Obesity is the single most important challenge for public health in the 21st century. According to National Health Statistics 60% of the population is overweight and 20% of our..."
Posted by Ellen Agius | 28 comments
8 KEYS TO UNLOCKING THE BODY FAT AND BUILDING A LE...
Obesity is the single most important challenge for public health in the 21st century.
According to National Health Statistics 60% of the population is overweight and 20% of our children and adolescents are overweight with numbers increasing.. The World Health Organisation has declared obesity a “global epidemic” (Australia’s Health 2004).
Overweight is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or greater. Obesity is classified as a BMI of 30 or greater. To determine your BMI, calculate your weight in kg divided by your (height in metres)2. A healthy BMI is between 20 and 25.
Excess weight is very unhealthy. Even being slightly overweight can carry moderate health risks. The top three killers are heart disease, cancer and diabetes which are all related to obesity and poor nutrition.
There are certain factors today which are contributing to the increasing obesity. Today’s modern diet is full of junk food, processed foods and high levels of preservatives and additives. In addition we are consuming food in excess amounts, we are becoming lazier and more and more people are not partaking in forms of daily physical activity. It is an interesting fact that the reason we are consuming highly processed food in excess may be related to the Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) in our foods. MSG actually increases our appetite and wants us to have more.
The phrase “Betche ya can’t eat just one! “ has true meaning! In addition, excessive levels of trans fatty acids in our foods are increasing the risk of heart disease by as much as 25 per cent. (Sommerfeid, J, 2006 Ban these foods, The Courier Mail, 9th September).
We are spending over 30 billion dollars in weight loss programs and products each year. The question is what is the best way to go about losing weight and what is the safest diet which will allow you to keep the weight off? The truth of the matter is that many diets are not safe to be on for long periods of time.
Also you need to be aware of the dangers of weight loss drugs. Diet drugs are not natural and can be toxic to the body, and come with side effects. Here are some of the head lines on weight loss drugs.
Woman learns weight-loss drugs have damaged her heart. (The Seattle Times, June 2005)
Prescription Diet Merdia Linked to Heart Complications And Deaths (Ashcraftandgerel, 2006)
Historically, weight-loss drugs have been subjected to very little testing. Research indicates that risks of drugs increase dramatically the longer the drugs are used. In addition, the drugs produce minimal weight loss, and upon discontinuing the use of any of the drugs, the weight is virtually always regained
If you’re serious about improving your health and decreasing your body fat once and for all, take the time to examine these key points.
KEY ONE. LOOK FOR A WELL RESEARCHED SAFE WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM
For the overweight or obese person to lose fat and keep it off for life a safe and effective fat loss system which actually triggers your body into releasing stored fat and using it for energy is required.
A fat loss program is different from a weight loss program.
The system is designed to work with your body and not against it to help you optimize your body’s ability to lose fat. You want to lose fat around the waist line, hips, thighs and upper arms. You don’t want to lose muscle, water or bone density.
Popular diets for weight loss are a path which is laden with dangers. For example, some of the popular diets encourage high quantities of protein foods, however protein in excess causes stress on kidneys, and stones occur because you can’t digest the protein properly.
It is also important to note that low calorie diets do not improve diabetes or heart disease, as the fat loss is inefficient. In fact when caloric intake drops, the body draws from protein, and is not selective on where it draws from, which includes the heart and the kidneys.
KEY TWO. LOW GLYCEMIC DIET
Glycemic dieting is the key to a healthy slim body. You can control the things you put into your body and from a chemical perspective, regulating blood sugar levels is the most effective way to release your fat burning capacity. By following a low Glycemic diet, you can control the dramatic rises in blood sugars that pose serious threats to your health.
Glycemic Index (GI) represents the new standard for healthy eating. In fact, it was recently published in a new food pyramid by Harvard University Medical School. GI is the measure of how much a particular food raises your blood sugar and insulin response. The GI represents the rate at which your blood sugar rises after eating.
A high glycemic load will rapidly raise your blood sugar above normal – which causes an insulin surge and that locks up your fat. Even non-fat foods will readily turn into fat if they trigger the insulin response. We want to trigger the fat to be burned for energy.
Low glycemic eating works with your body to prevent the insulin surge and allows stored fat to be released and used for energy.
Benefits of a low Glycemic diet:
helps people lose and control weight
increases the body’s responsiveness to insulin
Improve diabetes control
Reduce the risk of heart disease
Reduce blood cholesterol levels
Reduce hunger and keep you fuller longer
Prolong physical endurance
It is simple to switch to a low GI diet as there are no difficult calculations to make or paying constant attention to low fat or counting calories. You simply need to substitute your high GI food with low GI foods.
KEY THREE. EXERCISE
Physical activity is a requirement of any plan to achieve and maintain good health. Activity lights the furnace to burn fat. You should start any exercise or activity program with light to moderate effort and increase your level of activities gradually over time. Take the stairs or park further away – this all increases y our physical activity.
Start slowly, but start something. Know the limits you can push and don’t push beyond.
KEY FOUR. SUPPLEMENT WITH MULTIVITAMINS AND MINERALS
Most people look at diet pills which work in a way that actually depletes the body of nutritients which may have an effect on the normal functioning of metabolism. So for normal functioning of metabolism we require nutrients in the form of supplements. The usage of supplements is to balance the required nutrients in the body.
You need mulivitamins and minerals supplied in a food matrix, which is specifically designed to support your body’s ability to utilize fat. A supplement that provides important antioxidant and stress nutrients. There are over 400 toxins in our bodies not present 40 years ago , most of them are stored in fat. When you begin to break down that fat , these toxins are released.
If you not have adequate antioxidant support y our body will compensate by slowing down metabolism. This is a common reason for the plateau that occurs with most weight programs. The vitamin rich antioxidant also supports blood sugar levels , bone health, the liver and the nervous system.
KEY FIVE. BOOST YOUR METABOLIC RATE
For most effective fat loss programs you may require a boost in your metabolic rate, which helps maximize your body’s ability to burn fat. . Again a natural safe product that will provide energy and boost your metabolic rate and control blood sugar , along with reducing appetite is required. The product should provide a feeling of energy and vitality with the problems triggered by many appetite control products. For example, it should not cause the jitters.
KEY SIX. FILL UP ON FIBER
A high fiber diet is desirable for health and fat loss. A fiber product is often required to provide a feeling of fullness and for digestive and colon health benefits. The fiber complex should gently expand in your stomach to provide a feeling of fullness. Fiber also helps reduce food cravings.
KEY SEVEN. MEAL REPLACEMENT DRINKS THAT ARE LOW GI
Many weight loss programs include a Meal replacement drink. Ensure the meal replacement drink is low glycemic and contains the nutrients your body needs to feel full and satisfied, along with being delicious and satisfying. The aim is to provide nutrition for today’s busy lifestyles.
KEY EIGHT. DRINK WATER TO KEEP YOUR ORGANS WELL HYDRATED.
Water is one of the most important nutrients in our diet. The majority of adults require eight to ten glasses of water a day. You can’t remove toxins without sufficient water.
Drink a glass of water half an hour before meals to prevent overeating and to hydrate yourself. And ensure you drink enough water before, during and after exercise. Drinking the right amounts of water will provide you with major benefits and accelerate fat loss.
If , as a nation, we pay closer attention to our diet and choose our foods based on low glycemic eating we would see a sharp decline in the incidence of diabetes and obestity.
One of the biggest challenges we have is to educate people in how to safely lose weight and keep it off. People who follow this plan lower their body fat, build lean tissue and experience a better quality of life.
For more information on a safe fat loss program visit The Weight Loss Zone
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Low GI Eating: Road To Weight Loss and Health
What is Low Glycemic Index and Low GI Eating?
The Glycemic Index (GI) was developed 20 years ago through research on diabetic diets and looking at more complex carbohydrates (sugars) that took longer to process and digest than simple carbohydrates. Therefore this resulted in measuring the Glycemic index of foods.
The Glycemic Index (GI) measures the effect of foods on your blood sugar levels. Eating foods with a high glycemic index value will raise the blood sugar level more dramatically than foods with a low glycemic index value. For example, foods that are processed more quickly by the body rank higher on the Index than foods that take longer to be digested by the body.
The GI values are a measure of 1 to 100 where pure glucose has a value of 100. Therefore a value of 50 indicates that the food has an effect on blood sugar equal to half that of glucose.
The World Health Organisation recently recommended that people based their diets on low glycemic foods, hence the common phrase now heard low GI eating. Research has shown that very high glucose levels after meals, called glucose spikes, are damaging to our arteries and various blood vessels, and they promote far too much insulin to be around.
Thus low GI eating is having a pronounced affect on the health community, with many Doctors and nutritionists now recommending eating low GI to patients with diabetes and/or obesity. Eating foods with a low GI value tend to provide a feeling of fullness for longer and therefore assist those trying to eat less or lose weight. In addition, diabetics can now choose their foods in a more controlled manner.
A diet rich in low GI foods is a healthy diet, provided that there is nutritional variety. Individuals who use this low GI diet plan claim they are able to lose weight as well as retain more muscle.
Low GI Eating and Weight Loss
When looking at weight loss high GI foods are bad for weight control for two reasons- Firstly, the glucose spikes stimulate hunger because you are getting that dramatic drop in glucose, two hours after eating. By eating low GI foods you feel fuller for longer. Secondly, insulin is a storage hormone that stockpiles nutrients for later use by the body. A high-GI diet causes a lot of insulin to be produced and when you have too much insulin in your body, it makes it easier to store fat and harder to burn it.
Keys to Success with Low GI Eating
To successfully lose weight and maintain weight loss you need to base your diet on foods that rank in the low to medium range on the Glycemic index. To start burning fat a diet based on foods ranked at 55 or below is recommended. Dieters should plan to be on this low GI plan for about six months depending on how much weight they want to lose. After that time period they can advance to maintenance and may eat low as well as medium foods according to the glycemic index. It is also important to understand that exercise is an important component of a weight loss plan in order for it to work effectively. Individuals must be dedicated to participating in an active and healthy lifestyle. This is not a diet but a change in lifestyle to create a healthier you.
One of the major advantages of eating low GI foods is that it is not restrictive as many other weight loss plans are. For example, you can have some carbs on this diet as long as they are good carbs and they rank low on the glycemic index. In addition, it is perfectly okay for you to eat out. Once you have become familiar with which foods rank low on the index you can then usually find something on any menu which is acceptable according to the low Glycemic Index.
Low GI Eating Conclusions
The low GI way of eating has proven to be quite effective at managing diabetes, promoting weight loss and encouraging a healthy lifestyle. Here is the heart of low GI eating, your body will love it
For further information and a site where you can put in what you are eating and the glycemic index is calculated for you go to The Glycemic Index
Information on a full weight loss program that uses the Glycemic Index way of eating can be found at the Weight Loss Zone.
Read MorePosted by Ellen Agius | 13 comments
Anti Aging Skin Care: 7 Steps To Reducing Wrinkles...
Are you wondering which are the best anti aging skin care treatments and ways to rejuvenate your skin?
What can be done about existing lines, wrinkles, and sagging skin? Traditionally the only solutions available have been painful and expensive cosmetic surgeries, toxin injections, and harsh chemical peels. Each of which has a long list of potentially dangerous side effects. Recent scientific breakthroughs have allowed for the development of more gentle cosmetic products that can reduce saggy skin as well as facial lines and wrinkles without the risks involved with other more traditional procedures.
Probably you are confused with all the different ingredients that we can find in anti aging skin care products, and with so many choices, we don’t even know where to start.
Aging is related to accumulation of damage at the cellular level. Offenders include environment, free radicals, and chemicals. The best way to deal with aging skin is to ensure that you take a proactive approach to skin care and follow a few simple steps to help prevent the early onset of aging and keep your skin hydrated and moisturised.
Anti Aging Skin Care: STEP 1. Use A Preservative Free Paraben Free Skin Care System
The major key in reducing aging skin and restoring youthful lustre is to avoid chemicals in your skin care products. Preservatives, methylparaben in particular, have been shown to increase the damage to skin caused by UV light, thus increasing the aging of skin.
If you want to prevent aging of your skin you really need to be aware of what you are putting on your skin. While many companies claim their products are “all natural” and of the “finest quality,” a close look at the ingredients reveals they contain toxic synthetic preservatives, ‘suspected’ carcinogens, drying alcohols, and synthetic fragrances and dyes. So make an educated decision to use products that contain absolutely no preservatives. A good book to refer to is “The Truth About Cosmetics…And Some Natural Alternatives” by Haru Naito.
Until recently, most skin care products around the world have contained preservatives that promote skin aging. However, new anti aging skin care technology has developed and there are now a few unique skin care ranges on the market that have eliminated preservatives with the goal to support the skin’s state of wellness and protect the skin from premature aging.
Anti Aging Skin Care: STEP 2. Keep Your Skin Clean
Cleanse your skin with a gentle exfoliating cleanser. Make sure you do not leave on make up or allow residue to build up on your skin. This will lead to increased stress on your skin and can cause pores to clog and become infected.
The key here is not to rub, scrape, or be overly abrasive in the process. You will require a gentle cleanser that contains a fine abrasive to get into your skin pores and remove bacteria and soil.
Anti Aging Skin Care: STEP 3. Keep Your Skin Properly Hydrated.
Hydrating aging skin and helping it to retain moisture are the keys to reducing and preventing wrinkles. Water provides hydration to our skin. So you require a skin care line that can provide water to your skin cells and plump them up like a grape rather than shrivelled up and dry like a sultana. Look at the hydration rates of the skin care product you are using and the clinical proven results. Also many skin care products use carriers to take the moisturising ingredients into the cells. You need to ensure that no carrier chemicals are used which can be absorbed into your circulation and can cause serious health issues.
Anti Aging Skin Care: STEP 4. Nourish your skin with healthy ingredients
Nourishing the skin with the proper ingredients is also important.
Use skin care that delivers only healthy nutrients that can protect your skin from premature aging, stress and dryness. Many plants in the world have long been recognized for their therapeutic health benefits. Just make sure the ingredients are natural plant foods or certified organic ingredients. Today many scientific studies demonstrate the numerous benefits of using specific botanicals that provide nourishing properties that assist your body in renewing healthy moisture enhanced skin tissues. This is the foundation of a preservative free skincare product line.
Anti Aging Skin Care: STEP 5. Use A Wrinkle Cream That Is Proven To Work
Wrinkles and spots are normally too deep to be effected by skin care products, but not now with the recent advancement in skin care technology skin cells can be corrected from damage done and create new healthy skin cells.
An anti-wrinkle cream lessens the appearance of your wrinkles, depending on how often you use it, the type and amount of active ingredient in the wrinkle cream and the extent of the wrinkles you want to treat.
Do they work? Consider these points when judging the merits of using a wrinkle cream: Ensure the skin care system you use has been subjected to research and clinical trials to prove their benefit. You’ll likely need to use the wrinkle cream once or twice a day for many weeks before noticing improvements. Remembering that skin cells rejuvenate every 28 days.
Anti Aging Skin Care: STEP 6. Support your skin’s health and prevent premature aging with good quality supplements.
Oxidative stress is the principle cause of aging and premature death. By controlling free radicals, anti-oxidants influence how fast and how well we age. It is virtually impossible to get optimal amount of antioxidants from foods alone. So invest in a good quality antioxidant.
Scientists can tell how old you are physiologically based on the amount of DHEA (primary hormone of the body) in your blood. Levels peak at age 25 years and then decline. Most researchers agree to retard aging DHEA levels must be maintained. In our modern diet our daily intake of hormone modulator is severely depleted. A Phyto Hormone supplement provides your body naturally with the building blocks to maintain and enhance normal hormone production. It will support efficient fat burning, help you look younger, feel younger and potentially live longer.
Make sure you get a good blend of essential fatty acids in your diet. Supplementation with essential fatty acids supports your skin to become softer and smoother. They are necessary to make cells membranes and for many of the important hormones and other chemical messengers that tell your body what to do.
Anti Aging Skin Care: STEP 7. ADEQUATE REST
Make sure you get enough rest, so that your skin has time to repair itself.
We all know that aging skin can be problematic and sometimes even downright scary. By following the tips listed above and carefully selecting your skin care products, you’ll be one step ahead in the battle against aging skin. We all get old but we don’t have to look that way!
The bottom line is to know the science and ingredients behind the products you use, look at the clinical trials, ensure the company is ethical and practices good manufacturing practices and then stick to doing business with one that has a solid reputation for delivering results. There are countless products on the market but only a handful that are based on legitimate science. These are the ones to add to your daily skin care regiment.
So in summary your Skin Care wish list should include:
- Preservative Free
- Anti- Aging
- Fragrance Free
- Colorant Free
- Allergy Tested
- Suits All Skin Types
- Non- Comedogenic (not clogging, won’t aggravate acne)
- No Animal Testing
- Opthamologist Tested
- Visible Real Results
Too much in one skin care line. Research further at the link below to discover a anti aging skin care range that can provide this for you.
Anti Aging Skin Care - Lift
Posted by Ellen Agius | 0 comments
How To Drop Dress Sizes Fast
Let me share some good news on decreasing your dress size and fast. It is all about reducing the amount of fat on your body and becoming lean. For years we have been so focused on losing weight and constantly look at the scales. Well I would like to share with you that the secret is to target fat loss and become lean.
I am sure we have all heard that muscle weighs 3 times more than fat so sometimes people may lose little on the scales and be dropping dress sizes and looking great. Make sense?
Statistics show our average dress sizes are getting bigger with over 60% of our modern world being classified as overweight. They even cater for this by supersizing our furniture etc
Overweight is defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may affect a person’s health. Being overweight increases the risk of many diseases and health conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis, gallbladder disease and some cancers.
While as a nation we have been dieting and including an exercise program, for many it is not enough. A recent discovery may change all that. A leading nutraceutical company has introduced a “Lean-Sparing” Fat Loss product which is literally changing peoples fat to lean body tissue ratio.
Many products on the market recommend counting carbs, calories and dropping kgs. Stories such as “I lost 10kgs etc..” Did you know that if you lose 10kgs that typically 5 kgs will be fat loss and 5 kgs will actually be muscle loss. You do not want to lose muscle this results in a decrease metabolism and decrease in your aerobic capacity and actually makes it difficult to keep off the weight.
The term yoyo dieting describes the cycle of repeated dieting followed by weight gain. If you are a yo yo dieter yes you may lose 10 kgs but when you put that back on it will all be 10kgs of fat, (not 1/2 fat/ 1/2 muscle) so you are in the vicious cycle of putting MORE fat on your body, and it becomes even harder to lose the weight and drop a dress size. The truth is the more lean muscle tissue you have on your body the more calories you burn and the fitter and healthier you will be.
Over the years I have witnessed the dismal results of most weight loss programs. So I am very excited by the new technology of specifically targeting fat loss and changing your lean body ratio. This is certainly a different approach. However, scientists and weight loss researchers are now telling us that “.you are not healthy unless you are lean. ” Even those who may not be overweight but are carrying excess fat tissue around their waist are at risk of heart disease and health issues. Being lean is the key to health.
This has led research into developing a specially formulated blend that includes an advanced protein peptide technology, which helps the body burn fat while maintaining lean muscle. This is the optimal fat loss formula for finally getting that lean look you have been striving for all these years! The technology switches your metabolism from anabolic to catabolic and targets fat-loss, not lean-loss. A fat loss technology that specifically targets fat loss and spares lean muscle tissue has long been awaited.
Another impressive point is that this technology has 2 double blind clinical studies completed that showed that those using the technology demonstrated that 80% of the weight they lost was fat tissue, as well as significant reductions in body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference. It was shown to support healthy fat loss, is all-natural, provides calcium for healthy bones and helps reduce appetite.
You can live a healthy life and lose inches from your waist, arms and thighs and drop dress sizes quickly.
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