Are you trying to lose weight fast? The 5 tips that follow will help you. Keep in mind, however, that if you want to lose weight and keep it off that you have to change your lifestyle. That means following these tips consistently. It can be difficult to change life-long habits. Starting out is usually the hardest part. Once you develop healthier patterns, they too can become habits!

1. Eat Healthier Fats -the latest research shows that it’s not so much fat itself that is the problem when it comes to health and weight loss, but the kind of fat. In general, it’s a good idea to avoid trans fats, which are found in many junk foods, margarine, partially hydrogenated vegetable oils and commercial sweets such as cakes, cookies and donuts (you can find healthier, organic versions of these products). Read the rest of this entry »

Looking to make a change and lose some weight? I have reviewed the top diet on the internet and you can go and read over 200 comments people have made about why this diet has worked well for them, as well as some of the problems.

Tags: animal products, beverage consumption, energy, food, meditation, obesity, oil, relaxation, Sleep deprivation, Weston Price Foundation

Mens Health has a great article on the nutrients and eating skills necessary to lose fat. I usually hate the slant of these articles because I thing the target them at 18 year old kids getting ready to go to the bar but thats just my attitude. The article is great and I am going to paraphrase the points here as I think there is some knowledge I can add and the article was a little wordy.

1. To lose weight, you must cut calories
The low-fat/low-carbohydrate debate comes down to this: You still have to eat fewer calories than you burn if you want to lose weight. Every study I looked at shows this. The perfect weight-loss diet is the one you can live with, whether you cut fat, carbs, or some combination.

2. Take Whey protein
A daily shake made with two scoops of whey protein, fruit (fresh or frozen berries or a banana), and water or crushed ice will decrease hunger. You can buy whey protein at any grocery store nowadays, this is the best option for protein enhancement in your diet.

3. Meat kills fat
Protein takes the most calories to assimilate and digest, followed by carbohydrates, followed by fat. Animal proteins increase thermogenesis more than vegetable proteins, so the best calorie-burning foods are lean meats. Build your dinner around lean chicken, beef, or pork. That way, you’re burning the most calories through digestion at the end of the day, when your metabolism is slower. This is one of the big reasons that I think people are too concerned about their fat intake but at the same time do not eat enough protein.
Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: colon cancer, consistent energy supply, dairy products, diabetes, fish-oil supplements, food, heart attacks, heart disease, inflammation, MDlabs.com., oil, osteoporosis, potato chips

There are many people out there who are somewhat addicted to salt, just as others love sugar. These people would insist on eating only salty foods all the time. If you think that salt is better than sugar because it doesn’t cause weight gain, you are plain wrong.

I would suggest that you not only decrease your own salt intake but also that of your kids. It would help in more than one way. In this article I will tell you how harmful salt can be for your health as well as that of your kids’.

a) Salt causes weight gain and stomach bloating: Ever wondered why so many people fail to lose real fat with the help of fad diets, even though their manufactures make tall promises? These fad diets are unable to help you burn fat, and the weight you lose with their help is nothing but water weight.

Now guess what caused this water weight in the first place? Some of it is caused by water (which is okay since it is a temporary situation), but the rest is caused by salt. Salt increases your body weight by making it bloated. Consequently you would often suffer from IBS and acidity. If you simply reduce your intake of sodium, I believe it would be easier for you to maintain a healthy digestive system.

b) Too much of salt intake can also cause heart attack and high blood pressure. You know how harmful these diseases could be for your kids, don’t you?

So by how much should you reduce your kids’ salt intake?

You shouldn’t necessarily follow the government’s recommendations; not only do they vary from country to country, they are also prepared in a way that it doesn’t make a negative impact on the country’s economy. For example, the UK government recommends a maximum daily intake of 1.6 gram of salt for an adult, whereas in US it is much higher: 2.4 grams.

While there is no recommendation for daily salt intake limit of kids, I think it is very important for them to form the habit of avoiding salty foods; if they get accustomed to excessive salt intake right from their childhood, they would find it difficult to kick off this habit later in life. I think you are better off doing your own maths. Basically, you should try to restrict your kids’ salt intake to as low level as possible.

So how would you know which foods are high on salt?

1. Well, if you buy packaged foods, you would notice that almost all food packages come with decent information about the food ingredients; this is where you would find stats about the sodium content of those foods.

2. You should also keep the salt jar away from your reach as well as that of your kids. It is equally tempting for you and your kids to add several pints of salt in the food dishes when the salt jar is right on the dinner table. However, if you keep it at a safe distance, you or your kids would be less motivated to use it.

3. Very often we habitually pour extra salt not only on our plates but also those of our kids. As an adult, it is your responsibility to get rid of this habit. Once you get rid of your ’salt’ addiction, your kids would too.

4. Reduce the amount of salt you use when cooking foods at home; try to make up for the deficit with other spices.

5. Try to avoid eating at fast food restaurants. This applies both to you and your kids. Apart from being high on oil and other spices, fast foods often tend to be rich in salt as well.

Tags: food, food ingredients, food packages, food restaurants, heart attack, high blood pressure, oil, UK government, United Kingdom, United States

Pain is a feeling that all of us would want to avoid, but often end up experiencing. Be it in the form of a headache, period pain, muscle ache or joint inflammation, an ache never leaves our side for too long a time.

The method that most of us follow to get rid of a pain is to pop an over-the-counter (OTC) painkiller into our mouth. While OTC medicines are effective in treating pain, they are also associated with a number of side effects, especially if used regularly or on a long-term basis.

Though many of us are unaware of this fact, there are a number of natural pain killers that can help relieve aches, without presenting the danger of side effects. In the following lines, we have listed some of the most effective natural remedies for pain, including the herbal ones.

Natural Pain Killers

Boswellia
Boswellia is the name of an Indian herb that has been found to be effective in treating the pain occurring from rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Boswellic acids, the active constituents in boswellia, are responsible for bringing relief from the ache. This particular herb is available in the form of supplements as well as topically-applied creams. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: ache, aches, arthritis, back pain, chemicals, Crohn's disease, Dietary Supplement, Environmental Protection Agency, fibromyalgia, fish oil, gastritis, gout, headache, headaches, inflammation, inflammatory chemicals, lower back pain, migraine, migraine headaches, muscle cramps, muscle injuries, natural remedies, oil, pain, pains, peptic ulcers, rheumatoid arthritis, sinusitis, South Africa

When it comes to weight loss, people invariably seem to recommend diet and exercise all the time, conveniently ignoring or overlooking the several other major and minor factors which determine the success or failure of weight loss. Now I am not saying that dieting and exercising are not important, but it is equally important to take note of the two weight loss truths I am going to discuss in this article. If you fail to take note of them, you may as well fail to get rid of your fat belly and love handles.

1. Weight Loss Truth#1 – You cannot lose weight in unhealthy surroundings: Struggling to lose weight in unhealthy surroundings is like trying to setup a sacrosanct place in a dirty area; both are absolutely useless endeavors and would result in nada, zilch! If you really want to lose weight, you need to inculcate good and healthy habits, and for that it is essential that you live in favorable surroundings.

For example, how can you lose weight when your kitchen is filled up with chips and pastries or the refrigerator is choke-full of chocolates and soft drinks? The truth is, with these unhealthy foods keeping you company throughout the day, you cannot help but be tempted to take a bite of them even if you know it is bad for you!

The only way out is to replace those junk foods with their healthier alternatives which would provide your body with the required amount of nutrition, minus the oil and fat! Examples of such foods are lean meat, eggs, organic fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, fishes, soy, etc.

2. Weight Loss Truth#2 – You cannot lose weight if you don’t reward yourself: People struggle hard with the incentive of being rewarded in return, and the same holds true for weight loss as well! Losing weight is such a Herculean struggle that more often than not you would feel disappointed and frustrated with your weight loss efforts.

When you fail to see any noticeable dip in the scale in one week, you would soon come to the conclusion that all your efforts for getting rid of fat have come to nothing. However, that is not true at all! For you to become successful in weight loss, it is important that you exercise patience and self-discipline all the time, but in reality, it is easier said than done. This is where rewards come in!

In order for rewards to work, you should have already set a weight loss goal as well as several smaller milestones for the purpose for reaching that goal. Let’s say that you have a goal of getting rid of two0 pounds of fat in three months, and a milestone of losing two pounds of fat every week. Now, you can reward yourself every time you reach a milestone.

Note that the reward can be anything EXCEPT FOOD! Eating lots and lots of junk foods is not the way to reward yourself for all the hard work you have done, for these junk foods would simply let your weight loss efforts go in vain! However, you can set other rewards for yourself such as visiting a spa, buying a pair of jeans you have been eyeing for a long time, or fitting yourself into your old clothes, etc.

Tags: oil

Who of us haven’t had pizzas during our college days? Let’s face it, almost everyone have had that yummy food at some point of time or other. Pizza has a few pros going for it: it is not only cheap but also tastes great. Plus, it is available in almost all decent fast food restaurants, hotels and canteens.

However, pizza is not great if you wish to stay lean and fit all your life. As a matter of fact, pizza is rich in saturated, oily fats that are responsible for weight gain. So, unless you wish to flaunt huge hips, fat belly or flabby arms, you should try to stay away from it.

Okay okay, I know that asking you to avoid pizza altogether for the rest of your life is a tall order for you, since you are so addicted to pizza that possibly you won’t be able to maintain your sanity without it. With that in mind, I am going to tell you about a few ways you can have your fill without gaining unnecessary weight in the process.

Pizza weight loss tips

The right meat: Italian sausage, ground beef or processed meat may make your pizza delicious, but they are not healthy. So the next time you order your favorite pizza, order the one made of lean meat of either chicken or ham. That way, you could have your pizza without gaining a few extra pounds in the process.

The right amount of cheese: As a matter of fact, cheese is rich in “bad fats” or saturated fats and as such, the less choose you consume it, the better for you. Since cheese is a major ingredient of pizza, you should order the one which made with half the usual amount of cheese.

The right cooking oil: There are two types of fats available: the unsaturated and the saturated fats; the first one won’t make you any heavier but the second one would. In most restaurants, pizzas are cooked using oils rich in saturated fats. So when you order a pizza, be sure to enquire about whether it has been cooked using low-fat oil or even better, olive oil. I say olive oil is better because it is not only rich in monounsaturated fats but also omega-3 and omega-5 fats, all of which are great for your health.

The right thickness of the crust: The crust used on pizzas is usually rich in simple carbohydrates that would make you overweight. Therefore, the thinner the crust of your pizza, the better. Ordering a pizza with a thin crust won’t ruin the taste of pizza by any considerable margin; if anything, it would ensure that you are able to eat pizzas forever without having to worry about possible weight gain.

As you can see, there is no reason why you can’t eat weight loss pizzas. As long as you follow the simple tips above, you can keep eating pizzas throughout your entire life without the fear of weight gain.

Tags: decent fast food restaurants, low-fat oil, oil, olive oil, Weight Loss Pizza, yummy food

While in Hawaii I finally had a chance to see the type of marketing that Glaxo Smith Kline are doing for the Alli weight loss pills. And wow I bet they are selling well.

First of all we all know that there are some side effects to Alli. The pills make you leach a bit of oil from your bum when you are taking them, other then that the Alli diet pills are basically a fat blocker that lets you know that you have eaten too much fat and stops your body from storing it.

Back to the marketing. Part of the problem that diet pills have had over the last few years is that they are very flash in the pan and no one trusts them, usually from good reason. I am not sure how many different diet pills there have been between Phen-fen to Hoodia and in between but there have been lots. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Alli, alli diet pill, alli weight loss, fitness, glaxo smith kline, hawaii, losing weight, oil, weight loss pills

I have mentioned on this blog many times that I take vitamins and that I recommend people to take vitamins. The problems is that vitamin and other pills are usually not a magic bullet to losing weight but people often treat them like they are. As we all should remember supplements are an addition not a core of our diet, health and fitness programs

Now I just ran into Lipovox. Lipovox is supposed to be some kind of wonder pill as it contains all sorts of superfoods that are great for you. The list of what is has includes Green Tea, DMAE,
Alpha Lipoic Acid, Cayenne Pepper, Wheatgrass Extract, Flaxseed Oil, Alfalfa, Salmon Oil, Soybean, Buckwheat, Lactobacillus Acidophillus, Garlic Extract.

We all know how good each of these things are for us, in fact all of the antioxoidants and Omega Vitamins in this seem like they would make for a fantastic supplement but I hate the idea.

Why would I hate a pill that has all the good things? Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: alfalfa, buckwheat, cayenne pepper, flaxseed oil, food, garlic, green tea, lipovox, obesity, oil, salmon oil, superfoods, superpill

Thanks to the Mayo Clinics Katherine Zeratsky for this info on Flax Seed. I am sure that you may have heard somewhere about how great Flax seed is for Omega vitamins and fiber,this info will help you make the most of using Flax seed

Most nutrition experts recommend ground flax seed because your body is better able to digest it. Whole flaxseed may pass through your intestine undigested, which means you won’t get the health benefits of flaxseed.

Flax seed is high in fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, and phytochemicals called lignans. Flax seed can help reduce total blood cholesterol and LDL (”bad”) cholesterol levels — and, as a result, may help reduce the risk of heart disease. Flaxseed oil also contains omega-3 fatty acids, but it doesn’t have the beneficial fiber that the seeds have. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: flax seed oil, ground flax seed, health benefits of flax seed, health food stores, heart disease, Institute of Medicine, oil

Want to lose weight fast? It’s easy to say goodbye to 10 pounds of unwanted fat with these easy diet tips. Just pay attention to what you eat and be sure to have good tasting, fresh and healthy food including snacks, fill up on vegetables and keep your taste buds happy with fruit.

No need to make sacrifices! Just follow these simple guidelines to lose your first 10 pounds, last 10 pounds or give your weight loss program a boost when it seems to have stuttered to a halt. This is a balanced and flexible plan that you can use for as long as you want.

1. Keep a note of everything that you eat and drink. You do not need to estimate calories. Just write down what it was that you had and the approximate quantity. You will find that being more aware of what you are eating helps you to plan healthy meals and snacks.

2. Halve your intake of all pure or added fats. This means using half as much butter or spread on your bread, toast, muffins and potatoes; half the usual amount of mayonnaise or sauce on your salad; and half the oil in the frypan every time.

3. Limit treats containing sugar to three times per week. This includes chocolate, ice cream, desserts, cake, pastries, cookies, etc.

4. Include a lower fat source of protein at most meals: chicken, fish, beans, cottage cheese, or low fat yogurt. Have eggs, nuts and red meat occasionally but not every day.

5. Plan at least one lunch and dinner every week without meat or cheese. Build those meals around whole grains, vegetables and beans to increase fiber and reduce fat.

6. Reduce the fat content in your milk products. If you are currently drinking whole milk, reduce to 2% fat. From 2% reduce to 1%. Choose lower fat cheese and yogurt. When you buy yogurt, also check that it does not contain sugar.

7. Have at least two servings of fruit every day. This can be for dessert or snacks. Choose fruit that is in season.

8. Drink water instead of sodas, juices, milky drinks or alcohol. Avoid diet soda – the sweet taste only encourages you to crave sugar. Hot water with a slice of lemon can be very refreshing in the morning.

9. Include at least two servings of vegetables at lunch and dinner. If you are getting hungry, have more.

10. Eat slowly. The body is slow to register when you are full and it is easy to eat too much if you are racing through your meals.

11. Grated carrot makes a great snack. You will find that a grated carrot is much more filling than a whole carrot. Strange but true.

12. Use whole grains wherever possible. The fiber will give you a fuller feeling and also help your digestion.

13. Choose food that you can chew. Again this will increase your fiber intake, and the act of chewing will make you feel more satisfied too. This means eating fruit instead of drinking juice. If you have soup, make sure it is chunky.

14. Plan your meals and snacks ahead of time. Plan your shopping too – make a list of what you need and stick to it. If you just grab something when you are feeling hungry, you will probably choose high calorie food.

15. Always switch off the TV when you eat. That includes snacks as well as meals. Studies have proved that we eat larger portions in front of the TV, probably because we are much less aware of what we are eating. When you eat, only eat if you want to lose weight fast.

Tags: food, fresh and healthy food, high calorie food, milk products, oil