From Dr Eades:
Meat eating made us human. The anthropological evidence strongly supports the idea that the addition of increasingly larger amounts of meat in the diet of our predecessors was essential in the evolution of the large human brain. Our large brains came at the metabolic expense of our guts, which shrank as our brains grew.
Just two weeks on a high-fructose diet raises blood pressure in men. Read article here
I did on TV last night. What they did not tell you was:
Though the diets were twists on
commercial plans, the study did not directly compare popular diets. The
four diets contained healthy fats, were high in whole grains, fruits
and vegetables and were low in cholesterol.
It can’t be low carb if it is high in whole grains. I have not been able to get the actual study yet to know for sure.
Update: Check out Jimmy Moore’s take.
By Alton Morris
The shifting calories theory has been around for a while. It is now gaining in popularity in the diet community. The theory is basically that you vary the number of calories you eat each day. The reason you want to do this is to keep your metabolism from going into starvation mode. When your body goes into this mode it burns fewer calories and actually tries to preserve fat.
In starvation mode you will lose very little weight and will plateau. Another side effect is you will more likely lose muscle. Do these problems sound familiar? These are the common problems people run into on low calorie diets.
The shifting calorie theory combats this by varying your calorie counts daily. Some days you eat very low on other you high calorie counts. Some believe this mimics the calorie intake of our nomadic ancestors and thus is the ways our bodies are designed operate. They key is that the overall calorie intake for the week is below the number of calories you burn that week. Another key is that by occasionally inserting high calorie day, this prevents your body from perceiving there is a deficient food supply.
Calorie shifting also keeps you from feeling deprived. Yes you will have to for go that treat today, but later in the week you will be able if you choose. This constant change to your eating doesn’t leave you unsatisfied and full of cravings. Some days you will actually feel like you are cheating.
The shifting calories theory has your metabolism is a constant state of confusion and will make you less likely to plateau. It also helps you keep your motivation because you always have an high calorie day coming up.
Need to find your calorie maintenance level or want a calorie plan based on your maintenance level? Try this diet shifting calculator. You can go to my lens to learn What is calorie shifting.
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http://EzineArticles.com/?Shifting-Calories-Theory—What-is-It?&id=1744138
By Keith Lewis
Essential fatty acids are polyunsaturated oils. They are the good fats. They are essential because our body does not manufacture them, so they must be obtained through our diet on a daily basis for optimal health and well being. Essential fatty acids produce beneficial hormone-like compounds called the eicosanoids that affect the function of virtually every system and every cell in our body. The most important essential fatty acids are EPA and DHA which we will be discussing here. EPA and DHA are the Omega 3’s and GLA (gamma linolenic acid) are Omega 6’s. These are the good fats. These nutrients are responsible for cell flexibility, nerve function, mood support, and even weight control.
The importance of essential fatty acids
The body must receive a constant and balanced supply of essential fatty acids to ensure proper eicosanoid production. The eicosanoids are important because they regulate pain and swelling, so they have anti-inflammatory type mechanisms of action. They help maintain proper blood pressure, they help maintain proper cholesterol levels as we as triglyceride levels, and they provide fluidity in nerve transmission. Essential fatty acids are also recommended for many women during pregnancy and lactation and it is especially important for women to have good amounts of DHA because the baby is drawing upon her supply. DHA is critical for the healthy development of the brain, the eyes, and the nervous system.
So how do we get essential fatty acids in our diet? Where do they come from? The richest and most beneficial sources of essential fatty acids are found in cold-water fish, like salmon, sardines, mackerel, and herring. Borage and even primrose oils are also rich sources of gamma linolenic acid.
What is EPA?
Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) is a long chain of Omega 3 polyunsaturated essential fatty acid that is found in fish. Omega 3’s are essential because humans are unable to synthesize them and therefore they must be obtained through our diet.
EPA, eicosanoids, and inflammation; so beyond the cardioprotective effects of Omega 3’s, EPA is believed to be beneficial for many autoimmune and inflammatory disorders including arthritis, asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, and psoriasis. Omega 3 appears to be beneficial for cardiovascular health by reducing the risk of cardiac risk and ischemic stroke. In fact, the evidence is so strong that the American Heart Association has stated that people who have elevated triglycerides may need 2 to 4 grams of EPA and DHA per day provided as a supplement. There are also several psychotherapeutic mechanisms of action that occur in the presence of essential fatty acid. There are several studies that have shown and have linked low seafood intake to major depression, postpartum depression, and schizophrenia as well as to the severity of depressive symptoms. Although research in this area is somewhat limited, EPA has at this point at least shown to improve symptoms of schizophrenia and depression and increase remission time in bipolar disorder.
What is DHA?
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is a long chain polyunsaturated Omega 3 essential fatty acid from fish. Again Omega 3’s are essential because humans are unable to synthesis them, meaning they must obtain these through diet. The brain is particularly very rich in DHA where it increases membrane fluidity, and supports functions such as learning memory and cognitive development. DHA is very stress protective. One of the apparent benefits of DHA is to protect against the harmful effects of stress. Supplementation with DHA has been shown to reduce elevations and aggression and hostility in response to psychological stress. In addition, DHA may help to protect against the increased risk of heart attack associated with stress and depression. In clinical trials, low levels of DHA in the body and low fish consumption has been associated with increased risk factors associated with cognitive impairments, especially Alzheimer’s disease. During pregnancy and lactation, proper nutrition with long chain Omega 3’s appears to be especially important for the heath of both mother and the child. Inadequate maternal Omega 3 intake during pregnancy is a risk factor for premature birth, low birth weight, diabetes, and postpartum depression. DHA also appeared to be very important for infants and their visual and cognitive development. A recent study showed that children whose mothers had taken cod liver oil during pregnancy and lactation had higher IQs at age 4 than the mothers who had taken a placebo.
If you are experiencing any signs of deficiency or any symptoms, I would recommend contacting your physician and exploring the possibility that you may be experiencing deficiencies in essential fatty acids. If you would like more information concerning essential fatty acids, you could visit our website at http://www.freehealthstrategies.com/.
Dr. Lewis provides science based nutritional counseling utilizing whole food vitamins, minerals, homeopathics, and herbal remedies. Diagnostic testing is a key component in the evaluation process.
Dr. Keith E. Lewis, B.S.D.C. D.A.B.A.A.H.P., F.A.A.I.M.
http://www.healthylifedoctors.com
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http://EzineArticles.com/?Omega-3-Fatty-Acids—WHAT-is-EPA-and-DHA?&id=1288852
By Jim O’Neill
Have you ever noticed how people who do no exercise at all still have a look of fullness in their arms, legs and chests for example, when they are less than 30 years old? Have you also noticed that this look of fullness starts to slowly become a look of droopiness and sagginess when they are over 30? Our body is at its peak at between 25 and 30 years of age. After this point, our body starts to slowly go into a decline and we tend to put on weight a little faster than before.
Part of the reason for this is, after 30, we begin to lose muscle to what is known as atrophy (muscle shrinkage due to disuse). We also begin to lose bone density leading very slowly to eventual osteoporosis. Muscle is active tissue and therefore burns calories. When we start to lose muscle to atrophy, our metabolism begins to slow down as a result leading to more fat storage and weight gain, and over 50% of this is due to inactivity. Is there anything you can do to help reverse this process? The answer is yes you can.
We’ve all seen it, there are two women standing together, one is around 35 years old while the other is around 50, yet the older women looks more firm and vigorous than the younger women. You might ask yourself; how does she do it? The answer is she exercises. Period! You, at almost any age can stay in great shape as well, but you have to exercise. You have to make exercise a regular part of your day.
A good exercise program would be one that contains both aerobic and resistance exercise with some stretching added also. Many prefer to do aerobics and resistance exercises separately, but a lot of people find that the best workout for them is circuit training since it utilizes all three of these types of exercise in one, and is very effective and time saving.
A lot of people seem to think that aerobic exercise is the best way to lose and maintain weight, but, since 75% of the calories you burn are at rest, this is not the case. Aerobic exercise only burns calories during the activity, and then within two hours after you are finished, you burn no more calories than before.
Resistance exercise on the other hand builds and maintains muscle, and since muscle is active tissue, you burn more calories than before, even at rest. One pound of fat burns around 4 calories per day while one pound of muscle burns around 50 calories per day. After 30 years of age, an inactive person will lose ½ to 1 pound of muscle every year. That means that ten years of muscle loss due to inactivity equates to a metabolism slow down of around 450 calories per day!
If you want to lose fat and gain muscle tone, then you must include exercise into your day and that means including resistance training into your exercise routine. Men and women who include resistance training to their exercise routines lose around 44% more fat than those who don’t. Adding resistance training to a regular exercise routine will also slow down many of the effects of aging. People even in their 80s and 90s have seen as much as a 200% improvement in their strength levels within 3-4 weeks of starting to exercise.
You can stay fit and trim after 40, but the message is clear, exercise with resistance included is an absolute must if you want to stay in peak condition and feel young and alive, and you can do it, even well past 40.
Jim O’Neill gives you tons of valuable information on the subjects of weight loss, fitness, and nutrition to make it easy for you to live a healthy lifestyle. Sign up now for his free 7 part mini e-course at: http://www.mrgymfitness.com
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http://EzineArticles.com/?Keeping-Yourself-Fit-After-40&id=173774
Fat around the mid-section can be one of the toughest places to lose fat on your body if you don’t do it right. You can go on for weeks even months trying to lose belly fat with no success. The truth is losing belly fat isn’t hard at all once you learn the right method. In the following I will show the only way to lose belly consistently and that with diet.
Diet is the missing component.
When most people decide to make a change about the body - losing weight, the first action they usually take is to start exercising. They go to the gym and do endless hours of cardio hoping to burn calories. And while they may see small results in the beginning the usually stall out after a short period. What are they missing? A healthy Diet
Its not just about calories.
If you’re doing endless hours of cardio and burning calories you should lose weight as long as your burn more calories that you take in. But the problem is what kind of weight are you losing? Is it fat or is it muscle. You want most of that weight to be fat because loosing fat is going to make you look lean and healthy. Loosing muscle will make you look skinny fat. You’ll have a lighter weight but your pot belly will still be there. That’s where diet comes in.
Lose Belly Fat with Diet
The only way to ensure that most of the weight you lose is fat is to have the right diet. The right diet will use the fat in your body as fuel and leave your lean muscle right where it belongs.
The most important thing to remember is, all diets are not made equal, so this part is most critical. When you choose the right diet for you, no longer will belly fat be a problem. Go to http://www.easy-fat-loss.net and Discover the diet that is right for you. There you’ll learn the exact steps to take control of your eating habits and lose pounds of unwanted belly fat…TODAY!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Thomas_H_Miller
http://EzineArticles.com/?Belly-Fat-Gone—Lose-Belly-Fat-With-Diet&id=1443968
By Brian Schiff
Did you know the average American gains 5-7 pounds every year between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day? That equates to ingesting at least 17,500 more calories than you burn on a daily basis during that time period. At a minimum, that equals nearly 500 extra calories per day on average over that stretch of days.
Usually, the added weight comes in fancy cookie trays or creatively decorated gift baskets from clients, friends and family. The sound of Christmas music and arrival of cold weather encourage us to partake of traditional holiday fare and simply move less. This combination leads to tighter fitting pants and feeling sluggish.
Now is the time to fight back! Don’t wait to start your exercise program after the New Year begins. Initiate better exercise and eating habits now, because the weight is always harder to take off compared to preventing the gain beforehand. See the list below for tips on staying trim during this holiday season.
1. Perform strength training workouts at least 3 times per week.
2. Build in extra cardiovascular training if you decide to stray from your normal eating patterns to offset the extra calories.
3. Limit alcohol consumption as it will cloud your eating judgment and predisposes you to cravings and overeating.
4. Limit the number of holiday parties you attend.
5. Eat a small nutritious and fibrous snack prior to arriving at holiday parties. This way you will eat less because your stomach will feel full faster.
6. Do not buy holiday snacks for your house. If it is available, you will graze all day long without even noticing.
7. Plan events such as the Jingle Bell Run that keep you focused on training and exercise amidst the hustle and bustle.
8. Try to limit eating out when possible. With shopping, it becomes easy to dine out and partake in heavier foods and desserts.
9. Go to bed early or on time. Studies suggest that getting too little sleep will affect metabolism and prompt late night eating.
10. While at the mall, take additional time to walk after your shopping is finished.
Brian Schiff, PT, CSCS, is a respected author, physical therapist and fitness expert. You can sign-up for his free online newsletter @ http://www.thefitnessedge.cc.
Copyright © 2004 Brian Schiff
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How to Burn Tummy Fat Fast
By Alton Morris
Strong, sexy abs is the craze, and they have been declared as the sexiest physical feature. As a result, people run after the latest and greatest gadget that will guarantee the fastest way to burn tummy fat. Gadgets won’t help you target your tummy. Fat goes on the body in layers and that is the way it comes off. There are 3 steps to best burn tummy fat.
1. Exercise your core: You will need to have abs in order to see them. Crunches are the most common, but are necessary to work your entire core. There are many whole body exercises that will work you core hard. One important key more is not always better. Doing the fewer exercises slowly and correctly is more effective than doing many quickly and wrong. Also your abs needs a rest day just like your other muscles. The rest period is when your muscles actually grow. Exercise is when you tear them down.Your core is more than just
2. The second and most important step is a diet. You can do as many reps of sit ups you want, but you will not burn tummy fat, or even looking like you are in shape, if you do not watch the food you eat. Another tip is to use carb tapering. What you do is eat more carbs at the start of the day tapering to fewer later in the day. When you do this it naturally puts most of the calories in the earlier parts of the day. This gives you the greatest chance that the calories you eat will be burned and not stored as fat.
Drink plenty of water - you need to get 8 to 12 eight ounce glasses of water (plain water). Avoid white sugar and flour. They are highly refined and go into your blood stream quickly. This will cause your blood sugar to spike and fall, which will increase your cravings. Find your calorie maintenance level and stay 15 to 20 percent below that. If you want to use a more aggressive approach be careful. You do not want to keep the calories low for too long. If you take the aggressive approach you will want to increase calorie intake a couple of days a week to keep your metabolism from shifting into starvation mode. Also spread the calories out over the whole day. Don’t starve yourself all day and ping out in the evening. Too much of even good foods will cause the fat to stay on. Eat high quality lean protein with each meal. Get the majority of your carbs from a natural plant source..
Combine a good solid workout plan, with rest time built in, with a clean low carb diet and you can achieve burn tummy your fat. So skip the latest and greatest gadgets. Basic exercise and diet is the fastest way to the results you want.
Here is a free ebook to get you started exercising no equipment need. For more information on diet and exercise go to Losefat-online.com.