Total Health

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j0290194The following article is a small excerpt from one of my books.  I hope you’ll want to learn more and let me help you to get into the best shape of your life.

Medical science reminds us every day that good nutrition and good health go hand in hand.  One of the largest growing areas for research today has placed focus on ‘oxidative stress’.  This occurs when some molecules take electrons form other molecules and electrons.  Substances that can exist with missing electrons are called free radicals.  Free radicals damage proteins, DNA and lipids, generally causing mayhem inside cells.

Two common examples of oxidative stress are why a cut apple browns or why iron rusts.  This form of destruction is caused by free radicals; so just think of what these unstable molecules can do inside your body.

To understand the way free radicals and antioxidants interact and effect your health, you must first understand a bit about cells and molecules.

Molecules are composed of atoms bonded together; this bonding process is accomplished by the sharing of electrons.  When two atoms come together and their electrons pair up, the bond is created.  It is a general principle of quantum chemistry that only two electrons can exist in one bond.  Specifically, each electron must have opposite spin from the other.  Now paired electrons are quiet stable and nearly 100 percent of all electrons in your body exist in a paired state.

Now when a bond is broken by for example radiation, the electrons can stay together…(two electrons go to one atom and the other atom gets none) or they can split up (one electron goes to each atom)…. it’s when these split that they are now called free radicals…. molecules with an unpaired electron.  These unpaired electrons are highly energetic and seek out other electrons with which to pair and stealing them in the process.  This electron stealing is what makes free radicals very dangerous.  When the unpaired electron comes and steals an electron from a paired electron then it becomes a free radical and goes in search of another electron to replace the one it lost and the chain continues.

So how does all this stop?  Well antioxidants offer easy electron targets for free radicals. They will trap or stabilize the lone free radical electron and make it stable enough to transport to an enzyme, which combines two stabilized free radicals together to neutralize them and then it is easily cleaned out as waste by your body.

Sound Confusing? Simply put free radicals are molecular thugs, indiscriminately stealing electrons from other molecules and converting them to potentially harmful forms.  Free radicals are inherently extra energy.  To reduce the energy load, free radicals react and interfere with the cells ability to function normally.  In fact free radicals are believed to play a role in more then 60 different health conditions.

When free radicals affect your blood vessels you can have heart attacks and/or strokes.  When they knock chunks off your DNA you may get certain forms of cancer.  When it affects your skin you get wrinkles and possibly skin cancer…. your joints, arthritis and rheumatism.  When free radicals affect your brain you can get dementia and depression and your glands can lead to diabetes.

Can you feel the effects of free radical damage?  Not immediately, but unless you take the necessary steps to help counteract the attack of free radicals, you run the risk of allowing cumulative damage to your tissues, joints, organs and blood vessels.  And these effects over time will begin to be felt. Reducing your exposure to fee radicals and increasing your intake of antioxidant nutrients can reduce the risk of free radical health problems.

So what causes free radicals to form in the first place?  Well Oxygen although essential to life is a source that carries potentially damaging compounds.  Other damaging compounds include; your environment (from exposure to ionizing radiation), from industry, sun exposure, cosmic exposure, medical x rays, automotive exhaust, heavy metals (like mercury cadmium and lead), cigarette smoke, alcohol, unsaturated fat, and other compounds from food, water and air.

Normally your body can handle free radicals, but if antioxidants are unavailable, or if the free radical production becomes excessive, damage can occur and it becomes accumulative with age. Antioxidants work in several ways by reducing the energy of the free radicals, stopping the free radical from forming in the first place or interrupting an oxidizing chain to minimize the damage.

Your body normally produces antioxidants to counteract the free radicals, but with our increasingly toxic environment, sometime it just cannot handle the workload.  In addition to the enzymes, vitamins and minerals act as antioxidants to help out, like vitamin C and E, Beta-Carotene, Lutein, Lycopene, Vitamin B3 (niacin), Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), Vitamin B6, coenzyme Q10 and an amino acid cysteine.  Also herbs like bilberry, turmeric, grape seed or pine bark extracts and ginkgo can also provide powerful antioxidant protection for the body.

It’s also known that people who eat adequate amounts of fruits and vegetables high in antioxidants have lower incidence of cardiovascular disease, certain cancers and cataracts.  Although fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidants it is not known exactly which dietary factors are responsible for the beneficial effects, so it’s important to eat whole fruits and vegetables. Vitamins and minerals in nature are never isolated; they are combined with the thousands of other nutrients found in the whole food to work together in ways science is only beginning to understand.  To isolate one vitamin or mineral and call it a nutrient is like taking your cars steering wheel or battery and calling it an automobile.

Vitamin and mineral supplements are sometimes necessary for specific needs, but they are not for everyone.  Whole foods are the key to good nutrition.

Unfortunately despite the growing evidence on the importance of eating whole fruits and vegetables, less than 10% eat the acquired amount, and those that do try to eat the necessary amount end up eating foods that are over processed, over cooked and far to removed from the farm.  And lets face it buying and preparing 5 to 9 servings a day, everyday can be difficult not to mention expensive.

And it’s not your imagination when you think that the number of overweight people is increasing.  Our children watch about 10,000 food commercials a year, and with an advertising revenue of over 36 billion dollars promoting, fast foods, snack foods, sugar cereals and candy, its no wonder we grow up eating too much sugar, salt and fat.  According to one survey of school age children 25% do not consume at least one serving of vegetables and 50% eat less than one serving of fruit a day.

We as North Americans have become the most overfed and undernourished people in the world and when you eat nutrient deficient food, your stomach may be full, but your body continues to send out the ‘I’M HUNGRY’ message, which leads to overeating and weight gain.

Also as you age you generally lose lean muscle mass and gain more fat.  It takes 25 to 30 calories per day to maintain one pound of lean muscle and only 2 calories to look after a pound of fat.  Over time this is another cause, which can lead to weight gain.

Drinking plenty of water is also a secret weapon to losing weight as water is a natural appetite suppressant.  It also helps to metabolize stored fat, because without enough water, the kidneys can’t function properly, sending some of their workload to your liver.  Since one of your livers main functions is to metabolize stored fat, this means they can’t be doing their job function adequately, and this means less fat is metabolized and remains stored in your body.

So a proper balance between exercise and nutrition is key to your health.  How you eat can be just as important as what you eat.  A few simple changes here and there to your eating habits can go a long way towards creating a healthier you.

I know you want to get in shape and look great.  Whatever your fitness goal…to slim down…gain muscle…tone your arms or flatten your tummy…I’m here to help you accomplish your goals and to improve your fitness level. If you have enjoyed this article and the many other free features on my site, and would like some more comprehensive information such as fitness books and CD’s to aid you in achieving your health and fitness goals, please visit my ONLINE STORE where you will find innovative natural health and beauty products to help you become the BEST YOU CAN BE !

Serving Sizes

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PH02765_The following article is a small excerpt from one of my books. I hope you’ll want to learn more and let me help you to get into the best shape of your life.

Before I talk about serving sizes and how they can help you to get into your desired shape I’d like to give you a few thoughts.  In 1991 a little over 12% of North Americans were considered obese, and now in 2001 that figure has almost doubled.  Why?  Is it because the portions you receive in fast food stores have doubled?  Well before you always had the option of ordering twice the amount of food.  Now all you have to do is order the super size.  Basically the fast food restaurants are only providing what the customers are asking for, and at the same time providing a platform for you to overeat.  But is this the only reason for the rising rate of obesity?

Is it the invention of the computer, which has made us lazy and therefore contributing to our weigh gain?  Statistics tend to show otherwise because obesity seems to be higher in cities were computer ownership is lowest.  What about the growing number of people who have stopped smoking?  They tend to gain weight after quitting because they eat more to satisfy their oral needs.  Although this is true and that in over 25 cities tested obesity rose 55 percent, however in 25 cities were smoking increased, obesity rose even more to 59 percent.

I believe we are starting to believe that no matter how fat or unhealthy we become that modern medicine will be able to help us to live longer, so it doesn’t matter what we eat or do, a magic pill will come along sooner or later and make everything better.  After all look at the success of the Human Genome Project, and all that it has to promise. Years ago if you thought about eating a bag of chips a night, or a scoop of ice cream, and that you could possibly add 10 pounds to your weight, you chose not to do it.  Now with the Non-fattening chips and low fat ice cream, you think nothing of devouring a bag and maybe 2 scoops of double chocolate before bed.  You still will gain 10 plus pounds but you can rationalize it because it was low fat and ‘oh well’ sooner or later modern medicine will take away what you have added.  This thinking is backwards, because who knows when or even if this magic pill will come along, and even if it does, will it be too late?  We must get back to basics!

In our quest to get into shape and lose weight we can often lose track of one of the basic, very fundamental resources that we have to guide us, and that is the food guides that are set out by the government.  In them they state that we should eat between 5 to 12 servings of grain products, 5 to 10 servings of fruit and vegetables, 2 to 4 servings of milk products, 2 to 3 servings of meat and 3 to 4 servings of fats and oils.  Seems quite easy, but what exactly is a serving?  And why is there such a difference in servings required?

Well for starters, women and older adults, who typically need fewer calories, should choose the lower serving numbers.  Teenage boys and active men can eat the higher number and children, teen-age girls, active women and sedentary men should choose a serving size in the middle.

Now you just had a muffin for a snack.  Does this count as one grain serving?  Probably not…you see most commercial muffins can add up to about 3 to 4 servings, yet we think of it as one.  Just think of all the extra calories you are getting and thinking you are following the food guides.  In today’s competitive fast paced world, we are bombarded with ‘Super size’ this and ‘30% more’ that.  As serving sizes get bigger our desire for larger food portions is also growing and so are our waistlines.  We may be trying to follow a low-fat diet, yet were eating more calories.

So what is a serving?  Well on some packaging labels they will tell you what a serving size is.  I just looked on a Super Size bag of Potato chips, and they stated the serving size was 12 chips, yet how may of you would sit down and probably eat 2 or three times that if not the whole bag.  One serving is 5 ritz crackers, 16 wheat thins, 55 goldfish, one cup of raisin bran, or ¾ of a cup of Life cereal.  Try to measure your serving sizes based on what they say on the packaging labels.  If they don’t tell you then you can use the following as a guide;

  • 3 ounces of cooked meat, poultry or fish which works out to be     the size of a deck of cards or audio cassette tape.
  • One cup of cooked rice, pasta or vegetables is about the size of your fist or an ice – cream scoop.
  • One and a half ounces of cheese is about the size of four stacked dice or the size of your thumb
  • One tablespoons of mayonnaise, peanut butter, or salad dressing looks like a ping-pong ball or ice cube.
  • One ounce of nuts is about what you could hold in your cupped hand.
  • One Ounce of bread looks like that of a CD case.

If you can visualize the above references when thinking of serving sizes, hopefully this will help you to reduce your overall calories.  After all an extra bite here, or gulp there can add up…Do you know that most bags of Microwave popcorn are actually 3 servings?  And if you drink one cup of orange juice for Breakfast instead of the serving size of ¾ cup you’ll actually be getting 25 extra calories?  Even though these calories are non-fat, they are still extra calories and they do add up.

We have all heard the secret to getting into great shape and losing weight is eating right and exercising.  Most of us may have an idea of what we’re doing, but sometimes we just need an extra boost or reminder of what we need to do.  So what is eating right?  Well for starters it’s eating from all the food groups in balance and getting our proper amount of daily calories required to maintain our bodies.

I’d like to go through the food groups and give you some ideas of what serving sizes are as well as calories, but for a more detailed list you can find most foods in a good food guide or check out my book ‘Get Fit Stay Fit’ for the help you need.

SWEETS AND FATS (3 – 4 servings)

You should try to avoid or use this food group sparingly, because they can add a lot of calories and fat and have very little nutritional value

Butter 1 tablespoon 100 cal Canola Oil 1 tablespoon 120 cal
Corn Oil 1 tablespoon 120 cal Cream 2 tablespoons 100 cal
Light Cream 2 tablespoons   90 cal Sour cream 2 tablespoons   60 cal
Cream Cheese 2 tablespoons 100 cal Margarine 1 tablespoon 100 cal
Mayonnaise 1 tablespoon 100 cal Olive Oil 1 tablespoon 120 cal
Peanut Oil 1 tablespoon 120 cal Safflower Oil 1 tablespoon 120 cal
Sesame Oil 1 tablespoon 120 cal Honey 1 tablespoon   60 cal
Jam 1 tablespoon   50 cal Maple Syrup 1 tablespoon   50 cal
While sugar 1 tablespoon   50 cal

MILK, YOGURT AND CHEESE (2 – 4 servings)

Consuming from this food group will provide you with a good source of protein, calcium and other essential vitamins and minerals.

Milk 1% 1 cup 100 cal  Milk 2% 1 cup 100 cal
Milk skim 1 cup   80 cal Milk whole 1 cup 140 cal
Yogurt (lowfat ) 1 ½ oz 140 cal Yogurt (non fat) 1 cup 130 cal
Blue Cheese 1 ½ oz 150 cal Brie 1 ½ oz. 140 cal
Cheddar 1 ½ oz 170 cal Cottage Cheese 1 ½ oz. 110 cal
Feta Cheese 1 ½ oz 110 cal Monterrey Jack 1 ½ oz. 160 cal
Mozzarella Cheese 1 ½ oz 120 cal Pamesan Cheese 2 tbl   60 cal
Swiss Cheese 1 ½ oz 160 cal

MEAT, POULTRY, FISH, DRY BEANS, EGGS AND NUTS (2 – 3 servings)

In this food group you’ll find good sources of Protein, B vitamins, iron and zinc.  You should be careful to choose lean cuts of meat, and be careful of eggs, high fat nuts, and fried fish or seafood packed in oil.  Also try to avoid processed meats like bologna, salami, hot dogs, sausages and bacon, they are generally higher in fat.

Hotdog One 180 cal ground beef (lean) 3 oz 240 cal
Filet Mignon 3 oz 180 cal ground beef (reg 3 oz 250 cal
Ham 3 oz 130 cal Spareribs 3 oz 200 cal
Pork tenderloin 3 oz 170 cal Chicken Br. (skinless) 3 oz 140 cal
Chicken breast 3 oz 170 cal Ground Turkey 3 oz 200 cal
Turkey wt. (skinless) 3 oz 120 cal Cod 3 oz   90 cal
Lobster 3 oz   80 cal Salmon 3 oz 150 cal
Shrimp 3 oz   80 cal Tuna(canned/water) 3 oz 100 cal
Tuna – fresh 3 oz 120 cal Black beans ½ cup 110 cal
Kidney beans ½ cup 110 cal Pinto beans ½ cup 120 cal
Refried beans ½ cup 135 cal Tofu 3 oz   90 cal
Egg White One   15 cal Egg Yolk One   15 cal
Almonds 1/3 cup 280 cal Cashews 1/3 cup 260 cal
Peanut Butter 2 tbl. 190 cal Peanuts dry roasted 1/3 cup 280 cal
Sunflower seeds 1/3 cup 270 cal Walnuts 1/3 cup 210 cal

VEGETABLES (3 to 5 servings)

Vegetables are a good source of Vitamins A and C, folate, Iron, magnesium, and beta carotene.  You should be careful when you eat vegetables that you don’t fall into the trap of putting on sauces, dips and dressings that are full of fat and add a lot of extra calories.

Green pepper One med.   20 cal Broccoli One stalk   50 cal
Carrot One med.   35 cal Celery Two stalks   20 cal
Cauliflower ½ cup   12 cal Corn One med. 100 cal
Cucumber 1/3 med   15 cal Eggplant ½ cup   15 cal
Green Beans ½ cup   20 cal Lettuce 1 ½ cups   15 cal
Lettuce – Iceberg 1 ½ cups   10 cal Mushrooms 5 med.   20 cal
Onion ½ cup   30 cal Peas ½ cup   60 cal
Potato baked 1 med 160 cal Salsa 2 tbl.   15 cal
Snow Peas ½ cup   35 cal Spinach ½ cup   20 cal
Sweet Potato 1 med 130 cal Tomato 1 med   30 cal
Zucchini ½ cup   20 cal

FRUITS (2 – 5 servings)

Between 2 and 5 servings of fruit a day will help to give you a good source of carbohydrates, vitamins A and C and Potassium.  Generally all fruits are good for you but you should try to avoid fruits that are packed in syrup or fruit drinks, they are packed with sugar.

Apple 1 med.   80 cal Apricots Two   70 cal
Avocado 1/3 med   90 cal Banana 1 med 120 cal
Cantaloupe ¼ med   45 cal Grapefruit ½ med   45 cal
Orange 1 med   60 cal Grapes ½ cup   60 cal
Honeydew 1/10 med   45 cal Mango ½   70 cal
Papaya  ½   60 cal Peach 1 med   35 cal
Pear 1 med 100 cal Pineapple ½ cup   40 cal
Strawberries 8   45 cal Watermelon 2 cups   90 cal
Dried Dates 5 med 110 cal Raisins ¼ cup 110 cal
Apple Juice ¾ cup   80 cal Orange Juice ¾ cup   80 cal

BREAD, CEREAL, RICE AND PASTA (5 – 12 servings)

You should try to consume between 5 and 12 servings per day.  This will give you a good source of complex carbohydrates, fibre, vitamins and minerals.  Once again you should be careful of what you add to this group like sauces, spreads and butter.  They may help to add some flavour but they are high in fats.  Also don’t be fooled by the words low fat, this may be true but they make up for it with sugar and that adds up to lots of extra calories.

Rolled oats ½ cup 100 cal Brown Rice ½ cup   70 cal
White Rice ½ cup 111 cal Cornmeal ½ cup 120 cal
Baked Potato 1 med 160 cal Bagel ½ med 200 cal
Crackers Wheat Two   30 cal French Bread 1 slice 100 cal
Pita bread (white) ½ med 160 cal Rice cake 1 piece   60 cal
Tortilla (corn) 2 120 cal White Bread 1 slice   70 cal
Whole Wheat Bread 1 slice   90 cal Macaroni ½ cup 100 cal
Spaghetti ½ cup   90 cal Egg Noodles ½ cup 110 cal
Popcorn 1 cup   60 cal Potato chips 18 or 1 oz 150 cal
Pretzel 1 oz 110 cal Tortilla chips 18 or 1 oz 150 cal

So there you have a rough breakdown of the food groups and some examples of serving sizes and calorie content. So how do you apply this?  Well when planning your meals first decide what group you are in, if you are in the high end of recommended servings low end or in the middle.  And if you have figured out your daily calorie needs properly by either using the calorie counter on my web site or from my book, then it’s just a matter of going down the lists and planning on what you should be eating for the day and then adding up the calories to make sure you are getting the proper amount.  If your calorie calculations are too high then you may have to start to substitute lower calorie foods or here comes the tricky part….Increase your activity level to allow you to eat the higher calories you choose to eat.

I explain a lot of these techniques in my book‘Get Fit Stay Fit’.

I know you want to get in shape and look great.  Whatever your fitness goal…to slim down…gain muscle…tone your arms or flatten your tummy…I’m here to help you accomplish your goals and to improve your fitness level. If you have enjoyed this article and the many other free features on my site, and would like some more comprehensive information such as fitness books and CD’s to aid you in achieving your health and fitness goals, please visit my ONLINE STORE where you will find innovative natural health and beauty products to help you become the BEST YOU CAN BE !

Obesity

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pe02547_The following article is a small excerpt from one of my books.  I hope you’ll want to learn more and let me help you to get into the best shape of your life.

For the first time in history the number of overweight people are starting to out number the number of underweight people on the planet. According to recent surveys there are more than 1.2 billion people who are classified as being overweight.

Since 1968 we’ve also cut back on our total fat percentage of calories from 40 % to 33% today and have cut back the saturated fat levels from 18% to 11%. So what’s happening? We’ve cut back our fat and are eating low fat this and non-fat that but we’re eating more calories than ever before, especially calories that contain sugar and highly refined flour. Being overweight can lead to diabetes, heart disease, cancer and sleep disorders. For some individuals who store their fat in the abdominal and chest areas it can make them temporarily stop breathing while they sleep.

Obesity is basically defined as having a body mass index of over 30. With this as a guide an estimated 55% of United States Adults are now considered overweight with 23% of these people considered obese. Canadians are not far behind with an estimated 48% considered overweight and 14% considered obese. These figures are growing not just in North America, but all over the world. In Europe 15% of men and 22% of women are considered Obese. In Britain 17% of men and 20% of women are considered obese. On the South Pacific Island of Samoa, 75% of adult women and 60% of adult males are considered to be obese. And these numbers are growing with more and more children starting to fall in the categories of being overweight and obese.

The reasons for these increased numbers can be found in many ways from using the car instead of walking, sitting in front of computers instead of exercising, and the increased availability of high fat and calorie food and drinks. Obesity is difficult to overcome. Fewer then 5 % of obese people successfully lose weight and keep it off. Compare that to smokers who have a success rate of 20 to 25 percent.

Obesity has also been associated with the increase in medical costs and recent figures show that the cost to treat obesity and all its related diseases in The United States is estimated at 103 billion dollars a year. Becoming fit will likely improve your health and prolong your life, no matter what you weigh.

The secret is to start doing something. The old saying ’baby steps’ is so true if you are obese and have never worked out or tried to manage your weight before, start by getting your doctor’s permission, start out slowly, the only person you should be competing against is yourself.

Consider a personal trainer who can lead you through the pitfalls of beginning.

Set realistic goals but also realize that by just doing something once a week is better than doing nothing at all.

It’s so easy to get obsessive about our body image. Fitness is about feeling good no matter what your size. You are more likely to maintain your desired weight once you have achieved it if you are physically active

There is no single weight loss program or secret formula for anyone. It’s an individual thing and much of the success depends on finding out what works best for you. Once you start to see results, you’ll not only feel good, but realize how simple it really is. But it does take something that no one can teach you. It takes commitment to stay with a program and motivation to get started. You can eat that double chocolate cream pie, as long as it’s not every day. It won’t hurt you. You should also try to become a student of health and fitness by subscribing to one of the many good fitness magazines that are published monthly. There are many good articles on new fitness developments, as well as tips and recipes for low fat meals and exercise programs from the pros.

You don’t need creams, powders and empty promises to accomplish your fitness goals. All you need is a common sense approach to eating with proper nutrition, an exercise program that fits into your lifestyle and most important of all the motivation, willpower and commitment to accomplish your fitness goals. The bottom line is, it’s your body and if you want to change it you can, but it’s up to you!!!!

I know you want to get in shape and look great.  Whatever your fitness goal…to slim down…gain muscle…tone your arms or flatten your tummy…I’m here to help you accomplish your goals and to improve your fitness level. If you have enjoyed this article and the many other free features on my site, and would like some more comprehensive information such as fitness books and CD’s to aid you in achieving your health and fitness goals, please visit my ONLINE STORE where you will find innovative natural health and beauty products to help you become the BEST YOU CAN BE !

Cellulite

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j0318778The following article is a small excerpt from one of my books.  I hope you’ll want to learn more and let me help you to get into the best shape of your life.

It technically does not exist. You won’t find it in any medical dictionary or anatomy book, and only recently you’ll find it appearing in some dictionaries. The word cellulite first came into use in 1973 with the book ‘Cellulite: those bumps and bulges you couldn’t lose before’ was published. The author refers to the thick layer of fat around the hips and thighs as cellulite, which is a gel like substance made up of fat, water and wastes, trapped in bumpy, immovable pockets just beneath the skin. These pockets of fat gone wrong act like sponges that can absorb large amounts of water, blow up and bulge out, resulting in the ripples and flabbiness you see.

Since the mid 70’s women have attacked the ‘Cellulite’ problem with a vengeance and have spent countless amounts of dollars on trying to get rid of something that really does not exist. Cosmetic Companies introduce ‘anti cellulite’ products that say they help tone away the appearance of fat. Yet there are no scientific studies that prove these products work. Also, the cosmetic companies do not say their ‘anti cellulite’ products will burn fat because then, they would be categorized as a drug and would have to undergo testing and approval by the federal government. Here are some facts about Cellulite:

Cellulite in nothing more than stored fat.

All stored fat regardless of location is difficult but not impossible to remove.

Fibrous cords that connect the skin to the underlying tissue cause the dimpling effect of the fat. These cords tether the skin to the deeper structures with the fat lying between the two layers. As fat cells accumulate, they push up against the skin, bulging out around the long tough cords. This is somewhat like the effect of the buttons on an overstuffed pillow.

Fat cannot be massaged, perspired, relaxed, soaked, flushed, compressed or dissolved out of the body. It can however be sucked out. For a few thousand dollars you can have the fat in your thighs removed through liposuction. This is a surgical procedure in which the fat if literally siphoned out. This is a drastic procedure and in my opinion really should not be considered.

To reduce dimpled fat deposits you need a low fat diet, and exercise to strengthen the underlying supporting muscles.

Cellulite is simply regular fat, so do not allow highly advertised cellulite removing products to mislead you.

The one really sad fact of life about dieting is that most people who diet lose weight, but few keep it off. Any diet that works is going to have to teach you new eating habits you can carry out for the rest of your life. When you begin thinking you’re going to be on a diet for only six weeks, then you’re doomed to gain the weight back.

Once you fail, it’s harder to try again because you’ve already in your mind have set yourself up for the failure. Your diet can’t be temporary. You have to change your lifestyle and make proper food choices that you can live with day in and day out.

Exercise is also very important in your quest to lose weight. Be careful not to overdo your exercise program because this can lead to injuries, burnout and fertility problems. You do not have to become obsessive. For example, you would have to walk 30 miles to burn off the 3,500 kcal. in a pound of fat, however if you walk one mile a day, 365 extra miles a year, and without increasing your calorie intake, you would lose 12 pounds over the course of the year.

I know you want to get in shape and look great.  Whatever your fitness goal…to slim down…gain muscle…tone your arms or flatten your tummy…I’m here to help you accomplish your goals and to improve your fitness level. If you have enjoyed this article and the many other free features on my site, and would like some more comprehensive information such as fitness books and CD’s to aid you in achieving your health and fitness goals, please visit my ONLINE STORE where you will find innovative natural health and beauty products to help you become the BEST YOU CAN BE !

Creating Your Own Diet

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j02937021The following article is a small excerpt from one of my books.  I hope you’ll want to learn more and let me help you to get into the best shape of your life.

It’s important to realize that no matter what anyone says body image means a lot and your appearance can make or break your ambitions in life. Yet we do not understand our bodies, especially when it comes to losing body fat.

Now I use the term diet, but what I really mean is LIFESTYLE adjustment, because that is what dieting is, a lifestyle adjustment. If a dieter stops dieting and allows excess calories to enter the bloodstream, those ever present and pesky fat cells will grab and take what is theirs. They have the desire to return to their higher ‘set point’. The bottom line is you can’t lose weight permanently by dieting temporarily.

To become lean and stay lean you must follow your lifestyle change day after day, month after month and year after year. The problem with most people, who want to lose weight, is they want to lose the maximum amount of body fat in the minimum amount of time or simply put by crash dieting. Crash dieting leads to starvation which when you stop ends up making you fatter then you were before you started to diet.

One of the other problems with crash dieting is they ingest insufficient amounts of fatty acids, as well as vitamins and trace minerals. Crash dieters will also sometimes use diuretics and laxatives. This ends up depleting them of potassium, which can have severe repercussions like cardiac problems. Crash dieters are also obsessive in their avoidance of salt, and salt is very important to your diet. Crash dieters also lower their carbohydrate

Intake, or cut it out completely. This can lead to a state known as ketosis.

When you create a state of ketosis, you will experience a noticeable loss in overall body weight (mostly water) and your appetite will become diminished. The body needs a minimum of 60 grams of carbohydrates on a daily basis to operate. The nervous system for example depends entirely on carbohydrate energy in the form of glycogen. When glycogen is not available, the nervous system including the brain must go to an alternate source of energy. The alternate source is ketone bodies, which are unburned fragments of a longer chain of fat molecules.

The body needs carbs to burn fat and if the carbs are unavailable, fat in incompletely burned, creating ketone bodies. The body then begins to metabolize more and more amino acids (protein) to obtain the needed energy. This cannibalizing of your lean body tissue not only effects your skeletal muscle but other protein structures as well including your heart.

In a state of ketosis, you’ll also have severely reduced energy because the nervous system doesn’t function as well on ketone bodies as it does on glycogen. As well as less energy you’ll also become extremely irritable, have trouble sleeping and your attention span will shorten and you’ll become forgetful. Generally not a good state to be in.

How you think and feel about food will ultimately shape your eating style. You should try to understand that one of the most primitive desires when it comes to food is hunger. Hunger can be defined as a craving or urgent need for food, and inborn instinct, while appetite on the other hand is a learned response to food.

There are many learned responses to food like T.V. commercials and the smell of fresh baked goods, but there is only one signal that indicates hunger and that is the little pain you get in your empty stomach that tells you it’s time to eat.

Researchers now believe the cause of hunger is a certain chemical in the brain called NEUROPETIDE (NPY). In recent laboratory experiments animals that have NPY present in a critical area of their brain, will eat no matter how much it has already eaten or when it last eat. When NPY is not present in sufficient amounts, the animals simply will not eat. The discovery of NPY sheds new light on the complexities of obesity and eating disorders. Also when the animals where injected with NPY they chose to eat carbohydrates instead of fat or protein. This gives researchers some clue about what will best satisfy hunger (the hunger brought on by NPY) and that is carbohydrates like pasta, potatoes, breads and fruit. This carb fix will reduce NPY activity and satisfy your craving.

Now that your cravings are taken care of you should try to understand and become more aware of your eating behavior.

Ask yourself if you eat more when you’re bored, socially pressured, depressed, anxious, tired or angry. To avoid some of these eating pitfalls try some of these helpful tips; before eating anything ask yourself if you really want it learn to say ‘no’ do something to distract yourself go for a brisk walk do not think about what you’re giving up to lose weight but what you’re gaining do not let occasional setbacks weaken your commitment to lose weight.

You must take responsibility for your own behavior, because only you can help yourself lose weight. Most diets fail because they try for a low calorie intake or their weight loss goals are unrealistic. You cannot safely lose 30 pounds in 30 days and keep it off. The bottom line is you have to burn more calories than you take in to lose weight.

You should also know that your brain is a hungry tissue and although it only makes up two percent of your body weight it can use up to 30 percent of your daily calorie consumption. It also wants these calories in the form of carbohydrates, so hopefully you can see how important it is to have breakfast and never skip a meal, so that you don’t deprive your brain of an essential nutrient. It will also keep your brain process information more quickly and stop you from feeling like you’re in a fog. Another important brain nutrient is iron, which helps to carry oxygen to your tissues. A lack of iron could result in fatigue, memory loss, lack of motivation and poor concentration.

So how many calories do you need to consume? Well, one simple method says you take your body weight and multiply it by 10. This will give you the number of calories you need to maintain your present weight. For example a 170 lb. Male would need about 1,700 kcal a day while a 130 lb. female would need 1,300 kcal. a day. In my opinion this system is too simple and 1,300 kcal. a day is dangerously low.

Another method is to take the weight you want to be and for men multiply that figure by 21 and for women 18. Then depending on your activity level multiply by 25 percent. For example a 170 lb. male wants to be 160 lbs. so 160lbs. x 21 = 3,360 kcal. Now depending on his activity level 25% of 3,360 = 880kcal. Those kcal. will either be subtracted or added from his daily allowance. This method once again is too simple. It doesn’t take into account men and women are different and women need fewer kcal. then men because they have less muscle mass.

The amount of energy required to keep the body functioning is influenced not only by sex, but also by body composition, size and age. That’s why I like the formula in ‘GET FIT, STAY FIT’ the best. It takes all of these factors into account and gives you an easy to follow formula to figure out your daily calorie needs. Once you know what your daily calorie needs is, you can then begin to set up your daily meal plan.

Let’s say for example that figure is 1,800 kcal. per day.

Now divide that figure by the number of meals you will eat during the day, and remember smaller more frequent meals are better say between 4 and 6. Now the per meal calorie intake should be between 300 and 450 kcal. Get used to eating this amount and any calorie reduction should come from exercise during the first couple of weeks.

Larger people should stick to low impact aerobics like cycling or stepping. If you haven’t trained aerobically before you should start slowly and do not worry about your pace. Try to finish about 15 minutes of easy training four times a week and over the next one or two months work up to about 45 minutes a session, and be sure to train in your target training zone. (Target training zone is explained in greater detail in the book ‘Get Fit, Stay Fit)

When setting up your meal plan, another factor should be your food groups and how much of what. The American Heart association recommends that 30% of all calories should come from fat. This to me is to high and I feel it’s do to the fact almost 40% of fat is already consumed in most diets. So it’s easier to cut to 30%, but if you really want to get results a goal of 15% of total calories from fat is obtainable. The use of a food guide is very helpful in planning your daily calories and after a short time the numbers will become second nature. The book ‘GET FIT, STAT FIT’ also has an excellent comprehensive food guide.

You should also get used to reading food labels and understanding their contents, especially fat content. A food product may claim it contains only three grams of fat per serving. At first glance this looks appealing until you look further. A serving of this food contains 80kcal. If you do the math you’ll soon see that 33% of the servings calories are fat. If you are striving for 15% of your total daily calories from fat, you should try to avoid these foods.

I know you want to get in shape and look great.  Whatever your fitness goal…to slim down…gain muscle…tone your arms or flatten your tummy…I’m here to help you accomplish your goals and to improve your fitness level. If you have enjoyed this article and the many other free features on my site, and would like some more comprehensive information such as fitness books and CD’s to aid you in achieving your health and fitness goals, please visit my ONLINE STORE where you will find innovative natural health and beauty products to help you become the BEST YOU CAN BE !

Set Point

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j0286851The following article is a small excerpt from one of my books. I hope you’ll want to learn more and let me help you to get into the best shape of your life.

Everyone has a weight regulating system in their brain, which maintains the fat content of the body at a certain level or ‘SET POINT’. The level of this ‘SET POINT’ results from the interaction of several factors…genetics, environment and behavior. You can vary your ‘set point’ depending on what and how you eat, as well as what kind and how much exercise you do.
Now to lower your fat ‘set point’ you do not have to starve yourself. In order for your body to perceive itself to be in a state of starvation, all you have to do is miss a couple of meals. When this occurs the body begins to preserve as much fat as possible. It sacrifices muscle for caloric energy and slows its metabolic rate to conserve energy.

Now, when the body is being deprived of food energy, a very high percentage of the lost weight will be muscle tissue rather than fat. The reason for this is simple. Under these semi-starvation conditions the body will do everything it can to conserve energy and return its weight back to the original ‘set point’, so it sacrifices muscle. Muscle as you know burns calories, so when you have less muscle you burn fewer calories. Also the dieter will feel tired and fatigued and become less active, therefore using less energy.

Since a large portion of the weight you lost was muscle, when you stop dieting (nobody can fad diet forever) and return to your ‘set point’ almost all the weight gained back will be fat therefore changing your lean-to-fat ratio.

So how do you lower your ‘set point’?

Well you first have to understand the body’s supply and demand system. For example, you can eat (supply) all the protein you want and it won’t turn into muscle unless there is a demand and that demand comes from the stimulation of weight training (exercise). The body works the same when it comes to energy. Anaerobic exercise burns stored carbohydrates (glycogen) while aerobic activity is able to use fat to supply the needed energy, and burning fat is what it’s all about. Now you can eat more because excess calories will be metabolized to provide energy rather than stored as fat. Since you’re eating more, your metabolism speeds up again resulting in more energy expended and less energy stored as fat. Since plenty of energy is coming in on a regular basis, the body sees no reason to maintain high levels of body fat and your ‘set point’ is reduced. Now changing your ‘set point’ permanently will not happen overnight. It takes time so be patient.

I know you want to get in shape and look great. Whatever your fitness goal…to slim down…gain muscle…tone your arms or flatten your tummy…I’m here to help you accomplish your goals and to improve your fitness level. If you have enjoyed this article and the many other free features on my site, and would like some more comprehensive information such as fitness books and CD’s to aid you in achieving your health and fitness goals, please visit my ONLINE STORE where you will find innovative natural health and beauty products to help you become the BEST YOU CAN BE !

Why Diets Fail

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j0149667The following article is a small excerpt from one of my books. I hope you’ll want to learn more and let me help you to get into the best shape of your life.

Diets are not the way to achieve your fitness goal. Your fitness goal can only be achieved by a lifestyle change that includes properly balanced meals and exercise. However, when most people think of dieting, they immediately think of eating less, or doing without. Eating less to lose weight is a flawed dieting technique that usually accomplishes a short term weight loss, followed by a weight gain.
A diet’s success or failure is really governed by the same laws of physics that rule all energy transformations. The first law of Thermodynamics states that in any process, the total change in energy of the system is equal to the heat absorbed by the system minus the work done by the system. Now because a calorie is actually a unit of energy and the law of conservation of energy states that energy sources can neither be created nor destroyed…the calories you eat must either be expended or conserved.

So if you eat too many calories the excess is stored. If you eat too few calories to support your daily needs, you’ll have to reach into where your excesses are stored in order to maintain an energy balance. Your body must maintain an equal energy balance (Homeostasis) or gains or losses will take place. If calories are restricted, your body will do whatever it feels necessary in order to reach an equal energy balance.

When calories are restricted, your body will begin to break down other nutrients to compensate for the lack of energy. Your body however, doesn’t selectively break down just one nutrient, it breaks them all down , stored fats, protein and carbohydrates. If you are trying to lose fat, it’s good that your body is breaking down the fat stores, but it is also breaking down protein, which is stored in your muscles and carbohydrates are broken down from muscle glycogen stores. Your body breaks down all three to get the energy supply that it needs.

Your body can’t keep breaking down muscle forever so what it does is reduce your Basal Metabolic rate to conserve energy. Your body will now need less energy to achieve its’ energy balance. Now the restricted amounts of calories that were once helping you lose weight are no longer doing the trick.

One of the more popular methods for weight loss and most dangerous) is to reduce or eliminate the amount of carbohydrates you consume. When carbohydrates are reduced or eliminated you will lose weight, basically because one gram of carbohydrates needs 2.7 grams of water for storage. When you restrict the amount of carbohydrates you eat, you’ll not only use up your carbohydrate stores to meet energy demands, you’ll also lose large amounts of water during this process, not to mention the lean tissue mass that will be lost. You should also know that you can’t store fat unless insulin is released by your body and the only way your body can produce insulin is when you eat carbohydrates.

About 24 hours after you stop eating carbohydrates, your body begins to break down fat at a very rapid rate in order to receive a substitute for the carbohydrates it is not getting. This is extremely dangerous and could result in death if allowed to progress too far. During this process of turning fat to energy, Ketones are created and you are known to be in a state of Ketosis. In a mild state of Ketosis, your body is depleting fat stores faster than any other type of diet. You can even eat large amounts of fat and protein while on this diet and still lose weight. Low carbohydrate diets (50 grams or 200 calories of carbohydrates) can cause weakness, apathy, fatigue, vomiting and dehydration. You should not even consider this diet without consulting your family doctor.

If you lose muscle mass, your metabolic rate slows and you burn fewer calories. If you gain muscle mass your metabolic rate increases and you burn more calories. In fact one pound of Fat burns just two calories a day to maintain itself, whereby one pound of lean body mass burns 30 to 50 calories a day to maintain itself.

Exercise, especially weight training, will stimulate and maintain lean muscle mass if you are eating a balanced diet. If you are exercising and not eating properly, your body has no choice but to reach into your muscles and get the nutrients it needs. This will cause you to lose what you are trying so hard to build.

Let’s look at a hypothetical dieter and see what happens . . .

Our person starts out weighing 150 pounds with a 25 percent body fat level. (37.5 lbs. of Fat and 112.50 lbs. of lean body mass)

For one reason or another, our person overeats and gains 20 lbs. of fat. This person’s body fat composition changes so that they now weigh 170 lbs. with a 33.8 percent body fat level.
(57.50 lbs. of fat and 112.50 lbs. of lean body mass)

In a panic to lose the weight quickly, a harsh diet occurs, with our dieter eating less than 1,000 kcal. a day and skipping meals. When crash dieting to lose the 20 lbs., remember your body composition will change because the 20 lbs. you will lose will not be the same 20 lbs. you gained. Your weight loss will be part fat and part muscle. Your back to weighing 150 lbs. but your body fat level is no longer 25 percent it’s 30.3 percent. (45.5 lbs. of fat and 104.5 lbs. of lean body mass)

Our person eventually falls back into old eating habits and before you know it, they’ve gained back the 20 lbs. they lost. Once again the weight gain is fat, and they’re back weighing 170 lbs. with a body fat percentage of 38.5 percent. (65.5 lbs. of fat and 104.5 lbs. of lean body mass)

Once again our person diets, losing the 20 lbs. and returns to their weight of 150 lbs.(53.50 lbs. of fat and 96.5 lbs. of lean body mass) The person is back to their original weight, but throughout the years, their body fat composition has changed from 25 percent to 36.6 percent!

This person is getting fatter with each dieting episode. Part of the reason for this is the person’s metabolic rate has slowed down because they have lost muscle mass. Yet they continue to eat like they always did. Without changing your eating habits and the number of calories you consume, you are doomed to gain your weight back. Even when you look in the mirror, you may be your original weight, but your body composition has changed so much through years of dieting that you don’t like your reflection. The feeling now is that you must continue to diet to achieve a better image.

As long as a dieter seeks immediate gratification and tries to shed weight as quickly as possible, there is virtually no chance they will ever achieve their fitness goal.

Another pitfall is your bathroom scale. It shows gains that aren’t really there and can’t tell the difference between fat, water and muscle. Your weight also fluctuates by several pounds throughout the day and weighing yourself too much is not only confusing but discouraging as well. You can’t help but be affected by the numbers. If you must weigh yourself do it only once a week and at the same time of day, in order to get consistent results. Don’t let the bathroom scale rule your mood or determine the degree of your success and the key to your success is a strong foundation. Adopting a healthy lifestyle doesn’t happen overnight. If you want it to last, you need to adopt healthy habits and enjoy them one step at a time.

I know you want to get in shape and look great. Whatever your fitness goal…to slim down…gain muscle…tone your arms or flatten your tummy…I’m here to help you accomplish your goals and to improve your fitness level. If you have enjoyed this article and the many other free features on my site, and would like some more comprehensive information such as fitness books and CD’s to aid you in achieving your health and fitness goals, please visit my ONLINE STORE where you will find innovative natural health and beauty products to help you become the BEST YOU CAN BE !

Body Mass Index Chart

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The BMI is designed for adults between the ages of 20 to 65 years of age and for those individuals whose body size and weight are fairly stable. The BMI should not be used for babies, children and adolescents, pregnant or nursing women, senior citizens, very muscular people and endurance athletes. A Shortcut method of calculating your BMI is to multiply your weight in pounds by 703(190×703=133570). Now multiply your height in inches by your height in inches (70 x 70= 4900). Now divide your weight by your height.(133570 divided by 4900 = BMI 27.2)

HEIGHT 5’0″ 5’1″ 5’2″ 5’3″ 5’4″ 5’5″ 5’6″ 5’7″ 5’8″ 5’9″ 5’10” 5’11” 6’0″ 6’1″ 6’2″ 6’3″ 6’4″
WEIGHT
100 20 19 18 18 17 17 16 16 15 15 14 14 14 13 13 12 12
105 21 20 19 19 18 17 17 16 16 16 15 15 14 14 13 13 13
110 21 21 20 19 19 18 18 17 17 16 16 15 15 15 14 14 13
115 22 22 21 20 20 19 19 18 17 17 17 16 16 15 15 14 14
120 23 23 22 21 21 20 19 19 18 18 17 17 16 16 15 15 15
125 24 24 23 22 21 21 20 20 19 18 18 17 17 16 16 16 15
130 25 25 24 23 22 22 21 20 20 19 19 18 18 17 17 16 16
135 26 26 25 24 23 22 22 21 21 20 19 19 18 18 17 17 16
140 27 26 26 25 24 23 23 22 21 21 20 20 19 18 18 17 17
145 28 27 27 26 25 24 23 23 22 21 21 20 20 19 19 18 18
150 29 28 27 27 26 25 24 23 23 22 22 21 20 20 19 19 18
155 30 29 28 27 27 26 25 24 24 23 22 22 21 20 20 19 19
160 31 30 29 28 27 27 26 25 24 24 23 22 22 21 21 20 19
165 32 31 30 29 28 27 27 26 25 24 24 23 22 22 21 21 20
170 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 27 26 25 24 24 23 22 22 21 21
175 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 27 26 25 24 24 23 22 22 21
180 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 27 26 25 24 24 23 22 22
185 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 27 26 25 24 24 23 23
190 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 26 25 24 24 23
195 38 37 36 35 33 32 31 31 30 29 28 27 26 26 25 24 24
200 39 38 37 35 34 33 32 31 30 30 29 28 27 26 26 25 24
205 40 39 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 29 28 27 26 26 25
210 41 40 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 28 27 26 26
215 42 41 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 28 27 26
220 43 42 40 39 38 37 36 34 33 32 32 31 30 29 28 27 27
225 44 43 41 40 39 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 31 30 29 28 27
230 45 43 42 41 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 30 29 28
235 46 44 43 42 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 29
240 47 45 44 43 41 40 39 38 36 35 34 33 33 32 31 30 29
245 48 46 45 43 42 41 40 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 31 30
250 49 47 46 44 43 42 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30

 

I know you want to get in shape and look great.  Whatever your fitness goal…to slim down…gain muscle…tone your arms or flatten your tummy…I’m here to help you accomplish your goals and to improve your fitness level. If you have enjoyed this article and the many other free features on my site, and would like some more comprehensive information such as fitness books and CD’s to aid you in achieving your health and fitness goals, please visit my ONLINE STORE where you will find innovative natural health and beauty products to help you become the BEST YOU CAN BE !

Body Fat

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j0152378The following article is a small excerpt from one of my books. I hope you’ll want to learn more and let me help you to get into the best shape of your life.

Fat is stored in two ways in your body. Under the skin or subcutaneous fat, which is the fat you can see, jiggle and pinch and muscle fat, the fat found inside your muscles.
The ideal fat percentage on males is about 15 % while for females it’s about 22%. These are ideals and the actual average percentage is higher. Fat levels also very among race, because of the difference in bone structure and in particular calcium

Male Female
15 22 Healthy White
24 31 Average White
18 25 Oriental
12 19 Black
5 11 Athletes

Body composition measurement is not rocket science. Fat estimates can vary depending upon which method you use and who is doing the estimating. The ‘bathroom scale’ is not a good choice because it cannot distinguish between overweight and over fat. The only accurate way to measure body composition is dissection.
Underwater weighing is the most widely available indirect method for measuring body composition and is the gold standard for fat measurement. You can calculate the density of your body and thus your percentage of fat by dividing your body weight (scale weight) by your body volume (underwater weight). Muscles have a higher density and fat a lower density than water. In this procedure, fat people float and weigh less underwater, while lean people sink and weigh more underwater. Underwater weighing assumes that every cubic centimeter of lean tissue weighs 1.1 gram and every cubic centimeter of fat weighs 0.9 grams. This method also assumes that your body in 73.2% water.

Underwater weighing methods while they make certain assumptions, do not take individual body composition into account and this can lead to inaccurate readings. (Individual differences in bone density accounts for some deviations as well as lean fit people have a lot of water in their fat cells, while fat overweight people have very little water in fat cells.)

Most Health clubs do not have dip tanks and rely on other methods such as skin fold, electrical impedance and anthropometry.

Anthropometry uses superficial measurements like height and weight to arrive at a number. One such system is the Body Mass Index or BMI. This uses your weight divided by your height in meters squared.

BMI = Weight (kilograms) divided by height(meters)2

This measurement does not however consider one’s lean muscle mass… for example a 190 pound very fit bodybuilder of 5’ 10″ tall may have a BMI of over 27. So use this measurement as only a guide. To find your BMI click here.

A BMI of less than 20 may lead to health problems in some people. Some of these problems may include heart irregularities, depression and other emotional distress and anemia.

A BMI between 20 and 25 is a good range for most people. In this range if you eat properly, your weight should not give you any health problems.

A BMI between 25 and 27 is still within an acceptable range however caution should be taken because this could lead to health problems for some people.

A BMI greater than 27 and your risks of health problems increase. Some of these problems include, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers.

I know you want to get in shape and look great. Whatever your fitness goal…to slim down…gain muscle…tone your arms or flatten your tummy…I’m here to help you accomplish your goals and to improve your fitness level. If you have enjoyed this article and the many other free features on my site, and would like some more comprehensive information such as fitness books and CD’s to aid you in achieving your health and fitness goals, please visit my ONLINE STORE where you will find innovative natural health and beauty products to help you become the BEST YOU CAN BE !

Diet Pills

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j0286866The following article is a small excerpt from one of my books. I hope you’ll want to learn more and let me help you to get into the best shape of your life.

Have you ever dreamt of a pill that could melt away excess fat and give you the self-control and will power to walk away from double chocolate fudge cake? For years reputable obesity physicians and clinics have dismissed ‘Fat Pills’ as ineffective, potentially very dangerous and addictive. But with recent scientific research and data, they are slowly starting to change the way they used to think.
In scientific terms, obesity or fat storage occurs when your calorie intake consistently exceeds the amount of calories your body burns. Evidence is accumulating to support the theory that it’s not just lack of willpower that makes you obese, but a chronic medical problem, linked to body chemistry.

According to recent surveys, more than one third of North Americans over the age of 25 are overweight. Before I continue, you should note that obesity is defined as anyone 20 percent over their ideal bodyweight. Obesity can also lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and some forms of cancer. Obesity is also a contributing factor in the death of an estimated 300,000 people in North America each year.

With all the dangers of being overweight, if a diet pill can help someone get thin, then perhaps it may be worth the risk. Drugs for losing weight are effective in one of three ways, by decreasing your food intake (appetite suppressant), reducing your fat absorption or enhancing the expenditure of energy (raising your metabolism).

One of the most popular drug treatments for obesity is using a combination of two drugs…Fenfluramine (brand name Pondiman) and Phentermine (brand name Ionomin). This combination of taking two drugs known as Phen-Fen works, and the pounds seem to just melt off (don’t get too excited)

It is believed that most obese people have low levels of Serotonin, which is a brain hormone that affects hunger and mood. Fenfluramine works by increasing Serotonin levels in your brain thereby stopping feelings of hunger and therefore being an effective appetite suppressant. Phentermine increases your metabolic rate as well as affecting another brain chemical, Dopamine, which enhances your feelings of fullness. (Phentermine and Fenfluramine are both derivatives of Amphetamines)

While the medical community agrees that Fenfluramine can curb your food cravings, by depressing your central nervous system and elevating serotonin levels in your brain, they’re not so sure about the effects and safety of Phentermine.

Some of the side effects of Phentermine include hypertension, arrhythmias, nausea, vomiting, impotence, dry mouth, constipation, hyperactivity, severe skin disorders, sleep problems, irritability and other personality changes. Some of Fenfluramine’s side effects are headaches, drymouth, diarrhea, drowsiness, and sleep disorders like insomnia and vivid dreaming.

While Fenfluramie makes you drowsy, Phentermine is a mild stimulant. While Fenfluramine causes constipation, Phentermine can cause diarrhea. So you see, taking these drugs together, they seem to cancel their respective side effects, making the combination more effective, then if you were taking them separately. The side effects of Phen-Fen are very unpredictable and should only be taken under the care and supervision of a Doctor.

People who should not use Phen-Fen include people with a history of drug abuse, depression, alcoholism, agitated states, migraine headaches, diabetes, advanced arteriosclerosis, symptomatic cardiovascular disease, moderate to severe hypertension, hyperthyroidism and glaucoma. Safe use during pregnancy has not yet been established.

So who should take these diet pills? Well if you are ten to twenty-five pounds overweight, the chemical route is not worth the risk. The risks associated with taking them will outweigh their rewards. If you are fifty pounds overweight and don’t have any serious medical problems, then you may want to consult with your doctor about trying Phen-Fen. With being fifty pounds overweight, the risks associated with being overweight may be greater than the risks associated with taking Phen-Fen. Remember that taking Phen-Fen is not the easy way out and you shouldn’t even consider taking this or any other diet pill until you have explored all other options…Healthy exercise, healthy diet and self-discipline are the cornerstones for weight control.

One of the benefits of combining Fenfluramine with Pentermine is that you don’t have to take large amount of either drug when you take them together, which can lessen the side effects of each. What Phen-Fen also offers is a sense of control, where none existed before.

While the drugs Fenfluramine and Pentermine have been around for over twenty years, it’s only been recently that they are getting a lot of attention as diet pills…as well as REDUX, which is essentially a refined version of Fenfluramine. In fact Redux is the first new diet pill approved by the FDA in twenty-three years. It is approved for use for no longer than one year and is recommended for those who are clinically obese (20 – 30 percent overweight)

Like Fenfluramine, Redux stimulates the production of the neurotransmitter Serotonin. Serotonin as mentioned is responsible for the physical and emotional sense of being satisfied as well as triggering a general feeling of well being. Redux is not without its side-effects, which include; fatigue, diarrhea, vivid dreams and dry mouth. It can also trigger a rare but fatal disorder known as Primary Pulmonary Hypertension, which destroys blood vessels in the heart and lungs.

Even with these side effects, (some serious, some just mild annoyances) overweight people will still try just about anything in their quest to become thin. In fact an estimated thirty-three billion dollars are spent each year on diet books, over the counter medications, health club memberships and low calorie foods. So with the news of a new and highly effective weight loss drug, doctors are writing between 65,000 and 85,000 prescriptions a week for Redux…despite the worrisome side effects. NOTE: THE FDA HAS RECEIVED UNCONFIRMED REPORTS OF ABOUT 1,000 ADVERSE REACTIONS TO REDUX IN THE FIRST TWO MILLION PRESCRIPTIONS, INCLUDING 18 DEATHS AND 26 SERIOUS PSYCHIATRIC EVENTS. BUT THESE NUMBERS ACCORDING TO THE FDA DO NOT YET RAISE ANY RED FLAGS. Since Redux was introduced onto the market, in less than one year more than 140,000 doctors have written 3.3 million prescriptions. Including the sales of Fenfluramine and Pentermine, that’s over 400 million in sales in one year.

With such a harsh warning the FDA finally removed Fenfluramine and Redux from the shelves, but doctors don’t know how many former users may develop heart-valve problems. Remember if something seems too good to be true, it generally is and nothing short of surgery can replace a proper balanced diet and physical activity.

It’s not just the drug companies who are at fault. They’re just supplying a solution to what they feel is a major health problem in this country and that’s obesity. But what about all the food companies that are competing for your dollars with bigger and larger portions? They are also supplying what you the consumer demands, and that’s better value for your dollar. So they offer 40 percent more of this and super sizes of that. All containing more calories and more fat and ultimately adding you to the increasing number of North Americans who are considered overweight. And in a vicious cycle you look for a quick fix in a pill or exercise in a bottle, anything that will help you to lose weight so you can continue to eat more and exercise less. If a pill is on the market you assume that the government agency in charge of overseeing that industry is looking out for your well being and therefore any pill on the market that claims results that will make you look and feel better is safe. This is a wrong assumption. Mistakes are made, sometimes with tragic results. Remember Thalidomide? How many birth defects were the result of mothers taking this drug during their pregnancy?

With so much money at stake and research dollars being spent, I’m sure a replacement for these recently black-listed diet drugs is not far off. But will they be safe? In a rush to the market place, will millions of prescriptions be sold one day and then the next day be considered a major health risk. Only time will tell, but I can assure you that there are no short cuts. It is, however, important to know and understand about these new diet pills and what scientists are exploring to help the medically obese.

So how do these new diet pills fool your appetite? Well eating carbohydrate rich foods, sends a signal to your brain neurons to release Serotonin. Serotonin then stimulates receptors on adjacent neurons while the rest of the Serotonin is absorbed. Redux and Fenfluramine force your brain neurons to release extra Serotonin and also stops it from being absorbed. The over stimulated receptors now create the feeling that you’ve already had enough to eat.

By eating high carbohydrate foods like ice-cream, french frries and potato chips(all high in fat) what you are actually doing is using food as a drug and attempting to elevate your mood, by getting extra jolts of Serotonin. By getting this Serotonin jolt without eating all the calories (this is what the new diet drugs are doing) it can be an effective form of weight control.

Redux or Dexfenfluramine, is made by separating Fenfluramine. Like many organic molecules Fenfluramine comes in both a left and right-handed version. Like mirror images of each other, they each contain different chemical properties. The right-handed molecule Dexfenfluramine, is an appetite suppressant, while the left-handed version Levofenfluramine makes people uncontrollably drowsy. By discovering how to split the molecule and to produce Dexfenfluramine (Redux) by itself, you eliminate the drowsy side effects of the left side. However one person in four has reported the side effect of being drowsy while taking Redux. You can also probably figure out now why Phentermine, a mild amphetamine, was added to Fenfluramine … to offset it’s drowsy effect.

Although there has never been a head to head study, it is believed that Phen-Fen will produce the greater weight loss while Redux will not only create a weight loss but also produce fewer side effects.

Phen-Fen and Redux can be dangerous if used over a long period of time, so along with these diet pills, lifestyle changes must take place. If not, once you stop taking these diet pills, you will probably return to your pre Diet pill state. diet Pills are not the cure for being overweight and should not be used for cosmetic weight loss.

Another Diet pill the FDA is studying is Meridia (Sibutramine), which not only increases the levels of Serotonin in your brain but also boosts brain levels of Norepinephrine. This dual action, claims it will help you to lose weight and also reduce the effects of drowsiness. This new drug was initially thought of as the next great diet pill, but during clinical trials more than 4,500 participants developed dangerously high blood pressure, higher than normal pulse rates and abnormal heart rhythms.

In 1994 Scientists discovered Leptin and they thought that a cure for obesity had been found. Leptin, is a string of 167 amino acids, and was first isolated from OB/OB a genetically bread Fat mouse. When these mice were deficient in Leptin, massive obesity occurred.

Leptin is made in fat cells and appears to act as a signal to your brain telling it how much fat you have in your body. It was thought that obese people therefore are deficient in Leptin, But this turned out not to be the case. In fact, obese people have four times the amount of Leptin circulating in their blood, compared to thin people. So obese people produce sufficient Leptin, the problem is that the receptors in your brain fail to recognize it. Just as obese people often suffer from insulin resistance, they also suffer from Leptin resistance and can’t get Leptin into their cells due to receptor defects. Scientists continue to study and search for the magic cure.

Just recently scientists discovered a gene and a protein in mice that can regulate metabolism. Simply put, If you eat a Hamburger, your body would have to decide what to do with the calories. The two basic choices are to burn them or store them. If this drug is ever developed, it would tell your body the better choice would be to burn the calories. But don’t go running to your local pharmacy, this drug is years away from development. So It’s back to the same good old advice, eat less and exercise more. You can control your eating and the amount you exercise but you can’t control your genes. (at least not yet)

OVER THE COUNTER DRUGS

While most people feel the pressure to be thin, not everyone seeks their doctor’s help or advice. Instead they turn to over the counter diet aids that line the shelves in drugstores, supermarkets and health food stores. Most of the over the counter diet aids consist of vitamins, minerals, herbs and fibre. Many also contain Ephedrine and Phenypropanolamine(PPA) which is the only drug approved by the FDA for weight loss purposes and is sold under trade names like Acutrim and Dexatrim.

PPA is structurally similar to Amphetamines, which were used originally as diet pills but their usage stopped because of their adverse side effects and abuse.

Besides PPA’s use as a diet pill, it also acts as a decongestant and is used in over 100 different cold medications. According to one estimate, over 16 billion doses of PPA are taken annually and one quarter of these doses are taken in the form of diet pills. PPA was originally used to maintain blood pressure.

The controversy over PPA involves its safety and effectiveness. Although the FDA has declared it safe and effective for weight loss, there have been studies that contain contradictory evidence. In one study, patients taking PPA over a six-week trial period lost only two pounds more than the placebo control group. PPA acts as an appetite suppressant by stimulating the release of epinephrine and norepinephrine. Although this effect is short lived, the heat producing effects persist for some time.

PPA is safer than aspirin as long as you stay within the recommended dosages of no more then 75 mg. per day. The problems arise when PPA’s are combined with caffeine. This combining raises the blood level of caffeine by up to four times when taken together. Many of the side effects attributed to PPA could be blamed on the elevated caffeine levels.

This leads us to one of the current and most popular fat burning combinations of Ephedrine, caffeine and aspirin. Like PPA Ephedrine suppresses the appetite and has a similar heat producing effect. One significant advantage that Ephedrine has over PPA is its’ ability to spare lean muscle tissue while restricting calories. Normally the heat producing effect of ephedrine lasts only three to four hours, but combining it with caffeine and an aspirin, its’ effects are extended.

The dangers of taking Ephedrine can be significant for anyone who exceeds recommended dosages and could lead to strokes or high blood pressure. The ideal combination is 20 mg. of Ephedrine, along with two cups of coffee and an aspirin. Ephedrine is not for everyone and you should take care when you are considering this weight loss/appetite suppressant approach.

You should also keep in mind that these diet drugs, both prescription and over the counter are designed to be used in conjunction with a sensible exercise program, low fat eating and under a doctors supervision. They should not be used for cosmetic weight loss, but used for those who have tried and failed all other conventional means of weight loss, and that the complications of being overweight, outweighs the possible risks from taking these new diet drugs.

I know you want to get in shape and look great. Whatever your fitness goal…to slim down…gain muscle…tone your arms or flatten your tummy…I’m here to help you accomplish your goals and to improve your fitness level. If you have enjoyed this article and the many other free features on my site, and would like some more comprehensive information such as fitness books and CD’s to aid you in achieving your health and fitness goals, please visit my ONLINE STORE where you will find innovative natural health and beauty products to help you become the BEST YOU CAN BE !