an effect on you. I have known people who drink coffee like this. They drink it from the time they wake up to the time they go to bed. This is common in alcoholics. Let's talk about some of the bad things about coffee.

Coffee stains your teeth.
We all know what the color of coffee stained teeth are. It is up there with cigarette smoke stained teeth. You can buy things to whiten your teeth. I would suggest though that instead of trying to whiten your teeth, you cut back a little on the brew.

Bad breath.Have you ever had a whiff of the breath of someone who is a heavy coffee drinker? It smells horrible. I would rather smell shit with flies buzzing around it.

It raises stress levels.Too much coffee can raise anxiety levels. When this happens, you can become stressed out. This shouldn't be news to you. Have you ever seen how much a person shakes after they drink too much coffee?

It can raise the risk of a heart attack.While science is still somewhat out on this, it shouldn't be much of a surprise. If it elevates the heart and blood pressure, too much of it can't be a good thing.

Sterility.Yes, it can effect the little guys swimming in your semen. It can actually lower your sperm count. I know that may sound too weird to be true, but it is.

Stomach problems.People who drink too much coffee may have some stomach problems. The caffeine irrates the lining of the stomach.
Here are some of the benefits of coffee:
-It prevents prostate cancer.
- This is too weird, but it is true. Coffee contains boron, which is a chemical that helps curb prostate cancer.
- It is a good social drink.

You don't drink alcohol? Well, people go to the coffee house to chat all the time. A cup of coffee could be a good reason to go out and meet new people. A cup once and while can't hurt. You never know, you might meet a good friend over that cup of Joe.

It helps wash down a meal. In many cultures it is impolite to either start a meal or finish one without having a cup of coffee. No one is certain that coffee actually helps the digestion process, but it sure tastes good after a meal.

As with all things in life, you need to do things in moderation. If you feel that you are over doing it, you need to cut back on the coffee. I know that coffee might taste good, but in the long run you are doing yourself more harm than good. Just keep in mind that one or two cups per day isn't going to hurt you.

Bottled Water

2010-03-17T19:34:00.000+08:00

If you want to lose weight your in the right place.

When I think of bottled water I think of hot tennis players gulping it down between matches. There certainly is a stigma about bottled water. Sometimes I think that one of the things around it is, rich people drink it. We see all of these rich famous people on television drinking it. Bottled water certainly has become popular.

There is no doubting that. I go to the store and I see more brands than I can keep track of. I'll admit that I have drank a few bottles of this stuff in my day. Mainly I get it if I am out and not near home to get a drink of water. If I am out walking or exercising and don't have a water source near by.

Is bottled water a rip off?

The short answer is yes. There is nothing great about it. The only thing that is great about it is how it has been marketed. They tell us it is the best thing that we can get. It is something we all should drink. You have to keep in mind that these companies are in the business of making money. Their goal is to sell you bottled water. Even if you don't need it.

Is bottled water better for you than tap water?

No, it certainly isn't. In fact, most bottled water is just tap water. It is filtered and purified so it doesn't have the taste that the water from your tap has. Anything that will get you to drink more water is great. Though, you must realize that it is nothing more than a waste of money. You aren't getting something that your body will jump for joy when it gets.

You have to watch what you buy though. Some bottled water has things added to it. Sometimes they will add sugar or other flavorings to it. If it doesn't taste like pure water, there is something added to it. Sometimes the water will come from a spring or a mountain river. Is this any better for you? Not really. There might be some minerals in it that tap water won't have. But for the most part it is just the same, but more expensive.

You like the taste of bottled water but you don't like the taste of your tap water. What do you do?
For starters, I would suggest that you don't run to the store to get more bottled water. There are many products that you are use to filter your tap water. One of my favorites is the pitcher with the filter in it. I'm sure you have seen these on television before. When you pour the water, it goes through a filter.

These tend to be less expensive and easy to use. It doesn't take much brain power to be able to fill a pitcher with water. Check your local shop, I'm sure that you will find one there. There are also filters that you can put right over your faucet. These tend to be the best thing to use. They are easy to use and easy to replace the filters. You can get these at any Wal Mart or store like that.

There is always the water filtering system. You know, the ones with the pellets and all that garbage. Personally, I think these are a pain in the ass. I don't know why people get these instead of the smaller faucet units. I know that some people have to use these because of the condition of their water. Sometimes the water is too hard and you need to soften it. Though, that does sound like a plot for a porno movie.

If you don't like the taste of your water, try filling up the empty bottles that you have from the bottled water with tap water. Stick them in the ice box and get them nice and cold. You will notice that when cold, the water has a different flavor. You might find this to be drinkable. I know your wallet will thank you.

The problem I see with the bottled water is, it is too expensive. They are charging you an arm and a leg for something you can get next to free. Why should you pay for it? Well, you shouldn't. I don't know why people don't feel guilty for buying bottled water. It is one step up from going to a whore.

You should stop drinking the bottled water and see how much money you save just for one month. I find it crazy that there are people around the world dying of starvation and disease and we pay a dollar or more for a bottle of water. That seems so crazy to me.

Basic Work Out to Lose Weight

2009-10-03T15:59:00.000+08:00

Basic Work Out to Lose Weight

If you want to lose weight your in the right place.

Often, a simple work out can make you feel good in a small amount of time. You can squeeze in these moves during lunch break, or even right before an upcoming date. The best part is, these exercises aren't too demanding, so there will be minimal perspiration involved. Keep in mind that these routines are not meant for advanced trainers looking for serious muscle growth. They are designed to maintain a healthy and good-looking physique within approximately an hour. Make sure that you have a healthy snack at least one hour before the workout, and a full meal afterwards.

Cardiovascular and Lower Body Work Out

Your cardiovascular work out should consist of a half-hour daily walk. Simply lace up your quality walking shoes and go for a stroll around the block.

Go out regardless of the weather; just make sure to dress adequately.

An effective alternative to going outside is walking up and down a building staircase. This option is excellent for your heart, as well as maintaining leg muscles.

To maintain a constant progression, try to increase your pace on a weekly basis. Set goals and gradually increase your distances.

If possible, alter your cardiovascular sessions for an even more effective work out: use the staircase one day, and walk around the block on other days.

Upper Body Work Out

After your cardiovascular exercises, begin your upper body work out with a few exercises. Do these steps three times a week for better results.

Basic Pushups Work Out

Basic pushups will work your chest area, triceps and rear deltoids. Aim for 3 sets of 10 to 15 repetitions (depending on your fitness level), and gradually increase the repetitions as the movement becomes easier.

Once the movement becomes too easy, you can increase the workout by elevating your feet on a chair to increase resistance.

Lay face down on the floor with your legs extended behind you and your hands directly beneath your shoulders.

Your fingertips should be pointed straight ahead, and make sure you keep your back flat and your head in natural alignment with your spine.

Get into the starting position by extending your arms straight from your shoulders, which lifts your entire body off the floor.

While keeping your body stable, go down until your nose almost touches the floor. Exhale as you push back to the starting position with your chest and triceps. Try not to lock your elbows in order to keep constant tension on your muscles.

Close-Grip Pushups

Close-grip pushups mostly work the tricep muscles, the inner chest and the trunk muscles. Once again, carry out 3 sets of 10 to 15 repetitions (according to your fitness level), and gradually increase the repetitions as the movement becomes easier.

Use the same starting position and breathing pattern as the basic pushup. Bring your hands together and form a triangle with your index fingers and thumbs.

As you go down to the floor, your elbows should go to the side, which incidentally puts more stress on your triceps and inner chest.

Close-grip pushups also require more balance. By stabilizing your body, your trunk muscles will work throughout the entire movement. At first, close-grip pushups might strain your wrists, so make sure you stretch appropriately and start off slowly.

Wide-Grip Pushups

Wide-grip pushups will work your chest, rear shoulders and parts of your back muscles.

Carry out the same sets and reps as aforementioned and gradually increase the reps as the movement becomes easier.

Use the same starting position and breathing pattern as the basic pushup. Your hands should be positioned beyond shoulder width, with your fingers pointing frontward.

The wider position emphasizes the tension on your shoulders and lengthens your pectorals. Wide-grip pushups are more demanding, so you will tire more quickly than with other pushups.

The above pushup variations will help keep your upper body muscles strong and fit. For additional exercises, try these simple moves. All you require are either 8 or 15 kg dumb bells, and a few minutes.

Legs

These repetitions will build up muscles in the thigh and buttocks. First, spread your legs to hip length and keep your legs fully extended.

Holding dumb bells in each hand and maintaining a straight back, slowly bend your knees until your thighs are level to the floor.

Then, slowly return to your original position. Continue this exercise until you tire your legs to failure.

Chest

In order to work out the pectorals, lie on a bed (stomach up) and hold a weight in each hand above your chest. Keep your arms fully extended with the palms facing each other.

Next, lower the dumb bells outwards and down until parallel with your shoulders. Breathe out, and return the weights to starting position.

Aim for eight sets of 8 to 12 repetitions. ú Arms

These exercises will strengthen your biceps. Sit on the edge of a secure chair with your feet placed hip width apart. Hold the weights with palms facing inwards in front of your body. Extend your arm, and curl one dumb bell up at a time in a small arc towards your shoulder. Be sure to rotate your forearm so your palm faces your shoulder at the top of the movement. Aim for three sets of 8 to 12 repetitions.