I hope you’ll want to learn more and let me help you to get into the best shape ofyour life.

Achieving and maintaining proper blood sugar metabolism is essential for a lifetime of excellent health. Prolonged unhealthy blood sugar metabolism can significantly affect the health of your nerve, eyes, blood vessels, kidneys and pancreas. It can impact your weight, body shape, energy levels, blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, overall cardiovascular health and more. Over 60 million Americans have “insulin resistance”, a form of unhealthy blood sugar metabolism that frequently goes unrecognized, but can often progress to the point where signs of significant health deterioration appear.

Don’t let this happen to you! It is never too early or too late to learn how you can achieve and maintain healthy blood sugar metabolism and experience the benefits of sustained good health.. By understanding how blood sugar metabolism works, and with the guidance of your healthcare provider, you can take the necessary steps to achieve and enjoy the long-lasting benefits of healthy blood sugar metabolism.
Diet, Lifestyle and Healthy Blood Sugar Metabolism
It is import to eat a healthy, nutrient rich diet containing unrefined carbohydrates from whole foods. Through normal, healthy digestion, the unrefined carbohydrates in your diet are progressively broken down to smaller sugars, which are then absorbed through your intestine into your blood. This sugar absorption stimulates your pancreas to secrete an appropriate quantity of insulin into your blood, which facilitates the delivery of sugar into cells throughout your body.

When insulin binds to insulin receptors embedded in the cell membranes, a signal is sent to sugar transport channel vesicles inside the cell. These vesicles respond to the insulin signal by carrying sugar transport channels (“sugar entryways”) to the surface membrane of your cell. The vesicles then fuse with the cell membrane, flatten out and position their sugar transport channels to facilitate effective sugar delivery from your blood into the cell. The sugar then enters the cell and is used for energy production by the mitochondria (the energy factories of the cell), or is stored for future use. The response of the cell to insulin binding, and the resultant insulin signal, is critical to healthy blood sugar metabolism.

Factors That Lead to Unhealthy Blood Sugar Metabolism

Obesity, lack of exercise and an unhealthy diet are considered major contributors to developing poor blood sugar metabolism. When you consume excess sweets and refined or processed foods, the simple sugars they contain are absorbed very quickly and can cause a rapid and dramatic increase in your blood sugar levels. With a high concentration of sugar in your blood, the pancreas responds by producing a proportionally high surge of insulin in an effort to help the sugar gain entrance to the cell. In unhealthy blood sugar metabolism, the cell may be unresponsive or “insulin resistant” and sugar delivery into your cell can be reduced. The pancreas then tries to compensate by producing even more insulin. Over time, these high levels of insulin can lead to a host of problems, including increased triglyceride levels, decreased HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, other cardiovascular manifestations and hormone disruption.

This “insulin resistance” may occur because, along with excess sweets and refined carbohydrates, an unhealthy diet is also frequently deficient in the nutrients necessary to support healthy cell membranes, insulin receptors and a strong insulin signal. Unhealthy insulin receptors can result in poor binding of insulin and, in concert with other factors, a diminished insulin signal, thereby reducing sugar delivery into your cell. These other factors include the negative effects of specific enzymes and cytokines, such as phosphotyrosine phosphatases, nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappB) and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha).

An unhealthy diet may even alter the way the genetic information within your cells influences blood sugar metabolism. Scientists now know that a poor diet, along with other contributors, can alter your genetic potential or gene expression. Appropriate gene expression is important for healthy blood sugar metabolism because it stimulates sugar utilization by the mitochondria of your cells, producing energy and – in effect – clearing sugar from your blood.

Taken as a whole, excess weight, lack of exercise and an unhealthy diet can reduce the “sensitivity” of your cells to insulin and even impact their genetic expression. Without effective insulin binding and signaling, the sugar transport channel vesicles remain static and unable to travel to and fuse with the cell membrane. As a result, the number of sugar transport channels is reduced, leading to poor cellular sugar absorption and utilization, excess blood sugar and insulin, low energy and a host of other possible manifestations of deteriorating health.

SUGGESTIONS TO HELP ACHIEVE HEALTHY BLOOD SUGAR METABOLISM

Incorporating lifestyle changes that focus on effective weight control, a program of regular exercise and specific dietary guidelines are very important to promoting healthy blood sugar metabolism.

The dietary guidelines should focus on two primary goals: 1) choosing foods that have a moderate effect on raising blood sugar, referred to as “low-glycemic-index” foods, and 2) choosing foods that improve your body’s ability to support the effect of insulin, functionally reducing “insulin resistance”. With the guidance of your healthcare provider, this can be an easy process that results in a healthy and delicious dietary plan.

Nutritional supplementation may also offer great benefit. Your healthcare provider may recommend that you supplement your diet with a combination of macronutrients that include soy protein, special fibers and a low-glycemic-index starch known as high-amylose starch. These help support healthy carbohydrate absorption and blood sugar metabolism.

Supplementing your diet with various fatty acids and micronutrients may also be helpful. These include the essential fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) to support healthy cell membranes; conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) to promote the insulin signal and gene expression for improved utilization of sugar by the mitochondrion; lipoic acid to further support the insulin signal and sugar utilization by the mitochondrion; vitamin E, inositol and the minerals vanadium, chromium and magnesium to provide additional support to the insulin signal; and biotin to promote sugar utilization by the mitochondria. Other herbs and accessory nutrients may also be helpful.

Take the first step to achieving healthy blood sugar metabolism and sustained good health right now! And begin by reading ‘get fit stay fit’ ‘The best you can be’ and listening to my audio cd’s which are comprehensive, yet tailored to meet your individual needs. You have the power to shape your body for better health.

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 !

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.

Dietary fiber is the tough stuff found in fruits, vegetables and grains that resists digestion by human enzymes. Not necessarily a nutrient, it does however play an important role in the digestive process. Studies have shown that high fiber foods are lower in calories, satisfy the appetite, require more chewing and take longer to digest. Other foods are nearly all digested and absorbed as they pass through the small intestine but fiber enters the large intestine almost all intact.

Fiber is found in two forms; soluble (unrefined oat products, dried beans, peas, lentils, apples and citrus fruit) and insoluble (vegetables and whole grains). Water soluble fiber absorbs fluid as it moves through the digestive system and studies show that it aids in the reduction of serum cholesterol. Soluble fiber is able to bind acids and prevent their absorption by the body. This causes the body to convert some cholesterol into bile acids, which are necessary for fat digestion, thus reducing levels of cholesterol and the risk of heart disease.

Insoluble fiber passes through the body faster. This may reduce the time cancer causing substances remain in the digestive tract. This faster passage however may decrease the body’s absorption of vitamins and minerals as well as the action of digestive enzymes and the secretion of hormones.

There is evidence dietary fiber helps decrease the risk of colon cancer. It is believed the added bulk and speedier transit time decreases the contact of carcinogens with the colon wall. Some experts believe carcinogenous bile acids are bound by some types of fiber such as oats and beans and are passed off in elimination.

One problem to watch out for is too much fiber in your diet. Excess wheat bran for example many bind and prevent absorption of calcium, iron, zinc and other minerals.

The average daily intake is about 10 grams, however one should try to consume 20 grams but no more than 50 grams. (fiber intake should be increased gradually so that your body has time to adjust)

The National cancer Institute recommends as much as 35 grams of fiber a day so if you aim between 20 and 35 grams of fiber a day it would be good.

You should be careful however to get your fiber from natural sources and not rely on fiber pills. Fiber pills often contain less fiber than actual food sources and because fiber comes in different forms (cellulose, pectin, lignin, hemicellulose, and gums) and the optimal combination is unknown.

Sources of fiber are:

Raw fruits ( apples, bananas, berries, citrus fruits and pears), Vegetables (broccoli, brussel sprouts, carrots, corn, peas, potatoes with skin, pumpkin and squash) and Starches (beans, bran cereals, lentils, popcorn, whole grain breads and cereals).

Generally when a food label says, contains fiber, a good source of fiber or provides fiber, the fiber content is between 2.5 and 4.9 grams per serving. When a food label says, high fiber, rich in fiber or an excellent source of fiber, the fiber content is 5 grams per serving or more.

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 !

I hope you’ll want to learn more and let me help you to get into the best shape of your life.

Bananas contain three natural sugars – sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world’s leading athletes. But energy isn’t the only way a banana can help you keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

After reading this, you’ll never look at a banana the same way again.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken with people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that your body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS: Forget the pills – eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in your blood and therefore helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit’s ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power: 200 students were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in your diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in your body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm your nervous system.

Overweight and at work? Studies have found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, you need to control your blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of your stomach.

Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a “cooling” fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

Bananas must be the reason monkeys are so happy all the time!

Smoking &Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help you if you are trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help your body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize your  heartbeat, sends oxygen to your brain and regulates your body’s water balance. When you are stressed, your metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing your potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes: According to research, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the peel in place with a band aide or tape!
Never put your banana in the refrigerator!!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around.  So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, “A banana a day keeps the doctor away!”

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 !

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.

Many Americans exercise and go on diets to reduce their amount of body fat, yet over half of the adults in the United States are overweight…That’s 97 million people who have too much fat.

Fat, or adipose tissue, is found in several places in your body.  Generally, fat is found underneath your skin (subcutaneous fat). There’s also some on top of each of your kidneys. Other locations depend upon whether you are a man or woman:

An adult man tends to carry body fat in his chest, abdomen and buttocks.

An adult woman tends to carry fat in her breasts, hips, waist and buttocks.

The difference in fat location comes from the sex hormones estrogen and testosterone. Your body contains two types of fat tissue:

• White fat, which is important in energy metabolism, heat insulation and mechanical cushioning.
• Brown fat, which is found mostly in newborn babies, between the shoulders; important for thermogenesis (making heat).

Fat tissue is made up of fat cells.  Fat cells are a unique type of cell. You can think of a fat cell as a tiny plastic bag that holds a drop of fat:

• White fat cells are large cells that have very little cytoplasm, only 15 percent cell volume, a small nucleus and one large fat droplet that makes up 85 percent of cell volume.
• Brown fat cells are somewhat smaller, are loaded with mitochondria and are composed of several smaller fat droplets. The mitochondria are able to generate heat.

Fat cells are formed in the developing fetus during the third trimester of pregnancy, and later at the onset of puberty, when the sex hormones kick in.  It is during puberty that the differences in fat distribution between men and women begin to take form.

One amazing fact is that fat cells do not multiply after puberty. As your body stores more fat, the number of fat cells remains the same; each fat cell simply gets bigger.

When you eat food that contains fat, it goes through your stomach and intestines. In the intestines, the following happens:

• Large fat droplets get mixed with bile salts from your gall bladder in a process called emulsification. The mixture breaks up the large droplets into several smaller droplets called micelles, increasing the fat’s surface area.
• The pancreas secretes enzymes called lipases that attack the surface of each micelle and break the fats down into their parts, glycerol and fatty acids.
• These parts get absorbed into the cells lining your intestine.
• In the intestinal cell, the parts are reassembled into packages of fat molecules (triglycerides) with a protein coating called chylomicrons. The protein coating makes the fat dissolve more easily in water.
• The chylomicrons are released into the lymphatic system — they do not go directly into your bloodstream because they are too big to pass through the wall of the capillary.

The lymphatic system eventually merges with the veins, at which point the chylomicrons pass into the bloodstream.

Chylomicrons do not last long in your bloodstream — only about eight minutes — because enzymes called lipoprotein lipases break the fats into fatty acids. Lipoprotein lipases are found in the walls of blood vessels in fat tissue, muscle tissue and heart muscle. The activity of lipoprotein lipases depends upon the levels of insulin in your body. If insulin is high, then the lipases are highly active; if insulin is low, the lipases are inactive.

When you eat a candy bar or a meal, the presence of glucose, amino acids or fatty acids n the intestine stimulates the pancreas to secrete a hormone called insulin. Insulin acts on many cells in your body, especially those in the liver, muscle and fat tissue. Insulin tells the cells to do the following: Absorb glucose, fatty acids and amino acids

Stop breaking down:

• Glucose, fatty acids and amino acids
• Glycogen into glucose
• Fats into fatty acids and glycerol
• Proteins into amino acids

Start building:

• Glycogen from glucose
• Fats (triglycerides) from glycerol and fatty acids
• Proteins from amino acids

The fatty acids are then absorbed from the blood into fat cells, muscle cells and liver cells. In these cells, under stimulation by insulin, fatty acids are made into fat molecules and stored as fat droplets.

It is also possible for fat cells to take up glucose and amino acids, which have been absorbed into the bloodstream after a meal, and convert those into fat molecules. The conversion of carbohydrates or protein into fat is 10 times less efficient than simply storing fat in a fat cell, but the body can do it.  If you have 100 extra calories in fat floating in your bloodstream, fat cells can store it using only 2.5 calories of energy. On the other hand, if you have 100 extra calories in glucose floating in your bloodstream, it takes 23 calories of energy to convert the glucose into fat and then store it. Given a choice, a fat cell will grab the fat and store it rather than the carbohydrates because fat is so much easier to store.

When you are not eating, your body is not absorbing food. If your body is not absorbing food, there is little insulin in the blood. However, your body is always using energy; and if you’re not absorbing food, this energy must come from internal stores of complex carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Under these conditions, various organs in your body secrete hormones:

• Pancreas – glucagon
• Pituitary gland – growth hormone
• Pituitary gland – ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone)
• Adrenal gland – epinephrine (adrenaline)
• Thyroid gland – thyroid hormone

These hormones act on cells of the liver, muscle and fat tissue, and have the opposite effects of insulin.

When you are not eating, or exercising your body must draw on its internal energy stores of complex carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Your body’s prime source of energy is glucose. In fact, some cells in your body, such as brain cells, can get energy only from glucose.

The first line of defence in maintaining energy is to break down carbohydrates, or glycogen, into simple glucose molecules.  This process is called glycogenolysis. Next, your body breaks down fats into glycerol and fatty acids in the process of lipolysis. The fatty acids can then be broken down directly to get energy, or can be used to make glucose through a multi-step process called gluconeogenesis. In gluconeogenesis, amino acids can also be used to make glucose.

In the fat cell, other types of lipases work to break down fats into fatty acids and glycerol. These lipases are activated by various hormones, such as glucagon, epinephrine and growth hormone. The resulting glycerol and fatty acids are released into your blood, and travel to your liver through the bloodstream. Once in your liver, the glycerol and fatty acids can be either further broken down or used to make glucose.

We see pure fats in three places at the grocery store:

In the vegetable oil aisle you see oils created from different seeds and nuts. There is corn oil, safflower oil, peanut oil, canola oil, and olive oil.   All seeds and nuts contain some amount of oil, because oil is a very good way to store energy. By the way, the only difference between oil and fat is whether or not it is a solid at room temperature.

In the meat aisle, you can look at different cuts of meat and see them outlined by a layer of white, solid fat created by the animal to store energy.

In the dairy aisle you see butter and margarine, which are fats made from cream or vegetable oils, respectively.

The rest of the grocery store is of course, filled with fats and oils, although they are less obvious. Potato chips and French fries are cooked in oil, cookies and cakes contain fats and oils, and so on. This is how we eat the fat we need every day. And we do need fat to survive.

Most of what you hear about right now points to mono-unsaturated fats as the good fats. Olive oil and canola oil are both mono-unsaturated. Mono-unsaturated fats are thought to lower cholesterol.

The fats to steer clear of are the saturated fats. Saturated fats are bad because they clog your arteries. Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (which are artificially saturated fats) are now considered totally evil, both because of the saturation and a side effect of hydrogenation called trans fatty acids.

There is a class of fatty acids called essential fatty acids that your body cannot manufacture. Because your body cannot manufacture these, they must come in from the food you eat.

Essential fatty acids fall into two groups: omega-3 and omega-6. All essential fatty acids are polyunsaturated.   Omega-6 fatty acids are everywhere: corn oil, sunflower oil and soybean oil. Omega-3 fatty acids are harder to find. Things like flax seeds, pumpkin seeds and walnuts are high in omega-3 fatty acids, as are salmon, trout and tuna. The current thinking is that these two fats need to be balanced in the diet at a ratio like 1-to-1 or 2-to-1, rather than the normal 20-to-1 ratio seen in most Western diets. And the only way to do that is to supplement your diet with omega-3 vegetable oils or to start eating fish in a big way (meaning two or three times a week).

Limit your fat intake to between 25 and 30 percent of the total calories you consume. Do not try to cut fat intake altogether, because you do need the essential fatty acids. When consuming fat, try to focus on mono-unsaturated fats like olive oil and canola oil, or on essential fatty acids.   When consuming essential fatty acids, try to balance your intake of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. Do that by consuming tuna/salmon/trout or omega-3 oils like flax seed oil.

Your weight is determined by the rate at which you store energy from the food that you eat, and the rate at which you use that energy, and the best way to maintain a healthy weight is; to eat a balanced diet, do not eat excessively and to exercise regularly.

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 !

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.

One of the most important elements in your diet and often thought of as the ultimate weight loss weapon is water. You may be able to go months and sometimes even years with a deficiency in almost any nutrient, but you can only survive a few days without water.

In a healthy person, water contributes 50 to 60 percent of your body’s weight and comprises over 75% of your muscles. Muscles need to be properly hydrated to work and properly working muscles contribute to your bodies metabolic rate. A higher metabolic rate means you will burn more calories.

Water also regulates your body thermostat and therefore your temperature. A great deal of heat is required to change water from a liquid state to a gas form. Water evaporates into sweat and carries off large quantities of body heat.

Another valuable water characteristic is that water molecules cannot be compressed together so water actually helps to cushion your joints and protects your vital organs from shock and damage.

Water also helps to dissolve nutrients, amino acids, glucose, minerals and other substances, so that healthy cells can function properly. Water also helps to flush waste products and toxins produced by cells, out of the body and perhaps more important helps to flush fat out of the body as well.

Now that we know the importance of water, we should also know we are constantly losing water through perspiration, respiration and urination, so you have to be careful to replenish your bodies supply. Besides basic needs, the more calories you burn, the more water you need. Research suggests that a person needs one tablespoon of water for every calorie burned. Since the average person burns about 2,000 kcals. a day, you should drink about eight, eight ounce glasses of water a day to maintain a healthy balance.

Another formula to use would be to take your bodyweight and multiply by .66 to get the number of ounces of water you need to drink per day. If your weight is 190 lbs. you would need… 190 x .66 = 125 ounces of water. Since there are 128 ounces in one gallon, you would need to drink one gallon of water per day to maintain a healthy balance.

This may seem like a lot of water but it really isn’t. You will quickly get used to drinking this amount and feel better for it. You should however be careful not to drink all the water at once, as this many cause your stomach to get upset.

People who exercise regularly also need to consume even more water. You need to replenish between 8 to 16 ounces of water for every pound that you lose while working out. ( replenish every 250 kcal. burned or about every 20 minutes of exercise…more in hot, humid weather)

And you should not wait until you’re thirsty to drink. By the time you feel thirsty you are already one to two percent dehydrated. A loss of 2 to 5 % of body water can induce fatigue, dizziness, headaches and slurred speech.

If your not sure whether you’re properly hydrated a good gauge is your urine. If your urine is pale and odourless you are probably properly hydrated. The more dehydrated you are the darker your urine becomes.

If you drink a lot of soft drinks and coffee, although they may quench your thirst and do contain water, they should not be considered as part of your daily water intake. In fact they actually rob your body of liquid because the sugar and caffeine act as a diuretic, cancelling the good effects of the water those drinks contain. You should also try to avoid fruit juices, electrolyte replacement drinks and carbohydrate drinks that contain fructose and other sugars. However Crystal light and sugar free Kool Aid can be used in moderation and can count as part of your daily water intake.

By now you should be getting the point that water should be an essential part of your diet. In fact water is a dieters’ best friend. The reason for this is water acts like a natural appetite suppressant. Research suggests that the thirst centre lies near the hunger centre in your brain, and when you think you are hungry, you are actually just thirsty and often a drink of water will satisfy your desire to eat.

Water also helps your body to metabolize stored body fat. This is how it works. Your kidneys need water to work efficiently. When your kidneys don’t get enough water, they slow down and when they slow down, your liver picks up the slack and helps to get rid of your body’s waste. One of your livers primary function is to metabolize stored fat into energy, but how can it do this efficiently when your liver is doing the work for your kidneys. The result is your liver doesn’t do the 100 percent job it was meant to do and therefore more fat remains stored in your body.

But You should be careful, drinking too much water on a daily bases and over time can be very harmful to your health.

Correct timing to drink water, will maximize its effectiveness on the YOUR body.

• Two (02) glass of water – After waking up –  Helps activate internal organs
• One (01) glasses of water  – 30 minutes before meal – Help digestion
• One (01) glass of water – Before taking a bath – Helps lower blood pressure
• One (01) glass of water – Before sleep  – To avoid stroke or heart attack

So if your goal is to lose fat, make sure you use your ultimate weight lose weapon and make sure you drink plenty of water.

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 !