Thursday, January 24, 2008

Artificial flavors and weightloss diets

Artificial Flavors are chemicals that are place in our foods to make smell to nutrient products that are then over processed that they no longer get any preference at all. It's disgusting and we're buying into it every moment we get to the supermarket. Most artificial additives are made from derivatives of vulgar oil that are chemically altered to develop a man-made content. You can view why this might be a health worry. This is not nutrient. There are health effects associated with artificial additives and flavors and what's worse is that they are added almost to the foods that already have had their nutrients stripped from them by artificial pesticides and fertilizers. Here are some to see away for. Artificial Colors (listed on labels as F D & C colors, or as a particular tone such as Yellow #5): These are made from coal-tar and have been shown to induce cancer in lab animals. Yum. BHA and BHT: These are too made from coal-tar and have been linked to hyperactive conduct in children.

EDTA (ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid): This man-made chemical is made from minerals, is irritating to the rind and can induce hypersensitive reactions. It too can induce kidney harm. Funny matter is, still though it's on the FDA listing for farther survey, it's yet in our nutrient. Nitrates and Nitrites: Nitrates and Nitrites are made from mineral salts. These are known to induce cancer in animals. They are added to most pork, particularly processed meats, as easily as some new meat, fowl, fish, and cheese. Sulfites (sulfur dioxide, sodium sulfite, sodium and potassium bisulfite, sodium and potassium metabisulfite): These are made from sulfur and mineral salts. They can induce serious hypersensitive reactions, including breathing difficulties, gastrointestinal disorders, unconsciousness, hives, and anaphylactic blow. Found in many processed foods and nearly ever in wine and beer.

One pernicious prank the nutrient industry uses to have around putting all these artificial ingredients on the brand is this: they'll place a component in a processed nutrient, listing it on the packet, and so never fracture downward the private ingredients in that particular component. Here's an instance: Ham included in processed foods, for example, will carry nitrates and nitrites, and the shortening used may carry BHA and BHT, but simply "ham" or "shortening" will seem on the merchandise brand.

Monday, January 21, 2008

Energy drinks and you health - a rational view

Experts claim these cocktails pose a high risk to our health and even say they should be banned. We take a look at the arguments for and against the energy drinks.
According to the motto, Red Bull gives you wings. But what exactly more Red Bull and other energy drinks? Questions have been raised about the safety of energy drinks since we learned of its caffeine content. And, despite claims to improve performance, stimulate metabolism and increase concentration, the sale of Red Bull is not allowed in Denmark, Norway, France and Uruguay. So why is he, and other energy drinks, so readily available in Britain?

International flavor
This is not to underestimate the success of Red Bull. In 2005 more than 2.5 million cans of the high-energy drink, called "Porsche refreshments," is consumed in more than 130 countries. Despite these impressive statistics, doubts have been raised by some health experts about whether the drink is safe.

That fuelled speculation has been informed of a Red Bull 'ban' in a handful of countries. "Red Bull has not been banned in any country," said a spokesman for the company. "There are places where it has not been approved yet. It takes a long time to get a new product with special ingredients in a complex composition through all the official channels."

It should also be noted that Red Bull is not the only product that has struggled to find its way on the shelves of these countries. For example, France has refused to authorise some cereals fortified with vitamin made by Kellogg's.

Burden of Red Bull?
Critics of the drink often point to the Red Bull caffeine content, and only recently it was linked to the death of a 18-year-old Irish basketball player who died apparently after sharing four cans of the drink with friends. However, a can of Red Bull contains 80mg of caffeine - the same as a half a cup of coffee, and an investigation determined that the child's death was caused by sudden death syndrome in adults.

In 2001, the National Food Administration of Sweden issued a public warning about precautionary Red Bull after the deaths of three people who are believed to have consumed the drink, shortly before his death.

"No authority has discovered or proven to be an unhealthy or in the effect of Red Bull," says company spokesperson. "We could only have such worldwide sales because health authorities have concluded that it is safe to consume. Nobody has ever proved a link between Red Bull and harmful effects."

After scientific research independent from Britain Food Standards Agency considers energy drinks like Red Bull are as safe as any other drink for adults to consume in moderation.

"Red Bull has been licensed in the UK, as it has proven to be safe," says Richard Laming of the British Soft Drinks Association. "The label says it is high in caffeine and always advise all kinds of food and beverages should be consumed in the context of a balanced diet."

Caffeine cocktail
"The bottom line is the Red Bull caffeine content," says Dr Frankie Phillips of the British Dietetic Association. "There is concern about the effect of high intake of caffeine may have on the people who are sensitive to it," he says.

"The energy drink Red Bull, as it could affect the heart rate, blood pressure and mood, if you are sensitive to caffeine. Therefore drinks with caffeine can be potentially dangerous for these people."

"Caffeine can disrupt sleep patterns and lack of rest quality can affect their general welfare too," he adds. "Red Bull also has a high content of calories and little nutritional value."

Another issue with his Red Bull is "launching" cocktail of caffeine with taurine - an amino acid naturally - and a carbohydrate called glucuronolactone. "Nobody knows what the impact of the combination of these three components may have on the body," says Dr. Phillips. "Individually caffeine, taurine and glucuronolactone are safe, but it is unclear if they can have a different reaction when combined together."

However, in 2001, the Food Standards Agency concluded: "There is sufficient evidence to enable the setting of ceilings security levels taurine and glucuronolactone in energy drinks or support a ban on the use these ingredients. "

The clubber of election
Despite being without alcohol, energy drinks are popular in clubs as a mixer to keep the animals go party all night long. It is a matter of concern if clubbers drinking can extend their time with 'Red Bull cocktails' says Frank Soodeen Alcohol Concern. "We are concerned that if consumers are the combination of stimulant drinks with alcohol drinking to increase their experience - especially if this means drinking more than you would normally be able to," he says. One study found apparently mixing alcohol with energy drinks can mask the effect alcohol. In other words, people can often feel less drunk than they are in reality.

The spokesman for Red Bull said: "There is no reason why Red Bull, like any other drink, should not be mixed with alcohol as long as people do not underestimate that alcohol consumption can affect their physical and mental activities. Network Bull is not designed to counteract this. Excessive consumption of alcohol can have adverse effects on human health and behavior, but it must be clear that this is due to the alcoholic beverage - not the mixer. "

Should you or not?
Red Bull is the first to admit that this is not a shot of caffeine sensitive. Pregnant women and children would also be wise to stay clear. "Because of the high acidity and sugar content in soft drinks are not energy dietitians recommend," says Dr. Phillips.

"There is no recommended daily dose of caffeine as you can live perfectly well without it. Should usually drink tea or coffee without any problems, should be sure to have the occasional energy drink"

Extract from http://style.uk.msn.com/wellbeing/healthyeating

Friday, January 18, 2008

Weight control simple tips

Weight Control

If you are overweight, you are not alone. Sixty-six percent of adults in the United States Are overweight or obese. Achieving a healthy weight may help you control your cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar. It could also help avoid weight-related diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and some cancers.

Eating too much or not enough physical activity will make you overweight. To maintain your weight, calorie intake should be equal to the energy burning. To lose weight, you must use more calories than you eat. A strategy for weight control could include -

* Choose low-fat, low-calorie foods
* Eat smaller portions
* Drinking water instead of sugary drinks
* Be physically active

Monday, January 14, 2008

No time to workout? Exercise while working

What would be the best invention on weight loss? - A good candidate would be being able to burn about 120 calories each hour while working on your desk.

This idea comes from Dr. James Levine who is an endocrinologist at the Mayo Clinic. He determined that any increase in circulation, including anxiety, burn extra calories.

From this concept, he deduces that even very light aerobic activity that causes the body to greatly increase the speed at which it burns calories, a process called non-exercise activity thermogenesis.

To study their assumptions, invented a team that can be used while walking slowly - very slowly - on a treadmill, and recently published the results of a small research study that evaluates the amount of calories you burn this.

The recent study involved 15 obese individuals - 14 women and one man - in their forty who did not exercise on a regular basis. Their average body mass index (BMI) was 32 percent and body fat was 52%. Using the treadmill at 1 mph burned over 119 calories per hour during the study to sit while working, suggesting that work on foot from 2 to 3 hours per day could lead to a weight loss of about 45 pounds in a year according to Dr Levine.

He acknowledged that the study was limited by several factors, including its short duration, which did not extend throughout the day, the small number of subjects, and the concentration of women.

Sources: http://blog.spine-health.com

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Does EMS stimulation help to lose weight?

Electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) has been used for a long time in rehabilitation, muscle atrophy and other therapeutic needs. More recently, EMS has been marketed as a weight loss, and "toning" tool. The appeal of watching television, driving or working in an office apparently while working out is very difficult to resist. In fact, many people who bought the AB-Tronic ab belts or similar, well succumb to this temptation.

EMS consists of a unit that is essentially an electric current to certain muscles, through wires and electrodes that are attached to the skin surface. While in rehabilitation clinics and Environment EMS has proved useful to strengthen some muscles that otherwise might never have been built, due to nerve damage or other, in the general population manufacturers claims have never been tested. Too often, products fitness proposes to lose weight, tone up or flatten the abs, do not undergo any clinical efficacy and sometimes even security. Thus, a warning must come to the hearing after seeing or complaints from manufacturers, even if they do not directly say so.

This scientific study has established two groups of people similar to the EMS system to the test. All people in the study of tests before being "plugged in" to this initial system or determine what's called "core" measures of body composition and strength levels. Tests included things like body weight, skinfolds to determine body fat, girths to determine the muscle mass and muscle strength of the muscles in various tests, of course, including those who should be EMSed. They tested the levels of the strength of the biceps, triceps, quadriceps and hamstrings using various methods.

The action group then conducted EMS training according to the manufacturers or course description, 3 times per week for a total of 8 weeks. The control group performed "sham EMS", which acts as a placebo to remove the strong psychological component of the test. So even the control group carried out what they thought was EMS, using an electric current more gentle with "low amplitude." After 8 weeks, the results of both groups were compared for the test parameters of body composition and strength.

After 8 weeks, the groups showed no difference for any of the tested parameters. Keeping in mind that the groups were similar in terms of age, height, weight or percentage of body fat is what scientific studies unfortunately sometimes discover. So, there is no difference between EMS EMS groups and not for 7 skinfolds, weight, body weight or lean (muscle), the percentage of fat or bodyfat weight before and after screening in the two groups. No difference was observed in girths of different body sites tested in one or the other group comprising abdominals. Even the levels of resistance were not raised by EMS training.

Researchers of this study also concluded that, "there has been no significant changes in the appearance or the tone of firmness in both groups before and after the tests" which is contrary to what these manufacturers clearly state in their marketing. So, the moral of the story here is not to believe everything you hear, are told or read by manufacturers, retailers and their immediate staff. Most give you what you want to hear. Scientific studies like this and gives us purpose is to give you the truth.

Sunday, January 6, 2008

Is Japanese food the key for natural slimming?

If everyone comes to eat and act like the Japanese, said Japanese-born Naomi Moriyama, the complex d be much better off. In 'Japanese Women Don't Get Old or Fat: Secrets from My Mother's Tokyo Kitchen', a brief self-help manual cum cum co-author of cookbook with her American husband born, William Doyle, Moriyama suggests that the evolution of American eating habits could help create slimmer and healthier life. Dieting is not required.

Moriyama, a marketing consultant in New York, offers recipes, advice on creating a Japanese cuisine, and some wisdom. It evokes memories of the food growth in Japan, too. She compares American ice cream trucks in neighbourhoods by the Japanese vendors at home who bring their trucks to neighborhoods and roast sweet potatoes on hot stones.

Secrets his mother's Japanese cuisine, one is that it is not enough to eat like a Japanese person: You must also behave like one. For example, in Japan, people do not hop into their cars to run multiple races. They benefit from the incidental exercise of walking and climbing hundreds of steps when taking trains and using a speed bike to the shop and pick up their children at school.

There are lots of secrets related to food, too. Most importantly perhaps the concept of 'hara hachi bunme'- eating until you are full 80 percent. Portions are small and partially determined by plate size. Foods are eaten separately and enjoyed for their tastes, as well as their Eye appeal. Indeed, in Japan, everyone is a food stylist. Japanese Women are urged by the schools to ensure that the meals they prepare for their children is well balanced and beautiful sight.

Moriyama introduces 'seven pillars of Japanese food'- fish, vegetables, rice, soy, noodles, tea and fruit. Deconstruction of the Japanese diet, "she explains each element in separate chapters, most often fraught with available revenue. These include history lessons, chatty anecdotes, references to 'samurai shopping lists' and details of husband Billy's Japanese cuisine experiences and culinary skills. In fact, they are more distracting than seductive. The book must be reduced. When Moriyama is his latest how-to chapter, with menus and a guide to the recipes, you are apt to have forgotten the food. His penchant for detail, including measures of the size of the plate is exaggerated. When is the last time you shopped with a tape measure?

Yet his descriptions of Japanese ingredients are excellent. It reminds us that the Japanese diet is based on fish, rather than beef, with all the nutritional benefits (including less fat). We also have a good sense of the shape and taste of food.

She admits to being inspired by 'French Women Don't Get Fat'. Although the two titles are catchy, Moriyama's is exaggerated. Alas, many Japanese women do get old and chubby. Television is filled with Japanese Infomercials for liquid diet, machinery, and that the underwear squeeze the life out of you. Japanese women are the longest-living in the world, but their daughters and granddaughters are becoming larger and heavier. The Japanese blame the fast food and Western Power. Eating disorders are on the rise.

Moriyama Japan called 'food Utopia' - and this is an understatement. You can \ 't walk 15 paces in Tokyo without passing a food establishment that looks and smells are enticing, it is given the difference between you and all. This evokes the concept of 'enryo' (moderation). Moriyama As pointed out, Japanese women eat sweets, but do so in much smaller amounts than their Western counterparts. There is no premium on gluttony in Japan - or elsewhere in Asia. Koreans speak of eating like a crane, which, due to the shape of its beak, can only look to food. In this way, you will also grow old gracefully than elegant bird.

When I asked a Japanese friend who recently lost about 15 pounds how she did, she held her hands close together to indicate small portions. To start the day, she said, 'I went back to eating a Japanese breakfast of miso soup, rice and fish or eggs'. Moriyama he describes as ''power breakfast Japanese". Maybe we should start there.

Adapted from http://www.boston.com

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Basics about fat binding pills

A pill that can make you lose weight has been looked for by generations, and many have made that claim. Most of the so-called regime pills are either appetite suppressor, or a combination of hormones or other ingredients to stimulate the metabolism. Both approaches have proved have had limited success and can carry major risks. But what about a pill that reduces the amount of fat your body absorbs the food you eat. That is exactly what the pill does Fat Binding binding pills and fat represent a remarkable breakthrough in the field of weight loss.

Fat binding pills, as its name suggests initiate fat. In other words Fat Binding rejection pills basically chemical in the body fat magnets and are the key to effective weight loss by the mobilization of fat before they are digested so that they are not absorbed by your body. When you eat food before completing the digestion of fats are broken down and they float on the surface of the stomach. When you take a pill Fat Binding before or just after eating a meal, fat in fat attracting fat molecular binders. The fat binders bind with fat and effectively to make large and intractable to move into the small intestine and to be absorbed by the body. Instead, they pass through the digestive system and are discarded as waste.

When taking a proven effective Binding Fat Pill less fat and calories per meal is digested and absorbed into the body. How much less depends on the form of the pill Fat Binding. Fewer calories, less fat leads to weight loss. Fat Binding pills have been proven in clinical trials to reduce obesity and the FDA has approved several of them for weight loss.

Think about it, eat a heavy meal and a Fat Binding pill may remove the fat before it ever enters your body. A fat pill binding makes your body to eliminate grease before it is absorbed. It's as if you have never eaten! You do not have to worry about losing weight by diet or exercise to reduce fat or calories than your body has never come first, is the magic of the apparent binding fat pills . But there is nothing miraculous about it - fat binding pills scientific work on the directors and have been proven to facilitate weight loss in many clinical trials and studies worldwide.

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Slimming pills and side effects

With so many slimming products offering guaranteed results on weight loss, it has become difficult to know who is really the diet pill effective. To better understand the diet pill that is effective and what is not, it is important to know the different diet pills available on the market.
Regime prescription pills
Prescription pills like Meridia and Xenical are only a few pills as diet are only available on a doctor's prescription. Sales of Xenical and Meridia is closely regulated by the FDA and requires the patient to meet certain criteria before they can be prescribed Xenical and Meridia.
During the food pills
Although the FDA has recently approved a few drugs to be added to the list over the food pills, there was considerable debate during which the drugs should be sold at the counter. Until 2000, most of the food pills contain a substance called PPA (phenylpropanolamine), but recent studies have emphasized that PPA may increase the risk of stroke, and very little about the medication now contain PPA.
Diet pills herbal
The number of diet pills herbal available on the market exceeds the number of prescription and OTC medicines available. The diet pills made from plants are usually a combination of different botanical extracts as Hoodia, guard bitter, bitter orange and green tea. The effectiveness of the pills herbal diet is still unclear, and no single diet pill herbal has been shown to induce weight loss. In addition, several metals such as chromium were also used in the diet pills, but the truth is that the effectiveness of the pills herbal is still unproven.
How to control the feeding of pills?
Regime prescription pill use various mechanisms to help lose weight of a person. Regime prescription pills as Meridia, Tenuate and Fastin affect the hypothalamus, which is responsible for regulating the feedback mechanism that controls the stomach, the feeling of being "full". In essence, a person feels full with a relatively small meals without eating or sometimes nothing at all. Other regime prescription pill Orlistat as inhibiting the action of an enzyme called lipase, which is responsible for breaking down fat in the body. Diet Pills as Orlistat are responsible for the inhibition of the action of the lipase which reduces the absorption of lipids (fats) in the body.
Most pills herbal diet is designed to reduce the appetite of the individual and therefore to reduce their daily caloric intake. Although diet herbal pills claim to be different and effective "guarantee" of results, very little food pellets made from plants have been evaluated in clinical trials to determine their effectiveness. On the other hand, OTC (over the counter) diet pills contain caffeine and other synthetic substances like synephrine, which is supposed to increase the metabolic rate of the body, which increases the rate at which calories are burned by the body.
Essentially, the diet pills have different mechanisms to help people lose weight. What is also true is that the diet is not all pills are as effective as they say.

What are the side effects of diet pills? As
inhibitors lipase Orlistat remove the fat through the gut and side effects from the consumption of Orlistat include cramps, gas and diarrhea. In addition, those who use diet pills as Orlistat is also advisable to consume multivitamins as inhibitors lipase also reduces the absorption of vitamins. People using pills as diet Meridia is advised to look out for symptoms such as high blood pressure and increased heart rate. In fact, people with heart problems are generally advised not to use food as pills Meridia (sibutramine has a tendency to interfere with the normal functioning of the heart). There is a misconception that the diet pills made from plants are safe, and even "natural" diet pills have various side effects such as diarrhea, constipation etc.

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Counting calories effectively

Rushing into a quest serious fitness, or even a trip just to be healthy can sometimes be a daunting task. And at some point, you've been said or heard that eating 5-6 frequent small meals a day is the way to weight gain or weight loss.

After running a fitness and bodybuilding forum site, I see many people who have confused ask this question well below flour 5-6 face. They have heard of and want to do it but when it comes to counting calories, they are not willing to measure every grain of rice.

And can you blame them?

Many people are wondering sometimes, "I know that all things as I need to eat 5-6 meals a day, eat less of your daily calories and maintenance stuff like that ... But what I do not know how great the meal have to be?"

Despite what you may have heard ... Eating 5-6 times a day, it's not difficult. It takes some discipline, but it's not all you have certainly difficult and not eating large 5-6, American style meals. They are small, frequent meals that include what is called a full meal (protein, carbohydrate, fat sometimes healthy).

But let me go back to continue the story ...

Here's what you do:

1 - Calculate how many calories a day, you should
Gain / maintain / lose weight

2 -- Launch of online tracking with any nutritional monitoring program.

3 - Eye ball your portions. You know that you had some brown rice
Right? Remove one cup. Watch. If you do this,
You'll soon be able to eat, watch your seat and just know .. Who is about a cup of brown rice.

You't have to physically measure your food. I suppose you could, but not n'work so well when you eat out, go to a friends and such. Who wants to carry around a full set of measuring cups and spoons?

So you have to look at the measuring devices as a cup, a quarter cup and such and be able to eye ball things. Once you do this several times at home, you will be able to visually look at a plate of food and almost guess the parties. Once you know the portions ...

Then you know how much you should enter into a monitoring program calories.

And at the end of the day any good program to show what you ate in calories, proteins, carbohydrates and lipids. And you'll be able to see it displayed in a chart so you know if your ratios are correct (assuming you have an interest in or ratios).

Personally, I't carry around a cup or any type of measuring devices. But I know that if I go out to eat that chicken on my place is about the size of the palm of my hand .. Times two ...

.. The palm of my hand is about 3 ounces. I can

eye ball that the chicken breast and the guess d'around 6 perhaps 7 ounces of chicken.

Do you get my point?

Follow the steps above. Once you know how much you should eat in terms of calories, you will be able to do what you want. Then

eat, and the ball of your eyes servings. Quickly, you learn that in order to reach your daily calories, maybe you't want to eat 2 cups of brown rice. Or maybe not enough. But you can try this path and it, and that is how you will know.

Then, it traces. If you monitor what you eat, you are just guessing. And guess who become frustrated because those who can not guess. That is why it's asked to guess. So, if you or simply can not win track, you'll always be frustrated and confused. Unless of course, that you follow for the first day and never to eat the same foods and portions. Yuck!

The biggest mistake I see is people who:

1 - They did not always understood mathematics to calculate the calories
2 - They do not track what they eat
3 - Then they just do what you and whatever

If you follow the three steps listed above, you are almost certain not to make the same mistakes that people make most others when it comes to achieving their goals in fitness.